here is garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight the trump family a house divided on the issue of abortion rights. former first lady melania trump defending them in an unreleased memoir writing, quote, restricting a woman's right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. according to a guardian report unconfirmed by nbc news. and mrs. trump posting today -- >> there is no room for compromise when it comes to these essential rights that all women possess from birth, individual freedom. >> reporter: her position in stark contrast to that of her husband, the republican presidential nominee, who opposes federal abortion rights while supporting exceptions for rape, incest and if the mother's life is in danger, saying restrictions should be left to the states. former president trump regularly boasting about the repeal of roe v. wade, falsely claiming majorities supported that decision. >> democrats, republicans, and everybody else, and every legal scholar wanted it to be brought back into the states. >> reporter: despite the their

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. >>> let me bring in garrett haake covering the trump campaign. garrett, with early voting already under way in many states, the question being asked tonight, could this impact the race? >> well, lester, the conduct described in the filing has already led to donald trump being impeached and that month's long blockbuster congressional investigation. it's hard to imagine that new details alone revealed could shift the opinion of voters about an issue that has been so thoroughly publicly vetted already. but all of the polling shows this is going to be an incredibly close race, right to the end and relitigating such a divisive chapter in the trump presidency is certainly not

here's garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight, in her ongoing media blitz, vice president harris telling abc she wouldn't change anything president biden did. >> would you have done something differently than president biden during the past four years? >> there is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of -- and i've been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact. >> reporter: later saying she would name a republican to her cabinet. former president trump slamming the response, calling it, quote, her dumbest answer so far, and biden the worst president in history. while on cbs, harris was pressed about her record on the border and from day one literally, we have . >> was it a mistake to loosen the immigration policies as much as you did? >> it's a long-standing problem, and solutions are at hand. and from day one literally, we have been offering solutions. >> but the numbers did quadruple under your watch. >> and the numbers today because of what we have done, we have cut the flow of illegal immigration by half. >> reporter: new data obtained by nbc news shows there were 54,0

garrett haake joins us. garrett, you're at trump's rally tonight. >> reporter: lester, the former president was heavily focused on the border and the economy here, issues he believes will propel him in arizona and when he campaigns later tonight in nevada. tonight, with less than two weeks until election day, former president trump hitting critical battlegrounds, including the campus of arizona state. >> i will launch the largest deportation program in american history. we'll get them out. >> reporter: and overnight in georgia. >> i'd like to begin by asking a very simple question. are you better off now than you were four years ago? >> reporter: a new poll shows trump going into the final stretch leading vice president harris by two points nationally, within the margin of error, and showing most americans, 54%, disapprove of harris' job performance as vice president, while 52% approved of trump's performance as president. this morning, a clearly confident trump making a controversial vow, to fire special cou

garrett haake is following that campaign. >> reporter: with less than two weeks to election day, former president trump hitting critical battlegrounds, including the campus of arizona state. >> i will launch the largest deportation program in american history. we'll get them out. >> reporter: and in georgia. >> i'd like to begin by asking a very simple question. are you better off now than you were four years ago? >> reporter: a new poll shows trump going into the final stretch leading vice president harris by two points nationally, within the margin of error. and showing most americans, 54%, disapprove of harris' job performance as vice president. while 52% approved of trump's per performance as president. a clearly confident trump making a controversial vow to fire jack smith after taking office. >> it's so easy. i would fire him within two seconds. >> reporter: saying he did not believe the house, even if controlled by democrats, would impeach him for a third time. >> no, i don't think they'll impeach me if i fire jack smith. >> reporter: smith, who was appointed by attorney general

. >>> let me bring in garrett haake covering the trump campaign. garrett, with early voting already under way in many states, the question being asked tonight, could this impact the race? >> well, lester, the conduct described in the filing has already led to donald trump being impeached and that month's long blockbuster congressional investigation. it's hard to imagine that new details alone revealed could shift the opinion of voters about an issue that has been so thoroughly publicly vetted already. but all of the polling shows this is going to be an incredibly close race, right to the end and relitigating such a divisive chapter in the trump presidency is certainly not the way the trump campaign wants to be closing out this race, lester. >> okay, garrett haake, thank you. >>> the middle east is on edge tonight for israel's potential retaliation after that massive missile attack by iran. while most were shot down, we are getting a first look at some of the damage they caused. richard engel has late details. >> reporter: after iran's most intense s

