NationalWatch

New polling shows Republicans are likely to take control of the Senate in the upcoming election, with the GOP challenger leading against a Democrat incumbent in Montana.

Republican challenger Tim Sheehy leads the incumbent Democrat, Sen. Jon Tester, in a 52% to 44% matchup, according to a New York Times/Sienna poll released Thursday. Democrats currently hold a 51-seat majority in the Senate, and Sen. Joe Manchin’s, I-W.V., decision to retire virtually guarantees a seat flipping toward the GOP.

While there are competitive races elsewhere in the Senate, Republicans appear to be holding strong, according to Marist polling. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading his race with 51% support, compared to the 46% of his challenger, Collin Allred.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., faces a closer race in Florida, where he holds a slim 50%-48% lead over challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.

VULNERABLE DEM JON TESTER TURNS ON BIDEN ADMIN OVER DEI AFTER MONTANA UNIVERSITIES STRIPPED OF FEDERAL FUNDS

Republicans appear poised to take control of the Senate in the 2024 battle for Congress.

That story is reversed in Ohio, however, where Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown holds a 50%-48% lead over Republican challenger Bernie Moreno.

TRUMP, REPUBLICANS VENTURE TO BLUE AREAS IN WISCONSIN TO BOOST GOP TURNOUT

The Cook Political Report also shifted the Wisconsin Senate race from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up” this week.

Sen. Joe Manchin’s retirement presents a major opportunity for Republicans to take the Senate.

The handicapper cited changes in polling in recent days, with Republican challenger Eric Hovde appearing to close the gap with Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

SENATE REPUBLICANS MARK OCT 7 ATTACK 1 YEAR OUT AS ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR CONTINUES

The latest Marquette Law School poll showed Baldwin winning the battle, 51% to Hovde’s 45%. The survey interviewed 882 registered voters over Sept. 18-26. The poll’s margin of error was +/-4.4 percentage points.

Republican challenger Eric Hovde and Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin are locked in a close race for Senate in Wisconsin. (Reuters)

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The most recent Fox News Power Rankings from last month had Wisconsin at “Leans Dem.”

Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report

New polling shows former President Trump has a 9-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris when it comes to handling the economy, the single most important issue for voters going into the 2024 presidential election.

The new poll from Gallup found that 54% of Americans say Trump is more capable of handling the economy, compared to 45% for Harris. The economy ranked as the most important issue for Republicans and for all Americans, but it didn’t rate in the top five for Democrats.

Veteran Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf says Democrats are simply confident in Harris’ plan to handle the economy.

“Independents are looking for a reason to vote for a candidate, but they just haven’t found it yet,” Sheinkopf told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Americans focus on the issue most important to them in every election. This time it’s their pockets. And they are still feeling pain no matter what candidates say. Time is running out for Harris to prove she can make it better.”

He went on to argue that the economy is no less politicized an issue as immigration or abortion, suggesting polarization has an outsized impact on voters’ opinions on the economy. 

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW

Voters polled by Gallup consider former President Trump as better able to handle the economy than Vice President Kamala Harris. (Fox News )

For Republicans, the top issues after the economy are immigration, terrorism and national security, crime and taxes.

For Democrats, the top issue is democracy in the U.S., followed by the type of Supreme Court justices a candidate would pick, abortion, health care and education.

Trump also holds leads over Harris on immigration (54%-45%) and foreign affairs (52%-47%). Harris holds her own leads on the top issues for Democrats, however, including health care (54%-44%), abortion (56%-40%) and climate change (61%-35%).

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

Climate change ranks as the least important issue for Republicans, with just 5% saying it is a priority. The least important issues for Democrats are the federal budget deficit and trade with other nations, both tied at 16%.

Illegal immigration ranked as the second-most important issue for Republican voters. (Herika Martinez/AFP via Getty Images)

Gallup conducted the poll from Sept. 16-28, surveying 941 registered voters via telephone interviews on cellphones and landlines. The poll advertises a margin of error of 4%.

A New York Times/Siena College survey released on Tuesday found that Harris has a slight lead over Trump in a national poll. The survey found that Harris stands at 49% support among likely voters nationwide, with the former president and GOP nominee at 46%.

Harris holds a slight lead over Trump in national polls. (Screenshot/CBS News)

According to the poll, Harris stands at 47% and Trump at 44% in a multi-candidate field. Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Chase Oliver each grabbed 1%, with roughly 7% supporting another candidate or undecided.

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Harris’ edge — which is within the survey’s sampling error — is up from the New York Times/Siena poll from last month, when the two major party nominees were deadlocked at 47%.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.

The influx of Haitian migrants into the U.S. has become a major political issue in recent months, as both former President Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance repeated claims about the impact they are having on towns like Springfield, Ohio. 

It has become a political issue in part due to the Biden administration’s parole processes for four nationalities — Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Under that program, migrants can arrive in the United States and be given a two-year parole term, along with temporary work permits.

Some of those are eligible for protection from deportation by the redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status by the Biden administration this summer. 

MAYORKAS MOVES TO SHIELD HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS FROM DEPORTATION BACK TO TROUBLED CARIBBEAN NATION

The Biden administration announced on Friday that it will not be extending those parole periods for any of the four nationalities, meaning they will have to apply for a different immigration status or leave the country.

Why has it become an election issue?

The impact that the influx of migrants has had on some towns in the U.S. has become a 2024 election issue after it was put into the spotlight by former President Trump. Most notably, Trump repeated claims that migrants have been eating cats and dogs in Springfield Ohio, which officials have denied. 

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

But others have pointed to the impact it has had on social services.

Vance recently said that he does not consider those who come through via the parole programs to be legal immigrants as he sees the programs as illegal. Here is what to know about Haitian migration into the U.S.

VANCE SAYS HE WILL KEEP CALLING HAITIAN MIGRANTS ‘ILLEGAL ALIENS’ DESPITE PAROLE STATUS 
 

This image shows former President Trump and Haitian migrants coming across the southern border. (Photo by PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images and (Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images))

How many Haitian immigrants are in the U.S.?

There are approximately 1,152,604 Haitian immigrants residing in the US according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey (ACS).

That is up from nearly 731,000 Haitian immigrants in 2022.

Where are they living?

Florida has the largest Haitian population in the U.S., at about 511,621 individuals, while New York’s population is a distant 2nd with 196,698 individuals. Massachusetts has 72,677 and New Jersey has 69,069.

The top four counties for Haitian immigrants were Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties in Florida, and Kings County in New York. Together, these counties accounted for 41 percent of Haitian immigrants in the United States.

Meanwhile, in Springfield, officials estimate that between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitians live in the city.

More broadly on the CHNV program, during an eight-month period from January through August 2023, roughly 200,000 migrants flew into the U.S. via the program from all four nationalities. Of those, 80% of them, (161,562) arrived in the state of Florida in four cities: Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa Bay, according to DHS data obtained via a subpoena by the House Homeland Security Committee and provided to Fox News.

What has the Biden administration done?

The Biden administration expanded the CHNV program to include Haitians in January 2023 and since then, 214,000 Haitians have entered the U.S. under the program. Recipients are given a two-year parole and a work permit if they have a sponsor and pass certain background checks.

However, the administration announced this month that it will not be extending those paroles beyond that period, meaning Haitians and others protected under the program will have to find another immigration status or potentially leave the country.

The Biden administration, however, has also redesignated and extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which protects designated migrant groups from deportation and allows work permits, until February 2026. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

To be eligible, Haitians must have been in the U.S. as of June 3. DHS predicts that it will allow an estimated 309,000 additional nationals to file for TPS, on top of those already protected.

TPS grants protection to nationals in countries found to be unsafe for them to be returned and is based on three grounds: armed ongoing conflict, environmental disasters or “extraordinary and temporary conditions.” 

“Several regions in Haiti continue to face violence or insecurity, and many have limited access to safety, health care, food, and water. Haiti is particularly prone to flooding and mudslides, and often experiences significant damage due to storms, flooding, and earthquakes. These overlapping humanitarian challenges have resulted in ongoing urgent humanitarian needs,” DHS said in a release.

