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A small village near Cincinnati, Ohio, is struggling with an influx of Mauritanian illegal immigrants, with officials warning that they are facing an economic shortfall as a result and that the quality of life is being affected.

“If you look at 2021, 2022, the United States had seen a huge influx of immigrants from Mauritania. Somehow, a good number of them have landed in Lockland,” Lockland Village Administrator Dough Wehmeyer told Fox News Digital.

A Washington Post analysis in June found that over 15,000 residents from Mauritania came to the U.S. last year, a 2,800% increase over 2022, when just 543 arrived. Lockland, a village in the southwest of Ohio of about 3,500 people, has seen what it says is a large number of arrivals. The Post reported that there were 2,700 who settled in Ohio in 2023, with about half going to nearby Cincinatti.

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

Immigrants from Mauritania wait to be processed by U.S. border authorities after spending the night in the desert on December 5, 2023, in Lukeville, Arizona. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Wehmeyer said that at least two of the nearby apartment complexes are over-occupied. Apartments should house four people apiece, and authorities are finding up to 12 people in each unit.

“You have an apartment building that’s . . . say, 80 units at four people per unit. That’s about 320 people. When you double or maybe even triple that population, the building systems aren’t designed to handle that.”

“So when you use the utilities, that’s backing up. We have instances where people are going in to take a shower and feces is running out of the drains, filling the bathtubs as it comes from a floor above. That’s compounded probably by the cooking methods that they use, which is a heavy grease-laden process.”

He also noted that a building designed to have 320 people in it, but that may have significantly more, also comes with the risk of not having enough exits, and he said there have been issues with people getting out of buildings during fires.

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

Border Patrol picks up a group of asylum seekers from an aid camp at the U.S.-Mexico border near Sasabe, Arizona, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Justin Hamel/Getty Images)

He also noted the financial strain it has put on the small community. Illegal immigrants claiming asylum may not work right away, and it can be months before they are qualified for work permits if they claim asylum.

“So, most of the immigrants living in Lockland are unable to work. And if they are unable to work, they’re unable to pay taxes,” he said. “And they have essentially displaced the taxpaying residents of these 200 apartment units and filled them with non-tax-paying residents. We’re losing about $125,000 to 150,000 in revenue because of that.”

He says the village has requested help from congressional offices, and has met with a few, as well as state representatives and the governor’s office. He says that Lockland is looking for financial assistance to recoup the financial losses the village is facing, but believes progress is being made.

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“I don’t know how they found our small village. We like it. We think it’s a great place to live, but the quality of life here is definitely being affected by this problem,” he said.

Lockland’s struggles echo those in other towns and cities across the country where there have been a significant influx of migrants. Towns like Springfield, Ohio, and Charleroi, Pennsylvania, have seen a significant increase in the number of migrants from Haiti. Meanwhile, cities like Chicago and New York have been vocal in the strain that influxes of hundreds of thousands of migrants from across the border have had on their cities.

Meanwhile, immigration has become a top issue for voters ahead of the 2024 election, with many polls showing former President Donald Trump with a strong lead over Vice President Kamala Harris on handling the issue.

The Republican candidate in Wisconsin, businessman Eric Hovde, took several opportunities during the only Senate debate between himself and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., on Friday night to call her out for refusing to disclose her partner’s finances, calling it a conflict of interest. 

“Her partner on Wall Street, a Wall Street executive, is investing in Big Tech and Big Pharma,” he claimed. 

Baldwin’s longtime partner, Maria Brisbane, is a private wealth adviser under Morgan Stanley and caters to clients with “ultra-high net worth,” per the Brisbane group’s website.

JUDGE ORDERS MORE JACK SMITH TRUMP INVESTIGATION DOCS TO BE MADE PUBLIC AHEAD OF ELECTION

Hovde and Baldwin are facing off for a competitive Wisconsin Senate seat.  (Reuters)

However, Brisbane’s clients are unknown due to confidentiality outlined in Morgan Stanley’s code of conduct, as well as the fact that she and Baldwin are not married. 

Brisbane and Baldwin have dated since 2018 and share a home in Washington, D.C. Senators are not required to disclose the finances of partners, only spouses. 

During questions on healthcare policy, childcare policy and ethics, Hovde brought attention to Baldwin’s “Wall Street partner.”

HARD-LINE GOP EFFORT TO DECENTRALIZE SENATE LEADER AUTHORITY DASHED BY MCCONNELL ALLY

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) speaks during the WisDems 2024 State Convention on June 8, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for The Democratic Party of Wisconsin)

“I’m not taking special interest money like Senator Baldwin,” he said. “In fact, her partner is making money off of it. And doesn’t even disclose the profit she’s making.”

While the investments Brisbane is making are unknown, her previous roles have involved work with biotechnology companies and funds. 

Baldwin’s partner was previously manager of a biotechnology mutual fund, according to a progress report from 2017 for the Cancer Research & Treatment Fund (CR&T). 

‘DESPICABLE HUMAN BEING’: MCCONNELL’S 2020 THOUGHTS ON ‘SLEAZEBALL’ TRUMP REVEALED IN NEW BOOK

Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Wisconsin Eric Hovde speaks at a rally hosted by President Donald Trump on April 2, 2024, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Additionally, Brisbane listed on her firm’s previous archived website under Merrill Private Wealth Management that she “manages custom-tailored equity portfolios that place emphasis on large-growth stocks – with an effort to enhance performance through small biotechnology and technology companies.”

Hovde specifically pointed to Baldwin’s committee roles that he said were potentially at odds with her partner’s work on behalf of wealthy clients.

Baldwin is on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 

“They don’t disclose those investments and how much they’re profiting from it,” Hovde said of Baldwin and Brisbane. “That’s fundamentally wrong. And you should disclose what investments your partner is making.”

HARRIS BARNSTORMS WISCONSIN IN 1-DAY SWING STATE TOUR TARGETING YOUNG VOTERS

A woman dons a cheese hat with an American flag on it in Wisconsin. (Reuters)

The senator was not compelled by her opponent’s argument to disclose Brisbane’s finances, telling him he “should stay out of my personal life.”

At another point, Baldwin criticized Hovde for targeting her partner and said she was interested instead in his “professional life.” 

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In attendance at the swing state debate was Senate Republican conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who stumped on behalf of Hovde. He claimed Baldwin was “rattled,” and his Democrat colleague “would have been much happier in Manhattan with Maria tonight than here in Madison, Wisconsin.”

In less than three weeks, the two will face off in a tight Wisconsin Senate race, which is considered a “toss up” by top political handicapper the Cook Political Report. 

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

Vice President Harris will campaign in several “blue wall” suburban battleground states next week when she will be joined by former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, a one-time rising conservative star in the GOP who, in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol, has vowed to do everything she can to prevent Trump from returning to power.

Harris and Cheney will team up for a series of “moderated conversations” targeting suburban voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to several reports citing the Harris campaign team.  The events will be moderated by longtime Republican strategist Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, and conservative radio host and writer Charlie Sykes, per The Hill. 

Harris and Cheney will speak to voters in Chester County, Philadelphia, and Oakland County, Detroit, as well as Waukesha County, Milwaukee. The latter will take place the day before early in-person voting begins in the Badger State.

“The View” co-hosts praised former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.,  for endorsing presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris this week. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

HARRIS TEAMS UP WITH TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN AHEAD OF BRET BAIER FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

The Harris campaign is seeking to appeal to disaffected Republican voters who are skeptical of supporting former President Trump in November.

The news comes just weeks after Cheney stumped for Harris in Ripon, Wisconsin, with the former Republican congresswoman becoming the Democratic nominee’s most prominent conservative surrogate.

Cheney, the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, once rose within the ranks of House Republican leadership. 

But she was the most high-profile of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Trump in early 2021 on a charge of inciting the deadly January 6th riot at the Capitol, which was waged by some Trump supporters who aimed to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s Electoral College victory in the 2020 election.

TRUMP UPS HIS ANTE IN THE 2024 FUNDRAISING FIGHT WITH HARRIS

The conservative lawmaker and defense hawk immediately came under verbal attack from Trump and his allies and was eventually ousted from her No. 3 House GOP leadership position.

