NationalWatch

Vice President Kamala Harris stumbled through the Biden-Harris administration’s border and immigration policies when pressed about the border crisis during a CNN town hall moderated by Anderson Cooper. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We need a president who is grounded in common sense and practical outcomes, like, let’s just fix this thing. Let’s just fix it. Why is there any ideological perspective on this? Let’s just fix the problem,” she continued.  

Vice President Kamala Harris joined CNN for a town hall event Wednesday evening, speaking to Pennsylvania voters outside of Philadelphia. The town hall event kicked off at 9 pm on Wednesday from Chester Township, which is located less than 20 miles outside of Philadelphia. 

Cooper asked Harris earlier in the town hall to explain why just weeks before the first presidential debate with President Biden was still in the race this summer, the administration instituted executive actions that curbed illegal border crossings and had not issued such orders sooner. 

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

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

“You’re exactly right, Anderson. And as of today, we have cut the flow of immigration by over half. In fact, the numbers I saw most recently, illegal immigration,” Harris told Cooper. 

“If it was that easy without executive action, why not do it in 2022, 2023?” Cooper pressed. 

“Because we were working with Congress and hoping that actually we could have a long term fix to the problem instead of a short-term fix,” Harris responded. 

Border Patrol picks up a group of asylum seekers from an aid camp at the US-Mexico border near Sasabe, Arizona, US, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. During the first four months of fiscal year 2024, Border Patrol recorded more than 250,000 migrant apprehensions in the Tucson sector in Arizona, the most of any region patrolled by the agency, according to federal government statistics, reports CBS. Photographer: Justin Hamel/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Justin Hamel/Getty Images)

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

“You couldn’t have done one and both at the same time,” Cooper noted. 

Cooper went on to ask Harris if she wished she had “done those executive orders in 2022, 2023,” sparking Harris to say she believes the administration “did the right thing.” 

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“I think we did the right thing. And but the best thing that can happen for the American people, is that we have bipartisan work happening. And I pledge to you, that I will work across the aisle to fix this longstanding problem. I think the American people are demanding it, on both sides of the aisle,” she responded. 

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

A new national poll is the latest to indicate former President Trump with an edge over Vice President Harris in the race to succeed President Biden in the White House.

Trump grabs 47% support among likely voters nationwide, with Harris at 45%, according to a Wall Street Journal survey released on Wednesday evening – on a ballot that also includes third-party and independent candidates.

That’s a switch from the Journal’s previous national survey – conducted in late August – which indicated Harris with a two point edge.

The former president’s advantage is within the new survey’s margin-of-error, which means that either Trump or the vice president could potentially be leading the race. 

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

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

The Wall Street Journal poll – of 1,500 registered voters questioned Oct. 19-22 – follows a Fox News national survey conducted Oct. 11-14 and released last week that indicated the Republican presidential nominee with a two-point edge over the Democratic Party standard-bearer.

Many other national surveys in the field the past two weeks, including polls from CBS News, Marist, and USA Today/Suffolk University, have indicated Harris with a slight advantage over Trump. But the polls are mostly within the margin of error.

Harris replaced a faltering President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket on July 21, and instantly experienced a surge in fundraising and a rise in her poll numbers.

Harris enjoyed the edge over Trump in most national polling amid the Democratic National Convention in late August and the first and only debate between the vice president and the former president, in early September.

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

But many national surveys conducted in late September and October have pointed to Trump making gains at the expense of Harris.

The latest Fox News poll results [Trump with 50% support and Harris at 48%] were a reversal from last month, when the vice president had the edge.

Carville argued Harris will win for three reasons: she’s got more money than Trump, he’s a loser, and it’s just a “feeling” he has. (Getty Images)

“Overall, the movement toward Trump is subtle but potentially consequential, especially if he is making gains among college-educated voters,” said veteran Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducts Fox News surveys with Republican Daron Shaw. “However, the race has been well within the margin of error for three months and the outcome will likely hinge on which side is more effective at getting their voters to the polls as opposed to persuasion.” 

While national polls are helpful, the race for the White House is not based on the national popular vote, and instead is a battle for the states and their electoral votes.

And the latest surveys in the seven crucial battleground states whose razor-thin margins decided President Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump and will likely determine whether Harris or Trump wins the 2024 election are mostly within the margin-of-error.

CAMPAIGN BATTLE BETWEEN THE BILLIONAIRES: MARK CUBAN AND ELON MUSK HIT THE TRAIL FOR HARRIS AND TRUMP

While polls point to a race within the margins, in the dash for campaign cash – another key metric in presidential politics – Harris is the clear front-runner.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, in La Crosse, Wis., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The vice president entered the final full month of the campaign with a massive financial advantage over the former president, according to the latest federal fundraising filings.

The Harris campaign hauled in $221.8 million in September, according to the filings, more than triple the $63 million brought in by the Trump campaign last month.

Harris has vastly outraised and outspent Trump the past few months, and that trend continued in September. The largest expense by the Harris campaign was for paid media – mostly to run ads.

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But the vice president still enjoyed a large cash-on-hand advantage over Trump entering October.  

The Harris campaign reported $187 million in its coffers at the end of September, compared to $119 million for the Trump campaign.

The fundraising totals reported by the two major party campaigns don’t include additional money raked in by the two national party committees, other affiliated organizations – both campaigns use a slew of affiliated fundraising committees to haul in cash – or aligned super-PACs supporting Harris and Trump.

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

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other Democrats in the upper chamber warned Americans in a new report that “counting ballots may take longer” in some places and they “should be prepared to reject misinformation” about the upcoming election.

Schumer, alongside Senate Rules Committee Chair Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., released the report on Tuesday, which was geared at setting voter expectations for Election Day in less than two weeks and urging people to vote.

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

Schumer and Democrats warned Americans that results could be delayed. (REUTERS/Cheney Orr)

“Just like 2020, Donald Trump and his allies continue to refuse to commit to accepting the results of the election if he loses while pushing dangerous and divisive rhetoric to sow discord and undermine confidence in our election process. Americans losing faith in the results of our elections doesn’t just risk another January 6th but puts our very democracy at risk,” Schumer said in a statement. 

“Senate Democrats remain committed to ensuring all Americans can vote without fear or intimidation.”

Former President Trump will face off against Vice President Harris in November to determine who will succeed historically unpopular President Biden.

In response to the Democrats’ release of the report, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital in a statement, “President Trump has always been clear: we must have free and fair elections. The Democrats are the real threat to democracy, weaponizing the justice system against President Trump for the past year to interfere in the election and unconstitutionally remove him from the ballot.”

“Just last night, Joe Biden admitted the Democrat’s strategy has always been to ‘lock him up,’” she added. 

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

There are less than two weeks until Election Day. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

During a political event in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Biden said, “I know this sounds bizarre. It sounds like if I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up. We got to lock him up,” in reference to Trump, who has been indicted in four court cases. 

Biden quickly backtracked, explaining, “Politically lock him up, lock him out. That’s what we have to do.”

