NationalWatch

The Trump campaign is distancing itself from remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during former President Donald Trump’s New York City rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, after he jokingly described a U.S. territory as a “floating island of garbage.”

“It is absolutely wild times – it really, really is. And, you know, there’s a lot going on. Like, I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now – I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said, earning him immediate criticism from both sides of the aisle.

“Who is that jackwat?” asked Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was live-streaming his reaction to the event alongside Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “When you have some a–hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that’s what they think about you. It’s what they think about anyone who makes less money than them,” Ocasio-Cortez added. 

Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez played a game of “Madden” on Twitch in an attempt to appeal to young, male voters. (Twitch)

“Disgusted by Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values,” Florida GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who is Cuban American, said on X in response to the comments.

FULL SPEECH: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDRESSES RALLY AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

“This is not a joke. It’s completely classless & in poor taste,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., another Cuban American, added online. “Puerto Rico is the crown jewel of the Caribbean & home to many of the most patriotic Americans I know. Tony Hinchcliffe clearly isn’t funny & definitely doesn’t reflect my values or those of the Republican Party.”

Meanwhile, amid the backlash over Hinchcliffe’s joke, the Trump campaign released a statement seeking to distance itself from the controversial remarks.

“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” senior Trump campaign adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

WALZ REPEATS CLINTON ATTACK THAT TRUMP MADISON SQUARE GARDEN EVEN MIRRORED 1930’S NAZI RALLY

Despite getting roundly criticized by both Republicans and Democrats, Hinchcliffe doubled down on his remarks.

“These people have no sense of humor,” the comedian wrote in a post on X, which was directed at Ocasio-Cortez and Walz.

Left: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Monday on Aug. 19, 2024. Right: comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 27, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images | ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist,” Hinchcliffe said.

“I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set,” he argued. “I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said former President Donald Trump will move quickly to tighten laws against illegal immigration if he wins the White House.

The No. 2 House Republican leader told Fox News Digital that he met with Trump earlier this year at Mar-a-Lago, where the two discussed priorities for the first 100 days of a new administration – provided the GOP sweeps Congress and the White House. 

Among the priorities, in addition to economic and energy initiatives, is the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“President Trump can do a number of things on his own that he has talked about,” Scalise said Friday.

CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION

House Majority Leader Scalise, top inset, spoke with Fox News Digital about what the first 100 days would look like with a GOP Congress and White House. (Getty Images)

He said Trump would likely reinstate his Migrant Protection Protocols, better known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which forced asylum-seekers to wait on the Mexican side of the U.S. southwestern border while their cases were being adjudicated. Multiple human rights groups have criticized the policy as inhumane, and the Biden administration dropped it in 2021.

Scalise also expects Trump to cease all “catch-and-release” policies at the border.

“We know that it’s causing crime problems in every community, drug problems, the fentanyl that the drug cartels are bringing in,” Scalise said.

SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’

A Republican-majority Congress would support Trump’s crackdown, he said, noting Capitol Hill’s role in funding federal projects and programs.

“Things like building more wall – that’s something we worked with President Trump to do. We built over 500 miles of wall. Joe Biden ended that on day one,” Scalise said.

“We also want to fund some more tools for our Border Patrol agents, things like drone capabilities, night vision, so that they can do an even better job of managing the border.”

Republicans would also roll back electric vehicle mandates, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise suggested. (Eric Thayer)

Other first 100-day priorities include rolling back electric vehicle mandates and setting new tax policy – with key provisions in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire in 2025.

However, the Louisiana Republican was careful not to over-project confidence in the closing days of the election. He noted that the House majority would likely come down to 40 to 45 key races out of 435 and that a GOP majority would likely be a slim four to 10 seats.

“These aren’t the days where you can have a 30-seat majority anymore because of redistricting and the way it’s really narrowed the map,” he said. “But at the same time, I mean, today we have a four-seat majority. We had actually dropped down to a one-seat majority earlier this year. So, you know, if we’re able to get it up close to double digits, that would really be a great night for us.”

‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS

Scalise himself has put in hundreds of miles on the road in support of Republican candidates.

He raised $70 million this election cycle, with $15 million given to the House GOP campaign arm and $10.4 million to 206 individual candidates and incumbents.

Scalise’s political team said he has visited at least 140 different districts to campaign for the 2024 cycle.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has campaigned with both vulnerable Republicans, like Rep. Jen Kiggans, and those in safe seats. (Scalise For Congress)

In October alone, the month before Election Day, Scalise held 66 events across 28 states.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Should Democrats win the House majority, however, Scalise – the longest-serving member of House GOP leadership – insisted he had no interest in challenging House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as the top House Republican.

When asked if he would entertain a bid for minority leader against Johnson if colleagues asked him to, Scalise firmly answered, “No.”

“We’re not talking about what happens if we lose the majority, because all of my focus is on not only winning the majority, but gaining seats. And anybody who’s thinking about losing or anything like that is just misplaced in their focus,” he said.

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

New polls have found that Senators Ted Cruz and Deb Fischer are holding narrow leads against Democrat and independent challengers in their respective Texas and Nebraska Senate races. 

The New York Times and Siena College survey of 1,180 likely voters in Texas has Cruz leading Democrat Colin Allred 50 to 46%. Allred, a current House representative and former NFL player, spoke in support of Vice President Harris last Friday at a rally in Houston. 

In Nebraska, Republican Deb Fischer leads her independent opponent Dan Osborn 48 to 46%, with 5% of the 1,194 likely voters polled there indicating that they are undecided or refusing to answer. 

Both the Texas and Nebraska polls were conducted by phone between Oct. 23 to 26 and have a margin of error of around three percentage points. 

MCCONNELL, GOP DESCEND ON NEBRASKA TO SAVE DEB FISCHER’S ENDANGERED SENATE SEAT 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., are engaged in tight races for their Senate seats.

The last time Cruz was challenged for his Senate seat in Texas was in 2018, when he defeated Democrat Beto O’Rourke by three percent of the vote. 

In this contest, Allred is polling ahead of Harris among likely voters. 

The results show Allred has 46% support from residents of Texas, compared to Harris’ 42%, according to the New York Times. 

Allred is also leading Harris with 76% compared to 71% among Black voters and among Hispanic voters (56 compared to 50%), the newspaper reported. 

SCHUMER-TIED GROUP DROPS MILLIONS AGAINST TED CRUZ AS DEMOCRATS EYE PICKUP OPPORTUNITY IN TEXAS 

Texas Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred reacts at a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 25. (Reuters/Marco Bello)

For the Nebraska race, Osborn – who is a union leader and mechanic – is leading Fischer among independent voters by 31%, the New York Times reported, adding that in that state Harris leads Trump among independent voters by 10%.

The Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund has recently launched a $3 million ad buy in the state to shore up Fischer’s support. 

Additionally, Fischer is getting help from well-known top Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley from neighboring Iowa. In a new radio ad, he tells voters, “This is your neighbor Chuck Grassley,” adding, “my friend Deb Fischer needs your vote.” 

Independent Dan Osborn, a challenger to two-term Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, chats with guests at a brewery in Beatrice, Neb., on July 30. (AP/Margery Beck)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Osborn’s popularity in Nebraska has appeared to take the Fischer campaign by surprise, given the seeming last-minute efforts to fortify her support. It is often difficult for independent candidates to gain traction, especially against an incumbent. However, without a Democratic candidate nominated in that Senate race, Osborn has a much larger pool of potential voters. 

Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: As Ukraine renews its call for an invitation into the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, a former top Trump official warned that such a move “risks World War III.”

Reflecting on a variety of geopolitical threats in an interview with Fox News Digital, former national security adviser Robert O’Brien said the U.S. could offer security guarantees for Ukraine and more biting sanctions on Russia, but could not fulfill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for an invitation into NATO without serious escalation.

“To bring a country into NATO and the alliance that’s in a war with Russia is very provocative to the Russians, and could lead to escalation, even nuclear war,” he said.

“We can certainly give Ukraine security guarantees … put eastern European troops [in Ukraine] to help secure peace after a peace deal gets done. But NATO is too provocative at this point.”

