NationalWatch

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.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the black sheep of America’s most well-known Catholic family, is urging the faithful to support former President Trump in a new TV ad.

Kennedy, who first challenged President Biden for the Democrat nomination and then ran as an independent, discusses his faith in the $250,000 ad spot before giving reasons why he now supports Trump for the presidency. 

“President Trump has promised to take bold action on our economy, on the border and on restoring children’s health. The Democratic Party has become the party of war, censorship and corruption,” RFK Jr. says.

“Catholics may disagree on many issues, but we must find a way to love our children more than we hate each other. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Donald Trump.” 

HARRIS’ CATHOLIC DINNER SNUB IS JUST THE LATEST IN CAREER FULL OF SWIPES AT THE FAITHFUL, CRITICS CHARGE

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

The ad, released by the conservative group CatholicVote, is set to air in Pennsylvania before a wider release in swing states, Semafor reported. It comes less than two weeks before a historically tight election in which Catholic voters could very well determine who next occupies the White House.

CatholicVote President Brian Burch has criticized Harris’ position on abortion, noting the practice violates Catholic social teaching. In a recent interview with NBC News, the vice president said she does not support any concessions on the abortion issue, including religious exemptions for faith-based health care providers who have a conscientious objection to the procedure.

“I think Kamala Harris is making a massive gamble. She’s calculating that she can build a winning coalition without people of faith,” Burch told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. He acknowledged that Trump has also “disappointed” some pro-life voters by opposing a federal ban on abortion but said, “I think Trump’s comments are reflecting where the public is and that there is no consensus abortion.” 

According to Semafor, the collaboration with Kennedy came after months of conversations with CatholicVote talking through their positions on abortion. Burch told the outlet that Kennedy ultimately agreed “we need to be spending an equal amount of money on helping women choose to keep their child as we are on helping them to get abortions.”

DEMOCRATS DRIVING RELIGIOUS VOTE AWAY FROM PARTY AS TRUMP COURTS CATHOLICS: ‘ANTI-CHRISTIAN’ PARTY

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

The pro-Trump ad comes as the Trump campaign is actively courting Catholic voters. Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, a Catholic convert, penned an op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday that accused Harris of harboring “prejudice against Catholics.” 

“Last week, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, one of Vice President Kamala Harris’s top surrogates, mocked the sacrament of the Eucharist in a cringey skit with a podcaster. Last Thursday, Ms. Harris became the first presidential candidate since 1984 to skip the annual Al Smith dinner, a fundraising event that benefits Catholic Charities,” Vance wrote. 

“The first insults Catholics, while the latter displays a more subtle disregard for an important Catholic cultural event, one that raises money for social services that aid people in need, including people with disabilities and refugees and immigrants. Both show the Harris campaign’s anti-Catholic bigotry.” 

A handful of key battleground states this election cycle have huge Catholic populations. About 24% of the Pennsylvania population, which has been touted as the state that will likely determine the overall outcome of the election, identifies as Catholic; about 25% of the population in Nevada identifies as Catholic; 18% in Michigan; 21% in Arizona; and 25% in Wisconsin. Other notable battleground states have a smaller Catholic population, including Georgia and North Carolina, both of which have a roughly 9% population of Catholics. 

TRUMP APPLAUDS CATHOLIC GROUP’S MULTI-MILLION ANTI-HARRIS CAMPAIGN APPEALING TO CHURCH FAITHFUL

Vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, wrote an op-ed accusing Vice President Harris of “prejudice” against Christians. (New York Times screenshot)

Catholics historically voted for Democrats until the 1960s and early 1970s, when crime and cultural issues came to the fore alongside economic concerns, most notably in 1972 when President Richard Nixon’s campaign slammed Democrat opponent Sen. George McGovern as a candidate who supported “amnesty, abortion and acid.” 

Today, Catholic voters are evenly split between the two parties, and whichever side captures the majority is usually the side that wins the White House.

President Biden, the second Catholic president in the nation’s history (after John F. Kennedy), won the Catholic vote over Trump in 2020 by about five percentage points. In 2016, Trump won the voting bloc at 52% support compared to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 44% Catholic support. Former President Obama won the Catholic vote in both 2008 and 2012, as did former President George W. Bush in his 2004 election against John Kerry, Pew Research data shows. 

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The exception to the rule came in 2000, when former Vice President Al Gore won the Catholic vote by two points over Bush despite losing the presidential election overall.

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Iran’s military forces will get a large influx of cash thanks to a booming energy economy, despite Western sanctions. 

The regime’s upcoming 2025 budget will triple the amount of oil revenue allocated to its armed forces. 

As tensions with Israel and by proxy the U.S. reach a fever pitch, the government expects next year to take in $26 billion from oil exports, 37.5% of its total revenue. Half of that amount, around $13 billion, will be directed toward military spending, according to a report on the budget by Iran International. 

Officially known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, they consist of the Army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF).

The other 42.5% will go toward the government’s operating budget, with 6.5% earmarked for “special projects.” 

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military personnel will get a big boost thanks to oil exports.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

This year’s Iranian armed forces have a total budget of $17 billion, including $4.5 billion from oil revenues. The budget does not say how much money the military will get from other sources next year. 

Around 95% of the nation’s oil exports go to China, which buys it at a discounted rate due to the liability of skirting sanctions. In total, the government projects the nation in total, including non-governmental entities, will bring in $69 billion from oil and gas exports, around $5 billion of that from domestic energy sales. 

IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD OFFICIAL CHARGED IN PLOT TO KILL IRANIAN AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN NYC

The budget reveals that Iran expects to increase daily exports by 350,000 barrels, bringing the total to some 3.75 million barrels per day next year. Iran has no plans to build new oil refineries, so the entire increase is intended for export. 

Republicans have long criticized the Biden administration for “turning a blind eye” to illicit oil and gas sales and refusing to enforce sanctions, which they say enriched Iran to fund its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah to attack Israel and the Houthis to attack Western trade routes. 

Despite U.S. sanctions, Iran has been able to export near-record amounts of oil, around 1.7 million barrels per day.  

After the Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, it imposed harsh sanctions on the regime to stop its funding of proxies abroad, banning U.S. citizens from trading with Iran or handling Iranian money. 

It also punished entities in other countries that did business with Iran by cutting them off from the dollar. 

INTELLIGENCE REPORT SAYS IRAN WILL KEEP TRYING TO KILL TRUMP REGARDLESS OF ELECTION OUTCOME

Iran, ruled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expects to bring in $69 billion from oil exports next year. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Image)

Half of Iranian oil export coffers will go to the military. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

President Biden often waived enforcement of such sanctions, keen to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons and fearful of driving up global oil prices. 

Iran gained access to more than $10 billion through a State Department sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to continue buying energy from Iran, which the Biden administration argues is necessary to keep lights on in Baghdad. 

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has insisted none of the funds go to the IRGC or Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but are “for humanitarian goods.”

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Earlier this month, the Energy Information Agency published a report finding Iran sold $144 billion in oil abroad between 2021 and 2023. Under a maximum pressure period in 2020, Iranian oil sales had decreased to $16 billion.

In the first half of 2024, Iran had already brought in $24 billion from oil exports.

On Friday, the U.S. hit Iran with fresh sanctions on its so-called shadow fleet of ships circumventing sanctions to sell Iranian oil in response to the missile attack on Israel at the start of the month. 

Lawyers for former President Trump filed a motion on Thursday to dismiss charges related to the 2020 election brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith, claiming he was unlawfully appointed, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Trump lawyers were successful in arguing that Smith was unlawfully appointed in his separate case against the former president related to classified records. 

JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP’S FLORIDA CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE

U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida Aileen Cannon in July granted Trump’s request to dismiss the classified records charges, to which he pleaded not guilty, due to the “unlawful appointment and funding of Special Counsel Jack Smith.” 

Trump attorneys on Thursday filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Tanya Chutkan is presiding over the case.

Donald Trump and Jack Smith  (Getty Images)

“President Donald J. Trump respectfully requests leave to file this proposed motion to dismiss the Superseding Indictment and for injunctive relief—which is timely and, alternatively, supported by good cause—based on violations of the Constitution’s Appointments and Appropriations Clauses,” the filing states. 

The Appointments Clause says, “Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States be appointed by the President subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, although Congress may vest the appointment of inferior officers in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.” Smith, however, was never confirmed by the Senate.

TRUMP BLASTS DOJ FOR ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE,’ CALLS JACK SMITH CASE A ‘SCAM’ AFTER JUDGE UNSEALS KEY FILING

“The proposed motion establishes that this unjust case was dead on arrival— unconstitutional even before its inception,” the Trump filing states.

Trump lawyers argued that in November 2022, Attorney General Merick Garland “violated the Appointments Clause by naming private-citizen Smith to target President Trump, while President Trump was campaigning to take back the Oval Office from the Attorney General’s boss, without a statutory basis for doing so.” 