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

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump (Getty Images)

In a section of the Democrats’ report titled, “In some states, we may not know the winner on Election Night. That’s OK,” the Democrats explained that processing mail and absentee ballots, as well as the different rules governing the process in different states, could delay final results of the election.

The senators additionally outlined, “Background on Election Procedures,” in certain crucial states that are either presidential or congressional battlegrounds, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.

PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE LABELED ‘TOSS UP’ IN LAST-MINUTE SHIFT BY TOP HANDICAPPER

Klobuchar is up for re-election in Minnesota. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, and we must do everything we can to protect it and uphold the integrity of the election process,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “That means pushing back on efforts to sow chaos during election season.”

“As this report explains, it also means making sure that Americans know that it is possible that the outcome in some states will not be known on November 5th. While some states have expedited their counting requirements since 2020, we should be prepared to be patient about results in places where counting ballots may take longer. Americans should keep making their voices heard at the ballot box.” 

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The report comes as politicians brace for a presidential race and Senate and House races that will determine majorities that are considered too close for comfort.

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

This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened more than two dozen countries to discuss a “new world order” free from Western hegemony and the global dominance of the U.S. dollar. 

From Tuesday to Thursday, some two dozen members will descend on Kazan, Russia, for this year’s BRICS Summit — offering Putin his biggest global platform since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. 

By reducing reliance on the dollar, the alliance hopes to evade sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the West.

“The dollar is being used as a weapon,” Putin said at the summit. “We really see that this is so. I think that this is a big mistake by those who do this.” 

In a pivotal move, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the summit to showcase their hopes for a more harmonious relationship after decades of cross-border strife. 

It came days after China and India agreed to a deal meant to bring to a close their four-year military standoff over the disputed Himalayan region. 

UKRAINE BLASTS UN CHIEF OVER POTENTIAL MEETING WITH PUTIN AT BRICS, SAYS STAYED AWAY FROM KYIV’S PEACE SUMMIT

This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened over two dozen countries to discuss a “new world order” free from Western hegemony and the global dominance of the U.S. dollar. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool via REUTERS)

“Russia-China cooperation in international affairs is one of the main stabilizing factors in the world,” Putin told Xi at the summit. 

Meanwhile, India has been propping up Russia’s economy by purchasing discounted oil that has been sanctioned by much of the rest of the world. 

BRICS — which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — was an idea thought up by Goldman Sachs analysts to describe the growing economic hegemony of China and other emerging markets.

The group is rapidly expanding: Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia joined in January. Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia formally applied — Turkey being the first NATO member to take an interest in the group. Pakistan has also expressed an interest in joining the group.

The alliance now makes up half of the world’s population and 35% of global output. 

Some member states like Egypt receive U.S. military aid and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosts U.S. military bases. 

Russian officials already view the three-day summit as a massive success: Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said 36 countries confirmed participation and 24 will send representatives. 

CHINA-DOMINATED BLOC OFFERS IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA MEMBERSHIP IN MOVE THAT SEEKS TO UNDERMINE US

Russia is also courting more nations to join a payment system that would serve as an alternative to SWIFT, which has been used to sanction Russian officials by the West.

While Russia is pushing an anti-western agenda at the summit, members like Brazil, India and South Africa want a less combative tone. They believe the alliance should be used to tailor international institutions to meet the needs of the Global South. They believe they could work to reform the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to serve the needs of the developing world. 

Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS)

Creating an alternative to SWIFT would require BRICS-based currencies and financial institutions to conduct international business — and so far BRICS members have not presented a clear plan to replace the dollar. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an address to the summit that BRICS must act as more than a “dialogue club,” and said that 15 years after the creation of the alliance, many of its goals remain unfulfilled. 

He tore into the West’s increasingly frequent threat of sanctions. 

“Over more than three decades since the collapse of the bipolar system, it has become increasingly clear that from the perspective of Western powers, peace, democracy, prosperity, and development can only be achieved through pathways defined by them,” he said.

“This monopolistic outlook has resulted in increased violence, war, and terrorism on the one hand, and unprecedented use of economic and political sanctions on the other.”

Putin shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS)

Dollar assets currently comprise around 59% of global foreign currency reserves, down from 70% in 1999. 

Former President Donald Trump has promised “100% tariffs” on nations that snub the U.S. dollar, arguing that losing the dollar as the world currency would be like “losing a war.” 

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“I was a user of sanctions, but I put them on and take them off as quickly as possible, because ultimately it kills your dollar, and it kills everything the dollar represents. And we have to continue to have that be the world currency. I think it’s important. I think it would be losing a war, if we lost the dollar as the world currency,” he told the Economic Club in New York in September. 

“That would make us a Third World country. You’re losing Russia. China is out there trying to get their currency to be the dominant currency.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently contacted Elon Musk’s America PAC about its historic $1 million giveaway to swing-state voters after the agency was warned by lawyers who claimed that the initiative may be illegal.

On Monday, the DOJ was sent a letter from a “group of attorneys and public officials” requesting an investigation into Ameria PAC’s payments to petition signers. The letter, which was obtained by the Washington Post, was addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland as well as Michelle Henry, the Pennsylvania attorney general.

“We are a group of attorneys and public officials, including those who have served in senior legal and law-enforcement roles under every Republican president from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump,” the letter reads. “We write to you today to request that you review payments that are being made by the Elon Musk-founded America PAC to voters in Pennsylvania and other states that experts say raise serious questions under applicable law.”

Musk, the CEO of Tesla, is offering $1 million a day to swing-state voters who sign his political action committee’s petition in support of the Constitution. Only voters in swing states are eligible.

ELON GOES ON CAMPAIGN BLITZ AGAINST GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS, VOWS TO REVEAL BIZARRE ALLEGED SCHEMES

SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk awarded Kristine Fishell with a $1 million check during the town hall at the Roxain Theater, Oct. 20, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

“The payments are framed as being made for signing, or referring others to sign, a ‘petition’ in support of the First and Second Amendments. But only registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina may receive payments,” the lawyers’ letter says.

“We are aware of nothing like this in modern political history… We urge you to investigate whether America PAC’s payments are prohibited payments for voter registration.”

Fox News Digital did an analysis of the initiative and found it to be in a legally gray area, and it also discovered that other similar initiatives in support of Democratic causes exist. 

FETTERMAN ISSUES WARNING TO DEMOCRATS AFTER ELON STUMPS FOR TRUMP IN PENNSYLVANIA

Elon Musk speaks as part of a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Folsom, Pa., Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The giveaway explicitly asks voters to sign a petition rather than register to vote, but the letter sent to the DOJ alleged the petition still encourages registering to vote.

“We recognize that they are framed as payments for signing a petition, or for referring voters who sign,” the lawyers argued. “But many of the payments are restricted to registered voters, so anyone who wishes to get paid must first register.”

The initiative was announced by Musk this week. The PAC plans to give away $1 million to one swing-state voter per day until Election Day.

