Biden: I deserved a second term

Joe Biden said his achievements “merited” a second term in office as he addressed the nation for the first time since stepping back from the presidential race.

The US president, 81, suggested his “leadership in the world” and “vision for America’s future” had given Americans reason to elect him again, but said he would “pass the torch” to a new generation to keep his party united.

In a 10-minute address from the Oval Office, Mr Biden cited Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Franklin Delano Roosevelt as he sought to cement his legacy after almost four years in office.

He stepped down on Sunday from his home in Delaware, where he was self-isolating with coronavirus. He has endorsed Kamala Harris, his vice-president, for the Democratic nomination ahead of this year’s presidential election.

Mr Biden said: “I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merited a second term.

“But nothing, nothing, can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.

“So I decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation as the best way to unite our nation.”

Mr Biden had faced weeks of criticism from senior members of his own party, who argued his age and health would prevent him from beating Donald Trump for a second time in November.

He was resistant to calls from some of his closest allies, including Nancy Pelosi, for him to step down, before he posted a letter on X, formerly Twitter, announcing he was suspending his campaign. He then endorsed Ms Harris to replace him.

“The defence of democracy is more important than any title. I draw strength, and find joy, in working for the American people,” he said on Wednesday night.

“But this sacred task of perfecting our Union is not about me. It’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People.’”

Surrounded by his family in the Oval Office, Mr Biden quoted both the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence during his short address. He did not take any questions.

He also laid out a series of his achievements in office, including his flagship “Bidenomics” policies, crime reduction and his appointment of the first Black woman as a justice of the Supreme Court.

Mr Biden did not refer specifically to Trump, who eroded his lead in swing states before his decision to stand down, but stressed that he had decided to quit the race because of threats to American democracy. He has previously referred to Trump as a “dictator”.

“We’re all created equal, endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, pursuit of happiness,” he said.

“We’ve never fully lived up to it, to this sacred idea, but we’ve never walked away from it either.

“And I do not believe the American people will walk away from it now. In just a few months, the American people choose the course of America’s future.”

Mr Biden ended his remarks by thanking the public for giving “a kid with a stutter” the opportunity to serve as president.

He said: “Here I am. That’s what’s so special about America. We’re a nation of promise and possibilities of dreamers and doers, of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things.”

Following his address, his family members shed tears as Mr Biden embraced them.

Mr Biden’s address came after Ms Harris’s second speech since she became the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party earlier on Wednesday.

She has received the support of enough delegates to the Democratic National Convention to be awarded the nomination. The vast majority of delegates were previously allocated to Mr Biden after the party’s primary race earlier this year.

Mr Biden promised to continue his work as president until January, when he will be replaced by the winner of this year’s election. Some Republicans have called for him to stand down immediately.

“Over the next six months, I’ll be focused on doing my job as president,” he said. “That means I’ll continue to lower costs for hardworking families, [to] grow our economy.

“I’ll keep defending our personal freedoms in our civil rights, from the right to vote to the right to choose.

“I’ll keep calling out hate and extremism, [and] make it clear there is no place in America for political violence, or any violence, ever.”

01:48 AM BST

That’s all for today

Thanks for following the Telegraph’s live blog. We’ll be back on Thursday with the latest updates on the US election.

01:14 AM BST

‘Dictators don’t rule America’

Mr Biden said: “The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America – lies in your hands.”

Afterwards, Mr Biden embraced his teary-eyed family members, who watched the address from the Oval Office in a show of support.

01:13 AM BST

Biden: Harris ‘tough and capable’

Mr Biden praised Kamala Harris for being “experienced, tough and capable,” and said that when voters cast their ballots in November they should remember the words of Benjamin Franklin that America is a “Republic, if you can keep it”.

He added: “It has been the privilege of my life to serve this country for 50 years of my life.”

01:10 AM BST

‘Soul of America at stake’

Mr Biden said: “I ran for president four years ago because I believe the soul of America is at stake ... and that’s still the case.”

01:08 AM BST

Biden to focus on ‘doing job’

Mr Biden said: “Over the next six months I will be focused on doing my job as President. That means I will continue to lower costs for hard-working families and grow our economy. I will keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights – from the right to vote – to the right to choose.”

He also said he would focus on ending gun violence, developments in cancer research, and ending US involvement in wars around the globe.

01:05 AM BST

Biden hands over to ‘new generation’

Mr Biden said that “nothing, nothing” could stand in the way of “saving our democracy, adding: “I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation.”

01:05 AM BST

Biden: Choice between ‘hope and hate’

Mr Biden said America was at a crossroads and “has to choose” between “hope and hate”.

01:03 AM BST

Biden begins address to nation

Joe Biden has begun his address to the American people from the Oval Office.

In his opening remarks, the US president said: “The defence of democracy is more important than any title. I draw strength, and find joy, in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our Union is not about me. It’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People.’”

12:43 AM BST

Pictured: Trump rally in North Carolina

12:35 AM BST

New secret service director to testify in Senate

The acting director of the US Secret Service will testify before three Senate committees on Thursday in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the committees announced on Wednesday.

The deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation will also testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is holding a hearing in partnership with the Senate Homeland Security Committee and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

Kimberly Cheatle resigned as director of the US Secret Service on Tuesday after bipartisan demands to quit over the failure to prevent the attempted assassination. Ronald L Rowe Jr. replaced her as acting director.