“Garland did so following improper public urging from President Biden to target President Trump, as reported at the time in 2022, and repeated recently by President Biden through his inappropriate instruction to ‘lock him up’ while Smith presses forward with the case unlawfully as the Presidential election rapidly approaches,” the filing states. 

Trump lawyers were referring to comments made by President Biden this week, in which he said: “we got to lock him up,” Biden said of Trump. However, the president quickly added, “Politically lock him up, lock him out. That’s what we have to do.” 

But Trump lawyers argued that “everything that Smith did since Attorney General Garland’s appointment, as President Trump continued his leading campaign against President Biden and then Vice President Harris, was unlawful and unconstitutional.” 

TRUMP ATTORNEYS ARGUE JACK SMITH’S OBSTRUCTION CHARGES BE DISMISSED CITING SUPREME COURT’S ‘FISCHER’ DECISION

Trump attorneys argued that Smith violated the Appropriations Clause, saying he relied on an appropriation “that does not apply in order to take more than $20 million from taxpayers—in addition to Smith improperly relying on more than $16 million in additional funds from other unspecified ‘DOJ components’—for use in wrongfully targeting President Trump and his allies during the height of the campaign season.” 

Trump attorneys argue that Smith “was not appointed ‘by Law,'” and argue that he “has operated with a blank check by relying on an inapplicable permanent indefinite appropriation that was enacted in connection with a reauthorization of the Independent Counsel Act in 1987.” 

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 01: Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on a recently unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Justice Department on August 1, 2023 in Washington, DC. Trump was indicted on four felony counts for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.  
(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“Smith was not appointed pursuant to that Act, which expired in 1999. The appropriation contemplates the possibility of appointment by some ‘other law,’ but no ‘other law’ authorized Smith’s appointment,” the attorneys continue. “The appropriation also requires that the prosecutor be “independent,” in the very particular, rigorous sense that attorneys appointed pursuant to the defunct Independent Counsel Act were meant to be independent.” 

They added: “That is not true of Smith’s appointment, either.” 

“For these reasons, Smith should have never been permitted to access these huge sums of money, and his use of this funding violated the Appropriations Clause,” the filing states. “Based on these violations of the Appointments and Appropriations Clauses, the Superseding Indictment should be dismissed with prejudice. In addition, an injunction against additional spending by Smith is necessary to prevent ongoing irreparable harm and to ensure complete relief for the Appropriations Clause violation.” 

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

A spokesperson for Special Counsel Jack Smith declined to comment when reached by Fox News. 

Smith has until Halloween, Oct. 31, to file his response.

A court sketch depicts former President Donald Trump’s legal representation appearing before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington D.C. on Friday, August 11, 2023. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

The Supreme Court earlier this year ruled that a president is immune from prosecution for official acts. 

Smith was then required to file another indictment against Trump, revising the charges in an effort to navigate the Supreme Court ruling. The new indictment kept the prior criminal charges but narrowed and reframed the allegations against Trump after the high court’s ruling that gave broad immunity to former presidents. 

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Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the new indictment as well. 

Trump, in an interview this week with Hugh Hewitt, said he would immediately fire Smith if elected. 

Vice President Kamala Harris declared she’s open to “some kind of reform” of the Supreme Court when asked during a CNN town hall if she would support expanding the number of justices to 12.

“There is no question that the American people increasingly are losing confidence in the Supreme Court and, in large part, because of the behavior of certain members of that court and because of certain rulings, including the Dobbs decision and taking away a precedent that had been in place for 50 years, protecting a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body,” Harris said during Wednesday night’s event.  

“So, I do believe that there should be some kind of reform of the court, and we can study what that actually looks like.” 

Harris’ remarks come after she did not rule out potentially packing the Supreme Court in 2019 when she sought the party’s nod to face President Trump in the 2020 election. 

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

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

Harris reiterated several times during her previous campaign that she wasn’t opposed to a Supreme Court expansion, which would theoretically allow liberal justices to take on a majority role through new appointments.  

“I’m open to this conversation about increasing the number of people on the United States Supreme Court,” Harris once told voters in Nashua, New Hampshire, after a question was posed to her about adding up to four seats to the high court, according to Bloomberg. 

HARRIS’ ‘MIXED MESSAGES’ ON NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION COULD COST HER PIVOTAL PENNSYLVANIA 

The U.S. Supreme Court: Front row, left to right, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Samuel Alito and Associate Justice Elena Kagan. Back row, left to right, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump had tweeted in 2020 that “FDR’s own party told him you cannot PACK the United States Supreme Court, it would permanently destroy the Court.”

The U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

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Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report. 

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance questioned the Left’s collective outrage at Green Party nominee Dr. Jill Stein being on the November ballot while saying they appear to want the opposite for now-former fellow third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“The Jill Stein thing is interesting, because the Democrats will attack Jill Stein while at the same time they’re trying to keep Bobby Kennedy on the ballot, even though Bobby Kennedy has already endorsed Donald J. Trump,” Vance said at a Wisconsin rally this week.

In 2016, Stein was dubbed a “spoiler” against Hillary Clinton, as her vote total exceeded the Democrat’s deficit in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

“I think the Democrats, if they’re worried about spoilers, they ought to look in the mirror because Bobby Kennedy had a hell of a lot more support than Jill Stein ever did, and they’re trying to prevent him from getting off the ballot,” Vance said.

The Ohio senator quipped that the best person to vote for in November remains Trump, “and the second-best person to vote for is anyone not named Kamala Harris.”

Kennedy has launched litigation in several states to remove his name from the ballot since dropping out, as prior to his Trump endorsement, Democrats had themselves filed multiple lawsuits to keep him off the ballot. 

JILL STEIN CALLS OUT BIDEN’S GAFFES

Jill Stein at a protest during a joint meeting of Congress with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

That attitude appeared to change after Kennedy’s campaign ended.

A spokesperson for progressive PAC “MoveOn” told Politico that Kennedy is “manufacturing scenarios that throw the ballot counting process of multiple states into disarray” at “Trump and MAGA’s direction.” 

Stein, a physician from Fall River, Mass., ran for president on the Green Party line in 2012, 2016 and 2024. The party nominated self-described “ecosocialist” Howie Hawkins III in 2020. 

As of late, Stein has been lambasted for continuing her quixotic candidacy as the race again narrows like it did in 2016.

In September, the Democratic National Committee branded Stein a Russian “useful idiot,” similar to how Clinton labeled now-Republican former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard a Kremlin asset.

According to the anti-Trump conservative publication “The Bulwark,” the “useful idiot” barb was the first time since 2023 that Democrats have prominently mentioned Stein.

A DNC spokesman told the outlet that Stein has “parrot[ed] Kremlin talking points and [was] propped-up by bad actors in 2016,” and is “at it again.”

“A vote for Stein is a vote for Trump,” the spokesman said.

RFK JR DENOUNCES ‘SPOILER’ LABEL

Meanwhile, the New York Times wrote a lengthy piece this week chronicling the controversy around Stein’s bid.

It cited a heckler in New York who asked her feelings about being “personally responsible for actually bringing Donald Trump into power.”

It also anonymously quoted one of Stein’s adult children as saying, “For her political activities, she does not have the support of her family.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., blistered Stein in a social media video, saying, “All you do is show up once every four years to speak to people who are justifiably pissed off. . . . You’re not serious. It does not read as authentic, it reads as predatory.”

Left-wing MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell claimed on Monday that Trump rose to power “thanks to the Electoral College and Jill Stein,” before playing a Harris ad in which Stein’s face transitions into Trump’s – and another Democratic ad highlighting recent Trump praise of Stein due to her pulling votes from Democrats.

O’Donnell also reprimanded a Stein volunteer in Michigan who previously voted for Clinton and Biden but had enough of the proverbial binary choice in elections.

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Lawrence O’Donnell leaves the New York Trump trial courtroom. (Getty)

The Times separately reported that “Democratic operatives” have been trying to aid ballot access for far-right Constitution Party nominee Randall Terry, for reasons similar to Republicans who laud Stein.

Stein’s frequent refrain in support of her third-party bid has long been: “Forget the lesser evil, fight for the greater good.”

Stein told Fox News Digital on Thursday that Democrats’ “smear campaign is the best publicity we could ask for.”

“Their attack dogs have been opening doors for us since DNC chair Jamie Harrison came for us on Twitter, AOC lectured us on Instagram, Democratic operative Angela Rye tried to ambush us on The Breakfast Club, and just the other day the DNC was exposed for attempting to dictate to [talk show host] Tavis Smiley a set of attack questions they wanted him to challenge me with on his show.”

Stein said that Harris could win back her base by pledging to “end the genocide with a weapons embargo to Israel now.”

“But apparently she prefers killing Palestinian children to winning the election. No amount of lies and smears will distract from the simple truth that Americans revile this bipartisan genocide,” Stein said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC for comment but did not hear back by press time. 