O’Brien’s point of view serves as a glimpse into how a future Trump administration could approach dueling global crises in the Middle East, Russia and the Far East. O’Brien, who was former President Donald Trump’s top adviser on national security issues from 2019 to 2021, has been floated as a possible pick for secretary of state or another national security-focused role. 

Former National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien speaks during the rally of Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Senator JD Vance at Tucson Speedway in Tucson, Arizona, October 9, 2024

“Of course” he would accept a job in the White House if Trump is successful in November and offers him one, he said. 

“It’s always an honor to serve the country and to serve the president. But I’m not campaigning for a job,” he said. “There are a lot of really great people who’d like to work for the president.”

The way out of the war, according to O’Brien, is through the negotiating table, and steeper sanctions are needed to cripple Russia’s economy and bring them to the table.  “The sanctions have been relatively minor,” O’Brien said. “They haven’t sanctioned the Russian Federation Central Bank. They haven’t kicked folks out of SWIFT. They’ve taken a few oligarchs’ yachts.” 

SAUDIA ARABIA AND IRAN SQUASH DECADES OF HOSTILITY WITH UNPRECEDENTED JOINT MILITARY DRILLS

Last week, a growing band of nations looking to break away from the U.S. dollar and challenge western hegemony met at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, as a way to evade western sanctions. 

“I think we have got to use sanctions less. But when we do use them, we should use them comprehensively. I think slap on the wrist sanctions are the worst of all worlds. It encourages people to leave the dollar as a trading mechanism, but it doesn’t achieve any goal of truly punishing the target country,” the former adviser said.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said recently that the U.S. is expected to announce fresh sanctions aimed at curbing the Russian war effort in the coming days. The restrictions will be aimed at secondary entities that are supplying Russia with critical supplies. 

“Ukraine is going to be in real demographic trouble if it doesn’t stop the war,” O’Brien mused. “We’re going to leave it to Ukrainians to decide what they’re willing to trade for peace.” 

In the Middle East, O’Brien said, President Joe Biden has tried to “constrain Israel’s actions.” 

“Everything from negotiating with the Hamas terrorists, to not sending our Special Forces to rescue Americans who were taken hostage, to failing to punish Hamas for killing 30 Americans on Oct. 7, up to today, with Biden and Harris trying to dictate to Israel what targets they can hit in Iran — all projects weakness.”

IRANIAN ARMED FORCES PLAN TO TRIPLE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD BUDGET, THANKS TO OIL EXPORTS

From the left, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have lost support for not taking a strong enough stance against Israel’s offensive campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon — campaigns that have soured Israel’s standing among its neighbors.

It’s begged the question whether Israel would normalize relations with Saudi Arabia – a deal that had been on the precipice of completion when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

O’Brien said he is not worried about Israel’s standing in the Middle East. “I’m actually surprised at how durable the Abraham Accords have been,” referring to the deals between Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Morocco that he helped broker under Trump. 

O’Brien’s name has been floated as a contender for a national security-focused role in a Trump administration. 

“I think absolutely Saudi Arabia will join the accords. It may take Donald Trump winning the election for that to happen,” O’Brien said. 

But that would likely depend on the makeup of Congress. Two-thirds of the Senate would have to approve the deal — a high bar for Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of human rights violations and involvement in the 9/11 attacks. To add to the contention, the deal would likely include the U.S. agreeing to allow the Saudis to work on nuclear projects for energy purposes.

Such a deal would amount to a pivotal realignment of the Middle East and further isolate Iran. But this week, Saudi Arabia and Iran conducted unprecedented joint military drills in the gulf of Oman. 

But O’Brien shrugged off the threat of the potential realignment of a U.S. ally, as Iran awaits Israel’s counter-attack for the 200 missiles it fired on Tel Aviv on Oct. 1.

“Iran’s been exposed for being a lot of bark and less bite,” he said. “They have no air force to speak of. They’ve got a couple old F 14 Tom Cats that can’t make it to Israel. They’ve got no real Navy to speak of. And their missile attacks have been blunted with very little damage or loss of life in Israel. There’s not a lot Iran can do right now. They’re wide open to Israeli attack.” 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

And while Harris asserted Iran is the U.S.’s biggest geopolitical threat, O’Brien insists it’s China.

“If Iran is such a big threat to our freedom, why have we stood by and not enforced the sanctions?” he asked.

“China is the biggest threat to America. China has the demographics, the number of people, they’re hard-working, they’ve got a massive economy. China is an existential threat to America because they could beat us in a war and change our way of life. Iran can never defeat us in a war. They can’t change our way of life.”

Early in-person voting kicked off in both Washington, D.C., and Colorado on Monday.

Here is everything you need to know to cast a ballot.

Key down-ballot races in today’s early voting states

There are two competitive House districts across the states that began voting Friday:

• Colorado’s 3rd District: The 3rd District stretches across most of western Colorado. Thanks to a largely rural working-class population (Aspen is the exception), it’s been safely Republican for over a decade. But in 2022, the race came down to just 546 votes. Incumbent Rep. Lauren Boebert is moving to safer Republican turf this year, making this a race between her former Democratic challenger, Adam Frisch, and Republican attorney Jeff Hurd. It’s Lean R on the rankings.
• Colorado’s 8th District: The 8th District starts in rural Weld County, where Trump won by 18 points in 2020. But the further down you go, the more suburban it becomes. Strong Democratic turnout in Adams County, which Biden won by 16 points, gave Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo her first win in 2022. This time, the incumbent is up against Republican state politician Gabe Evans. This is a Toss Up race.

EMINEM CAMPAIGNS FOR KAMALA HARRIS. WILL IT SWAY DETROIT VOTERS?

Voting booths are seen at the Broomfield City and County Building in Colorado. (Getty)

How to vote in Colorado

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Colorado.

Voting by mail

Absentee voting kicked off in Colorado on Oct. 11. Residents do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state proactively mailed ballots to eligible voters between Oct. 11 and Oct. 18. Those ballots must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

TRUMP ADVISER UNPACKS WHY FORMER PRESIDENT IS HOLDING RALLY IN DEEP-BLUE STATE WEEKS FROM ELECTION

Early in-person voting

Colorado offers early in-person voting, but it varies by location. Be sure to check the state’s election website for early voting dates and locations. 

Voter registration

Colorado residents can register to vote in person, by mail or online at any point during early voting and on Election Day. Oct. 28 is the last day to register to vote and receive a mail ballot.

Fox News Power Rankings presidential map.

How to vote in Washington, D.C.

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Washington, D.C.

Voting by mail

Washington, D.C., began absentee voting on Monday. Registered voters do not need to apply for a ballot, as the district began sending ballots to all active registered voters starting Sept. 30. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person through Election Day.

Fox News Power Rankings House chamber.

Early in-person voting

Washington, D.C., will begin early in-person voting on Oct. 28, and it will run through Nov. 3.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Voter registration

The deadline for residents to register to vote online or by mail was Oct. 15. They can also register in-person during early voting (Oct. 28-Nov. 3) and on Election Day.

The top Republican lawmaker on the Minnesota legislature’s tax committee is slamming Gov. Tim Walz, over “bad” and “lazy” tax policy pertaining to the state’s excise tax on gasoline, which the lawmaker indicated hurts lower-income residents in his state the most. 

“There’s generally some pretty strong resistance to putting anything on inflators, because that – I call it the ‘lazy man’s tax increase’ – because what you do then is you never have to come back through the legislature to justify another tax increase,” said Rep. Greg Davids, the top Republican guiding tax policy in the state. “Some rich person, if [the excise tax] is on an inflator and it goes up 10 cents a gallon, they say, so what? But for the person in the district I represent, that drives 35 miles to work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, or different jobs in Rochester, that’s a lot of money, and now it goes up every year, no matter what.”

Davids has been on the state legislature’s tax committee for nine terms, including three as chair and four as Republican lead, and he argued Friday that the decision to tie the state’s gas tax to an index was “very poor tax policy,” citing its regressive nature and the fact that it is “hurting the poorest of the poor” the hardest.

