NationalWatch

Former President Trump has the edge in five of the six key battleground states where he was narrowly edged by President Biden four years ago, according to new polls.

The surveys, released Monday by the New York Times, Siena College and the Philadelphia Inquirer, suggest that discontent over the economy and the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, and a deterioration in support for Biden by younger, Black and Hispanic voters, “threaten to unravel the president’s Democratic coalition.”

Biden topped Trump by razor-thin margins in the 2020 election in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to win the White House.

However, according to the new polls, with just under six months to go until Election Day, Trump leads Biden among registered voters 49%-42% in Arizona, 49%-39% in Georgia, 49%-42% in Michigan, 50%-38% in Nevada, and edges the president 47%-44% in Pennsylvania, with Biden narrowly on top in Wisconsin 47%-45%.

2024 REMATCH: TRUMP AIMS TO EXPAND THE MAP IN HIS BATTLE WITH BIDEN

The 2024 rematch between the Democratic president and his Republican predecessor was closer among the narrower pool of likely voters. Trump held the advantage in five states – Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – with Biden edging ahead in Michigan.

The surveys’ findings were similar when third-party and independent candidates were added to the mix, including Democrat turned independent White House contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

The longtime environmental activist and high-profile vaccine skeptic, who is the scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, was grabbing around 10% support across the six states. The polls suggested Kennedy was drawing roughly equally from both Biden and Trump.

POLLS INDICATE DEADLOCKED RACE WITH SIX MONTHS UNTIL ELECTION DAY

The new surveys, conducted April 28 through May 9, come as Trump makes history as the first current or former president to stand trial in a criminal case. Additionally, they were also conducted amid a massive ad blitz by the Biden campaign across the key battleground states.

However, “the polls offer little indication that any of these developments have helped Mr. Biden, hurt Mr. Trump or quelled the electorate’s discontent,” the New York Times writes.

The surveys spotlight that voters are dissatisfied and itching for change. Nearly seven in 10 said that the nation’s political and economic systems need major changes, or should be entirely torn down.

Nearly three-quarters said they believe Trump will bring major changes if he wins in November, compared to less than a quarter saying the same thing about the president.

The polls also indicate Trump is making gains with voters who overwhelmingly supported Biden four years ago.

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Trump and Biden are roughly tied among voters 18–29 years old and Hispanic voters. The surveys also suggest the former president is grabbing over 20% of Black voters’ support, which, if it stands on Election Day, would be the highest level of backing by Black voters for a GOP presidential nominee in generations.

The polls suggest the economy continues to pull Biden down. Even though jobs are soaring and the stock market is booming, inflation remains a major issue for voters, even though it has cooled over the past year. More than half of those surveyed said they believe the economy is still “poor.”

However, the president remains in contention, as the surveys point to Biden holding ground with older voters and White voters, whom the polls highlight “are much less likely to demand fundamental changes to the system and far likelier to say that democracy is the most important issue for their vote.”

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Abortion remains a potential problem for Trump. Nearly two-thirds of voters questioned in polls say that abortion should always or mostly be legal, including 44% of those supporting the former president.

Over 4,000 voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were questioned in the polls, with an overall sampling error for all respondents of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points. The margin of error in the six states ranged from plus or minus 3.6 to 4.6 percentage points.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is facing his second federal corruption trial in a decade, as jury selection is scheduled to begin in Manhattan federal court on Monday, this time related to charges alleging that he acted to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. 

The 70-year-old New Jersey Democrat and his wife, Nadine Menendez, are accused of accepting bribes from three wealthy businessmen – real estate developer Fred Daibes, Wael Hana and Jose Uribe – in his home state and performing a variety of favors in return, including meddling in criminal investigations and taking actions benefiting the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

Menendez, 70, will stand trial along with two of the businessmen, Daibes and Wael Hana. All three have pleaded not guilty. Uribe has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the other defendants. A trial for the senator’s wife, who is also charged, is delayed until at least July for health reasons. 

The three-term senator has announced he will not be seeking reelection on the Democratic ticket this fall, although he has not ruled out running as an independent. That could complicate things for Democrats who have a narrow edge in the U.S. Senate and can hardly afford the prospect of a three-way election in the Democratic stronghold of New Jersey.

TRUMP, HOUSE DEMS DEFEND TEXAS CONGRESSMAN ACCUSED OF ACCEPTING MEXICAN BRIBES, BUT FOR VERY DIFFERENT REASONS

After charges were announced in September, Menendez was forced out of his powerful post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 

The senator’s political career had its first major crisis in 2015 when he was indicted on charges involving a wealthy Florida eye doctor accused of buying Menendez’s influence through luxury vacations and campaign contributions. At the time, Menendez resolutely denied the charges and vowed not to quit the Senate. A trial ended in 2017 with a deadlocked jury, and federal prosecutors in New Jersey abandoned the case.

Menendez not only stayed in Congress, he was reelected and kept his chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee. He married Nadine Menendez in 2020 after the couple dated for two years.

In the new case, federal prosecutors stressed that FBI agents who searched the senator’s New Jersey home allegedly found a stash of gold bars, worth more than $100,000, and more than $486,000 in cash, some of it stuffed into the pockets of clothing hanging in his closets in a raid two years ago. 

Menendez has remained in the Senate amid this latest indictment, ignoring calls for him to step down before his six-year term ends Jan. 3. Unlike in 2015, though, his party has largely abandoned him. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and others called on him to resign. Democratic Rep. Andy Kim launched a campaign for Menendez’s seat the day after the indictment.

SEN BOB MENENDEZ MAY BLAME HIS WIFE NADINE DURING FEDERAL CORRUPTION TRIAL: COURT DOCS

His fellow Democrats in Washington, D.C., appear to have already written him off, encouraging him repeatedly to resign, but Menendez has maintained a defiant stance. 

“I am innocent and will prove it no matter how many charges they continue to pile on,” he said after the indictment against him was updated again in early March to add charges that he tried to obstruct the investigation. 

Besides charges including bribery, extortion, fraud and obstruction of justice, Menendez also is charged with acting as a foreign agent of Egypt. 

Menendez has vigorously denied doing anything unusual in his dealings with foreign officials. The senator’s lawyers in court papers have said they plan to explain that Menendez had no knowledge of some of what occurred because his wife, who allegedly often served as a conduit between the men paying the bribes, kept him in the dark.

According to an indictment, Daibes delivered gold bars and cash to Menendez and his wife to get the senator’s help with a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund, prompting Menendez to act in ways favorable to Qatar’s government. The indictment also said Menendez did things benefiting Egyptian officials in exchange for bribes from Hana, as the businessman secured a valuable deal with the Egyptian government to certify that imported meat met Islamic dietary requirements.

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In pleading guilty several weeks ago, Uribe admitted buying Menendez’s wife a Mercedes-Benz to get the senator’s help to influence criminal investigations involving his business associates.

Judge Sidney H. Stein has rejected Menendez’s attempt to claim legislative immunity protects him from the charges. The judge has yet to rule on whether the defense can call a psychiatrist to show Menendez habitually stored cash in his home as a “fear of scarcity” response to family stories about how their savings were confiscated in the Communist revolution in Cuba, before he was born, and because of financial problems stemming from the gambling problem of his father, a struggling carpenter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen is expected to take the stand Monday morning to testify in the criminal trial of former President Trump. 

Cohen is said to be the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team as they try to prove the former president falsified business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains his innocence. 

Cohen, who once famously said he would “take a bullet” for Trump, his former longtime boss and friend, will testify against him about his role in arranging the hush money payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election in an effort to keep her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump in the early 2000s from becoming public. 