12:22 AM BST

Trump: Harris ‘covered up’ Biden’s ‘mental unfitness’

Trump claimed that Democratic Party bosses were behind Mr Biden’s decision to step down and accused Ms Harris of covering up the US president’s “mental unfitness.”

Earlier Wednesday, the White House denied it had covered up any possible decline in Biden’s health prior to his decision to drop out of the election race.

12:20 AM BST

Harris ‘liberal driving force’ behind Biden

Trump called Ms Harris “the ultra liberal driving force behind every single Biden catastrophe.”

He claimed that she wanted “abortions in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy” as well as “right up until birth and even after birth, the execution of a baby.”

12:15 AM BST

Trump: Harris wants to ‘execute’ babies

Donald Trump claimed Kamala Harris was in favor of the “execution” of babies due to her stance on abortions, adding: “She is a radical left lunatic who will destroy our country.”

“We’re not going to let that happen,” he told the crowd in North Carolina.

12:04 AM BST

Trump attacks Harris at rally

Donald Trump unleashed a series of attacks on Kamala Harris in his first campaign rally since Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

Appearing in Charlotte, North Carolina, a battleground state that carries 16 electoral college votes, Mr Trump dubbed the Vice President “Lyin’ Kamala”, a description he first levelled at Republican Senator Ted Cruz during the 2016 GOP primary.

Reports suggest the Trump campaign has been scrambling on how to respond since Mr Biden announced at the weekend he was dropping out of the race. Polls suggest the 59-year-old Ms Harris could be more competitive in several states than Mr Biden, not because she is 20 year younger than Trump.

“Lyin’ Kamala is most left wing politician in the country,” Trump said.

“She’s absolutely terrible. She’s, as you know, more liberal than Bernie Sanders. Can you believe it? She’s rated far more liberal than Bernie. She’s now trying to get rid of her record, but you can’t.”

Ms Harris has previously hit back at Trump, referencing her time at Attorney General of California and suggesting she had dealt with people like the former president, who earlier this year became the US president convicted of a crime.

The former president’s trip to North Carolina suggested he is still concerned about keeping it in his column this November, even as his team reaches for wins in traditionally Democratic-leaning states like Minnesota, which Trump is set to visit on Saturday.

The last Democrat to win North Carolina was Barack Obama in 2008. But Ms Harris’s supporters believe the state could be in play, especially if she picks Governor Roy Cooper as her running mate.

11:51 PM BST

Trump: Harris more Left than Sanders

Donald Trump said “lyin’ Kamala” is the most left wing politician in America, more so than Bernie Sanders.

11:41 PM BST

Trump: ‘Lyin’ Kamala Harris’

Donald Trump opened his remarks at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, saying he defeated Biden, adding the Democrats “had a very undemocratic move” and forced him out.

“Now, we have a new victim to defeat: lyin’ Kamala Harris,” he said, mispronouncing her name, and proceeding to attack her record on the border.

11:31 PM BST

Trump calls Harris ‘radical left lunatic’

Donald Trump accused Kamala Harris of being a “radical left lunatic” Wednesday, in his first rally since she became the de facto Democratic Party nominee in the White House race.

“She is a radical left lunatic who will destroy our country,” the former president and Republican nominee claimed, calling her “the ultra liberal driving force behind every single Biden catastrophe.”

11:13 PM BST

Watch: Harris’ full Indianapolis speech

11:00 PM BST

Biden to address ‘what lies ahead’

Joe Biden said on X he would discuss “what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people” in his televised speech Wednesday night.

The US president returned to the White House on Tuesday after spending nearly a week with Covid at his Delaware beach home, a period of isolation in which he took the decision to step back from the presidential race.

Republicans have called for Mr Biden to step down altogether, saying that if he is not fit to stand for reelection then he is not fit to serve as president.

A White House spokesman dismissed that as “ridiculous” and maintained that Mr Biden is no “lame duck.”

10:42 PM BST

White House: Biden stepping down ‘not a cover up’

President Joe Biden stunned the world when he announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection, bowing to weeks of pressure after a disastrous, stumbling debate performance against Trump last month.

The veteran Democrat will tonight deliver his first speech since bowing out of the presidential race, using the powerfully symbolic setting of the Oval Office to try to restore some dignity as the clock ticks on his presidency and a half-century in public service.

Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, told reporters Wednesday that Mr Biden’s decision has “nothing to do with his health.”

She denied that the White House had covered up any possible decline in Biden’s condition. “It is not a cover up. I know that is the narrative that you all want. It is not,” she said.

10:32 PM BST

Israel ‘not seeking to resettle Gaza’

Benjamin Netanyahu told US lawmakers on Wednesday that Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza and that after the war with Hamas the enclave should be led by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy his country.

Speaking to a joint meeting of Congress, the Israeli prime minister said that for the foreseeable future, however, Israel would need overriding security control of Gaza.

10:23 PM BST

Trump rally attendees suffer heat stress

Paramedics received eight calls about people suffering from heat stress at the arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, where attendees waited outside for hours in the sweltering heat before being allowed inside to hear the Donald Trump speak Wednesday.

At least two people were taken to a hospital, according to the Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services Agency.

Temperatures in Charlotte were near 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and high humidity made it feel several degrees warmer on the pavement surrounding the 8,600-seat Bojangles Coliseum.

10:02 PM BST

Pictured: Gaza protest outside Congress

09:44 PM BST

Netanyahu’s speech ‘made for GOP’

Jamie Raskin, a Democrat representative from Maryland, said Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech was made for Donald Trump’s GOP.

