NationalWatch

The Harris campaign on Friday put out a letter penned by 13 ex-Trump administration officials seeking to bolster claims made by former President Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly.

During a series of interviews conducted with the media and published earlier this week, Kelly recounted multiple occasions when the former president praised Adolf Hitler. Kelly also insisted Trump met the “general definition of a fascist” and would govern like a dictator if allowed. The claim about Hitler, from Kelly, was bolstered by similar accounts released in the media this week from anonymous sources who claimed to overhear the same thing.

“We applaud General Kelly for highlighting in stark detail the danger of a second Trump term,” the letter stated. “Everyone should heed General Kelly’s warning.”

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

The letter’s signatories included Stephanie Grisham, Trump’s former press secretary; Miles Taylor, Trump’s former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security; Alyssa Farah Griffin, co-host of ABC’s “The View” and a former Trump press secretary; and Mark Harvey, a former special assistant to Trump. Olivia Troye, a former national security adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence who has signed multiple letters from Republicans attacking Trump, signed this letter, as well.

PLAYING THE HITLER CARD: WILL TRUMP BACKERS DISMISS JOHN KELLY’S ATTACK?

“Like General Kelly, we did not take the decision to come forward lightly,” the letter added. “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.”

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in response to the Friday letter that Kelly had “totally beclowned himself” with what he described as “fabricated” allegations.

HARRIS ACCUSES TRUMP OF SEEKING ‘UNCHECKED POWER,’ BEING ‘UNHINGED AND UNSTABLE’

“He failed to serve his President well while working as Chief of Staff and currently suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Cheung said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “President Trump has always honored the service and sacrifice of all of our military men and women, whereas Kamala Harris has completely disrespected the families of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, including the Abbey Gate 13.”

Former President Trump speaks as he visits a campaign office in Hamtranck, Michigan, on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A Republican who was privy to the working relationship between Kelly and Trump, Nick Ayers, argued in contrast to the Friday letter that Kelly should not be believed. Ayers was a former chief of staff to Pence during his tenure as Trump’s vice president.

HILLARY CLINTON ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘REENACTING’ INFAMOUS NAZI RALLY AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN: WE CAN’T IGNORE IT

“This unequivocally did not happen. Full stop,” Ayers told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum following news of Kelly’s claims. “John Kelly was never shy to point out to senior staff when he differed with the president, often behind President Trump’s back, so I can assure you, had those comments been made the national media would have known — all of us would have known — instantly.”

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Ayers added that Kelly was “rarely ever alone with the president,” and accused Kelly of playing politics. “They’re desperate to change the subject,” Ayers said, referring to Democrats.

The Department of Homeland Security reportedly approved refugee applications for members of a Venezuelan gang now causing havoc in states across the U.S., and authorities have increased efforts to track and deport members.

Kevin Grigsby, the head of refugee operations at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, told officials in an internal email that members of Tren de Aragua had been approved for refugee status and made it to the U.S. before a different agency spotted tattoos indicating gang membership. They were then stopped from entering, according to The Washington Times.

“Unfortunately, we did not ask about the tattoos during our adjudication or did not identify that the tattoos asked about were consistent with gang membership,” he wrote in a Sept. 16 email, the Times reported.

DHS IDENTIFIES HUNDREDS OF MIGRANTS WITH POSSIBLE TIES TO BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG 

A still image from social media video shows suspected juvenile Tren de Aragua members based at the Roosevelt Hotel who have allegedly been targeting nearby Times Square in a string of robberies. (Obtained by New York Post)

“The potential entry of suspected gang members into the United States represents a serious public safety concern that we need to make sure we are being vigilant against.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to USCIS for comment.

The gang is believed to have started in the Tocoron prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua and has since expanded into Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the U.S. It has grown in the U.S. during the historic migrant crisis at the southern border. States like New York, Texas and Colorado have been dealing with crimes allegedly committed by the gang.

The revelation comes as DHS confirmed this week that it is not recommending that more than 100 migrants it has identified as having ties to Tren de Aragua be put on an FBI watchlist. The agency flagged more than 600 migrants with possible ties overall, but officials believe that many of those are relatives or victims or witnesses to crimes by the gang.

WHO IS TREN DE ARAGUA? VICIOUS VENEZUELAN GANG ‘FOLLOWING IN THE PATH OF MS-13’ IN AMERICA 

In a statement, DHS said the identities emerged as part of an ongoing rescreening operation to tackle the gang. 

“As a part of our work to counter TdA, DHS has an ongoing operation to crack down on gang members through rescreening certain individuals previously encountered, in addition to the rigorous screening and vetting at the border,” a DHS spokesperson said.

The agency said that those confirmed or suspected of being gang members will be either referred for prosecution or placed into expedited removal — a deportation process that allows for the quick removal of illegal immigrants.

This compilation shows suspected Tren de Aragua members and the southern border, (Fox News/Border Patrol)

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The statement stressed that those identified in the rescreening “include those already in custody, potential victims or witnesses who are not themselves suspected of being TdA members, and others who may not have any involvement in TdA at all.”

TdA has become an issue in the presidential election as well. Former President Trump announced recently he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle “every illegal migrant criminal network operating on American soil.” 

The co-founder of Death Row Records, one of the most recognizable and influential record labels in the music industry, spoke to Fox News Digital about why he recently decided to endorse former President Trump over VP Kamala Harris.

“It’s about his track record,” Michael “Harry-O” Harris told Fox News Digital about his decision to endorse Trump, who granted Harris clemency from a 33-year prison sentence that had seven years remaining on it as one of his last actions as president. 

“The former president, while president, enacted some initiatives that speaks to my community specifically and other people as well.”

Harris cited several examples of policies from the first Trump administration that he feels are in line with the goals of his organization, Community First Action, including permanent funding for HBCUs, opportunity zones promoting investment in low income neighborhoods, the First Step Act, and bipartisan legislation combating sickle cell anemia.

MSNBC ANCHOR SHOCKED BY BLACK, LATINO VOTERS SUPPORTING TRUMP’S MASS DEPORTATION POLICY

Michael Harris (Getty Images)

Polls have increasingly shown that Trump has made significant inroads with the Black community and is expected by many to earn a historically strong share of those votes in November. Harris told Fox News Digital he believes it is due in part to voters trusting that Trump will keep his word, and a lack of movement from the Biden-Harris administration. 

“People have more confidence that he will keep his word and I think it’s kind of based on some of the same research that we did, that when somebody doesn’t campaign on something but actually enacted laws . . . that wants to double down on what he did in the first administration,” Harris said. 

“I haven’t heard that from the other side as much. I mean, what I’ve heard, I believe, frankly, came a little bit too late, too little, too late. And so, when it comes to a balancing act, and you have to make a decision, the critical decision that could affect your life and the life of your family, you have to go based on facts, and the facts are that for the last three and a half years, the previous, the present administration hasn’t really focused on our community.”

TRUMP, HARRIS NECK AND NECK AS DEMS LOSE GROUND AMONG LATINO, BLACK VOTERS: POLL

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures at a campaign rally at the Findlay Toyota Arena Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Prescott Valley, Ariz.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Harris told Fox News Digital that “there’s nothing to refer to of substance” that the Biden-Harris administration has done to “help elevate our community.”

“But even with that said, I still put the challenge out to both candidates and President Trump tapped in and that support meant a lot to our organization but more importantly to our community that somebody is committing to working with us to deal with real issues in the community.”

Fox News Digital asked Harris what his theory is as to why VP Harris has struggled to earn the support of Black voters the way that President Biden did, according to polling.

“I think that, people at large, I just want to be honest here. Don’t understand the intelligence of the black community,” Harris responded. “I think that they put them in a box and just think that everybody suffers from the herd mentality, that just because certain parts of our community say we should do this, then everybody should do it.”

“I’m not saying that some people don’t fall into that bracket, but a lot of people go back to reality. They have to go back to reality, because they are living in reality that their groceries is triple or double the gas is double or triple that just to be able to rent or pay their mortgage is double. Things have changed for them in a dramatic way in the last four years.“

Harris continued, “So when somebody starts saying vote for me just because is insulting, and I think that that’s what the fallback is that somebody is going to vote for you for a double up of what they just had. I think people are too intelligent for that.”

Harris also spoke about his “life-changing” experience of being pardoned by Trump after spending decades in prison on drug trafficking charges. 

“I’d been gone for 33 years and President Trump decided to make a difference and what some people don’t know, I had put in a request for clemency twice under President Obama’s administration and never heard anything back and the fact that President Trump on his way out was able to provide that relief to me and others, I can’t even put words around it,” Harris said. “It changed everything for me. It changed everything for my family. It gave me an opportunity to re-engage in society and try to do my part. To make it a better place.“

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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a CNN town hall in Aston, Pa., on Wednesday, Oct. 23. (AP/Matt Rourke)

Harris explained that he had met with Trump for about an hour after being released from prison and shed some light on what that conversation looked like.