Cheney, who has been vocal in emphasizing the importance of defending the nation’s democratic process and of putting country before party, was one of only two Republicans who served on a special select committee organized by House Democrats that investigated the riot at the Capitol.

In 2022, she lost the GOP congressional primary in Wyoming to Harriet Hageman, a candidate backed by Trump.

At a speaking event in early September at Duke University in swing state North Carolina, Cheney announced that she would vote for Harris in the presidential election. Cheney’s father also endorsed Harris.

Liz Cheney, second from the right, was the most high-profile of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Trump in early 2021 on a charge of inciting the deadly January 6th riot at the Capitol. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Cheney earlier this month warned that “our republic faces a threat unlike any we have faced before: a former president who attempted to stay in power by unraveling the foundations of our republic.”

She argued that Trump “can never be trusted with power again” and emphasized that “in this election, putting patriotism ahead of partisanship is not an aspiration, it is our duty.”

“What January 6 shows us is there is not an ounce, not an ounce, of compassion in Donald Trump. He is petty. He is vindictive. He is cruel. And Donald Trump is not fit to lead this good and great nation,” Cheney said.

Harris is also backed by more than 200 alumni who served in both Bush administrations or worked for the late Sen. John McCain and Sen. Mitt Romney, the 2008 and 2012 GOP presidential nominees, respectively. She is also supported by more than 100 Republican former national security officials and other prominent Republicans.

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Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, on Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Trump campaign has fired back at Republican support of Harris.

“It’s quite pathetic to see former ‘Republicans’ of the past dug up out of irrelevance to have one last moment in the sun by campaigning for another four years of unlimited illegal immigration, rising prices, and endless wars under Kamala Harris,” Trump campaign Pennsylvania spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News.

“Fortunately, as with any other theatrical prop, they’re all going to be tossed aside the moment they stop being useful for Democrats — which will be November 5th, when President Trump is re-elected by Pennsylvanians.”

EXCLUSIVE: Montana’s U.S. Senate race has one of the most “intense” ground games of the 2024 cycle with the chamber majority hanging in the balance, according to the chairman of the Republican campaign arm. 

Sen. Steve Daines is spearheading Republican efforts to take control of the Senate as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), with a heightened emphasis on ousting a three-term Democrat in red state Montana.

Daines exclusively told Fox News Digital the Montana Senate race pitting Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy against three-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester features one of the strongest ground game efforts from the GOP he has witnessed in the state.

“I’ve watched a lot of Montana Senate races, House races, governor races over the years. This is the most intense ground game operation and the most far-reaching that I’ve seen in many election cycles,” Daines told Fox News Digital. “It’s a door-to-door type of persuasion, as well as a lot of phoning, a lot of digital. So, it’s a really strong ground game, knowing that I think well-run ground games win elections.”

COLLEGE ATHLETES ARE BEING OFFERED THOUSANDS TO ENDORSE MONTANA SENATOR’S RE-ELECTION BID THROUGH NIL DEALS

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

The New York Times recently reported that Sheehy is leading Tester by eight percentage points, but Daines emphasized that while the Republican candidate remains ahead in several polls, they are going to continue energizing their get-out-the-vote efforts until Election Day.

“It’s a very aggressive, active time with just a little over 2½ weeks until the election focused on voter turnout and ground game operations, as well as continuing to have the sufficient resources,” Daines said. “Get the message out to those few undecided voters that are left, whether it’s through television, radio, digital mail. So, we’re not letting up. You keep working hard all the way until Election Day.”

The Montana race figures to be the most expensive Senate race on a per-vote basis, which Daines attributes to its high stakes.

“This is what secures the majority for the Republicans and takes the gavel out of Chuck Schumer’s hands,” he told Fox. “And that’s why there’s so much focused attention on this race.”

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

In early September, two political forecasters shifted the Montana race from a toss-up to “leans Republican,” along with AARP and the NYT surveys showing the Republican leading the race against the three-term Democrat.

A visit to Bozeman by former President Trump in August, who endorsed Sheehy earlier this year, contributed to the recent polling shift in the Republican candidate’s favor, according to the chairman.

KEY SENATOR REPORTEDLY BEHIND HARRIS’ RISE IN POWER WITHHOLDS HIS ENDORSEMENT FOR PRESIDENT

The electorate in Montana has shifted toward the GOP over the years, and Tester remains the only Democrat to hold a statewide office in the state.

“I think what’s happened is Montana, in terms of their voting and their thinking, has moved a bit more. But the biggest problem for the Democrats is they’ve moved so far left. This is not the same Democrat Party that I grew up with here in Montana,” Daines said of the red wave in the state.

Tim Sheehy, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senator, speaks at a rally supporting former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate in Bozeman, Mont., Aug. 9, 2024.  (Natalie Behring)

Daines also highlighted the national implications of the Big Sky Senate race.

“This race is bigger than Montana, because this race indeed will decide the future of the United States Supreme Court, the future of the circuit courts,” Daines said. “There’s also the Trump tax cuts that expire in ’25, which would be a massive tax increase for Montana’s small businesses. 

“Jon Tester voted against that tax bill. I voted for it. Tim Sheehy would vote for that. So, there’s just a lot at stake, not only for Montana but for the nation. And, so, we here in Montana will probably be able to flip the majority control of the U.S. Senate with Tim Sheehy’s victory. And that has significant implications, not only for the great state of Montana, but for our great country.” 

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There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs this cycle, and Democrats are protecting 23 of them. The Senate majority stands at 51-50 with Democrats in the majority, meaning just a one seat flip could shift the majority to the Republican Party.

FOUNTAIN HILL, Pa. – Students at one major Pennsylvania university in a “swing” area of the commonwealth were bullish on Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances in November but acknowledged the race remains tight.

Fox News Digital visited Lehigh University, a prominent private college in Bethlehem, with such famous alumni as Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca, businessman and NASCAR team owner Roger Penske and top Trump confidante Alina Habba.

The Philadelphia Eagles once held training camp at Lehigh’s Murray Goodman athletic campus on the other side of South Mountain.

Along Packer Avenue in the middle of the main campus, Jack Ciavolella of the Lehigh University College Democrats was staffing a Democrats table Tuesday with other students and a volunteer from the Harris-Walz campaign.

KEY PA REGION SEES ‘WAITLIST’ FOR TRUMP SIGNS AS LAWMAKER SAYS VOTERS ARE READY TO REVERSE DEM POLICIES

Democratic students post campaign signage at Lehigh University in South Side Bethlehem, Pa. (Fox News Digital/Charles Creitz)

A colorful totem pole of campaign signs stood waving in the wind next to the table for Harris, Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr., D-Pa.; Eugene DePasquale, a candidate for attorney general; and State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-North Philadelphia, a candidate for auditor general.

“Since Northampton County is a swing county in a swing state — and probably one of the most important states in the Union — we kind of got to do our part,” Ciavolella said.

“So that’s what I’m here for.”

He added that as Election Day draws nearer, the campaigns are increasingly becoming a topic on campus, whether from Trump-supporting students, independents or those who agree with Ciavolella’s group.

Fox News Digital reached out to the College Republicans via an email listed on the campus website but did not receive a response.

“A lot more people are starting to get interested about it, about how the election’s coming and its razor-thin margins,” Ciavolella said. “So, people start to get a lot more interested in things like this.”

Students are more engaged in politics this term than they have been in recent years, he said.

INSIDE DEMOCRATS’ GROUND GAME IN PENNSYLVANIA’S ‘SWING’ LEHIGH VALLEY AREA

The Asa Packer Memorial Chapel at the center of Lehigh University’s main campus. (Fox News Digital/Charles Creitz)

As Fox News Digital conversed with other students walking down the mountainside campus from Sayre Park, none who stopped identified as Trump supporters.

Ciavolella said his group has been more visible as the deadline for voter registration approaches.

In the nearby vestibule of a campus coffee shop, a volunteer for a nonpartisan voter registration group was indeed trying to do just that.

Lehigh is not unlike other schools in Pennsylvania, like Penn State, where students often register to vote on campus rather than in their out-of-state hometowns. That dynamic has made Centre County, where State College is located, into a swing county in national elections.

Meanwhile, Eric Cepeda from New York said he is registered to vote on campus at Lehigh and said equality and community issues are most important to him this cycle.

