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JD Vance dismisses taking action against Russia for election interference: “That’s what they do”
Sen. JD Vance of Ohio addressed the latest Russian disinformation efforts in the U.S. elections after the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a statement Fridaythat Russia is behind a fake video being spread on social media that shows someone tearing up ballots in the key swing state of Pennsylvania.
On “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” the Republican vice presidential nominee would not commit to taking action against Russia to hold it to account for meddling in the presidential election.
“I think a lot of countries are going to try to manipulate our voters. They’re going to try to manipulate our elections. That’s what they do,” Vance told Brennan. “I think the bigger question is, what is in our best interest vis-à-vis Russia, not what price Russia should pay for putting out social media videos.”
U.S. intelligence has assessed that Russia is trying to undermine the Harris campaign, while Iran is trying to undermine the Trump campaign. In one instance, the ODNI report outlined that a Russian military intelligence unit “sought to recruit a probably unwitting U.S. person to organize protests in the United States.”
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Vance criticized the efficacy of sanctions put on Russia by the Biden administration for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and argued that American foreign policy shouldn’t be based on whether a country is “spreading videos on social media,” but instead on what’s in the United States’ best interests.
When asked whether Russia’s manipulation crossed a red line, Vance said he thinks it’s “bad,” but when pressed on whether he’d ask Moscow to “knock it off,” Vance raised doubts that it would have any impact.
“Well of course. I’d call them to knock it off, but this is not a school yard. I call on
Moscow to knock it off, are they actually going to do it?” Vance said. “I condemn the Russians for funding fake social media views, but I don’t think that my job as a statesman, as a person who wants to be the next vice president of the United States, is to go engage in saber rattling.”
Vance turned the conversation toward what he said is a top concern for him — for Russia to “stop supporting the Iranians as the Iranians engage in acts of aggression” in the Middle East. On Friday, Israel conducted limited strikes on military sites in Iran, in retaliation for Iran’s Oct. 1 attack, which launched about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.
Russian disinformation groups have also orchestrated baseless claims targeting Democratic vice-presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, experts said, and promoted a false report that Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in a 2011 hit-and-run incident.
As for the integrity of the state administered election, the GOP candidate for vice president, who talked with Brennan in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, expressed confidence.
“I think that they’re doing a good job. I think they’re doing a better job than they were in 2020,” Vance said. “And most importantly, I think most Americans are seeing whether it’s voter ID in places like Wisconsin or Georgia, or a little bit of tightening of the regulations around signature verification in places like Pennsylvania, that I think our elections are in a pretty good spot in 2024.”
He said he only foresees court challenges “if something comes up,” for instance, “of an illegal alien casting a ballot, yeah, we’re going to challenge that in court.” Under federal law, it’s illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
On whether he would abide by the Constitution, and assure that his running mate would as well, Vance said “of course,” while noting that he doesn’t worry about Trump on the issue.
“I think that Donald Trump believes in the American Constitution. I know he does. I’ve seen it in his actions. I’ve talked to him about it,” Vance said. “But you asked about me, and personally, yes, my first loyalty is to the American people and to the United States Constitution.”
NEW YORK — Timothée Chalamet made a surprise appearance Sunday at his own look-alike contest in Manhattan.
At least one person was arrested after a large crowd formed and police broke up the event in Washington Square Park.
Chalamet posed for photos with his doppelgängers, some of whom came dressed as his characters from the movies “Wonka” and “Dune.”
The look-alike contest was one of several such competitions hosted by the YouTube personality Anthony Po, and it promised $50 for the winner. As word spread on social media, thousands of people RSVP’d.
From “a silly joke” to “pandemonium”
Stefan Jeremiah / AP
Minutes after the competition started — and before Chalamet arrived — police ordered the group to disperse from the park. Organizers were hit with a $500 fine for an “unpermitted costume contest,” and police said one person was issued a summons for disorderly conduct.
“It started off as a silly joke and now it’s turned pandemonium,” Paige Nguyen, a producer for the YouTube creator, told The Associated Press.
The group relocated to another park, and the audience eventually crowned Miles Mitchell, a Staten Island college senior, as the winner.
“I’m excited and I’m also overwhelmed,” Mitchell said. “There were so many good look-alikes. It was really a toss-up.”