FIRST ON FOX: More than a dozen Texas Republicans, from the governor to members of the U.S. House, slammed Vice President Kamala Harris’ planned visit to the border state Friday, telling Fox News Digital the visit is “one of the dumbest political decisions” they’ve seen. 

“‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris can come all the way to Houston where Jocelyn Nungaray was killed by Tren de Aragua gang members that she let into the country, yet she can’t be bothered to visit Jocelyn’s family or even say her name. Kamala Harris and her open border policies have allowed over 11 million illegal immigrants and dangerous criminals like TdA into our country, putting every American’s life at risk,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Fox News Digital. 

“President Donald Trump has shown real leadership on the border, with successful border policies that decreased illegal immigration to the lowest level in decades. While Kamala Harris refuses to take real action on this crisis, Texas will continue to step up with our historic border mission until we have a partner in the White House to make America secure again.” 

Harris will travel to the red state just 10 days ahead of Election Day, and she is expected to speak about the state’s abortion policies after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Abortion is a hallmark of the Harris campaign, including Harris saying she supports eliminating the filibuster in an effort to pass a law restoring abortion access nationwide. 

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

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick slammed Harris’ trip to Texas as “one of the dumbest political decisions I’ve ever seen.” 

“Kamala Harris coming to Texas for a rally is one of the dumbest political decisions I’ve ever seen. She and Colin Allred are not going to win in Texas. I’m glad she is spending the day in Texas instead of campaigning in a swing state with only a few days left in the election. I hope she stays longer. Donald Trump is going to be the next president because the voters are fed up with the Harris-Biden regime and the chaos they’ve created,” Patrick said. 

Harris will be joined by Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred, who is making a long shot run to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. 

Cruz slammed his Senate opponent in comments to Fox Digital, saying Allred and Harris share the same “radical policies.”  

“Colin Allred is Kamala Harris. They have spent the last four years working hand-in-hand against Texans and the American people with their radical policies, whether those be pushing to allow boys in girls’ sports, allowing dangerous illegal aliens to come into our country or trying to destroy the oil and gas industry in Texas,” Cruz said. 

TEXAS AG SUES BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN FOR NOT VERIFYING CITIZENSHIP OF 450K ‘POTENTIALLY INELIGIBLE’ VOTERS

“Colin and Kamala share an agenda, and now they’ll share a stage for all Texans to see.”

“I’m glad she is spending the day in Texas instead of campaigning in a swing state with only a few days left in the election. I hope she stays longer.”  — Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

As illegal immigration spiraled in 2021, the Biden-Harris administration’s first year in office, President Biden announced Harris would lead the effort to determine the “root causes” of immigration. The administration pointed to issues such as climate change, poverty and violence driving migrants to the U.S. 

The media and Republicans dubbed Harris the “border czar” shortly after, with the White House rejecting the title. The title, however, has continued years later, including Texas Republicans this week using the title to slam Harris ahead of her visit. 

“Millions of migrants have illegally entered our country on Border Czar Kamala Harris’ watch, so it’s no surprise that she’d rather talk about anything but her abysmal track record on the border. If she can’t control the border, how can she run the country? We’ve never had a more secure border than under President Trump, and he will put a stop to this when he takes office. Nov. 5 can’t come soon enough,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn said. 

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

This aerial picture taken Dec. 8, 2023, shows the US-Mexico border wall in Sasabe, Ariz. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images))

“Harris’ last-ditch effort to appear serious on border security is more than laughable, it’s dangerous. If she were serious, she would’ve acted as a legitimate ‘Border Czar.’ Instead, she imported over 20 million illegals into our communities where they’re rewarded with government benefits, leaving U.S. citizens to be raped and murdered by violent illegal criminals,” Rep. Ronny Jackson said. 

“Harris admitted that she’s pro-mass amnesty and has gone so far as to support taxpayer-funded transition surgeries for detained illegals. She is the ultimate panderer, and, if elected, will continue her open-border policies. Texans, including our incredible Latino community, do not trust her, which is why they’re projected to turn out in record numbers to vote for Trump.” 

‘UTTER BETRAYAL’: NEW REPORT REVEALS DHS OFFICIAL USED SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Texas politicians respond to Kamala Harris’ Texas visit. (Getty Images)

Nineteen Texas leaders submitted comments to Fox News Digital slamming Harris’ planned visit, with a handful citing girls and women who have been murdered in recent years, allegedly at the hands of illegal immigrants.  

“Harris should visit Houston, but not to campaign. She should come to apologize for purposefully allowing Texas border counties to be overrun and allowing young Houstonians like Jocelyn Nungaray to be murdered by the people she allowed in,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw said. 

Twelve-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was sexually assaulted and murdered by strangulation when two illegal immigrants in their 20s allegedly lured the young girl under a bridge before killing her in June. 

Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found strangled to death in a Houston creek. (Fox Houston courtesy of the Nungaray family)

“Instead of coming to Texas to ask for our votes, Kamala should be asking for our forgiveness. Especially from the family of Jocelyn Nungaray and the countless others devastated by her administration’s open border policies. For four years, she has ignored Texans and the deadly crisis she has created at our southern border,” Rep. Roger Williams said. 

“Her negligence as Border Czar contributed to the tragic deaths of Americans, including Jocelyn Nungaray, who was killed by two illegal aliens from Venezuela. Young women like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray and Rachel Morin would be alive today if Kamala Harris had taken her responsibilities seriously,” Rep. Wesley Hunt added. 

Harris’ event will kick off Friday evening in Houston, with reports surfacing that she will be joined by musician Beyoncé, who is originally from Houston. 

“If she wanted a secure border, why did I have to sue her administration dozens of times to force them to follow federal immigration laws?” — Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the Texas Republicans’ comments on her upcoming visit. The campaign also did not respond to a request for confirmation regarding whether Beyoncé will join the rally. 

Harris joined a CNN town hall Wednesday evening outside Philadelphia, where moderator Anderson Cooper pressed the vice president about her border policies, including whether she supports a border wall after calling the wall “stupid” when it was championed by Trump during his administration. 

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

“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. 

“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.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, speaks as CNN moderator Anderson Cooper looks on during a presidential town hall at Sun Center Studios Oct. 23, 2024, in Aston, Pa. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“But you agreed to a bill that would earmark $650 million to continue building that wall,” Cooper pressed. 

“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,” Harris responded. 

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

“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. 

“Young women like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray and Rachel Morin would be alive today if Kamala Harris had taken her responsibilities seriously.” — Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton railed against Harris in comments to Fox Digital ahead of her visit, saying she and Biden “intentionally dismantled every successful Trump border policy to let in as many aliens as possible” starting on their first day in office. 

“Now, Kamala wants to come to Texas and talk about border security after four years of destroying American communities. If she wanted a secure border, why did I have to sue her administration dozens of times to force them to follow federal immigration laws? We’re fighting Kamala’s destructive open borders doctrine in the courts because she has unlawfully weaponized power to make our country more dangerous instead of keeping Americans safe,” Paxton said. 

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“Now, Texas is fighting Kamala’s obvious effort to allow noncitizens to vote illegally in American elections. We need to end the insanity, secure the border, restore the rule of law and put American citizens first again by re-electing President Trump.” 

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

After Vice President Kamala Harris compared former President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler from the steps of her home yesterday at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Trump’s campaign said that such rhetoric is “dangerous” and “directly to blame” for the kind of climate that led to two assassination attempts on his life.

“She continues to stoke the flames of violence all in the name of politics,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said.

Trump was not the only critic of Harris’ words. Former third-party candidate-turned-Trump surrogate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argued that the remarks comparing Trump to Hitler “inspires assassins.”

From her residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke on former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s recent comments on former President Donald Trump, including that he fits “into the general definition of fascist” and wanted the “kind of generals Hitler had.” (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

DEMOCRATS HAVE REPEATEDLY USED VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT: ‘TIME TO PUT TRUMP IN A BULLSEYE’

“This type of rhetoric is dangerous to the life of Donald Trump and our Democracy as we know it,” the Mississippi Republican Party said. Meanwhile, Jacob Helberg, an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that as a person of Jewish descent with ancestors who endured the Holocaust, he thought it was a “disgrace” for Harris to compare Trump to Hitler.

“These dangerous rants by Kamala Harris, comparing President Trump to Hitler and calling him a fascist, are inciting more hate and vitriol, and ultimately leading to political violence against President Trump,” argued Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., the second-highest ranking Republican in the House. “It has to stop. This is extremely reckless and dangerous, and we have seen its consequences time and time again. How many more assassination attempts will it take before Democrat leaders tone down their rhetoric?”

Colin Reed, a Republican strategist and former campaign manager for former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, said it was “ironic” that Harris’ closing pitch heading into the election compares the former president to Hitler, following “all the summer rhetoric about needing to lower the temperature and cool the discourse has fallen away.”    

“So much for the campaign of joy and vibes,” Reed said.