here's garrett haake. ♪ the usa ♪ >> reporter: tonight, former president trump in texas flanked by borderagents and victims of crimes police say were committed by undocumented immigrants going after vice president harris over her expected rally here with beyonce. >> today kamala is here in texas to rub shoulders with woke celebrities. isn't that exciting? but she's not going to meet with any of the victims of migrant crime. >> reporter: overnight trump amping up his attacks on the administration's border policies arguing they turned america into a, quote, garbage can. >> when kamala came in, she deliberately dismantled our border and threw open the gates. we're a dumping ground. we're like a garbage can for the world. >> reporter: harris firing back. >> you know, it's just another example of how he really belittles our country. >> reporter: while trump today denying the claim by his former chief of staff, john kelly, that he fits the definition of a fascist. >> it was phony stories by a general that got fired. when you fire people for doing a bad job, they get a little bit angry. >> repor

garrett haake is covering the trump campaign in pennsylvania. garrett, the kremlin is now weighing in. >> reporter: that's right, lester. a kremlin spokesman telling reuters that russia did accept shipments of covid testing equipment from the u.s. in the early part of the pandemic in exchange for russian respiration devices. tonight a former senior trump administration official tells nbc news this was part of a broader effort to support other foreign governments with supplies and that trump liked to personally call leaders to go over the supplies being sent. woodward reported that trump sent the tests for putin's personal use, and that the two have spoken as many as seven times since trump left office, both of which trump says are false. today the kremlin denied putin has spoken to trump at all since he left office. lester. >> all right, garrett haake, thank you. >>> in 60 seconds it's not just the physical damage people are so worried about here in florida, we'll look at the financial pain so many now face as insurance rates go through the roof

garrett haake, thank you. >>> vice president harris crisscrossing battleground michigan today where she focused on the economy as she prepares her closing pitch to voters tomorrow. here's kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: all in on michigan today. with vice president harris making three stops. her job here, hammering her economic message. >> my approach will strengthen america in many ways including our economy. donald trump will weaken america and our economy. >> reporter: the vice president seeing a semiconductor plant in saginaw. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: meeting union labor trainees in macomb county. >> on the issue specifically of what is good for unions and union labor, he's been awful. >> reporter: tonight in ann arbor a rare rally reunion with running mate tim walz, who met with union machinists in wisconsin this morning and pounded former president trump's record. >> he talks a big game. but he was an absolute disaster for working people. >> reporter: while overall polls show a razor-thin race across the battleground states a closer look at the economy brings out a sharp di

>> okay, garrett haake, thank you. >>> one of mr. trump's biggest supporters, elon musk facing new scrutiny over million dollar give aways to voters. the justice department warning it may be illegal. laura jarrett with late-breaking details for us. >> reporter: what started as a swing state giveaway by tech billionaire elon musk has now earned the attention of the u.s. justice department. >> i have a surprise for you. which is that we're going to be awarding a million dollars to -- randomly, to people who have signed the petition every day from now until the election. >> reporter: the tesla ceo, who has been ramping up his support for former president donald trump making that million offer saturday. the petition, a pledge to support first and second amendment rights, but receiving the prize money is contingent on being registered to vote in the seven key battleground states expected to decide the election. a source familiar with the matter telling nbc news the justice department sent a letter to musk's super pac warning that giveaway

garrett haake has late details. >> reporter: tonight, vice president harris blitzing the badger state. >> it is good to be back in wisconsin. >> reporter: with multiple events in battleground wisconsin. >> this is going to be a tight race until the very end. >> reporter: taking aim at this comment overnight from former president trump, who was asked at a univision town hall about his actions surrounding the january 6th attack. trump glossing over the violence, calling it a, quote, day of love. >> that was a day of love from the standpoint of the millions, hundreds of thousands it could have been, the largest group i've ever spoken before. >> he called it a, quote, a day of love. but it points out something that everyone here knows. the american people are exhausted with his gaslighting. >> reporter: meanwhile, there is new fallout over harris' combative interview with fox news. >> essentially -- >> may i please finish? may i finish responding. >> harris repeatedly casting former president trump as a danger. >> he has talked about going after people who are engaged in peaceful protests