Tuition costs are also top of mind for him these days, he said, adding Lehigh has been helpful to students who need assistance and that Harris is the better candidate to address college affordability.

HAMILTON COLLEGE STUDENT ADMITS TO POSTING ‘ANTISEMITIC REMARKS’ ON CAMPUS, NEW YORK STATE POLICE SAY

Blast furnaces and stacks from the former Bethlehem Steel stand silently along the Lehigh River on the Christmas City’s South Side. The area now hosts an entertainment venue, museum, PBS affiliate and casino. (Charles Creitz)

Ethan, a student from New Jersey, said abortion and student loans are major issues for him this election.

“Just, morally, how people are going to handle being in charge of the country and in charge of people,” he said.

“I’ve seen people from both sides.”

Political advertising has also been very noticeable in the area as of late, he added, crediting Pennsylvania’s “swing state” position for that increase.

“Personally, I like to do my own research and not get, you know, swayed by the opinions of others,” he added.

POPULAR PA DEMOCRATIC MAYOR WARNS TRUMP IS ‘OUT-MESSAGING’ HARRIS: I GET MORE FROM STEPHEN COLBERT

Looking down toward the rest of Bethlehem, the roof of the historic “Hotel B” stuck out next to the busy Hill-to-Hill Bridge, as the rusted, long-silenced blast furnaces from Bethlehem Steel lined the near bank of the Lehigh River below.

Noticeably absent from the city’s skyline, however, was Martin Tower, the blue and silver cruciform-shaped skyscraper north of Center City that once housed Bethlehem Steel’s headquarters. The site, which also hosted a Durkee spice factory, is being redeveloped, a theme throughout much of the Lehigh Valley.

Down at the end of campus closest to the steel stacks, Mina Handelsman of California and Sophia Ross of Washington, D.C., were waiting for a campus shuttle that runs to Lehigh’s nearby Mountaintop and Goodman campuses.

Both political science majors said abortion rights are a big issue for them, adding there are several important subjects that come to mind.

A digital billboard on I-78 near the Goodman Campus of Lehigh University in Hellertown, Pa., advertises for Democrats. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

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“I also think plans for both the national debt and student college debt [are important],” Handelsman said.

“Student loan programs: I agree,” added Ross. “What I think is really important and then also some economic issues. And I think some of the immigration policy is pretty interesting.”

The students said they are both enrolled in classes that deal with elections and politics. 

“[W]e don’t hear a lot of discord or disagreement [on campus],” Ross said, adding it is important to get registered to vote either way.

Handelsman said she predicts Harris will win Pennsylvania but have a tougher time in other swing states.

“In Pennsylvania, young people are really being mobilized to get out the vote. And I think that as the younger generation, a lot of us, our issues are being more represented by Kamala Harris.”

“I’m guessing it will be Kamala Harris, but I really don’t know,” Ross added.

The Lehigh Valley is also home to several other schools, including DeSales University in Center Valley, Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Lafayette College in Easton and Moravian University in Bethlehem, where students’ votes weigh heavily in the swing area.

As Senate Republicans approach their first competitive leader election in decades to pick a replacement for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., forces in the conference are pushing dueling pathways for the party as hard-liners hope to decentralize the leader’s authority in backing “Democrat priorities.”

“To avoid the gridlock of business as usual, it is imperative that we structure the Senate in a way that gives individual senators real legislative power, not just lip service,” wrote Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, in an op-ed for Fox News this week. 

Lee, who is chair of the Senate Republican Steering Committee, said that if former President Trump gets elected next month, there is limited time to pass his agenda with an expected slim majority in the Senate and potentially in the House as well. 

MIKE LEE: THE UNNOTICED ELECTION THAT COULD DETERMINE THE FUTURE

Senators are divided over how to proceed and whether to reform the GOP conference before the leader election; from left are Sen. Mike Lee, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Thom Tillis. (Reuters)

Running to succeed McConnell are Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla. For Scott, democratizing the conference has been the guiding principle of his leadership campaign. 

Both Thune and Cornyn have expressed openness to changes, and in fact, Cornyn threw his support behind a push for term limits for the Republican leader. 

“Moderates will be tempted to join Democrats to pass funding bills that tie Trump’s hands,” Lee warned of Congress under a potential second Trump presidency. 

The Utah Republican is among a cohort of senators that has pushed to democratize the Senate GOP conference and decentralize power from the leader, in particular. 

Lee outlined specific requests of a potential Republican leader, which included nixing restrictions on individual senators’ ability to offer amendments, allowing significantly longer periods to debate legislation, and requiring broad conference support to “whip” in favor of bills or nominees. 

‘DESPICABLE HUMAN BEING’: MCCONNELL’S 2020 THOUGHTS ON ‘SLEAZEBALL’ TRUMP REVEALED IN NEW BOOK

Lee has been vocal about wanting change in the conference. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“This would protect Republican leadership from ever being in the position of having to whip for legislation advancing Democrat priorities,” he recently wrote in a conference-wide letter. 

While some members of the conference, frustrated with its direction under McConnell, have similarly advocated for such a plan, others have pushed back. 

An ally of the minority leader, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., sent his own letter to the conference just after Lee, writing, “It may be true that many Americans would be shocked to know that members may not be able to offer amendments.”

But, he said, “I suspect many Americans would also be shocked to know that any one member can grind the legislative process to a halt while attempting to advance an amendment that a supermajority of our conference is against.” 

On several occasions, members such as Lee and those in agreement with him have disrupted the amendment process advanced by the conference, able to do so by denying unanimous consent. The Senate is often referred to as running on the unanimous consent of members because the upper chamber can very easily be upended by one senator unwilling to allow processes to move forward. 

A similar criticism of these senators was offered by a former Republican leadership aide, who said, “Often it is the same cohort of individuals who are decrying the centralization of power that do everything – not with the intention of yielding that result – but all of their behaviors drive the decision-making into the leader’s office at the 11th and a half hour.”

HARRIS BARNSTORMS WISCONSIN IN 1-DAY SWING STATE TOUR TARGETING YOUNG VOTERS

Tillis is an ally of McConnell. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

According to the former aide, the ultimate increase in power of leaders is the result of years and years of “institutional pressures.” 

“This was a long slide into the marginalization of rank-and-file senators in favor of leadership.”

In fact, they said, no matter who is elected as the next leader, they cannot decentralize power and democratize the GOP conference on their own. 

Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, former top spokesperson to former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference, said that “Senator Tillis is acting as a proxy for McConnell” who isn’t publicly discussing changes to the conference but is passionately arguing against certain reforms in closed-door meetings. 

According to a Republican source familiar, “Tillis is running McConnell’s ground game” when it comes to preserving the conference’s norms and guardrails. 

In his initial letter, Lee told colleagues the leader election is “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” to “lower the temperature of our politics and restore public trust in our institutions.”

Tillis specifically opposed negotiating reforms as part of the race, writing, “I believe we need to elect a new leader first, rather than negotiate terms with the Republican leader candidates before the vote.”

STRIKING BOEING WORKERS BOO AFTER DEMOCRATIC SEN MARIA CANTWELL CRITICIZES TRUMP

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

The North Carolina Republican concluded, “I know Mike’s concerns about the voices of some members being silenced are sincere, but I believe his proposals to address these concerns are ill-advised.”

The former GOP leadership aide pointed to the House of Representatives, suggesting Republicans are looking “at what’s happening in the House with a leader, the speaker in this case, who’s been politically weakened by conference rules.”

They said senators are seeing “the chaos that episodically prevails” in the House and are asking, “Is this really what we want in the Senate?” 

According to Bonjean, this feud “helps to muddy the waters for Thune and Cornyn” in their leader bids. 

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“What will be interesting to watch is the barometer of how many senators that will actually back up Sen. Lee’s trial balloon,” he added. 

Lee’s ideas for the conference come as he and others have been left particularly unhappy with the relatively frequent late-night and last-minute spending packages, supplemental aid bills and re-authorization measures that have included what he considers to be Democrat priorities. 

The judge in former President Trump’s federal election interference case on Friday made public more documents from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the former president just weeks before the 2024 election. 

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered on Thursday night that additional documents be made public. The hundreds of pages of documents are Smith’s appendix of exhibits in the fight over whether Trump has a level of presidential immunity that negates the charges against him.