Harris’ decision to invoke Hitler while talking about Trump follows a report from The Atlantic that chronicled comments from Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, who recounted a moment working under the former president when he lauded Hitler for doing “some good things.” Kelly also reportedly said that working with Trump showed him that the former president met the definition of a “fascist,” which both the White House and Harris subsequently said they agreed with. 

‘NOT AMERICAN’: RURAL AND URBAN VOTERS IN CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE ALARMED BY VIOLENT POLITICAL RHETORIC

Former President Donald Trump, center, fired back at remarks made by Vice President Kamala Harris based on former Gen. John Kelly’s comments suggesting Trump was a fascist. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images | NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images | Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Harris’ remarks come after her critics already warned the Democratic presidential candidate that her party’s rhetoric was contributing to the environment that has led to two assassination attempts on Trump’s life. 

“The recklessness of the hateful rhetoric constantly aimed at Trump by his political opponents, even after he was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania in July,” said New York Post columnist Miranda Devine.

“No one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in the last couple of months, and two people have tried to kill Donald Trump. I say that’s strong evidence that the left needs to tone down the rhetoric and cut this crap out, somebody is going to get hurt,” said Trump’s vice presidential running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.

The calls for the left to tone down the rhetoric mirror calls for Republicans to do the same following the 2012 shooting of former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords. Giffords was targeted at an event for constituents by a deranged gunman and shot in the head. The gunman murdered six people and injured 12 others – including one of Giffords’ staffers.

THERE’S A LOT OF ‘EXTREME RHETORIC’ ON BOTH SIDES: JOSH KRAUSHAAR

South Carolina’s Rep. James Clyburn, the former number two ranking Democrat in the House, said following the shooting of Giffords, “We’re living in a time that all of us should begin to take stock of how our words affect people, especially those who aren’t very stable.”

Former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., listens to DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, of South Carolina, a nominee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Some Democrats pointed their finger at Sarah Palin, the former Republican governor of Alaska and onetime vice-presidential candidate, citing an online “target map” which featured stylized crosshairs over vulnerable electoral districts, including that of Giffords and others in the Democratic Party.

“We need to put the guns down. Just as importantly, we need to put the gun metaphors away and permanently,” MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann penned in a 2011 op-ed.

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The University of Michigan conducted research following the Giffords shooting on how charged political messaging can inflame violent attitudes, particularly among those predisposed to be aggressive in daily life. “The results presented here clearly refute the claim that violent political rhetoric is without negative consequences,” a Michigan political science researcher said at the time.

“Last year, some Republican politicians used Second Amendment references (remember Sharron Angle and ‘Second Amendment remedies’ if Harry Reid didn’t lose) and revolutionary talk to express how angry they were about the state of their country. They strongly and vehemently rejected the charge, from Democrats, that they were encouraging an atmosphere of violence,” political journalist David Weigel recounted for the left-leaning Slate Magazine after the Giffords shooting. “When Giffords’ opponent held a fundraiser and pitched it as ‘help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office, shoot a fully automatic M-16 with Jesse Kelly,’ Democrats saw the specter of violence, and Republicans saw political posturing.”

Pro-life groups are livid at Vice President Kamala Harris after she took an uncompromising position on abortion rights at odds with many faith-based health care providers.

Harris told NBC’s Hallie Jackson on Tuesday that she does not support religious exemptions for abortion and would not make any concessions on that issue, if elected, under a potentially divided government. 

“I don’t think we should be making concessions when we’re talking about a fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body,” Harris said in the interview. 

Christian and pro-life leaders said her position is hostile toward believing doctors and Catholic hospitals, who view abortion as the sinful taking of innocent life. They questioned whether she would respect constitutional protections for religious Americans if she wins the presidency. 

HARRIS REFUSES TO MAKE CONCESSIONS TO REPUBLICANS ON ANY ABORTION LEGISLATION, INCLUDING RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS

NBC’s Hallie Jackson, left, interviews Vice President Kamala Harris on Oct. 22, 2024. (NBC News)

“Kamala Harris’ comments here show that she believes the First Amendment no longer applies to people of faith, including Catholics,” said Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“She is setting the stage to put Catholic doctors in jail, to strip medical licenses from Catholic physicians and to shut down Catholic health care as we know it.” 

Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, a senior fellow with The Catholic Association, said Harris “should clarify, and quickly, whether given the chance she would force Americans who object on religious or conscience grounds, to participate in abortion” 

“Sadly, it would not be the first time Harris has used her political power to trample the rights of religious Americans,” she added. 

HARRIS CLAIMS SHE WAS ‘HONEST WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL ACUITY: ‘CAPABLE IN EVERY WAY’

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a CNN Presidential Town Hall at Sun Center Studios on Oct. 23, 2024 in Aston, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

The Biden-Harris administration has come under fire from Christians and pro-life groups for filing lawsuits against activists who prayed outside of abortion clinics under the Freedom of Access to Clinical Entrances Act. Activist Lauren Handy, with Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, was handed a nearly five-year prison sentence in May for organizing one such protest outside a clinic in Washington, D.C., in 2020.

CatholicVote and others have accused the Biden-Harris administration of “weaponizing” the Justice Department against abortion opponents. The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

In interviews, Harris has refused to say whether there is any restriction on abortion that she supports. When Jackson repeatedly pressed her on whether there were any compromises she might support to pass legislation to expand abortion access, Harris refused to “engage in hypotheticals.” 

“Let’s start with the fundamental fact. A basic freedom has been taken from the women of America, the freedom to make decisions about their own body. And that cannot be negotiable, which is that we need to put back in the protections of Roe v Wade, and that is it,” Harris said. 

KAMALA HARRIS AVOIDS QUESTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL DECLINE: ‘JOE BIDEN IS NOT ON THE BALLOT’

Arizona residents rally for abortion rights on a street corner Tuesday on the heels of the Arizona Supreme Court decision enacting an 1864 law banning abortion, on April 16, 2024 in Phoenix. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The vice president has supported legislation in Congress that would codify the Supreme Court’s now defunct opinion in Roe v. Wade, which would guarantee federal protections for abortion access and override nearly all abortion restrictions enacted by pro-life lawmakers at the state level nationwide.  

William Wolfe, founder and executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, said Harris’ position makes “crystal clear” that “Christians are not welcome in the modern, pro-abortion Democrat Party.” 

“Frankly, I’m not surprised to learn that a Kamala administration would shred the First Amendment and force Christian doctors and hospitals to provide abortions because ‘expanding abortion access’ is a key tenant of their progressive ‘religion.’ There is nothing that the Democrats value more than the ‘freedom’ to end innocent, pre-born human life in the womb with no legal restrictions or repercussions,” said Wolfe.  

“Her fanatical commitment to abortion access and disregard for the First Amendment isn’t a bug – it’s a feature of her platform. I fail to see how any Christian can support such a barbaric and unconstitutional candidate in good faith.” 

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Public opinion polls show, and political analysts agree, that the 2024 presidential election is on a trajectory to be one of the closest in decades. Seven battleground states will determine the winner, and those states are expected to be decided by slim margins – where support from significant voter blocks, like Catholics, could very well make the difference.

“The Catholic vote will be critical, as it has been in every election over the last 40 years,” said Burch. 

“The Democratic Party has gone from safe, legal and rare to now let’s force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, or we’ll throw you in jail. That’s quite the shift, and I think voters recognize this as a bridge too far.” 

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Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader, an Iowa-based socially conservative group, said he has “never seen an election that represents a bigger contrast of worldview” than the 2024 presidential contest.

“You can’t tell a doctor my so-called ‘right’ to abortion trumps your right of conscience, so I can force you to commit what you believe is murder. That’s not the America I grew up in, not the America our Founders would have ever permitted, but that’s the Kamala Harris America,” he said. 

“The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the guarantee of religious liberty, is on the ballot. Choose well, America.”

Harris will travel to Texas on Friday, a state her campaign has called “ground zero of Trump’s abortion bans.” She will attend an event in Houston with women “who have faced the direct impacts of these extreme laws” and will speak about the “harm Donald Trump’s abortion bans have caused across the nation.” 

Vice President Kamala Harris stood outside her residence in Washington, D.C., launching a blistering attack on former President Donald Trump, her rival in the 2024 White House race.

Harris charged that the former president was “increasingly unhinged and unstable” as she pointed to critical comments made by retired Gen. John Kelly, Trump’s former White House Chief of Staff, in a New York Times interview.

The vice president argued that Trump was a “fascist” as she noted Kelly’s allegations that the then-president repeatedly voiced admiration for Nazi Germany dictator, Adolf Hitler.

Hours later, at a CNN townhall in battleground Pennsylvania on Wednesday night, Harris doubled down on her charges.

NEW NATIONAL POLL SHOWS WHETHER HARRIS OR TRUMP HAS THE EDGE IN THE FINAL STRETCH

From the vice president’s residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory on Oct. 23, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s recent comments on former President Donald Trump, including that he fits “into the general definition of fascist” and wanted the “kind of generals Hitler had.” (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

When asked if she believed the Republican presidential nominee was a fascist, Harris answered “yes, I do.”