>> garrett haake, thanks. and tomorrow night you can watch the vice presidential debate right here. full coverage on nbc and nbc news now starting at 8:00 eastern. >>> we turn now to a major escalation of israel's war against iranian-backed hezbollah in lebanon. a limited ground incursion appears to have started according to two u.s. officials. it comes days after israel killed the group's leader following nearly a year of hezbollah rocket attacks on residents in northern israel. richard engel is in beirut. >> reporter: u.s. officials tell nbc news tonight that israeli troops appear to have crossed the border into lebanon to attack hezbollah. israeli officials say the goal is to deliver a knockout blow to what has long been considered the most fearsome, best-armed militia in the middle east. asked if he was aware -- >> i'm more aware than you might know, and i'm comfortable with them stopping. we should have a cease-fire now. >> reporter: a u.s. official tells nbc news israel informed the united states ahead of time, describing the operations as brief, days not weeks, with a limited

it's where we start tonight with garrett haake. >> reporter: tonighting to be the most former president trump in battleground georgia. >> i think it's going to be the most important election in the history of our country. >> reporter: it comes after trump's massive rally packing madison square garden in deep blue new york city. the start of his closing argument. >> on issue after issue kamala broke it but i will fix it. we're going to fix it. >> reporter: tonight the trump campaign facing bipartisan backlash over racist comments from a comedian who spoke earlier, including this about puerto rico. >> i don't know if you guys know this but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. yeah. i think it's called puerto rico? okay. all right. okay. we're getting there. >> reporter: trump's campaign distancing itself saying, "this joke does not reflect the views of president trump or the campaign." today vice president harris going after trump. >> it is absolutely something that is intended to and is fanning the fuel of trying to divide our country. >> r

with the last miles of this race now coming in sight, we begin our coverage tonight with garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight former president trump played defense in north carolina. [ crowd chanting "usa" ] he's won the state twice before but polls now show a coin flip contest. >> i will end inflation. i will stop the invasion. and i will bring back the american dream. >> reporter: neither trump nor the rnc chairman saying today they'd seen any indication this election won't be legitimate. >> we're so impressed. and i think they have a pretty good system here. >> reporter: but just hours later trump still suggesting without evidence the election could be tainted by fraud. >> the vote counter is more important than the candidate. that's been true, unfortunately. >> reporter: trump also visited asheville, hard hit by hurricane helene, where he was pressed about his false claims about the fema response and threats fema workers have received. >> well, i think you have to let people know how they're doing. if they're doing a poor job we're supposed to not say it? >> reporter: it all comes a

garrett haake has more. >> reporter: tonight former-president trump back in the storm zone in must-win, alongside republican governor brian kemp, a sometimes-trump critic now backing the former president. >> i'm not thinking about voters right now. i'm thinking about lives. a lot of lives lost, a lot of people missing. >> reporter: trump also facing new criticism for this false attack on the administration's hurricane response. >> the harris-biden administration says they don't have any money. they stole the fema money just like they stole it from a bank so they could give it to their illegal immigrants. >> reporter: the white house slamming that as a lie. >> it just is categorically false. it is not true. it is a false statement. >> reporter: in the last two years fema has distributed over $1 billion in taxpayer money to shelter the record numbers of migrants in cities across the u.s., but the white house and fema say that's from a separate government program, not for disaster relief, and there's no evidence funds have been diverted. >> folks. >> reporter: today president biden praisi

garrett haake is covering the trump campaign. >> reporter: tonight, former president trump making one last in-person pitch out west. >> are you better off now than you were four years ago? >> reporter: including a surprising stop in new mexico, which hasn't voted republican in 20 years. >> under kamala, new mexico has seen millions of people pour across your section of the southern border. >> reporter: latinos make up half of new mexico's population, and trump's support among men makes a tempting last-minute target. his two other stops today arizona and nevada, where new polls show harris leading among latinos, but in arizona she is running six points behind president biden's margin with latinos in 2020. and in nevada she is 25 points behind. we met michael arrevelo who is voting for trump. >> i do eventually want to own my own house. and the way it's at right now, i don't see it happening within the next four years if kamala ends up being president. >> reporter: martiem supports harris. >> 100% everything she's said about the community, women's rights, education, and immigration. >>

here is garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight, former president trump back in battleground pennsylvania. >> we have six days, six days to go, joe. we got to win. >> reporter: after making his own pitch to voters ahead of he'll deliver change on immigration. vice president harris' closing argument tonight. trump vowing he'll deliver change on immigration. >> kamala harris has obliterated our borders. >> reporter: and the economy. >> millions of americans are lying awake at night worried about how they'll pay their bills, because kamala wrecked their backlas family finances. >> reporter: but also facing new fallout after his madison square garden rally and bipartisan backlash over a comedian's racist remarks, including this about puerto rico. >> there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. yeah. i think it's called puerto rico. okay all right. okay. we're getting there. >> reporter: the comment slammed by republicans, democrats, and puerto rican music superstar and harris supporter bad bunny. the trump campaign has distanced itself from the remarks,