“We didn’t hear anything about meaningful progress towards a bilateral ceasefire in return for hostages. We didn’t hear anything about peace. We didn’t hear anything about a two-state solution, which has been U.S. foreign policy for decades,” he said.

09:16 PM BST

Hamas responds to Netanyahu’s speech

Hamas has responded to Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech in the US congress calling for a new alliance in the Middle East by labelling Muslims who join it “treasonous”.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, told Reuters on Wednesday that an alliance with Mr Netanyahu from any party is a “treason to the blood of martyrs”.

In his speech addressing the US Congress earlier on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu said the US and Israel can forge a security alliance in the Middle East to counter an Iranian “threat”, saying that all countries which will make peace with Israel should join such an alliance.

08:56 PM BST

Pictured: Pro-Palestinian protesters burn American flag and Netanyahu effigy

At Union Station, protesters have removed American flags from the building and set them alight, while burning an effigy of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Some protesters climbed a flag pole and chanted “shame on you” as police dragged a person away.

At least two people were seen being treated for the effect of chemical agents to the eyes.

08:52 PM BST

Protests break out in Washington

Thousands of people protesting Israel’s war in Gaza are marching in Washington chanting “Free, Free Palestine” as they filled blocks of city streets.

Police used pepper spray on demonstrators while Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress.

Demonstrators calling for an end to the war that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians marched toward the Capitol but were blocked by police from getting closer to the building.

Demonstrators rallied near the Capitol before marching toward the building ahead of Mr Netanyahu’s address to the joint session of Congress.

After blocking a nearby intersection, protesters chanted, “Shut it down!” as they marched behind a banner that said “globalize the student intifada.”

“Bibi, Bibi, We’re not done! The intifada has just begun!” they shouted, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. Other protesters chanted, “Netanyahu, you can’t hide. You’re committing genocide.”

08:30 PM BST

Netanyahu Speech in Pictures

08:26 PM BST

Israel to push for ‘total victory’

Benjamin Netanyahu told Congress he is ready to press forward with Israel’s war against Hamas until he achieves “total victory.”

Mr Netanyahu said that he would agree to a cease-fire if Hamas surrenders, disarms and releases all hostages it is holding.

“Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home,” he said. “That’s what total victory means. And we will settle for nothing less.”

But he said Israel would continue to fight indefinitely until it destroys the group’s military capabilities and brings home all hostages.

Critics have said Mr Netanyahu’s vow of total victory is unrealistic, as Hamas has repeatedly regrouped in areas that the Israeli military has withdrawn from.

08:09 PM BST

Gaza needs to be ‘deradicalised’

The Israeli prime minister called Wednesday for a demilitarized and deradicalized post-war Gaza, laying out his vision for the narrow coastal territory devastated by nine months of war.

“Following our victory, with the help of regional partners, the demilitarization and deradicalization of Gaza can also lead to a future of security, prosperity and peace. That’s my vision for Gaza,” Mr Netanyahu told US lawmakers.

08:06 PM BST

US should ‘fast-track’ military aid

Mr Netanyahu called on the US to fast-track military aid to his country to help end the war in Gaza, after previously accusing Washington of holding up assistance.

“I deeply appreciate America’s support, including in this current war. But this is an exceptional moment. Fast-tracking US military aid could dramatically expedite an end to the war in Gaza and help prevent a broader war in the Middle East,” Mr Netanyahu told the US Congress.

08:03 PM BST

ICC prosecutor pushing ‘blood libel’

The Israeli leader said accusations that Israel was causing a famine in Gaza were akin to an anti-Semitic “blood libel”.

“Don’t be fooled when the blood libels against the Jewish state come from people who wear fancy silk robes and speak in lofty tones about law and justice,” he said.

Mr Netanyahu cited the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court accusing Israel of deliberately starving Gazans as a “case in point”.

Mr Netanyahu said this was a “complete fabrication” and that Israel had “enabled” 40,000 aid trucks, or half a million tonnes of food, to enter into Gaza since the war began.

“That’s more than 3,000 calories for every man, woman and child in Gaza. If there are Palestinians in Gaza who are not getting enough food, it’s not because Israel are blocking it, it’s because Hamas is stealing it.”

07:55 PM BST

Slander intended to ‘demonise’ Jews

Mr Netanyahu said: “The outrageous slanders that paint Israel as racist and genocidal are meant to delegitimise Israel, to demonise the Jewish state and to demonise Jews everywhere.

“And no wonder we’ve witnessed an appalling rise in anti-Semitism in America and around the world. My friends, whenever and wherever we see the scourge of anti-Semitism we must unequivocally condemn it and resolutely fight it, without exceptions.”

07:49 PM BST

Netanyahu: Jews slandered for centuries

Mr Netanyahu added: “We (Jews) were accused of everything from poisoning wells, spreading plagues, to using the blood of children to bake Passover matzahs (bread). These preposterous anti-Semitic lies led to persecution, mass murder and ultimately, to history’s worst genocide: the Holocaust.”

07:46 PM BST

Netanyahu lambasts ‘befuddled’ US academics

Mr Netanyahu took aim at the equivocations of university leaders in the face of antisemitism on American college campuses.

He said: “80 years after the Holocaust, the presidents of Harvard, Penn and I’m ashamed to say, my alma mater, MIT, couldn’t bring themselves to condemn the calls for the genocide of Jews...they said it depends on the context.

“Well let me give these befuddled academics some context: Antisemitism is the world’s oldest hatred. For centuries the massacre of Jews was always preceded by wild accusations.”

