Trump calls Walz ‘moron’ as betting odds favor him over Vance in VP debate: Live

President Joe Biden will receive an interagency briefing on the Hurricane Helene response and recovery efforts at 2.30pm this afternoon in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

Follow the latest on the hurricane here:

A number of prominent Republicans have signed an amicus brief today supporting the lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee and the Georgia Democratic Party challenging the State Election Board’s rule changes, mandating a hand count of ballots.

Among those who have signed the brief is former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, a Republican supporter of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

The Democratic National Committee dug up historic remarks the Ohio senator has made about his running mate, including him branding the then-president an “idiot”.

“The qualities and policies that people profess to be what they admire and love about former President Trump don’t seem to be an accurate reflection of said former president,” Stewart said.

James Liddell has the story.

Eric Hoplin, CEO of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), issued a statement this morning calling on President Joe Biden to take action to end the strike and reopen the ports:

“The East and Gulf Coast port strike is putting our economy and national security at risk. This strike isn’t just about disrupting a few shipments; it’s about stopping the supply chain and bringing the flow of critical goods to a standstill.

“The damage could reach $5 billion a day, with small and mid-sized businesses at risk due to missed deliveries and empty shelves. The Biden administration must use its authority now to stop the strike before the impact becomes irreversible. This is not just about pay or a shipping delays—it’s about our global competitiveness. The ILA’s demands to ban automation in ports will cripple our ability to compete internationally, while ports in Europe and Asia embrace automation and technology to stay ahead.

“The administration must act decisively—end this strike, reopen the ports, and ensure the US remains a leader in global trade.”

Here’s what you need to know about the strike:

The Trump campaign is trying to manage expectations ahead of tonight’s vice presidential debate between Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, but the former president doesn’t appear on message.

During a campaign call with reporters, senior Trump adviser Jason Miller said: “Walz is very good in debates. I want to repeat that: Tim Walz is very good in debates. Really good. He’s been a politician for nearly 20 years. He’ll be very well-prepared for tomorrow night.”

“He’s not going to be the wildly gesticulating, effeminate caricature we see at rallies, pointing to Kamala Harris and dancing about on the stage. Walz is going to be buttoned up. He’ll be ready to defend his own radical left record in Minnesota and in Washington.”

However, the former president struck a different tone, later telling Kellyanne Conway: “You’ll see it tomorrow with JD. It’ll be stacked. He’s going up against a moron. A total moron, how she picked him is unbelievable. And I think it’s a big factor. There’s something wrong with that guy. He’s sick.”

The Independent will be covering the debate live tonight at 9pm ET.

Iran is preparing an imminent ballistic missile attack on Israel, a US official says, warning of “severe consequences” for Iran.

“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel. We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” a White House official says.

Democratic insiders are said to be privately voicing concerns that Tim Walz could blow crucial vice presidential debate against JD Vance because of his tendency to be overly abrupt and defensive about his record in office and his occasionally “manic” speaking style.

Walz is due to square up to the Ohio GOP senator on stage at the CBS News debate in New York City on Tuesday night and – with no further debates in the pipeline – the contest could mark the final face-off between the Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigns before November’s election.

But allies of the Democratic vice presidential candidate have warned Politico that there are fears that Walz’s abrupt manner of shutting down conversations and runaway manner of speaking – which one anonymous insider described as “a bit manic” – could ultimately count against him.