The contestants were asked to demonstrate their French skills, about their romantic plans with Kylie Jenner, and what they would do to make the world a better place.
WESTON – A small group of loyal customers gathered in Weston Saturday morning to thank a pharmacist who is relocating as Walgreens closes the location where he served the community for almost three decades.
The celebration was led by an 11-year-old boy who shocked the pharmacist by presenting him with thousands of dollars that he raised as a thank you gift.
Weston Walgreens closing
In the midst of corporate cutbacks at Walgreens, the location on Boston Post Road is closing permanently. So a small group came out to thank the pharmacist at the store.
“It’s humbling. I can’t believe it. It’s amazing,” said veteran pharmacist Bob Hesselberg, who has worked at the store for nearly 30 years. “I don’t want to retire, even though I am 75. I don’t want to retire. I’m not ready for it.”
Hesselberg is moving on to a store in Waltham. The sendoff was led by 11-year-old Aarav Khanna, whose school bus routinely drops him off right across from the Walgreens location.
“I’ve seen the amount of kindness and hard work he puts into his job,” Khanna said.
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Money raised for pharmacist
Khanna got the idea to raise money for Hesselberg as a going away present. And the total grew quickly. Thanks to the community, Kanna was able to present Hesselberg with a check for $6,000 on Saturday, leaving the pharmacist in shock.
During the Saturday celebration, a young girl gave a handmade card to Hesselberg, who people in the community call “Pharmacist Bob.”
“You walk in, he not only greets you by name, but he wants to know how your family is, and how is that medication you had last time, and how are you doing? And he means it,” customer Carol Ott said.
The Weston Walgreens closes in the middle of November. Hesselberg hopes some customers will follow him to Waltham, but he worries about some of the older residents driving that distance, especially since the chain won’t be doing home delivery anymore.
“I’m gonna miss everybody. And I’m very grateful for all of this. And thank you so much,” Hesselberg told the crowd.
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Harris tells Philadelphia church election will “decide the fate of our nation for generations to come”
Vice President Kamala Harris is back in Philadelphia Sunday as the countdown to election day nears one week.
Harris, who spent several days in the Delaware Valley over the past week, spoke at the Church of Christian Compassion in Philadelphia on Sunday morning and will hold a campaign rally in the city later in the night.
“In just nine days we have the power to decide the fate of our nation for generations to come,” she told the congregation.
Several minutes into her speech, some shouting broke out in the crowd. Harris paused during the disruption. “That’s why we fight for our democracy. Every voice is important,” she said while the outburst was quieted.
Harris went on to encourage the Philadelphia church to lean on faith in the days leading up to the election, and urged worshippers to use their feet to get to the polls.
“Here in Pennsylvania, right now each of us has an opportunity to make a difference. Because in this moment we do face a real question. What kind of country to we we want to live in,” she said. “The great thing about living in a democracy is we the people have the choice to answer that question. So let us answer not just with our words, but with our works.”
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, Harris visited the Famous 4th Street Deli in Philadelphia’s Queen Village neighborhood before attending a town hall in Delaware County. Earlier in the week, the vice president sat down with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney in Chester County in the first of three moderated conversations in battleground states.
During that conversation, Harris appealed to Republican voters who are on the fence about voting for former President Donald Trump, and claimed he used the presidency as a way to “demean and to divide” Americans.
“I think people are exhausted with that, rightly,” Harris said. “And it does not lead to the strength of our nation to tell American people that we must be suspicious of one another, distrust one another.”
On Monday, Harris will harness the star power of some of her biggest supporters during a benefit concert at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, according to multiple sources.
Twenty-time Grammy winner Bruce Springsteen will headline a concert and a rally with former President Barack Obama as part of the Harris campaign’s effort to mobilize voters in the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election.
Speaking to CBS News Philadelphia’s Joe Holden, Harris said she’s “honored” to have Obama’s support on the campaign trail. “And people like Bruce Springsteen, to have their support, and of course he is an American icon, I think it just shows the breadth and depth of the support that we have,” Harris said.
When asked if any other big name supporters are planning to turn out for the event Monday, Harris said with a laugh, “I have nothing to report at this moment. Stay tuned, however.”
Earlier this month, Springsteen endorsed Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