07:41 PM BST

‘Gays for Gaza is chickens for KFC’

Mr Netanyahu added: “Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming gays for Gaza. They might as well hold up signs saying chickens for KFC.”

07:40 PM BST

Protestors Iran’s ‘useful idiots’

Mr Netanyahu said US anti-Israel protestors were “Iran’s useful idiots”.

He said: “For all we know Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests outside this building...Well I have a message for these protestors: when the tyrants of Tehran who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots.”

07:37 PM BST

Protestors ‘burn flags even on 4th July’

The Israeli prime minister said: “These protestors burn American flags even on the fourth of July. I wish to salute the fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina who protected the American flag against these anti-Israel protestors.”

07:34 PM BST

‘Iran funding US anti-Israel protests’

Mr Netanyahu said: “They (protestors) refuse to make the simple distinction between those who target terrorists and those who target civilians; between the democratic state of Israel and the terrorist thugs of Hamas.

“We recently learned from the US director of national intelligence that Iran is funding and promoting anti-Israel protests in America. They (Iran) want to disrupt America.”

07:33 PM BST

Protestors should be ‘ashamed’

He said anti-Israel “protestors should be ashamed of themselves” for “standing with” Hamas. Many US lawmakers in the gallery stood up and cheered his remarks.

07:30 PM BST

Holocaust lessons must be heeded

Mr Netanyahu said the lessons of the Holocaust must be heeded and that for Israel, “never again must never be an empty promise”.

07:28 PM BST

IDF ‘lions of Judah’

Mr Netanyahu heaped praise on the bravery of the Israeli army, calling them the “lions of Judah”.

“These, ladies and gentlemen, are the soldiers of Israel: unbowed, undaunted, unafraid...they have risen like lions”, he said.

“The lions of Judah, the lions of Israel...the men and women of the IDF come from every corner of Israeli society, every colour, every creed...all are imbued with the spirit of the Maccabees (ancient Jewish warriors).”

He added: “Because of them, the Jewish people are no longer helpless in the face of our enemies.”

07:24 PM BST

West threatened by Iran’s ‘axis of terror’

Israel, the United States and the Arab world are under threat from Iran’s “axis of terror,” Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers in a landmark speech before the US Congress on Wednesday.

“Our world is in upheaval. In the Middle East, Iran’s axis of terror confronts America, Israel and our Arab friends. This is not a clash of civilizations. It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization,” Mr Netanyahu said.

07:23 PM BST

Netanyahu praises bravery of Israelis

Mr Netanyahu highlighted the bravery of one of the first responders on October 7 who was in attendance at his speech.

“He ran eight miles to the front lines of Gaza to defend his people,” Mr Netanyahu said. “He ran eight miles, came to the front lines, killed many terrorists, and saved many, many lives...we all honour his remarkable heroism.”

07:21 PM BST

Biden ‘proud Zionist’

Mr Netanyahu said President Biden had told him he was a “proud Irish American Zionist”.

07:20 PM BST

Netanyahu thanks Biden

Mr Netanyahu said further efforts were underway to free more hostages and thanked President Joe Biden for his efforts to help to secure their release.

He also lauded Mr Biden for calling Hamas “sheer evil” in the wake of the October 7 attack.

07:19 PM BST

Netanyahu: ‘pain beyond words’

The Israeli leader said “many hostage families” had accompanied him to the Congress on Wednesday.

Discussing one family, he said “two beautiful red haired children were taken hostage, what monsters”.

He added: “The pain these families have endured is beyond words.”

07:14 PM BST

Netanyahu: October 7 is worse than 9/11

Mr Netanyahu said that, as a proportion of the population sizes of the US and Israel, the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel was comparable to “20 9/11s in one day”.

07:13 PM BST

US and Israel ‘must stand together’

Mr Netanyahu said America and Israel “must stand together”, adding: “I want to assure you today that we will win.”

07:11 PM BST

Netanyahu: ‘barbarism’ vs ‘civilisation’

Addressing the packed-out stands, Mr Netanyahu said: “I want to thank you for giving me the profound honour of addressing this great citadel of democracy for the fourth time. We meet today at a crossroads of history.”

He said the war in Israel was not a “clash of civillisations” but a clash “between barbarism and civilisation”.

07:08 PM BST

Netanyahu cheered

The Israeli leader waved at congressmen and thanked his hosts for inviting him to speak, with his opening remarks delayed by claps and cheers.

07:05 PM BST

Netanyahu greeted with standing ovation

Benjamin Netanyahu has entered the US congress to cheers and rounds of applause, with some US lawmakers reaching out to shake his hand.

07:02 PM BST

Pictured: Netanyahu arrives in Congress

07:00 PM BST

Protestors chant ‘Shut it down’

Demonstrators rallied near the Capitol before marching toward the building ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the joint session of Congress.

After blocking a nearby intersection, protesters chanted, “Shut it down!” as they marched behind a banner that said “globalize the student intifada.”

“Bibi, Bibi, We’re not done! The intifada has just begun!” they shouted, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. Other protesters chanted, “Netanyahu, you can’t hide. You’re committing genocide.”

Among the protesters was a group of artists from Baltimore displaying a massive papier-mâché sculpture meant to depict President Joe Biden with blood on his hands and devil horns. They said the sculpture took months to construct and is meant to represent Joe Biden’s unwillingness to stand up to Israel.

06:57 PM BST

Police pepper spraying Netanyahu protestors

Police are dousing protesters outside the US Capitol building with pepper spray, after pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrators clashed ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.

