2024 election updates: Trump slams Biden over 'garbage' comments, calls opponents 'lowlifes'

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Last updated: Thursday, October 31, 2024 3:00AM GMT
Latest: 6 days until Election Day; 57 million have voted early
Latest: 6 days until Election Day; 57 million have voted early

Six days until Election Day, much of the political debate is about "garbage."

First, the backlash over a comedian's racist comments about Puerto Rico that former President Donald Trump has not apologized for -- and now President Joe Biden appearing to call Trump's supporters "garbage" and stepping on Vice President Kamala Harris' message of unity aimed at attracting disaffected Republicans.

Oct 30, 2024, 9:58 PM

More than 57 million Americans have voted earl

As of 5:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, more than 57 million Americans have voted early, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida.

Of the total number of early votes, 30,233,685 were cast in person and 27,179,332 were returned by mail.

Voters wait to cast their ballots at the Rutherford County Annex Building on the first day of early voting, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Rutherfordton, N.C.
Voters wait to cast their ballots at the Rutherford County Annex Building on the first day of early voting, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Rutherfordton, N.C.
ABCNews logo
12:35 AM GMT

Trump rides to rally in marked garbage truck

Days after a comedian labeled Puerto Rico a "pile of garbage" at Donald Trump's MSG rally, the former president rode to a Green Bay, Wisconsin, rally in a Trump-marked garbage truck Wednesday.

Trump continued to bash President Joe Biden's response to the controversial moment from the MSG rally in which he said that Trump's supporters were garbage.

Biden clarified his comments and Vice President Kalama Harris told reporters, "I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for."

Trump, however, told reporters while riding in the garbage truck that "250 million people are not garbage."

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he sits in a garbage truck Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he sits in a garbage truck Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis.

"I can tell you who the real garbage is but I will not say that," he continued.

Trump falsely claimed there was corruption in Pennsylvania.

Later pressed if he would accept election results if there's no evidence of fraud, Trump reiterated claims about Pennsylvania, and then said, "If they find no evidence of cheating anywhere, I'll accept it."

Pressed on a potential role Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could play in his administration, Trump vaguely said he would work with him but while not confirming that he'd be given the top Health and Human Services job.

"We'll work with him, and he's a very talented guy. He wants women's health. He wants health for people, and we're going to work with him. He's a very, very talented guy," Trump said.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa, Kelsey Walsh and Soo Rin Kim

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Oct 30, 2024, 11:27 PM GMT

Philly hearing on Musk lawsuit moved up to Thursday

The judge overseeing the lawsuit against Elon Musk and his $1 million dollar giveaway to registered voters who sign a petition supporting the First and Second amendments has moved up a hearing in the case to Thursday at 10 a.m., bumping it up from Friday, according to a new order.

The order from Judge Angelo Foglietta states that "all parties must be present."

Elon Musk speaks as part of a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in Folsom, Pa., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.
Elon Musk speaks as part of a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in Folsom, Pa., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.

Earlier Wednesday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner asked the court to "enhance its security" for the hearing.

Krasner said Musk's post about the case on X has "triggered an avalanche of posts." including "antisemitic attacks" against the prosecutor.

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin

Read more on the lawsuit here.

ByJay O'Brien ABCNews logo
Oct 30, 2024, 11:13 PM GMT

'It's invaded our home,' PA nuns swept up in misinformation campaign

A nun in Pennsylvania who was swept up in a misinformation campaign boosted by a Republican activist said she's praying to be left alone.

A nun in Pennsylvania who was swept up in a misinformation campaign boosted by a Republican activist said she's praying to be left alone.

Cliff Maloney, who runs a door-knocking organization, claimed in an X post one of his staffers visited an address in Erie, Pennsylvania, last week and was told none of the 53 registered voters who used that address actually lived there.

However, the address is home to 55 resident nuns of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie. All but two of the nuns are registered to vote.

"It's invaded our home, if you want to describe it that way," Sister Stephanie Schmidt, the prioress, told ABC News.

Maloney also posted the names and political affiliations of each nun on his X account, something Schmidt said made her empathize with countless other Americans caught up in misinformation on social media.

"It was very concerning, because this was a blatant lie, putting out to the public information that was just wrong," she said.

"This campaign is filled with so much deceit, so much misinformation, and we have to wake people up, which is another reason why we're going public with this, to alert people to not believe everything you read," Schmidt added.

Maloney has not responded to repeated requests to answer questions from ABC News.

He later posted an update claiming his team was "analyzing" the new information about the nuns' residence and said, "Once we have proof, we will be content."

Schmidt says one of the things she's praying for most is for this misinformation to leave them alone.

ByKelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim ABCNews logo
Oct 30, 2024, 10:35 PM GMT

Trump slams Biden over 'garbage' comments, calls opponents 'lowlifes'

Trump again responded to President Joe Biden's Tuesday comments in which he appeared to refer to Trump supporters as "garbage."

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he sits in a garbage truck Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he sits in a garbage truck Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis.

During his rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on Wednesday, the former president claimed, "Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters. He called them 'garbage.' And they mean it."

"Frankly, they've treated you like garbage," Trump added.

Although Biden later clarified his comments, in which he was responding to the derogatory comments about Puerto Rico made during Trump's New York rally on Sunday, Trump labeled his opponents as "lowlifes" and claimed the current administration has "virtually destroyed" America.

"Kamala Harris, a low-IQ individual, is running a campaign of hate, anger and retribution. See, I'm very nice to them. They're not nice," he said.

Trump responded to a supporter who shouted, "She's an idiot!" referring to Harris, sarcastically saying, "I didn't say it. I didn't say it. In fact, I'd like to admonish you, sir. You should not say that, please."

Although Trump disavowed the supporter, his body language told a different story as he stood on stage laughing.