“Radical Democrats are hell-bent on interfering in the presidential election on behalf of Lyin’ Kamala Harris,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. “With just over two weeks until Election Day, President Trump is dominating this race and Crazed Liberals throughout the Deep State are freaking out.” 

Cheung added, “As mandated by the Supreme Court’s historic decision on Presidential Immunity and other vital jurisprudence, this entire case is a sham and a partisan, Unconstitutional Witch Hunt that should be dismissed entirely — as should ALL of the remaining Democrat hoaxes.”

JUDGE UNSEALS KEY FILING IN SPECIAL COUNSEL’S ELECTION CASE AGAINST TRUMP

Former President Trump, left, and Special Counsel Jack Smith. (Getty Images)

The majority of pages released to the public remain under seal and are not viewable by the public. Much of the unsealed material has been previously released in some form, including transcripts by the House Select Committee on Jan. 6. Other documents include old Trump campaign press releases, fundraising emails, White House press conference transcripts and news articles. 

In the order to release the documents, Chutkan cited Trump’s claim that the “asymmetric release of charged allegations and related documents during early voting creates a concerning appearance of election interference.” 

According to the judge, while there is a public interest for courts to avoid involving themselves in elections, “it is in fact Defendant’s requested relief that risks undermining that public interest.”

“If the court withheld information that the public otherwise had a right to access solely because of the potential political consequences of releasing it, that withholding could itself constitute — or appear to be — election interference,” she argued. 

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

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

She added that the court would continue keeping political considerations out of decisions, despite the defense’s request. 

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him by Smith. 

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. 

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

Former President Trump and U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File/United States Courts)

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

In a filing unsealed earlier this month, Smith outlines a “factual proffer,” alleging Trump “resorted to crimes to try to stay in office” after losing the 2020 presidential election.

“With private co-conspirators, the defendant launched a series of increasingly desperate plans to overturn the legitimate election results in seven states that he had lost — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin,” Smith wrote. 

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Smith claims that the “throughline of these efforts was deceit,” claiming Trump and co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to interfere with the federal government function by which the nation collects and counts election results, which is set forth in the Constitution and the Electoral Count Act (ECA); a conspiracy to obstruct the official proceeding in which Congress certifies the legitimate results of the presidential election; and a conspiracy against the rights of millions of Americans to vote and have their votes counted.” 

Fox News’ Julia Johnson, Jake Gibson, David Spunt and Bill Mears contributed to this report. 

Georgia Republicans are already prepping for a potential “litigation minefield” after Election Day.

“Well, of course, you have to be prepared, right, in the case of a close election to look at the recounts,” Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon said.

The former Peach State lawmaker spoke with Fox News Digital on Thursday after back-to-back legal setbacks for the GOP-controlled State Elections Board (SEB).

On Tuesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney temporarily blocked a new rule that would have required Georgia precinct Election Day ballots to be counted by hand by three county officials after being machine tabulated, to ensure the totals matched.

GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK STATE

Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon, lower right, spoke with Fox News Digital about the legal fights surrounding the election. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)

The next day, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Cox, Jr. ruled that measure and several other provisions passed by the SEB to be “illegal, unconstitutional, and void.”

“We think he’s absolutely wrong with regard to the hand-count rule. We intend to appeal that decision,” McKoon said of the McBurney ruling, while praising him for a separate decision acknowledging “election board members are entitled to election-related information” ahead of the certification process.

He said the Georgia GOP had already filed an emergency appeal for Cox’s ruling.

“His decision was wrongheaded. I think it lacked any rational legal basis,” McKoon said. “If his decision were upheld, it would severely curtail the ability of the state elections board to regulate our elections and to do the job.”

Democratic critics of the new SEB rules accused the Republican members who voted for them of trying to sow doubt and chaos in Georgia’s election process. GOP skeptics, including State Secretary Brad Raffensperger, have argued their implementation is unworkable this close to the election.

TRUMP VS. HARRIS ROUND 2? VOTERS IN KEY GA COUNTY REVEAL IF THEY WANT SECOND DEBATE

However, Republican Party officials like McKoon say such guardrails are necessary to ensure voter confidence – and that not having them in place would be fomenting uncertainty.

“These rules are designed to increase public confidence and reduce sort of this post-election chaos around a potential election contest or a recount. And so, if we don’t have these rules in place, it increases the likelihood in a close election of the kind of litigation minefield that we witnessed in 2020,” McKoon said. “And nobody wants that.”

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney temporarily blocked the hand-count ballot rule. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

He suggested Republicans were getting ready for that possibility, however.

“Now, I believe President Trump is going to win Georgia. I think he’s going to win by a margin so large that we’re not going to be in a litigation mode,” McKoon said. “But obviously, you work for the best outcome, but prepare for the worst.”

“So we’ve got our legal team in place. We’re certainly prepared for a close election to deal with those post-election legal processes you go through. So we have prepared for that, and we’re ready for that if that happens.”

Litigation in battleground states, both before and after an election, is not a new phenomenon for either party. Georgia voters stunned election watchers in 2020, when the traditionally red state went for President Biden by less than 1%. Though no findings of fraud were made by Georgia officials or the courts, allies of former President Donald Trump questioned the validity of the results and vowed to close what they saw as exploitable gaps in the electoral system.

GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE

Democrats have accused the GOP of trying to engineer chaos in their favor via the legal system, citing the lack of proven instances of fraud.

Vice President Kamala Harris is also fighting hard for Georgia’s vote. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

In his Tuesday ruling, McBurney temporarily blocked implementation of the hand-count ballot rule after a lawsuit by the Cobb County Board of Elections. He ruled that the lack of plans for its implementation would likely do more harm than good at ensuring smooth elections, writing “the timing of its passage make implementation now quite wrong.”

Cox’s ruling also invalidates that measure, while also invalidating a rule directing county officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results and giving them the ability “to examine all election related documentation created during the conduct of elections.”

Additionally, Cox blocked new signature and photo ID requirements for people dropping off absentee ballots for others.

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In the second case, civil rights groups and some current and former Republican state officials argued the SEB did not have the constitutional right to implement such measures.

Defendants, which included the Georgia Republican Party, unsuccessfully lobbied that the state’s General Assembly gave the SEB the scope to craft such rules.

The rules were passed last month in a 3-2 vote by Trump-aligned Republicans on the elections board.

In a now-deleted social media post, the head of operations for the left-wing British Labour Party indicated “nearly 100” current and former party staffers will be headed to the U.S. to help Vice President Kamala Harris during the final stretch before the election.

The Labour Party leader, Sofia Patel, took to LinkedIn earlier this week to solicit help from current and former members of the party who would be willing to campaign for Harris in the key battleground state of North Carolina. Patel indicated in her post that she had already organized “nearly 100 Labour Party staff” to stump across the key battleground states of Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia but had about 10 spots left for anyone willing to head to North Carolina. 

“We will sort your housing,” Patel assured anyone interested. “Email me on labourforkamala@gmail.com if you’re interested.” 

Patel, in addition to deleting the post, appeared to delete her entire LinkedIn page as of Friday morning as well.   

There is no indication the Labour Party’s efforts have been coordinated with the Harris campaign. Fox News Digital reached out to both for comment but did not receive any on-the-record response by publication time. 

KEIR STARMER ELECTED NEW UK PRIME MIISTER AFTER BIG LABOUR PARTY WIN

A banner for the Labour Party Conference, held in Liverpool, England, is seen on Sept. 24, 2024. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Following news of the Labour Party’s plans to help Harris, critics took issue with the move, with some slamming it as foreign election interference. 

“Yet another reason to vote for President Trump,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said. “More foreign election interference from the Democrats,” added Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., called for an investigation. “Election interference from foreign nationals. Investigate!” Collins wrote on X. 

PARLIAMENT FOR NEW UK LABOUR GOVERNMENT OPENS WITH KING’S SPEECH, PLANS FOR ‘NATIONAL RENEWAL’

Elon Musk and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., both outright called the move illegal.  

“You are breaking FEC laws,” Greene said in a social media post directed at the Labour Party. “Foreign nationals are not allowed to be involved in anyway in U.S. elections. Please go back to the UK and fix your own mass immigration problems that are ruining your country.” 