Hundreds of activists, the majority of whom oppose Mr Netanyahu, have launched a protest against the Israeli prime minister’s speech.

Mr Netanyahu is due to speak shortly from the Senate chamber. Dozens of congressmen have boycotted the speech in protest of Israeli military action in Gaza.

06:56 PM BST

Must in Congress as ‘guest’ of Netanyahu

Elon Musk has said he will attend Benjamin Netanyahu’s address in the US Capitol on Wednesday as a guest of the Israeli prime minister, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday citing a spokesperson for Mike Johnson, the House speaker.

06:32 PM BST

Trump vs Harris on abortion

Since at least her time as attorney general of California, Kamala Harris has been pro-abortion and has championed women’s rights to access reproductive health care.

In her first stops on the campaign trail since Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Ms Harris pushed for legislation that would safeguard abortion rights.

“We will fight for reproductive freedom knowing if Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban to outlaw abortion in every single state,” she told supporters and staff in Delaware this week.

On the other hand, Donald Trump has taken credit for his three US Supreme Court appointments that preceded the court’s June 2022 ruling that overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized a constitutional right to an abortion.

But on the campaign trail, he has appeared wary of the political blowback his party has taken on the issue over the last two years.

Polls show that a large majority of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to the Pew Research Center.

06:26 PM BST

Harris: I will restore Roe v Wade

Ms Harris said: “When Donald Trump was president he handpicked three members of the Supreme Court because he intended for them to overturn Roe v Wade...and as intended they did.

“Well let me tell you something, when I am president of the United States, and when congress passes a law to restore those freedoms, I will sign it into law.”

06:22 PM BST

Harris: ‘We are not playing around’

After enumerating the legislation she plans to pass while in office on America’s most fraught political issues, including voting rights, gun control and abortion, Ms Harris concluded: “We are not playing around”.

06:20 PM BST

Ms Harris to expand gun control

Ms Harris vowed to expand voting rights and enact stricter gun control laws.

She said: “In the face of these attacks we must continue to stand together in defence of freedom. We who believe in the sacred freedom to vote will make sure that every American has the ability to cast their ballot and have it counted.

“We who believe that every person in our nation should be free from gun violence will finally pass universal background checks, red flag laws and an assault weapons ban.”

06:17 PM BST

Republican ‘assault on freedoms’

Ms Harris said: “Ours is a fight for the future. And ours is a fight for freedom.”

“Across our nation we are witnessing a full on assault on hard fought, hard won freedoms and rights: the freedom to vote; the freedom to be safe from gun violence; the freedom to live without freedom from biggotry and hate...the freedom to learn and acknowledge our true and full history and the freedom for a women to make decisions about her own body and not have her government telling her what to do.”

06:13 PM BST

Harris: ‘extremists want to take us back’

Ms Harris added: “Let’s be clear, this represents an outright attack on our children, our families and our future. These extremists want to take us back, but we are not going back. We are not going back.”

06:12 PM BST

Harris: Trump to return US to ‘dark past’

Ms Harris said: “You may have seen (Trump’s) agenda: project 2025. Can you believe they put that in writing? It is a plan to return America to a dark past.

“They intend to cut Medicare. To repeal our 35 dollar cap on insulin. To eliminate the department of education. To end programmes like Head Start, which would take away free school for hundreds of thousands of children in our communities.”

06:09 PM BST

Harris campaign focused on ‘future’ not past

Warming to her theme, Ms Harris said she believes in a future of social justice for working class Americans.

“In this moment, I believe we face a choice of two diff visions for our nation,” Ms Harris said. “One focused on the future, one focused on the past.”

She added: “I am fighting for this nation’s future... we here believe in a future where everyone has affordable healthcare...We believe in a future where the economy works for working people, that’s why we forgave student debt for five million Americans...And we are finally making it so that medical debt can no longer be used against a credit score.”

06:04 PM BST

Harris: ‘justice for all not just for some’

Ms Harris added: “I deeply believe in the promise of America. A promise of freedom, opportunity and justice. Not for some but for all.”

06:03 PM BST

Harris envisions future of ‘social justice’

Kamala Harris told a crowd in Indianapolis that she envisions a future for America where “everybody has opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead”.

“A future of social justice, health justice, economic justice,” she added.

05:59 PM BST

Republicans warned over personal attacks on Harris

Republican leaders are warning party members against launching personal attacks against Kamala Harris, as they and former President Donald Trump’s campaign scramble to adjust to the reality of a new Democratic rival less than four months before Election Day.

At a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday, Richard Hudson, National Republican Congressional committee chairman, urged lawmakers to stick to criticising Harris for her role in Biden-Harris administration policies.

“This election will be about policies and not personalities,” Mike Johnson, the House speaker, told reporters after the meeting.

“This is not personal with regard to Kamala Harris,” he added, “and her ethnicity or her gender have nothing to do with this whatsoever.”

05:53 PM BST

Musk attending Netanyahu’s speech to Congress

Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX, is attending this afternoon’s speech by Benjamin Netanyahu to both houses of Congress.

05:50 PM BST

Pictured: Harris arrives at Indianapolis airport

05:44 PM BST

Harris to speak to black sorority

Voters in Indiana have not backed a Democratic presidential candidate in nearly 16 years. But Kamala Harris visited the solidly Republican state on Wednesday and will speak to a constituency she hopes will turn out for her in massive numbers in November: “women of color”.

Just three days after launching her bid for the White House following President Joe Biden’s departure from the race, Ms Harris will address the biennial gathering of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta in Indianapolis.