“Every day, from now through Nov 5, @America PAC will be giving away $1M to someone in swing states who signed our petition to support free speech & the right to bear arms! We want to make sure that everyone in swing states hears about this and I suspect this will ensure they do,” Musk wrote on X on Sunday.

Elon Musk speaks as part of a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Folsom, Pa., Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Fox News Digital reached out to America PAC for comment but did not immediately hear back. The DOJ declined to comment.

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

U.S. newspaper endorsements for the Democratic presidential candidate have dipped by more than 60% this year since 2016 after VP Kamala Harris became the party’s frontrunner, according to a rough estimate by Fox News Digital.

In 2016, more than 240 newspapers endorsed Hillary Clinton, while only 20 endorsed Trump. In 2020, 14 newspapers endorsed Trump, and 120 endorsed Biden.

This year, nearly 80 newspapers endorsed Harris, and fewer than 10 endorsed Trump.

LOS ANGELES TIMES COMES OUT AGAINST POPULAR ANTI-CRIME BALLOT INITIATIVE

Several Democratic voters in Nevada told The New York Times they’re not voting for Vice President Kamala Harris because they don’t believe she will ease housing costs. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Notable endorsements for Harris include the Winston-Salem Chronicle, New York Times, Boston Globe, The New Yorker, Denver Post, The Las Vegas Sun, Los Angeles Sentinel, Seattle Times, The Star-Ledger, Tennessee Tribune, Scientific American and San Antonio Express. 

Endorsements for Trump include the New York Post, The Washington Times and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The plummeting Democratic endorsements come as the Los Angeles Times editorial board, which endorsed Barack Obama in 2008, Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, decided not to endorse a presidential candidate this year, according to a new report Tuesday.

An LA Times spokesperson declined to comment to Fox News Digital on the report, saying, “We do not comment on internal discussions or decisions about editorials or endorsements.”

THIS TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN GOES ON A BATTLEGROUND STATES BLITZ WITH KAMALA HARRIS

Former President Trump (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The LA editorial board issued presidential endorsements from the 1880s through 1972, only returning to the practice to endorse Obama in 2008. Since then, it has exclusively endorsed Democratic presidential candidates. 

The LA Times released its statewide and nationwide endorsements last week, including Democratic candidates for the U.S. House and Senate.

Newspapers have traditionally endorsed candidates in elections since the 19th century, when papers were more closely tied to political parties. Over time, newspapers shifted to become more independent of the party apparatus, and editorial boards for the newspapers took over endorsements, with the ideological lean of the board often an indicator of the endorsement outcome. 

A stack of newspapers (IStock)

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

Several newspapers that historically endorsed Republican candidates either endorsed Biden or declined to endorse any candidate in 2020. The Arizona Republic, which had endorsed Republicans for decades, was one of the few that endorsed Biden.

Some publications that had never endorsed a presidential candidate before, like USA Today, broke with tradition in 2020 to also endorse Biden.

Fox News Digital’s Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report. 

President Joe Biden is seeking to cement his climate legacy by allocating billions of dollars for energy and environment-related projects in the remaining months of his presidency.

Biden ramped up his administration’s energy-related spending in October, announcing several new initiatives after former President Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that if elected, he would “rescind all unspent funds under the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act,” which could directly impact Biden’s climate projects.

On Thursday, the Department of the Interior approved the Fervo Cape Geothermal Power Project in Beaver County, Utah, which seeks to expand geothermal energy on public lands.

The Energy Department also announced nearly $2 billion in funding for 38 power grid projects for clean energy, and on Tuesday, the administration allocated $428 million for 14 clean energy manufacturing projects in former coal communities.

HARRIS TOUTS GROWING UP IN MIDDLE CLASS WHILE PUSHING MANDATE MOST ‘WON’T BE ABLE TO AFFORD’: ECONOMIST

President Joe Biden speaks at NHTI-Concord Community College in Concord, New Hampshire on Oct. 22, 2024.  (Joseph Prezioso)

In early October, the Biden-Harris administration issued a final rule to replace every lead pipe in the U.S. within 10 years as part of Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). In addition to the rule, the EPA also announced $2.6 billion in new funding for drinking water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

September also saw several new projects launched as part of the final push for the administration’s climate agenda.

LEFT-WING CLIMATE GROUPS SILENT AFTER HARRIS CAMPAIGN DROPS MILLIONS ON PRIVATE JET FLIGHTS SINCE JULY

The Department of Energy announced $3 billion for electric vehicle battery production, while the Department of the Interior will distribute $24 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for land and water restoration through an investment in “climate resilience.” 

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved an offshore wind turbine in Maryland — the 10th approval of a commercial-scale offshore wind project. Trump has stated that if elected, he would end offshore wind projects “on day one” through an executive order, suggesting the energy source causes harm to the environment. 

Wind turbines produce energy from wind at Whitewater Energy’s Wind Turbine Farm in the desert. (Bob Riha, Jr.)

“They destroy everything. They’re horrible, the most expensive energy there is,” Trump said of wind turbines during a campaign event in New Jersey. “They ruin the environment. They kill the birds. They kill the whales.”

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White House’s Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian told listeners on a press call in October that Biden is “sprinting to the finish” to deliver “on his historic Investing in America agenda.”

The Department of Homeland Security is recommending more than 100 migrants that it has identified as having possible ties to a bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang be put on an FBI watchlist, Fox News confirmed Wednesday, after the agency flagged more than 600 with possible ties overall.

NBC News first reported that DHS has identified more than 600 individuals with possible ties to Tren de Aragua, and that 100 of those are deemed “subjects of interests.” Fox has confirmed that it recommended they be placed on the FBI’s Watchlist for Transnational Criminal Organizations.

Officials do not believe that all of the 600 migrants will be confirmed gang members, and that many will be relatives, victims or witnesses to crimes by the notorious gang members. Officials are making the gang a priority so it does not grow.

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

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

The gang is believed to have started in the Tocoron prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua and has since expanded into Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the U.S. In a statement, DHS said that the identities emerged as part of an ongoing re-screening operation to tackle the gang. 

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

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

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

There have been numerous crimes in the last year that have been linked to TdA, in states including Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and New York.

NEW REPORT WARNS BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG’S FOOTPRINT WILL REMAIN IN US ‘FOR DECADES’

The suspected Tren de Aragua gang members engaged in illegal activity including illegal dumping and drug use, according to the El Paso County Attorneys Office. (KFOX14/El Paso County Attorneys Office)

The gang is believed to have taken over apartment blocks in Aurora, Colorado, and authorities in New York City have warned that the gang is recruiting children and is linked to dozens of robberies in the sanctuary city. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also sounded the alarm about the growth of the gang in his state.

Federal immigration authorities announced last week that a confirmed TdA member was arrested in Houston for allegedly recruiting middle school students to become new gang members. 

But the gang’s presence has increased at the same time as a massive migration surge to the southern border, which included a significant number of Venezuelans. While border numbers have dropped sharply since June, the impact of that crisis is still being felt in communities across the U.S.

Experts noted to NBC that the number of identified members is low and could represent a gap in intelligence. Venezuela does not share its databases with the U.S., and relations are frosty. Earlier this year, Venezuela stopped accepting deportation flights from the U.S.