“We just sat and talked about issues and about family, and I remember me asking him, you know, because I’m so grateful, you know? What can I do for you? He said you don’t owe me nothing, the only thing you owe me to be honest with you is to be successful,” Harris said. “I read your file. I saw what you had done while you was away, and it was commendable, and I just didn’t think that you should do another day in prison.”

Earlier this month, Harris released the “O-Plan” as a “challenge for anyone seeking to be President of the United States of America to commit to the following policy proposals to end fleeting promises of hope and change.”

Those proposals include promoting economic self-sufficiency to end the vicious cycle of generational debt, incentivizing responsible homeownership through the expansion of “rent to own” programs, and developing a comprehensive and targeted economic empowerment program that fosters financial literacy, career development, and entrepreneurship education.

Shortly after that announcement, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Michael Harris (Harry O) is working hard to support and build on what my administration did for Black Americans in the first term. Good luck to Michael and the Community First team. Working together, we will Make America Great Again for everyone!”

The latest major national poll in the 2024 race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump indicates a dead heat – the latest metric to point to a White House race well within the margin-of-error.

However, in the battle for campaign cash – another important indicator in presidential politics – there is a clear frontrunner, Vice President Harris.

According to the latest figures the two major party presidential campaigns filed with the Federal Election Commission, Harris is reported hauling in $97 million during the first half of October.

MORE THAN 20,000 PEOPLE SHOW UP AT THIS STAR-STUDDED POLITICAL RALLY

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at James R. Hallford Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Clarkston, Georgia. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

That far outpaced the $16 million the Trump campaign said it raised during the first half of this month.

Both campaigns use a slew of affiliated fundraising committees to haul in cash, and when those are included, Trump narrowed the gap but was still soundly topped $176 million to $97 million during the first two weeks of this month.

FROM ‘JOYFUL WARRIOR’ TO CALLING TRUMP A ‘FACIST’ – KAMALA HARRIS CHANGES HER MESSAGING IN THE FINAL STRETCH

The new filings also spotlight that the Harris campaign continues to vastly outspend the Trump campaign. During the first 16 days of October, the Democratic presidential nominee’s campaign outspent Trump $166 million to $99 million – with paid media the top expenditure for both campaigns.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump laughs after speaking during a campaign rally on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Las Vegas. (AP/Alex Brandon)

However, Harris finished the reporting period with more cash in her coffers – reporting a cash-on-hand of $119 million as of Oct. 16, with Trump at $36 million. When joint-fundraising committees are also included, Harris holds a $240 million to $168 million cash-on-hand advantage.

President Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) enjoyed a fundraising lead over Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) earlier this year. However, Trump and the RNC topped Biden and the DNC by $331 million to $264 million during the second quarter of 2024 fundraising.

Biden enjoyed a brief fundraising surge after his disastrous performance in his late June debate with Trump, as donors briefly shelled out big bucks in a sign of support for the 81-year-old president.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION

However, Biden’s halting and shaky debate delivery also instantly fueled questions about his physical and mental ability to serve another four years in the White House and spurred a rising chorus of calls from within his own party for the president to end his bid for a second term. The brief surge in fundraising did not last and, by early July, it began to significantly slow down. 

Biden bowed out of the 2024 race on July 21, and the party quickly consolidated around Harris, who instantly saw her fundraising soar, spurred by small-dollar donations. Harris has vastly outpaced Trump in fundraising since taking over at the top of the Democrats’ ticket.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

This is not the first time Trump’s faced a fundraising deficit. He raised less than 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in his White House victory and was outraised by Biden four years ago in his re-election defeat.

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When asked about the fundraising deficit, RNC chair Michael Whatley told Fox News Digital last month that “the Democrats have a ton of money. The Democrats always have a ton of money.”

However, he emphasized that “we absolutely have the resources that we need to get our message out to all the voters that we’re talking to and feel very comfortable that we’re going to be able to see this campaign through, and we’re going to win on Nov. 5.”

Fundraising is a key measure of a candidate’s popularity and their campaign’s strength. The money raised can be used to – among other things – hire staff, expand grassroots outreach and get-out-the-vote efforts, pay to produce and run ads on TV, radio, digital and mailers, and for candidate travel.

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

FIRST ON FOX: Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris visited the mega church of a controversial pastor this past Sunday in a key swing state, where she thanked him for his “leadership” and said she was honored to be in attendance to “celebrate” what he has “accomplished.”

Harris attended a church service at the Georgia-based New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, which is under the pastoral leadership of senior pastor Jamal H. Bryant. The longtime pastor has repeatedly praised the antisemitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and said gay people should feel “uncomfortable” in their “sin.”

Bryant, who introduced Harris as an “American hero” and “voice of the future,” told the congregation that their unborn grandchildren are going to one day ask where they were on the day of the church service and called on them to “make some noise” for their “fearless leader.”

“Pastor Bryant, I thank you for your leadership,” Harris said while delivering remarks for about 20 minutes in front of the New Birth congregation. “You and I have discussed that we first met almost 20 years ago when there was a convening of rising stars in the country, and we had conversations back then about how we thought of our role and responsibility to our country and our responsibility and duty as leaders.”

BIDEN CABINET OFFICIAL POSES FOR PHOTO WITH ONE OF FARRAKHAN’S ‘TOP SOLDIERS’ AT DNC

VP Harris and Pastor Bryant at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church on October 20, 2024. (Youtube Screenshot)

“It is so good to be with you this morning to celebrate what you have accomplished with this extraordinary congregation,” she added.

Bryant, who donated $500 to the Harris campaign a week after President Biden announced that he wasn’t running for re-election, has been a vocal Harris supporter and said earlier this summer that he and other Black leaders were “mobilizing an army” in support of her campaign. 

“It was a sister that raised you, it was a sister that taught you how to read. It takes a real man to support a woman,” Bryant said during his sermon. He added, “You were born for such a time as this,” referring to Harris.

Despite Bryant’s praise for Harris and boosting her candidacy, his past controversial comments could come back to haunt the Harris campaign.

He has a long history of praising Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has espoused antisemitic rhetoric dating back decades, including calling Jews “wicked” and comparing them to termites by saying he was “anti-termite.” Bryant interviewed the Nation of Islam leader in 2015 and said he is “one of the greatest leaders of our people.”

“We welcome to the Word Network and the entire world, the honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan! We’re honored to have you, sir,” Bryant said while introducing him. “I’m so appreciative to be able to mark in history that I lived in the same chasm of time as one of the greatest leaders of our people.”

In a tweet from 2019, Bryant said that he was “humbled” to be in Farrakhan’s presence. His Twitter page has dozens of other tweets related to Farrakhan.

TOP BIDEN ADVISER HAS BEEN EMPLOYED FOR DECADES AT CHURCH THAT GAVE PLATFORM TO ANTISEMITES: ‘DEVIL BY NATURE’

Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan delivers a speech and talks about U.S. President Donald Trump, at the Watergate Hotel, on November 16, 2017 in Washington, D.C.  (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Bryant has also been critical of the gay community, telling a congregation at the Baltimore Empowerment Temple in 2012 that “homosexuality is not the only sin, but it is a sin,” while adding that it is their “responsibility” to make gay people and other sinners “uncomfortable in [their] sin.” 

He went on to attack former President Obama for supporting gay marriage and not giving Black pastors a warning, causing them to feel blindsided and betrayed. He told the congregation that Obama was “Black and wrong” and “Black and out of order.”

Harris has been a longtime supporter of gay rights and her campaign website says she will “always defend the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride.”

“In 2004, she officiated some of the nation’s first same-sex marriages and as Attorney General, she refused to defend California’s anti-marriage equality statewide referendum,” her campaign website continued. “As President, she’ll fight to pass the Equality Act to enshrine anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQI+ Americans in health care, housing, education and more into law.”

During Harris’ remarks at Bryant’s church, she also gave a shout-out to her controversial hometown pastor and longtime mentor, Rev. Amos Brown, who was in attendance at the church service, calling him a “source of comfort and solace for me for so many years” and praising his “wisdom.”

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Vice President Harris’ longtime mentor and pastor, Amos Brown, once pinned blame on the United States for the 9/11 attacks. (Fox News)

Brown, who has faced backlash for past comments, including blaming the United States for the September 11th attacks and repeatedly defending Obama’s controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright, also delivered remarks during the church service.

At one point during his prayer, Brown called for God to “speak to every Black male and have him to know he spits on their graves when he refuses to vote. Speak to every Black male that he will know that we must not trample on the graves of those who gave up their lives for the right to vote.”

“Thank you, oh God, for this day that we pray for our member and thy servant, Kamala Harris. Oh God, may she know that she moves around this nation. You will guide her. You will protect her, and she will be able to say, ‘I will make the darkness light before thee, and what is wrong I know you will make it right before me and all my battles I will fight before thee.'”