It’s a moment for Ms Harris, to speak to a group already excited by her historic status as the likely Democratic nominee and one that her campaign hopes can expand its coalition.

In a memo released on Wednesday, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris campaign chair, pointed to support among female, nonwhite and younger voters as critical to success.

05:06 PM BST

Trump shooter flew drone in rally area two hours before attack, FBI director says

Donald Trump’s would-be assassin flew a drone in the area near the rally just two hours before the former president took the stage, the FBI Director told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

Christopher Wray revealed that at “around 4pm”, sniper Thomas Matthew Crooks “was flying the drone around the area” of the packed campaign rally in Butler, Pennslyvania, approximately 200 yards from the stage.

The drone was in the air for approximately 11 minutes, and investigators believe Mr Crooks watched a live feed from the drone on his phone.

It has been reported that the drone was found in his car following the shooting.

04:54 PM BST

Gantz tells Netanyahu to ‘put your money where your mouth is’ on hostage deal

Hours before Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the US Congress, a former member of his war cabinet has accused him of delaying progress on a Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal.

Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity party, told Mr Netanyahu to “put your money where your mouth is” on a hostage deal, accusing the prime minister of delaying an announcement for political reasons.

“The outline for the return of the hostages that we drew up has already been accepted — the fact that they are waiting for the Knesset break to promote it is proof that political considerations have penetrated the holy of holies of Israel’s security,” Mr Gantz said.

That outline, first drawn up in May, “should be implemented in a short period of time,” he said.

“The hostages do not have another day, and there is not another minute. Since the previous outline, we have lost a quarter of the hostages alive,” he added.

Mr Gantz resigned from the war cabinet in June, in a sign of spiraling divisions over Mr Netanyahu’s post-conflict plans for Gaza.

04:07 PM BST

Stop calling Harris a ‘diversity hire’, Republican leaders warn party

Republican leadership has told its members to stop making comments about the race of Kamala Harris and instead focus on her record.

The chair of the House Republican campaign arm, Richard Hudson, issued the warning during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday after several lawmakers branded the vice-president a “DEI” pick, referring to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Representative Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, told CNN on Monday that President Biden selected Ms Harris as his running mate solely because she is black. 

“One hundred percent she is a DEI hire,” he said. “Her record is abysmal at best.”

Glenn Grothman, Representative for Wisconsin, similarly questioned if Democrats are only backing her “because of her ethnic background.”

Their comments, among others, are said to have angered their colleagues. 

“This should not be about personalities. It should be about policy. And we have a record to compare,” Speaker Mike Johnson said after the meeting on Tuesday.

03:50 PM BST

Pelosi will not attend Netanyahu’s address to Congress

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will boycott Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress on Wednesday

Ms Pelosi’s spokesperson, Ian Krager, said she will instead join a “members’ meeting with Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack and kidnappings.”

The snub is the latest in a growing tide of prominent Democrats, including vice-president Kamala Harris, and two Republicans who will skip the speech amid Israel’s ruthless military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

03:22 PM BST

Pictured: Pro-Palestine protestors outside the Capitol today

03:16 PM BST

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors arrested before Netanyahu speech

Roughly 200 people were arrested on Tuesday during a pro-Palestinian protest in a congressional building the day before Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.

The demonstration, which took place in the Cannon House Office Building, was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace.

Capitol police said they warned protesters, who were chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, that their inside demonstration was “unlawful”.

03:09 PM BST

Biden and Harris to meet Netanyahu separately

Joe Biden will meet with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday at the Oval Office before they gather with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas, the president’s office said.

Israel’s prime minister will meet separately with Kamala Harris, it added.

02:56 PM BST

Harris and Trump to hold rival events today

Kamala Harris will head to the solidly Republican state of Indiana on Wednesday as Donald Trump holds his first public campaign rally since Biden’s exit from the 2024 race.

The vice-president will address the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta in Indianapolis and deliver one of her first addresses as the presumptive Democratic nomination to women who represent the base she sees as critical to her success.

Meanwhile, her Republican opponent will divide attention as he visits Charlotte, North Carolina to deliver a speech that will set the tone of his new campaign against Ms Harris.

02:41 PM BST

Watch: Moment Secret Service finds Trump shooter’s body on roof

Graphic new bodycam footage shows the lifeless body of Donald Trump’s would-be assassin moments after he was shot by secret agents.

The video shows local law enforcement and a Secret Service agent surrounding the corpse of the sniper, moments after he fired a volley of shots at former President Trump at a packed campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Read more here.

02:23 PM BST

Pictured: Trump plays golf with pro DeChambeau

Donald Trump has featured on professional golfer’s Bryson DeChambeau’s Break 50 YouTube for a “special” charity episode.

The American, who won his second US Open at Pinehurst last month, said that the video was made to raise funds for the veterans charity, the Wounded Warrior Project.

Mr DeChambeau played down speculation that this was a political stunt to aid Trump’s presidential campaign, adding: “To be clear, this is about golf and giving back to our nation’s veterans, not politics.”

He added that the show was filmed during the first week of July before the attempt on Trump’s life at a rally on July 13.

02:10 PM BST

‘I will debate Harris and more than once’, says Trump

Donald Trump has said he is committed to debating Kamala Harris and would be “willing” to square up with her more than once.

The next debate is scheduled for September 10 and is set to be hosted by ABC News. Trump has been arguing in recent days for a more conservative broadcaster like Fox News to hold it, calling ABC a “joke”.

