Washington — Former President Donald Trump condemned antisemitism on Thursday, hours after an explosive CNN story revealed that one of his associates running for North Carolina governor made a series of racial and sexual remarks on a website, referring to himself as a “black NAZI.”

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson pledged to remain in the race despite the report, and the Trump campaign appeared to distance itself from the candidate while still describing the battleground state as critical to regaining the White House. Trump has regularly expressed his support for Robinson, who has been regarded as a rising star in his party despite a history of provocative comments on race and abortion.

Trump made no mention of the charges during his Thursday speeches to a group of Jewish benefactors and the Israeli-American Council in Washington. His campaign stated the CNN story that did not identify Robinson, instead claiming that Trump “is focused on winning the White House and saving this country” and that North Carolina was a “vital part of that plan.”

Robinson’s reported remarks, including a 2012 statement in which he said he preferred Adolf Hitler to the leadership in Washington, contradicted Trump’s condemnations of antisemitism in Washington and his claim that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris sympathized with Israel’s enemies. The report might also jeopardize Trump’s prospects of winning North Carolina, a key battleground state, with Robinson already trailing his Democratic opponent in public polls.

Trump Vows To Be ‘Best Friend’ To Jewish Americans, As Allegations Of Ally’s Antisemitism Surface

“This narrative isn’t about the North Carolina governor’s campaign. “It’s about the presidential race,” said Paul Shumaker, a Republican pollster who previously worked for Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., warning that Trump may lose a state he won in 2016 and 2020.

“The question is going to be, does Mark Robinson cost Donald Trump the White House?” Shumaker added.

After the charges against Robinson surfaced, Ammar Moussa, a Harris campaign spokeswoman, uploaded a photo of Trump and the struggling candidate on social media. “Donald Trump has a Mark Robinson problem,” he stated in an email.

The North Carolina Republican Party issued a statement defending Robinson, stating that he “categorically denied the allegations made by CNN, but that won’t stop the Left from trying to demonise him via personal attacks.”

Trump has sought to make gains among Black voters, frequently aligning himself with Robinson on the campaign trail, which has increasingly carried him to North Carolina. At a demonstration in Greensboro, he dubbed Robinson “Martin Luther King on steroids” in reference to the civil rights leader’s speaking abilities.

Robinson has been campaigning with Trump as recently as last month, when he appeared with the Republican nominee at an event in Asheboro, North Carolina.

Recent polls of North Carolina voters show Trump and Harris in a tight contest. The same surveys show Democrat Josh Stein leading Robinson by about ten points.

Trump recaps his White House record to Jewish supporters.
Both Trump and Harris, the Democratic nominee, were making appearances designed to energise their core supporters, with Harris taking part in a webcast with Oprah Winfrey.

Trump arrived on Thursday alongside Miriam Adelson, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks co-owner and widow of wealthy casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson.

“My promise to Jewish Americans is this: With your vote, I will be your defender, protector, and the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House,” Trump declared at a donor event in Washington themed “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America.”

“But, in all fairness, I already am,” Trump said.

Trump has also faced criticism for his association with antisemitic extremists such as far-right activist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. When former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke endorsed Trump in 2016, Trump told CNN that he knew “nothing about David Duke, I know nothing about white supremacists.”

However, during his four years in office, Trump accepted a number of policy changes long sought by Israel supporters, including transferring the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognising Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights.

In his remarks, Trump chastised Harris for the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as what he called antisemitic rallies on college campuses and elsewhere.

“Kamala Harris has accomplished nothing. “She has not lifted a single finger to protect you or your children,” Trump claimed. He also reiterated a talking point: Jewish voters who vote for Democrats “should have their heads examined.”

Several guests at the event stated they were unfamiliar with Robinson’s story or declined to discuss it. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a conservative North Carolina Republican who was asked about the CNN article beforehand, declined to take questions.

Later Thursday, Trump addressed at the Israeli-American Council National Summit to honour the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, predicting a bleak future for the country if Harris is elected.

Trump Vows To Be ‘Best Friend’ To Jewish Americans, As Allegations Of Ally’s Antisemitism Surface

“Israel will not exist within two years if she becomes president,” he told the audience, adding that if he loses the presidential election to her on Nov. 5, “the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that.”

Liberals who want a ceasefire deny Harris their endorsement.
On Thursday, Harris received pressure from some members of her leftist constituency over the war. Leaders of the Democratic protest vote organisation “Uncommitted” announced that the group will not endorse Harris for president, but urged followers to vote against Trump. The group, which opposes the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, has demanded an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and an end to US arms deliveries to Israel.

“Uncommitted” received hundreds of thousands of votes in this year’s Democratic primary, highlighting a schism within the party. The group has warned that some Democratic voters may stay home in November, particularly in Michigan.