While authorities have put out warnings to Border Patrol agents about possible markers of the gang, they can be hard to identify, while others get past agents as gotaways.

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

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Trump said, if elected, the federal government would “send elite squads of ICE, Border Patrol and federal law enforcement officers to hunt down, arrest and deport every last illegal alien gang member until there is not a single one left in this country.” 

Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, has stressed her support for a bipartisan border security bill to provide additional funding to the border and has also highlighted her history targeting transnational criminal organizations as a federal prosecutor.

Ret. Army Capt. Sam Brown appears to be closing the polling gap with incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen in battleground Nevada with less than two weeks until Election Day. 

In a new survey, Rosen defeated Brown 49% to 44% among all voters, according to a new AARP poll. 

Among the key demographic of voters 50 years or older, Brown beat the Democrat 49% to 46%. 

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

The margin between Sam Brown and Jacky Rosen appears to be shrinking.  (Reuters)

The new poll, which indicates a close race, comes after some expressed concerns over the Republican’s position behind Rosen in recent surveys. While many Republican candidates in crucial states had already improved their stature against incumbent Democrats, Brown was still losing to Rosen by significant margins. 

In a late August poll from CNN, Rosen was leading Brown by a full 10 points, 50% to 40%. In a Fox News Poll during the same month, the Democrat beat her opponent by even more, 55% to his 41%. 

Earlier in the month, a New York Times and Siena College Poll had Rosen besting Brown 49% to 40%. 

In the same AARP survey that Brown has appeared to make gains in, former President Trump topped Vice President Kamala Harris in the swing state, 49%-47%, in a head-to-head contest. With other candidates, Trump still leads Harris 47% to 46%. 

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

U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen and Jimmy Kimmel pose for a group photo as they thank volunteer workers at a Democratic coordinated campaign canvass launch Oct. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

“The huge gaps between the Senate and presidential races in these states were never realistic,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. “At the same time, Democratic Senate candidates have generally had better margins than Harris in almost every competitive state.”

According to Kondik, there is an “upside possibility” for Republicans in the scenario that Trump performs particularly well. 

“He could carry several GOP Senate candidates over the finish line,” he said. 

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

Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown attends a Hispanic roundtable with former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, at Beauty Society Oct. 12, 2024, in North Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller)

Nevada Republican strategist Jeremy Hughes said, “Sam Brown has the momentum at the end of this race and is benefiting from a strong early vote performance by Republicans.”

Republicans have appeared to turn out in larger numbers than Democrats in Nevada’s early voting thus far, which is a departure from past elections, according to one veteran political journalist in the state. 

PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE LABELED ‘TOSS UP’ IN LAST-MINUTE SHIFT BY TOP HANDICAPPER

While noting that Republicans have an advantage in early voting “at a time when the Ds usually have one,” Jon Ralston, the CEO and editor of The Nevada Independent, wrote. “If that gets larger, big trouble for Dems.” 

Ralston further told Fox News Digital, “It is a surprising, unprecedented turnout pattern in a presidential year.”

“Democrats have usually used early voting to bank votes, and the election is all but over by Election Day. Not this year. Mail ballots sent to everyone changes everything, and it also makes predictions very difficult.”

A Latinos for Trump event Oct. 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)

“Nevadans are surging to the polls because they know we can do better. There is incredible energy on the ground, and working Nevada families are rallying behind Sam Brown’s plan to lower prices, secure the border and make life affordable again. Nevadans have made it clear they are ready for a change, and the momentum is on our side,” Brown campaign spokesperson Raegan Lehman said in a statement. 

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A spokesperson for Rosen’s campaign told Fox News Digital, “Nevada Senate races are always close and competitive, and our campaign is taking nothing for granted.

“We’re confident that voters will ultimately re-elect Jacky Rosen, a bipartisan and independent problem solver who delivers for working families, and reject MAGA extremist Sam Brown, who wants to take away abortion rights, repeal the Affordable Care Act and gut Social Security and Medicare.”

Her campaign additionally pointed to a late June poll, also by the AARP, that showed Rosen and Brown similarly five points apart at 47% to 42%. Brown led Rosen with voters 50 and over by 49% to 44% at the time. 

That poll interviewed 1,368 likely voters in Nevada between June 12 and 18. It also had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for the sample of voters overall and plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for the over 50-year-old sample. 

The new AARP poll that showed the gap closing interviewed 1,368 likely voters from Oct. 8 to 15. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for the sample of voters overall and  plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for the over 50-year-old sample. 

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

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer didn’t hold back at a Tuesday rally for Kamala Harris as she rebuked former President Trump’s comments from earlier this month, in which he claimed that if the vice president assumes office, “the whole country will be like… Detroit.” 

Trump’s comments are even more poignant considetring Detroit’s reputation as one of the most dangerous cities for violent crime in the nation.

“I know you all saw what he said about this beautiful city. He called Detroit a failure and a mess, proving he ain’t firing on all cylinders,” Whitmer said before Eminem and former President Barack Obama took the stage to court votes for Harris. “He doesn’t have a clue what the hell he was talking about. And you know what I think? He ought to keep Detroit out of his mouth.”

INTERVIEWING DONALD TRUMP: A LAST-MINUTE BLITZ AND NEW CLOSING MESSAGE

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and former President Trump (Getty Images)

Last month, during his speech at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said: “The whole country will be like – you want to know the truth? It’ll be like Detroit.”

“Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president,” he said. “A mess.”

In 2018, Detroit had the highest violent crime rate of 2,007.8 incidents per 100,000 people, according to the data from the FBI’s 2018 Uniform Crime Report, making it the only midsize or large city in the U.S. with such a high number. 

That year, the city reported 261 homicides and around 13,500 violent crimes, even though its population is less than 700,000. Meanwhile, local officials claim violent crime is down 8% in 2024, and shootings and carjackings have also decreased. 

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

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the Resch Expo Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Oct. 17, 2024. (Getty Images)

Detroit still faces big problems, like a high unemployment rate and many residents living below the poverty line. 

In 2023, the number of homicides fell to 252, the lowest since 1966, but the city has had a changing population. Detroit had nearly 1.7 million residents in the 1960s, but that number dropped to about 620,376 in 2022. 

But the data can be hard to verify since the Federal Bureau of Investigation quietly updated its 2022 crime data to show an increase in violent crimes, despite previous data showing violent crimes had fallen that year, which was touted as a victory for the Biden-Harris administration. 

Detroit police are currently investigating a double shooting that killed an 18-year-old early Monday afternoon. And just a day after the rally, two men are in critical condition after being shot Wednesday morning near Detroit’s New Center district.

CBS NEWS STATEMENT ON CONTROVERSIAL ’60 MINUTES’ EDIT FALLS FLAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘PUBLISH. THE. TRANSCRIPT.’

“Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president,” Trump said of Harris. “A mess.” (iStock)

Both candidates are vying to win the battleground state’s vote with the election just two weeks away. On Friday, Trump also made a Detroit rally stop, promising to put “Detroit first,” “Michigan first,” and “America first.”

