DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. presidential campaign (all times local):
Mike Pence says his running mate, Donald Trump, does not have time for the “thousands of rules of political correctness.”
The Indiana governor and Republican vice presidential nominee told a crowd on Thursday in Virginia Beach, Virginia, that Trump speaks “straight from his heart, straight from his mind.”
It was just the latest instance of Pence attempting to smooth over controversy provoked by Trump, who has feuded with the family of a slain Army captain and refused to endorse prominent Republicans facing re-election.
Earlier Pence said that he and Trump “have different styles.” And he added that his even keeled demeanor was partly intended to balance out Trump’s personality.
Animal rights activists interrupt Clinton event
Updated 4:40 p.m.: Secret service agents stepped on stage next to Hillary Clinton after protesters interrupted a Thursday campaign rally in Las Vegas.
The protesters were animal rights activists.
“Apparently these people are here to protest Trump because Trump and his kids have killed a lot of animals,” Clinton said.
Trump has said his sons “love to hunt.” They’ve been pictured with dead exotic game animals, including a leopard and elephant tail. Killing endangered species is highly controversial and illegal in some places.
PAC makes $1 million ad buy in Wisconsin Senate race
Updated 3:30 p.m.: A Koch brothers group is announcing a new $1 million ad buy in the Wisconsin Senate race to support Republican incumbent Ron Johnson.
The announcement Thursday comes two weeks after the group, Freedom Partners Action Fund, acknowledged it was canceling $2.2 million in ad reservations in the state. That earlier move was widely interpreted as Republicans writing off Johnson’s chances against Democrat Russ Feingold, who has led in polls.
Freedom Partners fund spokesman James Davis says the decision to get back into the race reflects “some shifts in the polls” and that it was a “false interpretation” to think the group had given up on Johnson.
Johnson is one of the most vulnerable senators this election cycle.
Billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch are major donors to Republicans.
Colorado Republican airs anti-Trump ad
Updated 12:45 p.m.: A Colorado congressman is the first House Republican to expressly distance himself from Donald Trump in a campaign ad.
Rep. Mike Coffman faces a tough challenge in Colorado’s most ethnically diverse congressional seat, in suburban Denver. His Democratic opponent repeatedly compares him to Trump.
Coffman starts a new television ad talking about his party’s presidential nominee. Coffman looks at the camera and says he’s always asked about Trump and then says, “Honestly, I don’t care for him much.”
Coffman promises that if Trump is elected, “I’ll stand up to him.” Coffman adds that he would also stand up to Hillary Clinton.
The 30-second ad begins airing in Denver Friday. Politico first reported the ad.
11-year-old boy grills Mike Pence
Updated 12:30 p.m.: Mike Pence came under harsh questioning at a campaign event. His interrogator: an 11-year old.
At a town hall Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina, Pence, Donald Trump’s running mate, took a question from a boy who identified himself as 11-year old Matthew.
Matthew said Pence has been “softening up on Mr. Trump’s policies and words” and questioned whether that would be his role in a Trump administration. That prompted an outburst of laughter from the crowd and led Pence to predict that Matthew will be governor of North Carolina someday.
Apparently alluding to controversial comments by Trump, Pence said, “sometimes things don’t always come out like you mean.”
Pence added that he and Trump “have different styles — you might have noticed that.”
Tim Kaine hopes to bridge gap between law enforcement and communities
Updated 11:45 a.m.: Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine says “a profound distance” has grown between law enforcement and communities in many parts of America, and that distance is dangerous.
Kaine spoke Thursday at National Urban League’s “Save our Cities” conference in Baltimore. He says the nation needs to invest more in training to deescalate heated situations involving police so that they don’t turn violent. He says Hillary Clinton has pledged to make that investment.
Kaine also says Clinton understands the need for criminal justice reform and rebuilding trust between police and communities.
The Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns were invited to speak at the conference. Republican Donald Trump’s campaign declined an invitation to speak.
The National Urban League is among the leading national advocacy organizations for African Americans.
Kaine promises better connection to cities
Updated 11:35 a.m.: Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine says cities would have strong partners in Washington if Hillary Clinton wins the White House.
Kaine spoke Thursday at National Urban League’s “Save our Cities” conference in Baltimore. He says Clinton will focus on bringing jobs to urban areas and investing in infrastructure.
Kaine also says Clinton understands the need for criminal justice reform and rebuilding trust between police and communities.
The Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns were invited to speak at the conference. Republican Donald Trump’s campaign declined the invitation.
The National Urban League is a leading advocacy organization for African-Americans. The four-day conference has been focusing on issues such as poverty, housing, education and strategies to combat joblessness.
Paul Ryan reaffirms support for Trump
Updated 11 a.m.: House Speaker Paul Ryan is reaffirming his support for Donald Trump in his first comments since the Republican nominee declined to endorse the speaker in his upcoming GOP primary.
Ryan brushed off Trump’s stance, telling a radio interviewer in Green Bay, Wis., that the only endorsement he cares about is from voters in his congressional district.
But he also says that Trump “has had a pretty strange run since the convention. You would think we should be focusing on Hillary Clinton and all of her deficiencies.”
Ryan says it’s “distressing” that that’s not what the conversation is about.
Ryan made his comments on the “Jerry Bader Show” on WTAQ radio in Wisconsin.
Illinois GOP congressman doubts he will vote for Trump
Updated 8:45 a.m.: Another Republican congressman is saying he’s unlikely to support Donald Trump for president.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said the Republican nominee is “beginning to cross a lot of red lines of the unforgivable in politics.”
Kinzinger said on CNN Wednesday that he won’t support Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but suggested he may write somebody in at the polls or skip voting in the presidential race.
Republican House members Richard Hanna of New York, Pennsylvania’s Charlie Dent and Florida’s Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Carlos Curbelo have said they won’t support Trump. Hanna has said he will vote for Clinton.
Manafort says campaign avoids primaries
7:55 a.m.: Donald Trump’s campaign chairman is playing down a rift between the Republican nominee and House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Paul Manafort acknowledged “a conflict within the Trump campaign” after vice presidential candidate Mike Pence endorsed Ryan a day after Trump declined to do so. Manafort spoke on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Manafort said the campaign has “sort of had a rule of not getting involved in primaries.” He said Ryan’s primary rival “is not going to win,” but noted he has supported Trump.
“Of course he’s going to work with Paul Ryan,” Manafort said Trump has “tried to bridge the party together” with Ryan.
Mike Pence busy with damage control
Updated 3:20 a.m.: Donald Trump’s running mate Mike Pence has tried to focus on winning over conservatives who are skeptical of the New York billionaire, but his new boss keeps getting in the way.
The Indiana governor has been called on several times to do damage control this past week after the Republican presidential nominee made incendiary remarks.
Trump feuded publicly with the family of deceased Army Capt. Humayun Khan after they criticized Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric. Trump also refused to endorse Arizona Sen. John McCain and Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Pence responded by saying Khan’s family should be cherished. He also had a meeting with McCain and publicly endorsed Ryan.
There’s no indication Trump is unsatisfied with Pence’s approach. Some supporters hope Pence will counterbalance Trump’s more provocative remarks.
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