WALZ FACES BACKLASH AFTER DEFENDING OBAMA-ERA MANDATE REPEALED BY TRUMP: ‘MASSIVE TAX PENALTY’

“I try to stay away from regressive taxes. I try to stay away from inflators,” Davids said. “Because if your cause is good enough, you’ll get your increase. But to put something out there, where it just happens with no representation of the people, that’s bad tax policy in my estimation.”

Along with DFL legislative leaders and his commissioners, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz threw a ceremonial budget bill-signing party in 2023 on the State Capitol steps. Walz stood in front of hundreds of supporters to boast about the accomplishments in the nearly $72 billion budget made possible by the Democrats (DFL) control of the state legislature and governor’s office. (Photo by Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via Getty Images)

In 2019, Walz’s first budget proposal as governor intended to increase the state’s gas tax 70%, which would have made the state among those with the highest gasoline excise tax in the nation, behind California, Pennsylvania, Washington and Illinois. The proposal was passed by the Democrat-controlled House but stalled once it made it to the Senate. 

Later, during an election year in 2022, Walz called on the federal government to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline. Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann called the move a “laughable political stunt” at the time, considering that Walz and his Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) colleagues have “always supported” increasing the gas tax. 

Currently, Minnesota’s gas tax ranking is on the lower end of the spectrum, but that will change after next year’s index increase. Such an increase will move Minnesota up the list 11 spots, making it the 21st-highest in the nation.

BLUE STATE REGULATORS COULD HIKE PRICE AT PUMP JUST DAYS AFTER ELECTION, GOP LAWMAKERS WARN

Minnesota’s current average cost of gas stands at $3.06, according to AAA, which is a decrease from $3.43 from a year ago. This photo shows a gas pump. (Getty Images)

Under Walz, the state of Minnesota did see tax cuts for the middle class, such as an increased child tax credit and reducing the Social Security tax rate. However, Davids questioned what Walz and his fellow DFL members did to squander a record high nearly $18 billion budget surplus in 2023. Meanwhile, by 2026, the state of Minnesota is expected to see a roughly $1.5 billion deficit, Davids said.

VANCE RIPS WALZ ON ECONOMY, SAYS HE’S FORCED TO ‘PRETEND’ TRUMP DIDN’T LOWER INFLATION

Other measures under Walz included efforts to increase taxes on corporations and the wealthy, such as a new “surtax” on long-term investment income.

The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit in the nation’s capital, called Walz an “outlier” when it comes to his tax policy, compared to those of Harris’ other potential running mates, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. 

Governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Andy Beshear of Kentucky. All three are long-time Democrats.

“Governors bring executive experience. They also bring policy records that are more concrete than those of legislators, in the sense that a governor’s signature or veto makes (or prevents) law in a way that one vote in Congress rarely does,” the Foundation wrote in a report published several weeks ago outlining Walz’s tax policy as the governor of Minnesota. “Observers will doubtless scrutinize Walz’s record as governor to get a sense of what policies he may favor at the federal level and what that may say about the Harris-Walz ticket.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s press office and the Harris-Walz campaign for comment but did not receive an on-the-record response.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio took aim at former Trump administration officials who have accused former President Trump of being fascist and admiring Adolf Hitler.

“It’s very dubious to see these accusations coming at the very last minute, right before an election,” Rubio said of the accusations against Trump during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”

The Republican senator’s comments came after former Trump chief of staff John Kelly told the New York Times in an interview last week that his former boss met the definition of “fascist,” setting off a wave off new attacks on Trump from Democrats less than two weeks before the election.

TRUMP BLASTS HARRIS OVER HITLER COMPARISON, RIPS HIS FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF: ‘LOWLIFE’

Sen. Marco Rubio (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Rubio argued that many former Trump administration officials are attacking the former president as a way of opening up job offers.

“These are people that worked in the administration or around the administration, and then they figured out pretty quickly, if we want jobs after we leave this administration, we have to become anti-Trumpers,” Rubio claimed.

Kelly’s comments were endorsed by 13 former Trump administration officials who signed an open letter warning of the dangers of a second Trump term, according to a report from Politico, 

“We applaud General Kelly for highlighting in stark details the danger of a second Trump term. Like General Kelly, we did not take the decision to come forward lightly,” the letter said. “We are all lifelong Republicans who served our country. However, there are moments in history where it becomes necessary to put country over party. This is one of those moments.”

Former President Trump and former chief of staff John Kelly (Drew Angerer/Getty Images )

HARRIS LIKENS TRUMP TO HITLER IN SCATHING REMARKS, SAYS HE WANTS SAME MILITARY LOYALTY AS GERMAN DICTATOR

Kelly claimed to have witnessed Trump offering praise for German dictator Adolf Hitler on multiple occasions, accusations Trump has denied.

Former President Trump departs after speaking during a campaign rally at the Suburban Collection Showplace, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Novi, Michigan. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

GET THE FOX NEWS APP BY CLICKING HERE

“He commented more than once that, ‘You know, Hitler did some good things, too,'” Kelly said of Trump.

“Never said it,” Trump said in response to reporters last week during a stop in Nevada.

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

Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday said John Kelly’s “fascist” comment about former President Trump, under whom he served as White House chief of staff, was a sign of desperation for the Harris campaign with just over a week to go until Election Day.

Graham, R-S.C., appeared on ABC’s “This Week,” where he was asked about how Kelly insisted Trump met the “general definition of a fascist” and would govern like a dictator if allowed during an interview with The New York Times last week. 

“[Kelly’s] undermining a concept that’s been good for America,” Graham said. “I think our generals have sort of been apolitical. He’s entitled to his opinion. I just categorically reject it.”

“Three weeks before the election, you’re calling basically Trump Hitler, a fascist, is not going to resonate,” the senator continued. “What happened to joy on the Democratic side? They went from joy to now Trump is Hitler. Well, that’s desperation.”

TRUMP RESPONDS TO EX-CHIEF OF STAFF AFTER HE’S LABELED ‘AUTHORITARIAN’ AND THE ‘GENERAL DEFINITION OF FASCIST’

Graham urged Americans to look at Trump’s record, adding that Kelly’s criticisms were based on emotion rather than facts. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, File)

Graham further struck back on Kelly’s “fascist” comment, asking Americans to look at Trump’s record as “a friend of Israel unlike any other” and how he helped put Israel “in the strongest position they’ve been in.” He also said there were no wars, the border was at its most secure and inflation was down, all on Trump’s watch.

Kelly, a retired four-star general, served as Trump’s White House chief of staff. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images, File)

“I think General Kelly’s criticisms are not based on facts,” the senator said. “I think it’s emotional, it’s sad, and it’s not going to matter.”

Graham was also asked about criticisms that retired four-star Gens. Mark Milley and Jim Mattis, who both served in the Trump administration, also made about the former president.

EX-TRUMP OFFICIALS TELL AMERICANS TO ‘HEED GENERAL KELLY’S WARNING’ TRUMP’S A FASCIST

“That shows you how desperate this campaign is, you’ve got three retired generals who have been out of the game for a while, three weeks before the election and trying to replace joy with fear,” Graham said.

Graham also noted that he does not think Harris is a fascist or communist either when commenting about the war of words between Trump and Harris.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Do I think Kamala Harris is a fascist? No. [Do] I think she’s a communist? No. I think she’s the most liberal person ever to be nominated by a major party. I think she’s ineffective. I think she’s incompetent,” Graham said.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, of Ohio argued that his running mate, former President Trump, has clashed with former Pentagon officials for refusing to enter “ridiculous wars,” arguing that this was the reason why former officials like ex-White House chief of staff John Kelly have spoken out against him.

In a sit-down interview that aired on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning, Vance sparred with host Jake Tapper over recent allegations brought by Kelly, who said Trump is the “definition of a fascist.” 

Vance charged that Kelly and other critics like former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney disagree with Trump on policy and are “conservative in the sense that they want America to get involved in a ton of ridiculous military conflicts – they wanted America to police the world, and Donald Trump wasn’t.” 

Tapper pushed back on this, noting that Kelly’s son died in the war in Afghanistan. Vance, a Marine veteran, defended his position, saying, “I know John Kelly’s worldview,” and stating that while he honors Kelly’s son and his family’s sacrifice, “that doesn’t mean he wasn’t wrong about policy.” 