Musk, meanwhile, simply responded “This is illegal.”

IRAN TRIED TO INFLUENCE ELECTION BY SENDING STOLEN MATERIAL FROM TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO BIDEN’S CAMP, FBI SAYS

X’s “Community Notes” function, which serves to provide context for inaccurate or misleading information on the platform, flagged Greene’s remarks for additional context, however. According to the additional context added to her post, while federal election law does not allow foreign-nationals to make monetary or in-kind contributions in connection with federal races, it is permissable to participate in campaign activities as an uncompensated volunteer.

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American journalist Isaac Saul, who founded a digital news project called Tangle News aimed at providing a non-partisan take on news headlines, echoed the arguments from X’s community note.

“Elon Musk claiming Labour Party leaders are violating the law by coming here to campaign. They aren’t,” Saul wrote on X in response to Musk’s comments that the Labour Party’s work was “illegal.”

“This is only illegal if they are being compensated – the FB post indicates they are seeking volunteers,” Saul pointed out.

Former President Donald Trump highlighted during a “Fox and Friends” interview that he soundly defeated 2024 Republican presidential primary rival Nikki Haley, but that the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador in Trump’s administration is “helping” him on the campaign trail.

Trump, during an extended interview Friday morning on the popular Fox News Channel morning program, was asked by co-host Brian Kilmeade whether he has asked Haley to help him win over Republicans reluctant to support the former president.

“I’ll do what I have to do,” Trump responded. 

Donald Trump stressed that he “beat Nikki [Haley] badly” during the Republican presidential primaries during a “Fox & Friends” interview Friday morning, while also adding that his former rival is “helping” his presidential campaign.

WATCH DONALD TRUMP’S INTERVIEW ON ‘FOX AND FRIENDS’

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Riverfront Sports, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

“I’ll do what I have to do,” Trump said when asked if he would call on Haley to join the campaign trail, going on to emphasize, “Nikki Haley and I fought, and I beat her by 50, 60, 90 points. I beat her in her own state by numbers that nobody’s ever been beaten by. I beat Nikki badly.”

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

Haley launched her presidential campaign in February of last year, becoming the first major candidate to challenge Trump, who had announced his candidacy three months earlier. And she ended up being his final rival, battling the former president in a contentious two-candidate showdown from the New Hampshire primary in late January through Super Tuesday in early March.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks as she announces that she is suspending her campaign, in Charleston, South Carolina, March 6, 2024.  (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Haley announced that she was suspending her White House campaign on March 6, the day after Trump swept 14 of 15 GOP nominating contests on Super Tuesday.

As she departed the race, Haley made it clear that she intended to keep speaking out. And she continued to grab up to 20% of the vote in Republican presidential primaries in the months after she dropped out.

HARRIS TEAMS UP WITH A TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN

In late May, in her first public comments since announcing the end of her 2024 campaign, Haley said she would vote for Trump.

Haley won a total of 97 delegates during the Republican presidential primaries. And she released all of her delegates and urged them to support Trump. 

In August, in a high-profile address, Haley spoke in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Former Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ((PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images))

On Friday, Trump appeared to express some frustration regarding whether he will ask Haley to campaign on his behalf in the final stretch leading up to Election Day.

“Everybody keeps saying that. They don’t say ‘get [Florida Gov.] Ron [DeSantis] and Ron did very well,” Trump said. “But again, I beat everybody by numbers that have never happened before. And they keep talking about Nikki. Nikki, I like Nikki. Nikki, I don’t think she should have done what she did. And that’s fine that she did it.”

Trump added, “They say, ‘Oh, when is Nikki coming back?’”

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He emphasized that “Nikki is in. Nikki is helping us already….Nikki is already in, you know, she’s out campaigning.”

Sources familiar confirm to Fox News that Haley is in talks to join Trump on the campaign trail.

Up until now, Haley’s efforts to help Trump court disgruntled Republicans and others not backing the GOP presidential nominee have been limited to some fundraising emails.

While Trump retains vast sway over the GOP, even a small sliver of Republicans supporting Vice President Kamala Harris could make an important impact in what will likely be a tight race in the battleground states.

The vice president has stepped up efforts in recent weeks to court Republicans who backed Haley during the GOP primaries.

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

With Election Day inching closer, a recent survey suggested that a majority of Americans believe they are worse off than they were four years ago.

The Gallup poll, released Friday, found that 52 percent of Americans said they and their family are worse off today than they were four years ago. The Gallup poll was conducted Sept. 16-28 among 1,023 Americans and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Another 39 percent said they were better off, while 9 percent said they felt the same now as they did back then.

Gallup noted that these results are most similar to their 1992 survey – when then-Gov. Bill Clinton defeated incumbent Republican President George H.W. Bush.  

FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP AHEAD OF HARRIS BY 2 POINTS NATIONALLY

Money and receipt being placed on the payment binder for payment of a meal. (iStock)

The responses varied on the person’s party affiliation.

About 72% of Democrats say they were better off in 2024 than 2020, according to the survey. The numbers were much lower for independents, 35%, and Republicans, just 7%.

Inside view of a young woman selecting her products from the till to make sure she gets the correct price she is using a touchscreen till and is also wearing a protective facemask whilst inside the supermarket to protect yourself and others during the pandemic. (iStock)

The polling powerhouse noted that participant’s response to whether they felt “better off” was typically tied to the U.S. economy. 

Gallup’s monthly Economic Confidence Index (ECI), which ranges from -100 to +100, was currently at -26, with 39 percent saying they were better off financially four years ago. 

TRIO OF NEW POLLS AGREE ON WHERE TRUMP AND HARRIS STAND WITH 3 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY

The organization has been tracking ECI’s since 1992. Since the start, the highest ECI score was +56 in January 2000, and the lowest was -72 in October 2008.

Gallup noted that former President Trump’s 2020 loss to now-President Biden was a “sign that noneconomic factors were paramount to voters that year.” 

Multiple media outlets have insisted that Americans criticizing the economy under Biden do not realize how good they have it. ((Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images))

America’s Economic Confidence Remains Low:

Gallup noted that the ECI has largely been negative over the past four years.

In 2022, the index registered several scores that were the worst since the 2007-2009 recession and inflation reached highs. 

During the past three years, Americans have named inflation as the most important financial problem facing their family. The survey’s findings suggest that inflation is an underlying fear of many Americans’ perception of the economy – despite the generally low unemployment and steady economic growth.

Approximately 46 percent of Americans say their current economic conditions are “poor,” some 29 percent described them as “only fair,” while 25 percent said they were “good” or “excellent.” 

Additionally, 62 percent said the economy is “getting worse,” while 32% said in the survey that it is “getting better.”

A side-by-side of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (AP Images)

CRUNCH TIME: KAMALA HARRIS TO TEAM UP WITH THE OBAMAS NEXT WEEK 

Top Issues in the 2024 Election:

The survey found key areas that were on the top of voter’s minds as they headed to the polls.

1. Economy: 21%
2. Immigration: 21%
3. Government: 17%
4. Inflation: 14%

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A more recent Fox News poll, conducted Oct. 11-14, found that the economy continues to outrank all other issues, as 40% say it is the most important issue in deciding their choice for president. 

Less than half as many prioritize immigration and abortion, and far fewer cite issues such as election integrity, health care, climate change, guns, crime and foreign policy.

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

Fox News’ Victoria Balara and Dana Blanton contributed to this report.

Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t hold back on pro-life protesters as she talked to her supporters about expanding abortion rights at her campaign stop in Wisconsin on Thursday, just hours before she skipped the Al Smith Catholic charity dinner.

“We will move forward because ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom — for freedom. Like the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do,” Harris said to the crowd.

“And again, we’re not going to be gaslighted on this. We remember Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade, and they did as he intended,” she added.

VP HARRIS RIPPED BY VICTIM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASED UNDER HER PROGRAM OVER RESURFACED SPEECH

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Monday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris was then interrupted by anti-abortion protesters and said, “Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally,” as she flashed a grin.

“I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street,” she added — referring to former President Trump’s — as rallygoers erupted in cheers. 

On social media, users speculated Harris was responding to a particular attendee who shouted, “Jesus is Lord.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

The rally came as Harris skipped the 79th Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City. The dinner was launched in 1946 and has raised millions of dollars for charities supporting women and children. 