garrett haake is covering the trump campaign for us. >> reporter: donald trump returning tonight to the tar heel state for the second straight day, looking to shore up a southern battleground that's voted for republicans for president in the last three elections, but remains competitive now. >> we're going to win north carolina. >> reporter: earlier, holding a roundtable with latino community leaders in south florida, boosting about his support. >> an incredible community. and i liked them and they liked me. now they're seeing numbers that are shocking. >> reporter: and unleashing a torrent of personal insults against vice president harris. >> she's lazy as hell and she's got that reputation. she's a radical left lunatic. >> reporter: meanwhile, former president obama rallying with tim walz in wisconsin on the badger state's first day of early voting. >> get off your couch and do what? >> vote! >> put down your phones and do what? >> vote! >> reporter: it all comes amid a renewed focus on election security, with the office of the director of national intelligence warning they expect for

with 20 days left, garrett haake reports. >> reporter: vice president harris tonight in her first formal interview with fox news. harris pressed on her record on immigration. >> jocelyn dungaray, rachel moran, laken riley, they are young women who were brutally assaulted and killed by some of the men who were released at the beginning of the administration, well before a negotiated bipartisan bill. do you owe those families an apology? >> let me just say, first of all, those are tragic cases. there's no question about that. there's no question about that, and i can't imagine the pain that the families of those victims have experienced for a loss that should not have occurred. if a border security had actually been passed nine months ago, it would be nine months that we would have had more border agents at the border. >> reporter: the appearance part of a concerted pitch for anti-trump republicans. harris in must-win pennsylvania with former gop congressman adam kinzinger blasting these controversial trump comments about some democrats. >> we have the outside enemy, and then we have the e

it's where we start tonight with correspondent garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight, former president trump weighing in on the firestorm over remarks by president biden where he appeared to call trump supporters garbage looking to turn biden's controversial comments into a campaign rallying cry. >> joe biden finally said what he and kamala really think of our supporters, he called them garbage. [ booing ] >> and they mean it. >> reporter: later appearing in a garbage truck. >> how do you like my garbage truck? this truck is in honor of kamala and joe biden. >> reporter: while hours earlier vice president harris separating herself from the president's comments. >> he clarified his comments, but let me be clear, i strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for. i will be a president for all americans whether you vote for me or not. >> reporter: the president made those comments last night on a zoom event with a latino group referencing trump's madison square garden rally. >> a speaker at his rally called puerto rico a floating island of garbage. the puerto ric

lester. >> garrett haake, thank you. >>> one man who has rocketed his way into former president trump'sit, elon musk. hallie jackson tonight on how the founder of spacex and tesla is going all out to help trump win. >> reporter: for the world's richest man, it's one of his most valuable resources, time, and elon musk's giving plenty of it to support former president trump starting tonight with a series of talks in battleground pennsylvania, just the latest boost from the billionaire. >> i'm not just maga. i'm dark maga. >> reporter: new numbers out today show musk gave $75 million to the pro-trump fund-raising group he founded to help turn out voters. the spacex and tesla founder, despite mr. trump's frequent criticism of evs, becoming a close confidant. >> elon musk is a very good friend of mine. he endorsed me like -- and you saw him the other night in butler, pennsylvania. was he having a good time or what? >> reporter: musk jumping on stage at that rally. >> president trump must win to preserve the constitution. he must win to preserve democracy in america. >> reporter: mr. trump jo

. >> that sets up nicely for garrett haake who covers the trump campaign. he joins us from the spin room, a very tight spin room, so everybody is right next to each other in there, garrett. what are you expecting? what is the trump campaign signaling tonight? >> i covered jd vance on capitol hill, i covered him on the campaign trail, and i can tell you he's very comfortable mixing it up with reporters. he's comfortable with the back and forth and taking questions. he doesn't have a lot of traditional debate experience, but he's good with the kind of give and take and the kind of parrying you might see in a debate with this format with the mics open. i also expect him to come out aggressive. i interviewed donald trump earlier today, but when i asked him what he wanted to see from vance, how he would describe victory, he told me he expected to see vance try to expose tim walz and kamala harris on the issue of the border specifically. that has been the animating issue for donald trump going all the way back to 2015. it is something he wants to see from his runn