TRUMP APPEARED ON JOE ROGAN’S PODCAST FOR NEARLY THREE HOURS: HERE ARE THE TOP MOMENTS

Sen. J.D. Vance, during a campaign rally at the Elite Jet at Contact Aviation facility on Oct. 24, 2024, in Waterford, Michigan. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

“Donald Trump wouldn’t listen to the leadership of the military when they wanted him to start ridiculous conflicts,” Vance said. “A lot of former members of the Pentagon bureaucracy, a lot of neoconservatives, they have a fundamental difference with Donald Trump on the question of peace and war.” 

“I believe Donald Trump is the candidate of peace. I think the record supports that. The reason these guys go after him so vociferously, I don’t think it’s about his personality, Jake,” Vance said. “I think that it’s about they don’t like that Donald Trump said no when a lot of them want to start a ridiculous war.” 

Tapper challenged Vance on what he was basing this assertion on. Vance said that it was “based on people that I’ve talked to in the Trump administration.” 

Tapper also cited other former Trump administration officials, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Defense secretaries James Mattis and Mark Esper, and former White House national security adviser John Bolton, who criticized their ex-boss. 

“You know one reason why Kamala Harris doesn’t have as many people criticizing her?” Vance said. “Because she doesn’t fire people who fail. That’s why we haven’t had a real audit of the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal is because Kamala Harris protects failures in government. Donald Trump fires them, and I’d much rather have a president who fires people who screw up.”  

TRUMP BLASTS HARRIS AT MICHIGAN RALLY FOR ‘PARTYING’ WHILE A ‘WAR’ IS ‘GOING ON’: ‘NOBODY’S IN CHARGE’

Vance lambasted Tapper for not asking about the cost of groceries, housing and other issues impacting Americans’ livelihoods. 

“They didn’t think he was unfit for office until they had a falling out with him because he fired them, and we’re not talking about the public policy,” Vance added. “Can we talk about how Americans can’t afford groceries? Can we talk about how Americans can’t afford the cost of housing? Can we talk about the fact that a lot of people out there in Erie, Pennsylvania, they’re the ones that suffer and die when people like Mark Esper and Mark Milley don’t obey the commander in chief’s orders?” 

Former President Trump during a roundtable with faith leaders at Christ Chapel on Oct. 23, 2024, in Zebulon, Georgia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Vance charged that Tapper would “much rather talk about what Donald Trump allegedly said than what he did in office.” He said his running mate “wants to use American troops sparingly, he wants peace through strength” and denied that Trump ever said he would use the U.S. military against the American people. 

In regards to Trump’s “enemy from within” comments, Vance said Tapper was conflating Trump’s stance on “far-left lunatics” and people who would riot in the wake of an election or who burned down American cities in the summer of 2020, adding that federal law enforcement should respond in those cases. 

Vance also appeared on CBS and NBC Sunday shows. 

On foreign policy, Vance told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Trump would stay in NATO, but other countries should pay their share, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “clearly an adversary” but the United States needs to be “smart about diplomacy too,” especially to end the war in Ukraine. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Of course we’re going to honor our NATO commitment, but I think it’s important, Kristen, to recognize that NATO is not just a welfare client, it should be a real alliance,” Vance told NBC’s Kristen Welker. “Donald Trump wants NATO to be strong. He wants us to remain in NATO. But he also wants NATO countries to actually carry their share of the defense burden.”

Former President Trump has endorsed Rep. Michelle Steel on Saturday, calling the Republican incumbent in California’s 45th Congressional District one of the nation’s “strongest Congresswomen.”

“Michelle Steel has my Complete and Total Endorsement – SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” he declared in a post on Truth Social.

“An America First Patriot whose family bravely fled Communism, Michelle brings that same fighting spirit to Congress, and will never back down against the Communists, Marxists, and Socialists on the Radical Left,” Trump said.

HOUSE GOP ROLLING OUT BILL TO BLOCK CHINA FROM ACCESSING US PORTS

Former President Trump endorsed Rep. Michelle Steel on Oct. 26. (Getty Images)

Steel, an immigrant to the U.S., was born in South Korea, but raised in Japan, her congressional website notes.

“After fleeing North Korea during the Korean War, her parents met and built a life in South Korea before moving to Japan,” the site states.

The Republican figure has served in the House of Representatives since 2021. She had previously served as chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

CALIFORNIA REP IN HEAVILY ASIAN-AMERICAN DISTRICT FIGHTS AGAINST CHINESE COMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN EDUCATION

Derek Tran, who is running against Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in the 45th District, hugs House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during a campaign event on Oct. 12, 2024, in Anaheim, California. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“Michelle is working hard to Restore the American Dream, Grow our Economy, Secure our Border, Support our Great Military/Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment. During my Administration, Michelle worked with us to achieve the lowest ever unemployment for Vietnamese Americans, and ALL Americans,” Trump said in his endorsement post.

He called her a “Tremendous Champion” for those in her district, but decried her Democratic opponent, Derek Tran.

CALIFORNIA CANDIDATES TRADE BLOWS IN KEY DISTRICT, AS REPUBLICAN SLAMS DEM OVER ‘METOO’ COURT CONTROVERSY

Trump dances on stage during a campaign rally at Suburban Collection Showplace on Oct. 26, 2024, in Novi, Michigan. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Michelle is one of the strongest Congresswomen in the Country, whereas her WEAK opponent, Derek Tran, is a Radical Left Puppet of Communist China, who will put our Country, and Safety, LAST. Michelle, on the other hand, will ALWAYS put California, and America, FIRST,” the 2024 GOP presidential nominee declared.

Elon Musk unveiled what he called a “dark gothic MAGA” look on Sunday while supporting former President Trump. 

“I’m dark gothic MAGA,” Musk told the crowd at Trump’s campaign event at Madison Square Garden. “The energy in this room is incredible.”

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO was wearing a black MAGA cap with a gothic-looking font and a black shirt and jacket. 

TRUMP PREPS FOR MASSIVE CAMPAIGN RALLY SUNDAY AT NEW YORK CITY’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures as he steps on stage during a rally for former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York, October 27, 2024. (AP)

Musk took the stage at the event while leading the crowd in a “USA” chant and imploring those in attendance to vote early.

“We’re going to get the government off your back and out of your pocketbook,” he said. “And America’s just not going. It’s just going to be great. America is going to reach heights that it has never seen before.”

Elon Musk speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Musk urged those in attendance and watching on a video stream to vote early.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“What is the scorecard? Vote early,” he said. “Vote now. Yeah. Make it make the margin of victory. So big that you know what can’t happen.” he added, referring to supposed issues with voter fraud. 

Former President Donald Trump took the stage at his historic Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday evening, where thousands of supporters from the deep-blue Northeast state cheered wildly as the 45th president railed against Biden-Harris administration policies and vowed to “Make america great again.” 

Trump took the stage at Madison Square Garden just after 7 p.m. in the packed stadium, where he focused his speech on spiraling immigration, inflation woes and looking toward the future with lower consumer costs and securing the border. The rally was first-come, first-serve and sold out within hours of being announced this month. Madison Square Garden has a capacity of 19,500 people.

“I’m hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer,” Trump told the crowds as he spoke about the illegal immigration crisis since 2021. 

“I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, going to kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible. And to expedite removals of Tren de Aragua and other savage gangs like MS-13, which is equally vicious, I will invoke the Alien Enemies act of 1798,” he said. 

ELON MUSK, DANA WHITE TO APPEAR AT ‘HISTORIC’ TRUMP MSG RALLY

Trump said Harris was behind “the most egregious betrayal” of any U.S. leader due to immigration policies under the Biden-Harris administration. 

“Over the past four years, Kamala Harris has orchestrated the most egregious betrayal that any leader in American history has ever inflicted upon our people. She has violated her oath, eradicated our sovereign border and unleashed an army of migrant gangs who are waging a campaign of violence and terror against our citizens,” he said. 

The 45th president said that if he’s re-elected, he will also immediately ban sanctuary cities across the nation. 

The massive rally, where nearly 200,000 people tried to gain access, according to Donald Trump Jr., included a handful of high-profile speakers ahead of Trump’s remarks, including an address from former first lady Melania Trump. 