MICHAEL COHEN TO TESTIFY IN TRUMP TRIAL ON MONDAY

Trump, for years, has denied the encounter with Daniels ever happened.

Trump later made several payments of $35,000 to Cohen, who was serving as his personal attorney at the time. The payments totaled $420,000. 

The payments from Trump to Cohen are the basis for Bragg’s indictment of Trump. Bragg is trying to prove that the payments were reimbursements to Cohen for the hush money payment to Daniels. 

But Trump defense attorneys maintain that the $35,000 payments were “not a payback,” but were, instead, legal payments. 

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump said, “If falsifying a business record is because a bookkeeper wrote down ‘legal expense’ in paying a legal fee, that’s not falsifying.

HOUSE GOP GOES AFTER ‘CONVICTED LIAR’ MICHAEL COHEN, URGES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE RECENT LIES

“They call it a legal expense, and that’s what it was,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “It was a legal expense. It was legal fees paid to a lawyer. That’s called a legal expense.” 

Judge Juan Merchan imposed a gag order on the former president, preventing him from speaking about any witnesses. Trump’s legal team has argued that is a violation of his First Amendment rights and filed an appeal. 

Trump has already been fined $10,000 for violating the gag order — $1,000 per violation — and has been threatened with jail time should he violate the order again. 

While Cohen is not under any gag order, Merchan on Friday directed prosecutors to tell Cohen not to make statements about Trump or the case. 

Merchan said he would “direct the people to communicate to Mr. Cohen that the judge is asking him to refrain from making any more statements” about the case or Trump.

Merchan told prosecutors to inform Cohen the direction was coming from the bench.

TOP REPUBLICANS DOUBLE DOWN ON CALL FOR DOJ PROBE INTO BRAGG’S ‘STAR WITNESS’ MICHAEL COHEN

Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations, making false statements to Congress and tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years in prison. 

House Republicans, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, have referred Cohen to the Justice Department for investigation, saying he should be subject to further prosecution for lying to Congress. 

Republicans say that, most recently, Cohen “admitted to lying to Congress” during his testimony in the Letitia James case against Trump. 

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When asked if he was being “honest” in front of the House Intelligence Committee in February 2019, Cohen testified, “No.”

“So, you lied under oath in February of 2019? Is that your testimony?” Trump attorney Alina Habba asked him.

“Yes,” Cohen replied.

While former first son Barron Trump made headlines after reports indicated he was making his first foray into the public spotlight as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, late on Friday he declined to serve as a delegate. But tallies showed five more Trump family members will be in Milwaukee to cast votes for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Trump Organization executive vice presidents Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were also selected by the Republican Party of Florida as statewide “at-large” delegates to the convention. Some delegates are also chosen based on congressional district.

Trump Jr.’s fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, was also selected to be a member of the Florida delegation, as well as Tiffany Trump – the former president’s only child with ex-wife Marla Maples. Michael Boulos, Tiffany Trump’s husband, was also selected to be a member of the Florida delegation. 

FLORIDA CFO ALERTS TRUMP TO $54K IN UNCLAIMED PROPERTY: ‘EVERY DOLLAR MATTERS’ AGAINST ‘RADICAL ATTORNEYS’

Barron Trump and Tiffany Trump have often stayed out of the public spotlight, while their father continues to battle multiple legal cases in New York, Atlanta, South Florida and Washington, D.C. 

Much of the family has relocated from New York City to Florida in recent years, as the former president’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach is considered his primary residence following decades at his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan.

When he made the move in 2019, Trump said he still “cherish[es]” New York, but lamented being “treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state.”

“Few have been treated worse,” Trump tweeted at the time, adding that treatment came despite his payments of millions of dollars in city, state and municipal taxes over the years.

TRUMP CONDEMNS ‘BRAINWASHED’ ANTI-ISRAEL MOB

According to the Trump Organization website, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are currently based out of Jupiter, Florida, a few towns north of Mar-a-Lago.

The former president has long crossed the 1,215-delegate threshold to become the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, amassing 2,037 delegates as of Friday.

While former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign March 6, she won about one-in-six votes in Pennsylvania’s closed April 23 primary contest, and retains a total of 97 delegates.

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Other candidates who earned delegates before suspending their campaigns are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – with nine to his name – and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, with three.

In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, the Republican Party of Florida said via chairman Evan Power it is “fortunate to have a great group of grassroots leaders, elected officials, and members of the Trump family working together as part of the Florida delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention.”

“The RPOF is ready for a great convention in Milwaukee, but more importantly, we are excited as we continue to lay the groundwork in Florida for success,” Power added. “Mark my words, we are going to win, and we will win big in November.”

Eric Trump will further serve as the Sunshine State delegation’s chairman and Guilfoyle will be one of two commissioners on its platform committee.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., accused former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of being “quite dismissive of students’ concerns,” when she ripped anti-Israel student protesters as being ignorant about Middle Eastern affairs.

“They don’t know very much at all about the history of the Middle East, or, frankly, about history in many areas of the world, including our own country,” Clinton said earlier this week.

Specifically, Clinton pointed to an offer her husband, former President Bill Clinton, made to then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat when he was in office.

“They don’t know that…an offer was made to Palestinians for a state on 96% of the existing territory occupied by the Palestinians,” Clinton said, “with 4% of Israel to be given to reach 100% of the amount of territory that was hoped for.”

HILLARY CLINTON SLAMS YOUNG ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS AS IGNORANT ON MIDDLE EAST: ‘THEY DON’T KNOW VERY MUCH’

The former Secretary of State said that her claims about students were based on multiple conversations with young people over the past few months. Anti-Israel student protests have broken out at schools across the country following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military response.

Van Hollen appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning, where he was asked about Clinton’s remarks from earlier in the week.

“Well, I thought, Margaret, that Secretary Clinton’s comments, in that regard, were quite dismissive of students’ concerns about the awful humanitarian crisis and high civilian death toll in Gaza,” he said.

HILLARY CLINTON EXASPERATED AT VOTERS CONFLICTED BETWEEN BIDEN AND TRUMP: ‘WHY IS THAT A HARD CHOICE?’

Van Hollen said Americans have the right to peacefully protest and that there is a need to ensure students feel safe on campus.

He also said there is a need to “stamp out antisemitism and hate” wherever it is seen.

“But I believe that the great majority of the students are protesting, are following very closely what’s happening in Gaza. They see what’s a very high civilian death toll,” Van Hollen said. “We can certainly revisit history and past negotiations, but I believe that the overwhelming majority of students, not all, and…there are some very bad elements that are involved, as well as on the counter protest side, but I believe that the students do understand what’s happening in Gaza with respect to the civilian casualties.”

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY GRADS DISRUPT COMMENCEMENT WITH ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS

“I strongly support the right of Americans to peacefully protest, but also the need to make sure that students feel safe on campus,” Van Hollen told Fox News Digital. “There is no place anywhere in America for antisemitism, hate speech, or violence of any kind.”

The Clinton Foundation did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.

Hillary Clinton has faced angry students directly, including when she was shouted down by pro-Palestinian protesters during a speech at Columbia University in February.

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“Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, you are a war criminal!” a man shouted as the former Secretary of State walked onto a lecture hall stage at Columbia University in New York City. 

Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said should the Biden administration follow through on its threat to stall U.S. military aid for Israel, the White House would be “rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk.” 

During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Graham said “it’s impossible to mitigate civilian deaths in Gaza as long as Hamas uses their own population as human shields.” 