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It has led to concerns from conservatives that the revoking of parole status will not lead to significant numbers of Haitians leaving the U.S. after their status expires.

President Biden, making calls with elected officials in Florida on Wednesday evening, as powerful and extremely dangerous Hurricane Milton crashed into the state.

And the president also speaking with Democratic and Republican senators from the states hard hit by Hurricane Helene, which tore a path of destruction through the southeast nearly two weeks ago.

“I directed my team to do everything we can to save lives and help communities before, during, and after the hurricane — the one that has just passed and this awful one that’s about to hit,” Biden said at the end of a long day overseeing the federal response to the storms.
 
And the president stressed that “my most important message today is for those who are in impacted areas, please, please listen to your local authorities, follow all safety…instructions and evacuation orders. This is serious, very serious.”

BIDEN CANCELS OVERSEAS TRIP AS MILTON BEARS DOWN ON FLORIDA

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene and preparations for Hurricane Milton in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

With less than four weeks to go until Election Day in November and Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump locked in a narrow margin-of-error showdown in the race to succeed Biden in the White House, and with two of the hardest-hit states from Helene — North Carolina and Georgia — among the seven key battlegrounds that will likely determine the outcome of the 2024 election, the politics of federal disaster relief are again front and center on the campaign trail.

Trump for nearly two weeks has repeatedly attacked Biden and Harris and accused them of being incompetent in steering the federal efforts in responding to the back-to-back deadly hurricanes.

EYE OF THE STORM: BACK-TO-BACK HURRICANES IMPACT HARRIS-TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL RACE

“The worst hurricane response since Katrina,” the former president charged on Wednesday as he pointed to the much-maligned initial federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which was heavily criticized for being slow and ineffective.

Trump, speaking at a campaign rally in battleground Pennsylvania, lobbed another political bomb at Harris, arguing that “She just led the worst rescue operation in history in North Carolina…the worst ever, they say.”

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)

And the former president once again made false claims that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) diverted money intended for disaster relief and spent it on undocumented migrants in the U.S. as he turned up the volume on his inflammatory rhetoric over the combustible issue of illegal immigration.

“You know where they gave the money to: illegal immigrants coming,” Trump said as the crowd of MAGA supporters loudly booed.

CLICK HERE FOR UP-TO-DATE FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE STORMS

A couple of hours earlier, as the president and vice president received their latest briefing from FEMA and other federal agencies on storm preparations in Florida and relief efforts across the Southeast, Biden said that “we have made available an unprecedented number of assets to deal with this crisis, and we’re going to continue to do so until the job is done.”

Biden also took aim at Trump, accusing him of leading an “onslaught of lies.”

The president charged that the rhetoric from Trump and other Republicans was “beyond ridiculous” and that “it’s got to stop.”

Harris, who in July replaced Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, had a similar message during an interview Wednesday on the Weather Channel.

“This is not a time for us to just point fingers at each other as Americans,” Harris said. “Anybody who considers themselves to be a leader should really be in the business right now of giving people a sense of confidence that we’re all working together and that we have the resources and the ability to work together on their behalf.”

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS WEATHER UPDATES ON HURRICANE MILTON

But earlier this week, Harris and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida traded verbal fire over whether he ignored hurricane-related calls from her.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets people who were impacted by Hurricane Helene in Augusta, Ga., Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson watches at right. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The vice president called DeSantis “selfish,” and the governor accused Harris of playing “political games.”

“Natural disasters present perils and promise for presidential hopefuls,” longtime Republican strategist Colin Reed, a veteran of multiple GOP presidential campaigns, told Fox News.

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Reed noted that “for the incumbent, it’s an opportunity to demonstrate competence and steady leadership and prove that their government is able to function at a core level during a time of peril.”

Brandon Marlow walks through surge waters flooding the street after Hurricane Milton came ashore in the Sarasota area on October 09, 2024, in Fort Myers, Florida. People are waiting to assess the damage after the Cat 3 hurricane came ashore.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

But it doesn’t always play according to the script for an incumbent president.

Then-President George H.W. Bush took a political hit over FEMA’s disorganized efforts to provide relief in Florida from Hurricane Andrew, which pounded the then-key battleground state weeks before the 1992 election.

Fast-forward a decade and his son – then-President George W. Bush – enjoyed a political bounce in Florida during his 2004 re-election thanks to his aggressive response to Hurricane Charley, which hit in August of that year.

Bush was narrowly re-elected, thanks in large part to carrying the Sunshine State, but his administration’s image in handling storms took a major hit the next year, over the botched response in Louisiana to Hurricane Katrina.

As he ran for re-election in 2012, then-President Barack Obama’s aggressive response in dealing with Superstorm Sandy -which slammed into the Eastern Seaboard days before the election – likely boosted him to victory.

Reed argued that “without a real role to play in the response to Helene and now Milton, Vice President Harris is betwixt and between, wary about being seen as too close to a deeply unpopular administration but also well aware that its failures will be seen as her failures and political baggage to carry the next three weeks.”

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

Americans with backgrounds in the military and law enforcement have stepped up to help save hurricane survivors in North Carolina without the assistance of the federal government.

“FEMA’s out of money. They just announced it. … We’ve got money to put everywhere else on the globe — this administration does — but we don’t have the money inside of FEMA, a federal emergency management, to help our citizens here in the United States,” Aaron Negherbon, founder and CEO of Cops Direct, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come as relief efforts continue in North Carolina, a state with widespread devastation from Hurricane Helene.

NORTH CAROLINA GOP FOCUSING ON ‘HAND-TO-HAND POLITICAL COMBAT’ TO RAMP UP GROUND GAME IN BATTLEGROUND STATE

Volunteers load supplies onto helicopters to reach stranded victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. (Cops Direct)

But those efforts have also become a political hot potato as the election nears, with critics widely panning the federal government’s response to the natural disaster.

“They’re offering them $750 to people whose homes have been washed away,” former President Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. “And yet we send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of. They’re offering them $750. They’ve been destroyed. These people have been destroyed.”

The criticism came after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned last week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “does not have the funds to make it through” the hurricane season, prompting a stopgap measure by lawmakers to replenish the agency’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) with $20 billion, according to a report from National Public Radio.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has argued critics of the administration’s response have been pushing “disinformation.”

“There’s a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, in particular to the survivors of Helene,” Harris said. “It’s extraordinarily irresponsible: It’s about him, it’s not about you. And the reality is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them.”

Negherbon said his and other organizations have opted to “step in and aid our fellow Americans when they need help.”

A warehouse of supplies that will be delivered to victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.  (Cops DIrect)

RESIDENTS IN KEY NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICT REVEAL HOW THEY THINK THEIR COUNTY WILL VOTE IN NOVEMBER

“I can tell you that my phones are ringing, and my email is chiming all day long because of the requests from agencies that need our support,” he said. “One jurisdiction, one county, one community is hearing about what Cops Direct is doing, and, all of a sudden, they’re telling the next county over and, therefore, our phone is ringing.”

One way Cops Direct and others have been helping is by flying much needed emergency supplies to residents who have been cut off by the storm with many roads and traditional paths to homes being washed away and inaccessible.

Ross Johnson, owner of TacMed, a company that makes emergency medical supplies for use on the battlefield and for law enforcement, told Fox News Digital he used his skill as a pilot and a vast network of other pilots to help rush supplies to those affected by using helicopters.

“There was no way to get anywhere. So I said, ‘Hey, let’s see what we can do,'” Johnson, a former Army Green Beret who served three tours in Afghanistan, said.

Johnson said FEMA has not been operating in the same areas he has been helping, though he noted that the agency is likely helping in other places.

Bottled water being delivered to victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.  (Cops Direct)

“I’m not saying they’re not doing anything. I’m sure they have a role. And we know that they’re a big organization that has a response time. … It takes time to move that machine,” he said.

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Instead, Johnson said he has focused his efforts on areas where his skill as a pilot can be most beneficial.

