US Election 2024 Live Updates: Thousands of MAGA die-hards flood Trump's Madison Square Garden rally

The influential Washington Post newspaper, owned by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, announced Friday it will endorse neither Democrat Kamala Harris nor Republican Donald Trump in the US presidential election.

CEO William Lewis said this was a return "to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates."

However, the Post editorial board has endorsed candidates for much of the last four decades -- all of them Democrats -- before deciding to stay on the sidelines in one of the most polarizing elections in US history.

Newspaper editorials have little of their once-powerful political heft. But the Post -- whose slogan is "Democracy dies in darkness" -- is one traditional media outlet that retains influence among Washington's elite.

Trump's campaign quickly pounced, crowing that "Harris is so bad, The Washington Post decided to never endorse another presidential candidate again."

The Washington Post Guild, which represents unionized staff at the newspaper, said it was "deeply concerned."

"We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers," a statement said.

US media reported that a senior Post figure, editor at large Robert Kagan, had resigned in protest.

US vice president Kamala Harris intensified her warnings on Friday, calling former President Donald Trump a “danger and threat to America” and “unfit to serve," as reported by Fox News. Responding to Republican leaders’ criticism of her rhetoric, Harris emphasised that the public deserves facts, noting statements from former Trump insiders like retired General John Kelly, who described Trump as a threat. This comes as Harris faces backlash from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who urged her to avoid “dangerous rhetoric” that could incite violence, pointing to recent assassination attempts on Trump. In a rare joint statement, they argued Harris’s words risk stoking political tensions ahead of Election Day, just weeks away.

The controversy stems from Harris’s remarks during a CNN town hall, where she agreed with General Mark Milley’s characterisation of Trump as “fascist to the core.” Republican leaders condemned her words, warning that they dangerously fan a “boiling cauldron of political animus.” Harris has since doubled down, citing new revelations from Kelly’s interviews that Trump once made unsettling remarks about Hitler. Trump has dismissed these claims, yet Harris's campaign has seized on them, portraying the former president as a threat to democracy.

US vice president Kamala Harris has amassed high-profile endorsements from stars like Taylor Swift, Eminem, and Usher, but critics argue that the campaign’s heavy reliance on celebrity influence masks waning support. Trump’s Black media affairs director Janiyah Thomas claimed Harris uses celebrities to attract crowds uninterested in her alone, suggesting attendees come for performances by figures like Megan Thee Stallion and Usher rather than political support. Harris’ campaign strategy includes spotlighting social issues in key states, such as abortion rights in Texas, where she will reportedly be joined by Beyoncé at an event on Friday. Former President Obama joined her in Georgia, where he addressed Black male voters amid concerns over their shifting support, as per Fox News.

Despite the Hollywood backing, Harris is struggling with critical voting blocs typically loyal to the Democratic Party. Latino support has notably dropped, with Trump leading among these voters by 49% to 38%, while Black voter support for Harris, though still substantial, has fallen below historical averages. A USA TODAY/Suffolk poll reveals that Black voters support Harris by 72% to 17%, a margin significantly lower than past Democratic campaigns. In response, the Harris campaign is intensifying outreach to these essential demographics, hoping to address concerns that her policies resonate less with Black, Latino, and suburban communities, where Trump has made notable gains.

The US government is investigating unauthorized access to telecommunications infrastructure by Chinese hackers, which has reportedly targeted the campaigns of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, according to Fox News. Sources reveal that both campaigns were informed about potential breaches involving cellphones used by Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and Harris's campaign team. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have launched an ongoing investigation into the matter, urging organizations that may have fallen victim to these attacks to contact local FBI offices. They emphasized collaboration across government agencies and with industry partners to enhance cyber defenses in the commercial communications sector.

Verizon has acknowledged the sophisticated nature of the attacks, believed to be connected to Chinese intelligence services. The Trump campaign accused the Biden-Harris administration of election interference and suggested that this attack was part of a broader strategy to undermine Trump's return to the White House. This incident follows a previous attack on the Trump campaign by Iranian hackers, further raising concerns about foreign interference in US elections. Investigators are currently assessing whether any data was stolen and whether other individuals in the US government were targeted.