“I’ve never seen in the history of warfare such blatant efforts by an enemy, Hamas, to put civilians at risk. And the last thing you want to do is reward this behavior. They put weapons in mosques. They fire artillery rounds from apartment buildings. They put command centers under hospitals to maximize civilian casualties as Israel tries to destroy the terrorist group,” Graham told host Kristen Welker. 

“Americans should be all in and helping Israel against an existential threat. The one thing Israel and America has in common,” Graham continued “Hamas would attack us if they could. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism that shouts ‘Death to America, ’and Hezbollah is in the same camp. I’ve never heard anybody in Israel chant ‘Death to America.’ The people Israel is fighting are bent on destroying all of the Jews. This is Holocaust Remembrance Month, for God’s sake. We should unequivocally support Israel. Yes. Work with them to limit civilian casualties. They want to do that. I know they do. They have a whole battalion dedicated to that. But this idea of worth holding weapons to Israel is rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk.” 

BERNIE SANDERS SAYS ISRAEL SHOULDN’T RECEIVE ‘ANOTHER NICKEL’ IN US MILITARY AID AFTER STATE DEPT. REPORT

In a message to the Biden administration, Graham said “sit down with Israel, keep the weapons flowing and work out a plan, if you can.” 

“I talked with Israel this morning. They are discussing with the Biden administration a way forward. I am somewhat hopeful we can jump over this impasse, but do not let Bernie Sanders run this war. Bernie Sanders and the Squad are insane when it comes to how to defend Israel, he just said on national television – cut off every nickel of military aid to the Jewish state who’s being threatened with oblivion. Shut these people down. This decision was political. He’s trying to appease the radical left, Biden is.” 

MOTHER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE SAYS US SHOULDN’T BE CONSIDERED ‘NEUTRAL NEGOTIATOR’: ‘AMERICA WAS ALSO A VICTIM’

Earlier on the same program, Sanders had argued “Israel should not be receiving another nickel in U.S. military aid,” pointing to a recent State Department report suggesting Israel could be violating internation law in the way it’s conducting its war against Hamas since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on southern Israel. 

Graham also attempted to make a comparison to the United States’ actions to end World War II in dropping the atomic bomb on Japan to justify the Israel Defense Forces’ actions against Hamas. 

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“Here’s what I would say about fighting an enemy who wants to kill you and your family. Why do we drop two bombs, nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? To end a war that we couldn’t afford to lose. You don’t understand. Apparently, what Israel is facing. They’re facing three groups. Iran, who has received $80 billion in aid. When Trump left office, they were exporting 300 barrels of oil a day. Now they’re 1.3 million a day. They’ve been enriched by Biden. They’re taking that money to kill all the Jews,” Graham said. “Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war. They can’t afford to lose and work with them to minimize casualties.” 

The Republican senator from Arkansas says the Israel-Hamas war “would have probably already been over” if Donald Trump were president.

Tom Cotton appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday when he made the remarks. 

“President Trump said just last night that he would absolutely provide Israel with the weapons they need to finish the job,” Cotton said. “This would have never happened on President Trump. Trump’s watch. It didn’t happen on his watch. And if he were president, this war would have probably already been over with much less civilian suffering in Gaza because he would have backed Israel to the hilt from the beginning.”

Last week, the GOP senator renewed the call to impeach President Biden following reports of aid to Israel being delayed during its war with the terrorist organization Hamas.

‘NO CHOICE’ BUT TO IMPEACH BIDEN OVER DELAYED ISRAEL AID, GOP SENATOR SAYS

A recently passed $95 billion supplemental foreign aid package included roughly $26 billion for both Israel and humanitarian aid for areas including Gaza. The aid was encouraged by the Biden administration, which had proposed it nearly six months prior. 

Cotton suggested that Biden should be impeached for delaying an aid shipment to Israel, which he claimed had to do with the president’s re-election bid as he balances a divided Democratic Party on the Israel war. 

SEN. TOM COTTON DEMANDS BIDEN CRACK DOWN ON ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

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Last month, Cotton called on the Biden administration to deport any foreign student engaging in disruptive demonstrations on college campuses. 

Fox News’ Julia Johnson, Kristine Parks, Liz Friden and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.

The Biden campaign is using Mother’s Day to cirticize former President Donald Trump in a new campaign video, urging Americans to “Stop Trump.”

“Happy Mother’s Day. At the Biden campaign, we are asking Americans to do the moms in their lives a favor. Stop Trump,” the Biden campaign wrote in a press release.

In the video, the Biden campaign claims that “On Mother’s Day, a reminder: Donald Trump stands only for himself – and not mothers across America and their families.”

“The stakes of this election are high for all Americans, but especially moms across our country who will suffer under a second Trump term,” the video states.

JD VANCE SLAMS NY V. TRUMP TRIAL AS DEM EFFORT TO DISTRACT THAT THE ‘WORLD IS ON FIRE’ UNDER BIDEN

“Under Trump, the government will be allowed to monitor their pregnancies, and rip their families apart. Meanwhile President Biden is fighting to bring back his historic expanded Child Tax Credit to give families a little extra breathing room, and ensure paid leave for all Americans,” the message from the Biden campaign continued. 

The Biden campaign made five points, explaining why voters need to vote for him in the upcoming election over Trump.

His reasoning included blaming Trump for families being denied access to fertility treatments, allowing states to monitor women’s pregnancies, claiming that Trump believes that women who have an abortion should face “some form of punishment,” and that Trump “proudly separated mothers from their children.”

Biden’s other points claimed that Trump would devastate maternal health and hurt women across the country by working tirelessly to sabotage and repeal the Affordable Care Act. His final point claimed that Trump’s economic plan would be an “inflation bomb” which would raise costs for mothers’ and families. 

“Families depend on moms – and moms deserve a President they can depend on to protect their rights, work to lower their costs, and fight for them. Donald Trump wasn’t and isn’t that President, but Joe Biden is,” Biden’s campaign wrote.

WHITE HOUSE SHOULD BE ‘CONCERNED’ AS TRUMP RALLIES AS MANY AS 100K IN DEEP-BLUE NEW JERSEY: ‘EXTRAORDINARY’

In response to the new campaign video, Trump’s team fired back at the president, calling his video a disgusting move to make, especially on Mother’s Day.

“What a sad, miserable, cowardly existence Crooked Joe Biden and his campaign must have to make such a disgusting ad on such a joyous day. Their lives are obviously filled with anger, hate, and resentment because they clearly suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump’s team told Fox News Digital.

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“President Trump continues to live rent-free in their pea-sized brains, even on Mother’s Day.”

The incoming president of Panama has vowed to make big changes to help alleviate the U.S. border crisis.

President-elect Jose Raul Mulino vowed to shut down a crucial migration gap through Panama that has been used by more than 500,000 migrants over the last year, signaling a shift in the country’s policy as the U.S. continues to battle a crisis at its southern border, according to a report from Voice of America.

“Panama and our Darien [Gap] are not a transit route. It is our border,” Mulino said, according to the report.

CNN’S ZAKARIA SAYS BIDEN SHOULD ‘LEARN SOMETHING FROM TRUMP’ AND ADOPT HIS BORDER POLICIES, REFORM ASYLUM LAWS

Panama had previously helped bus migrants through the critical gap and allowed them to continue their journey north, a policy that has allowed thousands to reach the U.S. border with Mexico.

The shift comes as the U.S. has put continued pressure on Mexico to help alleviate the crisis, calling on the country to help enforce movement restrictions through its territory to prevent migrants from eventually reaching the U.S. border.