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump with his wife Melania Trump and Archbishop of New York Timothy M. Dolan (L) attend the 79th Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Hilton Midtown in New York, October 17, 2024.  (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

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It has since grown to become a political and cultural hallmark of election seasons, but Harris surprised many by skipping the bipartisan political event that typically adds a bit of levity to the campaign trail each presidential election cycle. 

Harris was the first major-party presidential contender since Walter Mondale in 1984 to skip the event.

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

LANSING, Mich. — Vice President Kamala Harris is back in the crucial Great Lakes battleground state of Michigan.

“It’s the time to make a plan to vote. Make a plan,” Harris urged supporters at a rally in Grand Rapids, the first of her three stops here Friday. “Michigan, today I ask you…..are you ready to make your voices heard?”

And she emphasized to the crowd that “we’ve got to energize and organize and mobilize and remind our neighbors and our friends that their vote is their voice.”

However, the Democratic presidential nominee didn’t have Michigan to herself on Friday with under three weeks to go until Election Day.

CRUNCH TIME: KAMALA HARRIS TO TEAM UP WITH THE OBAMAS NEXT WEEK 

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

Former President Trump, the Republican standard-bearer, is also in Michigan. 

Trump’s first stop: a campaign office in Hamtramck, the only Muslim-majority city in the U.S. 

Hamtramck Democratic Mayor Amer Ghalib, the first Arab American and first Muslim to lead the city, attended the event. Ghalib made headlines a month ago by endorsing Trump, even though three city council members in the same city have endorsed Harris.

WATCH DONALD TRUMP’S INTERVIEW ON ‘FOX AND FRIENDS’

“Frankly, it’s an honor,” Trump said if the mayor’s endorsement, as he took questions from reporters upon arrival in Michigan.

Both Trump and Harris are courting the state’s consequential Arab American voters, who make up over two percent of Michigan’s population, the highest percentage of any state in the nation.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as Hamtranck Mayor Amer Ghalib listens at a campaign office, Friday, in Hamtranck, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Trump campaign this year has seen an opening among Arab Americans, over their anger at the current administration’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

“I don’t think they’re going to be voting for her [Harris],” Trump argued.

And pointing to the latest polls in the state, he touted “I hear we’re leading in Michigan.”

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

Many of the latest public opinion surveys in the swing state do indicate Trump with a very slight edge over Harris in a margin-of-error race.

Matt Grossman, a Michigan State University political science professor, spotlighted the state’s “unique dynamics” as he pointed to Harris’ perceived “weakness” with Arab American voters as well as the state’s sizable Black electorate.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as he visits a campaign office, Friday, in Hamtranck, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Michigan is one of seven crucial swing states whose razor-thin margins decided President Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump. And all seven states are likely to determine if Harris or Trump wins November’s election to succeed Biden in the White House.

Michigan, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, are the three Rust Belt states that make up the Democrats’ so-called “Blue Wall.”

The party reliably won all three states for a quarter-century before Trump narrowly captured them in the 2016 election to win the White House.

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Four years later, in 2020, Biden carried all three states by razor-thin margins to put them back in the Democrats’ column and defeated Trump.

Harris, who in July replaced Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, and Trump — as well as their running mates — have made numerous stops in the Blue Wall states this summer and autumn, and both campaigns and allied groups have built up get-out-the Rust Belt battlegrounds.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a UAW union hall, in Lansing, Mich., Friday. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

And on Friday evening, both Harris and Trump were scheduled to be campaigning in and around Detroit. 

The vice president was holding a rally in suburban Oakland County, while the former president was also in the county for a roundtable discussion in Auburn Hills before headlining a rally in downtown Detroit.

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With Michigan a must win state for Harris, she is spending the night and holding a get-out-the-vote event on Saturday in Detroit with Lizzo, a popular singer and rapper who was born in the Motor City.

Lizzo revealed this week that she had voted early for Harris.

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

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…

-Israeli tank fires at building where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was barricaded before being killed

-‘Deadliest’ storms ‘since Katrina’: Georgia Republican demands emergency session of Congress

-Trump campaign slams ‘witch hunt’ after Jack Smith court docs released less than 3 weeks before election

Obamas on the trail for Harris

As the 2024 election showdown between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump reaches the home stretch, Harris will team up next week with arguably the two most popular Democrats in the country.

The Harris campaign announced on Friday that the vice president will join former President Barack Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, for get-out-the-vote events in two of the seven crucial battleground states – Georgia and Michigan.

According to the campaign, Harris will team up with the Obamas in Georgia on Thursday, Oct. 24. Early voting kicked off in the key southeastern battleground earlier this week and instantly set a new record…Read more

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama appear on stage in between their addresses on the second night of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

White House

‘UTTER DESTRUCTION’: Harris declined to intervene on behalf of native tribe push to protect sacred site from wind farm…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘DESPERATE STUNT’: House Dems sue FEC accusing GOP of exploiting campaign loophole…Read more

‘WILL NOT WAVER’: Sen. John Fetterman proclaims unflinching support for Israel…Read more

‘ROT AND DECAY’: Rep Hank Johnson says SCOTUS term limits are path forward for removing ‘corrupt’ justices…Read more

Tales from the Trail

SILVER STATE SENATE: Nevada Senate hopefuls tackle trans athletes, immigration and UFOs in only debate…Read more

THE BRITISH ARE COMING: Labor Party to descend on US to help Harris…Read more

‘HELPING US ALREADY’: Trump takes jab at former GOP rival before praising her involvement with his campaign…Read more

‘LITIGATION MINEFIELD’: Georgia Republicans readying post-election legal strategy…Read more

ORDER IS IN: Judge orders more Jack Smith Trump investigation docs to be made public ahead of election…Read more

‘FED UP’: Voter frustration with crime, liberal DAs mounting in California while Harris mum on controversial Prop 47…Read more

‘SEEMED NORMAL TO ME‘: Actor says timing of documentary on former president’s assassination attempt ‘might seem interesting’…Read more

PARANOIA: MSNBC’s Al Sharpton, Donny Deutsch ‘convinced’ they’ll be put on enemy’s ‘list’ if Trump elected…Read more

WHO’S MORE ACCESSIBLE?: Trump-Vance ticket has done combined 83 interviews since August compared to 45 for Harris-Walz…Read more

Across America

GET OFF MY CASE: Would-be Trump assassin wants Judge Cannon to recuse herself for dismissing document case…Read more

‘RADICAL GENDER ACTIVIST’: Texas sues doctor accused of violating ban on transgender medical procedures…Read more

‘ASTRONOMICAL’ DAMAGE’: Helene ‘like a bomb went off’: Florida Rep. Kat Cammack details severe hurricane damage…Read more

Middle East

BLOOD BROTHERS: Sinwar’s ruthless brother Mohammed slated to take over as leader of Hamas…Read more

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

Vulnerable incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey turned heads Friday with a new campaign ad in Pennsylvania that highlights how he “bucked Biden” and “sided” with former President Trump.

In a TV spot released Friday morning, a married couple with different political views each praise Casey as an “independent,” highlighting his support for Trump’s trade policies and efforts to “protect fracking” from the Biden administration. The ad, called “Bliss,” features a Republican woman named Marygrace and her Democrat husband, Joe. 

“Our marriage – pure bliss! But on politics, we just don’t agree. Except for Bob Casey. He’s independent,” Marygrace says, with her husband chiming in, “That’s right!”

FIREWORKS EXPECTED IN FINAL PENNSYLVANIA SENATE DEBATE IN RACE THAT MAY DECIDE CHAMBER’S MAJORITY

“Casey’s leading the effort to stop corporate greedflation and price-gouging,” Marygrace continues. “Casey bucked Biden to protect fracking and he sided with Trump to end NAFTA and put tariffs on China to stop them from cheating. So in this house, we agree, it’s Bob Casey who’s doing right by Pennsylvania.”

Casey himself appears at the end of the 30-second video and says, “I’m Bob Casey and definitely approve this message.”

