WASHINGTON: The Latest on the U.S. presidential race (all times EDT):
1 p.m.
House Speaker Paul Ryan is refusing to weigh in on Donald Trump’s embrace of the “stop and frisk” policing tactic.
The Wisconsin Republican said Thursday that he hasn’t given it enough thought to comment.
Trump asserted earlier Thursday that Chicago needs stop and frisk to bring crime under control.
A federal judge has ruled New York City had used the practice unconstitutional because of its overwhelming impact on minority residents.
Ryan said he doesn’t know enough about the tactic to comment about its constitutionality or efficacy.
Ryan has deflected questions on other Trump proposals too by saying he doesn’t know enough to comment.
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12:45 p.m.
Donald Trump says that drugs are playing a major role in the protests rocking Charlotte following a police shooting.
Speaking at an energy conference in Pittsburgh, the Republican nominee for president said: “if you’re not aware, drugs are a very, very big factor in what you’re watching on television.”
Trump did not elaborate. There is no evidence that drugs have anything to do with the rioting.
The comment appeared to be an aside after Trump called for a “national anti-crime agenda” to make cities safe and “to dismantle the international cartels, gangs and criminal syndicates.”
Trump vowed “to stop the drugs from flowing into our county and poisoning our youth and many other people.”
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12:20 p.m.
Donald Trump is calling for a dramatic expansion in domestic energy exploration, combined with a dramatic scale-back of regulations meant to protect the environment and public land.
The Republican presidential nominee was speaking Thursday at the Shale Insight conference in Pittsburgh.
He said that as president, he would open federal lands and off-shore areas for energy exploration.
He also wants to eliminate regulations intended to protect America’s fresh water and limit carbon emissions from power plants.
Trump has advocated an “America first” energy policy.
He is contrasting that with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, who has advocated a move away from dirty fossil fuels.
“It’s war,” he says.
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12:10 p.m.
Donald Trump says the violent demonstrations taking place in Charlotte are a sign that the U.S. is a “wounded country.” And he’s calling for a “national anti-crime agenda” to make America safe.
Speaking at an energy conference Thursday in Pittsburgh, the Republican nominee said the country needs to embrace a spirit of togetherness.
He said: “We need to bring that spirit to every part of our county and become one American nation.”
The violent protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, followed police shootings of black men there and in Oklahoma.
Trump said people have the right to protest, but not to threaten others people’s public safety. He said law-abiding African Americans are the ones who suffer most.
He said: “This is a national crisis.”
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10:05 a.m.
Hillary Clinton is taking tough questions on power ties, pant suits and the Scott Baio vote on the online comedy program “Between Two Ferns.”
The five-minute interview with comedian Zack Galifianakis appeared on the Funny or Die website Thursday. Among Galifianakis’ questions was whether she ever watched Donald Trump and thought “I should be more racist.” Clinton just shook her head, smiling.
At one point Clinton said jokingly “I really regret doing this.”
The two riffed about what Trump should wear to the first debate. Clinton said: “I assume he’ll wear that red power tie.” Galifianakis replied: “Or maybe a white power tie.”
President Barack Obama appeared on “Between Two Ferns” in 2014 as he was trying to encourage young people to sign up for the Affordable Care Act.
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8:10 a.m.
Donald Trump says debate moderator Lester Holt shouldn’t try to fact-check the candidates at next week’s presidential debate.
Trump says it’s up to the candidates themselves to call out their rivals when they are wrong. Trump spoke Thursday in a telephone interview on “Fox and Friends.” He says the candidates should “argue it out.”
NBC’s Matt Lauer has received criticism for not pointing out factual errors by Trump at a recent forum on national security.
Trump says there’s pressure on NBC’s Holt ahead of Monday’s debate at Hofstra University. He likens it to the pressure former Indiana University basketball coach and Trump supporter Bobby Knight used to put on referees.
Trump says: “A lot of people are watching to see whether or not he succumbs to that pressure.”
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7:50 a.m.
Donald Trump says there’s a “lack of spirit” between blacks and whites after two high-profile police shootings of black men and violent protests in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In a phone interview Thursday on “Fox & Friends,” Trump said “there has to be a unity message somehow that has to get out and it starts with leadership.”
The Republican presidential candidate’s comments comes as he increasingly reaches out to African-American voters, at the same time as maintaining the tough law-and-order stance that appeals to core supporters.
He repeated his support for “stop-and-frisk,”a tactic which allows police to stop and search anyone they deem suspicious. A federal judge has ruled it discriminatory.
Trump said “it’s quite unbelievable” that it’s not being used in Chicago.
He said: “Chicago is out of control.”