The Darien Gap, although a dangerous route north toward the U.S., has become a popular route among migrants in recent years, with cartels and other organized crime organizations stepping in to make it an affordable option for those seeking to reach the United States.

BIDEN’S BORDER POLICY ISN’T INCOMPETENCE, IT’S BY DESIGN: EX-ICE CHIEF

Mulino, who won with 34% of the vote last week, said the new policy would make Panama a less attractive option for migrants and criminal organizations.

“Because when we start to deport people here in an immediate deportation plan, the interest for sneaking through Panama will decrease,” Mulino said of the plan, according to Voice of America. “I assure you they are going to say that going through Panama is not attractive because they are deporting you.”

Nevertheless, some experts expressed skepticism that such a plan would meaningfully reduce migration. Analyst Adam Isacson of the nongovernmental organization Washington Office on Latin America said Panama does not have the capacity to “massively deport” thousands of migrants.

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“A daily plane, which would be extremely expensive, would only repatriate around 10% of the flow (about 1,000 to 1,200 per day). The United States only manages to do about 130 flights monthly in the entire world,” Isacson said.

Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance summed up the ongoing NY v. Trump trial as a Democratic effort to distract that “the world is on fire” under the Biden administration. 

“This is about the fact that President Joe Biden has a failed record as commander in chief and leader of this country, and the Democrats can’t talk about that. So what they’re doing is putting these trials out there and saying, ‘Focus on this, not on the fact that the world is on fire and the fact that you’ve gotten poor under the presidency of Joe Biden,'” Vance said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” His comments come as war continues raging in the Mideast and Ukraine, and anti-Israel agitators stage protests on college campuses nationwide. 

Donald Trump’s trial will hold its 16th day in court on Monday, when the 45th president’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is anticipated to take the stand. 

The case revolves around the alleged falsification of business records. Prosecutors say Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to quiet her claims of the alleged extramarital sexual encounter with Trump. Prosecutors allege the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses, and are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime.

MASSIVE TRUMP BEACH RALLY IN DEEP BLUE NJ DRAWS STARK CONTRAST TO BIDEN’S BEACH WEEKEND: ‘BIDEN COULD NEVER’

Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case. 

TRUMP ANNOUNCES APPEAL OF ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL GAG ORDER’ AFTER JUDGE THREATENS JAIL TIME: ‘SHAM’

Daniels took the stand last week, where she detailed that she met Trump in 2006 at Lake Tahoe during a celebrity golf tournament. She alleged that the pair had sex in Trump’s hotel room during the event, which Trump has repeatedly denied in public comments. Daniels’ testimony also included describing to the court how she got into the pornography business after working as an exotic dancer as a teenager.

Legal experts have sounded off that Daniels’ testimony was irrelevant to the case and that it should not have been admitted into the record. The Trump legal team twice motioned for a mistrial, but were denied by presiding Judge Juan Merchan. 

Vance reiterated on CNN that Trump is not on trial for sexual indiscretions, despite the focus on the salacious details stemming from Daniels’ testimony. 

TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL IS A ‘FRANKENSTEIN CASE’ THAT’S BEEN ‘ZAPPED’ INTO LIFE: TURLEY

“Donald Trump is not on trial for sexual indiscretions. This is a sham trial, where they’re saying his misdeed is that he violated the law. That he committed a crime. You can’t throw somebody in prison in the middle of a presidential election because you think that he did something bad 10 years ago. So I think we have to separate these arguments from the actual criminal trial that’s attempting to – in my view, Dana – interfere in a presidential election,” he told host Dana Bash. 

NY V. TRUMP: MAYOR ADAMS SAYS RIKERS ISLAND IS ‘PREPARED’ IF TRUMP IS SENTENCED TO JAIL

Vance, who had previously criticized Trump after the infamous “Access Hollywood” video was unearthed ahead of the 2016 election, said Trump should not be treated differently amid the trial because he’s a former president. He did argue that Trump “is being treated differently.”

“The only thing that Alvin Bragg, the New York prosecutors’ team, thinks Donald Trump did wrong is that he ran for president in 2024, and he looks to be on the cusp of victory,” he said. “That is the only thing that this is ultimately about. If you look at the underlying argument of the case, they can’t even identify what it is that Donald Trump did. They said he committed a paperwork violation in the service of a crime, but they won’t even specify the crime that he allegedly committed. And I think that when you look at all of these attacks on Donald Trump, you have to be honest with yourself and say, ‘This is not about law. And this is not about justice.’”  

TRUMP TRIAL JUDGE COMPARED TO ‘CORRUPT DICTATORSHIPS’ AS STORMY DANIELS UNLEASHES SALACIOUS TESTIMONY

Meanwhile, Trump has spoken to the media and continued posting on Truth Social amid the trial, where he has addressed a bevy of issues, including ongoing anti-Israel protests on college campuses, and slammed the trial as a “scam” promoted by the Biden administration ahead of the 2024 election. 

NY V TRUMP: JUDGE DENIES MOTION FOR MISTRIAL AMID STORMY DANIELS TESTIMONY

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​​”This Witch Hunt is FALSE ANCIENT HISTORY that was fully adjudicated by the Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election. It only has to do with Election Interference, and trying to help Crooked Joe Biden get elected because he can’t do it by himself. It is a vicious attack by the Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, in strict coordination with the D.O.J. and the White House, on Biden’s Political Opponent, ME. IT IS ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND STRICTLY THIRD WORLD COUNTRY!” he wrote on Truth Social last week. 

Critics of President Biden are lambasting his beach vacation in Delaware, while contrasting the Mother’s Day weekend getaway to former President Trump’s massive rally in the historically blue state of New Jersey on Saturday. 

“Supporters camped out overnight at the beach for a Trump rally that starts at 5PM today in Wildwood. Joe Biden can’t fill up a broom closet without staff, media, and angry protestors,” one X user under the name Bad Hombre posted Saturday. 

Trump held a beachside rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday evening, where at least 80,000, and up to 100,000 supporters, joined the 45th president in the historically deep blue state. Simultaneously, 24 miles across Deleware Bay, Biden arrived at his home in Rehoboth Beach for Mother’s Day.

Biden’s trip followed a fundraising event in Seattle, where he was greeted by local leaders such as Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., as well as a group of left-wing, anti-Israel protesters holding signs reading “Traitor Genocide Joe Free Palestine” and “Genocide Joe Must Go,” the Seattle Times reported. 

TRUMP SUPPORTERS FLOCK TO MASSIVE NEW JERSEY CAMPAIGN RALLY TO HEAR FORMER PRESIDENT SPEAK AMID ONGOING TRIALS

As of last fall, Biden was on course to spend about 40% of his presidency on vacation, compared to Trump reportedly spending 26% of his time outside Washington, D.C., when he was in office, and President Barack Obama’s reported 11% of vacation time, the New York Post previously reported. 

Social media commenters jumped at comparing Trump’s massive rally on the Jersey Shore to Biden spending the weekend at his Delaware beach house. 

“Crooked Joe Biden will soon head to his beach house for a weekend of rest. SAD!” RNC Research posted on X in response to a video showing the massive crowds at the South Jersey beach. 

NORTH DAKOTA GOV, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DOUG BURGUM FRONT AND CENTER AT TRUMP NEW JERSEY RALLY

“The crowd in Wildwood, NJ keeps growing. People have been camped out and even slept on the beach. Trump is not set to speak until 5pm est today. No one would camp out to meet Biden,” X account the Political Pom posted. 

TRUMP DENIES REPORT CLAIMING NIKKI HALEY IS ‘UNDER CONSIDERATION’ FOR VP ROLE: ‘I WISH HER WELL!’ 

