NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, October 31, 2024

Episode Date: November 1, 2024

Trump weighs in on Biden controversy over 'garbage' comment; Harris hits battleground states after closing argument speech; Trump campaign claims voter fraud in Pennsylvania, despite evidence to the contrary; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, five days left, nearly 62 million votes in, and a million miles to go on the campaign trail. Vice President Harris and former President Trump leaving little ground uncovered in the desert west. We go one-on-one with Harris on the trail in Arizona, why she says Mr. Trump is out of touch with women after he said he would protect women, like it or not. And... Day one, what's your first executive action? Plus, why NBA legend LeBron James is now throwing his support behind Harris. It comes as Mr. Trump tries to expand the map in New Mexico and battleground Arizona and Nevada, and why housing there is coloring how people see the growing economy.

Elon Musk's legal battle over his million-dollar lottery checks on the campaign trail and how his social media platform X has changed since he took over. Plus, our window into how Microsoft tracks misleading videos being spread to millions. The stunning murder arrests in the wilderness of Montana from a 911 call about a deadly bear attack, a complete stranger's confession. On Halloween, record heat across the country. Cities smash highs as trick-or-treaters leave the coats at home. Return to work or else? Years after the start of COVID, major companies like Starbucks tell their staff to get back to the office. What their CEO says tonight.

And the series watched closely a world away as the city of Angel celebrates the party is just starting in Japan. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. The final days of the 2024 race for president moving at a blistering pace. Both Vice President Harris and former President Trump pushing their messages in the American West tonight, looking to expand the electoral map, while for Harris pushing her polling advantage among women. Today, highlighting Mr. Trump's vow at a rally last night to, quote, protect women, whether the women like it or not. Harris calling the remarks very offensive to women. The controversial comments come amid polling showing a clear gender divide in the race, with Harris running strong among women,

but behind Mr. Trump among men. Trump's trip to the West partly aimed at shoring up his strength among Latino men. Let's head to the campaign trail now for the latest, starting with Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, with just five days to go, Vice President Harris with renewed urgency, targeting key Western battlegrounds, Arizona and Nevada. We all know who Donald Trump is. This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge. And now attacking former President Trump for these comments about women overnight. I want to protect the women of our country. I want to protect the women of our country. I want to protect the women.

Sir, please don't say that. Why? They said, we think it's very inappropriate for you to say. I said, well, I'm going to do it whether the women like it or not. I'm going to protect them. I'm going to protect them from migrants coming in. I'm going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles. Late today, the vice president speaking exclusively with NBC's Yamiche

Alcindor. Former President Donald Trump has said that he would be a protector of women, whether they like it or not. What do you make of that? And how does that contrast with your views on women and their rights and needs? Well, I'll just speak on behalf of myself, but also the Americans that I speak with every day around our country, regardless of their gender, which is the majority of Americans believe that women are intelligent enough and should have and be respected for their agency to make decisions for themselves about what is in their best interest and not have their government and certainly not Donald Trump telling them what to do. And his latest comment is just the most recent in a series of examples that we have seen

from him in his words and deeds about how he devalues the ability of women to have the choice and the freedom to make decisions about their own body. Day one, what's your first executive action? Well, my first priority, which will be probably the package of bills, is about bringing down the cost of living. So it's about housing. It's about child care. It's about what we need to do to deal with grocery prices. Tonight, NBA superstar LeBron James is endorsing Harris, posting a video,

and writing, the choice is clear to me. But a former NBA owner, now a top Harris surrogate, billionaire Mark Cuban is facing backlash after he answered why he thought Trump had not asked Nikki Haley to campaign with him. Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women, ever. It's just that simple. They're intimidating to him. Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women ever. It's just that simple. They're intimidating to him. That attack by Mark Cuban was an attack on tens of millions of hardworking women across this country who proudly support President Trump. An NBC News poll this month suggests a huge gender gap, women supporting Harris by 14 points. But she's struggling with men who are backing Trump by 16 points. Outside her rally

today in Reno, we met Harris supporters Jenny Hildebrand and Kate Becker, who say they're deeply offended by Trump's comments. I don't trust anything out of his mouth, but I don't think he really agrees with women or supports women or respects women, given his track history and what he's done. It's ironic that he wants to support women on his terms and not ours. In the race's critical final days, Democrats are trying to build on that support among women, with a new ad voiced by Julia Roberts urging women whose male partners back Trump to secretly vote for Harris. You can vote any way you want.

And no one will ever know. Trump supporter Patricia Montes finds that idea insulting and says the former president's comments last night don't bother her. He's looking out for women's best interests. He's not going to force somebody into anything. It's just sometimes the way he talks. They call it sometimes locker room talk, guy talk. It's just talk.

