On Politics

Thu Aug 29 2024

Rebecca Morin | Senior National News Reporter

@RebeccaMorin_

Happy almost-Labor Day weekend! I'm Rebecca Morin, senior national news reporter at USA TODAY. A quick programming note: There will not be an On Politics on Monday. See you back Tuesday! Reach me at rdmorin@usatoday.com.

12 days until the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. 68 days until Election Day. 1 day until I'm eating a tasty breakfast taco in South Texas!

Harris surges ahead of Trump

A lot has changed in six weeks – including who is leading in polls. And it's good news for Democrats. Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has surged ahead of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, 48% to 43%, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found. Read more.

•	More from the poll shows: Voters 18 to 34 years old support Harris to Trump, 49%-36%.
•	Harris also gained with Hispanic voters, with 53% supporting Harris and 37% for Trump.
•	Black voters support Harris over Trump, 76%-12%
•	Reminder: There's still roughly three months until the election and a lot can change. While Harris slightly leads Trump – something President Joe Biden struggled to do – it's still a close election.

A politics pit stop

•	Republicans accuse Kamala Harris of changing her stance on the border
•	Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stuck on ballots in three key battlegrounds despite dropping out
•	Why is Texas AG Ken Paxton under fire? Voter registration crackdown in Texas explained
•	FBI shares new details in investigation of Donald Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks
•	Happening tonight: What to know about Kamala Harris, Tim Walz's first interview since launching campaign

Want to be part of a USA TODAY story?

We're looking for readers from each of the seven battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — who would like to be profiled by a USA TODAY reporter. We are asking for a reporter to shadow you for two days around the Sept. 10 presidential debate. Email rdmorin@usatoday.com if you are interested or would like to know more details.

Army defends Arlington Cemetery official who had altercation with Trump staff

U.S. Army officials indirectly rebuked former President Donald Trump's campaign for "unfairly" criticizing the professionalism of an Arlington National Cemetery employee who got into an altercation with Trump staffers, and provided new details about the incident. Read more.

•	Photos: Fellow Americans pay respects at Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery
•	Veterans slam Trump team's altercation at Arlington National Cemetery

You asked, On Politics answers: Does Harris have trouble staffing up?

Keep the questions rolling in! Thanks to all the readers who have sent one in. From one reader: "Is Kamala having trouble getting her staff together? A MAGA friend says she doesnt have long time allies/staff."

In D.C., there's always a lot of movement in politics. At the start of her tenure as Vice President, Harris had several staff shake-ups. But years later – and since catapulting to the top of the ticket – Harris has a core team (like her brother-in-law Tony West, per a NOTUS report) and other allies that she's integrated into Biden's campaign that she inherited. For example, key Barack Obama allies joined Harris' campaign. (Harris and Obama have a friendly relationship.) The allies include: David Plouffe, who managed Obama's first White House run, Stephanie Cutter and Jennifer Palmieri.