“Meanwhile Biden goes on vacation to the beach in Delaware and not a single person is there to rally for him,” another X account posted, alongside video of crowds lining the streets in anticipation of Trump. 

“CROOKED JOE BIDEN COULD NEVER,” the Trump War Room posted, alongside beach footage showing the massive crowd. 

TRUMP SUPPORTERS FLOCK TO MASSIVE NEW JERSEY CAMPAIGN RALLY TO HEAR FORMER PRESIDENT SPEAK AMID ONGOING TRIALS

“Biden ignores questions as he wraps up a day of fundraising – and heads to the beach for a weekend of rest,” RNC Research posted. 

Another X account posed a question for a poll asking: “80,000 people attended a Trump rally in Wildwood, New Jersey. Could Biden ever get this many people to a rally?”

50 CENT RIPS BIDEN FOR DELAWARE BEACH TRIP AMID ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR: ‘WE GOT SOME REAL S— GOING ON’

Fox News Digital spoke on Saturday to Trump rally attendees, who described happily waiting on the beach for the former president and added they foresee big Trump wins in November. 

“I think this country needs to change – although, we already know what Trump’s all about,” one supporter who identified himself as Carlos said. “So, that change is just going to come right back to us because that’s what we need. We need Trump because I don’t think Biden is just getting the job done right now. Some of it’s his fault. Some of it is probably the people around him. But I think we need Trump back to get this country back to where it needs to be.”

When asked about Trump’s prospects in November, Carlos pointed to the large crowd and said: “Take a look.” 

“There’s probably about six to 7,000 people waiting in line and probably more. [The line] goes all the way back to the entrance. So, you’re looking at 35- to 40,000 people at this venue right now,” he said, noting that some people had been waiting since Thursday for the venue to open.

An attendee named Lisa, who traveled from Westcheester County, New York, described herself as a “convert” supporter of Trump despite having come from a long line of liberals in her family. 

BIDEN BLASTS HOUSE FOR TWO-WEEK ‘VACATION’ DESPITE FACING CRITICISM FOR HIS FREQUENT BEACH TRIPS

“It’s just like, something overnight shifted in the culture that I didn’t realize,” she said. “I was taking stuff at face value and the minute the walls came crumbling down, I just started [going] deep into everything.”  

Trump was joined by New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who also left the Democratic Party under the Trump administration for the GOP. He described the Wildwood event as historical for the Garden State. 

“This has got to be the biggest political rally in the history of New Jersey,” Van Drew told the crowd. 

A common theme amid the lengthy rally, which wrapped up around 8 p.m., was the argument that Trump will win the historically deep blue state come November. 

“We’re going to win New Jersey,” the GOP frontrunner told the crowd to exuberant cheers.

MIKE HUCKABEE: THE ONLY TIME BIDEN IS WINNING IS ON THE BEACH OR IN HIS BASEMENT

“As you can see today, we’re expanding the electoral map because… we’re going to win the state of New Jersey,” Trump said. “I think we’re going to win them all. All across America, millions of people, so-called blue states, are joining our movement based on love, intelligence, and a thing called common sense.”  

In addition to New Jerseyans, the rally also drew a large crowd from the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, as well as attendees from deep blue New York and elsewhere. 

Trump focused on the economy and inflation through much of the event, highlighting that everything from hotdogs to chicken and gasoline had shot up in prices under the Biden administration. 

“The Biden price hikes are continuing to drain over $1,000 from the typical New Jersey family budget every single month,” Trump said.

BIDEN SAYS HE WASN’T ON VACATION WHILE VISITING HOME IN REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE: ‘I CAN’T GO HOME HOME’

“On day one, we will throw out Bidenomics, and we will reinstate MAGAnomics,” he said. “And we’re going to bring manufacturing, tourism, and other industries back to New Jersey like we’ve never seen before.” 

BIDEN SAYS HE HASN’T ‘BEEN ABLE TO BREAK’ FOR EAST PALESTINE VISIT, DESPITE LAKE TAHOE GETAWAY AND DE TRIPS

Trump lambasted Biden ​​as a “moron” and the “worst president that we’ve ever had” in comments to the raucous crowd. 

“He’s surrendering our college campuses to anarchists, jihadist freaks and anti-American extremists who are trying to tear down our American flag. They want to tear down every single place they go,” Trump said, before calling on Biden and the Democratic National Committee, “to return the donations of all antisemites, American haters, and financiers of chaos on our campuses.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden campaign Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive a response. 

The massive and potentially historic rally in New Jersey comes as Trump continues his trial in New York City, where he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. The former president has denied all charges against him. Trump, who is under a gag order amid the trial, has repeatedly slammed the case as a “scam” promoted by the Biden administration ahead of the general election. 

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller and Bradford Betz contributed to this report. 

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday night said President Biden is “surrounded by fascists” at the White House running a “radicalized” Democratic Party, ripping his response to anti-Israel campus protests.

“He’s surrendering our college campuses to anarchists, jihadist freaks and anti-American extremists who are trying to tear down our American flag,” Trump told a crowd of tens of thousands in Wildwood, New Jersey. “They want to tear down every single place they go. They want to rip down our flag. The chaos and violence happening on our college campuses right now is all because Crooked Joe Biden doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. Joe is weak.”  

“He’s surrounded by fascists around the Oval Office. It’s not him,” Trump added. “He’s not doing a very good at cheating on elections. He doesn’t stand up to our enemies abroad. And he does not stand up to the extremists in his own party, the Democrat Party is becoming radicalized. It’s becoming radical left, and they’re going to lose our country.” 

NORTH DAKOTA GOV, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DOUG BURGUM FRONT AND CENTER AT TRUMP NEW JERSEY RALLY

Speaking before what his team deemed a “mega crowd” about 150 miles south of the New York City courthouse where he has been forced to spend most weekdays sitting silently through his felony hush money trial, Trump also claimed “the very same people who are funding the violent campus uprisings are also funding Joe Biden’s campaign.” 

“Those people that you see putting up all that money for all those signs, You know, you can always tell a fake protest when every sign is beautifully made by a printer, all the same color green signs, everything,” Trump said. “Tonight, I’m officially calling on Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee to return the donations of all anti-Semites, American haters and financiers of chaos who have funded the chaos on our campuses. Return the money, Joe. They raised plenty of money.”

REP. ISSA REACTS TO GROWING ANTISEMITISM WITHIN DEMOCRATIC PARTY AMID ANTI-ISRAEL CAMPUS PROTESTS

“When I’m president, we will not allow our colleges to be taken over by violent radicals,” the presumptive Republican presidential nominee added. “And if you come here from another country and try to bring jihadism or anti-Americanism or anti-Semitism to our campuses, we will immediately deport you. You’ll be out of that school.” 

The beachfront gathering, described by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., as the largest political gathering in state history, was designed to serve as a show of force at a critical moment for Trump, who is facing dozens of felony charges in four separate criminal cases with the election less than six months away.

Lisa Fagan, spokesperson for the city of Wildwood, told The Associated Press that she estimated a crowd of between 80,000 and 100,000 attendees, based off her own observations on the scene Saturday, having seen “dozens” of other events in the same space.

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Trump was joined on stage by several high-level endorsers, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is on the short list as one of Trump’s vice presidential running mate contenders. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of profiles of potential running mates for presidential candidate Donald Trump on the 2024 Republican Party ticket.

A full-on horse race is underway for those hoping to stand alongside former President Donald Trump as his running mate on the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.