“We’re in the mountains,” Johnson said. “Places accessible by helicopter.”

Pallets of supplies to be delivered to North Carolina victims of Hurricane Helene. (Cops Direct)

Johnson also noted the people undertaking the effort to assist those in North Carolina are volunteering their time and effort and their own resources in hopes of making a difference for those who have had their lives upended by the natural disaster.

“It really is people that just want to do good. You know, we’re locals. We know the area. These are our neighbors, and we have a way to help them. And that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We’re not Uber Eats. … We aren’t making money on this. We’re just a couple of guys with access to some assets that are the right tool for this job, at least at this point in time.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

On one point, at least, the Kremlin has sided with Bob Woodward against Donald Trump.

Woodward is coming out with a new book, and among its headline-making disclosures is his report on what happened when the pandemic struck, when the death toll was soaring and people could not get home testing kits for Covid-19.

FROM KISSY-FACE SITDOWN ON ‘THE VIEW’ TO A TOUGHER GRILLING ON ‘60 MINUTES,’ KAMALA HARRIS IS MAKING NEWS

President Trump, at that point in 2020, secretly sent Vladimir Putin a number of Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines “for his personal use.”

The Trump campaign said Woodward’s book, an advance copy of which was obtained by CNN, consisted entirely of made-up stories.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed the receipt of the Covid machines.

A side-by-side with former President Donald Trump and investigative journalist Bob Woodward. (Getty Images)

“As for the tests, when the pandemic began, countries did not have enough equipment,” Peskov said. “And many countries then exchanged such gestures of support and sent each other shipments of various equipment they had.” 

In fact, during that spring of 2020, Russia sent the Trump administration 60 tons of medical equipment.

Woodward also quotes the Russian dictator as telling Trump: “I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. They don’t care about me.”

KAMALA 2.0’S CHALLENGE? MAKING MORE NEWS, AND NOT JUST WITH ULTRA-FRIENDLY HOSTS

But Peskov disputed another assertion by Woodward, that Trump has stayed in touch with Putin since he left the White House, with as many as seven calls between them. “As for the calls, that’s a lie,” Peskov said.  

In the book “War,” however, the Washington Post sleuth recounts a scene where Trump tells a top aide to leave the room so “he could have what he said was a private phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Trump officials now say they’re not aware of any such conversations.

The former president granted Woodward 18 taped interviews for his previous book, but they had a falling out after the veteran reporter wrote that Trump was unfit for office – and was sued by his subject for releasing the recordings.

In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state-owned Sputnik agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with the acting governor of Kaliningrad Region at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow on August 14, 2024.  (Gavriil Grigorov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

I know Woodward’s work extremely well, and while any journalist can be misled by sources, he does not make things up.

Other parts of the book deal with Joe Biden confronting Putin about the coming invasion of Ukraine, had Kamala Harris warn a skeptical Volodomyr Zelenskyy, and – with officials assuming a 50 percent chance that he might use a tactical nuclear weapon against the Ukrainians, called the Kremlin boss the “epitome of evil.”  

The president repeatedly cursed out Bibi Netanyahu, calling him an SOB and, later, a “f***ing liar” after the Israeli prime minister invaded the crowded area called Rafah despite American pressure.

WHY VANCE EASILY BEAT WALZ IN DEBATE, SOFTENING HIS IMAGE IN THE PROCESS

In the statement from Trump’s spokesman, which sounds like it was dictated by the boss, Woodward is described as “a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Woodward is an angry, little man and is clearly upset because President Trump is successfully suing him because of the unauthorized publishing of recordings he made previously. President Trump gave him absolutely no access for this trash book that either belongs in the bargain bin of the fiction section of a discount bookstore or used as toilet tissue. Woodward is a total sleazebag who has lost it mentally, and he’s slow, lethargic, incompetent and overall a boring person with no personality.”

Why stop there?

Trump, who prides himself on being a counter-puncher, wastes little time before swinging away.

U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris poses during the Unite for America live-streaming rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on September 19, 2024.  (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

After Harris’ friendly radio interview with Howard Stern, who said it would be insanity to vote for Trump, this post appeared on Truth Social:

“BETA MALE Howard Stern made a fool of himself on his low-rated radio show when he ‘interviewed’ Lyin’ Kamala Harris, and hit her with so many SOFTBALL questions that even she was embarrassed.

“He looked like a real fool, working so hard to make a totally incompetent and ill-equipped person look as good as possible, which wasn’t very good. I dropped Howard a long time ago, like most others, and have since been credited with very good judgment!” 

Donald and Howard were, of course, once New York pals, and Trump attended his wedding. 

Trump also had campaign manager Chris LaCivita take a swipe at Fox News for covering (along with other networks) a government briefing, featuring both Biden and Harris, on Hurricane Milton as the monster storm was heading toward Florida. 

“@FoxNews ⁩just as bad as every other ‘cable news’ network …running literally propaganda and @KamalaHarris ⁩TV ads disguised as a news conference,” Chris LaCivita posted on X. 

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Of course there’s a political benefit for Harris showing that she and FEMA are working hard to prepare for the Florida storm, just as there is when Ron DeSantis holds a presser on the Category 5 threat.

But with Kamala’s media blitz finally making some news after weeks in which Trump has dominated the campaign coverage, this reflects his determination to insert himself into every story that surfaces, no matter how negative.

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers clashed over national security, immigration and abortion at a debate Tuesday as each candidate vies to be the next U.S. senator from Michigan. 

Retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has endorsed Slotkin, a three-term lawmaker who currently represents Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, to fill her seat. Rogers served in the House from 2001-2015, was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and has been endorsed by former President Trump. 

This race in battleground Michigan is close, though Slotkin has enjoyed an average 5 percentage point lead in public opinion polls. The victor could very well determine which major party gains control of the Senate next year. Fox News’ Power Rankings list the Michigan Senate race as Lean D.

The hour-long debate hosted by NBC affiliate WOOD TV was mostly polite and issues-focused. However, there were several times when the candidates accused each other of lying or twisting the facts of their records. 

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: HARRIS TICKS UP AND SENATE REPUBLICANS TAKE CHARGE

The Michigan Senate race between Elissa Slotkin and Mike Rogers is more competitive than initially predicted. (Associated Press)

“Dishonest and deceptive,” Rogers fumed after Slotkin insisted he repeatedly voted to “privatize or cut Medicare and Social Security” while he was a member of Congress. “I’m not even sure she could pass the polygraph test in the CIA anymore,” he said, referring to Slotkin’s former career as a CIA analyst.

Slotkin hit back later after Rogers said she was “huffing at the microphone” during a discussion about nuclear power and competition with China. 

“It’s just sad that a guy who considers himself a national security guy can’t see that we need to work together on this issue, not lie repeatedly,” she said. 

Early voting is underway in swing state Michigan and both candidates pitched themselves as willing to work with the other side. Each attacked the other as a partisan. 

“We’re a very purple state. Lots of Democrats, lots of Republicans,” Slotkin acknowledged. “I was voted the 14th most bipartisan member of Congress out of 435.” 

She noted that Rogers served as deputy whip in the House, “the guy who got everyone to vote with the Republicans.” 

MICHIGAN DEM LAUNCHES ANTI-EV AD IN BID FOR SENATE RACE AFTER VOTING AGAINST A BIPARTISAN PUSHBACK ON MANDATES

Rep. Elissa Slotkin speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rogers in turn said Slotkin contributed to high gas prices, inflated grocery bills and increasing crime by “voting 100% with the Biden-Harris agenda.” He said that if elected to the Senate, he “will look for every opportunity to be bipartisan.” 

The candidates appeared deeply divided on issues of foreign policy, national security, immigration and abortion. 

Slotkin framed electric vehicle production in Michigan as a national security issue. “I don’t care what kind of car you want to drive,” she said, before adding that it will either be “us or China” that builds the next generation of vehicles. 