>> garrett haake for us. thank you. >>> not to be forgotten, at stake also, exactly 14 days from now, control of congress. that overall battle is just as tight as the presidential race, highlighted by a handful of high-profile contests from coast-to-coast. we ask nbc's capitol hill correspondent ryan nobles to take a look. he's in houston this morning, telling us where the fight stands this morning. ryan, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. the balance of power in congress will be important to whoever is the next president, whether it be kamala harris or donald trump. there are 33 seats up for grabs in the senate. and probably only about 8 or 10 that aren't competitive, including here in texas. which may be democrats only shot to turn a red seat blue. from the mountains of minnesota -- >> what's important right now, is the future of this country. >> reporter: to the shores of the great lakes. >> food price and stuff is high. wish it could come down. >> reporter: from the coasts of california an

nbc's garrett haake is in d.c. aign trail. donald trump spent both days stumping in pennsylvania, the biggest battleground prize, taking in a steelers game, briefly working a mcdonald's drive-through window, and holding rallies across the keystone state. the major headlines all coming from saturday night's event, when he used a vulgar, four-letter word to describe the vice president and opened up with a 12-minute monologue about a hall of fame golfer's anatomy. as for the vice president, she started in atlanta with lizzo and usher in attendance, and took in sunday services on her birthday spent in battleground georgia. a multi-event day for both candidates ahead now. trump in north carolina, harris across the midwest. hoda? >> garrett haake for us in d.c. garrett, thank you. >>> now to a one-on-one interview with the former u.s. marine detained in russia for more than five years. paul whelan was released nearly three months ago, in one of the biggest prisoner swaps since the cold war era. he shared his story with nb

. >>> joining me now here in studio, nbc's garrett haake who spoke with former president donald trumpt this potential strike against israel coming from iran. what did he say? >> he is watching it closely. we talked about it in a political context. he doesn't think iran should do it. he warned them not to do it. he argued as he often does that he thinks this country, this world is closer to world war iii than any time in recent memory. instability in the world is good for donald trump the campaigner domestically. they look around and see wars in the middle east and in ukraine and they say, this is a kamala harris and joe biden problem. i want to be the solution. that requires a suspension from his time in office. i would be shocked if this is not something vance pushes to argue that this unstable world that we are living in is a product of he will say a weak presidency. >> as far as that debate, does this change the approach at all, do we anticipate? >> it may. i think the issues that motivate american voters are almost always domestic issues, unless you talk about a full-scale war. it

two msnbc political analysts, susan del percio, democratic strategist basil smikle, and nbc's garrett haake. garrett, mid western nice kind of was the rule of night for last night. was this strategic? >> a couple of guys just hanging out having a beer talking about politics. i think it was. the first rule of vice presidential politics is to do no harm. both of these men showed up with that as a goal, not be quite as aggressive as we have seen from either wup of them when they're on the campaign trail on their own. try to defend their principle and push things forward. this is the extra credit debate. if you were watching it, you have probably made up your mind, and i don't think either one of these men were pushing outside of that window. >> is anybody playing clean up? >> there's a little bit of amplification happening. j.d. vance not being able to say one way or another whether or not donald trump won or last the 2020 election. democrats feel like that was tim walz's best moment, they want to highlight that and continue to push it forward. vance is going to have questions he has to answer

. >> nbc's yamiche alcindor is in houston covering the harris campaign while garrett haake is in houstong trump. also, with us elise jordan. why is harris holding a rally in texas? >> reporter: good morning. it's a good question. the harris campaign wants to hammer home the idea that texas is ground zero for the unfair and dangerous, they believe, consequences of abortion restrictions. there are a number of women here who say because this state had abortion restrictions their lives were put in danger. amanda was miscarrying and doctors waited until she had an infection to give her an abortion. she's going to say if you're living in pennsylvania or georgia or wisconsin, this could be your life if donald trump is re-elected to coincide with national messaging. they're not focusing on just people in texas. they've released a new ad. take a listen. >> for 54 years they were trying to get roe v. wade terminated, and i did it. >> he did it. >> it was devastated. >> he's bragging about the rights he stole from american women and trump is promising to do more. >> in project 2025 they're restrict

joining us now, nbc news correspondent garrett haake in green bay, wisconsin, covering the trump campaign, and nbc news senior white house correspondent kelly o'donnell in harrisburg, pennsylvania, with the harris campaign. kelly, first to you. tell us about this apostrophe. >> reporter: well, i've had one my whole life, and it has never been more powerful than in a moment like this where what they are trying to say is that the president was referring to the demonization being garbage from one prominent supporter, the comedian who appeared at the madison square garden event for donald trump. if you look at about a minute's worth of the remarks from president biden when he was speaking to latino groups last night, that context appears more clear. also, it's important to know that the president always has that battle against stuttering and that seemed to be apparent in this as well, and clearly, this is a verbal gaffe that is problematic politically. the question for voters to decide is the president's intent here to somehow say something critical about supporters of president trump or was