Fox News Digital reached out to New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and the Harris campaign for comment but did not receive a response.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday dodged a question about whether her administration would continue the construction of a wall along the southern border, as illegal immigration and the border policies of the Biden administration continue to rank among the top issues for voters.

Harris was speaking to reporters when she was asked about the barrier construction, which was brought up during a CNN town hall meeting in the swing state of Pennsylvania Wednesday. 

“I will tell you that my highest priority is to put the resources into ensuring that our border is secure, which is why I’ve been very clear. I’m going to bring back up as president that bipartisan border security bill and make sure that it is brought to my desk so I can sign it into law,” she said before criticizing former President Trump. 

OBAMA CLAIMS TRUMP ‘DID NOT SOLVE’ IMMIGRATION ‘PROBLEM.’ THE NUMBERS TELL A DIFFERENT STORY

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, speaks during a CNN town hall in Aston, Pa., Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP/Matt Rourke)

“The biggest issue that we have right now is that Donald Trump has stood in the way of what would have been a proven part of the solution to the bigger problem, which is that we have a broken immigration system in America, and we need to fix it,” Harris continued. 

Harris has repeatedly scorned Trump over his border policies, which resulted in a sharp decline in illegal immigrant crossings into the United States. Trump ran in 2016 on a pledge to build a border wall and have Mexico pay for it, but it never did. 

MIGRANTS CAUGHT AT BORDER BUSED, FLOWN OUT OF SAN DIEGO IN POSSIBLE ‘COVER UP’ BEFORE ELECTION: OFFICIAL

“How much of that wall did he build? I think the last number I saw was about 2%,” Harris said Wednesday. 

Harris was asked at the town hall if she agreed to earmark $650 million to continue construction of the border wall, which Harris previously called “stupid.”

“I pledge that I am going to bring forward that bipartisan bill to further strengthen and secure our border. Yes, I am, and I’m going to work across the aisle to pass a comprehensive bill that deals with a broken immigration system,” she responded. 

On Thursday, Harris said Trump prefers to run on the problem instead of fixing the immigration system. 

“I intend to fix the problem in a way that is just about practical solutions that are within our arm’s reach. If we have the commitment to do it,” she said without responding to the border wall question. 

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On the campaign trail and in media interviews, she has dodged questions about the Biden administration’s border policies that resulted in record-high numbers of illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. and migrant crime, preferring to criticize Trump and promote a 2021 bill as evidence that Biden tried to strengthen U.S. immigration policies ahead of the migrant crisis.

That bill would have paved the way to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. 

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was privately infuriated at then-National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Rick Scott’s last-minute leaderhip challenge in 2022, calling it an attempt to shift attention from the Florida Republican’s “poor job” running the Senate GOP campaign arm, according to a forthcoming biography.

“McConnell was furious with Scott,” wrote Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief of the Associated Press in the book “The Price of Power.”

“He’s angry about it because since he’s been leader he’s always had command and control of the conversation during a midterm, and this changed that,” former McConnell Chief of Staff Josh Holmes said in the biography.

The leader said at the time, according to the book, “I don’t think Rick makes a very good victim.” 

SCHUMER, DEMS PRE-ELECTION REPORT URGES VOTERS TO BE WARY OF ‘MISINFORMATION’ ABOUT RESULTS

McConnell was reportedly ‘furious’ when Scott challenged his re-election as leader. (Reuters)

“I think he did a poor job of running the [Senate campaign] committee. His plan was used by the Democrats against our candidates as late as the last weekend [before the election.] He promoted the fiction that we were in the middle of a big sweep when there was no tangible evidence of it,” McConnell reportedly added. 

He referenced an 11-point agenda “to Rescue America” that Scott released while chairing the NRSC, the book said. The plan was unveiled after McConnell, the longtime Republican leader, had dismissed efforts to put out such an agenda ahead of the midterms, considering it to be a mistake. 

According to the biography, previewed by Fox News Digital, McConnell believed himself to have been right about this and thought Scott’s plan was “laughably bad.” 

The leader specifically lamented parts of Scott’s plan stating that all Americans should pay some degree of income tax, and “All federal legislation sunsets in five years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.” 

These were things McConnell expected Democrats to seize on, especially as the latter could be understood as endangering Social Security and Medicare. 

SAM BROWN BEGINS TO CLOSE GAP WITH INCUMBENT SEN. JACKY ROSEN IN BATTLEGROUND NEVADA

McConnell is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

According to the forthcoming book, McConnell stated that Scott’s “campaign against me was some kind of ill-fated effort to turn the attention away from him and onto somebody else” when Republicans did not take back the Senate majority in the midterms. 

At the time, the leader reportedly said, “We had a good opportunity to discuss the differences, people had an opportunity to listen to both candidates, and I’m pretty proud of 37 to 10,” in reference to the vote totals in the secret ballot. 

The Kentucky Republican reportedly wasn’t offended by the challenge from Scott. In fact, he took great pleasure in the personal win, according to the book. 

“McConnell relished the win like his childhood pummeling of Dicky McGrew,” wrote Tackett. Tackett said that McGrew was a “friend and foe” of young McConnell, who picked on him until his father demanded he confront his bully. The now-Republican leader fist-fought McGrew as a child, despite the latter being bigger and stronger, the book said.

His deep private enjoyment of triumphing over Scott’s challenge exemplified a “competitive fire” noted in the biography that “could sometimes flare hotter when he was confronting Republicans who opposed him than when he was tangling with Democrats.” 

TIM WALZ SLAMS ELON MUSK AS A ‘DIPS—‘ DURING RALLY WITH OBAMA IN WISCONSIN

Scott sought to take over as leader in 2022. (Alex Wong)

McConnell gave this greater credence in recent remarks in Kentucky during the congressional recess. Explaining that “I’m still a traditional Republican: pro-trade, low taxes, pro-business,” he told the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, “there are some on my side now who don’t sound that way.”

“I’m going to be arguing more with them probably than the Democrats. Again, depending upon how the election comes out.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Scott responded to McConnell’s revealed comments about himself, saying, “While Leader McConnell and I have fundamental disagreements, I am shocked that he would attack a fellow Republican senator and the Republican nominee for president just two weeks out from an election.”

Scott was referring to McConnell’s several past candid criticisms of former President Donald Trump outlined in the book.

While Trump is competing for the presidency against Vice President Kamala Harris, Scott is also seeking re-election in Florida.

TOP REPUBLICANS ACCUSE FTC CHAIR OF HATCH ACT VIOLATIONS OVER ‘CAMPAIGN-STYLE EVENTS’ WITH DEMS

Senators John Cornyn, John Thune and Rick Scott are contenders in the race to succeed Mitch McConnell as leader. (Getty Images)

“I believe we should be talking about solutions, he doesn’t,” Scott continued. “I support Donald Trump and his work to fundamentally change the way Washington operates, he doesn’t. I believe we should support the candidates Republican voters choose, he doesn’t.”

“With almost $36 trillion in debt, an open southern border, historic inflation, and a world on fire, I know we need dramatic change, and he doesn’t.”

As for McConnell’s remarks about Trump detailed in the book, he said in a statement, “Whatever I may have said about President Trump pales in comparison to what JD Vance, Lindsey Graham, and others have said about him, but we are all on the same team now.” 

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The leader, who is the longest-serving party head in Senate history, notably announced in February that he would not be seeking to lead the GOP conference again, opening up the opportunity for the first time in years. 

Earlier this year, Scott launched another leader bid. In 2022, he received 10 votes on the secret ballot after announcing a campaign against McConnell at the last minute. 

Both Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have also thrown their hats in the race.

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

A new poll has found former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in a dead heat among voters with only one in four saying that the country is heading in the right direction. 

Both candidates are tied with 48% of the popular vote in the New York Times/Siena College survey of 2,516 likely voters nationwide between Oct. 20 to Oct. 23, which has a 2.5% margin of error. 

Harris led Trump nationally 49-46% the last time this poll was conducted in early October. 

Just 28% of those who responded feel the U.S. is heading in the right direction with President Biden and Harris in the White House, compared to 61% who believe it’s heading in the wrong direction. 

CNN DATA GURU SAYS THERE IS A 60% CHANCE THE ELECTION ENDS WITH AN ‘ELECTORAL COLLEGE BLOWOUT’ 

A new poll has found that former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are in a dead heat ahead of Election Day. (AP/Alex Brandon/Mike Stewart)

Twenty-seven percent of voters said the economy – including jobs and the stock market – is their most important issue in deciding their vote in November, followed by abortion and immigration, each at 15%. 

When the likely voters were asked who would do a better job handling the economy, voters preferred Trump by 6%.  

That is down from the 13-point advantage Trump had over Harris the last time this poll was conducted, the New York Times reported. 

VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SUPPORT PHOTO ID REQUIREMENT TO VOTE, NEW POLL SAYS 

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hugs former President Barack Obama after he introduced her to speak during a campaign rally for Harris on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Clarkston, Ga.  (AP/Mike Stewart)

Harris maintains a 16% lead over Trump when it comes to protecting abortion access, while Trump holds an 11% advantage on the topic of immigration, the poll also found. 