“China is eating our lunch on these types of vehicles,” Slotkin continued, warning that Michigan’s auto industry may repeat a historic mistake by “ceding ground” to a foreign competitor if America does not invest in EVs. 

Rogers accused Slotkin of supporting EV mandates and pointed out, “85% of everything processed in electric vehicles has to go through China.” 

“Why in God’s green earth we would cede that auto market to the Communist Party of China is beyond me,” he said. “My opponent has multiple times supported EV mandates, trying to pick the cars that our companies have to build and the cars that you’re going to have to buy. And by the way, that got us 2,400 layoffs at Stellantis, a thousand layoffs at General Motors. Ford is talking about closing two lines. The CEO of Ford came out and said this is unworkable. It won’t work for America.”

The debate became heated as each candidate tried to accuse the other of having a close relationship with China. Rogers repeated allegations he’s made on the campaign trail that Slotkin signed a non-disclosure agreement with Gotion, a Chinese-linked company that has received $175 million in taxpayer money to build a battery plant in Big Rapids. Slotkin said her opponent’s claims were “offensive” and shot back that Rogers was chief security officer of AT&T “when they were actively working to get Chinese companies into our telecoms.” Rogers denied the charge. 

In another exchange on the Middle East, Rogers jabbed at “my opponent’s notion that their somehow serving in Iraq gives permission to be wrong in the entire effort toward Iran.” Slotkin accompanied troops as a CIA analyst during three tours in Iraq. 

THE BIDEN-HARRIS EV MANDATES WILL HURT WORKERS IN STATES LIKE MICHIGAN: TUDOR DIXON

Former Rep. Mike Rogers speaks during a campaign event hosted by former President Trump at the Falk Productions manufacturing facility on Sept. 27, 2024, in Walker, Michigan. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

When the topic turned to abortion, Rogers said the choice to terminate a pregnancy is “the most heart-wrenching decision a woman will ever have to make.” 

Acknowledging that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, permitting states to regulate abortion, Rogers said, “The people of Michigan voted overwhelmingly to make abortion legal in a part of the state constitution of Michigan. I will do nothing when I go back to Washington, D.C., to do anything that would change what the Michigan Constitution, voted on by the people of Michigan, have given us that guidance to go back.”

Slotkin said she would vote for a bill to codify Roe – thereby erasing state restrictions on abortion – and said Rogers could not be trusted on the issue. “He voted for every single ban, every restriction, every bill that came across his desk to make it harder for a woman and to ban, in some cases, a woman and her right to choose 56 times in total.” 

“He voted and sponsored bills that would make it impossible to have IVF and contraception,” she asserted. “If he does not trust us to protect our own rights, do not trust him.” 

“Deceive and deception,” retorted Rogers. “I have come out and talked about making sure that IVF is available for families so they can grow their families. It’s a very personal thing for these families, and I support it 100%.”

Slotkin also framed Rogers as a carpetbagger, noting that he was living in Cape Coral, Florida, while Michigan voters took up the abortion question in a ballot initiative in 2022, before Rogers returned to Michigan to run for Senate. 

On immigration, Slotkin said the “system is broken” and that Congress must do more to secure the border. “To me, if you are not here legally, you should not be here. You should go back to your home country and be removed to your home country.” She accused Republicans of using the issue as a “political talking point,” noting that a bipartisan border security deal in the Senate fell apart after GOP opposition. 

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Rogers said he was “delighted to hear that my opponent has had a conversion about border security” after supporting the Biden administration’s policies. 

“Here’s the thing. You can’t vote against the wall. You can’t vote against sanctuary cities,” he continued. “You cannot do the things that you’ve been doing in allowing 10 million people to come into our country. We spent something like $450 billion on taking care of illegals’ room and board and phones and health care. That’s enough money to pay for every Michigan teacher and every Michigan state trooper for 15 years.”

He called the bipartisan bill Slotkin referenced “a bill to exacerbate and make permanent the problem.” 

Tuesday’s debate was the first of two planned debates between the Senate hopefuls. A second debate hosted by Detroit’s WXYZ-TV Channel 7 is scheduled for next Monday. 

MARIETTA, Ga. – Americans living in the Atlanta suburbs appear to have little appetite for another primetime match-up between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“If you don’t know them by now, there ain’t no hope,” one man who declined to give his name told Fox News Digital in Acworth, Georgia, last week.

There is less than a month left until Election Day, and Georgia residents are bracing for early voting to begin in their state next week.

The Peach State is in play this election after President Biden flipped it blue for the first time in years during the 2020 race, winning over Trump by less than 1%.

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

Voters in Cobb County, Georgia, who spoke with Fox News Digital were not enthused about the prospects of a second presidential debate. (Getty Images)

A not insignificant amount of that support came from Cobb County, Georgia, where Biden won by an even wider margin than he did statewide.

And like Biden and Trump in 2020, the ex-president and Harris have only had one debate.

Trump has refused to participate in a second one, while Harris and her allies are eager for another head-to-head.

But people in Cobb County who spoke with Fox News Digital seemed unenthusiastic about the prospect of a second debate.

“I really don’t think so,” Howard Segan, who spoke with Fox News Digital outside of a Marietta Whole Foods, answered when asked if Americans needed another debate. “I don’t think Trump is a very good debater at all. And I think [Harris is] an empty suit.”

Another man who identified himself as Scott noted his grandfather was involved in politics and suggested he himself was disenchanted with its pageantry at an early age.

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

One man who spoke with Fox News Digital said Trump was bad at debating and called Harris “an empty suit.” (Fox News Digital)

“I realized most of it is staged anyway, so I really don’t care about the debates,” Scott said.

A woman named Deb who is opposed to Harris said, “She says nothing, it’s word salad. So what’s there to debate? She can’t even answer questions.”

Meanwhile, a man in Marietta named Toli said he “honestly” would like to see another debate but saw little value in the exercise.

“It doesn’t really matter at this point, because people are going to have their own views, no matter what they do,” Toli said. “Maybe 20 years ago we had debates where people watched, they were riveted to the screen trying to figure out what their opinions are. But now it’s so polarized. Because of social media and everything else, people get their opinion of the candidate… every day.”

Sandy, one of the few people who spoke with Fox News Digital who did want a second debate, suggested she was not excited about either of its would-be participants.

FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’

Sandy said she would like to see another debate but did not appear enthused with either candidate. (Fox News Digital)

“I just think a lot of people have questions,” Sandy explained.

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“I mean, [Harris has] just touched the surface, and if she wants the votes, she needs to come forth with what she’s going to do, actually do. And also with Trump, I mean, he doesn’t put out any information other than hate.”

A recent Fox News poll taken late last month found Harris with a slim three-point lead over Trump in Georgia.

Peach State residents are heading to the polls for early voting from Oct. 15 through Nov. 1.

President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone on Wednesday for the first time in more than 50 days. 

It came after fresh tensions emerged in their relationship: Netanyahu refused to approve his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s trip to the U.S. on Tuesday until Biden called him. 

The call came together in short order after that. 

Netanyahu spoke with former President Trump earlier Wednesday before he spoke with Biden. Vice President Kamala Harris joined the call along with the president. 

It comes as Israel has been weighing its options to retaliate for the barrage of missiles Iran fired toward the Jewish state last week. 

Gallant warned on Wednesday the Israeli response was sure to catch Iran by surprise. 

“As we have shown until now in this war and in all arenas – whoever attacks Israel will pay a price. Our strike will be powerful, precise, and above all – surprising. They will not understand what happened and how it happened,” he told the IDF’s intelligence unit in a briefing. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his telephone call with President Biden on Wednesday. (Israeli Prime Minister’s Office)

Biden has warned Netanyahu to make sure his response is “proportional” and to avoid hitting Iran’s nuclear facilities. 

The longtime relationship between the two men soured in the months that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

Further indication of their mutual disdain came on the one-year anniversary of the attacks, when Biden called Israeli President Isaac Herzog over Netanyahu. 

HOPE FADES FOR A DEAL TO BRING HOSTAGES HOME 

Since the world leaders’ last call, Israel has launched an aggressive offensive operation in Lebanon, and successfully taken out top Hezbollah leadership over a short timeframe. 

