US election 2024: As it happened, Trump, Harris hold duelling rallies in Milwaukee in final days of campaign

The office of Arizona Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes is “looking into” whether Donald Trump broke state law when he said Liz Cheney should face rifles “shooting at her” to see how she feels about sending troops to fight.

“The Arizona Attorney-General’s Office is looking into whether Donald Trump’s comments about Liz Cheney violated Arizona law,” Richie Taylor, communications director for the office, said in a statement on Friday. “The office has no additional comments to make at this time.”

Liz Cheney at a campaign event with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.Credit: AP

Trump made the comments about Cheney, one of the former president’s biggest Republican critics and the daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, to former Fox News Host Tucker Carlson at a campaign event in Glendale on Thursday.

“She’s a radical war hawk. Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK, let’s see how she feels about it.

“You know when the guns are trained on her face – you know, they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building, saying, ‘Oh, gee, well, let’s send, let’s send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy.’”

In an interview on Friday with 12News, a local television station in Arizona, Mayes said Trump’s comments were “deeply troubling.”

“I have already asked my criminal division chief to start looking at that statement, analysing it for whether it qualifies as a death threat under Arizona’s laws,” Mayes told 12News.

“I’m not prepared now to say whether it was or it wasn’t, but it is not helpful as we prepare for our election and as we try to make sure that we keep the peace at our polling places and in our state,” she continued.

Associated Press

Please join us again on Sunday morning for continued coverage of the historic US presidential election.

The US presidential candidates have spent the day fighting for those voters who are yet to make up their minds, US correspondent Farrah Tomazin writes, with about 7 million Americans having already cast their vote.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have just wrapped up one of their last days of campaigning, holding rallies about 10 kilometres from each other in Milwaukee, in the swing-state of Wisconsin.

Donald Trump dances at his rally in Milwaukee.Credit: AP

Harris made an aggressive final push for young voters, appearing on stage with Grammy award-winning rapper Cardi B and singling out Gen Z as “rightly impatient for change”, while Trump declared election day would be “liberation day” and said that as president he would launch the “largest deportation program in American history”.

Trump is also now the subject of an investigation by the Democratic attorney general of Arizona after suggesting earlier today that former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney should be put on a battlefield with guns pointed at her face.

That’s a wrap for today’s live coverage of the US election campaign, but you can read Farrah Tomazin’s report on the day’s events here.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have both targeted Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s largest county, as part of a fevered final push for votes in a swing-state that has proved critical in recent elections.

The candidates held rallies about 10 kilometres apart from each other, with Trump appearing downtown while Harris chose a nearby suburb to appeal to voters.

Kamala Harris (left) hugs rapper Cardi B before speaking at a campaign rally in Milwaukee.Credit: AP

Milwaukee is home to the most Democratic votes in Wisconsin, but its conservative suburbs are where most Republicans live and are a critical area for Trump as he tries to reclaim the state he narrowly won in 2016 and lost in 2020. One reason for his defeat was a drop in support in those Milwaukee suburbs and an increase in Democratic votes in the city.

The two sides say the race is once again razor tight for the state’s 10 electoral votes. Four of the past six presidential elections in Wisconsin have been decided by less than a point, or fewer than 23,000 votes.

“Both candidates recognise that the road to the White House runs directly through Milwaukee County,” Republican Party county chair Hilario Deleon said.

Harris and Trump drew roughly the same number of people at their rallies, based on crowd estimates provided by each campaign.

Associated Press

Trump has now finished addressing his rally, and is busting out his signature dance moves to his unofficial campaign anthem, YMCA.

Trump has finished his Milwaukee address and is now deploying his signature fist-pump dance move. Credit: AP

I’m doing my best to type the latest quotes from Trump’s rally here:

“This will be the biggest win.

“It will be the biggest event in political history.

Trump says he will “fix our country”.

“Kamala is a radical left Marxist.

“She destroyed our economy, she was an original creator of the defund the police movement.

“Anyone who wants to defund the police for one day is not worthy of being [president].

“Who in this room is willing to give up their gun to Kamala?” he says, prompting the crowd to boo.

“Who refuses to give up their gun?” Trump says, prompting the crowd to cheer.

“I think she has a very tough job. But she called for free sex changes for illegal aliens at taxpayers’ expense.

“She lied about working at McDonald’s.

“I went and checked it out. Actually, they were the best french fries.

“When you vote, we are going to fire Kamala and we are going to save America.”

Trump says October 7 and the Ukraine war would not have happened if he were president.

He pledges to “modernise” the military and teach children to “honour our history”.

“We will put in a bill into Congress ... We’re going to protect our great American flag.”

He pledges to introduce one-year jail sentences for anyone “destroying or burning” the American flag.

“We will get critical race theory insanity out of our schools. We will keep men out of women’s sports.

“We will stop illegal immigration once and for all. We want people to come into our country, but they have to come in legally. They have to love our country.

“It’s like a military invasion.”