As for President Biden, only 40% of respondents said they either strongly or somewhat approve of the job he is doing in the Oval Office as his administration is winding down. 

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump laughs after speaking during a campaign rally on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Las Vegas. (AP/Alex Brandon)

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Biden’s age of 81 was a concern among Americans earlier this year while he was still planning his re-election bid, but with just weeks to go until Election Day, the poll results show that 41% of likely voters feel that the 78-year-old Trump is just too old to be an effective president, compared to 58% who don’t. 

Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned former President Trump by name more than two dozen times during her CNN town hall on Wednesday, including when pressed about specific policies she would institute if elected to the White House. 

Fox News found that during the CNN town hall in Chester, Pennsylvania, Harris mentioned Trump by name 26 times, while Trump was mentioned overall by moderator Anderson Cooper or audience members a total of 43 times. The CNN town hall kicked off at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and wrapped up around 10:15 p.m.

Harris was pressed on issues such as her border policies the last three and a half years as vice president, and how she would tackle immigration differently if she was elected president. At one point, Cooper pressed Harris on her support of a bipartisan bill that would provide funding for a border wall that she previously lambasted as a “stupid” idea when promoted by Trump during his administration. 

“Let’s talk about this compromise bill that you want to pass if you are elected. You said that’s going to be a priority. It includes $650 million in funding for the border wall. That’s something Republicans wanted, that was part of the compromise. Under Donald Trump, you criticized the wall more than 50 times. You called it ‘stupid, useless, and a medieval vanity project.’ Is a border wall stupid?,” Cooper asked Harris. 

‘ADMIRES DICTATORS’: HARRIS CONTINUES COMPARING TRUMP TO HITLER DURING BATTLEGROUND STATE TOWN HALL

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as CNN moderator Anderson Cooper looks on during a Presidential Town Hall event at Sun Center Studios in Aston, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Harris pivoted from directly answering the question to citing Trump. 

“Let’s talk about Donald Trump and that border wall,” Harris said while laughing. “So remember, Donald Trump said Mexico would pay for it. Come on, they didn’t. How much of that wall did he build? I think the last number I saw was about 2%. And then when it came time for him to do a photo op, you know, where he did it? In the part of the wall that President Obama built.”

“So you don’t think it’s stupid anymore?” Cooper later asked. 

HARRIS DOUBLES DOWN ON ‘FASCIST’ COMMENTS AT START OF CNN TOWN HALL: ‘UNSTABLE’

“I think what he did and how he did it was, did not make much sense because he actually didn’t do much of anything. I just talked about that wall, right? We just talked about it. He didn’t actually do much of anything,” she responded, not citing Trump by name, but referring to his leadership as president. 

This aerial picture shows the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Sasabe, Arizona, on Dec. 8, 2023. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

At another point, Cooper asked Harris about her plans to tackle reported price gouging by corporations, with Harris answering that she “took this issue on” when she served as California attorney general before admonishing Trump for not attending the town hall. CNN held the town hall after proposing a second presidential debate between Harris and Trump for Oct. 23. Harris accepted the debate, but Trump declined, spurring the network to host a town hall instead. 

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

“By the way, again, Donald Trump should be here tonight to talk with you and answer your questions. He’s not, he refused to come. But understand that part of his plan is to put in place a national sales tax of at least 20% on everyday goods and necessities, and that, by economist estimates — independent economists — would cost you, as the American consumer and taxpayer, an additional $4,000 a year,” Harris claimed. 

Harris was also asked about codifying Roe v. Wade, which sparked the vice president to again attack Trump while signaling support to end the filibuster. 

“You’ve talked about codifying Roe v Wade. That would require 60 votes in the Senate, a majority of the House. That’s a big— that’s a big leap. We don’t have that yet. If that’s not possible to codify it in the House, what do you do?” Cooper asked.

“I think we need to take a look at the filibuster, to be honest with you. But the reality of it is this, let’s talk about how we got here. When Donald Trump was president, he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v Wade,” she said. “And they did as he intended. And now, in 20 states, we have abortion bans.” 

HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: NEW NATIONAL POLL SHOWS WHO HAS THE EDGE 2 WEEKS FROM ELECTION DAY

Harris was directly asked about Trump a handful of times during the debate — with her answers included in the total count of 26 Trump mentions — most notably when Cooper asked her about an X post comparing Trump to Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler. Earlier Wednesday, former Trump administration chief of staff John Kelly claimed to the media that Trump praised “Hitler’s generals” for their loyalty, which Harris repeated in an X post that day. 

“If the president of the United States, the commander in chief, is saying to his generals, in essence, ‘Why can’t you be more like Hitler’s generals?’ Anderson, come on. This is a serious, serious issue. And we know who he is. He admires dictators, sending love letters back and forth with Kim Jong Un,” Harris said at one point. She also told Cooper that she believes Trump is a “fascist.” 

HARRIS STUMBLES ON THE BORDER WHEN PRESSED ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ‘IS A BORDER WALL STUPID?’

Harris sat down last week for her first interview with Fox News since rising to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Biden dropped out of the race in July amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity and age. During that interview, Harris cited Trump by name 23 times. 

“More than 70% of people tell the country is on the wrong track. They say the country is on the wrong track. If it’s on the wrong track, that track follows three and a half years of you being vice president and President Biden being president. That is what they’re saying, 79% of them. Why are they saying that?” Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier asked Harris during the interview. “If you’re turning the page, you’ve been in office for three and a half years.”

“And Donald Trump has been running for office since…” Harris responded, while Baier interjected, “But you’ve been the person holding the office.” 

At another point, Baier asked Harris: “Your campaign slogan is a ‘New way forward’ and ‘It’s time to turn the page.’ You’ve been vice president for three and a half years, so what are you turning the page from?” 

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“Well, first of all, turning the page from the last decade in which we have been burdened with the kind of rhetoric coming from Donald Trump that has been designed and implemented to divide our country and have Americans literally point fingers at each other. Rhetoric and an approach to leadership that suggests that the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down instead of what we all know, the strength of leadership is based on who you lift up,” Harris responded.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign regarding the vice president repeatedly citing Trump when asked about her policies, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

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

Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., is blasting Democratic challenger John Mannion over his progressive endorsement despite the opponent painting himself as a moderate during Tuesday night’s debate. 

The two are battling for control of New York’s 22nd congressional district, which Democrats write off as an easy pick-up in their fight to reclaim control of the House. Williams won by one percentage point two years ago, and since then, the state legislature’s redistricting removed rural areas strongly favored by former President Trump and added the college town of Cortland. The result is a changed central New York district where voters favored President Biden by 11 points in the 2020 presidential election.

“John Mannion painted a rosy picture of his views in last night’s debate, oddly attempting to run to the political right of Congressman Williams,” Williams’ spokesperson Taylor Weyeneth told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “However, he neglected to explain why he’s running on the anti-cop, pro-Hamas ballot line for the ‘Working Families Party’ and its grotesque policies. A note for John, it’s time to put actions behind your words—denounce the WFP or admit you are an extremist willing to do anything to get elected.”

The two faced off during their third and final debate on Tuesday night. 

Mannion, though considered a moderate in Albany, was endorsed by the New York Working Families Party earlier this year and remains on their website’s list of backed candidates. The progressive minority party’s website says it’s committed to “defeat fascism and build progressive power,” and is reportedly linked to the larger Democratic Socialists of America, which endorses Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York. 

2 SWING DISTRICTS IN NEW YORK SPLIT AS GOP INCUMBENTS FIGHT TO HOLD SEATS

Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., speaks during a session at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Dec. 9, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Williams is the Republican candidate in New York’s 22nd Congressional District.  (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

In December 2023, the New York Post reported that the New York’s Working Families Party asked candidates seeking their endorsement for state offices to support $40 billion in tax increases, permitting migrants and non-citizens to vote and establishing more legalized drug-injection centers. 

Their questionnaire reportedly asked candidates, “Will you stand up for the right of all non-citizens, including undocumented New Yorkers, to vote in local and state elections, so they have a voice in the communities they live in and the schools their children go to?” 

“The WFP also asks if a candidate would back legislation or support using federal funds to provide health insurance coverage to more than 250,000 residents who are non-citizens or undocumented,” another question posed to the state candidate read, according to the Post. 

It’s not clear if Mannion faced the same questions. Fox News Digital reached out to the Mannion campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back. 

The Working Families Party, which also had advocated for defunding the police, has been vocal in demanding a cease-fire in Gaza and has accused Israel of carrying out “war crimes.” 

“We have to stop the global authoritarian right-wing. Trump wants to criminalize protesters for Palestine,” its account wrote in August. “He is Netanyahu’s preferred candidate, who is behind the ethnic cleansing campaign that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced and starved millions.” 