Trump appears to be in no rush to select his potential future vice president as he remains stuck on trial in a New York City courtroom, but those widely considered to be on his shortlist are continuing to clamor for his favor.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem — one of the many names who traveled to Florida last weekend for a set of fundraisers with Trump which some described as “auditions” for the role — has long been considered a frontrunner on the shortlist, but recent negative headlines could be complicating her chances.

BIDEN GETS BOOST FROM MAJOR HEALTH CARE GROUP WARNING TRUMP POSES ‘THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH’

“The first rule of a VP pick is to do no harm, and Noem’s recent self-inflicted controversies have shown her potential selection would likely not provide support to the Trump candidacy without drama,” Axiom Strategies’ Erin Perrine told Fox News Digital, referencing a week of criticism aimed at Noem, who confessed in a recently released book excerpt to shooting her dog for attacking a neighbor’s chickens.

Noem spent the week aggressively pushing back on her critics over the story, arguing that the dog had been “vicious” as well as “dangerous,” and a potential threat to her family.

“I had to make a choice between the safety of my children and an animal that was killing livestock and attacking people,” Noem told Fox Business host Stuart Varney in a contentious interview on Tuesday. “So it’s included because a lot of politicians have run from the truth. They want to try to hide from tough decisions.”

Perrine, who served as Trump’s director of press communications for his 2020 re-election campaign, said that Noem had handled the book controversy “incredibly poorly,” and added that her seemingly false claim — also in the book — that she had once met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would hinder to her consideration.

“It’s easy to see how her selection could cause heartburn and doubt. These controversies will continue to be part of the conversation around her for some time. While Noem brings strengths to the table, these controversies would overshadow her candidacy and make her a more contentious choice for the VP slot,” Perrine said.

WATCH: DEM GOVERNOR SWARMED BY ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS WHILE CELEBRATING DAUGHTER’S COLLEGE GRADUATION

Democratic strategist Kevin Walling echoed Perrine’s concerns over Noem’s book, calling it a “total disaster,” and also pointed to the principle of “doing no harm” when it comes to political memoirs.

“Her recent turn in the national spotlight has likely tanked her chances of joining the ticket. Above all, Trump values an individual’s performance in TV appearances and her inability to answer simple questions about her own biography has been an embarrassment,” Walling said.

“Hailing from reliably red South Dakota provides some geographic balance to the ticket but wouldn’t drive actual help in the Electoral College in November,” he added.

Others put the prospect of Noem as Trump’s running mate a little more plainly, including pollster and political analyst Scott Rasmussen, who told Fox she “could have been an interesting option before her book release. At this point, she is no longer a serious contender.”

One top Republican strategist and former Trump administration official told Fox that Noem was “never a top contender to whom it matters most,” and, according to another former Trump official, “We all make mistakes at some point in our lives. Noem just made hers at the most inopportune time.”

WATCH: DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CAUGHT ON VIDEO SCREAMING AT REPORTER OVER CONTROVERSIAL POLICE REMARK

Noem, though reeling from a bad few days that even Trump admitted had been “rough,” has a number of strengths and qualifications that experts point to that could serve as a potential boost to the former president’s White House chances.

“Noem is a two-term governor with both executive and legislative experience, having also served four terms in congress representing South Dakota. As both a woman and a member of Gen X, she would provide both gender and generational balance to the ticket, especially seeing more and more voters in their 50s and 60s trending towards the GOP brand,” Perrine said.

Falling to the right of Trump on issues like abortion, Perrine argued, could play a similar role for the campaign as former Vice President Mike Pence’s conservative credentials did in 2016 when it came to engaging with the hard right of the GOP voter base.

In addition to her time in various elected offices and appeals to the Republican base, Walling said that Noem, at 53, represents “a younger, fresher face for the party.”

“Her diverse background as a business owner, farmer, rancher and former congressional intern for college credit when she returned to finish her degree as a member of Congress adds depth to her candidacy. Notably, her candidacy could deflect Democratic attacks on the GOP’s stance on women’s issues,” he added.

Noem is expected to attend another fundraiser alongside Trump in New York City on Tuesday, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital.

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A number of other big names have also been floated to join Trump on the Republican ticket, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, House GOP Conference Chair Eliste Stefanik, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

It’s unclear when exactly Trump might announce his vice presidential pick, but he recently hinted that it could be shortly before the July RNC convention.

Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives of Noem for comment.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Senate Republican campaign chief Steve Daines is tempering any talk of a red wave this autumn leading to a large GOP majority in the chamber.

“I want 51. That’s the majority,” the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) told Fox News Digital this week when asked what he’s aiming for in November’s elections.

Democrats control the U.S. Senate, 51-49, but Republicans are looking at a favorable Senate map this year, with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. 

Three of those seats are in red states that former President Trump carried in 2020 — Ohio, Montana and West Virginia, where Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is not running for re-election. 

6 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER 

“The first state that we know that we’re going to win at this point is West Virginia,” Danies said. “There’s one pickup seat right there.”

Five more Democrat-held seats are in key general election battleground states. Democrats are also defending an open seat in blue Maryland, where popular former two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is running for the Senate.

“We like where Larry’s at. We know that’s going to be a tough race because Maryland is a blue state, but it’s a Hogan state first and foremost,” Daines argued.

BERNIE SANDERS MAKES A MAJOR DECISION ABOUT HIS FUTURE IN THE SENATE

While the map favors the GOP, Daines, the junior senator from Montana, is on the same page as longtime Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who also appears to be pouring cold water on hopes of sweeping victories. 

And he’s striking a very different tone than his predecessor, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Scott predicted a 55-seat majority would come out of the 2022 midterms, but he fell far short as Republicans faced ballot box setbacks in key contests and failed to win back the Senate majority they lost in the 2020 cycle.

“As we looked at the results of ’22, nobody was happy,” Daines said in a sitdown interview at his office at the NRSC. “Everybody likes winning. Nobody likes to lose. We looked first and foremost at a strategy that would start with finding candidates that could win not just primary elections but general elections.”

Daines made news in a Fox Digital interview in December 2022 as he was coming onboard as NRSC chair. The senator vowed to do “whatever it takes to make sure we have a Republican majority.”

And that included having the NRSC get involved in contested GOP primaries, which marked a significant change from his predecessor on the committee.

Fast-forward a year and a half, and Daines says “we’re positioned now in most of these states with candidates that not only can win primaries but are making every general election race right now competitive.”

Plenty of the blame for 2022’s GOP Senate election setbacks was directed at Trump, who shaped key primary battles. In some of the races, the nominees either supported or begrudgingly disavowed Trump’s repeated re-litigating of his 2020 election defeat to President Biden and his unproven claims his loss was due to a “rigged” and “stolen” election. 

Herschel Walker in Georgia, Blake Masters in Arizona, Adam Laxalt in Nevada and Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, who won their primaries due in part to Trump’s endorsements and support, all went down in defeat.

It’s been a different story in 2024, with Trump, the NRSC and McConnell mostly on the same page when it comes Senate race recruitments.

Daines credits his “strong productive working relationship, a friendship,” he has with Trump, which has bridged the still-lingering intra-party divide between the former president and McConnell.

“From the very beginning, the president and I have worked very closely, very carefully, finding candidates that we agree on, that are the best candidates that can not only win primaries but general elections,” he noted. “We compare notes… there’s trust built there, constructive dialogue. We text and speak to each other frequently … as we shape the Senate map for 2024.”

But Daines hasn’t been able to totally avoid competitive and contentious primaries. 

The Trump-supported Bernie Moreno earlier this year won a combustible nomination battle in Ohio, although the contest wasn’t as bitter as the 2022 GOP Senate primary slugfest in the Buckeye State.