TRUMP AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN: ICONIC VENUE HAS PLAYED HOST TO MANY CAMPAIGN GATHERINGS NEAR ELECTION DAY

“Envision a wonderful America where the seeds of security, prosperity and health are so and once again for the benefit of our families,” Melania Trump said before introducing her husband. “Let us start together with a shared vision that builds on American greatness. Let’s seize this moment and create a country for tomorrow, the future that we deserve. And now.”

Supporters of former President Trump gather outside Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Fox News Digital)

Other notable speakers at Trump’s rally included House Speaker Mike Johnson, pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, tech billionaire Elon Musk, former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, and TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw. 

Trump’s speech included a focus on the economy and spiraling inflation and “bringing back the American dream,” including vowing to the audience that he will cut their energy costs in half by January 2026 if he’s elected.

TRUMP PREPS FOR MASSIVE CAMPAIGN RALLY SUNDAY AT NEW YORK CITY’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Former first lady Melania Trump arrives to speak at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images)

“I will terminate the ‘green new scam.’ And we’ll cut your energy prices in half, 50%, within one year from Jan. 20th. Is the fake news hearing that?” he said before directing the audience to the “fake news media” at the rally.

Trump touted that if he wins the election next week, he will lower costs for consumers as well as end taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits. 

“We will rapidly defeat inflation, and we will very simply make America affordable again. We’re going to make it affordable. I will massively cut taxes for workers and small businesses, and we will have no tax on tips. No tax on overtime. And no tax on Social Security benefits for our seniors,” he said. 

Trump added that under his leadership, the Republican Party has become the “party of inclusion.”

ELON MUSK COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP IN ‘DARK GOTHIC MAGA’ AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

“Jews and Muslims and Catholics and evangelicals and Mormons, and they’re all joining our cause in large numbers, larger than anyone has ever seen in this country before, larger than they’ve ever seen in any country,” he said.

“And we’re a big, powerful party, and they’re losing it. They’re really losing it. Together we will lift America to glory beyond your wildest dreams. It’s going to happen fast, too.”

Kennedy, who ran for president as a Democrat before endorsing Trump in August, railed against the Democratic Party for morphing into a party he no longer recognizes. 

Trump supporters in MAGA hats are shown outside Madison Square Garden. (Fox News Digital)

“The Democratic Party is the party of war. It’s the party of the CIA. You had Kamala Harris giving a speech at the Democratic convention that was written by neocons. It was belligerent, pugnacious. It talked about domination of the world by the United States through our weapons of war. It’s the party today that wants to divide Americans. It’s a party that is dismantling women’s sports by letting men play women’s sports,” he said. 

TRUMP TO HOLD RALLY AT NEW YORK’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“It’s the party of Wall Street. It’s the party of Bill Gates, who just gave $50 million to Harris. It’s the party, and the Harris campaign is very proud that it received the endorsement of 50 former CIA agents and officers and of John Bolton and of Dick Cheney.” 

Musk wore his all-black MAGA hat during the rally, which he called “dark gothic MAGA,” and vowed to cut government spending if Trump secures the election and appoints Musk to the administration as “Secretary of Cost-Cutting.”

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump had teased for months that he would hold a rally at Madison Square Garden and officially announced the event earlier in October. 

“This is going to be an iconic, historic day, and you can see it’s already full. I mean, it’s amazing. These tickets sold out in less than three hours. And it shows the enthusiasm, the momentum, the energy as we are in this closing chapter of an unbelievable campaign,” New York Rep. Elise Stefanik told Fox News Digital ahead of the rally, saying New York is in play for the Trump campaign. 

Fox Digital spoke to attendees outside the arena, who said they are “excited” to see Trump at home in New York City and that many New Yorkers are ready to pull the lever for the GOP ticket next week. 

“Absolutely,” Westchester native Alexa Brink told Fox Digital when asked if other New Yorkers she knows will vote for Trump. “All day long; let’s go Trump!” She added that she wasn’t sure if Trump could win New York, “but we’ll try!”

Another rally-goer named Anas Shuaib said that on Nov. 5 voters will tell Harris: “You’re fired.”

Former first lady Melania Trump applauds her husband, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, after he spoke at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

“I’m an Arab American, Muslim American, and I’m voting for Trump because just like Kamala kicked out that Muslim at the rally, Ahmed Ghanim, we’re going to kick her out of the White House. And when Trump becomes president, there’s going to be peace, there’s going to be prosperity, and America first … no one else first,” he said. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Trump said during the rally that he will have the “biggest victory in the history of our country in November.”

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

“We’re running against something far bigger than Joe or Kamala. And far more powerful than them, which is a massive, vicious, crooked, radical left machine that runs today’s Democrat Party. They’re just vessels. In fact, they’re perfect vessels because they’ll never give them a hard time. They’ll do whatever they want. I know many of them. It’s just this amorphous group of people. But they’re smart, and they’re vicious, and we have to defeat them,” he said.

“We’re going to have the biggest victory in the history of our country on Nov. 5, and it’s going to be the biggest victory in history. We’re going to make America great again.”

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

In an effort to secure more support from male voters before Election Day, vice-presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., played Madden NFL together on the live-streaming platform Twitch on Sunday.

“Sundays are for football! Game on, AOC,” Walz wrote in a post on X.

The pair jumped on the streaming service Sunday afternoon, during NFL Sunday games, to discuss the upcoming election.

Ocasio-Cortez opened the session explaining that her and Walz agreed to do the live-stream a couple of weeks ago when he expressed interest in doing a game stream with her. They agreed to play Madden because he used to be a football coach, and he was familiar with the game, having played it with his children in the past. 

KAMALA HARRIS DOWNPLAYS DIMINISHING SUPPORT FROM MALE VOTERS: ‘IT’S NOT THE EXPERIENCE I’M HAVING’

Gov. Tim Walz, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez played a game of ‘Madden’ on Twitch in an attempt to appeal to young male voters. (Twitch)

Walz joined the stream after 30 minutes, wearing a camouflage Minnesota Vikings hat, prior to attending a campaign rally in Nevada. 

The duo wasted no time in throwing jabs at former President Donald Trump and emphasized the importance of Democrats taking control of the House and keeping majority control of the Senate.

“We don’t all share the same politics, we don’t all share the same views, but the need to defeat Trump this year has been my number one priority,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

During the live-stream, Walz told Ocasio-Cortez that if he and Kamala Harris win the election, he would make her the Speaker of the House. 

“We’re gonna win this election. We’re gonna make you put a gavel in your hand in the House,” Walz told Ocasio-Cortez

The two continue to game and chat about a Harris-Walz administration, with Walz eluding that they would eliminate the filibuster.

“The Senate has their own things. They have, kinda their ‘norms and their customs,’ but in order..” Ocasio-Cortez said before Walz cuts in.

TRUMP-VANCE TICKET HAS DONE COMBINED 98 INTERVIEWS SINCE AUGUST COMPARED TO 57 FOR HARRIS-WALZ

“Maybe, maybe, some of those norms, I’m just gonna say I don’t know where you stand, but I’m guessing you and I are probably the same on the filibuster?” Walz asks.

“Oh yeah, we gotta get rid of that thing,” Ocasio-Cortez replies. 

The filibuster is a Senate rule that allows a minority to block legislation pending a supermajority vote.

While Harris first said she would support ending the filibuster to reinstate Roe v. Wade era abortion legislation in 2022, she has since made abortion a major issue in her Democratic bid for the presidency this election cycle. She also supported ending the filibuster to pass the progressive Green New Deal climate legislation in 2019. 

Walz and Ocasio-Cortez also talked about the importance of access to Social Security, bonding over their mutual losses of their dads when they were teenagers.  

“Gov. Tim Walz and I both lost our dads when we were teenagers. A lot of people don’t know that Social Security also helps you if you lose a spouse (or parent, if you’re a kid). It’s so important we defend and expand it,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X following the live stream.

During a campaign rally in North Carolina earlier this month, Walz claimed that his mother has to wait for her social security check every month to feed herself and that Trump and all his “rich friends” don’t care or even worry about Social Security. 