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE SAYS REPUBLICANS ‘FEARFUL’ OF MIGRANTS ARE IGNORANT

While national attention has been focused on districts closer to New York City as holding the key to the balance of power in Congress, the Democratic Party has dedicated significant resources to the central New York race between Williams and Mannion, sensing one of its best chances this fall.

In Mannion, a former school teacher and two-term state senator, Democrats have a candidate they’re betting can appeal to swing voters. He has substantial support from labor unions, opposes abortion restrictions and has staked out a centrist position on changes to the state’s bail laws.

Williams, meanwhile, has sought to frame Mannion as a liberal masquerading as a centrist.

New York State Sen. John Mannion, Democratic candidate for New York’s 22nd congressional district, meets with representatives and members of the United Steelworkers in Geddes, N.Y. on Thurs., Oct. 24. 2024.  (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

“He has all of the credentials of the far left, but he’s going to pretend to be a Republican here for a couple of weeks, and with a wink and a nod and hoping that the Democrat base either forgives him or doesn’t notice,” Williams said, according to the Associated Press. 

Williams, who grew up in Texas, served as a U.S. Navy submarine officer, then was a tech entrepreneur before starting a truffle farm in central New York, has spent much of the campaign trying to recapture the dynamic that helped him win a close race in 2022.

That year, Republican candidates in New York outperformed their national colleagues by capitalizing on a public backlash against changes in the state’s bail laws. The changes restricted the practice of requiring many people accused of nonviolent crimes to pay money in order to get released from jail while they await trial.

Mannion was not in office when those bail changes passed, but he did back legislation that subsequently gave judges more discretion on whether to jail a person before trial, a change many progressives resisted but that moderates argued was necessary, according to the AP. 

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The race started off mostly cordial but became increasingly caustic in the final stretch.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

TOLEDO – Several Republican volunteers in one of Ohio’s most critical swing districts spoke out about what issues matter most to them and why they believe that former President Trump will continue his recent success in the swing state.

“What really gets me motivated is sitting around hearing all this stuff that’s going on with our country, with the economy, with inflation being real bad, with our wages being eroded like 20% last four years,” Charlie Pengov, a lifelong Toledo resident volunteering for GOP House candidate Derek Merrin told Fox News Digital. “So instead, I’ve been taught that if you have anxiety about this, these kind of things, get involved and do something.”

Although Ohio’s long history of being a swing state has been eroded recently after former President Trump won the state by 8 points in 2020 and is expected to do even better in 2024, the race between Merrin and incumbent Democrat Marcy Kaptur in Toledo takes place in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, which is considered a key swing district.

“Biggest thing I hear from like family members is the economy, that’s number one,” Pengov said. “Inflation has just kind of stolen anyone’s savings that they’ve had or even, you know, sometimes it’s even hard to buy groceries from week to week for some people. You know, that’s just really the biggest issue.”

‘LEFT BEHIND’: VULNERABLE DEM INCUMBENT IN KEY SWING STATE SLAMMED FOR PUTTING ‘KNIFE IN BACK’ OF WORKERS

Fox News Digital spoke to GOP volunteers in Toledo, OH about the issues that matter most to them

“For sure the economy,” Kelly, a Merrin volunteer who was born and raised in Toledo before moving to Arizona to escape “Democrat policies”, told Fox News Digital. 

“Things like groceries, grocery prices, gas prices, housing, everything has gone up so much in the past few years and it’s just really becoming unaffordable for everyone.”

Kaptur, who is serving her 21st term in Congress, is one of eight Democrats running in 2024 in a district that voted for Trump in 2020 and many believe that this is her most vulnerable election yet after redistricting incorporated more Republican territory. 

Kelly told Fox News Digital she has “talked to a lot more people that are voting for Trump and they’re voting Republican than are voting Democrat.”

GOP CHALLENGER IN KEY HOUSE RACE BLASTS DEM OPPONENT’S EXPLANATION ON ETHICS COMPLAINT: ‘NOT SATISFIED’

Donald Trump is addressing the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority Conference at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2024  (Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Pengov told Fox News Digital that voters are frustrated that Washington is “giving all this money to Ukraine” when needs in the United States are going unaddressed.

“But then when it comes to having money for like our cities and Springfield, you know, it seems like we just use up our citizens and kick them to the curb and hire other people to come in for lower wages,” Pengov said. “It just doesn’t seem right what we’re doing to our American citizens.”

Toledo resident Patsy Grant also told Fox News Digital that the economy and immigration are at top of mind for voters in her district.

“The economy is not affordable and this immigration thing and people are dying,” Grant said. “It’s really bad and actually, the seniors are really having a hard time right now. And I have seen it first hand with my mom and my mom is struggling with medicine. It is unaffordable. At this point, she takes diabetes medications and it is outrageous and it’s on the family if they can’t afford it. So then it puts a burden on somebody else’s financials.”

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Republican Derek Merrin is running against Dem. Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District

“Talking to voters, we’re getting a lot of people that are actually voting early, which is really awesome. That’s what we encourage them to do. A lot of people are really worried about the economy, the majority’s the economy and immigration, the border. I mean, it’s just that everybody can’t afford to live and are scared to live.”

Grant, who has been making calls to voters at the Lucas County GOP Headquarters where she spoke to Fox News Digital, said she has called a “lot of people saying they’re voting down the Republican ticket, including Donald Trump.”

“They believe that he will bring change and end the war. I’ve had people talking about that, stating that Donald Trump is going to end that, that it wouldn’t have happened had he been president and not Biden. So I really have a lot of people that are positive. And then you also get the ones that are negative. But some of the people you can talk to and encourage them to look at the facts and not just the ads that are on TV and bashing one another. We’ve gotten good reception.”

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority will be maintained regardless of the Nov. 5 election results, constitutional law experts tell Fox News Digital.

With the anticipation of either another former President Donald Trump presidency or a Vice President Kamala Harris presidency, whether the country’s high court remains in its current state is a topic of debate that has yet to be formally broached by either candidate this past election cycle.

Over the years, both politicians and media personalities have called for the resignation of particular justices, including Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, over concerns about their ages and ethical controversies. However, experts say that while the individuals on the court may change, the power balance itself will remain intact no matter who wins the Oval Office in November. 

“People might change. So, for example, if Harris were to win, Justice Sotomayor might retire. Or if a Republican were to win, then you could imagine Justice Alito retiring, perhaps,” John Yoo, the Emanuel Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, told Fox News Digital.

“The makeup of the individuals of the Court would change possibly, but the ideological balance wouldn’t change.”

ANONYMOUS GOP SENATOR CONCERNED ABOUT GRASSLEY, 91, RECLAIMING KEY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIR: REPORT

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority will be maintained regardless of the Nov. 5 election results, constitutional law experts say. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

Former President Trump named three justices to the Court during his term, preserving the conservative majority, while President Biden most recently named Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Court in 2022, replacing liberal Justice Stephen Breyer after he announced his retirement. 

“Of course, there can be unforeseen vacancies on the Court,” Erwin Chemerinsky, dean at UC Berkeley Law, told Fox News Digital. “But apart from that, I expect if Trump wins and there is a Republican Senate, Thomas and Alito will retire to let their seats be taken by much younger conservatives. And if Harris wins and there is a Democratic Senate, Sotomayor will retire to let her seat be taken by a younger Democrat.”

Echoing Chemerinsky’s retirement predictions, Richard Epstein, the Laurence A. Tisch professor of Law at NYU School of Law, told Fox News Digital he also expects retirement announcements from several justices, saying he foresees Thomas announcing his retirement if Trump were to win, while Sotomayor would “soldier on as long as she is able” in that case.

SQUAD MEMBER CALLS FOR ‘RADICALLY’ CHANGING THE SUPREME COURT: ‘SCOTUS REFORM IS ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER’

“What you’re going to see is an appointment coming, and I think at this point, [Trump is] going to look at these judicial tracks and try to get somebody who’s more reliable in whatever it is he wants. The problem is you don’t know what he wants,” Epstein said. “With the left, [Kamala Harris] couldn’t think of anything that Biden did that she disagrees with.”

Yoo, however, noted he does not believe the push for retirements would make much of a difference after Nov. 5 either way. 

“I’m sure that if Trump were to win, you will see some conservative activists hope that older justices might retire, replaced by a much younger justice,” Yoo said. “And, you know, I’ve seen stories that some people are hoping Justice Sotomayor would even retire under President Biden so that she could be replaced by someone who’s 20 years younger, as a way of trying to cement control of those seats in a conservative or liberal direction.”

“I don’t think pressure like that has really much effect on the justices,” Yoo added. “I mean, they’re insulated from politics more than any other members of the government. And they don’t have to listen to anybody when it’s about when they choose to retire.” 

With the anticipation of either another former President Donald Trump presidency or a Vice President Kamala Harris presidency, whether the country’s high court remains in its current state is a topic of debate that has yet to be formally broached by either candidate this past election cycle.