She emphasized that American voters “care about our democracy and not having a president of the United States who admires dictators and is a fascist.”

Trump, who has vehemently denied Kelly’s allegations, took to social media to fire back at Harris, arguing that her criticisms were a sign that she is losing the election.

The former president claimed that Harris was “increasingly raising her rhetoric, going so far as to call me Adolf Hitler, and anything else that comes to her warped mind.”

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

If Harris’ criticisms that Trump is “unfit to serve” in the Oval Office sound familiar, there is a good reason – they are.

When he was running for re-election, President Biden made his argument that Trump was an existential threat to democracy a centerpiece of his presidential campaign.

Biden spotlighted what he called the former president’s “assault on democracy” – as he pointed to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to upend congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory – during a January speech as he kicked off the election year.

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk off-stage after speaking at a campaign rally on Friday, June 28, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

As he continued to run for another four years in the White House, the president repeatedly argued that Trump was “a threat to democracy.”

However, after a besieged Biden in July dropped his re-election bid and backed Harris to replace him atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, Harris and her advisers seemed to discard the Biden playbook on Trump.

Instead, “joyful warrior” Harris spotlighted a more upbeat message, and when she focused on Trump, she noted his petty grievances and called him an “unserious man,” as she argued during her Democratic National Convention address in late August.

However, as the calendar moved from summer to autumn, and Election Day nears, in a margin-of-error race where plenty of polls suggest the momentum belongs to Trump, there has been an apparent shift of tone coming from the vice president and her campaign.

“Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged and will stop at nothing to claim unchecked power for himself,” Harris charged last week during multiple campaign rallies in battleground Wisconsin.

According to a senior campaign official, Harris will deliver what is being described as a major “closing argument” address next Tuesday – one week until Election Day – on the Ellipse, which is just south of the White House and north of the National Mall.

In this Jan. 6, 2021 photo with the White House in the background, then-President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Washington, D.C., ahead of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The campaign spotlighted that Trump headlined a large rally of supporters at the Ellipse on Jan 6, 2021. Many of those who attended Trump’s rally then marched to the U.S. Capital and joined other protesters in storming the building. The campaign sees the Ellipse as a symbolic location that they believe will help make clear to voters the choice in the presidential election.

The contrast with the former president that Harris is working to sketch comes as she and her campaign make a full court press to attract dissatisfied Republicans who supported Trump rival Nikki Haley earlier this year in the GOP presidential primaries. 

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

While Trump continues to hold massive sway over the Republican Party, even a sliver of GOP voters casting ballots for Harris could make a difference in some of the battleground states in a race likely to be decided in the margins.

Harris in recent weeks has teamed up in the key battleground states with high-profile anti-Trump Republicans, including former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, listens as former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney speaks during a town hall at The People’s Light in Malvern, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A Democratic strategist in Biden’s political orbit told Fox News that the shift in Harris’ messaging is a sign that the president was right to repeatedly take aim at Trump on the campaign trail as an existential threat to democracy.

The Trump campaign argues that the new messaging will backfire with voters.

“Kamala Harris is focused on Donald Trump and President Donald J. Trump is focused on the American people,” Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez argued on “Fox and Friends” on Thursday. “Our closing argument is so different than theirs. They are throwing everything they can at the wall to see what sticks because Kamala Harris is floundering.”

Longtime vocal GOP Trump-critic Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire – who was a top Haley supporter and surrogate in the Republican nomination battle but says he will vote for Trump – said that the attacks would not succeed in courting voters.

“You’re dealing with an individual who makes outrageous statements all the time,” Sununu said of Trump during an interview on Fox News’ “Your World with Neil Cavuto.” “They’re baked into the noise.”

Sununu argued that “the reason the Harris campaign has completely frozen, lost all their momentum, is because all they do is talk about crazy things that Trump says and does.”

Longtime Republican strategist Colin Reed, a veteran of multiple presidential campaigns, agreed.

“Voters have been hearing versions of this overheated rhetoric for the better part of the last decade, and they’re starting to tune it out as background noise,” he told Fox News Digital.

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Reed also noted that the new criticism comes after Trump survived two assassination attempts against his life this summer, and many of the former president’s allies blame rhetoric from some Democrats for fueling the toxic political climate.

“It’s especially ironic coming from the Biden-Harris Administration that ran on an idea of unity, and are now demonizing someone who has been subject to multiple attempts on his life,” noted Reed, who supported vocal Trump critic former Gov. Chris Christie this cycle.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, two and a half months after he survived an assassination attempt against his life at the same venue. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinso)

However, Reed said “the bigger challenge is that life was easier under the previous presidency than the current one. Prices were lower, the border more secure and ‘inflation’ was an esoteric term from an economics class and not a headache of everyday life. The Harris campaign has failed to lay out their vision and positive plans to address these issues, leaving them with no choice but to focus solely on the negatives around Trump and hope for the best.”

He called it “a risky bet when voters are looking for concrete solutions to real problems.”

Even some Democrats have issues with the new messaging.

“I worry that the threat to democracy message rings hollow with the majority of voters who are much more focused on improving their own personal situation and want to vote for someone who will make their life more affordable,” seasoned Democratic strategist and communicator Chris Moyer told Fox News Digital.

Moyer said that “if I were the Harris campaign, I would continue to hammer home through Election Day the message of what Harris will do for these voters to lower costs and help them get ahead. In doing so, she will be speaking to the top priority across multiple subsets of the electorate. Voters who have the luxury of worrying about the broad concern of the fate of democracy are most likely already voting for Harris.”

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

Next month, North Carolinians will decide whether “only” U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in future state elections.

House Bill 1074, referred to as the “Citizen Only Voting” amendment, would clarify the state’s constitution to read that “only a citizen” is allowed to vote in the Old North State.

North Carolina law currently reads that “every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized, 18 years of age, and possessing the qualifications set out in this Article, shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people of the State, except as herein otherwise provided.”

While the state already does not allow noncitizens to vote, proponents say the amendment establishes confidence in elections amid the ongoing immigration crisis.

BALANCE OF POWER: HELENE COULD SHIFT POLITICAL WINDS TOWARD TRUMP, NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS SAY

Voters make selections at their voting booths inside an early voting site on Oct. 17, 2024 in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Several counties affected by Hurricane Helene saw a large turnout of residents for the first day of early voting in western North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits)

The amendment, if passed, would adjust the wording to say that “only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this State.”

‘MOMALA’ HARRIS COUNTS ON DURHAM, NC, TECH MILLENIALS WHO WANT TO TURN US INTO SF

“Ensuring that only U.S. Citizens in North Carolina can vote is a critical step that is needed in order to have confidence in our elections,” North Carolina GOP Chairman Jason Simmons wrote in a press release after the amendment was officially placed on the 2024 ballot. 

Other supporters of the amendment say it is a matter of prevention.

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots during the first day of early voting at a polling station in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Allison Joyce)

“Democrats in far-left cities and states are doing everything they possibly can to allow noncitizens to vote in elections. The best defense we can mount against these attacks on democracy is to empower the people of North Carolina to amend their own constitution to state that only U.S. citizens shall vote in our elections,” State Sen. Brad Overcash, R-Gaston, said of the amendment.

However, the amendment has received pushback from critics who say it is “an unnecessary and anti-immigrant tactic that will further marginalize North Carolina’s immigrant communities.”

Absentee ballots are prepared to be mailed at the Wake County Board of Elections on Sept. 17, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Allison Joyce)

“As an immigrant to North Carolina who went through the grueling process of naturalization so that I could become a citizen and participate in democracy by voting, I fear that this proposed change in the language of our constitution is a stepping stone to further disenfranchising and disempowering us and our communities,” said Jasmina Nogo, staff attorney with the Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project at the NC Justice Center.

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Over a million ballots have already been cast in North Carolina after early voting started on Oct. 17.

A red-leaning House race in Virginia has become more competitive, as the Republican incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans’ lead ahead of Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal narrowed to a statistically insignificant 1 point, according to a new poll. 

Kiggans received 46% support among registered likely voters in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, while Smasal garnered 45%, according to a new poll by the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University. 

The Republican’s lead has tightened since the same poll in mid-September when Kiggans was 5 points ahead of Smasal. The margins of error for both polls were 3.9 percentage points. 

The district centered around Virginia Beach that includes Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Virginia’s eastern shore is considered one of the most competitive in the state. Both Republicans and Democrats have cited it as among those critical to securing control of the House for the next two years. 

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

Home to the largest naval base in the country, the district’s voting population is heavily active duty and retired miliary, and both candidates are veterans. Of likely voters, 46% trusted Kiggans more to handle military and veteran’s issues, compared to 42% who trusted Smasal more, according to the poll. 

Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia, speaks to reporters during a news conference after the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) at the U.S. Capitol Building on July 14, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The poll found Smasal is trusted more, 49% to 35%, to handle “reproductive rights.” 