“When my mom looks for that Social Security deposit to be made in her bank account, that’s how she’s going to feed herself. That’s how she’s going to get things done. He [Trump] doesn’t give a damn if his Social Security check comes or not,” Walz claimed. 

Walz touted that a hundred million Americans under Kamala Harris as president would see a tax cut.

Walz and Ocasio-Cortez finished their game after playing one half. Walz played for the Minnesota Vikings, while Ocasio-Cortez played for the Buffalo Bills. The final score was 0-0. 

Walz then campaigned in Las Vegas. He attended a “Latinos con Harris-Walz” get-out-the-early-vote event and watch party for the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs game with Congressman Steven Horsford and Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez on Sunday afternoon.

ELON MUSK BLASTS TIM WALZ AFTER DEMOCRAT TRAINS FIRE ON THE TRUMP-BACKING TYCOON

Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., joins Twitch live-stream to play a game of Madden, against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (X/@Tim_Walz)

The Harris-Walz campaign said they have placed an emphasis on building a network of trusted allies to mobilize their male-driven audiences – including a program called, “Athletes for Harris,” which is co-chaired by NBA players Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, and former NBA legend Magic Johnson.

During an interview with NBC News last week, Harris dismissed her diminishing support among male voters who pressed her on why former President Donald Trump had a 16-point lead over the vice president in the key voting bloc. 

“Why do you think there is a disconnect for you with men right now?” NBC’s Peter Alexander asked Harris during an interview in Michigan that aired on Saturday.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

An NBC poll conducted in early October found that while Harris leads Trump among women voters, 55% to 41%, Trump leads Harris 56% to 40% among male voters.

MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell also called out Harris’ issues with male voters during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press” earlier this month.

Fox News’ Hanna Panreck and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report. 

A dress designer and shop owner in Occoquan, Virginia, is at a loss following a bizarre encounter with a local woman who called the police on his boutique for demonstrating his First Amendment rights by hanging Trump signs out front.

Andre Soriano, an atelier dress designer who is well-known for curating the “Make America Great Again” gown singer-songwriter Joy Villa wore to the 2017 Grammy Awards, received legal notice that he must remove signs in support of former President Trump from his business.

“I actually started a flag war here in Occoquan, Virginia,” Soriano told Fox News Digital during a video interview.

JOY VILLA WEARS PRO-TRUMP DOWN TO GRAMMYS: ‘IMPEACHED AND RE-ELECTED’

Andre Soriano designed the dress singer-songwriter Joy Villa wore to the 2017 Grammy Awards. (Fox News Digital; Getty Images)

Soriano said though the first few moments of the encounter were pleasant, almost immediately, he was met with irrationality and backlash about the patriotic decor perched at the front of the store.

“The reason I put my Trump dress outside is, so I don’t have to encounter [this],” Soriano said.

Audra Johnson, a political activist and friend of Soriano, recorded the run in and posted it to social media after he texted her for help with the scene.

“I have a video of her hiding in a bush,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “I don’t know what she was doing.”

JOY VILLA TURNS HEADS WITH PRO-LIFE OUTFIT AT THE GRAMMYS

The duo said the woman was hysterically crying in the street and that she did call the police. A lone officer removed the woman from the store’s entrance and Johnson said she was taken to a local restaurant to “calm her down”.

“As an American citizen, as a First Amendment in our great nation, you can express yourself by putting your signs in your home and expressing who you are as an individual, whether it’s religion, whether it’s politics or anything that you feel, without harming anyone,” Soriano said. “That’s just the freedom of artistic expression and being free in America, and nowadays, you can’t even express that.”

Soriano and Johnson live in the residences above the store. After being cited by the city to remove the Trump-supporting signs from the business, they suspended them from their homes, despite having been hung for years prior to the incident.

SINGER JOY VILLA MAKES A POLITICAL FASHION STATEMENT AGAINST PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Joy Villa has been known to sport dresses that Hollywood finds controversial to red carpet events. The first she wore was the “Make America Great Again” dress that Andre Soriano designed for her in 2017 after Donald Trump won the presidency. (Getty Images)

However, they were cited a second time to remove some, but not all, the signs.

“We’re just trying our hardest to not get fines we can’t pay,” Johnson said.

“We follow rules,” Soriano said. “We don’t disrespect anyone.”

The business owner is appalled by the ordinance as he believes America is the “land of the free, not the land of what people think.”

“I’m an American designer,” Soriano said. “I am free to express and create whatever I want.”

Soriano, originally from the Philippines, said his mother immigrated the family to America when he was a teenager to live the American Dream.

JOY VILLA: WHY I CHOOSE LIFE OVER ABORTION – THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY THAT BEGAN FOR ME AT 20

Political activist and friend of Andre Soriano caught a woman on camera throwing a fit and calling the police on Soriano’s gown shop for having signs in support of Trump hanging out front. (Andre Soriano)

“I love America,” Soriano said.

The fashion designer said he was once employed by stars, including Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus and Courtney Love, but was blacklisted when he designed the infamous “MAGA” dress from 2017.

“That’s when our lives changed,” he said. “We had death threats.”

“There are a lot of celebrities in Hollywood that are very divisive, and they didn’t really like President Trump,” Soriano said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The creative director added that he lost his friends, clients and potential business opportunities in California.

Johnson was also blacklisted as a stage and film actress when she was photographed marching at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a sign that read “Trump is your president.”

“We’re in an industry where we can’t just say what we want or how we feel,” Johnson said.

“We don’t fit the mold.”

Former President Donald Trump is set to take the stage at Madison Square Garden in deep blue New York City, in a highly-anticipated rally that supporters are calling “iconic.” 

“This is going to be an iconic, historic day, and you can see it’s already full. I mean, it’s amazing. These tickets sold out in less than three hours. And it shows the enthusiasm, the momentum, the energy, as we are in this closing chapter of an unbelievable campaign,” New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik told Fox News Digital from inside Madison Square Garden on Sunday. 

Trump is expected to take the stage after 5 p.m. on Sunday evening, where supporters began gathering on Saturday in anticipation of the event. Trump had teased for months that he would hold a rally at Madison Square Garden and officially announced the event earlier in October. 

“We just rented Madison Square Garden. We’re going to make a play. We’re going to make a play for New York. Hasn’t been done in a long time. It hasn’t been done in many decades,” Trump said during a Pennsylvania rally earlier this month. New York last voted for a Republican president in 1984 during President Ronald Reagan’s landslide victory, when he only lost the state of Minnesota. 

TRUMP PREPS FOR MASSIVE CAMPAIGN RALLY SUNDAY AT NEW YORK CITY’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 27: Police teams take security measures as Trump supporters gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of Donald Trump rally in New York, United States on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Stefanik told Fox Digital that Trump could win the massive state, saying Vice President Kamala Harris is underperforming with voters in New York swing districts. 

“I do think that President Trump can make history and win New York, and here’s why. If you look at Kamala Harris’s performance, she is underperforming Joe Biden in every single swing district in New York City. She will be the lowest performing Democrat nominee for president since the 1980s. President Trump has historic support among growing demographic groups, African American voters, Hispanic voters, Jewish voters, working class voters. So this is an America First movement that works for all Americans and I think that New York could make history on Election Day.”

ELON MUSK, DANA WHITE TO APPEAR AT ‘HISTORIC’ TRUMP MSG RALLY

The rally is first-come, first-serve, and sold out within hours of being announced. Madison Square Garden has a capacity of 19,500 people. 

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 27: Trump supporters gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of Donald Trump rally in New York, United States on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Fox Digital spoke to attendees gathered outside the arena, who relayed they are “excited” to see Trump at home in New York City and that many New Yorkers are ready to pull the lever for the GOP ticket next week. 

“Absolutely,” Westchester native Alexa Brink told Fox Digital when asked if other New Yorkers she knows will vote for Trump. “All day long. Let’s go Trump!” She added that she wasn’t sure if Trump can win New York, “but we’ll try!”

TRUMP TO HOLD RALLY AT NEW YORK’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY

Another rally-goer named Anas Shuaib said that on Nov. 5 voters will tell Harris: “You’re fired.”