Israeli airstrikes killed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and now his successor too, according to Netanyahu.

President Biden meets with Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House on July 25, 2024.

Smoke and flames rise in Beirut’s southern suburbs, after Israeli airstrikes, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, Oct. 6, 2024. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

Netanyahu is also known to be distrusting of his defense minister, who he’s tried to fire twice. Gallant has publicly criticized Netanyahu for not articulating a postwar plan for Gaza. 

In a particularly heated April phone call, Biden asked Netanyahu, “What’s your strategy, man?” according to Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward in his new book, “War.” 

KAMALA HARRIS COURTS DISILLUSIONED ARAB AMERICANS OVER JEWISH VOTERS, RECORDS SHOW 

Netanyahu, at the time, said Israel had to go into Rafah, a Gaza-Egypt border city, that he claimed to be a Hamas stronghold. 

“Bibi, you’ve got no strategy,” Biden reportedly told Netanyahu, who he also allegedly claimed “doesn’t give a damn” about Hamas and “only about himself.”

After Israel entered Rafah, Biden said of Netanyahu: “He’s a f—ing liar.”

“That son of a b—-, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a bad guy,” said Biden privately, according to Woodward. “He’s a bad f—ing guy!”

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Biden said he felt, in Woodward’s accounting, that Netanyahu “had been lying to him regularly.” With Netanyahu “continuing to say he was going to kill every last member of Hamas.” Woodward wrote, “Biden had told him that was impossible, threatening both privately and publicly to withhold offensive U.S. weapons shipments.”

Vice President Kamala Harris is facing growing pressure from within her own party to lift the Biden administration’s pause on liquified natural gas (LNG) exports amid growing fears that the moratorium could cost the Democratic Party presidential nominee the crucial battleground of Pennsylvania — a natural gas powerhouse.

Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes are considered critical to winning the White House. Its reputation as a slightly left-leaning swing state, which former President Donald Trump carried by a razor-thin margin of just 0.7% in 2016, is complicated somewhat by its status as a major producer of fossil fuels.

“It’s obvious that the pathway to the presidency goes through Pennsylvania,” Amanda Eversole, the chief operating officer of the American Petroleum Institute, told Fox News Digital.

FOX NEWS MEDIA PROPOSES TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN PENNSYLVANIA

Kamala Harris and a lone pumpjack near Bakersfield, California.  (Getty Images)

The chorus of Democrats now criticizing the moratorium is something of an about-face from January, when the Biden administration first ordered its temporary halt on new LNG exports, citing a need to better evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of such projects. 

Now, nine months later and less than a month away from Election Day, Harris is under pressure from some Democrat lawmakers and industry leaders to lift the pause completely.

Critics of the pause argue that removing or delaying U.S. LNG supplies from the market deprives European buyers of a cleaner, lower-emission form of energy — forcing some countries to turn to Russian gas or coal instead. 

It could also affect U.S. relationships, American energy leadership and investments in massive domestic projects in the years ahead.

Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the U.S., behind Texas. Its gas reserves are contained behind shale rock and must be extracted by fracking — a technology viewed as controversial at best by many on the left and one that Harris has only recently endorsed.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: THE BIGGEST SURPRISES COME AFTER OCTOBER

The fossil fuel industry supports more than 423,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, and contributes more than $75 billion to its economy, according to estimates from PwC. Therefore, the future of the LNG industry carries outsize importance to most voters, industry group leaders and former DOE officials told Fox News in a series of interviews.

In fact, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate delegation, Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, were among the first lawmakers to criticize the LNG pause following Biden’s announcement earlier this year. Their counterparts in the House have also followed suit as they seek reelection in competitive districts.

Meanwhile, Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate hoping to flip Casey’s seat this fall, has lambasted the Democrat incumbent for failing to do enough to protect energy interests in the state. A spokesperson for Casey’s office pointed Fox News to the senator’s earlier letters and remarks opposing the LNG pause.

A recent poll published by API this month found that 85% of voters in Pennsylvania wanted to hear more from both Harris and Trump about their energy polices.

To date, Harris has declined to comment on whether she will lift the LNG pause, and neither the campaign nor the White House responded to Fox News’ requests for comment.

The Asia Vision LNG carrier ship sits docked at the Cheniere Energy Inc. terminal in Sabine Pass, Texas. (Lindsey Janies/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS CITE HIGH PRICES AS BIGGEST MOTIVATOR TO VOTE

If Harris does intend to break with Biden or push for an end to the pause and unleash more production, API’s Eversole said Harris needs to make that clear — and fast.

“If she, in fact, is going to be different from the Biden administration,” Eversole said, “then specifically how?”

Rhetoric, she said, is not enough. Especially when private investors in the U.S. have also backed out of some projects in recent months, citing regulatory uncertainty.

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“We need to get shovels in the ground,” Eversole said. “We need to be able to build more infrastructure, can move safely, move our product, and we need to be able to make long-lived investments.”

SCRANTON, Pennsylvania — With less than four weeks until Election Day in November, new polls in three crucial battleground states indicate former President Trump is making gains, but he remains in a toss-up race with Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to surveys from Quinnipiac University, Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, holds a 49% to 46% advantage over Trump, the Republican standard-bearer, in Pennsylvania.

But the former president edges the vice president 50% to 47% in Michigan and 48% to 46% in Wisconsin.

Harris’ three-point edge in Pennsylvania is down from a 6-point lead in Quinnipiac’s previous survey from a month ago.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE SHOW

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris appear during their first and likely only debate in Philadelphia on Sept. 10. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The results in Michigan, where Trump is up by 3 points, are a switch from last month, when Quinnipiac’s survey indicated Harris leading by 5 points.

And in Wisconsin, where the new poll gives the former president a 2-point edge, it’s a slight change from September, when the vice president held a 1-point edge.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN

“That was then, this is now. The Harris post-debate starburst dims to a glow as Harris enters the last weeks slipping slightly in the Rust Belt,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said.

Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, along with Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada, had razor-thin margins that decided President Biden’s 2020 White House victory over Trump. And the seven states are likely to determine if Trump or Harris wins the 2024 presidential election.

Former President Trump addresses the crowd at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. The rally was at the same location as the one on July 13 at which an assassination attempt was made on Trump’s life. (Matthew McDermott for Fox News Digital)

Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are also 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.

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

Both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, as well as their running mates, have made repeated stops in the three states this summer.

Trump is holding campaign events on Wednesday in Scranton and Reading, Pennsylvania. And Harris returns to Pennsylvania early next week for a stop in Erie.

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the Economic Club of Pittsburgh on the Carnegie Mellon University campus in Pittsburgh on Sept. 25. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Both candidates have also campaigned in Michigan and Wisconsin over the past few days. 

All three states are also holding crucial Senate elections that will likely determine if the GOP wins back the chamber’s majority.

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In Pennsylvania, the Quinnipiac University poll indicates Democratic Sen. Bob Casey leads Republican challenger Dave McCormick 51% to 43%.

According to the survey, in the race to succeed Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin and former Rep. Mike Rogers are deadlocked at 48%.

And in Wisconsin, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin edges Republican challenger Eric Hovde 50% to 46%, the poll indicates.

The Quinnipiac University polls were conducted Oct. 3-7, with 1,412 likely voters in Pennsylvania, 1,007 likely voters in Michigan and 1,073 likely voters in Wisconsin questioned. 

The sampling error in Pennsylvania is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. In Michigan, it’s plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. And, in Wisconsin, it’s plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks holds a healthy lead over Republican Larry Hogan in Maryland’s 2024 U.S. Senate contest, according to a UMBC poll.

The survey was conducted Sept. 23 to Sept. 28. When asked who they would vote for if the Senate contest “were held today,” 48% of likely Maryland voters picked Prince George’s County Executive Alsobrooks, while just 39% picked former Gov. Hogan, according to the poll.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, has endorsed Alsobrooks’ Senate bid.