Yoo also emphasized the importance of potential appointments to the Circuit Courts of Appeals. There is currently one vacancy in the federal appellate courts, with one nominee pending and four other nominees pending for future vacancies, according to judiciary data. 

‘ROT AND DECAY’: REP HANK JOHNSON ARGUES SCOTUS TERM LIMITS ARE PATH FORWARD FOR REMOVING ‘CORRUPT’ JUSTICES

“If you want to advance a direction in the law, it’s really the appellate courts,” Yoo said. “They’re the ones that basically finally decide 99% of the cases in the federal system and only 1% of the cases or less make it ever to the Supreme Court. So those appellate courts, circuit courts are the ones that are really important.”

Over the years, both politicians and media personalities have called for the resignation of particular justices, including Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, over concerns about their ages and ethical controversies. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Yoo said both Biden and Trump did “a good job” of filling those vacancies during their respective terms, but “that’s where you will see the biggest impact of a new president is on those appellate courts.”

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“I think that the bottom line is, look at the best of the Trump judges, appointees by either Biden or Obama and that’s going to be the pools from which the Supreme Court justices are going to be selected,” Epstein stated. “And the Democrats are more likely to pick a woman, more likely to pick a minority.”

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon reportedly said he was considering a position in a potential Harris administration, but sources close to the banking magnate argued that was not the case. 

The New York Times reported this week that Dimon confided in three people close to him that he was considering taking a role if tapped by Vice President Kamala Harris to serve in her administration. A position as treasury secretary could reportedly be a possibility.

However, another source close to Dimon said that while he would accept a call from either presidential candidate if they were to win, and wouldn’t dismiss a role in either potential administration if it were offered to him, Dimon has made no decisions and does not even see it as likely that he will be offered a cabinet position from Harris or former President Trump.

RFK JR DENIES REPORT THAT HE ASKED FOR POSITION IN HARRIS CABINET

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., appears during a Bloomberg Television interview in London on Oct. 8. (Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

During the months leading up to the Nov. 5 presidential election, Dimon has taken steps to remain politically neutral in the public eye. After praising some of Trump’s policies in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, critics began slamming him as a Trump supporter. However, Dimon’s representatives were quick to note that his praise did not amount to support for him. Earlier this month, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Dimon had endorsed him, but, once again, the claim was refuted by Dimon’s representatives.

When it comes to endorsing or supporting Harris, Dimon has not done that, either. The Times reported that in private conversations with bank executives who do support Harris, the JPMorgan CEO has said he has a duty to shareholders not to put his company in the crosshairs of any politician who may want to retaliate.

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

Ahead of the Times’ article this week that indicated Dimon was considering a role in a potential Harris administration, he was asked during an earnings call earlier this month whether he would consider serving in the next president’s administration. Dimon responded that he “probably” would not, but left the door open if he does get asked. 

TULSI GABBARD SAYS SHE WOULD BE ‘HONORED’ TO JOIN A POTENTIAL TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

“I think the chance of that is almost nil and I probably am not going to do it, but I’ve always reserved the right,” Dimon said during the call. “I don’t make promises to people. I don’t have to. But no, I love what I do. I intend to be doing what I’m doing. I almost guarantee I’ll be doing this for a long period of time or at least until the board kicks me out.”

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon speaks on stage during the “State of the Global Economy” panel for The Atlantic Festival 2024, which took place last month in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for The Atlantic)

In late June, Trump told Bloomberg he would consider Dimon as a potential treasury secretary but later backtracked on the claim. “He is somebody that I would consider, sure,” Trump said during the interview. 

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Fox News Digital reached out to both the Trump and Harris campaigns to see where the candidates’ stand on Dimon today, but a response was not received by publication time.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose sued President Biden’s administration on Thursday, accusing officials of “obstruction and outright abuse of power.”

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Southern District of Ohio, says the Department of Homeland Security refused on multiple occasions to grant access to federal records that are “necessary to prevent non-citizens from voting.” LaRose’s office has conducted a rolling audit of the state’s voter rolls ahead of Election Day, and he has previously told Fox News Digital that state-level records can only take the process so far.

“I swore an oath to uphold our state constitution, and that document clearly requires that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections,” LaRose said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris Administration is engaging in obstruction and outright abuse of power to prevent us from removing non-citizens from our voter rolls. I take my duty seriously, so if they want a fight over the integrity of our elections, they’ve got it.”

The lawsuit claims there were four instances in which Ohio’s requests for access to federal records were denied. Ohio’s audit relies on analysis and cross-checks against records provided by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the DHS Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, the Social Security Administration, federal jury pool data and other resources.

DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST BOASTS PARTY FOUGHT TO UNDERMINE ‘DANGEROUS’ THIRD-PARTY THREAT TO BIDEN

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose speaks during a House Administration Committee hearing in the Longworth House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 11, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

While LaRose’s office can access the SAVE database, states using it have to pay $1.50 for each query for records, and finding the information required to properly search the data is cumbersome, LaRose says.

HARRIS REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM TRUMP WANTS TO ‘BAN’ ABORTION

The data the Biden administration is refusing to share would provide a more comprehensive picture of how many non-citizens remain registered to vote in Ohio, LaRose says.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris walk to an event on gun violence in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 26, 2024. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

“While the administration is blocking access to these records, the Department of Justice is suing or threatening to sue multiple states, including Ohio, who are trying to enforce their citizenship voting requirements,” LaRose added. “It’s hardly a coincidence. The same administration that’s presided over the most reckless, porous immigration policy in our country’s history is also intentionally blocking states from protecting the integrity of their elections.”

CNN COMMENTATOR SCORCHES DEMS BLAMING TRUMP AT DNC: ‘SHE’S IN THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW’

In August, LaRose’s office referred 138 non-citizen registered voters to the state’s attorney general. That group came as part of 597 non-citizen voters who were removed from the state’s rolls.

Ohio and other states are taking measures to remove wrongful registrations from voter rolls ahead of Election Day. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

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LaRose’s audit has also purged roughly 155,000 voter registrations that were confirmed to be abandoned and inactive for at least four consecutive years.

Former President Donald Trump traveled to Las Vegas on Thursday evening for a Turning Point Action rally where he declared that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is “imploding” in a speech that focused on his tax cut plans. 

“[Harris is] actually imploding, if you take a look. Because, look, I’m not supposed to say it, but we are leading by so much,” Trump said Thursday evening in Las Vegas to cheers from the crowd.  

“Now, we’re leading by a lot in Nevada. We’re leading by a lot in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. Even states that are typically never in play for 50, 60, 70 years … But the fact is that states, other states too, big states, are all in play and they like us. But you know what? They think she is grossly incompetent. Let’s face it, she is not doing well,” Trump continued. 

The 45th president joined the Turning Point Action rally at an arena on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ campus, where supporters such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard also addressed the crowd. Trump said during the rally that 29,000 people were inside the arena, and another “29,000 outside to fill the place up twice.” 

HARRIS CLAIMS TRUMP WIN WOULD BE ‘CATASTROPHIC’ FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, BUT FIRST TERM TELLS DIFFERENT TALE

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a Turning Point Action United for Change campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 24, 2024.  ((Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) )

Nevada is another key battleground state, and where Trump first announced earlier in the campaign cycle that he would eliminate taxes on tips. He again focused his Thursday speech on tax cuts, slamming the Biden-Harris for spiraling inflation while criticizing Harris for also saying she would end taxes on tips after Trump’s June announcement. 

Former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard speaks during a Turning Point Action ‘United for Change’ campaign rally for former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 24, 2024.  ((Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) )

“When I said no tax on tips, remember? A month later, she comes out, ‘and we will have no tax on tips.’ She never said that. And she’s never said it again. You’re not going to get it,” he said. 

“We’re going to have no tax on tips. And she wanted to increase, and did increase, the so-called tip allocation tax rate by 60%. She raised your tax, and then she’s supposed to say ‘no, no tax on tips.’ In other words, even after Kamala wrecked your economy with inflation, she came after you with tip income. Like sort of like a vulture would do. If she gets four more years, Kamala Harris will pick your pockets bare,” Trump said. 

MOST U.S. ADULTS WORRY ABOUT FUTURE OF MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY, GALLUP POLL FINDS: ‘MAGNITUDE OF CONCERN’

Trump told the crowd that if he wins next month, he will eliminate taxes on tips, overtime, and on Social Security benefits, and took a poll during the rally, asking supporters to cheer for which of the three tax cut plans they like the best. 

Cheers and applause broke out as he rattled off the three options, with Trump declaring that seniors’ support for no tax on Social Security benefits received the most support. 

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump embraces former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard as he arrives on stage to speak during a Turning Point Action ‘United for Change’ campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 24, 2024.  ((Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) )

LIBERAL MEDIA OUTLET INADVERTENTLY EXPLAINS BENEFITS OF TRUMP’S ECONOMIC PLAN

The 45th president also railed against the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies, slammed alleged Democratic efforts to turn the U.S. military “woke,” and vowed to work to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as president-elect if he is victorious on Nov. 5. 

