3.30 am: At the Republican convention, right-wing talk show host Tucker Carlson criticized US aid for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. “You don’t see our president suggesting using our military to protect our country or the lives of our citizens – no, this is for Ukraine,” said the former Fox News host in Milwaukee. “This is a middle finger raised to every American.”
The talk show host, who is close to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, made headlines in early February when he conducted an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. In the conversation, the Kremlin chief was questioned in detail by a US interviewer for the first time since the start of the war. Carlson, who is known for spreading false reports and conspiracy theories, did not question Putin’s long-winded statements. Critics had already identified this as the reason why Putin may have granted the American the 127-minute interview.
2.40 am: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has arrived in the hall on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, about to give his first public speech since the attempted assassination.
Lara Trump, the candidate’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said the assassination had prompted Trump to revise his speech and emphasize unity. “I don’t think you can go through what he went through on Saturday, the experience of near death, without it having an impact,” Lara Trump said.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris said at a campaign rally in North Carolina that Trump’s call for unity was not very credible because he steadfastly refused to acknowledge his 2020 election defeat. “We are too busy watching what you do to hear what you say,” Harris said.
2.05 am: US President Joe Biden is closer to dropping out of the race for the White House, according to media reports. The New York Times quoted several people close to Biden as saying that they believed the 81-year-old had begun to accept that he could lose to his Republican rival Donald Trump in the November election and would have to drop out of the race for the White House. Read more about the growing pressure on Biden here.
