Live updates: Trump holds a Columbus Day event before heading to a rally in Syracuse
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President Donald Trump will be campaigning in New York for the GOP candidate in the governor’s race, while Vice President JD Vance will be rallying in Ohio for Sen. Jon Husted.
What to know today
- NEW YORK RALLY: President Donald Trump is holding an event at the White House to mark Columbus Day this morning. Later today, he will head to Syracuse, New York, to hold a rally for Republican Bruce Blakeman, a county executive from Long Island who is trailing Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in recent polls.
- VANCE TO OHIO: Vice President JD Vance will deliver remarks at a midterm rally in Lima, Ohio, this afternoon for Republican candidates in his home state, including Sen. Jon Husted, who is defending his seat in a close race against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
- LISA COOK PROBE: Trump signed an order today directing the attorney general and other top federal officials to establish a committee to investigate Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, in his latest attempt to fire her.
- MICHIGAN SHOWDOWN: The two candidates battling for Michigan’s open Senate seat, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers, tangled in a debate last night over the Iran war, gas prices and tariffs in a debate that often veered into mean-spirited sniping.
Patel announces arrest of suspect with ties to hacking group
FBI Director Kash Patel this morning announced the arrest of a person with ties to the hacking group that allegedly preyed on an agency website.
“Earlier this week, our agents in the field arrested another suspected co-conspirator of the ShinyHunters group — the group believed to be responsible for the recent FBIjobs.gov incident, which occurred on a platform managed by a third-party vendor,” Patel said in a statement.
“This is the latest arrest this FBI has made in a matter of days involving this network, as we work non-stop to dismantle the group, pursue new leads and evidence, and act quickly," he added.
The statement did not include details on the suspect who was arrested this week, or on the arrests.
Patel said the latest action "demonstrates the strength and reach of our efforts to protect Americans from cybercrime.”
The FBIJobs.gov portal was hacked late last month, took place late last month, and the cyber-extortion outfit ShinyHunters claimed credit for it.
A representative for the cyber-extortion outfit told NBC News at the time it had stolen between 2 and 3 terabytes of files in the hack. NBC News was not able to verify the extent of the claims.
Trump establishes panel to probe Fed governor Lisa Cook in latest attempt to fire her
Trump signed an order today directing the attorney general and other top federal officials to establish a committee to investigate Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, in his latest attempt to fire her.
“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby establish a committee of inquiry (Committee) to investigate allegations that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook made false statements in connection with one or more mortgage instruments,” read a presidential memorandum posted to the White House website.
Lisa Cook. David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty
Trump urges Minnesotans to ‘fight back’ against Somali immigrants
Trump continued his long-running attacks on Somalis yesterday by urging Minnesotans to “fight back” against the Somali community in the state.
“The once Great State of Minnesota is being taken over by Somali Immigrants,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The people of Minnesota must fight back.”
First Georgia Senate debate spotlights fight over Trump- and Biden-era policies
It was debate night in Georgia, but Trump and former President Joe Biden seemed to be onstage.
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican Rep. Mike Collins squared off yesterday in the first debate in this nationally consequential Senate race, with both trying to hit the other for policies implemented by the current and former presidents.
Rep. Mike Collins, left, and Sen. Jon Ossoff. Getty
Cory Booker plans 2026 campaign travel to South Carolina and Nevada
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., will travel to a series of states in the next few weeks to boost Democratic candidates in the 2026 election, a Booker aide told NBC News.
One thing most of those states have in common: Major implications for the 2028 presidential primary, as Booker weighs another run for the White House.
Sen. Cory Booker. Nathan Posner / Anadolu via Getty
They include a trip Sunday and Monday to Nevada, the second primary state in the Democratic National Committee's new calendar, to boost candidate for governor Aaron Ford, as well as Rep. Steven Horsford and others. That would mark his third visit to Nevada this year.
He also plans to travel to South Carolina, the first 2028 primary state, to help Annie Andrews, a long-shot candidate for Senate in the deep red state, as well as Jermaine Johnson, who faces an even tougher road in his bid for governor.
Booker also plans to travel to Alabama for Rep. Shomari Figures, who faces a steep uphill climb after a GOP redistricting scheme narrowed his path.
And Booker intends to travel to New Hampshire, another key early primary state in 2028, to support candidates “up and down the ticket,” his aide said.
Booker’s aide said the senator plans “to hold get out the vote events supporting Democratic candidates running at every level of the ballot, to highlight the ‘moral moment’ the country is facing, the stakes of the election and to encourage voters to participate.”
Sparks fly as Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers face off in first Michigan Senate debate
The two candidates battling for Michigan’s open Senate seat tangled here last night over the war in Iran, gas prices and tariffs in a debate that often veered into mean-spirited sniping.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed sought to portray his Republican rival, former Rep. Mike Rogers, as a weak-willed loyalist to Trump who has recently changed his positions on certain issues out of political necessity.
Rogers tried to frame El-Sayed as a “con man” who is making promises he cannot pay for without raising taxes or other costs.
El-Sayed, left, and Rogers last night. Paul Sancya / AP
Vance to hold midterm rally in home state of Ohio
Vance will speak at a midterm elections rally in his home state of Ohio this afternoon to campaign for Republican candidates, including Sen. Jon Husted.
The event set for Lima, in the northwestern part of the state, comes as Husted is defending his seat in a close race against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Both the vice president and Trump have been separately campaigning for GOP contenders across the country with less than a month to go until Election Day, which is Nov. 3.
Ohio is among the states the president is visiting multiple times, given the close Senate race. He visited earlier this month and will visit again next week.
Trump to hold rally in Syracuse, New York, for Republican Bruce Blakeman
Trump will hold a campaign rally tonight in Syracuse, New York, for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, a county executive from Long Island.
Blakeman is trailing Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in recent polls.
Trump's visit to Central New York comes amid his midterm election campaign stops to other states to promote Republican contenders, especially in tough races. New York is not considered a battleground state, though Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is facing a competitive challenge for his seat from Democrat Cait Conley.
The last Republican to serve as New York governor was George Pataki, who left office in 2006.