“Sadly, zero chance that Putin would have gone into Ukraine if I were president. Zero chance. What a shame that is. All of the death,” Trump said of the war that broke out when Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022. 

Trump said he will call both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the evening of Nov. 5 if he wins. 

TRUMP PROMISES TO END TAXATION OF OVERTIME PAY: ‘YOUR OVERTIME HOURS WILL BE TAX-FREE’

“On the evening of Nov. 5, I will call Putin. I will call Zelenskyy. I’ll say, ‘we got to stop it.’ And I’m going to try and get it done as president-elect, as president-elect. That’ll give me plenty of, that’ll give me plenty of credibility. I don’t have to wait until January 20th. I’m going to try and get it done sooner than that. It’s horrible,” Trump said, adding that the war in Israel also would not have happened if he were in office. 

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a Turning Point Action ‘United for Change’ campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 24, 2024.  ((Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) )

Trump also hearkened back to his days on “The Apprentice,” calling on the battleground state voters to tell Harris on Nov. 5, “You’re fired.” 

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“Nevada, you have to stand up, and you have to tell Kamala Harris that you’ve had enough. You can’t take it anymore. She’s the worst vice president. She’s grossly incompetent. Kamala, Kamala, you’re fired. Get out of here. Fired, fired! Get out. Get the hell out of here. We got to fix our country,” Trump said.  

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

The 2024 Montana Senate race has shattered spending records with $309 spent per registered voter, a Fox News Digital breakdown of election finance records found.

All eyes are on Montana this cycle, and whether Democratic Sen. Jon Tester can survive his re-election bid against Republican challenger Tim Sheehy in a red state won by former President Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Tester has outspent his Republican opponent this cycle, spending $69.6 million with about $7.4 million cash on hand, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) from September.  

Filings show Sheehy, a Navy SEAL and first-time Senate candidate, reported spending about $19.7 million during the same period this cycle.

MONTANA SENATE RACE, WHICH COULD DETERMINE MAJORITY, SEEING ‘INTENSE GROUND GAME OPERATION’: NRSC CHAIRMAN

Montana Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, left, and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., listen as former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, speaks at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at Montana State University Aug. 9, 2024, in Bozeman, Mont. (Michael Ciaglo)

Super PACs and outside groups have played a significant role in Montana advertising as Democrats pour money into a state where their majority in the Senate hangs in the balance.

Outside spending on the race totals about $154 million, according to a Fox News Digital review of FEC filings. Breaking down the numbers per candidate, outside groups spent about $61.1 million against Tester, while $15.8 million was dropped in support of his re-election bid. 

Sheehy has faced $59.5 million in spending against his campaign, while $17.7 million was spent to help him unseat the three-term Democrat.

Total spending on the campaign, including contributions from outside groups, has reached approximately $243.3 million to date. There are 786,365 registered voters in Montana, according to the Montana Secretary of State, meaning the average spent per vote on the Senate race is about $309 per registered voter.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester prepares to debate GOP challenger Tim Sheehy on campus at the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont., Sept. 30, 2024. (The Missoulian via AP)

The race has seen a massive influx of funding from prominent billionaires such as George Soros and the Koch brothers, who founded and fund Americans for Prosperity Action. Other players in Montana include a $29 million investment from the Last Best Place PAC, $20 million from the Senate Leadership Fund and a $20 million investment from American Crossroads.

Other prominent Senate races have seen more spending this cycle, but their higher populations disperse the funds more widely on a per-voter basis. 

For example, more than $363 million has been spent on the Ohio Senate race this cycle, but with 8,159,880 registered voters, per the secretary of state’s office, the spending amounts to about $44 per registered voter.

If the equivalent amount of money spent per registered voter in Montana was applied to the Senate race in Ohio, it would total over $2.5 billion.

Senators Jon Tester, D-Mont., left, and Steve Daines, R-Mont., film a message outside Dirksen Building on the importance of getting a COVID-19 vaccine April 27, 2021. (Tom Williams)

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the National Republican Senatorial Committee chair, told Fox News Digital the spending is a reflection of the national implications of the race.

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“On a per capita basis, Montana is in its league because we only have a little over a million people. And so we have a lesser populated state with spending numbers that are equivalent to other large races in states like Michigan, like Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada,” Daines told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. 

“I think it highlights the importance of Montana because Tim Sheehy’s victory is the 51st seat for the United States Senate. This is what secures the majority for the Republicans and takes the gavel out of Chuck Schumer’s hands. And that’s why there’s so much focused attention on this race.”

Despite being outspent, the latest polling from The New York Times shows Sheehy leading Tester by eight points.

Residents in the town of Logansport, Indiana, say that an influx of migrants from Haiti and other countries into their little town is overwhelming services, a trend of small towns and cities across the U.S. being overwhelmed.

“It’s just overrun. We don’t have space for everybody, so the housing has been taken over and our schools have been taken over; pretty much the whole town has been taken over,” resident Candice Espinoza told “America’s Newsroom.”

Logansport’s mayor estimates the population has grown by 20%-30% since 2021, most of that being Haitians moving in. More than 3,000 Haitians have arrived.

SWING STATE OFFICIAL WARNS VILLAGE STRUGGLING WITH FINANCIAL LOSSES AFTER INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 

This image shows a view of Logansport, Ind. (Fox News)

Meanwhile, in numbers first reported by the New York Post, the number of Haitian students in the schools has gone from 14 to 207.

The school district has pushed back on claims that it is affecting the students.

“We have a total of 207 Haitian students within our student population, which makes up about 5% of our student population,” the school district superintendent said in a statement. “I have not had any complaints of student needs not being met due to services to our English learners population. We are a comprehensive school corporation. English learner students who need extra support are given those supports through specific programs that we offer.”

Espinoza disagreed with the statement and said she believes parents have been complaining.

A Haitian family stands outside the U.S. Border Patrol detention facility after walking from the Mexican border through Yuma, Ariz., on Dec. 8, 2021. (John Moore/Getty Images)

“I have a child that I help take care of that she’s dyslexic, and she does not get the help she needs. She needs a little extra hands-on, and she needs help to learn to read, and they don’t help her. They are holding her back because they’re trying to specialize with these kids that need more English, and they don’t know English, so it’s harder,” she said.

HAITIAN MIGRATION ROILS TOWN IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE WITH SIGNS OF PRO-TRUMP SUPPORT ON THE RISE 

Others have pointed to other effects of Haitian migration, with one mother telling the Post her daughter was accosted by Haitian migrants as she walked to a nearby coffee shop. Multiple residents also told Fox News the new arrivals make them feel uncomfortable and unsafe, with one woman saying some of the male Haitian migrants in town would “stop in front of our porch and just stop and stare. They don’t say a word. They just stare. It’s unnerving.”

The Health Department has seen an uptick in cases of diseases like tuberculosis and HIV.

TRUMP SOUNDS ALARM ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MURDERERS: ‘A LOT OF BAD GENES IN OUR COUNTRY’

“We’re all for compassion,” one resident told Fox. “But you can’t do that at the expense of everyone else either. You got to have compassion for those who are here.”

The city’s mayor is now trying to get the state and federal governments to step up and help his town pay for the increase in city services.

“How do you think us as leaders in this small community feel knowing that not once were we alerted this was going to happen?” Mayor Chris Martin told Fox.

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The situation in Logansport echoes those in other U.S. towns like Springfield, Ohio, Charleroi, Pa., and Lockland, Ohio, that have faced challenges with an influx of migrants, whether in the U.S. legally or illegally.

Meanwhile, cities like New York City and Chicago have been overwhelmed by the numbers they have see. Immigration is now a top issue ahead of the 2024 election, with multiple polls showing former President Trump with an advantage over Vice President Harris on the issue.

Welcome to the Fox News’ Politics newsletter, with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

Here’s what’s happening…

-Intelligence report says Iran will keep trying to kill Trump regardless of election outcome

-Key swing state’s 6 electoral votes hinge on candidate performances in this county

– Trump blasts Harris over Hitler comparison, rips his former chief of staff: ‘LOWLIFE’

‘Quiet Amnesty’ Danger Highlighted in New House Report

Nearly 1 million illegal immigrants are staying in the U.S. “indefinitely” after their cases were dismissed or closed, or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) failed to file the necessary documentation, according to a new House Judiciary Committee report released Thursday taking aim at a “sort of quiet amnesty has become a staple of the Biden-Harris Administration’s immigration courts.”

“Through administrative maneuvering at both the Justice Department and DHS, the Biden-Harris Administration has already ensured that nearly 1 million illegal aliens can remain in the United States without the possibility of deportation—and that trend shows no sign of stopping,” the report by the House majority on the committee, first obtained by Fox News Digital, says.

