Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.
By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.
Please enter a valid email address.
PITTSBURGH — Vice President Harris on Sunday appeared to label former President Trump a “coward” during a stop Sunday in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Speaking to a crowd of staff, volunteers and supporters at a campaign field office in Beaver County, just outside of Pittsburgh, the vice president contrasted her leadership style with that of Trump, who’s long been known for his in-your-face campaign rhetoric, including insulting his rivals, as he’s flamed the politics of division.
Advertisement
“This campaign is about a recognition that, frankly, over the last several years there’s been this kind of perversion that has taken place, I think, which is to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down. When what we know is the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up,” Harris said.
Then, apparently pointing toward Trump without mentioning her presidential election rival by name, Harris said “anybody who’s about beating down other people is a coward.”
HARRIS, TRUMP HOLD DUELING EVENTS IN FIGHT TO WIN BIGGEST BATTLEGROUND
Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Harris speaks alongside her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at a campaign event in Rochester, Pa., on Aug. 18, 2024.(AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Responding, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung pointed to the lack of a major news conference or media interview by Harris in the four weeks since she replaced President Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket.
Advertisement
“The Kamala campaign – liars, frauds, and cowards. She can’t even do a sit-down interview or press conference – not even with a friendly outlet – because she’s scared to death of being exposed for the coward and fraud that she is,” Cheung said in a statement to Fox News.
TRUMP RUNNING MATE VANCE AIMS TO TURN BLUE WALL STATES RED
The stop in Rochester, Pennsylvania, was the first by Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, after they kicked off a campaign bus tour at nearby Pittsburgh International Airport earlier in the afternoon.
From left, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Vice President Harris, Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz kick off a bus tour through western Pennsylvania at Pittsburgh International Airport on Aug. 18, 2024.(Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)
The barnstorming tour through western Pennsylvania by Harris and Walz and their spouses, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz, came on the eve of the kickoff of the Democratic National Convention, which is being held in Chicago.
Advertisement
With 19 electoral votes up for grabs, Pennsylvania is the largest prize among the seven battleground states that will likely decide the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.
HARRIS AND TRUMP TRADE FIRE IN BATTLE FOR THE BLUE WALL STATES
“We’re winning by a lot in Pennsylvania,” Trump declared on Saturday as he held a rally in Wilkes Barre in the northeast corner of the Keystone State.
But an average of all the polls conducted in Pennsylvania since Harris replaced Biden at the top of the Democrats’ national ticket four weeks ago indicates it is all tied up.
Republican presidential candidate former President Trump pumps his fist after speaking at a campaign rally in Wilkes Barre, Pa., on Aug. 17, 2024.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Advertisement
Both campaigns have been placing plenty of emphasis on the state.
Harris made Philadelphia her first stop of her first battleground state swing after announcing Walz as her running mate.
And Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, will hold separate events focusing on the economy in Pennsylvania on Monday.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Crews have blocked off a portion of a road in McCandless, Allegheny County, near UPMC Passavant, after a large sinkhole formed.
A township official confirmed to KDKA-TV on Sunday night that Cumberland Road is closed at Babcock Boulevard in front of the hospital. Barricades have been erected to ensure no pedestrians or vehicles have access to the area while repairs are made.
Crews have blocked off a portion of a road in McCandless, near UPMC Passavant, after a large sinkhole formed.
Advertisement
KDKA-TV
UMPC Passavant remains accessible via the Babcock Boulevard entrance and from the Peebles Road side of Cumberland Road, officials said.
A fire chief responding to the call told KDKA-TV that there are pipes underneath the area where the sinkhole formed, adding that he was unsure when the road would reopen or how long repairs would take.
No injuries have been reported. The area will remain closed while repair work continues.
Storm damage in Torrington seen on July 5, 2026. (Courtesy of the Torrington Fire Department).
Town, state and utility crews were scrambling to get roads cleaned up and power restored Sunday after a big thunder and hail storm hit parts of Connecticut, and ahead of more rain and possible flooding expected Monday into Tuesday.