KEY PENNSYLVANIA REGION SEES ‘WAITLIST’ FOR TRUMP SIGNS; LAWMAKER SAYS VOTERS READY TO REVERSE DEM POLICIES

Senator Bob Casey (D- PA) addresses supporters before former President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally for statewide Democratic candidates on Sept. 21, 2018, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Getty Images)

Fox News’ Power Rankings rate the Pennsylvania Senate election as “Leans Dem.” Casey, the son of a popular former governor, is running for a fourth six-year term. His Republican challenger is Dave McCormick, a combat veteran and businessman. 

Public opinion polls have shown Casey with a consistent, but narrow, lead over McCormick. However, Republicans were quick to suggest that Casey, by highlighting his work with Trump, is telegraphing unease as Election Day draws closer. 

Elizabeth Gregory, a McCormick spokesperson, said the ad was “another sign of desperation from flailing career politician Bob Casey.” 

Republican critics also called attention to how the ad curiously neglects to mention Casey’s support for Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. The senator did not appear with Harris at her most recent rallies in Erie and Washington Crossing. 

GOP state Rep. Russ Diamond said Casey is now “running ads cozying up to Trump.” 

“He knows Kamala is going to lose,” Diamond posted on Facebook.

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

Dave McCormick, Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania, speaks at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Trump campaign’s rapid response account on X accused Casey of “desperately trying to embrace President Trump” after voting to impeach the former president twice. 

The Trump War Room account also resurfaced a March ad from Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin’s campaign, in which the incumbent Democrat featured Trump in the ad signing her “Made in America” bill. Baldwin is in a tight race against Republican challenger Eric Hovde. 

“These are liberal Democrats who have opposed Donald Trump every step of the way going back years, voting with Chuck Schumer all the time, but faced with their own defeats, they have suddenly publicly embraced Trump in their own TV ads,” Trump campaign senior adviser Tim Murtaugh told Fox News Digital.  “Not only does this mean that Trump is winning the battle of ideas, it also means they know he is winning in their states.” 

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“This is undeniable, irrefutable proof that Trump is winning in these key battlegrounds, and those bumps you hear are Kamala Harris being thrown under the bus by incumbent Democrats, who used to be her colleagues in the Senate. The Harris camp must be beside themselves with fury over being rejected and abandoned like this, but that’s what happens when you get stuck with the worst candidate in modern political history.”

Kate Smart, a Casey campaign spokesperson, said the senator “does what’s right for Pennsylvania, regardless of party.” 

“Whether it’s standing up to China or fighting corporate greed, he stands with Pennsylvanians and doesn’t care what any politician has to say about it.”

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

The Democratic National Committee on Friday rolled out a Taylor Swift-themed “I Will Vote” campaign to target young voters across battleground states with just over two weeks until Election Day. 

The DNC’s “I Will Vote” campaign includes a new Snapchat filter urging young voters to be “fearless” on issues that Democrats say “will decide this election,” including reproductive rights and the economy, while urging them to “learn how to cast their ballot for Vice President Harris this November.”

TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT AFTER DEBATE: ‘I’VE MADE MY CHOICE’

The ads are set to kick off in Miami, Fla., with a mobile billboard on a boat near Swift’s concert venue in Miami and billboards across the city. 

Taylor Swift performs on stage during the “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Wembley Stadium on August 15, 2024, in London, England.  (Kate Green/Getty Images)

The DNC said the ads are set to “welcome voters to their ‘Kamala Era.'” 

The Snapchat filter says, “In My Voting Era,” at the top of the screen and the words “Be fearless for,” where users can select from the following: “democracy; reproductive rights; climate action; student loan debt relief; health care; racial justice; LGBTQ+ rights; economic opportunity; and equality.”

“This election will determine the future for young voters, from student loan debt relief and economic opportunity to whether they have fewer rights than their grandmothers did,” DNC Communications Director Rosemary Boeglin said. “Democrats are reaching out to young voters where they are, from concert venues to social media platforms, to make sure they have the resources they need to cast their ballot.” 

The DNC said the ads are set to “welcome voters to their ‘Kamala Era.'”  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Boeglin said Democrats are “not taking any vote for granted, and we’ll continue to make sure young voters across the country know everything that’s at stake and the stark contrast between Vice President Harris’ New Way Forward and Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda.” 

TAYLOR SWIFT TAKES ON NEW CAREER CHALLENGE AS RECORD-SETTING ERAS TOUR WRAPS UP

“Our country’s youth are mobilized to speak now for the future they deserve, and they’ll elect Vice President Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and Democrats down the ballot in November,” Boeglin said. 

The Trump campaign has repeatedly said that it is not involved in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.

Taylor Swift endorsed Harris shortly after the presidential debate between the vice president and former President Donald Trump concluded last month. 

Taylor Swift performs in Munich, Germany, on July 27. (Thomas Niedermueller/TAS24/Getty Images)

Writing on Instagram, the pop star said she will be voting for Harris, because “she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”

“I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered!” Swift wrote to her 283 million followers. “I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.”

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Swift signed the post: “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady,” in an apparent dig at Trump’s running-mate, Sen. JD Vance, who said in an interview in 2021 that “we are effectively run in this country, via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made, and so they wanna make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, while serving as California’s attorney general, declined to intervene on behalf of efforts by local Native American tribes to protect a sacred burial site from being turned into a wind farm that critics labeled a green energy boondoggle.

California’s Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) voted in 2013 to declare land used for the Ocotillo Express Wind Facility as a “sacred site” after hearing several hours of “emotional” testimony from local Native Americans who, according to East County Magazine, contended “that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management ignored their concerns and its duty to protect a clearly documented sacred site and cemetery in the fast-tracked approval process for the Ocotillo Express Wind Facility.”

Tribal leaders at the time described the Ocotillo wind project as “utter destruction,” “constructed on top of the graves of our ancestors,” and a “violation of trust.”

Local Native Americans argued that the wind facility was built on what is known as the “Valley of the Dead,” which they claimed for over 10,000 years as a site where ancestral remains were buried. While some tribes supported the wind farm, the NAHC voted 4-0 to ask Attorney General Harris to explore legal options.

VP HARRIS RIPPED BY VICTIM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASED UNDER HER PROGRAM OVER RESURFACED SPEECH

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris sat down for an interview on the raunchy “Call Her Daddy” podcast earlier this week.  (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

“I really want to say, ‘Dismantle it and give the land back to the tribes’ . . . I’d like to ask the Attorney General to . . . give this commission more teeth so we could say, ‘Tear that wall down,’” NAHC Commissioner Marshall McKay said at the time.

Then-AG Harris did not step in to take legal action in favor of the activists, instead, Harris’ office “determined that the Native American Heritage Commission has no jurisdiction to bring action in the form of a lawsuit against a federal agency for a project situated on federal land.”

“Further, the Attorney General can no longer represent the Native American Heritage Commission on the Ocotillo Project due to a conflict of interest.”

SWING STATE GOP CHAIR SLAMS BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN FOR BEING OUT OF TOUCH ON KEY ISSUE: ‘ABANDONED THIS COUNTRY’

Greenville, North Carolina – October 13: Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Local media described Harris’ actions as having “thwarted” the efforts of the tribes.

“Pattern Energy’s industrial wind facility was built atop lands known as ‘Valley of the Dead’ by Native American tribes for over 10,000 years,” East County Magazine wrote.

“The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians also objected to the desecration of ancestral remains and persuaded the California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) that the state should take action on their behalf, but those efforts were thwarted by California Attorney General Kamala Harris.”

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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media before boarding Air Force Two after assessing the Hurricane Helene recovery response in North Carolina on October 5, 2024. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Ocotillo wind farm facility has had a litany of problems including safety issues and shut-downs. Those safety issues included equipment spraying oil across the sacred site, turbines catching fire, and one tower catastrophically losing a blade. In 2021, BLM temporarily shut down the plant after its second tower collapse in five years.

Questions have also been raised whether the wind farm facility has even delivered on its promised green energy benefits after it fell short of its capacity forecast three years in a row and prompting experts to wonder whether the need for the plant was simply “spin.”

“It was heartbreaking to see this project desecrate such a historically and culturally significant landscape, and it’s even worse when you find out that it was built on false claims by the developer, and with the assistance of the BLM. “Anthony Pico, Chairman, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, said, according to East County Magazine.