When illegal immigrants are encountered, they can be put into removal proceedings by which they will eventually face an immigration judge to have their case decided. There are around 700 immigration judges across the U.S., and they currently face a backlog of millions of cases after the historic crisis at the border. …Read more

A family of Central American migrants hoping to reach the United States in hopes of a better life, walk after crossing the US-Mexico border fence from Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico, to the US, on December 30, 2018. – Outgoing White House chief John Kelly said he had “nothing but compassion” for undocumented migrants crossing into the US and undercut the idea of a border wall in an interview published Sunday that jarred with President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on immigration.  (GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images)

White House

‘DIRECT MILITARY ACTION’: US must weigh ‘military action against’ North Korean forces if they invade Ukraine: House intel chair Turner…Read more

STUMBLING ON STAGE: Harris stumbles on the border when pressed on illegal immigration: ‘Is a border wall stupid?’…Read more

DOUBLING DOWN: Harris doubles down on ‘fascist’ comments at start of CNN town hall: ‘unstable’…Read more

FAITH AND FREEDOM: Pro-life groups slam Harris for uncompromising abortion position: ‘Christians are not welcome’…Read more

MANAGING RISKS: Federal agencies ordered to use ‘most powerful’ AI systems in first-ever National Security Memo on AI…Read more

ASTON, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 23: Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as CNN moderator Anderson Cooper looks on during a Presidential Town Hall event at Sun Center Studios on October 23, 2024 in Aston, Pennsylvania. With less than two weeks to Election Day, Harris spent the day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and made a visit to Famous 4th Street Delicatessen to greet supporters. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Capitol Hill

‘BIG WIN’: House GOP celebrates ‘big win’ after preventing creation of new global advertising coalition…Read more

CHOPPING BLOCK: Jordan subpoenas Biden-Harris admin for cost of housing illegal migrants at taxpayers’ expense…Read more

Tales from the Trail

CELEBRITIES FOR KAMALA: 10 celebrities campaigning for Harris in election’s final weeks…Read more

‘ADMIRES DICTATORS’: ‘Admires dictators’: Harris continues comparing Trump to Hitler during battleground state town hall…Read more

POLL POSITION: Harris-Trump showdown: New national poll shows former president with the edge…Read more

‘HAS TO STOP’: Trump camp says Dem rhetoric ‘directly to blame’ for past assassination attempts…Read more

‘GOING WITH TRUMP’: ‘I’m going with Trump’: 3 former Dems from Pennsylvania explain how former president won them over…Read more

RUNNING ON FUMES: Harris’ ‘mixed messages’ on natural gas production could cost her pivotal Pennsylvania…Read more

‘FREEDOM’: Beyonce to join Kamala Harris at red state campaign rally…Read more

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 23: Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks before departing the vice president’s residence on October 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. Harris spoke on former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s recent comments on former U.S. President Donald Trump, including that he fits “into the general definition of fascist” and wanted the “kind of generals Hitler had”, in a series of interviews published Tuesday. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

GOING NEGATIVE: Harris adopts Biden playbook of targeting Trump as a ‘fascist’ after discarding strategy for months…Read more

BATTLEGROUND SERIES: Key swing state’s 6 electoral votes hinge on candidate performances in this county…Read more

MEAN GREEN: JD Vance calls out the Left’s hypocrisy for opposing Jill Stein but backing RFK on the ballot…Read more

HISTORIC REALIGNMENT: Trump support among young Black and Latino men spikes in new poll…Read more

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens to former Pittsburgh Steelers Antonio Brown, left, and, Le’Veon Bell, at a campaign rally, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pa.  (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Across America

VIRTUAL TIE: Competitive Virginia House race tied as Republican incumbent battles challenger…Read more

SWING STATE SUSPENSE: Trump, Harris neck and neck in battleground states Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina…Read more

EARLY VOTING NUMBERS: More than 25M voters have cast ballots so far in 2024 election…Read more

MARYLAND KICKS OFF VOTING: Early in-person voting kicks off in Maryland…Read more

GOOD SIGN: Early voting data may be sign of improved GOP ground game in pivotal swing state…Read more

‘CRITICAL STEP’: North Carolina voters will decide on amendment to explicitly bar non-citizens from voting in elections…Read more

A sticker is seen on a person’s shirt at a polling station located in the Morgan State University in Baltimore, during early voting in Maryland, Oct. 26, 2020. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)

DEPORTED: Guatemalan migrant wanted for child abuse, violence against women, abuse of power ousted from US: ICE…Read more

CHALLENGE DENIED: Battleground state’s high court rejects GOP challenge to provisional ballot rules…Read more

ILLEGALLY VOTING: Ohio grand juries indict six non-citizens for allegedly illegally voting in past elections…Read more

‘ONE OF THE DUMBEST POLITICAL DECISIONS’: Texas politicos launch full court press against Harris ahead of her border state campaign rally: ‘apologize’…Read more

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

CLARKSTON, GA. — Vice President Harris teamed up on the campaign trail for the first time Friday evening with arguably the most popular Democratic Party politician: former President Obama.

While Obama has been stumping in the key swing states the past couple weeks on behalf of the vice president, he joined her on the stage as they aimed to energize supporters in the crucial southeastern battleground of Georgia to cast their ballots in early voting.

The event comes with just 12 days to go until Election Day in Harris’ margin-of-error battle with former President Trump in the race to succeed President Biden in the White House.

Former President Barack Obama gestures to Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris after introducing her to speak during a campaign rally for Harris on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Clarkston, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

“I’m honored to have the support of former President Obama,” the Democrat presidential nominee told reporters as she headed to Atlanta. “He’s been on the campaign trail and has been really wonderful and extraordinary in terms of the time and effort that he’s putting into our campaign.”

FROM ‘JOYFUL WARRIOR’ TO CALLING TRUMP A ‘FACIST’ – KAMALA HARRIS CHANGES HER MESSAGING IN THE FINAL STRETCH

Former President Obama speaks during a campaign event in support of Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh on Oct. 10, 2024. (REUTERS/Quinn Glabicki)

But it’s not just political rock stars that are teaming up with Harris. 

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen, who has been supporting Democrat presidential candidates for two decades, will perform at Friday evening’s rally.

Harris called Springsteen “an American icon.”

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION

Also making appearances at the vice president’s rally in suburban Atlanta are actor, filmmaker and playwright Tyler Perry, film director, producer, screenwriter and actor Spike Lee, and actor Samuel L. Jackson.

While Harris is in Georgia, legendary musician James Taylor was scheduled to perform at a rally in neighboring North Carolina – another key battleground – headlined by Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Taylor was scheduled to perform at the DNC but was bumped due to timing issues.

Musician Usher attends a rally for Kamala Harris, the Democrat presidential nominee, in Atlanta on Oct. 19, 2024. (Getty Images)

Last weekend, Harris rallied supporters at a get-out-the-vote event in Atlanta with pop singer and star Usher. Hours earlier at a campaign event in Detroit on the city’s first day of early voting, the vice president teamed up with Motor City native rapper Lizzo.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS INDICATE IN THE HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN

Spike Lee rallies the crowd at a Kamala Harris, Barack Obama event near Atlanta on Oct. 24. (Fox News Digital)

Another Detroit-born star, rapper, songwriter and music producer Eminem, joined Obama at a Tuesday rally in the battleground state’s largest city to get-out-the-vote for Harris.

Former President Obama cheers on Eminem after introducing him to the stage to speak while campaigning for Kamala Harris at Huntington Place in Detroit on Oct. 22, 2024. (Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

And the vice president will reportedly be joined at a rally in Houston on Friday by Beyoncé, who is considered a cultural icon. Beyoncé’s hit song “Freedom” has been adopted by the vice president as her campaign trail anthem.

While she hasn’t joined Harris at a campaign event, singer and songwriting superstar Taylor Swift endorsed the vice president last month on the evening of the only debate between Harris and Trump.

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Asked about the star power at her events, Harris said on Thursday, “I think it just shows the breadth and depth of the support that we have and also the enthusiasm that a lot of people are bringing to the campaign and feel about our campaign.”

While he can’t match the surrogate star power that Harris enjoys, Trump has also attracted some well-known celebrities at his events.

The latest, country singer Jason Aldean, took the stage at Trump’s rally on Wednesday evening in Duluth, Georgia.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump greets country music singer Jason Aldean at the Republican National Convention, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The former president also enjoys the backing of other celebrities, including Telsa founder and multibillionaire Elon Musk, hip-hop star, rapper and fashion designer Kanye West, singer Kid Rock, actors Jon Voight and Kelsey Grammar, former NFL star quarterback Brett Favre, former Indy racer Danica Patrick, and celebrity chef Paula Deen.

While celebrity endorsements can grab plenty of media attention and add excitement to campaign rallies, it’s questionable how much they move the needle in terms of bringing a new wave of support to a candidate.

Veteran Republican strategist David Kochel noted that using celebrities has “been a big part of the playbook for a long time,” especially with Democrat presidential candidates.

But he argued that they rarely “move people” or “move the message.”

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