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 27: Trump supporters gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of Donald Trump rally in New York, United States on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

“I’m an Arab-American, Muslim-American, and I’m voting for Trump because just like Kamala kicked out that Muslim at the rally, Ahmed Ghanim, we’re going to kick her out of the White House. And when Trump becomes president, there’s going to be peace, there’s going to be prosperity, and America first … no one else first.”

TRUMP ADVISER UNPACKS WHY FORMER PRESIDENT IS HOLDING RALLY IN DEEP-BLUE STATE WEEKS FROM ELECTION

“I want Kamala to know, you’re fired,” he continued. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Stefanik added in her comment to Fox Digital that the rally is a testament to his support nationwide. 

“President Trump has talked with me about this for the past four years, so I’m so glad that this is happening. This is a real testament to so much support that he has, not only in the state of New York, but across the country.”

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

Americans Against Antisemitism founder Dov Hikind, a lifelong Democrat turned Republican, criticized Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris for comparing former President Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden to a Nazi rally at the famous venue in the 1930s.

“My God, what the hell is wrong with these people,” Hikind said in a video posted to X. “This desperation on the part of Hillary Clinton and Harris calling Donald Trump a facist.”

“Madison Square Garden. Half the place is going to be Jews there to support Donald Trump,” he added. “They are so freaking desperate and they are ready to destroy America.”

Hikind noted that his mother was a holocaust survivor in the Auschwitz concentration camp and that most of her family were killed by the Nazis. 

TRUMP ADVISER UNPACKS WHY FORMER PRESIDENT IS HOLDING RALLY IN DEEP-BLUE STATE WEEKS FROM ELECTION

Attendees arrive ahead of a campaign event with former President Donald Trump, not pictured, at Madison Square Garden in New York, US, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.  (Getty Images)

Clinton has linked the rally at MSG to the infamous Nazi rally that took place in the arena in 1939. The event was organized by the pro-Nazi German American Bund and was attended by thousands in the lead-up to World War II. 

On Sunday, Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, echoed the same comparison.

“Donald Trump’s got this big, rally going at Madison Square Garden. There’s a direct parallel to a big rally that happened in the mid-1930s at Madison Square Garden. And don’t think that he doesn’t know for one second exactly what they’re doing there,” Walz said.

TRUMP TO HOLD RALLY AT NEW YORK’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY

Snapping into the regulation Nazi salute, Bund members hail the swastika banner as it is paraded in Madison Square Garden during opening ceremonies of the German American Bund’s “Pro-American Celebration of George Washington’s Birthday.”  (Getty Images)

Hikind, a former New York state lawmaker from Brooklyn, said Trump has the support of many Jews. 

“So much of the Jewish community committed to Israel is supporting Donald Trump,” he said. “To compare him to Nazis, the event at Madison Square Garden. Shame on them. Shame.”

Hikind served as a Democrat for decades before joining the Republican Party in 2023. 

“Unfortunately, the Democratic Party has become so radicalized, so radical, run by the radicals, that people who are moderates or conservative Democrats are not welcomed in the Democratic Party,” Hikind said in a video message announcing his switch. 

“And I’ve had enough. The Democratic Party turns its back on its friends like Israel, the Biden administration right now in policy after policy. I’m just tired. I’ve had enough,” he added. “It took a long long time but I am delighted to join the Republican Party.”

Dov Hikind, a lifelong Democrat who served for 36 years in the New York State Assembly and later founded the group Americans Against Antisemitism, criticized Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris over their remarks about former President Trump’s campaign rally at Madison Square Garden.  (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns. 

Louisiana House candidate Elbert Guillory released an advertisement explaining his decision to switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party, arguing it is the GOP that has the history of championing the rights of the Black community.

“It was the right decision, not only for me, but for all my brothers and sisters in the Black community,” Guillory said in the ad, explaining his decision. “The Democratic Party has created the illusion that their agenda and their policies are what’s best for Black people. Somehow, it’s been forgotten that the Republican Party was founded in 1842 as an abolitionist movement.” 

The ad comes just over a week before Guillory faces off with four other candidates in Louisiana’s primary election, with Guillory being the only Republican candidate in the field.

TRADITIONALLY DEM LEADERS IN KEY MICHIGAN VOTING BLOC DITCH HARRIS, ENDORSE TRUMP

Former Louisiana state Sen. Elbert Guillory is running for Congress. (Screen grab)

Louisiana uses a majority-vote system, with all candidates, regardless of party, competing in the same election. If a candidate is able to get over 50% of the vote, that candidate wins the election outright. If no candidate is able to achieve the 50% mark, the two top candidates will then compete in a runoff election the following month.

Guillory served in the Louisiana House from 2007 to 2009 and the state Senate from 2009 to 2016. He switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican during his time in the state Senate in 2013.

In his new ad, Guillory explained the decision as a simple one, arguing that Democrats have done little to actually help the Black community.

“The Democrats, on the other hand, were the party of Jim Crow. It was Democrats who defended the rights of slave owners,” Guillory said. “It was the Republican President Dwight Eisenhower who championed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, but it was the Democrats in the Senate who filibustered the bill.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower poses for a portrait before his inauguration to become president of Columbia University on June 1, 1948, in New York City. (Irving Haberman/IH Images/Getty Images)

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: VOTER OUTREACH, BALLOT EFFICIENCY AND A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING

Guillory is making the pitch to voters in a district that is now much more competitive for Democrats after the state’s maps were redrawn in 2022, with the Cook Political Report rating the race as “Solid Democratic” as of Oct. 22.

Nevertheless, Guillory is standing behind his decision to switch parties.

“At the heart of liberalism is the idea that only a great and powerful big government can be the benefactor of social justice for all Americans,” he said in the ad. “But the left is only concerned with one thing, control, and they disguise this control as charity programs such as welfare, food stamps.”

Voter services van in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“These programs aren’t designed to lift Americans out of poverty,” he continued, “They were always intended as a mechanism for politicians to control the Black community. The idea that Blacks, or anyone for that matter, need the government to get ahead in life is despicable.”

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

Vice President Kamala Harris is back in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Sunday, where she spoke before a Philadelphia church congregation and subsequently came under fire from social media commenters for allegedly unveiling a “new accent” during the event. 

“BREAKING: Kamala Harris unveils a new accent at a black Philadelphia church,” popular conservative X account “End Wokeness” posted Sunday accompanied by video of Harris at the event. 

Harris traveled to the Church of Christian Compassion in Philadelphia on Sunday morning, where she spoke to the predominantly Black congregants, telling them that in just nine days, voters will “have the power to decide the fate of our nation for generations to come.”

“Here in Pennsylvania, right now each of us has an opportunity to make a difference. Because in this moment we do face a real question. What kind of country do we want to live in?” she said. “The great thing about living in a democracy is we the people have the choice to answer that question. So let us answer not just with our words, but with our works.”

HARRIS MOCKED ONLINE FOR BREAKING OUT ANOTHER ‘NEW ACCENT’ AT CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS EVENT

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a service at the Church of Christian Compassion, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Harris cited the Book of Psalms in her remarks, including saying: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the mornin’. The path may seem hard, the work may seem heavy, but joy cometh in the mornin’ and church morning is on its way.” 

Critics on social media pounced on clips of Harris quoting Psalms, saying she debuted a new “pastor” accent, comparing her inflection to Martin Luther King’s tenor. 

KAMALA HARRIS RALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY REPEATING SAME SPEECH IN DIFFERENT ACCENTS

Harris has previously been accused by critics of unveiling new “accents” while on the campaign trail, including one last month when she spoke before the Congressional Black Caucus, and another “accent” that was compared to “Foghorn Leghorn” during a Labor Day rally in Detroit when she spoke to blue-collar union workers. 

“Since when does the vice president have what sounds like a Southern accent?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last month following her Detroit speech that was compared to the “Foghorn Leghorn” cartoon character. 

WHITE HOUSE DISMISSES QUESTIONS ABOUT KAMALA HARRIS’ NEW ‘SOUTHERN ACCENT:’ ‘JUST INSANE’

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a service at the Church of Christian Compassion, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jean-Pierre replied. 