MARYLAND DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE SAYS THERE SHOULD BE NO LIMIT ON ABORTION

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Maryland Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks stand on stage together after speaking at a campaign event on Gun Violence Awareness Day at Kentland Community Center on June 7, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump told Fox News earlier this year that he would like Hogan to win the Senate race. And when asked whether he was endorsing Hogan, Trump replied, “Essentially I would be endorsing him, yeah.” 

But Hogan indicated that he was not interested in the former president’s endorsement, saying during an interview with WTOP, “I didn’t seek it, I didn’t wanna have it, and I have no interest in it.”

Hogan has never voted for Trump and has said that he will not vote for Trump in 2024. In 2016, Hogan wrote in his father Larry Hogan Sr., and in 2020, he wrote in the late President Ronald Reagan.

MARYLAND SENATE RACE: DEMOCRAT ALSOBROOKS LEADS REPUBLICAN HOGAN IN CLOSELY WATCHED CONTEST

Larry Hogan, former governor and US Republican Senate candidate for Maryland, speaks to members of the media at the AstraZeneca facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland, US, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024.  (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Hogan has said that as a senator, he would support legislation to codify Roe v. Wade into law. Roe was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022.

He has also indicated that he would not support confirmation of Supreme Court nominees who cannot earn bipartisan support.

“Today, I made a commitment to Maryland that, as Senator, I will only vote for nominees who can earn support from both sides of the aisle,” the moderate Republican noted in a recent post on X. “If there’s one place that we should not be playing politics, it’s appointments to the Supreme Court and the cabinet. Partisan gamesmanship undermines our most sacred institutions—in the Senate, I won’t be playing along.”

MARYLAND SENATE RACE POLL SHOWS DEMOCRAT ALSOBROOKS LEADING GOP’S HOGAN, DESPITE 1 IN 3 NOT KNOWING WHO SHE IS

Angela Alsobrooks, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Maryland, greets voters on the state’s primary election day at Lewisdale Elementary School in Chillum, Md., on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Maryland consistently goes to Democrats during presidential elections. The last Republican to win the state in a presidential contest was George H.W. Bush, who won Maryland in 1988.

The trend appears likely to continue in 2024. 

Asked who they would cast their ballot for if the election “were held today,” 57% of Maryland likely voters chose Harris while just 35% picked Trump, according to the poll.

“There is a 95 percent probability that the survey results have the following percentage point sampling error from the actual population distribution for any given survey question,” the poll notes, listing a +/- 3.3% margin of sampling error for the sample of 863 likely Maryland voters.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, rallied supporters in Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday, the same day early voting began in the battleground state. 

The Republican vice presidential nominee’s message Wednesday underscored the Trump campaign’s “America First” agenda, insisting to rallygoers that putting Americans first is the essence of why politicians exist in the first place. 

“This country ought to work for the American people and the American people first,” Vance said. “We can have compassion for people … by all means, we ought to be compassionate. But you know who our leaders owe compassion to most and above all? It’s American citizens. We ought to focus on our own people and put their interests first.”

ARIZONA BEGINS IN-PERSON AND ABSENTEE VOTING, HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Vance pointed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) administration of funds to migrants for housing and relocation purposes. The roughly $1.7 billion was approved by members on both sides of the aisle in Congress and allowed a slice of FEMA’s funding to go to helping states and localities deal with the ongoing migrant crisis.

Simultaneously, FEMA’s disaster relief fund, which is entirely separate from the program helping migrants, has continued to receive funding to the tune of nearly $244 billion, ProPublica reported.  

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks at a campaign event with Republican presidential nominee former President Trump at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“Disaster relief ought to go to prepare and to respond to a disaster when it strikes American territory. Our government has got to focus on our citizens, put their interests first, take care of American citizens when a disaster hits,” Vance said. “Unfortunately, under Kamala Harris’s leadership, you’ve got FEMA, which is doing resettlement and relocation for illegal immigration.

“FEMA should take care of American citizens when a disaster strikes. That’s all it should be doing. And when Donald Trump and I are back in office, that’s all it’s going to do.”

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

At Wednesday’s rally, held at Tucson Speedway, Vance was joined by his wife, Usha, former national security adviser under Trump, Robert O’Brien, RNC Chair Michael Whatley and Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda.

A sign directs Arizona voters to a ballot drop box for early voting outside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix. (Getty Images/File)

Vance implored people to get out and vote early if they have to, despite past criticisms from both him and Trump about early voting. Vance hearkened back to 2020, when, according to Vance, people who were going to vote for Trump on Election Day could not because of unforeseen circumstances.

NEW POLL REVEALS WHICH VOTER GROUP ARE FUELING TRUMP TO A NARROW EDGE OVER HARRIS IN BATTLEGROUND  

“I don’t like election season. I like Election Day. But we are where we are, my friends,” Vance said. “We’ve got an election season, and if the Democrats are taking advantage of it, we’ve got to do the exact same thing. So whether you’re voting on Election Day, or voting by mail or voting early, get out there and make your voice heard.

“I talked to a lot of people who planned to vote for Donald Trump in 2020, and 95 out of 100 of them actually went out and voted for Donald Trump. But you talk to the five who didn’t vote for Donald Trump, and it’s not because they changed their mind, it’s because … their kid got sick, so they had to go pick him up from school, or they worked late that night and weren’t able to make it to the polls before they closed. The best way to make sure your voice is counted is to make sure it’s counted early.”

A sign is seen during a Tucson-area rally organized by Act! With Pride Tucson and sponsored by Drag PAC. (Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images)

A majority of states have already begun early voting by mail and in person.

Montana has seen the largest percentage of registered voters request absentee ballots. Biden won Arizona in 2020, but Trump won the state in 2016.    

Following Wednesday’s rally, Vance headed to the Mesa, outside Phoenix, for a town hall hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference. 

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Vice President Harris, the Democrat presidential nominee, will be in Phoenix on Friday. Former President Trump, the Republican nominee, will be in Prescott Valley on Sunday.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, was also campaigning in Arizona on Wednesday with stops in Chandler, which is outside Phoenix, and Tucson.

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

What’s happening…

–Biden and Netanyahu speak after report US president called Israeli counterpart a ‘bad f—ing guy’

–Conservatives dismiss Biden parole limits on 500K migrants: ‘Optics-driven smokescreen’

-Trump to hold rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden ahead of Election Day

 Beg the Question

Former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have sat down for at least 71 interviews since the Harris-Walz ticket was formed, compared to at least 34 non-scripted interviews for the Democratic presidential ticket thus far.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joined “Fox News Sunday” for an interview on Sunday, where he was pressed on past falsehoods, such as his claim he was present for the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989, and he also taped interviews on Monday with Jimmy Kimmel and the “Smartless” podcast.

After weeks of avoiding interviews, Vice President Kamala Harris has stepped up her appearances in recent weeks. She, along with Walz, sat for an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired in full on Monday night, and she did friendly interviews with ABC’s “The View” and Howard Stern on Tuesday. She was also interviewed by Democratic Party supporter and comedian Stephen Colbert Tuesday night. On Wednesday as Hurricane Milton closed in on Florida, Harris spoke with CNN and The Weather Channel for separate interviews…Read more

FOX News Media made a final pitch to host a debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, sending letters to each campaign.  (Fox News )

White House

‘PROSECUTOR 101’: Kamala Harris’ failure at ‘prosecutor 101’ basics led to hundreds of drug convictions being tossed out…Read more

BRIT BROTHER: Biden-Harris admin ‘taking advice from foreign governments’ on policing speech, lawmaker charges…Read more

Tales from the Trail 

‘DOESN’T REALLY MATTER’: Another Trump vs Harris debate? Voters in key Georgia county say ‘no thanks’…Read more

NUMBERS DON’T LIE: Trump has 9-point lead on most important issue to voters: poll…Read more

HEAD TO HEAD: Michigan Senate candidates clash on national security, immigration and abortion…Read more

BALLOT BOX BATTLE: Election board in crucial swing state sued over dispute on who will monitor election results…Read more