During a conference call on Tuesday afternoon, Trump said he “would be willing to do more than one debate actually”.

01:25 PM BST

Hillary Clinton: Harris campaign becoming ‘unstoppable wave’

Hillary Clinton has boosted her support for Kamala Harris as she penned an op-ed that said the vice-president’s campaign is likely to become an “unstoppable wave” that wipes out Donald Trump as a rival.

The former first lady and secretary of state also spoke of the “ugly prejudice” Ms Harris will - and already is - facing as a woman running for president in the New York Times column.

01:18 PM BST

Harris plots 100-day path to victory

The Harris campaign has released a four-page memo outlining how she will win the presidential election in 100 days.

The document said she could make greater voter gains than Joe Biden achieved in 2020, particularly among undecided minority and young voters, and talked up her edge over the issue of reproductive rights.

“This campaign will be close, it will be hard fought, but Vice President Harris is in a position of strength - and she’s going to win,” wrote Jen O’Malley Dillon, the Biden-Harris campaign chair.

The memo said Ms Harris will be focused on the “blue wall” of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, as well as the Sun Belt states of North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, where support for Mr Biden was waning.

“We intend to play offense in each of these states, and have the resources and campaign infrastructure to do so,” Ms O’Malley Dillon added.

01:01 PM BST

‘We’ve got to get this war over’, Trump tells Zelensky

Donald Trump told Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call last week: “We’ve got to get this war over. … You’re facing a war machine.”

It was the first time the pair, who have a complicated history, have spoken since the former president left the White House. Trump called it a “very good phone call”.

The Republican candidate revealed his comments to the Ukrainian leader in a Fox News interview that aired on Tuesday night, without answering whether he would curb funding to Kyiv.

12:50 PM BST

Germany’s Sholz: ‘It is very possible Harris will win’

Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, said he believed it was “very possible” Kamala Harris would win the US election later this year, but stopped short of endorsing the vice-president over Donald Trump.

Mr Scholz had been unusually direct in his endorsement of President Joe Biden before the latter dropped his re-election bid last weekend and endorsed Ms Harris.

“The election campaign in the USA will certainly be exciting, now with a slightly new line-up and a new constellation,” Mr Scholz told an annual summer news conference on Wednesday.

“I think it is very possible that Kamala Harris will win the election, but the American voters will decide.”

12:08 PM BST

Democrat congressman trolls Republicans for ‘diversity hire’ criticism

Don Beyer, a representative for Virginia, has trolled the Republican party following the news that their leadership told members to stop their ‘diversity hire’ criticism aimed at Kamala Harris.

In response to the Politico headline: ‘House GOP leaders urge members: Stop making race comments about Harris’, the congressman wrote: “Good luck with that”.

12:01 PM BST

Protests planned for Netanyahu’s Congress address

Multiple protests are planned outside the Capitol, with some condemning the Israeli military campaign overall, and others expressing support for Israel but pressing for a cease-fire deal and return of hostages.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, will make an address to Congress later today in the hopes of bolstering waning US support for continuing Israel’s fight against Hamas in Gaza.

The largest protest is set for this morning, with organizers planning to march around the Capitol building demanding Mr Netanyahu’s arrest on war crimes charges.

A permit application estimated at least 5,000 participants.

11:58 AM BST

Sen. Warren: ‘The scariest part to the Republicans is Harris can win’

Elizabeth Warren, senator for Massachusetts, has been fiercely defending Kamala Harris in her campaign for president, accusing the Republicans of throwing “everything they can” at her.

When asked about the ‘diversity hire’ criticism Ms Harris has recieved, Ms Warren said: “Here’s the scariest part to the Republicans, she can win on November 5. They’re gonna say everything they can, but the reality is that’s what the American people are going to see.”

11:26 AM BST

Trump sues over Harris $91m ‘money grab’

Donald Trump’s campaign has filed a challenge to block Kamala Harris from transferring $91 million (£70 million) of campaign funds from what used to be the joint Biden-Harris war chest.

In a complaint filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission, Trump’s legal team accused the vice-president of  “committing the largest campaign finance violation in American history” by fraudulently grabbing another candidate’s funds to launch her own presidential campaign.

After President Biden abandoned his re-election bid on Sunday and endorsed Ms Harris to replace him at the top of the ticket, he began the process of transferring millions of dollars to her.

The Trump campaign argued that Ms Harris is “seeking to perpetrate a $91.5 million dollar heist of Joe Biden’s leftover campaign cash” and branded it a “brazen money grab”.

Ms Harris’ representatives called the legal challenge “baseless”, arguing that the campaign had Biden-Harris on it from the beginning so the funds could be used by either name on the ticket.

11:05 AM BST

Harris campaign raises $126m since Biden endorsement

Kamala Harris’ campaign has announced that since Tuesday evening it has raised $126 million (£98 million) since Joe Biden bowed out of the race and officially endorsed her.

The $126 million includes $81 million donated in just the first 24 hours -  largest one-day fundraising haul for any candidate ever, according to the campaign.

The contributions have come from 1.4 million donors, 64 per cent of which were making their first donations of the 2024 election cycle.

10:42 AM BST

Watch: Kamala accuse Trump of taking America ‘backwards’

Kamala Harris positioned herself as the champion of middle class America and accused Donald Trump of wanting to take the country backwards in her first campaign rally on Tuesday night in Wisconsin.

“We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead, a future where no child has to grow up in poverty, where every worker has the freedom to join a union,” she said in front of cheering crowds.