“Well, she was talking about unions in Detroit using one tone of voice, she used the same line in Pittsburgh, and it sounded like she at least had some kind of Southern drawl,” Doocy pressed.

KAMALA HARRIS CALLED OUT FOR ‘STRANGE’ ACCENT: ‘IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE’

“I mean, do you hear the question that you’re – I mean, do you think Americans seriously think that this is an important question?” Jean-Pierre pushed back. “You know what they care about? They care about the economy, they care about lowering costs, they care about health care. That’s what they want to hear… democracy and freedom… I’m not going to even entertain some question about… it’s just. Hearing it sounds so ridiculous. The question – I’m talking about the question – is just insane.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign regarding the Philadelphia speech and critics who lambasted the VP for unveiling the “new accent,” but did not immediately receive a reply on Sunday afternoon. 

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris (Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Pennsylvania is again a key battleground state this election cycle, after Trump won the state in his successful presidential election in 2016, and President Biden claimed the state in 2020. Both Trump and Harris have repeatedly crisscrossed the state in recent months as they work to lock up votes in the state that will likely determine the overall outcome of the election. 

Harris will hold a campaign rally in Philadelphia later Sunday, while Trump will join a rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden Sunday evening. 

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

FIRST ON FOX: Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks is demanding an investigation be opened into a Minnesota professor who was appointed to a working group examining “ethnic studies” within Gov. Tim Walz’s Minnesota Department of Education, excoriating the professor’s previous comments that the U.S. be “overthrown” because it is “irreversibly racist.”

“[Brian Lozenski] has clearly explained, publicly and on video, that he supports the deconstruction and overthrow of the United States because our nation is irredeemably racist and evil. This is a radical and destructive worldview, that, because of Governor Walz’s recent signing of Minnesota’s education law, will be taught to thousands of children across your state,” Banks, who is running for the Senate and secured an endorsement from former President Trump last month, wrote in his letter. 

The letter was first obtained by Fox News Digital and calls on Jennifer Hoppenstedt, interim inspector general of the Minnesota Department of Education, to investigate Brian Lozenski, associate professor of urban and multicultural education at Macalester College, over comments calling for an “insurrection against the United States.” Macalester College is a private liberal arts school in St. Paul, Minnesota.

WALZ STATE EDUCATION APPOINTEE CALLED FOR THE US TO BE ‘OVERTHROWN’ AND ‘DECONSTRUCTED’

Rep. Jim Banks and Gov. Tim Walz (Getty Images)

“​​I am calling on you to investigate Mr. Lozenski’s history of advocating for insurrection against the United States, and to investigate whether Mr. Lozenski’s radical, anti-America views influenced the Minnesota’s Ethnic Studies Working Group development of its Ethnic Studies framework,” Banks continued in his letter. 

TIM WALZ’S SCHOOL LUNCH FIASCO GOT SCAMMED FOR $250 MILLION RIGHT UNDER HIS NOSE

Lozenski was appointed by Walz’s state Department of Education to help write the framework of ethnic studies standards for the state. The working group’s framework for ethnic studies is set to wrap up on Oct. 31, with Banks’ letter sent to the IG roughly a week before the deadline. 

Walz taught high school social studies before launching his political career as a U.S. House member representing Minnesota in 2006. 

Rep. Jim Banks speaks during a news conference to criticize the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan outside the U.S. Capitol on Aug. 24, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital previously reported that a video published on June 19, 2022, by The Solidarity Network, showed Lozenski discussing his critical race theory research, and arguing that the U.S. is “irreversibly racist” and “must be overthrown.” 

“We don’t use critical race theory in school,” Lozenski said. “The first tenet of critical race theory is that the United States, as constructed, is irreversibly racist. So, if the nation state, as constructed, is irreversibly racist, then it must be done with. It must be overthrown,” he said in the 2022 video.

HARRIS NOW MUM ON REPARATIONS SHE SIGNALED SUPPORT FOR IN 2020 WHITE HOUSE RUN

“We can be like, ‘Oh no, critical race theory is just about telling our stories and diversity,’” he added. “It’s not about that. It’s about overgrowth. It is insurgent.”

Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a get-out-the-vote rally on Oct. 22, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The video was removed from YouTube last month as it gained media attention amid Walz’s ongoing campaign for the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket. 

“You can’t be a critical race theorist and be pro-U.S. OK, it is an anti-state theory that says the United States needs to be deconstructed, period,” he continued in the video. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign, Lozenski, and the Minnesota Department of Education but did not immediately receive replies on Sunday. Banks sent the letter on Friday. 

KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ, ENDORSED BY TEACHERS UNIONS, RECEIVE FAILING GRADE FROM SCHOOL CHOICE GROUP

“Mr. Lozenski is a critical race theory advocate and associate professor of urban and multicultural education at Macalester College. He apparently was selected to sit on the working group following his advocacy for Minnesota House bill 1502, which established the ethnic studies working group, because of his experience teaching ethnic studies in St. Paul Public Schools,” Banks continued in his letter. 

Banks’ letter comes as Harris and Walz make their final pitch to voters in the final leg of the election cycle. (Reuters)

TIM WALZ APPEARANCE PROMPTS PROTESTS AND SILENT TREATMENT AT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME: ‘GETTING DESPERATE’

“He also founded a group called Education for Liberation Minnesota, which advocates for additional ethnic studies curriculum in Minnesota public schools. Unsurprisingly, a closer look at Mr. Lozenski’s past statements reveals radical political views that should disqualify him from working in public education and certainly from developing a statewide curriculum.”

Lozenski’s biography touts that he is the author of a book titled “My Emancipation Don’t Fit Your Equation: Critical Enactments of Black Education in the US,” and sits on the editorial board of a journal called Ethnic Studies Pedagogies.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Banks’ letter comes as Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz make their final pitch to voters in the final leg of the election cycle. A national poll published by the Wall Street Journal last week found Trump has a slight edge over Harris, at 47% support to 45%. 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

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

Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offered praise for former President Trump’s plan to fund his transition on his own, arguing it is something that’s never been done before.

“Normally, the transition team is not created until Nov. 6th because GAO, the General Accounting Office, pays for all the cost of the transition team. Trump said, ‘I’m not going to do it this time. I’m not going to do it their way. I’m going to start my own transition team three months early.’ And he got private donors to fund it,” Kennedy said during a Trump-Vance campaign event over the weekend.

The comments come after Trump appeared on the popular Joe Rogan podcast where he discussed some of the mistakes he made during his first run for president in 2016, including putting people in positions he would later regret putting on his team.

RFK JR URGES CATHOLICS TO VOTE FOR TRUMP IN NEW AD

Former Republican presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shake hands during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

This time around, Trump began the process of privately funding his transition early, hoping to learn from his experience and hit the ground running with a plan if he secures an election victory.

Trump has faced a wave of criticism over the last week for comments made by some former officials in his administration, with former Trump chief of staff John Kelly saying in an interview with the New York Times that his former boss met the definition of a fascist and at times offered praise for German dictator Adolf Hitler.

Trump has denied the praise for Hitler and fired back at Kelly, calling his former chief of staff a “lowlife” in response to the interview.

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump departs after speaking during a campaign rally at the Suburban Collection Showplace, Oct. 26, 2024, in Novi, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

JD VANCE TAKES APPARENT JAB AT KAMALA HARRIS SAYING SHE’S FROM A WORKING-CLASS FAMILY

Trump announced in August that Kennedy, who dropped his independent bid for president and endorsed the former president this year, would be added to his transition team along with former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who crossed party lines to support Trump in 2024.

Kennedy argued that such a broad group of supporters assisting in the transition would be an asset if Trump were to win the election.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump welcomes former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard during a campaign rally at Greensboro Coliseum, Oct. 22, 2024, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“There’s people of all different kinds of ideology and people who we’re going to have to go up against on that transition team and fight for our vision,” Kennedy said. “But I can tell you this, which is unique: There are no corporate lobbyists on that transition team. And usually it’s 100% corporate lobbyists. So it’s very, very different, and it gives me lots of hope that this government is going to be different than any government we’ve ever seen.”