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And Republican Senate primaries are heating up in Michigan and Nevada, where Trump and the NRSC are once again backing the same candidate.

In Nevada, Sam Brown, a former Army officer who was severely injured in the Afghanistan war, has the backing of Trump and the NRSC. But former Trump Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter has vowed to spend “whatever it takes” to defeat Brown.

In Michigan, wealthy investor and entrepreneur Sandy Pensler is spending big bucks on a major ad blitz as he takes aim at former Rep. Mike Rogers, the one-time FBI agent and former House Intelligence Committee chair who is endorsed by Trump and supported by the NRSC.

“He has the full, complete, 100% endorsement and support of President Trump, of the NRSC, and that’s why Mike Rogers will win that primary,” Daines emphasized.

The rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee argues that stories about the NRSC’s successes so far this cycle may have been prematurely written.

“Senate Republicans’ roster of recruits is reeling from a series of reports uncovering their lies about their biographies, vulnerabilities tied to their finances and a lifetime of toxic statements and policy positions,” DSCC spokesperson Tommy Garcia argued in a statement to Fox News. “Meanwhile, their primaries in states like Nevada and Michigan are erupting in chaos. The NRSC’s big bet to back a bunch of unvetted carpetbaggers is looking worse by the day.” 

Regardless of the Democrats’ criticism, Daines remains optimistic — and one reason is President Biden.

Daines says having Biden at the top of the Democrats’ ticket this autumn is making his job easier.

Daines argues Democrats “have got to really combat the incredible headwinds they will face with a president who is so unpopular. Joe Biden makes Jimmy Carter look like a superstar. This is a real problem that the Democrats have.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

A controversial judicial nominee proposed by President Biden will expire at the end of the 118th Congress in just months, and some experts are speculating that this is just what the president and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are planning for. 

“This nominee has lost all hope from the Biden White House of getting a floor vote, given we are months away from the election,” explained Ron Bonjean, a former spokesman for former Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., and former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference. 

“They are more than likely going to let him twist in the wind hoping he withdraws on his own,” he continued. Bonjean ran communications for the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch while working in the upper chamber and has experience with the process. 

IRS URGED TO PROBE TAX-EXEMPT GROUPS SUPPORTING ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS

Neither the White House nor Schumer’s office provided comment to Fox News Digital regarding their plans for Mangi’s nomination and whether it would ever see the chamber floor for a vote, where it would likely fail.  

“Having a vote and losing it, due to members of your own party, would only serve to advertise the problems the president is having related to the Israel-Hamas war,” said Grant Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University. 

Ross Baker, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Rutgers University, suggested, “If there is any way in which a member of Congress can avoid taking a controversial vote, that would be the course that they will take on this nomination.”

One of the significant critiques of Mangi’s nomination has been his association with the Rutgers University Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), where he served on the board of advisers from 2019 to 2023. CSRR has been accused of antisemitism, particularly in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel and subsequent war.

BACKERS OF ANTI-ISRAEL RADICALS ARE FUNDING DEM RIVAL’S SENATE RUN, RED-STATE REPUBLICAN SAYS

Critics have pointed to an event held on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that hosted controversial speakers such as Hatem Bazian, who in 2004 called for an “intifada,” according to video from an anti-war protest in San Francisco. 

Another speaker was Sami Al-Arian, who, In 2006, pleaded guilty to “conspiring to provide services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” according to the Justice Department. 

Noura Erakat, a human rights attorney, Palestinian-American activist and associate professor at Rutgers, has also been a speaker for CSRR. It was uncovered that she had separately been advertised as a panelist for an event alongside Hamas commander Ghazi Hamad. 

CSRR did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.

“That’s not a message you want six months out from an election,” Reeher added. 

The political science professor concluded that the odds of Mangi’s confirmation are low, noting, “Three Democrats have publicly said they would vote no, and it’s unlikely that he will get any Republican votes.”

Both Democratic Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen came out against Biden’s nominee, citing concerns from law enforcement constituents and Mangi’s connection to a controversial and allegedly anti-law enforcement group. 

Mangi is a current advisory board member of the Alliance of Families for Justice (AFJ). The group’s founding board member was Kathy Boudin, who notably pleaded guilty to the felony murder of two police officers in 1981 after they died following an armored truck robbery. 

The robbery was carried out by the Weather Underground Organization, an FBI-designated domestic terrorist group, of which Boudin was a part.  

ANTI-ISRAEL OCCUPIERS COULD LOSE FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS UNDER NEW GOP SENATE BILL

“If religion, by itself, should not be an obstacle to confirmation, association with a controversial organization would probably be fatal,” Baker explained.

“Judges, especially, should be seen as free of problematic associations,” he added. 

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has emerged as the fiercest proponent for Mangi, even as his confirmation likelihood looks dim. 

A spokesperson for the committee told Fox News Digital, “Sen. Durbin will continue to point out the false, baseless nature of Senate Republicans’ accusations against Mr. Mangi, a historic nominee who is well-qualified for the federal bench. These guilt-by-association smears are blatantly hypocritical coming from Senate Republicans and their dark money allies, who worked to confirm objectively unqualified nominees to the federal bench during the Trump Administration.” 

Durbin did not provide comment on whether he thinks Biden and Schumer are waiting for the nomination to expire and whether he would be frustrated by this. 

His office also did not say if he would like to see it come to the floor for a vote. 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a member of the committee, claimed, “Adeel Mangi’s credible ties to antisemites and terrorist sympathizers make him wholly unqualified to serve as an appellate judge.”

‘NO CHOICE’ BUT TO IMPEACH BIDEN OVER DELAYED ISRAEL AID, GOP SENATOR SAYS

“By refusing to pull his nomination, President Biden is choosing to play electoral politics with our country’s judiciary,” he said. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., addressed the still-active nomination of Mangi in floor remarks on Thursday, criticizing Democrats for mounting “an all-out campaign to gin up left-wing support for Mr. Mangi.” 

He claimed they “can’t rebut these disqualifying associations because they’re facts.”

“For the past few months, Democrats have paraded Mr. Mangi in front of liberal interest groups in order to secure their endorsements,” McConnell explained, referring to a number of endorsements the Biden administration has rolled out to shore up support for the nominee, who would be the first Muslim circuit appellate court judge. 

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The minority leaders suggested the meetings with these groups call into question Mangi’s ethics. 

Mangi did not return a request for comment to Fox News Digital. 

While Biden doesn’t appear to be publicly pushing Mangi’s nomination in the wake of Democratic defectors, “There is always a chance that there could be another push to confirm him during the lame duck session before the next Congress,” said Bonjean.   

A government mobile app for migrants seeking asylum at the southern border has become controversial on both sides of the immigration debate. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says on its website the CBP One app to schedule appointments at points of entry into the U.S. has “increased CBP’s capacity to process migrants more efficiently and orderly while cutting out unscrupulous smugglers who endanger and profit from vulnerable migrants.” 

Amnesty International, however, said in a report published this week that the mandatory use of the app for asylum seekers is a “clear violation of international human rights and refugee law.”

The human rights organization says the app creates “layers of complexity and obstacles to an already challenging process.” 

REPUBLICAN SENATORS INTRODUCE BILL TO BLOCK MIGRANTS FROM USING BORDER PATROL APP AS ID AT TSA CHECKPOINT

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, said in a statement: “The use of the CBP One application conditions entry and access to asylum on appearing at a port of entry with a prior appointment, which is not feasible for some people. While technological innovations could potentially provide for safe transit and more orderly border processes, [programs] like CBP One cannot condition and limit the manner to seek international protection in the United States.”