Harris’ campaign did not directly respond to the group’s announcement, but did say in a statement that she will “continue working to bring the war in Gaza to an end in a way where Israel is secure, hostages are released, suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”

SOURCE | AP

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party has lost a key parliamentary seat in a special election in Montreal, putting fresh pressure on the Canadian leader to resign.

The tight loss in Montreal’s federal electoral district of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun marks Trudeau’s minority Liberal government’s second setback in three months. With all ballots counted, Liberal candidate Laura Palestini finished second to Bloc Quebecois candidate Louis-Philippe Sauvé.

According to one poll tracker, Trudeau’s approval rating has dropped from 63% when he first took office to 28% in June of this year. The Liberals are likely to lose the upcoming election to the Conservatives, Canada’s official opposition party.

Justin Trudeau has received calls to resign as party leader, including from within his own party, but refuses to step down. A move that could end the Liberal Party in Canada. Trudeau said he intends to continue on and lead the party into the next election, which is slated for October 2025.

Former Liberal minister David Lametti, who had held the seat since 2015, resigned in January, prompting the Montreal by-election.

On Tuesday, Trudeau stated that there were “all sorts of reflections to take” on what went wrong for the Liberals in the formerly safe seat. He stated that he and his staff would continue to focus on working for Canadians.

In June, Trudeau’s Liberals lost a Toronto federal seat they had held for 30 years to the opposition Conservative Party, signalling danger for the party, which has been in power since 2015.

The election might possibly be called sooner, after the NDP withdrew from an arrangement with the minority Liberals earlier this month, which had enabled them retain power.

Also on Monday, the progressive NDP narrowly retained a seat in a byelection in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The by-election in Winnipeg’s Elmwood-Transcona riding, or constituency, was held following the departure of long-time NDP member of parliament Daniel Blaikie in March.

The NDP retained the seat, a bastion for their party, with 48% of the vote.

The Conservatives finished second with 44% of the vote.

While the Liberals were not anticipated to win the Winnipeg constituency, there were some signs of trouble: their candidate received 5% of the vote, compared to 15% in the previous federal election.

In recent years, Canadian voters have shown growing dissatisfaction with the government over topics such as rising prices, a home affordability crisis, healthcare, and immigration.

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Former President Trump and Vice President Harris met for the first time as contenders at a TV debate in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, with the BBC claiming Harris won and Republicans calling the encounter a Sham.

ABC News moderators constantly fact check Trump and never once fact checked Harris.

“It was three-on-one. They continued to engage in so-called fact-checking of Donald Trump. They never did that to Kamala Harris,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told reporters.

In a CNN poll of 600 registered voters who saw the debate, 63% believed Harris performed better, while 37% supported Trump. Prior to the debate, the same voters were evenly divided over who they felt would perform better.

However, this does not necessarily convert into votes; only 4% indicated the discussion changed their opinions about who they would vote for. So we’ll have to wait and see how much impact it has on polling figures in the following days.

Endorsement of Robert F Kennedy

Harris received 47% support during her party’s four-day convention in Chicago, which she concluded on August 22 with a speech offering a “new way forward” for all Americans. Her numbers have changed very little since then.

Trump’s average has likewise been pretty stable, at around 44%, with no major boost from the endorsement of Robert F Kennedy, who withdrew his independent candidature on 23 August.

While nationwide polls can provide insight into a candidate’s popularity across the country, they are not always reliable predictors of election outcomes.

That is because the United States utilises an electoral college system to determine its president, so receiving the most votes may be less essential than where they are cast.

There are 50 states in the United States, but because the majority of them almost always vote for the same party, there are only a few where both candidates have a chance to win. Battleground states are the places where elections will be won or lost.

Right now, surveys in the seven battleground states are extremely tight, making it difficult to determine who is truly winning the race. There are fewer state polls than national surveys, so we have less data to work with, and each poll has a margin of error, which means the results could be higher or lower.

Harris and Trump Tied

According to recent polls, there is less than one percentage point separating the two contenders in some states. That includes Pennsylvania, which is important because it has the most electoral votes available, making it easier for the winner to get the 270 votes required.

Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin were all Democratic strongholds before Trump turned them red on his way to capturing the presidency in 2016. Biden retook them in 2020, and if Harris can do the same this year, she will likely win the election.

At the present, surveys show that Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are within a couple of percentage points of each other both nationally and in battleground states – and when the election is that tight, it’s difficult to forecast winners.

Polls underestimated Trump’s support in both 2016 and 2020. Polling businesses will strive to address this issue in a variety of ways, including how to ensure that their findings reflect the makeup of the voting population.

These changes are tough to make correctly, and pollsters must still make informed predictions about other criteria such as who will really vote on November 5th.

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