is threatening to overshadow presidential campaigning as it menaces Florida.
The storm has already scrambled schedule. He put off a virtual event Tuesday night focused on health care and postponed a Univision town hall in Miami. He was in Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
President and Vice President denounced the misinformation and disinformation surrounding the federal response to , which hit last week and killed more than 220 people. Both much of the falsehoods.
Harris plans to head to Nevada and Arizona on Thursday. She spent Tuesday in New York on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭he View,鈥� with radio personality Howard Stern and on 鈥淭he Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Follow the AP鈥檚 Election 2024 coverage at: .
Here鈥檚 the latest:
Trump says no more debates
Donald Trump says he is done debating.
In a post on his Truth Social network, Trump insists that he 鈥淲ON THE LAST TWO DEBATES鈥� and sees no point in another match-up against Kamala Harris.
鈥淚T IS VERY LATE IN THE PROCESS, VOTING HAS ALREADY BEGUN - THERE WILL BE NO REMATCH!鈥� he writes.
He adds that Harris, in an interview on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭he View,鈥� 鈥淪TATED CLEARLY, YESTERDAY, THAT SHE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN JOE BIDEN, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO DEBATE.鈥�
鈥淭HANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!鈥� he added.
Trump campaign uses 鈥楩ull Metal Jacket鈥� clips to portray his vision of the military
Donald Trump鈥檚 campaign is stoking the Republican nominee鈥檚 admiration of a movie version of a Marine drill sergeant and using it to portray his vision of the military while mocking the Biden administration鈥檚.
Before a Trump rally began in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Wednesday, Trump鈥檚 team aired for the crowd a video featuring clips of R. Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman, the memorable drill instructor in Stanley Kubrick鈥檚 1987 classic Vietnam War film 鈥淔ull Metal Jacket.鈥�
The video toggles between clips captioned with 鈥淭HEN鈥� of Ermey鈥檚 character, known for his vulgar and at times racist outbursts, and clips of figures expressing support for LGBTQ rights and drag performers, captioned with 鈥淣OW鈥� and 鈥淭HE BIDEN HARRIS MILITARY.鈥�
Trump last week hailed the performance by Ermey, who served in the Marines as a drill sergeant before acting. 鈥淗e was supposed to get the Academy Award,鈥� Trump told his audience in Waunakee, Wisconsin, outside Madison.
The video ends with a shot from the movie, a scene before the recruits were sent to Vietnam, captioned with 鈥淟ET鈥橲 MAKE OUR MILITARY GREAT AGAIN.鈥�
In using the movie to illustrate Trump鈥檚 ideal of the military, the campaign was borrowing from what is recognized as an anti-war film. Never mind that the film is about Vietnam, for which Trump received medical deferments, despite having attended high school at New York Military Academy.
Biden blasts Trump for an 鈥榦nslaught of lies鈥� about handling of Helene
President Joe Biden on Wednesday blasted his predecessor for spreading an 鈥渙nslaught of lies鈥� about how the federal government is handling the damage from Hurricane Helene as another hurricane, Milton, was on the verge of making landfall in Florida.
鈥淨uite frankly, these lies are unamerican,鈥� Biden said from the White House. 鈥淔ormer President Trump has led this onslaught of lies.鈥�
Biden said that Trump and his allies have misrepresented the response and resources of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The president singled out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R- Georgia, saying that she claimed the federal government could control the weather.
Asked why he believed his Republican opponents were not talking accurately about the government鈥檚 response, Biden said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Trump talks about Hurricane Milton
Trump says he is praying for the people of Florida as Hurricane Milton begins lashing the state.
Speaking at a rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Trump says he wants to 鈥渟end our love to everyone in Florida. They鈥檙e going through a big one tonight.鈥�
Trump went on to say that he was 鈥減raying for鈥� those in the storm鈥檚 path and 鈥渁sking God to keep them all safe.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen a hurricane like that. So often you know, they talk about it and they talk talk talk because they want you to watch. This is the real deal. This is a bad one,鈥� he said.
He added that many of the states expected to be impacted have Republican governors whom he predicted would 鈥渄o a phenomenal job.鈥�
Walz talks about Hurricane Milton
Campaigning in Arizona, where early voting kicked off on Wednesday, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, talked about Hurricane Milton moving toward Florida and said, 鈥淭hose are Americans. Those are our neighbors. Those are our family members. Those are our friends.鈥�
Walz, the Minnesota governor, called unifying across party lines in the face of natural disasters 鈥渃ritical.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about politics. It鈥檚 about basic human decency,鈥� Walz said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about leadership and character.鈥�
Trump insults Harris at Pennsylvania rally
Trump is continuing to insult Harris at a rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and says he has no interest in stopping, even if turns some voters off.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be nice,鈥� Trump said at his first of two rallies of the day in the pivotal battleground state. 鈥淵ou know, somebody said, 鈥榊ou should be nicer. Women won鈥檛 like it.鈥� I said, 鈥橧 don鈥檛 care.鈥�
鈥淭he women want safety and the women want to have a country they can be proud of, I think,鈥� he says.