Trump says he could be enjoying “beautiful waves” but is instead addressing cheering fans at the rally.

“I don’t have to be here,” he says. “But if I had my choice, I would rather be here with a broken down s--- microphone in Wisconsin. I would rather be here.

“We will never back down. We will never surrender. We will fight, fight, fight and we will win, win, win.”

You can watch along here:

Harris delivered her basic campaign speech at her third and final rally, in West Allis, telling the boisterous crowd that Trump was bad for the economy, their healthcare and women’s reproductive rights.

“We know who Donald Trump is,” she said. “This is not someone who is thinking about how to make your life better. This is someone who is increasingly unstable, obsessed with revenge, he is consumed with grievance and the man is out for unchecked power.”

Earlier, Harris lauded people at her rally who had voted early.

“Can we please hear it for our first-time voters,” Harris said. “And those who will be first-time voters.”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.Credit: AP

Associated Press

At the same rally, Trump is continuing his “weave”, declaring the election day will be “liberation day” before canvassing policies and delivering his “closing statement”.

“The US is an occupied country.”

He says election day will be “liberation day”.

“On day one I will launch the largest deportation program in American history.

“I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered.

“We will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail or kick them out of our country immediately.

“I am calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or law enforcement officer.”

Now, Trump is turning his attention to President Joe Biden, who called his supporters “garbage”, and comparing the language to Hillary Clinton’s fatal “deplorables” comment in 2016.

“I actually think they hate the American people,” Trump says.

“I believe she hates you.

“I love America and I’m inviting you to build an extraordinary future for our nation.

“My closing message is that I love America and I’m inviting you to join us in building an extraordinary future for our nation.”

He saysa: “I think the suburban housewives like me.

“I want to protect them in many ways.”

Trump then focuses his attention on Harris. “She is very rattled, you take a look at her. Is there a chance she would resign? I think they should have left Joe.

“It’s come out today … that Joe Biden likes me more than he likes Kamala, and he would rather have me win than have Kamala win because they took away his presidency.

“I think psychologically, he’s better off.”

Trump criticises Harris for saying she would not do anything differently from Joe Biden.

“Can you afford to put someone this incompetent in charge of our country’s future? No you can’t.”

Trump is now talking about how he’s been accused of “rambling”, but it’s his own version of storytelling.

“I have a very fertile brain.

“It’s the weave, we do it.

“You tell one story, and really it’s like 15 subplots, but you get to the final answer.”

Trump participated in a three-hour interview with podcaster Joe Rogan last week where the term “weave” was used to describe the way Trump jumps from one topic to the next.

“Rogan, what a nice guy.”

Trump is now accusing mainstream media of “cutting out part of the weave” to make his sentences appear like they don’t make sense. Trump’s campaign is suing multiple media companies for what Trump describes as “election interference fraud”.

“If a conservative broadcaster ever did what they did, it would be the end of their lives.

“We sued them yesterday for a lot of money. ”

Also in Milwaukee, Trump is now addressing his rally.

To rounds of applause, and chants of “USA! USA! USA!”, Trump says he is going to end the “war on American energy”.

“We’re going to drill baby drill. We’re going to frack, frack frack.”

Trump then focuses on the economy, saying it will get “worse” under Kamala Harris.

Donald Trump speaking at a rally.Credit: nna\NPearson

“The only reason the stock market is up is because everyone thinks Trump is going to win,” he says.

Trump predicts a “1921 style depression” that will “crush your incomes, kill millions of jobs” if Harris becomes president.

Trump says he is confident he will win, asking the crowd “should I say when or if” he wins before qualifying with:“It sounds a little braggadocio” to declare certain victory.

“You are four days away from the best jobs, the biggest pay cheques, and the brightest economic future the world has ever seen.”

Trump says he will “massively” cut taxes for workers, and ensure there are no taxes on tips or social security benefits.

Trump is jumping from one topic to the next, including robots, Harris looking “exhausting” and stage lighting, before pointing out a blonde woman in the crowd.

“You’re not allowed to call anyone beautiful any more. If you do it’s the end of your career.”

Trump then turned his attention to problems with the mic.

“Do you want to see me knock the hell out of someone?

“I’m seething, I’m working my ass off with this stupid mic.

“I’m blowing out my damn throat too.

“I don’t care about teleprompters.

“Isn’t it nice to have a president that doesn’t need a friggen teleprompter? I don’t ask for much.

“The only thing I ask for is a good mic. This is a second time today this happened.”

Vice President Kamala Harris is now on the stand at the Milwaukee rally, saying “it’s good to be back” to roaring applause.

“Are we ready to do this? Are we ready to win? Are we ready to vote?”

Harris is now in Milwaukee. Credit: AP

The crowd erupts with “yes!”

After rattling off her usual talking points about hard work and turning a page, the crowd starts chanting “Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!”

“At the top of my list is bringing down the cost of living for you.”

Harris is now rehashing her policy platform, including affordable housing, price gouging and tax cuts for small businesses.