Up First from NPR - VP Harris Courts Republicans, Trump Pitches Latinos, Ukraine's 'Victory Plan'

Episode Date: October 17, 2024

Vice President Harris is making the case that she's the right president for Republicans. Former President Donald Trump is courting Latino voters with an economic argument for his candidacy. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address leaders of the European Union to lay out his plan to end the war with Russia. And the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims who say they were abused by catholic priests.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Meghan Pratz, Ryland Barton, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woefle. It was produced by Paige Waterhouse, Nia Dumas and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Zac Coleman.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Vice President Harris is making the case that she's the right president for Republicans too. Let me be very clear. My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency. Will her pitch be enough to win over their support? I'm Leila Fadl, that's Amy Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. As Harris tries to persuade Republicans to vote for her, former President Donald Trump is courting Latino voters with an economic argument for his candidacy.

So we want workers and we want them to come in but they have to come in legally. But will Trump's rhetoric about immigrants put potential voters off? And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address leaders of the European Union to lay out his plan to end the war with Russia. Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day. Support for this podcast and the following message come from the NPR Wine Club, which has generated over $1.75 million to support NPR programming. Whether buying a few bottles or joining the club, you can learn more at nprwineclub.org slash podcast. Must be 21 or older to purchase.

Wait, wait, don't tell me. Fresh Air, Up First, NPR News Now, Planet Money, Ted Radio Hour, ThruLine, the NPR Politics Podcast, Code Switch, Embedded, Books We Love, Wildcard are just some of the podcasts you can enjoy sponsor free with NPR+. Get all sorts of perks across more than 20 podcasts with the bundle option. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Hey, it's Susan Davis. Yes, there is more than one election happening this year. There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs and in the House, Republicans are clinging to

a single-digit majority. Those races will determine what the next president can do with his or her power. We're covering it all this year, but we can't do it without your support. So help us out and sign up for NPR+. Go to plus.mpr.org. Vice President Kamala Harris is making a pitch to Republican voters who might be looking for an alternative to former President Donald Trump. Yeah, she made her case yesterday on Fox News in an interview with host Brett Baier in Philadelphia

and during a visit to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where Harris gave a speech flanked by dozens of Republicans who've endorsed her. MPR's national political correspondent Sarah McCammon was at that campaign event. So Sarah, what is Kamala Harris's strategy to win over Republicans? So we know that former president Trump is extremely popular with his base, right?

But his base is not quite the entire Republican party. And Harris sees an opportunity with moderate Republicans who are uncomfortable with Trump, especially after his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Harris sees an opportunity with moderate Republicans who are uncomfortable with Trump, especially after his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Harris was on stage yesterday with former members of Congress, people like Adam Kinsinger and former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Jeff Duncan, among others. And she joked about how unusual it was, and she called on more Republicans to join her.

Harris tried to make that case by borrowing a famous line from Republican President Ronald Reagan. Imperfect though we may be, America is still that shining city upon a hill that inspires people around the world. And to do that she chose an iconic location. It was Washington Crossing State Park in Pennsylvania, which as you may have guessed is where George Washington crossed the Delaware River at a critical point in the Revolutionary War. She described Trump as a threat to the principles of the founding fathers.

Okay, now that Fox interview, that Fox News interview, what was the focus? So Fox's Bret Baer started out by grilling her about immigration and border security. It was a long and rather tense exchange that kicked off the interview for several minutes. Of course, that's a top concern for many voters, including Republican voters. Baier also pressed her on another question that she's been asked about by other interviewers, which is what she would do differently from President Biden. Let me be very clear. My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency. And like every new president that comes in to office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences, and fresh and new ideas. I represent a new generation of leadership.

Now, she didn't quite answer the question, but she did note that unlike President Biden, she spent most of her career outside of Washington. And among other things, she said she would work more closely with Republicans, seek out their ideas on issues like how to help small businesses. And I would just point out that earlier in the day, she reiterated a promise to put a Republican on her cabinet if she's elected. And these voters she's targeting, Sarah, who are they? Well, the groups that are working on outreach to Republicans on Harris' behalf say they're

looking, of course, at moderate Republicans, people who might have supported former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the primary. And at the campaign stop, I met Barry Myers of Glenside, Pennsylvania. He says most of his Republican friends are also moderate and are leaning toward Harris, but he acknowledged that much of the party, most of the party is all in for Trump. Those folks that are hardcore Republicans, they're entrenched. They drank the Kool-Aid. I don't think there's any changing them. And still, you know, Trump commands about 80% of favorability ratings with the Republican Party. All right, that's MPR Sarah McCammon. Thanks a lot, Sarah.