The Biden administration began to use the CBP One app and expanded its use for asylum seekers to make required scheduled appointments at the border as illegal crossings exploded, and as they prepared to end Title 42 a year ago, according to the Los Angeles Times.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S CBP ONE APP TO MANAGE MIGRATION PLAGUED BY LOW STORE RATINGS, TECH ISSUES

The app had actually been conceived near the end of the Trump administration as a way to expedite border crossings for people with the legal right to enter the country. 

But the app is equally unpopular with conservatives, who say it encourages migrants to seek asylum. 

Last fall, the House Committee on Homeland Security wrote of the “shocking abuse” of the app, saying that 95.8% of all “inadmissible aliens who scheduled appointments through the app” between January and September last year were ultimately given a “notice to appear” and let into the country. 

“[Homeland Security] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas has utterly abused the CBP One app in his quest for open borders,” committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said in a statement. “These numbers are proof that Mayorkas’ operation is a smokescreen for the mass release of individuals into this country who would otherwise have zero claim to be admitted. 

“At a time when global tensions are rising, and our enemies are growing bolder, releasing tens of thousands of these people into our communities — especially when they have not received adequate, if any, vetting — is irresponsible. It shouldn’t take a subpoena threat from Congress to get these answers, but we are going to keep fighting for the truth.”

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The government argues the app allows border agents to focus on other border security issues and that it discourages crossing illegally. 

“I can highlight a number of instances over the last 10 years, where migrants showing up at our ports of entry without any advance information quickly overwhelm our teams,” Diane Sabatino, acting executive assistant commissioner of CBP’s office of field operations told Congress in March, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

The CBP and the White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

North Dakota Gov. and former presidential candidate Doug Burgum was front and center at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday, fueling speculation he remains a contender on the increasingly short list of potential running mates. 

Burgum was a guest on Trump’s “Trump Force One” campaign plan. He briefly addressed the crowd before the former president took the stage. 

Bergum said working with President Trump was “like having a beautiful breeze at your back.” 

“President Trump respects state’s rights. He cut regulation. He lowered taxes,” Burgum said. “Working under the Biden regulatory regime is like having a gale-force wind in your face.” 

TRUMP DENIES REPORT CLAIMING NIKKI HALEY IS ‘UNDER CONSIDERATION’ FOR VP ROLE: ‘I WISH HER WELL!’ 

Later in Trump’s speech, the former president heaped praise on Burgum saying, “he probably knows more about energy than anybody I know.” 

He then remarked “So, get ready for something, okay? Just get ready,” but did not elaborate. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment. 

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Last weekend, Trump held a closed-to-press gathering at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palm Beach and at his Mar-a-Lago estate with top donors and a list of “special guests.” 

Among those were a number of Republican politicians — including Burgum — considered to be on Trump’s shortlist for running mate. 

WILDWOOD, N.J. — Former President Trump held a raucous rally in New Jersey, where on Saturday he confidently predicted he would easily win the Garden State on Election Day in November. 

“We’re going to win New Jersey,” the GOP frontrunner told the crowd to exuberant cheers. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who briefly shared the stage with Trump, dubbed the event as the largest political rally in the state of New Jersey. A spokesperson for the City of Wildwood told the Associated Press she estimated there were between 80,000 and 100,000 people at the rally.

Trump devoted much of his rally to attacking his Democratic rival, President Biden, whom he called a “moron” and the “worst president that we’ve ever had.” 

“As you can see today, we’re expanding the electoral map because … we’re going to win the state of New Jersey,” Trump said. “I think we’re going to win them all. All across America, millions of people, so-called blue states, are joining our movement based on love, intelligence, and a thing called common sense.”  

Trump took aim at Biden’s economic and border policies. 

“The Biden price hikes are continuing to drain over $1,000 from the typical New Jersey family budget every single month,” Trump said, noting that the price of everything from hot dogs, to chicken, to gasoline and bacon, has gone up because of inflation. 

TRUMP SAYS SON BARRON, 18, LIKE POLITICS AND GIVES HIM ADVICE: ‘HE’S A SMART ONE’

“On day one, we will throw out Bidenomics, and we will reinstate MAGAnomics,” he said. “And we’re going to bring manufacturing, tourism, and other industries back to New Jersey like we’ve never seen before.” 

Several times, Trump goaded the rowdy crowd.

“You look at the Afghanistan disaster, you look at the border, you look at the economy — the real economy, not the fake economy — everything [Democrats] touch turns to what?” Trump asked the crowd, prompting the crowd to shout: “S—!”

Trump also attacked Biden’s response to the Israel war in Gaza and his alleged acquiescing to anti-Israel protesters on college campuses. 

“He’s surrendering our college campuses to anarchists, jihadist freaks and anti-American extremists who are trying to tear down our American flag. They want to tear down every single place they go,” Trump said, before calling on Biden and the Democratic National Committee, “to return the donations of all anti-Semites, American haters, and financiers of chaos on our campuses.”

The rally comes as the GOP frontrunner is facing dozens of felony charges in four separate criminal cases with the election less than six months away. There is a real possibility that Trump could be a convicted felon by Election Day.

CNN PANELISTS ARGUE THAT STORMY DANIELS, MICHAEL COHEN SHOULD BE GIVEN GAG ORDER TOO: ‘SEEMS FAIR’

Hours before he was scheduled to take the stage, thousands of Trump loyalists donning “Never Surrender” T-shirts and red “Make America Great Again” hats crowded onto the sand between the boardwalk and carnival rides to greet the former Republican president.

Trump’s extraordinary legal woes, which include three other unrelated criminal cases, have emerged as a central issue in the campaign.

Wildwood is in New Jersey’s 2nd District, which Van Drew has represented for three terms and covers all or part of six counties in southern New Jersey. It went for Trump in 2016 and again in 2020 after earlier backing Barack Obama.

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Trump is set to return to the courtroom next week, when key prosecution witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer-turned-foe, is expected to take the witness stand. 

Former President Trump on Friday praised his 18-year-old son, Barron, as a “smart one,” adding that the former first son likes to give his dad political advice. 

“He’s seen it, he doesn’t have to hear it,” the 2024 presumptive Republican nominee told Philadelphia’s Talk Radio 1210 WPHT after the host asked if he had advised Barron on “how nasty” politics can be.

“He’s a smart one,” Trump continued. “He doesn’t have to hear much, but he’s a great guy. He’s a little on the tall side. I will tell you, he’s a tall one. But he’s a good-looking guy, and he’s really been a great student and he does like politics.”

TRUMP PERMITTED TO ATTEND SON BARRON’S GRADUATION AFTER RIPPING TRIAL JUDGE FOR DELAYING DECISION 

He added that Barron, who will be able to vote for the first time this year after turning 18 in March, likes to give him political advice. 

“It’s sort of funny, he’ll tell me sometimes, ‘Dad, this is what you have to do.’ So anyway, he’s a good guy. He’s a senior now in high school, and he’ll be going to college.”

CHELSEA CLINTON DEFENDS BARRON TRUMP FROM BEING TARGETED IN THE MEDIA:  ‘UNIMPEACHABLE RIGHT TO PRIVACY’

The 18-year-old had been selected as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party to the Republican National Convention, but declined it in a statement through his mother, Melania Trump’s office. 

“While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments,” the statement said.

The Republican National Convention is scheduled from July 15 through July 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

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His older children Eric, who is delegation chair, along with Donald Jr., his fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle, Tiffany and her husband, Michael Boulos, will serve as Florida delegates, according to The Hill.