From Salisbury to Harwinton, the July 4 storm wreaked havoc, uprooting trees and leaving behind golfball-sized hail in some areas. Wind speeds of up to 56 mph were recorded in Burlington, but the storm weakened as it moved southeast across Connecticut.
Up to 100,000 were without power at one point, with about 55,000 Eversource customers still without power on Sunday evening and just over 400 United Illuminating customers waiting for power to be restored. Canaan, Harwinton, New Fairfield and Salisbury had more than half of its utility customers still without power as of 6 p.m. Sunday.
Gov. Ned Lamont said utility crews immediately began working on restoration, but that repairs may take several days in some areas due to the scale of the damage.
Advertisement
“The utilities have called down additional crews from Canada to help restore power in Connecticut as soon as possible, and our administration will do anything in our ability that can help expedite power restoration,” the governor said in a statement Sunday afternoon.
“The state’s emergency response team remains in contact with every affected town and stands ready to send additional support the moment a municipality requests it. Connecticut has been through storms like this before, and we get through them by looking out for one another.”
In Torrington and Harwinton, where local states of emergencies were declared, crews worked through the night Saturday into Sunday to make roads passable and keep residents safe.
Officials are urging everyone to obey closed road signs and stay away from any downed power lines.
“Do not drive around barricades, as roads may be unsafe due to fallen trees, damaged utility poles, or flooding,” the Torrington Fire Department urged.
Advertisement
Several areas of the state are under a flood watch Monday as repeated rounds of heavy rain are expected to bring in 3-5 inches of rain.
“If showers and thunderstorms concentrate over local areas and deliver repeated rounds of heavy rainfall, towns could see localized amounts in some narrow bands well over 6 inches,” the CT Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said.
NOAA’s weather prediction center has upgraded Southern Connecticut into a moderate risk category, level 3 out of 4, officials said.
“Not everyone will see flooding, but any locations that get repeated downpours could experience rapid flooding,” meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan said on his social media page. “The exact placement of the heaviest rain is still uncertain.”
Lamont urged anyone looking for real-time updates on state road closures to visit CTroads.org and to sign up for emergency alerts at portal.ct.gov/ctalert.
Advertisement
“Keep monitoring weather alerts over the coming days, as additional rainfall could bring a risk of flash flooding,” Lamont said. “Never drive through a flooded road.”
RELATED
West Hartford Business Owner Released From ICE Custody
Sead (Seyo) Cecunjanin, the West Hartford resident and business owner who was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents last week was released Thursday and returned to West Hartford.
Happy 4th!
Thanks everyone for reading CTNewsJunkie and supporting independent, fact-based news reporting. We need it more than ever as we head into this July 4th weekend on the 250th anniversary of Independence Day in the United States. This grand experiment in Democracy. Put the politics aside and share some happy moments with your family and friends.…
Advertisement
Old Lyme Sets Ground Rules For New State Housing Law
As Connecticut’s new middle-housing law took effect July 1, the Old Lyme Zoning Commission approved local regulations intended to shape how the measure will be applied in town.
One person is dead and another is severely injured following an ATV rollover crash in Madison early Sunday morning.
Deputies from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the scene on East Madison Road just after midnight, and found driver Tyler Atkinson, 37, had suffered from a severe head injury. Atkinson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mike Mitchell, Somerset County Sheriff chief deputy, said passenger Corey Gordea, 33, sustained severe leg injuries as a result of the crash. Gordea was transported by the Anson-Madison-Starks Ambulance Service to Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan, although his condition is unknown.
A preliminary investigation determined that Atkinson and Gordea were traveling down Abenaki Road when they failed to stop at the intersection of Abenaki and East Madison Road. They continued across East Madison and drove into a ditch where the ATV struck a tree and rolled over.
Advertisement
Somerset deputies and Madison Fire Department officials determined that neither Atkinson or Gordea were wearing helmets. The preliminary investigation also indicated that alcohol and speed were factors in the crash, Mitchell said.
Advertisement
Isabelle Oss is a community reporter covering Kittery, Berwick, North Berwick, South Berwick, York and Ogunquit. Born and raised in Colorado, she moved to Maine in April 2026. Isabelle holds a master’s…
More by Isabelle Oss