Thank you. Former President Donald Trump worked on his pitch to Latino voters Wednesday night. We've done really well with the Hispanic people, as you know. No Republican has ever done like this and most people haven't. He did so at a town hall hosted by Univision outside of Miami. The Republican nominee for president touted his record on the economy, but also called January 6 when the Capitol was attacked a day of love. He also would not back off false and dehumanizing claims about Haitian migrants in Ohio.

And this comes as both campaigns have been courting the Latino vote. MPR's White House correspondent Franco Ordonez joins us now. So tell us more about Trump's pitch to Latinos. Yeah, he was largely in economic pitch, arguing that Latinos were better off when he was president. I mean, he spoke about his plans to lower energy costs and inflation. He spoke about the jobs he's provided, including at his golf course in Doral, which actually was not too far from where the town hall was being conducted. But he was also pressed by some of the attendees

about his plans for immigration. Like when a California farmer named Jorge Velazquez asked who would do the farm work if Trump carried out his promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Trump pivoted to talk about crimes committed by those here illegally. So we want workers and we want them to come in, but they have to come in legally. They have to love our country. They have to love you, love our people.

Trump also repeated false claims that the Biden administration released, quote, hundreds of thousands of people who are murderers and drug dealers and terrorists into the country. Okay. So that that rhetoric, murders, drug dealers, terrorists, doesn't that put off a lot of Latinos? Yeah, I mean, it does. I mean, I've spoken to a lot of people who have cited how he talks about immigrants. I mean, many Latino voters, especially in these swing states, come from mixed families. So it really is an issue. And even though Latinos have reliably voted for Democrats and a majority will likely this year as well,

Trump though is gaining ground. I mean, many of these voters are second and third generation families who've been in the country longer. And just to be blunt, polls show that there are many Latinos who support a wall and stronger border security. Yeah, all I have to do is ask my family those kind of questions, Franco. Now, both campaigns want as many votes as they can get, but why

an emphasis now on Latinos? I mean, they are a big voting block, as you know, about 15% of all eligible voters. You know, they're specifically a high percentage in some key swing states, places you know well, especially Nevada, where they make up one in five voters and also Arizona, where they make up one in five voters, and also Arizona, where they make up roughly one in four voters. I mean, I've spoken to many Latinas

who are worried less about Trump's rhetoric and more about who they think will bring down costs and help the economy. I mean, like Alejandro Galicia, I spoke with him just a few weeks ago at a grocery store on the east side of Las Vegas. As for the candidates, I think Trump did a good job opening more doors for jobs. Without work, we will not be able to meet or satisfy the needs of the community.

It's a sentiment that I've heard over and over again, Latinos feeling Trump was better for the economy. But it isn't for everyone. Another attendee, a Republican at the town hall, said he wanted to give Trump an opportunity to win back his vote, saying he'd be concerned about Trump's conduct after he lost the 2020 election. Trump deflected again and almost immediately mentioned, quote, a rigged election and defended his actions on January 6. So whether it's the economy or immigration or another key issue, both candidates need to remember,

Latinos are not a monolith. That's NPR's Franco Ordonez. Thanks a lot. Thanks, A. Ukraine's president is in Brussels today to speak to European Union leaders about his plan to end the war by the end of next year without ceding any territory to Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky is urging Western allies to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join

NATO as soon as possible. But some allies, including the US, want to avoid provoking Russia. Zelensky says the West needs to change its strategy to keep Russia's war from spreading. Joining us to talk about all this is NPR's Joanna Kokissis in Kyiv. So Joanna, tell us about this so-called victory plan. It sounds very ambitious. What does it include? Well A, it's basically a series of conditions that President Zelensky believes will end the war without giving up territory now occupied by Russia or leaving Ukraine vulnerable to another Russian invasion.