The district has flipped between red and blue twice already over the past six years. 

Fox News Power Rankings has the district leaning red this election cycle.  

NEW JERSEY BATTLEGROUND HOUSE DISTRICT POLL FINDS TIGHT RACE AS GOP SEEKS TO RETAIN SEAT

The poll showed Vice President Harris two points ahead of former President Trump among likely voters in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. The lean of the district shifted more to the right after it was redrawn following the 2020 census, but President Biden still won it by two points. 

Republican congressional nominee, state Sen. Jen Kiggans, celebrates her win during an election night event on Nov. 8, 2022, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kiggans defeated incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria.  (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

“If this margin holds, I think we’ll see something similar for Harris” statewide, Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, research director for the Wason Center, told the Washington Post. “Fundamentally, it’s going to be about how well Harris performs in the state,” she said. “If she does really well, Cotter Smasal has a chance … if we’re seeing really high Democratic turnout and suppressed Republican turnout.”

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Though, Harris’ lead has fallen since September, when the same poll had her ahead by 11 points.

In 2021, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin secured the district by 11 points. Kiggans bested Democratic incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria by 3 points. The new poll showed incumbent Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine seven points ahead of Republican challenger Hung Cao among likely voters in Virginia’s 2nd district. 

Celebrities are increasingly hitting the campaign trail in support of Vice President Kamala Harris as the U.S. is now less than two weeks away from Election Day. 

Harris has already received support from musical artists Megan Thee Stallion, Bon Iver and John Legend, who have shown up for her at events in Georgia and Wisconsin. 

Here are 10 more celebrities that are campaigning for Harris in her 2024 campaign’s final weeks: 

Eminem 

The rapper appeared at a Harris-Walz campaign rally on Tuesday in Detroit, Michigan, telling a crowd there, “The spotlight is on us more than ever and I think it’s important to use your voice.” 

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

Rapper Eminem arrives to speak before former President Barack Obama at a campaign rally supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Oct. 22, in Detroit, Mich. (AP/Paul Sancya)

“I also think that people shouldn’t be afraid to express their opinions and I don’t think anyone wants an America where people are worried about retribution or what people will do if you make your opinion known,” he continued. “I think Vice President Harris supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld.” 

Bruce Springsteen 

The Harris campaign announced a concert series with Bruce Springsteen in battleground states to mobilize voters with less than two weeks to go until Election Day. 

The Harris campaign’s “When We Vote We Win” concert series will begin on Thursday in the Atlanta area, followed by a second show on Monday in Philadelphia. 

The concert series will hit all seven battleground states: Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin. 

Usher 

The pop star joined Harris last weekend at a rally in Atlanta, telling a crowd at the Lakewood Amphitheater, “Normally, I’m up here to entertain, but today for something far more significant for Atlanta and all of Georgia.” 

TRUMP, HARRIS NECK AND NECK IN BATTLEGROUND STATES ARIZONA, GEORGIA, NORTH CAROLINA 

Usher speaks during a campaign rally with Harris at Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Ga., on Oct. 19. (Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images)

The “Yeah!” singer said that he supports Harris because she “fights for everyone’s rights, for freedom, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from.” 

“She has a vision for our country that includes everyone.” 

Lizzo 

The singer and rapper backed Harris at a get-out-the-vote rally in the singer’s hometown of Detroit on Saturday, calling Michigan the “swing state of all swing states, so every last vote here counts.” 

She added, “If you ask me if America is ready for its first woman president, I only have one thing to say: ‘It’s about damn time!’” referencing her 2022 song. 

Julia Roberts 

The actress campaigned for Harris during five events in Georgia earlier this month. 

At a reproductive freedom rally in Cherokee County, Roberts said, “I believe in Georgia. I wouldn’t have come home if I didn’t believe that we can accomplish really beautiful goals that will extend beyond our state’s borders.” 

Stevie Wonder performs during a campaign event with Harris at Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro, Ga., on Oct. 20. (Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images)

“I just hope that all the women here tonight talk to all the men that aren’t here tonight. And all you brave men that are here tonight, talk to all the other men who aren’t here tonight. And let’s just get it going, enough with the fighting,” she added. 

Stevie Wonder 

The singer performed “Happy Birthday” to Harris on Sunday at a church in Jonesboro, Ga., as the vice president turned 60. 

TRUMP CAMPAIGN’S CLOSING MESSAGE TO VOTERS: ‘HARRIS BROKE IT, TRUMP WILL FIX IT’ 

“We’re going to make the difference between yesterday and tomorrow,” Wonder told a crowd there while delivering a message to go out and vote, according to The Associated Press. 

Willie Nelson 

The country music legend is set to host a “Cannabis Community Virtual Rally for Kamala Harris” on Thursday night, where he will be joined in a Zoom call with Whoopi Goldberg, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and others. 

He then will appear tomorrow night alongside Harris at a campaign rally in Houston, Texas. 

Jennifer Garner 

The actress has recently campaigned for Harris in both Arizona and Pennsylvania. 

In Lancaster County, Garner said, “I love that [Kamala Harris] is going to help small businesses get up and running,” according to WHTM. 

Actress Jennifer Garner has also campaigned for Harris. (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni)

“I love that she is going to help young people or people with first time homeownership and that she’s going to build more houses and really address the housing crisis we have in this country,” Garner added. 

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Samuel L. Jackson and Spike Lee 

Actor Samuel L. Jackson and director Spike Lee are scheduled to join Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen tonight at the first “When We Vote, We Win” concert in Clarkston, Ga. 

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Brie Stimson contributed to this report. 

A new poll shows that former President Trump has historically strong support from young minority voters with less than two weeks before Election Day.

The latest GenForward poll from the University of Chicago, released Wednesday, found that 26 percent of Black men between the ages of 18 and 40 said they would vote for Trump, while only 12 percent of Black women said the same. It is a significant gain since Black voters overall supported Biden over Trump by a nine to one ratio in the 2020 presidential election. 

Trump also has improved with young Latino men, 44 percent of whom said they’d support him compared to about 38 percent who voted for him in 2020. Even so, Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris leads Trump overall 47-35 in the poll, which includes large oversamples of young voters of color. 

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Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris are competing for voters of color.  (Getty Images)

Still, the underlying results provide further evidence of a potential political realignment among minority voters on generational and gender lines. Young Black and Latino Americans have typically supported Democratic candidates – but several surveys have shown weakened support for Harris among these groups, who say economic issues and immigration are the top concerns for their communities. 

Where Harris is strong is among women of color. A majority of Black (63%), Asian American and Pacific Islander (60%) and Latina (55%) women say they support Harris over Trump.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN’S CLOSING MESSAGE TO VOTERS: ‘HARRIS BROKE IT, TRUMP WILL FIX IT’

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a Univision town hall, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Doral, Fla.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White women showed a slight preference for Harris over Trump, 44-40 percent.

The GenForward poll ran from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6 and included 2,359 eligible voters 18 to 40 years old. It has a plus or minus 3.13 percentage point margin of error. 

TRUMP MEETS WITH LATINO LEADERS AFTER NEW POLL SHOWS HIM 11 POINTS AHEAD OF HARRIS IN KEY VOTING BLOC

Kamala Harris CNN town hall (Screenshot/CNN)

Both Harris and Trump have focused on outreach to minority voters in the closing days of the 2024 presidential election.

The Harris campaign unveiled an economic agenda for Black men last week, emphasizing her plans to provide small business loans to Black-owned businesses and legalize marijuana. 

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Her campaign also ramped up events targeting Latino and Black voters in battleground states, and former President Barack Obama chastised Black men, claiming they could be hesitant to vote for a woman as president. 

Trump has highlighted recent endorsements from Black celebrities and athletes at his rallies, including Detroit rapper Trick Trick, boxing legend Tommy “Hitman” Hearns and former NFL players Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.  

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

The House Judiciary Committee celebrated a “big win” this week after a Japanese company said it would not pursue a plan that would reorganize or create a new version of an advertising association that allegedly engaged in censorship and boycotts of conservative media companies. 

“Following the Committee’s inquiry into Dentsu potentially creating the new ‘GARM,’ Dentsu expresses to the committee that it WILL NOT pursue the ‘Dentsu Coalition’ initiative,” the committee said. “They will not pursue any other effort with similar aims.” 

ELON MUSK’S X FILES ANTITRUST LAWSUIT AGAINST WORLDWIDE ADVERTISING GROUP

The committee touted it as a “BIG WIN!” in a post on X.

The committee first began investigating the World Federation of Advertisers and its Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) initiative. Dentsu was a founding member. 

Rep. Jim Jordan and GARM (Getty Images)

The committee found “collusive activity” of GARM, and it was ultimately disbanded. 

When operational, GARM was an association of advertisers, advertising agencies, online platforms and advertising tech companies that publicly said they were creating standards for media advertising. But privately, the House Judiciary Committee revealed, GARM was discussing ways to ensure conservative news outlets and platforms could not receive advertising dollars and were engaged in boycotts of conservative voices and Twitter once it became “X” under the ownership of Elon Musk. 