Trump, as usual, is casting Harris as 鈥渁n incompetent person,鈥� calling her 鈥済rossly incompetent鈥� and 鈥渢otally ill-quipped to do the job of being President of the United States鈥�
He also criticized the hosts of 鈥淭he View,鈥� where Harris appeared on Tuesday. He called one of the women hosts 鈥渄umber than Kamala. She鈥檚 a dummy,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat is one dumb woman. Sorry. I鈥檓 sorry, women, she鈥檚 a dummy.鈥�
In-person voting has started in Arizona
Early in-person voting has started in Arizona, making it the first of this year鈥檚 presidential battleground states where all residents can cast a ballot at a traditional polling place ahead of Election Day.
The start of in-person voting on Wednesday in the closely contested state also is drawing the presidential tickets. Both campaigns scheduled visits here this week.
Each of Arizona鈥檚 15 counties is required to open at least one site for in-person voting, which runs until the Friday before the Nov. 5 general election.
In-person voting begins next week in four more presidential swing states 鈥� Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Nevada.
Marjorie Taylor Greene's suggestions that Democrats control the weather is 鈥榖eyond ridiculous,鈥� Biden says
President Joe Biden is calling 鈥渂eyond ridiculous鈥� suggestions by a Republican congresswoman that Democrats are controlling the weather, and might even be directing especially strong storms toward conservative parts of the country.
During a briefing at the White House on federal preparations for Hurricane Milton, Biden denounced widespread misinformation about the federal assistance that鈥檚 available to victims. He called out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene by name, saying she was suggesting 鈥渢he federal government is literally controlling the weather. We鈥檙e controlling the weather. It鈥檚 beyond ridiculous. It鈥檚 gotta stop.鈥�
The president referenced Greene鈥檚 comments again later in the briefing, calling them 鈥渙ff the wall.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 like out of a comic book,鈥� Biden said
Biden discusses FEMA's efforts
President Joe Biden has told the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e doing a hell of a job.鈥�
Biden made the comment to FEMA chief Deanne Criswell during a virtual briefing at the White House with federal authorities bracing for Hurricane Milton鈥檚 making landfall in Florida.
It was meant as a compliment, but it immediately recalled then-President George W. Bush telling his FEMA director, Michael Brown, 鈥淏rownie, you鈥檙e doing a heck of a job.鈥� Bush said that before the extent of the mismanaged federal response to 2005鈥檚 Hurricane Katrina had become clear and it later long haunted him.
South Dakota kicks 273 people off its voter rolls with voting underway
South Dakota鈥檚 top elections official has removed hundreds of people from the state鈥檚 voter rolls even with voting already underway.
Republican Secretary of State Monae Johnson says the move was necessary to defend the integrity of the election.
But critics say it violates a federal law and could disenfranchise valid voters who are naturalized U.S. citizens. The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota has called for the 273 voters to be reinstated.
South Dakota was to begin early voting for the November general election. Absentee voting began Sept. 20.
Harris warns against price gouging
Vice President Kamala Harris warned against jacking up prices on Americans dealing with back-to-back hurricanes.
鈥淭hose evacuating before Hurricane Milton or recovering from Hurricane Helene should not be subject to illegal price gouging or fraud 鈥� at the pump, airport, or hotel counter,鈥� she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Harris said the federal government is tracking allegations and 鈥渨ill hold those taking advantage of the situation accountable.鈥�
President Joe Biden made a similar demand Tuesday.
鈥淚鈥檓 calling on the airlines and other companies to provide as much service as possible to accommodate evacuations and not to engage in price gouging, to just do it on the level,鈥� he said at the White House.
Biden says Congress needs to step up after Hurricane Helene
President Joe Biden says that the destruction from Hurricane Helene is going to cost billions of dollars that victims will need quickly and that 鈥淐ongress better be ready to step up to help.鈥�
Biden made the comments in excerpts of his interview recorded Tuesday with theGiro. The excerpts were released as Hurricane Milton threatens to unleash new devastation in Florida.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced him at the top of the Democratic Election Day ticket, have previously criticized former President Donald Trump, now the Republican nominee, for spreading false information about the federal response to Helene.
In the interview excerpts, Biden says that, 鈥淎 lot of folks are out there spreading lies about what we are not doing, that things are not going well. That we are not responding.鈥�
He responded, 鈥淲e鈥檝e been completely responsive, and we鈥檝e been ahead of the game.鈥�
Trump schedules rally in New York for end of October
Donald Trump is returning to New York in the race鈥檚 final stretch, scheduling a rally at the city鈥檚 iconic Madison Square Garden stadium.
Trump is planning his event for Oct. 27, kicking off the final week of campaigning, according to a campaign official familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity before a formal announcement.
It will be Trump鈥檚 second rally in the city he grew up in following a stop in the South Bronx in May.
Trump has claimed he believes he can win New York, even though it is an overwhelmingly Democratic state and the city even more so. But such an event is likely to draw outsized media attention.
The former president is also campaigning this week in other Democratic states, including California and Colorado.
鈥� By Jill Colvin
The Associated Press