Trump told supporters, “Your beautiful place, your beautiful city” was “decimated as if by a foreign army.”

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Team Trump Michigan communications director Victoria LaCivita said: “Like many Americans, President Trump remembers when Detroit was lauded as the gold standard for auto manufacturing success and revolutionized the industry. Detroit has suffered from globalist policies championed by Kamala Harris that have shipped manufacturing overseas. Detroit’s population has dropped over 60 percent since 1960, maintains the third highest homicide rate in the nation, and a poverty rate for full-time workers three times as high as the rest of Michigan. As President Trump emphasized in his speech, his policies will usher in a new era of economic success and stability for Detroit, helping the city reach its fullest potential.” 

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

The United Kingdom’s Labour Party is pushing back Wednesday on allegations from the Trump campaign that it is providing “illegal foreign assistance” to Kamala Harris. 

Representatives for Trump announced last night they have “filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint against the Harris-Walz Campaign and the Labour Party of the United Kingdom for illegal foreign campaign contributions and interference in our elections.” 

“The far-left Labour Party has inspired Kamala’s dangerously liberal policies and rhetoric. In recent weeks, they have recruited and sent party members to campaign for Kamala in critical battleground states, attempting to influence our election,” Trump-Vance Campaign Co-Manager Susie Wiles said in a statement. 

However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday that any members of his Labour Party that are in the U.S. are acting as volunteers and “what they’ve done in previous elections, is what they’re doing in this election,” according to The Associated Press. 

LABOUR PARTY TO DESCEND ON US TO HELP HARRIS 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center, is denying claims from the Trump campaign that his Labour Party is interfering in the U.S. election in favor of Kamala Harris. (AP/Alex Brandon/Jaimi Joy/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool)

“I spent time in New York with President Trump, had dinner with him, and my purpose in doing that was to make sure that between the two of us, we established a good relationship, which we did, and I was very grateful to him for making the time,” Starmer added. “Of course, as prime minister of the United Kingdom, I will work with whoever the American people return as their president in the elections.” 

The filing from Trump’s campaign mentions a now-deleted social media post from Labour Party leader Sofia Patel, who took to LinkedIn 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. 

READ THE LETTER BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE

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.  

DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST JAMES CARVILLE DECLARES HE’S ‘CERTAIN’ HARRIS WILL WIN 

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

An attorney for the Trump campaign wrote in the filing that “the language of her post supports a reasonable inference that the Labour Party will finance at least travel and facilitate room and board.” 

“Press reports further support a reasonable inference that the Harris campaign is aware of these efforts, and thus has accepted a prohibited foreign national contribution,” he continued. “Moreover, even if the individuals traveling to the United States were ‘volunteers,’ the Labour Party appears to be using party resources, including paid staff time, to coordinate their travel.” 

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as she attends a campaign event with former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Brookfield, Wis. (AP/Morry Gash)

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The Harris campaign did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick slammed his opponent in the highly-anticipated race, Sen. Bob Casey, for “retaliating against McDonald’s” after former President Donald Trump visited a location of the fast-food company in the Keystone State while on the campaign trail. 

A trio of Senate Democrats, Casey, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, issued a letter Monday to the CEO of McDonald’s, slamming the company for reported price gouging, just one day after Trump worked the fryer at a franchise of the fast-food chain during a campaign event Feasterville, Pennsylvania. 

The trio’s letter accused the business of inflating prices on consumers to grow profits, sparking McCormick to slam Casey for using “vindictive pressure tactics, simply because he doesn’t like Donald Trump.”

“After President Trump’s wildly popular visit to the local Feasterville McDonald’s franchise, Bob Casey has stooped to a new low by retaliating against McDonald’s. This is just the latest in a string of anti-business attacks by Casey on Pennsylvania small businesses and employees. Casey is a liberal, partisan, career politician who knows his family dynasty is coming to an end, so he resorts to a vindictive pressure tactic, simply because he doesn’t like Donald Trump,” McCormick told Fox News Digital. 

WOMAN SERVED BY TRUMP AT MCDONALD’S DRIVE-THRU REVEALS DETAILS BEHIND VIRAL EXCHANGE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT

Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick, right, and Senator Bob Casey (D- PA). (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images | Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

The senators’ letter, which did not cite Trump, was sent one day after Trump’s visit to a McDonald’s in Casey’s home state of Pennsylvania on Sunday. 

“While McDonald’s is not the only fast food restaurant that has increased prices significantly in recent years, its dominant market position as the largest fast food chain in the United States has an outsize impact on American consumers,” the trio of senators wrote in their letter. “While working families are trying to make ends meet, McDonald’s and its corporate counterparts have continued to grow their profits.”

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

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, and Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate for Pennsylvania, shake hands during a campaign event in Reading, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 9, 2024. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)

The letter called on the McDonald’s CEO to address questions such as how the company makes pricing decisions on individual menu items, if McDonald’s provides guidelines to franchisees regarding pricing decisions and if McDonald’s executives received bonuses or other incentive-based compensation between 2020 and 2024. 

McDonald’s hit back that the letter “demonstrates a lack of understanding of our franchise business model.” 

“McDonald’s and our franchisees are committed to keeping prices affordable – from the everyday prices on our menu boards, to our popular $5 Meal Deal and other offers available locally or on the App. This letter demonstrates a lack of understanding of our franchise business model and contains contortions of facts and many inaccuracies. Take the components of the $5 Meal Deal with McChicken, for example – which would have cost 15% more in 2020 than they do today. That’s the opposite of price gouging. We will respond to the letter, and in the meantime, continue to show up for our customers and our communities,” McDonald’s told Fox News Digital in a comment Tuesday. 

Former President Donald Trump, center, with Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., center left, at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. (Brooke Singman)

Casey pinning blame for inflation and economic woes on price gouging has been a common theme of his highly-anticipated re-election campaign, which shifted from a lean Democrat race to a toss-up by Cook Political Report in a last-minute update this week. Pennsylvania is viewed as the top battleground state this election cycle that will likely determine the outcome of the federal election, with political eyes also locked on the Senate race that pits Casey against McCormick.

LIBERAL MEDIA HAS MELTDOWN OVER TRUMP’S ‘FIRST DAY’ WORKING AT MCDONALD’S 

“The corporations say your prices are up only because their costs are up,” Casey declared at the DNC over the summer. “They are selling you a lie. It’s in the bag with the diapers. Prices are up because these corporations are scheming to drive them up.”

The McCormick campaign has hit back that the argument is hogwash, saying that prices have increased for consumers due to the federal government’s “wasteful” spending that was “rubber-stamped” by Democrats such as Casey. 

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

Nearly all McDonald’s locations in the U.S. are individually owned franchises, including the one in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, Trump visited on Sunday. 

“I’ve now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala at McDonald’s,” Trump said through the drive-thru window as he handed out orders. 

PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE LABELED ‘TOSS UP’ IN LAST-MINUTE SHIFT BY TOP HANDICAPPER

“I love McDonald’s, I love jobs, I like to see good jobs. And I think it’s inappropriate when somebody puts down all over the place that you work. Think that was a big part of her resume and that you worked at McDonald’s,” he added. 

The McDonald’s that Trump visited is owned by Derek Giacomantonio, who told Fox Digital on Sunday that the franchise opens “our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community.”  

KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE VOTER REGISTRATION DATA SHOWS INFLUENTIAL SHIFTS FAVORING GOP

“As a small, independent business owner, it is a fundamental value of my organization that we proudly open our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community. That’s why I accepted former President Trump’s request to observe the transformative working experience that 1 in 8 Americans have had: a job at McDonald’s,” Giacomantonio said. 

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

“As a former crew member, I can attest this job is more than burgers and fries, but a meaningful pathway to opportunity. Local Pennsylvania franchisees like me are proud to provide more than 25,000 jobs across the state and I’m honored to showcase my restaurant and the incredible impact of the franchise business model here today,” Giacomantonio continued. 

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Trump’s visit to the McDonald’s has spurred outrage from Democrats, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who accused Trump of “laughing at” American workers by visiting the McDonald’s. 

“You’ve got Donald Trump putting on a little McDonald’s costume, because he thinks that’s what people do,” Ocasio-Cortez said during a “Get Out the Early Vote” union event in Pennsylvania. “They’re not trying to empathize with us. They are making fun of us.”

Trump supporters have championed the McDonald’s visit as iconic, posting memes and photos of the former president in support of his re-election. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the trio of senators and Casey’s campaign regarding the letter but did not receive replies. 

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

FIRST ON FOX: A top official in then-President George W. Bush’s administration, who made history as the nation’s first female Department of Agriculture secretary, is the latest leading Republican to back Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump.

And the endorsement of the vice president by Ann Veneman – shared first with Fox News on Wednesday – comes as the Harris campaign continues its efforts to court Republicans who didn’t support Trump during this year’s GOP nomination race – and as the campaign aims to cut into  the former president’s support among rural voters.

“As our nation stands at a critical juncture, the upcoming presidential election presents a stark contrast in leadership and values, particularly for rural communities and agriculture,” Veneman said in a statement.

Veneman, who grew up on a peach farm in California and also made history as the first female U.S. deputy secretary of Agriculture – in President George H.W. Bush’s administration – and the first woman to serve as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, argued that “Donald Trump’s current tariff proposal is dangerous for rural America. It would raise prices on essential goods, harm farmers by undermining key trade relationships, and increase costs for consumers.”

THIS TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN GOES ON A BATTLEGROUND STATES BLITZ WITH KAMALA HARRIS 

File photo of former Secretary of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, who later served as UNICEF executive director, in New York City on Nov. 28, 2006  ( Photo by David X Prutting/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

And pointing to proposals by Harris and her running mate – Minnesota Gov. Tim  Walz – Veneman emphasized that “their plan for rural communities is a bold vision for the future that invests in economic growth, critical infrastructure, and greater access to care for families.  Together, they offer the leadership we need to help agriculture and rural America thrive.”

Walz last week highlighted the Harris campaign’s plans to improve the lives of rural voters, which include proposals to recruit 10,000 new healthcare professionals in rural and tribal areas through scholarships, loan forgiveness and new grant programs. 

The Harris campaign aims to put a dent in Trump’s strong support in rural communities. The former president carried rural voters by a nearly two-to-one margin in the 2020 election, according to a Fox News voter analysis. 

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Veneman, with her endorsement, also becomes the latest high ranking member of former President George W. Bush’s administration to back Harris. At the top of that lis is former Vice President Dick Cheney.

And Veneman’s endorsement comes two days after Harris campaigned in three key battleground states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin – with Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris listens as former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney speaks during a Harris campaign town hall in Malvern, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The younger Cheney, once a rising conservative star in the GOP, in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory, has vowed to do everything she can to prevent the former president from returning to power.

While Trump retains vast sway over the GOP, even a small sliver of Republicans supporting Harris could make a consequential impact in what will likely be a race within the margins in the key swing states.

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The Harris campaign is courting such voters with on-the-ground events and through paid media efforts.

At a campaign event last week in Pennsylvania where Harris was joined by leading anti-Trump Republicans – including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan – the vice president was introduced by lifelong Pennsylvania Republicans Bob and Kristina Lange.

The Langes, who own a family farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, have also starred in a Harris campaign commercial. The Langes say they’ve seen a barrage of hateful and derogatory messages following their appearance in the Harris ad.

But in a Fox News Digital interview last week, they noted that their Republican friends say “that they’re on the same page that we are. They’re approaching us and telling us ‘We’re behind you.’ They’re thanking us for what we’re doing. They’re thanking us for being brave because many people are afraid to speak out against Trump because of revenge and other things like that.”

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

A ballot initiative to implement open primary voting across six states is gaining momentum, according to advocates of the proposal who say it will eliminate “polarizing” and “extreme” candidates from making it onto the ballot, allowing a more diverse group of candidates to represent voters.

Proponents hope this year’s success is indicative of future changes to U.S. elections.

Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, Montana and Nevada qualified for an open primary initiative for the 2024 ballot, Unite America – a philanthropic venture fund – found. Other states across the country already have an open primary system, including Alaska, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Virginia, among others.

Research from the Unite America Institute reveals that just 8% of voters elected 83% of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. In 2024, 7% have already elected 84%. Unite America attributed this “primary problem” to the polarization and gridlock hindering Congress and state legislatures from addressing key issues important to voters that often go unnoticed come election season.

Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, told Fox News Digital that an open primary system “would literally enfranchise millions of Americans closed out, and that includes independents.”

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

Maryland Board of Elections poll workers pass by empty booths during the Maryland state primary election at a polling station in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 14, 2024. (Photo by Jim Watson / AFP)

In an open primary system, voters can choose which party’s primary to participate in, regardless of their own party affiliation. This allows registered voters, including independents, to vote in any party’s primary, promoting broader participation.

By contrast, a closed primary system requires voters to be registered with a specific party to vote in that party’s primary. This approach ensures that only party members can influence the selection of their candidates, often leading to more ideologically consistent nominees but potentially excluding independent voters from the process.

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

Signs directing voters are seen outside a polling place on March 5, 2024 in Mountain Brook, Alabama. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

“So this gives voters a lot more freedom to vote for whom they want, you know, regardless of party. And that’s the belief at the end of the day is that our election system should serve voters, not parties as private organizations,” Troiano told Fox News Digital.

Another advocate of the open primary system is former Colorado Congressman Ken Buck. Buck, who retired as a representative earlier this year to work behind-the-scenes on election reform projects, said that many American voters are currently frustrated with their presidential choices. 

He noted that recent election reforms in various states are primarily focused on Senate and gubernatorial races, rather than the presidential election. This discontent may create an opportunity for meaningful reform in the electoral system, he said.