‘FEARMONGERING’: Walz repeats Georgia abortion death falsehood decried by doctors as ‘fearmongering’…Read more

Across America

‘HARASSING’: Colorado Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit against Christian baker who refused to bake trans cake…Read more

FEMA SPREAD THIN: FEMA reports it has under 10% of front-line staff available ahead of Hurricane Milton…Read more

ELECTION INTEGRITY: Virginia voter roll removal process violates federal law, groups allege — state fires back…Read more

ABANDONED THIS COUNTRY: Swing state GOP chair slams Biden-Harris admin for being out of touch on key issue: ‘Abandoned this country’…Read more

IN THE THOUSANDS: Over 5,700 children in 5-year period had gender surgeries, most from 5 liberal states…Read more

POLLS OPEN IN COPPER STATE: Arizona begins in-person and absentee voting, here’s what you need to know…Read more

JUST PEACHY: Georgia Dems chair reveals message to undecided GOP voters as Harris works to build broad base…Read more

International Happenings

A YEAR IN CAPTIVITY: As Gaza war drags past 1 year mark, hope fades for a deal to bring hostages home soon…Read more

ENEMY OF MY ENEMY: North Korean troops now fighting for Russia in Ukraine, Seoul says…Read more

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

Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney won’t endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president despite his outspoken criticisms of former President Trump. 

“I’ve made it very clear that I don’t want Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States,” Romney said on Tuesday at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, the New York Times reported.  

“I want to continue to have a voice in the Republican Party following this election. I think there’s a good chance that the Republican Party is going to need to be rebuilt or reoriented,” he later added during the political forum. 

Romney announced last year that he would not seek re-election as a senator representing the Beehive State, and will leave office in January. The Republican has long criticized Trump, and indicated in June that he was unlikely to support the 45th president’s re-election. 

‘TRAITOR’ LIZ CHENEY WALLOPED BY WYOMING VOTERS FOR HARRIS ENDORSEMENT, BREAK WITH GOP

Sen. Mitt Romney speaks to the media in his office in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington on Sept. 13, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“With President Trump, it’s a matter of personal character,” Romney told CNN at the time. “I draw a line and say when someone has been actually found to have been sexually assaulted, that’s something I just won’t cross over in the person I wouldn’t want to have as president of the United States.” Romney’s comments referred to a federal jury’s decision in New York City last year, which ruled Trump was not liable for the rape of E. Jean Carroll, though the former president was liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

KAMALA HARRIS TEAMS UP WITH LIZ CHENEY IN BIRTHPLACE OF REPUBLICAN PARTY

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Rebecca Droke/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Romney has also slammed Trump for Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of the then-president breached the U.S. Capitol, arguing Trump incited an insurrection due to his “injured pride” over the 2020 election. Romney subsequently was one of seven Republican members of the Senate who voted to impeach Trump over Jan. 6. 

NIKKI HALEY DEFENDS TRUMP SUPPORT AFTER BEING CALLED OUT BY LIZ CHENEY: ‘THIS IS ABOUT AMERICA’

Romney was also the only Republican who voted to impeach Trump in 2020 over abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges. Trump was acquitted in both impeachment cases, and is the only president in history who was impeached twice and acquitted twice. 

VP Kamala Harris, Sen. Mitt Romney and former President Trump (Getty Images)

Trump has also hit back at Romney, saying in 2020 that the Utah senator “can’t stand the fact that he ran one of the worst campaigns in the history of the presidency,” referring to his 2012 bid for the White House, and calling him a “disgrace” that same year for voting to impeach. 

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Though Romney has previously broken with the GOP on other key issues, he indicated Tuesday that he will not offer his endorsement to Harris despite other Republicans recently throwing their support behind the vice president. Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney officially endorsed Harris last week and joined her on the campaign trail in Wisconsin, while former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake also endorsed Harris. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Romney’s office for additional comment on the matter, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

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

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

Voters in a critical county in the swing state of Michigan believe that Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s Midwestern roots help him appeal to people in Michigan, even if the Republican nominee for vice president is a graduate of a hated rival.

“Besides being a Buckeyes fan, he’s got a good story. He grew up kind of truly in poverty and was able to overcome that,” one voter in Detroit told Fox News Digital ahead of a Vance event in the city Tuesday, adding that Vance’s story shows how people can accomplish the “American Dream.”

The comments come as the presidential election hits the home stretch, with the venue event in Detroit coming exactly four weeks before Election Day. Michigan figures to play a key role in determining the eventual winner, having narrowly gone for former President Donald Trump in 2016 before another close race swung the state to President Biden in 2020.

MELANIA TRUMP ADMITS SHE’S WORRIED ABOUT HER HUSBAND’S SAFETY AS NOVEMBER ELECTION LOOMS: ‘TOXIC ATMOSPHERE’

Senator JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio and Republican vice-presidential nominee, arrives for a campaign event with former US President Donald Trump, not pictured, at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, US, on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The 2024 version of the race is shaping up to be close again, with the Real Clear Politics polling average showing Vice President Kamala Harris with a slim 0.5 point lead over Trump as of Wednesday.

Wayne County, which includes Detroit and is Michigan’s most populous county, could play a key role in determining who emerges with the victory in the state. 

While the county has traditionally supported Democratic candidates, Republicans have made inroads with voters in Wayne County since Trump’s 2016 campaign. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, captured just over 26% of the vote in the county during his 2012 campaign, while the late Sen. John McCain was only able to capture just under 25% during his 2008 White House bid. But Trump has performed better during his two runs, garnering over 29% and over 30% of the vote in Wayne County in 2016 and 2020.

The Trump campaign is hoping its appeal to working class voters will help it make even more inroads with Wayne County voters, a strategy that Vance is at the center of.

“I think that JD Vance is an incredible statesman, effective communicator,” one voter attending the rally told Fox News Digital, adding that the Ohio Senator’s Ohio roots also help shore “up support in the Midwestern states.”

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks during a campaign rally Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Newtown, Pa. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson) (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)

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“He kind of gets the concerns of the country people. Smart as a whip. He knows tech,” the voter said.

“Absolutely, even though Ohio and Michigan have a rivalry,” another voter said when asked if Vance’s roots help him in Michigan. “I know that the Midwest Rust Belt states feel very strongly about Vance and of course about Trump.”

“JD Vance is a gentleman. He’s energetic. He certainly is a patriot. He served in the Marines for four years… He’s really proved that he is a true American,” the voter added.

“I don’t know about them U of M fans. I don’t know how deep that Buckeye traditions go,” another voter quipped, adding that at the end of the day he believes people from Ohio and Michigan are similar and that they will “come together.”

Republican vice presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) speaks during a campaign rally at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Other voters in Detroit praised Vance’s demeanor, arguing that he provided a contrast to his more brash running mate. 

“He is very well balanced and he’s younger, and he comes from a different upbringing than Trump,” a voter told Fox News Digital. “He’s engaging… He’s got great points.”

“JD Vance brings us a lot of great common-sense thinking. He can formulate his answers a lot better than I could,” another voter said. “He can bring the facts to the case so we can bring more people to the table.”

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

COLUMBUS – Early voting in the former battleground state of Ohio began on Tuesday and Fox News Digital spoke to the state’s GOP lieutenant governor, who explained why Republicans are encouraging voters to vote early.

“I want to do what President Trump’s asking us to do, to swamp your vote, because we want everybody across the country and in the state of Ohio to get out there and vote early so that their voices, their votes are locked in, then the campaign can then move on to make sure that they’re focusing resources on people who may not have gotten out and voted,” Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted told Fox News Digital at the Franklin County Board of Elections on Tuesday as he voted on the first day of early voting. 

“It’s a really important part of the campaign strategy.”

The former president’s 2024 campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) announced earlier this year the launch of what they call their “Swamp the Vote USA” effort, which was a shift from 2020, when Trump spoke in opposition to early-in-person voting and mail-in ballots. 