Zelensky revealed to lawmakers on Wednesday that some Western allies have been pressuring him to negotiate and not on what he says are fair terms. Well here are some partners using the word negotiation a lot. The word justice is heard much less often. I've said many times that Ukraine is open to diplomacy, but from a strong and honest position. Zelensky says Russia only wants Ukraine's surrender, and he said the only way to keep Ukraine safe from Russia is through an iron-clad security guarantee like an invitation to

join NATO. That would show Russian leader Vladimir Putin that his geopolitical ambitions are doomed. Alright so that's the plan. What's been the response from Ukraine's allies? Well the response has been polite but muted. The new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the security alliance remains supportive of Ukraine, but he gave no more details than that. He did point out, however, that the Kremlin cannot influence who joins NATO. And therefore, let there be no doubt that Putin or Russia have no vote on this, have no veto on this.

This is really a discussion which is ongoing between us and Ukraine. Meanwhile, President Biden spoke to Zelensky by phone and announced on Wednesday more than 400 million dollars in new military aid that Ukraine badly needs, including air defense capabilities and air to ground munitions. But the White House is also reluctant to support inviting Ukraine to join NATO right now. And the U.S. also does not support another key condition of Zelensky's victory plan, which is the lifting of restrictions on Ukraine to strike military targets deep inside Russia with advanced weapons supplied by the West.

The U.S. has these moves would escalate the war. And the Kremlin said the same thing, that this plan will push NATO into direct conflict with Russia. So it sounds, Joanna, like it might be tough to get accomplished. Where would that leave Ukraine then? Well, Zelensky is in a difficult position, both domestically and globally. Most Ukrainians do not want a peace settlement that involves giving up territory occupied by Russia. Meanwhile, Ukraine's allies are facing their own political headwinds. Far-right politicians close to the Kremlin are winning political influence in European nations allied with Ukraine.

And Ukraine could also lose its single most important ally, the U.S., after next month's presidential election. So Zelensky is trying to warn allies that this war has already widened, especially due to Russia's deepening alliance with Iran and especially North Korea. And so they need to change strategy to keep it from spreading further. That's MPR's Joanna Kokissis in Kyiv. Joanna, thank you. You're welcome. And we have one more story for you this morning. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to more than a thousand victims who say they were abused by Catholic priests. The abuse dates back decades. Attorney Morgan Stewart's firm represents many of the survivors involved in this case. It's, I'd say, historic. It is, to my knowledge,

the largest Catholic diocese settlement in the United States to date. Coupled with previous settlements, the total payout from the L.A. archdiocese is now more than $1.5 billion. In a statement, Archbishop Jose Gomez says he hopes the settlement will provide some measure of healing. Attorney Kirk Dillman represents the archdiocese. Did abuse occur? And I think the answer to that is unequivocally yes. The second question is, what do we do about that? And the church has stepped up to say we are going to reach as deeply as we possibly can

to compensate these people who have suffered. Save a few pending lawsuits, this marks the end of a quarter century legal battle against the archdiocese. More than 300 priests in the L.A. archdiocese have been accused over the years of sexually abusing minors. The church says it has incorporated safeguards to prevent similar abuse from occurring in the future. And that's up first for Thursday, October 17th, Amy Martinez. And I'm Laila Faldon. For your next Listen, Consider, Consider This from NPR. There's a phrase American presidents have spoken almost since the founding of the State of Israel.

Israel has a right to defend itself. But what do those words mean in practice and what do they mean almost eight decades later? Listen to Consider This from NPR. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Rylan Barton, Lisa Thompson, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Page Waterhouse, Nia Dumas, and Katie Klein. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical director is Zach Coleman. Join us again tomorrow. If you're Black or brown or a person of color, you know that stories about race in the news can sometimes feel like they're made for a different audience. At Code Switch, we're not about that. We're interested in how race and identity shape your world in real and sometimes funny

ways. Come work it out with us together on the Code Switch podcast from NPR. As we're all navigating a divisive election, no matter what happens, the question remains, how the heck are we gonna move forward together? So in this season of the StoryCorps podcast from NPR, stories from people who made a choice

to confront the conflicts in their own lives head on, and in sharing stories from the bravest among us, maybe we can take their lead and find some hope for the rest of us. Get the StoryCorps Podcast wherever you listen.