TRUMP OPENS UP LARGEST BETTING LEAD SINCE DAYS AFTER BIDEN’S DROPOUT

“I VOTED” stickers are handed out. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

“AOC beat a member of leadership in the Democratic primary, and she did it again with a very small percentage,” Buck, who endorsed the open primary ballot inititative in his state, told Fox News Digital. “It’s like 12% of the overall registered voters in the in her district, voted for her in that primary, and then, because it’s a blue district, she becomes the member. That’s the example.”

Buck believes that these changes could lead to higher-quality candidates, as current primary systems often allow candidates to win with a small percentage of the vote—sometimes as low as 38%—due to a crowded field. He suggested that such candidates often lack broad support among voters and may prioritize social media appeal over addressing the pressing issues facing constituents. 

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Buck and Troiano said so far, typically the party that is most in control of the state are opposed to the ballot measure.

“So in Nevada, the Democratic Party, and Idaho, it’s the Republican Party,” Troiano said. “But we make the case that this is good for voters today and is good for democracy.”

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

While Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz have drawn backlash over awkward moments during the presidential race, their surrogates have not escaped criticism for their own gaffes. 

In addition to Walz saying he is “friends with school shooters” and Harris calling North Korea “an alliance,” their campaign surrogates have mispronounced the vice president’s name, called Tim Walz “Tom,” told males they are misogynists, attempted to imitate former President Trump, accidentally supported his policies and more.

“Not sure we’ve ever seen such a colossally inept campaign like the one run by Kamala Harris,” Fox Business “Evening Edit” anchor Elizabeth MacDonald said last week.

WALZ EXPLAINS ‘FRIENDS WITH SHOOTERS’ GAFFE FROM THE VP DEBATE WITH VANCE

Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Former President Clinton, for example, committed many of those gaffes. 

During the Democratic National Convention, he was blasted for mispronouncing Harris’ name, referring to her as “Camel-la.” Last week, Clinton continued his gaffes when he confused a crowd of North Carolinians with a very dry imitation of Donald Trump, suggesting at the same time the former president might send him to a “supermax” prison for life. The former Democratic president struck again that same week with yet another gaffe when he suggested college nursing student Laken Riley would still be alive if the Biden-Harris administration secured the border properly. 

“You had a case in Georgia not very long ago, didn’t you? They made an ad about it, a young woman who had been killed by an immigrant,” Clinton said from Georgia. “Yeah, well, if they’d all been properly vetted that probably wouldn’t have happened.”

KIMMEL POKES FUN AT WALZ AFTER INTERVIEW GAFFE ABOUT ‘WAKING UP ON NOVEMBER 6 WITH MADAM PRESIDENT

Critics roundly mocked the former Democratic president and chimed in following the comments about Riley, pointing out that Clinton was “right.” 

Meanwhile, former President Obama received some backlash of his own after his latest gaffe earlier this month at a campaign event in Pittsburgh. Speaking to a group of Black men, Obama insisted to them that men “just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president.”

Former President Obama (Michelle Gustafson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Barack Obama — we’re not sexist or misogynist. We’re disappointed and sick of the bullsh—,” responded former professional basketball player and U.S. Senate candidate in Minnesota Royce White.” DO NOT vote for me because I’m Black. Vote for me because you have enough self-respect to think.”

BRITISH PM MAKES UNFORTUNATE ‘RETURN TO THE SAUSAGES’ GAFFE DURING SERIOUS SPEECH

Another Harris campaign surrogate, Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, has not escaped criticism either. During the Democratic National Convention, Evers awkwardly stammered through his state’s roll call vote after declaring he was “jazzed as hell” that all but a single delegate in his state voted for Harris. More recently, Evers referred to Harris’ vice presidential running mate Tim Walz as “Tom” during a Labor Day stump speech for Harris.

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This week, Maria Shriver, the former first lady of California, was also lumped into the cadre of gaffe-prone Harris camp supporters. The moment came when she was moderating a town hall event in Michigan with Harris and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney. Shriver told the audience at the event that only “predetermined” questions would be allowed to be asked. 

“Are we going to be able to ask a question?” asked a woman in the audience.

“You’re not, unfortunately,” Shriver replied. “We have some predetermined questions, and, hopefully, I’ll be able to ask some of the questions that might be in your head. I hope so.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign but did not receive a response by press time. 

Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is running for re-election in one of the most closely watched House races in the country, is facing questions about her ability to vote for herself in November amid a probe into whether her primary residence is in her district.

The controversy stems from a complaint filed by Republican activist Tom Zawistowski citing a financial disclosure form from Sykes’ husband, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce, listing Sykes as living with him in Columbus, Ohio, outside of Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

The Summit County Board of Elections, made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, deadlocked on party lines in a vote on whether to investigate that complaint. The tie-breaking vote went to Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who voted in favor of an investigation, and a hearing will be held on Thursday morning on the issue of Sykes’ eligibility to vote in her Akron district.

“Here, the Democratic members of the Board submitted a four-page position statement laying out arguments that would be presented and considered at a formal hearing,” LaRose wrote in a letter to the board outlining his decision to vote with the Republican members. 

VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM DODGES QUESTION ON VP HARRIS’ RECORD AS ‘BORDER CZAR’: ‘DON’T KNOW WHO KAMALA HARRIS IS’

A hearing will be held on Thursday to determine Rep. Emilia Sykes’ voter eligibility. (Fox News)

“They conclude that ‘[t]he challenger has not alleged that Congresswoman Sykes has abandoned or failed to maintain her Summit County residence, nor has he alleged that she has chosen to make a habitation (i.e., residence) elsewhere her residence for voting purposes.’ Reaching this conclusion prior to a hearing negates the very purpose of the hearing itself, before which the challenged voter is notified of the meeting and afforded a ‘right to appear and testify, call witnesses, and be represented by counsel.’ In advance of a hearing, the Board also would have the opportunity to seek guidance from its own legal counsel, the county prosecuting attorney, regarding the statutory residency requirements of voter registration.”

LaRose added, “Based on my review of the evidence presented to me and the relevant laws applicable to this matter, I have determined that the Board has not fully complied with the challenge process required by state law and administrative directive. Therefore, I join the two Board members who sought to pursue that process and hereby break the tie in favor of the motion to conduct a hearing on the challenge.”

Sykes, whose family history in Akron politics goes back decades, is not legally required to live full-time in her district to run and serve in Congress, but Republicans argue that Sykes is not eligible to vote for herself in Akron, which could mean having to place a provisional ballot. 

OHIO STATE SECRETARY SAYS 100 NON-US CITIZENS VOTED IN RECENT ELECTIONS, BEGINS PROCESS TO PROSECUTE

Democrats were presented a sworn statement from Boyce that Sykes was listed on the form out of “an abundance of caution” over uncertainty about what the form specifically required, and the election board reportedly saw a lease in Columbus without Sykes’ name on it. 

Additionally, Fox News Digital reviewed two documents showing Sykes with an Akron address, including a direct deposit slip from a congressional paycheck in September and a bill from a physical therapy office.

In her 2022 disclosure form, Sykes reported owning property in Columbus. Records also show that since 2018, the Sykes family trust has benefited from an owner occupant tax credit in Columbus.