And, Gabe, you're there at the vice president's rally in Reno. We can assume she'll keep the focus on Nevada later tonight. Yes, Lester, after the event here, she has another late-night rally in Las Vegas with Jennifer Lopez. And then she's expected to hit five battleground states over the next few days, including closing out her campaign in Muswing, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania with a large rally in Philadelphia. Lester? All right, Gay Gutierrez starting us off. Thanks. Former President Trump also in the West tonight making a pitch to Latino voters who will play a critical role in several swing states. Garrett Haig is covering the Trump campaign. Tonight, former President Trump making one last in-person pitch out west. Are you

better off now than you were four years ago? Including a surprising stop in New Mexico, which hasn't voted Republican in 20 years. Under Kamala, New Mexico has seen millions of people pour across your section of the southern border. Latinos make up half of New Mexico's population, and Trump's support among Latino men makes it a tempting last-minute target. His two other stops today, Arizona and Nevada, where new polls show Harris leading among Latinos. But in Arizona, she's running six points behind President Biden's margin with Latinos in 2020. And in Nevada, she's 25 points behind. We met Michael Arevalo, who's voting for Trump.

But I do eventually want to own my own house. And the rate it's at right now, I just don't see it happening within the next four years if Kamala does end up being president. Mariam Arteaga supports Harris. I 100% agree with everything that she's said about the community, women's rights, education, and immigration. Then there's the key issue of housing. Nevada's Clark County, where Trump campaigns today, is among the toughest in the nation to buy a home, according to an NBC News analysis. The median home price now up to $452,000, among the top 15% of county prices nationwide. The vice president has proposed $25,000 in government down payment assistance.

I will fight to help first-time homebuyers with your down payment. J.D. Vance mocking that proposal today. Kamala Harris is trying to pass out free money to cover over the fact that her own policies are why housing is so expensive. All as Trump is going after Harris over President Biden's comments appearing to call Trump supporters garbage. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of the scene is unconscionable. The president says he was not talking about all Trump supporters. Trump, after riding in a garbage truck. Two hundred and fifty million Americans are not garbage.

Overnight, wearing a sanitation worker's vest in Wisconsin. You can't lead America if you don't love Americans. It's true. And Garrett, you have some new reporting on the Trump campaign strategy going down the stretch here. Yeah, Lester, the Trump campaign is increasingly confident in their position nationally. We'll spend most of these last few days focused on those so-called blue wall states, including a final stop in Grand Rapids the night before the election,

the same place Trump ended his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. Lester. Garrett Haig, thank you. Just offstage in this election, Elon Musk, the world's richest man and Trump backer, whose million-dollar giveaways to voters are being challenged in court. Laura Jarrett reports on the latest legal back and forth. The effort in Battleground, Pennsylvania to shut down Elon Musk's million-dollar giveaways hitting a snag tonight. Musk, a no-show in court today despite an order from the judge,

as his legal team now tries to fend off a civil suit brought by Philadelphia's Democratic D.A., which accuses the tech billionaire and his pro-Trump super PAC of operating an unlawful lottery. This is a case that involves state law issues. Lawyers for Musk fighting back, successfully getting the case put on ice for now by filing paperwork to move it over to federal court. Musk under scrutiny for potentially interfering with the federal election since announcing he'd randomly award prize money on a daily basis to swing state voters who sign a pledge in favor of First and Second Amendment rights. If you already believe in the Constitution, you're just signing something you already believe,

and you can win a million dollars. The Justice Department sending a warning letter last week that the giveaway could be illegal, as federal law prohibits paying people to register to vote. But no criminal charges have been filed. Take over, Elijah! Take over! This as Musk remains one of former President Trump's most visible and energetic supporters this election.

I think this this this election, I think it's the most important election of our lifetime. Frequently sharing pro-Trump content with his 200 million plus followers on X. And researchers say since taking the reins of what was formerly Twitter, he's made changes that's resulted in more far-right content being amplified. His pack now running an aggressive get-out-the-vote operation. Tonight, his swing state sweepstakes climbing to $13 million winners and counting. Laura Jarrett, NBC News. And just days before the election, disinformation from foreign adversaries is coming faster than ever. And just days before the election, disinformation from foreign adversaries is coming faster than ever, and tech giant Microsoft is on the forefront of detecting it. Stephanie Gosk has an inside look in tonight's Vote Watch. Let's see what we have here. The video

is alarming. Ballots being ripped up in Battleground, Pennsylvania. Except, the federal government says, it's fake, created by Russia. The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center in New York City clocked this video early on. I track the way hostile nation states are using the internet to manipulate opinions. Information gathered here is shared with Microsoft's clients and, in part, published publicly. The ballot video has all the hallmarks, these analysts say, of an actor they have been tracking for a year, Storm 1516. They showed us another totally fabricated story that dropped in September,

falsely claiming Kamala Harris killed an endangered rhino in Zambia. Storm 1516 uses routinely a three-step process to launder its disinformation into Western audiences. A cheaply made video picked up by a seemingly legit news site and then pushed onto social media. This wild story didn't go far. It's a volume game. And with every fake story, they're getting a little better. Of the state actors, would you say the Russians are the savviest? Absolutely. But in the buildup to the election, Russia is not alone. The team, led by former FBI special agent and NBC contributor Clint Watts, has been tracking Iran and China as well.