“Does economics trump justice in this country? I believe it does, and that profoundly saddens me,’ Pico told commissioners during the showdown. “I cannot understand, we cannot understand, how federal and state institutions who have trusted fiduciary responsibility to Native Americans, allowed the utter destruction of arguably the richest cultural resource in our country in Ocotillo Valley.’”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign for comment.

“The Ocotillo Wind facility began operations 12 years ago after it was designated by the U.S. government as a critical resource for protecting the country’s energy security. The vital clean energy facility brought 370 jobs to Imperial County and provides enough clean electricity to provide power for 300,000 Americans each year without any emissions or water use,” a spokesperson for Pattern Energy told Fox News Digital. “Ocotillo Wind uses American-made wind turbines that generated more than $20 million in sales tax revenue for Imperial County and the state of California. Over the first 20 years of operations, Ocotillo Wind expects to generate more than $100 million for local taxing jurisdictions, with Imperial County, Imperial Valley College, and the Imperial Unified School District being significant beneficiaries.”

 “The Ocotillo facility was carefully sited to not directly impact cultural resources while supporting America’s energy needs. During development, the company spent three years carefully planning, listening to the community and addressing feedback through numerous project revisions, which resulted in a final design that received the support of many local residents, officials and Native American Tribes.”

A Florida district judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday, halting the state government from threatening to proceed with legal measures against television stations over pro-abortion ads. 

Floridians Protecting Freedom, the pro-abortion collective behind the Amendment 4 Right to Abortion Initiative, which would end Florida’s 6-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion in the state’s constitution, filed its suit against Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and former general counsel to the Florida Department of Health John Wilson earlier this week. 

Amendment 4’s language states, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

GEORGIA HIGH COURT RESTORES STATE’S 6-WEEK ‘HEARTBEAT’ ABORTION LAW

The suit was spurred after the Florida Department of Health sent letters to television stations broadcasting the pro-abortion ads, wherein the department stated the advertisements were “false” and “dangerous.” The department proceeded to request that the ads be removed within 24 hours, or it would proceed with legal measures.

Floridians Protecting Freedom, the pro-abortion collective behind the Amendment 4 Right to Abortion Initiative, which would end Florida’s 6-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion in the state’s constitution, filed its suit against Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, pictured here, and former general counsel to the Florida Department of Health John Wilson earlier this week. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Floridians Protecting Freedom argued that such a move was a violation of the collective’s First Amendment right to run political advertisements in support of the proposed amendment. 

HOSPITAL THAT DELAYED EMERGENCY ABORTION BEARS BLAME FOR GEORGIA WOMAN’S DEATH, FAMILY’S LAWYER CLAIMS

“While Defendant Ladapo refuses to even agree with this simple fact, Plaintiff’s political advertisement is political speech—speech at the core of the First Amendment,” District Judge Mark E. Walker wrote in the order. 

“The government cannot excuse its indirect censorship of political speech simply by declaring the disfavored speech is ‘false.’ ‘The very purpose of the First Amendment is to foreclose public authority from assuming a guardianship of the public mind through regulating the press, speech, and religion,'” Walker continued, quoting a U.S. Supreme Court opinion.

SUPREME COURT DENIES BIDEN ADMINISTRATION APPEAL OVER FEDERAL EMERGENCY ABORTION REQUIREMENT IN TEXAS

“The fact is, these ads are unequivocally false and detrimental to public health in Florida,” Jae Williams, communications director for the Florida Department of Health, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The media continues to ignore the truth that Florida’s heartbeat protection law always protects the life of a mother and includes exceptions for victims of rape, incest, and human trafficking.”

Lauren Brenzel, campaign director of Yes on 4, called the order a “triumph for every Floridian who believes in democracy and the sanctity of the First Amendment” in a statement released shortly after the order was issued. 

Amendment 4’s language states, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” (CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)

“The court has affirmed what we’ve known all along: the government cannot silence the truth about Florida’s extreme abortion ban. It’s a deadly ban that puts women’s lives at risk,” the statement continued. “This ruling is a powerful reminder that Floridians will not back down in the face of government intimidation.”

NEW JERSEY DEMOCRAT PROPOSES BILL TO CREATE TRAVEL ADVISORIES TO INFORM PREGNANT WOMEN OF STATE ABORTION LAWS

Gov. Ron DeSantis deputy press secretary Julia Friedland told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Surprise, surprise, the most overturned judge on the district court issued another order that excites the press, but these current stories all look past the core issue – the ads are unequivocally false and put the lives and health of pregnant women at risk. Florida’s heartbeat protection law always protects the life of a mother and includes exceptions for victims of rape, incest and human trafficking.”

The order is set to expire on Oct. 29. 

Former President Donald Trump previously called Florida’s proposed amendment “radical” in an interview with Fox News, saying he disagreed with the amendment upon hearing about it. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Former President Donald Trump previously called Florida’s proposed amendment “radical” in an interview with Fox News but also said he believes Florida’s six-week abortion ban is too short.

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“You need more time than six weeks. I’ve disagreed with that right from the early primaries,” Trump told Fox News in August. “When I heard about it, I disagreed with it. At the same time, the Democrats are radical because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation.” 

The House Democrats‘ campaign arm filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Thursday, alleging the agency’s failure to take action has led to Republican candidates using a campaign finance loophole in their television advertisements. 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) filed its initial complaint for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief in D.C. District Court, which was first reported by Axios. The DCCC is arguing that Republicans are disguising attack ads paid for by joint fundraising committees as fundraising ventures, therefore circumventing fundraising caps.  

The suit comes after Senate Democrats previously accused Republicans of using the tactic and appealed to the FEC to rule if such a strategy is allowed. The commission voted 3-3 along party lines last week, thus allowing the GOP to continue with its ads. 

FIRST ON FOX: TOP OUTSIDE GROUP BACKING SENATE REPUBLICANS SHOWCASES FUNDRAISING HAUL

“Federal law is clear that party committee expenditures coordinated with candidates are subject to limits. Republican candidates are so cash strapped that they’re now brazenly exploiting a self-created loophole to spend party committee money on candidate ads, well in excess of applicable limits, at the lowest unit charge,” Rachel L. Jacobs, general counsel for the DCCC, told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

The DCCC is arguing that Republicans are disguising attack ads paid for by joint fundraising committees as fundraising ventures, therefore circumventing fundraising caps. (Getty Images)

“Their actions require DCCC and Democratic House candidates to make a choice between engaging in conduct they think is illegal at the risk of getting penalized by the FEC and/or Department of Justice, or being at a competitive disadvantage to their Republican counterparts to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.”

The DCCC is now asking the federal court to rule on whether the practice is illegal ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

FIRST ON FOX: TOP OUTSIDE GROUP BACKING HOUSE REPUBLICANS SETS FUNDRAISING RECORD

FEC Chairman Sean Cooksey told Axios, “I fully expect the FEC to prevail in this frivolous lawsuit. We will see the DCCC in court.” 

The FEC declined to provide additional comment on ongoing litigation when asked for a statement by Fox News Digital. 

In a statement to Axios, National Republican Senatorial Committee General Counsel Ryan Dollar called the suit “a desperate stunt,” saying the television ads were “approved unanimously in 2007 and reaffirmed last week.”

The DCCC is now asking the federal court to rule on whether the practice is illegal ahead of the Nov. 5 election. (Getty Images)

“I’d be curious to hear what Harris Victory has to say about this ridiculous lawsuit, given that they have engaged in these ads themselves,” Dollar told the outlet. 

TRUMP UPS THE ANTE WITH HIS SEPTEMBER FUNDRAISING HAUL

With just a few weeks out from Election Day, Republicans are fighting to maintain control of the House and take over the Senate. The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), the leading outside group supporting House Republicans and closely aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson, reported its highest fundraising quarter ever earlier this month, announcing an $81.4 million haul during the July-September third quarter of 2024 fundraising.  

The Congressional Leadership Fund, the leading outside group supporting House Republicans and closely aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson, reported its highest fundraising quarter ever earlier this month, announcing an $81.4 million haul during the July-September third quarter of 2024 fundraising. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The CLF also announced at the time that it would be funneling another $11 million in new ad reservations, sharing the news first with Fox News Digital. 

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Likewise, the Senate Leadership Fund, the leading super PAC supporting Republican incumbents and candidates, announced it hauled in $114.5 million during the same fundraising quarter. 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.