GARM, the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, has drawn the ire of the House Judiciary Committee. (Fox News Digital)

Musk and video-sharing platform Rumble ultimately sued GARM for illegally boycotting companies, including X. Shortly after, it was disbanded. 

The House Judiciary Committee this month sent a letter to Japanese company Dentsu as part of its oversight of the adequacy and enforcement of U.S. antitrust laws. 

Rep. Jim Jordan walks through the Longworth House Office Building. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

The committee then learned Dentsu was beginning the process of starting a new coalition — the Dentsu Coalition — of the world’s largest marketers with “striking similarities to GARM.” The Dentsu Coalition was expected to be “aimed at fostering substantial and sustainable investments in credible news.”

Dentsu, though, replied this week, vowing to stop its reorganization.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk listens as Republican presidential nominee former President Trump speaks at a campaign event, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WHAT IS GARM? ‘COLLUSIVE’ AD GROUP ALLEGEDLY TARGETING CONSERVATIVES FACES GRILLING FROM TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE

“Dentsu appreciates the opportunity to allay any concerns that the recently announced research project with The 614 Group gives rise to any anticompetitive issues, constitutes any kind of effort to revive the now-disbanded Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), or was intended to do anything other than promote all forms of journalism,” general counsel of Dentsu, Susan Zoch, wrote to committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. 

“Recognizing the confusion that has surfaced surrounding the initiative, Dentsu has elected not to pursue the initiative referred to as the ‘Dentsu Coalition’ and further not to pursue any effort with similar aims,” Zoch said. 

Zoch said the “goal” of researching the new project was to “provide insights for advertisers and the full spectrum of the news industry on how best to optimize their ad spend in news and the potential for increased ad spend in news.” 

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“From Dentsu’s perspective, the success of the initiative depended on the support (financially or otherwise) of all stakeholders in news — advertisers and all facets of the publishing industry,” Zoch wrote. 

“To be clear, Dentsu did not intend or understand that the initiative would replace or succeed GARM,” she continued, saying public reporting on its initiative was “mischaracterized.”

Maryland residents can begin heading to their polling places for in-person early voting on Thursday.

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

Key down-ballot races in Maryland

Voters will decide on several closely watched down-ballot races in addition to the presidential race. For a full list of competitive elections, see the latest Senate and House rankings.

Angela Alsobrooks and former Gov. Larry Hogan are vying for a Maryland Senate seat. (Reuters)

• Maryland Senate: The last time the state voted for a Republican senator was 1980, but former Gov. Larry Hogan tied Democrat challenger Angela Alsobrooks in a recent poll and has put forth a set of moderate policy proposals without raising the ire of former President Trump. Hogan, a Republican, has been a vocal critic of Trump. Alsobrooks is leaning on her experience as a county executive and prosecutor, and the state’s heavily blue tilt gives her an edge. This race is ranked Lean D in the Fox News Power Rankings.
• Maryland’s 6th Congressional District: Democrat April McClain Delaney faces Republican Neil Parrott in what should be safe territory for Democrats. The race is ranked Likely D in the Power Rankings.

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A woman fills out a ballot at a polling station located at Morgan State University in Baltimore during early voting in Maryland on Oct. 26, 2020. (Reuters/Hannah McKay)

How to vote in Maryland

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

‘OUT OF MONEY’: WHISTLEBLOWERS ALLEGE LACK OF SECRET SERVICE FUNDS, DELAYED PAYMENTS, TOP SENATOR REVEALS

Voting by mail

Maryland began absentee voting in late September. Applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 29, and that ballot must be delivered to county officials by Nov. 5.

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

Early in-person voting

Absentee ballots can be returned in person through Election Day. Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 24, and runs through Oct. 31.

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People line up for early voting outside a polling station in Bel Air, Md., on Oct. 27, 2020. (Reuters/Hannah McKay)

Voter registration

Maryland residents can register to vote in person during early voting (Oct. 24-31) or on Election Day. The deadline for registering online or by mail was Oct. 15.

EXCLUSIVE: With less than two weeks until Election Day, the Trump campaign is giving its closing message to voters: Vice President Harris “broke it” and former President Trump “will fix it,” officials told Fox News Digital as they previewed their strategy for the final stretch. 

Fox News Digital spoke exclusively with Trump campaign officials about the former president’s strategy to rally supporters to the ballot box on Nov. 5, or before, by focusing heavily on the economy and the crisis at the southern border.

“Kamala Harris for the last four years has wrecked the economy and the border,” Trump campaign senior advisor Tim Murtaugh told Fox News Digital. “Donald Trump will fix both of them.” 

Murtaugh said that “the beauty of this election cycle is that everybody who is going to vote has lived through the Trump years and the Harris years.”

TRUMP MEETS WITH LATINO LEADERS AFTER NEW POLL SHOWS HIM 11 POINTS AHEAD OF HARRIS IN KEY VOTING BLOC

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump waves at a campaign rally at Greensboro Coliseum on Oct. 22, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP/Alex Brandon)

“They have experienced both administrations. When Trump was president, the economy was fantastic, inflation was nonexistent, the border was secure, and the world was at peace,” Murtaugh said. “By contrast, under Harris’ leadership, the economy is in shambles, inflation is still sky-high, our border has been erased, and the world, at large, is on fire.”

Trump has relentlessly hammered home that message in stop after stop as he crisscrosses the country campaigning in the final weeks of the cycle, something his campaign believes has given him momentum over the vice president who they say has largely shifted her message to attacking the former president.

“Trump is talking about solving problems for Americans while Kamala Harris is focused exclusively on attacking him,” a campaign official told Fox News Digital.

Harris on Tuesday accused Trump of seeking “unchecked power” and being “unhinged and unstable.”

But the Trump campaign said the former president is “asking people to vote for something, while she is asking for people to vote against something.” 

“He is selling optimism and positive messages to fix the problems she and President Biden created,” a campaign official said. 

The latest Fox News Poll shows Trump ahead of Harris 50% to 48% nationally.

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump attends a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets on Oct. 20, 2024. (Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images)

“Donald Trump is leading all the battleground states, and the momentum and polling averages continue to move in his direction,” Murtaugh said, citing national trends.

Campaign officials pointed to ads being run in the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by vulnerable incumbent Democrats who have sought to distance themselves from Harris.

KAMALA HARRIS ‘HAS BECOME TOXIC’ FOR PENNSYLVANIA, TOP KEYSTONE STATE LAWMAKER SAYS

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is running an ad in the Keystone State highlighting how he “bucked Biden” and “sided with” Trump while painting the Democrat senator as an “independent.” The ad features a Republican woman and her Democrat husband and does not once mention Harris. 

Similar ads featuring Trump are running in Wisconsin for Sen. Tammy Baldwin and in Michigan for Sen. Elissa Slotkin.

“Democrat Senate candidates are spending Democrat donor money promoting Donald Trump in the Blue Wall battleground states,” an official said.

People wave signs at Former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa., on Oct. 5, 2024. (Matthew McDermott for Fox News Digital)

And the latest USA Today/Suffolk University poll also showed Trump leading by a margin with a key group: Latino voters. Trump is leading Harris by 11 percentage points in that critical voting bloc. 

“But the polls are only theoretical election results and polls don’t win races. Actual votes win elections, and that’s why we’re continuing to accelerate,” Murtaugh added. “And we’ll run through the tape on Election Day.” 

The Trump campaign said it is confident they have the “momentum.”

“President Trump will be relentless and tireless,” an official told Fox News Digital. “He’ll be barnstorming the country — rinse and repeat — over and over and over again until Election Day.” 

TRUMP MAKES FRIES AT PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALD’S: ‘I’VE NOW WORKED FOR 15 MINUTES MORE THAN KAMALA’

Trump held events in battleground Georgia on Tuesday, holding a massive rally with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, country music singer Jason Aldean and former collegiate athlete Riley Gaines.

Trump this week made a campaign stop at a McDonald’s location in Pennsylvania to mock Harris for claiming that she once worked at the fast-food chain.

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump works the drive-through line as he visits a McDonald’s restaurant, Oct. 20, 2024 in Feasterville-Trevose, Pa. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“The McDonald’s trip was an encapsulation of his positive message,” an official said. “He is a cheerful, optimistic guy who knows he can fix it. And what was the Harris campaign’s reaction? They mocked it.” 

‘BLUE WALL’ DEMOCRAT ALIGNS WITH TRUMP IN NEW PITCH TO VOTERS BEFORE ELECTION

The Harris campaign blasted that campaign stop as a “staged photo-op,” saying Trump “doesn’t understand what it’s like to work for a living” and that the vice president “has a record of standing up for workers and taking on bad actors who rip people off, and she’ll do the same as President.”