What are you looking for in these very critical moments? I think the biggest thing is a shift from influencing around candidates one way or another to the conduct of the election. So undermining trust. During a contentious election, the lies, he says, can spread further, faster. When emotions are high, people need to slow down for a second, you know, and really look at the information. And while Americans are savvier, some of the misinformation sticks. When does it cross a threshold where it's reached so many people that it becomes concerning? When you start to see these narratives being repeated verbatim by elected officials. Have you heard that?

Yes. Their advice? Pay attention. Be skeptical. Because the misinformation will keep coming. Lots of it. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News, New York. Let's turn overseas now. In Spain tonight, the death toll is rising following catastrophic flooding. More than 150 killed after a wall of water surged through the Valencia region in eastern Spain,

leaving behind massive piles of debris, wrecked cars and mud. A year's worth of rain fell there in just eight hours. Back here at home after one of the driest Octobers in the northeast, it's record heat on Halloween. Temperatures into the high 70s and 80s across the east on up through New England. Perfect weather for trick-or-treating in places like spooky Salem, Massachusetts. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, a snowstorm. Parts of the state, including Minneapolis and Duluth, getting between one and four inches of snow today. We'll be right back in 60 seconds with a case originally reported as a bear attack.

Now, a suspect, a stranger, is in custody for the gruesome murder of a father found dead in his tent. How police caught the suspect, next. We're back with the breaking news for Montana, where authorities say a suspect has been identified in the brutal murder of a father whose death was first reported as a bear attack. Morgan Chesky has late details. Tonight, a stunning break and a disturbing death.

Montana authorities are now calling murder. This homicide appears to be a chance encounter. The Gallatin County Sheriff arresting 41-year-old Darren Abbey, who they say confessed to the vicious murder of Dustin Giersom, an avid outdoorsman and father who never returned from a camping trip. Dustin welcomed him to the campsite and offered him a beer. At some point, this individual struck Dustin Gersom with a piece of solid wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and ultimately hit him with the axe. On October 12th,

just a few miles outside the popular resort town of Big Sky, Gersom's girlfriend and friend discovered the 35-year-old's body inside his tent. The aftermath so brutal, they told 911 it looked like a bear attack, but authorities weren't convinced. During the investigation, the detectives collected DNA from a beer can inside of Gersom's tent. That DNA leading investigators to Abby, who was already in custody for violating probation. Investigators believe the suspect acted alone, but tonight say his motive is still unclear as a grief-stricken family clings tight. He was a loving, helpful, and adorning father who in no way deserved this. Morgan Chesky, NBC News. And still ahead here tonight, from Starbucks to Amazon, as more CEOs push to bring remote workers back into the office,

not everyone is happy to be back at the water cooler. The growing battle next. We are back now with a growing trend. More companies now pushing workers to come back to the office in person. But after four years working remotely, will they? Here's Christine Romans. Great. Grounded in nature for Tim there, man. Thank you. Have a good one. The nation's largest coffee chain putting its corporate employees on notice. To do your job really well. I think there's a piece of this where you have to be in the office. The new CEO wants to enforce a two-year-old policy. Corporate staff must be in the office three days a week. To be a part of Starbucks. You got to

contribute to the culture. You got to show up and you got to bring a positive energy. He's new to the job. Based in California, he commutes to Seattle via private jet. Also in Seattle, Amazon Web Services expects a full five-day return to office early next year, prompting roughly 37,000 employees to join an internal Slack channel to complain. These companies that are saying you've got to be in the office three days a week or five days a week, they're going to lose talent who demand flexibility. Yes, and we can demand flexibility now because we didn't realize that we could before. One study found most employers want workers in the office at least

three days a week, but only 51 percent of employees right now actually are. And 80 percent of companies have returned to office policies. Only 17 percent enforce them. Some companies are quietly downsizing their big office footprints to save money, and others like Spotify and Dropbox are now fully remote. 2025 will be an attempt to get people back into the office, but ultimately the pace of change in technology will get us all working virtually. For now, companies struggling to balance culture and the flexibility many workers crave. Christine Romans, NBC News, New York. The start of a remarkable turnaround by the Dodgers last night, leading them to a World Series victory.

As they celebrated in Los Angeles, they also went wild in Japan, the home of Dodgers superstar Shohei Otani. We find Janice Mackey-Frayer in his hometown. The World Series title belongs to Los Angeles, but the victory is sweet half a world away. In baseball-obsessed Japan, viewership hit record levels at 1.15.9 million people watching here, more than in the U.S. That surge has everything to do with Shohei Otani, the Dodgers superstar who with teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto are national icons here. Even at my age, I'm really awed by him,

he says. Nowhere has baseball fever burned brighter than in the rural town where Otani grew up. Where it all started for Shohei Otani was here on this field, practicing at least five hours a day, every day, to hone his skills. For young players on his old high school team, an inspiration. Otani is a celestial figure, he says. There's promise here, but no one like him. And so he's honored at every turn, including a superfan's gallery of memorabilia

at a hair salon. How many pieces do you have here? About 3,000. 3,000. He says there's more in storage. All week, people gathered to watch the games at community centers. The win, such a huge moment of pride for Japan, newspapers printed extra editions, while the team was soon back at the same field that led their hometown hero to the top. Janice McIntyre, NBC News, Hanamaki, Japan. And that is nightly news for this Thursday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.