She added: “But Donald Trump wants to take our country backward. Him and his extreme 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. We know we got to take that seriously...

“Can you believe they put that thing in writing? Read it. It’s 900 pages.”

10:22 AM BST

How do Biden, Harris and Trump measure up?

10:13 AM BST

Harris narrows down VP shortlist

Kamala Harris has reportedly narrowed down her choice of running mate to two candidates, Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s governor, and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.

Both men have become frontrunners as the vice-president begins the vetting process to prepare for her probable nomination, according to ABC News, citing sources.

Ms Harris is said to have phoned Mr Shapiro on Sunday after she launched her presidential campaign. “We spoke only about beating Donald Trump,” the governor said on Monday.

10:03 AM BST

Watch: Republican calls for ‘civil war’ if Trump loses

A Republican state senator has called for “civil war” if Donald Trump loses the presidential election in November.

George Lang, an Ohio politician, made the comment as he introduced JD Vance at his first solo campaign event since becoming Trump’s running mate on Monday night.

After taking to the stage fist-raised and shouting Trump’s post-shooting battle cry “Fight! Fight!”, Mr Lang warned of an existential threat facing Americans. He declared in front of a large, heated crowd in Ohio: “We are in the fight for the soul of our nation… for our kids, for our grandkids, it is a fight we can never imagine.

“I believe wholeheartedly, Donald Trump and Butler County’s JD Vance are the last chance to save our country. Politically, I’m afraid if we lose this one, it’s going to take a civil war to save the country.”

Read more here.

09:41 AM BST

Biden to give ‘final’ speech tonight

President Joe Biden will give what could be his final Oval Office speech at 8pm ET (1am BST) to explain why he dropped out of November’s election and deny that he will spend six months as a lame duck.

With the world’s eyes already on a looming clash between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, Mr Biden will insist in his address to the nation that he still has work to do despite his historic decision to bow out.

The 81-year-old Democrat said on X he would discuss “what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people” in the primetime televised event.

The speech, expected to last eight to ten minutes, will be Mr Biden’s first since stepping aside from the race on Sunday after weeks of pressure following a disastrous debate performance against Trump.

It comes just over a week since his last Oval Office address following an assassination attempt against Trump on July 13, but is only the fourth of his presidency overall - and could well be his last.

09:35 AM BST

Harris attacks Trump in first rally

A roaring crowd of battleground state voters greeted Kamala Harris on Tuesday as she opened her public case against Donald Trump by declaring November’s election will be “a choice between freedom and chaos.”

“In this campaign, I promise you, I will proudly put my record against his any day of the week,” the presumptive Democratic nominee said. “We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead.”

Ms Harris accused Trump of trying to “take the country backward”, and asked: “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate?”

Ms Harris enumerated Trump’s former scandals, involving fraud and sexual assault, saying she would “proudly” put her record in public office against Trump’s any day of the week. “I know Trump’s type.”

The vice-president arrived in Milwaukee for her first campaign rally since she jumped into the race just two days ago with President Biden’s endorsement and shored up support from Democrat heavyweights and $100 million in new donations.

By stopping in Wisconsin, Harris was putting down a marker in one of the “blue wall” states along with Michigan and Pennsylvania that Democrats see as essential for securing a presidential victory.

09:09 AM BST

Secret Service tells Trump to stop outdoor rallies

The Secret Service has encouraged Donald Trump to stop organising large outdoor rallies and other outdoor events after the attempted assassination on the former president at a Pennsylvania rally.

In the aftermath of the shooting, agency officials urged Trump’s campaign to move the events inside, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.

The Republican candidate’s team is said to be scouting new venues, including basketball arenas, and has no current plans to stage a large outdoor event, a Trump aide said.

08:47 AM BST

Trump says Netanyahu will visit him in Florida

Donald Trump has said Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will visit him at his Florida estate on Friday.

Trump made the announcement in a post on his social media network on Tuesday, saying: “My PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH Agenda will demonstrate to the World that these horrible, deadly Wars, and violent Conflicts must end. Millions are dying, and Kamala Harris is in no way capable of stopping it.”

Trump originally posted that Mr Netanyahu would visit earlier in the week, but added an update saying that the Israeli leader had requested to change the meeting day from Thursday to Friday.

08:40 AM BST

Vance’s ‘childless cat lady’ remark would only fly in America

Could there be a more pejorative, more misogynistic label to give a woman than “childless cat lady”? Those three little words convey volumes, not about the subject, but the person saying them.

No point pussy-footing about. If we didn’t already know JD Vance, Donald Trump’s pick for Republican vice president was a wrong ’un, here’s the incontrovertible proof.

A video, from back in 2021, has emerged showing Vance (a father of three, if anyone cares) referring to Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting and mother-of-none Kamala Harris as “one of the “childless cat ladies” who are “miserable at their own lives” and have “no stake in the nation’s future”.

Read the full comment piece here. 

08:38 AM BST

Harris more popular than Trump - poll

Kamala Harris is more popular than Donald Trump, according to the first national poll carried out since Joe Biden stood down.

Research by Ipsos and Reuters published on Tuesday shows Ms Harris leads Trump by two points nationally, by 44 per cent of the vote to 42 per cent.

A previous poll by the same firm previously found that Trump led Mr Biden by two points.

The survey suggests the Ms Harris, the now presumptive Democrat presidential nominee, has a fighting chance of overturning Trump’s lead in the swing states ahead of the presidential election on November 5.

08:37 AM BST

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