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Fox News Digital spoke to Lt. Gov Jon Husted on the first day of early voting in Ohio. (Fox News Digital)

“Whether you vote absentee, by mail, early in person, or on Election Day—We will Secure Your Vote,” Trump posted online at the time. “JUST VOTE! They are all good options. The way to win is to Swamp Them with Votes!”

Republican voters are typically known for voting on Election Day, while Democrats often have the advantage when it comes to early voting efforts. Husted told Fox News Digital that people should vote in whatever way they are most comfortable, but encouraged early voting. 

“If you want to vote on Election Day, that’s fine,” Husted said. “But we’re encouraging those who are willing to vote early because once the campaigns know you voted, they can devote their resources to turning out people who haven’t voted. The system of elections here in Ohio is a place where we make it easy to vote and hard to cheat and when you get that done early, you can know that the system is working for you and that you can encourage your friends and neighbors to go out and get it done.”

Husted continued, “I think it’s really important that Republicans don’t let Democrats get the lead through early voting. Think about this. If you vote early, then if something comes up on Election Day, there’s a hurricane that hits you, a storm that happens, something might get in the way of you getting to the polls. When you do it early, you ensure that your vote happens, that it’s going to be there, it’s going to get counted, and something doesn’t get in the way between now and Election Day.”

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Ohio Senate candidates, Republican Bernie Moreno, left, and Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown (Getty Images)

Although Ohio is no longer viewed as the battleground state it was for many years for presidential elections, the Buckeye State is home to several critical House races and a Senate race that could potentially shift the balance of power in Congress.

Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno, running as a Republican in that Senate race against incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, rallied supporters outside the Franklin County Board of Elections on Tuesday and also pushed Trump’s “Swamp the Vote” plan.

A spokesperson for the Franklin County Board of Elections told Fox News Digital that over 4,000 Ohioans voted early at the Columbus voting site on Tuesday.

“The election is down to the hands of the voters and regardless if you want to support me or my opponent, President Trump or Kamala Harris, it’s your civic duty to show up and vote,” Moreno said. “Our elections in Ohio are secure. They’re safe. On Nov. 5, we’ll have an outcome and everybody will agree on that outcome. I encourage everybody to vote early. Bank that vote. Get your vote in there.”

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People arrive to cast their vote during the early voting. (Christopher Mark Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Moreno continued, “It’s a beautiful day today, but we have no idea what Nov. 5 will look like. If you’re not voting, you’re part of the problem. We’ve got to make sure that you have your voice heard. Look, the earlier you can vote, it’s better for us as Republicans because we get to take you off the list. We don’t have to text you, email you, knock on your door – if that alone doesn’t motivate you. But look, at the end of the day, here’s a very simple equation where we’re at right now. You vote for me, for Bernie Moreno, for the United States Senate, and your vote for me is a vote to fire Sherrod Brown. The first thing I’m going to do as senator, what we get to do when we get down there, we fire Chuck Schumer.”

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

MARIETTA, Ga. – Americans living in the Atlanta suburbs appear to have little appetite for another primetime match-up between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“If you don’t know them by now, there ain’t no hope,” one man who declined to give his name told Fox News Digital in Acworth, Georgia, last week.

There is less than a month left until Election Day, and Georgia residents are bracing for early voting to begin in their state next week.

The Peach State is in play this election after President Biden flipped it blue for the first time in years during the 2020 race, winning over Trump by less than 1%.

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Voters in Cobb County, Georgia, who spoke with Fox News Digital were not enthused about the prospects of a second presidential debate. (Getty Images)

A not insignificant amount of that support came from Cobb County, Georgia, where Biden won by an even wider margin than he did statewide.

And like Biden and Trump in 2020, the ex-president and Harris have only had one debate.

Trump has refused to participate in a second one, while Harris and her allies are eager for another head-to-head.

But people in Cobb County who spoke with Fox News Digital seemed unenthusiastic about the prospect of a second debate.

“I really don’t think so,” Howard Segan, who spoke with Fox News Digital outside of a Marietta Whole Foods, answered when asked if Americans needed another debate. “I don’t think Trump is a very good debater at all. And I think [Harris is] an empty suit.”

Another man who identified himself as Scott noted his grandfather was involved in politics and suggested he himself was disenchanted with its pageantry at an early age.

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One man who spoke with Fox News Digital said Trump was bad at debating and called Harris “an empty suit.” (Fox News Digital)

“I realized most of it is staged anyway, so I really don’t care about the debates,” Scott said.

A woman named Deb who is opposed to Harris said, “She says nothing, it’s word salad. So what’s there to debate? She can’t even answer questions.”

Meanwhile, a man in Marietta named Toli said he “honestly” would like to see another debate but saw little value in the exercise.

“It doesn’t really matter at this point, because people are going to have their own views, no matter what they do,” Toli said. “Maybe 20 years ago we had debates where people watched, they were riveted to the screen trying to figure out what their opinions are. But now it’s so polarized. Because of social media and everything else, people get their opinion of the candidate… every day.”

Sandy, one of the few people who spoke with Fox News Digital who did want a second debate, suggested she was not excited about either of its would-be participants.

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Sandy said she would like to see another debate but did not appear enthused with either candidate. (Fox News Digital)

“I just think a lot of people have questions,” Sandy explained.

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“I mean, [Harris has] just touched the surface, and if she wants the votes, she needs to come forth with what she’s going to do, actually do. And also with Trump, I mean, he doesn’t put out any information other than hate.”

A recent Fox News poll taken late last month found Harris with a slim three-point lead over Trump in Georgia.

Peach State residents are heading to the polls for early voting from Oct. 15 through Nov. 1.

Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally this month at New York City’s Madison Square Garden (MSG), Fox News Digital has confirmed. 

The rally is set to take place on Oct. 27, multiple sources told Fox News Digital, just nine days before Election Day.

The event is expected to be first-come, first-serve, and campaign officials are expecting massive attendance. 

“Like Coachella and others to come, MSG is because we are adding some very big venues because we are seeing very high interest in attending events,” a campaign source told Fox News Digital. 

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Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 18, 2024 in Uniondale, New York. (Getty Images)

MSG is a 19,500-seat venue. 

This will be Trump’s second big rally in the state of New York. 

Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally this month at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Fox News Digital has confirmed. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

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Trump held a rally at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island, last month. More than 60,000 tickets were requested, but the venue only seats 16,000. Thousands of supporters who were not admitted to the venue watched him speak on large screens outside. 

Trump also held a rally in the Bronx over the summer at Crotona Park, which had a permit allowance of 3,500 people. The New York Post reported the Bronx rally drew up to 10,000 supporters. 

An aerial view of Madison Square Garden and the Skylight at Moynihan Station on Sept. 19, 2020 in New York City. (C. Taylor Crothers/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Trump has drawn massive crowds for his latest rallies, with more than 20,000 people attending his second rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend. 

The campaign also said they saw more than 100,000 people at the former president’s rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, in May. 

A billboard at a Trump rally in Wildwood declaring historical blue New Jersey is “Trump Country.” (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)

The Garden, which is home of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, hosted the Republican National Convention in 2004 and the Democratic National Convention in 1924, 1976, 1980 and 1992. 

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Trump, earlier this year, during a campaign stop at an Upper Manhattan bodega, said he would “straighten out New York.” 

Entrance to Madison Square Garden. (Joan Slatkin/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

“We’re going to come in — number one, you have to stop crime, and we’re going to let the police do their job. They have to be given back their authority. They have to be able to do their job,” Trump said. “And we’re going to come into New York. We’re making a big play for New York, other cities, too. But this city, I love this city.” 

Trump said New York has “gotten so bad in the last three years, four years.” 

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“And we’re going to straighten New York out. So running for president, we’re putting a big hit in New York — we could win New York,” Trump said.

Former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, headlines a rally at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on Sept. 18, 2024. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital )

The New York Post first reported that Trump would rally at MSG. 

While it is unlikely deep blue New York flips red in the White House race, another rally in the state may help Republicans down the ballot, as they try to hold on to their House of Representatives majority in November’s elections.