Donald Trump worked as a fry cook on Sunday afternoon at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, claiming he has now worked at the fast-food chain longer than Vice President Harris. (Brooke Singman)

The next scheduled stops for Trump include major campaign rallies in Tempe, Arizona; Las Vegas; Traverse City, Michigan; Novi, Michigan; State College, Pennsylvania; and then a massive rally on Sunday at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Campaign officials said the former president will continue to engage with the press and sit for major media interviews. On Friday, Trump will be interviewed for the Joe Rogan podcast. Rogan has 17 million subscribers on YouTube and 14 million on Spotify. 

And his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, will also continue engaging with the media and has already held major campaign events this week in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. In the coming days, Vance will be in Waterford, Michigan, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

But Trump campaign surrogates are also hosting major events, including Donald Trump Jr. campaigning in battleground states; a Trump campaign bus tour; and Women for Trump visiting areas damaged by recent hurricanes.

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump shakes hands with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a rally in Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 23, 2024. (REUTERS/Go Nakamura)

Even Dr. Phil and RFK Jr. are joining forces to host a “Make America Healthy Again” event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

And Trump campaign officials expressed the importance of early voting and are encouraging their supporters to “vote by any way they possibly can.” 

“Whether they vote by mail, vote early in person, vote on Election Day, we want them to make a plan to vote,” an official said. “We need people to show up. And we are getting to the point where persuasion is almost over, and now we are getting to turnout.” 

Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

HARRIS CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCES CONCERT SERIES WITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TO MOBILIZE VOTERS AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY

Harris, though, is expected to deliver what’s being described as a major “closing argument” address next Tuesday – one week until Election Day – on the Ellipse, which is just south of the White House and north of the National Mall. The Harris campaign spotlighted that then-President Trump headlined a large rally of supporters at the Ellipse on Jan 6, 2021.

Her campaign this week also announced a new concert series featuring Bruce Springsteen and former President Obama, while the Democratic National Committee launched a new Taylor Swift-themed, get-out-the-vote campaign for young voters. 

Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Harris speaks at the vice president’s residence in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

As for President Biden, he’s largely stayed off the campaign trail as Harris alternates between promising to continue the policies and vision of the Biden-Harris administration while also promising to bring “a new way forward.” 

But on Tuesday, Biden weighed in. 

BIDEN CALLS FOR TRUMP TO BE ‘POLITICALLY’ LOCKED UP AT NEW HAMPSHIRE EVENT

“We got to lock him up,” Biden said of Trump. However, the president quickly added, “Politically lock him up, lock him out. That’s what we have to do.” 

A Trump campaign official reacted, telling Fox News Digital that “for four years, it has been clear to the American people that the Biden-Harris administration has been using the weight of the federal government to go after Donald Trump and his supporters.” 

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The official added, “Two weeks before the election, Joe Biden finally confirmed it.”

Earlier this year, there was some media chatter about when the Biden campaign would go “full Hitler.”

What that meant was, if they started talking about Donald Trump and the Nazi leader so early, what ammunition would they have left for October?

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Well, it’s late October, and the Hitler assault has begun.

It’s not like no one has heard this before. Trump’s detractors across the media landscape have periodically compared him to Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. Magazines have depicted him with a little mustache. He’s been dismissed as an aspiring dictator who would blow up American democracy, with few of the guardrails that constrained him in his first term.

But now we have John Kelly, his second chief of staff, denouncing his ex-boss in a series of three on-the-record interviews with the New York Times, which were recorded and posted on the paper’s site.

CNN commentator Scott Jennings addressed former Trump chief of staff John Kelly’s claim that former President Trump once spoke favorably of Hitler in comments that Trump has refuted. (CNN)

Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who lost a son in Afghanistan, said he was going public because he was disturbed by Trump’s attacks on “the enemy within,” which, as the former president told me in our weekend interview, included Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi. And Kelly was equally concerned that he might use the military against Americans.

Kelly says in the Times audio that Trump meets his definition of a fascist. And in the context of wanting his generals (such as Kelly and Pentagon chief Jim Mattis) to be personally loyal to him, “He commented more than once that, ‘You know, Hitler did some good things, too.’” 

KAMALA HARRIS’ CLOSING MESSAGE IS UNCLEAR, DONALD TRUMP DOMINATES MEDIA BY GOING OFF SCRIPT

Kelly says he told the president “you should never say that” and explained some of the history of Nazi Germany. (Hitler’s generals tried to kill him more than once.)

The general also said that Trump referred to soldiers as “losers” and “suckers” and could not understand their sacrifice. If this and other passages sound familiar, it’s because it’s been previously reported in the Atlantic and elsewhere, rather obviously with Kelly as a background source.

Enten found Trump’s gains among independent voters in key swing states remarkable and a good sign for his campaign. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung fired back, saying the former official was offering “debunked stories,” had “beclowned” himself and was suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.

My question is this: Are John Kelly’s comments going to change the mind of any Trump voters?

They may dismiss the comments as old news. Or say Trump didn’t really mean it, he was just letting off steam. Or question Kelly’s motivation in going public in the final stretch of the campaign.

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It’s not that I’m defending the comments as reported by Kelly, who’s free to say what he wants. I have absolutely nothing good to say about Hitler or the Nazis. I don’t agree with everything Trump says, just as I don’t agree with everything Kamala Harris says.

But how many Trump voters, having lived through nine years of media attacks on the 45th president, having watched the violence of Jan. 6, are going to abandon him now? The answer, in my view, is very few. 

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks at a watch party after a presidential debate with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024.  (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Still, it gave the vice president an opening, since yesterday’s bombshell was detonated by a man who was the highest-ranking staffer in the Trump White House. She read a statement to reporters in Washington without taking questions:

“It is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler, the man who is responsible for the deaths of 6 million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Americans. All of this is further evidence for the American people of who Donald Trump really is,” Harris said.

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I once had a candid chat with Kelly at a White House media party, and when I looked up 10 other reporters had surrounded us, straining to hear what the man who kept a low profile with the press had to say. At the time, the former Homeland Security secretary was being touted as the guy who’d bring military discipline to a chaotic White House after Reince Priebus was let go.

Now the “full Hitler” moment has arrived. Whether it has much impact on a candidate who has survived two impeachments, the fallout after Jan. 6 and two assassination attempts is, at the very least, in doubt.

A major House Democrats’ PAC announced it will be spending $4 million in the closing days of this election cycle in hopes of ousting a Republican incumbent in an otherwise deep-blue state.

House Majority PAC’s funds are the first major partisan investment in support of former New Jersey Working Families Party leader Sue Altman, according to the Huffington Post. Altman is facing off against Rep. Tom Kean, Jr., R-N.J., a Trump supporter known as a moderate Republican during his preceding state Senate tenure. 

Kean, buoyed by the district’s history of being slightly redder than other parts of the Garden State and having the name recognition as the son of former Gov. Tom Kean, is hoping to win his first reelection since unseating former Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., last cycle.

The western end of the district, along the Delaware River in Warren County, is often geopolitically linked to the reliably “swing” Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. From there, Kean’s district branches northward to the Delaware Water Gap and eastward along US-22 through rural areas to the bluer Newark suburbs, notably encompassing former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club.

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Sue Altman is facing off against Rep. Tom Kean, Jr., R-N.J., a Trump supporter known as a moderate Republican during his preceding state Senate tenure.  (Associated Press)

It is also one of a handful of districts won in 2020 by both President Joe Biden and a Republican congressional candidate.

The PAC’s first ad takes aim at Kean’s pro-life record during his time in Trenton, claiming he had supported “extremist” abortion policies.

Elon Musk’s America PAC has conversely invested millions in advertising favoring Kean, according to the New York Times.

A Monmouth Poll last week found Kean leading Altman by two points, within the margin of error. Kean’s advantages were on the subjects of the economy, jobs, crime and immigration, while Altman won respondents over on corruption and abortion, according to the survey.

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A vehicle passes the Welcome sign to Lebanon, New Jersey, in Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s district. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

A Kean campaign spokesman told NJ.com that “no amount of national Democrat money is going to spare Sue Altman from the consequences of her radical record.” The spokesman characterized Kean as a “moderate problem solver” and Altman as a “professional activist.”

Meanwhile, Altman campaign manager Rob West previously told NJ Spotlight News that polling has shown the race to be a “jump-ball.”

The Times and other outlets reported the race has become such a close concern, New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy urged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to help Altman via House Majority PAC.

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A view of the entrance to Trump National Golf Club, which sits in New Jersey’s 7th District, off I-78 and Somerset County Rte 523. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Kean’s seat remains one of few in the Garden State friendlier to Republicans than naught. Before it was slightly redrawn to include additional suburbs of New York City, Democrat Josh Gottheimer’s Skylands-area seat was held for many years by conservative Republican Scott Garrett.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., a former Democrat, represents the other corner of the state in Cape May, and was preceded for 25 years by Republican Frank LoBiondo. 

Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., has represented the upper portion of the Jersey Shore in Congress since 1981. He remains the longest-tenured congressman in state history.