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Harris leans into economy and abortion rights in new ads in final days of presidential campaign
Vice President Kamala Harris is leaning into the economy and abortion rights in some of her last advertisements before Election Day, as her closing message comes into focus.
One of two new ads that are set to air this week in the seven battleground states includes a direct-to-camera appearance by Harris, where she says if elected, former President Donald Trump will “wake up every day and stew over his enemies list.”
“Next January, one of us will be President… If I am president, I will be focused on my to-do list for you, the American people,” Harris says in the ad, “Lists,” which was obtained first by CBS News. Harris then ticks through some of her economic proposals to cut everyday costs, such as enacting a federal ban on price gouging and incentives to make housing more affordable.
The ads will air on broadcast and cable TV programming and are part of the $370 million ad buy that the Harris campaign announced in August, which began on Labor Day and will run through Election Day.
The focus on the economy comes as Harris has been more competitive with Trump in terms of polling on the issue. An October CBS News poll showed Harris gained 5 points from August in terms of voters who believe her policies would make them financially better off.
Trump still holds the edge in this category: 44% believe his economic plans will help them, and among voters who cite the economy as a major factor, 56% believe this, compared to 43% for Harris’ 43%.
The second Harris campaign ad, titled “Punishment,” is centered around a 2016 interview clip of Trump in which he called for “some form of punishment” for women who have abortions. Trump’s campaign clarified that if Congress made abortion illegal, that the doctor would be held responsible, not the woman. The ad also features several women who have appeared in Harris campaign ads or on the trail for her, who have personal stories regarding abortions or their inability to obtain an abortion after the Dobbs decision.
The issue of abortion access and women’s reproductive rights has been a galvanizing force for the Democratic party and Harris’ campaign, especially among women and younger voters. In an October CBS News poll of the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania, of those that ranked abortion as a “major factor” in their vote, 62% were women and 67% were under 30 years old.
Trump has had shifting positions on abortion access, often saying that it should be left up to the states to decide. Last Saturday, he suggested that abortion “has dropped way down as an issue” and that voters are more focused on immigration and the economy. He said Wednesday during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that he would “protect the women of our country… whether the women like it or not.”
On Thursday, Harris called Trump’s comment “very offensive” and told reporters in Wisconsin it is the “latest in a series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency.”
“These ads focus on core issues that matter most to our voters, and cement the fundamental closing contrast in this election: between a candidate in Vice President Harris who will work everyday to fight for the American people and Donald Trump who is out for only himself,” said Harris-Walz principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks.
The “Punishment” spot will air during broadcast shows and on cable networks that reach predominantly female audiences, such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The View,” Bravo, Hallmark, HGTV and TLC. “Lists” is targeted to shows with more politically diverse audiences with high viewership, such as “Shark Tank,” “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune.”
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Kamala Harris reacts to Trump saying he’ll protect women “whether the women like it or not”
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United Airlines passenger attacked while sleeping on flight from San Francisco: “His face was bruised and bloody”
A man on a cross-country United Airlines flight violently attacked a sleeping passenger, punching him repeatedly in the face until it was bloody, authorities said. A witness said the man who was attacked is deaf and nonverbal.
Authorities identified the suspect as Everett Chad Nelson, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent.
The incident unfolded Monday on United Flight 2247 about two hours after it took off from San Francisco International Airport for Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
Nelson got up from seat 35F toward the back of the Boeing 737 and went to the lavatory near the front of the plane, according to the affidavit. When he was returning to his seat, he stopped at seat 12F and started punching the man who was sleeping there, according to the affidavit, which didn’t identify the victim.
Sandhya Gupta, who was sitting behind the sleeping man, watched the attack unfold.
“I will not forget the look in his eyes,” Gupta told CBS News. “I had not seen a look from anyone’s eyes like that. It was like he was seeing through the victim.”
According to the FBI affidavit, the attack lasted about a minute. The man screamed as Nelson kept hitting him and his blood was seen on the sleeves of Nelson’s windbreaker, a nearby seat and on the plane’s wall and window, according to the affidavit.
“I actually wondered does this guy have a weapon because I didn’t realize you could do so much damage with just your fists,” Gupta told CBS News. “… His face was bruised and bloody.”
Another passenger rushed up the aisle and wrapped his arms around Nelson to stop him, Gupta said.
“He didn’t fight the person who came to subdue him,” Gupta said. “It was like powering off a robot.”
A doctor on the flight ran toward the man who was attacked and started administering first aid, Gupta said. She said she realized he was deaf and nonverbal when he started signing at the people helping him.
According to the affidavit, the man sustained bruising to his eyes and a gash on his nose. Nelson didn’t appear to be injured, and there wasn’t any indication that the man fought back, according to the affidavit.
Nelson was taken to a seat toward the front of the plane and monitored by the passenger who stopped the attack, according to the affidavit. Gupta said he wasn’t restrained after the attack.
“He just went limp,” Gupta said.
In a statement, United praised the reaction of the passenger and crew.
“Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one passenger was restrained after becoming physically aggressive toward another customer on a flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles on Monday. The flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement,” the airline said.
Gupta said a flight attendant told her that Nelson claimed the man had attacked him in the street earlier.
“He kept texting, ‘I’m innocent,'” Gupta said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement it was investigating the incident. According to the agency, airlines have reported over 1,740 unruly passenger incidents this year and that such incidents have dropped from the record highs reached in early 2021.
Kathryn Krupnik and Ryan Sprouse contributed reporting.