Ultimately, Republicans and LaRose decided to vote in favor of having Sykes explain to the board where she resides on Thursday morning, although she is not required to attend in person and is allowed to send legal representation. 

“Career politicians like Emilia Sykes think the rules don’t apply to them,” former Ohio GOP State Sen. Kevin Coughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement. “She may not even be able to legally vote for herself. Why should we trust her to vote on our behalf in Congress? Voters want true representation for Northeast Ohio, and that’s why they’ll vote Emilia Sykes out this November.”

NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital, “Northeast Ohioans are dealing with the unfortunate consequences of Sykes’ extreme policies that have led to open borders, unsafe communities and a crippled economy — but she would never know because she’d rather be selling out her constituents with her elitist liberal friends in Columbus and Washington. Northeast Ohio deserves better.”

The Sykes campaign released a statement calling the hearing a “sham partisan hearing” and blasted her opponent, Coughlin. 

‘”Emilia Sykes lives in Akron and this desperate lie is an example of how Kevin Coughlin represents everything the voters of Ohio’s 13th Congressional district hate about Politics,” Sykes campaign manager Maddie Summers said. “Whether it’s the ethics investigation for awarding a government contract to his friend, his obstruction of public record requests or using taxpayer dollars to pay a campaign supporter, it’s no wonder his own colleagues have called him ‘personally repugnant.’ Northeast Ohioans will reject Coughlin’s pathetic attempt to rob them of their voice.”

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Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes delivers the Democrat’s response to Gov. Mike DeWine’s State of the State address at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, on March 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)

Democrat board members in the meeting made the case that the complaint from Zawistowski did not sufficiently show that Sykes did anything wrong and state law permits multiple residences and has been interpreted in the past as allowing individuals to state they “intend” to return to their registered address in order to vote.

“People who are married have the ability to maintain separate residences, and people do that,” Democratic board member William Rich said in the meeting which was posted online. 

“When someone has more than one residence, it’s essentially their choice about which one to use as their voting residence,” Rich said in an interview, according to the Akron Signal. “And there was no allegation that she either didn’t have a residence in Summit County or had chosen to make a residence in Franklin County her residence for voting purposes.”

Sykes, a first-term Democrat who won in 2022 by five points, is defending her seat in a district that includes parts of two counties that former President Donald Trump comfortably won in 2020. The Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “Democrat Toss Up.”

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Joni Ernst sent a letter demanding answers after a government report found the Defense Department (DOD) sent body armor covered in mildew and equipment from the 1980s to Taiwan. 

The Pentagon inspector general found the U.S. had sent “wet and moldy body armor” to Taiwan to shore up its defenses ahead of an impending invasion from China, then spent an additional $730,000 trying to remedy the mistake. 

“Delivering outdated and damaged military equipment to Taiwan is no way to treat a friend. Unfortunately, undercutting our partners and emboldening adversaries has become a staple of the Biden-Harris foreign policy doctrine,” Ernst, the fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate, said in a statement.

“Make no mistake, Beijing is laughing at, and taking full advantage of, the leadership failures of this administration. We need to bring back competency and strength in the White House to restore trust in our allies and partners while striking fear in our adversaries.”

CHINA HOLDS LIVE-FIRE DRILLS NEAR TAIWAN, IN ANOTHER SHOW OF FORCE

More than 340 out of 504 pallets of equipment sustained water damage as they sat at Travis Air Force Base in California. The U.S. Army didn’t facilitate delivery for two months after receiving the equipment.  

The base did not have proper storage facilities, according to the report, and the pallets were exposed to blowing rain, fog, humidity and heat. 

Of the 340 pallets, 120 were sent to Taiwan containing more than 3,000 mildewed body armor plates and 500 wet and moldy tactical vests. 

The inspector general’s office observed the pallets had “visible mold spores, wrapped in plastic that had trapped water, facilitating further deterioration and mold growth.”

Images of moldy equipment given to Taiwan provided by the American Institute in Taiwan via a Defense Department Inspector General’s report September 2024.

Taiwan authorities spent weeks trying to air out the gear, according to the report. 

U.S. personnel told the inspector general’s office they spent $619,000 in labor and materials at the base to clean and dry the wet, moldy armor that had not been sent and another $113,000 to replace some of the equipment before it was sent to Taiwan. 

The DOD inspector general concluded that between November 2023 and March 2024 the Pentagon failed to follow guidelines on delivering the equipment through the presidential drawdown authority, which allows the U.S. to send equipment from current DOD stocks. 

“Had policies been followed, the Defense Department would have been able to provide Taiwan with military equipment in acceptable condition,” Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement. “Instead, the equipment arrived in Taiwan damaged and moldy. Such performance risks eroding Taiwan’s confidence in the United States as a reliable source of assistance.”  

Ernst noted the Trump administration approved fighter jets for Taiwan in 2019 that still have not been delivered. 

“It took U.S. armed forces less time to plan, launch, and execute the liberation of Europe from the Nazis in World War II,” Ernst said. 

After a two-year delay, Taiwan in July finally received the U.S. shipment of anti-tank weapons it had been promised. But the anti-tank missile launchers arrived without the proper missiles. The missiles Taiwan was forced to use with them had a low accuracy, prompting it to rethink their combat use. 

The damaged equipment was part of a $345 million package the Biden administration announced in July 2023, the first drawdown the U.S. had committed to Taiwan. 

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, speaks with reporters after the Senate Republicans’ weekly policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington March 6, 2024. (Reuters/Bonnie Cash)

Images of guns arriving unwrapped in boxes provided by The American Institute in Taiwan via Defense Dept. Inspector General’s report, September 2024 

ENCIRCLING TAIWAN WAS A SMOKESCREEN FOR CHINA’S REAL GOAL OF CONVINCING US NOT TO INTERVENE, EXPERT SAYS 

The report determined there had been a breakdown in communication about whose responsibility it was to arrange the delivery flights to Taiwan and recommended the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, tasked with providing equipment to U.S. allies, come up with a standard procedure that clarifies responsibilities, timelines and quality control checks for deliveries. 

As of May 31, 2024, the U.S. had not replaced the damaged body armor plates and tactical vests that had not arrived. 

The report also found the shipment contained some 2.7 million rounds of ammunition that were manufactured in 1983. Some of the rounds were “poorly packaged,” while others were expired, the inspector general found. 

Some of the rounds arrived in opened boxes, making it seem to Taiwanese officials that U.S. service members “cleared out stuff they didn’t want.”

Six M240B machine guns from the National Guard in Clovis, New Mexico, included in the shipment were dumped into cardboard boxes without any wrapping, according to the report. 

Ernst demanded answers on what steps were taken to clarify whose responsibility it was to get out such shipments, to improve oversight and to expedite replacement of the damaged equipment. She also asked what the funding source was for the $730,000 used to fix the issue. 

The report warned the mistake risked Taiwan’s confidence in the U.S. at a critical time when China threatens to invade at any moment. 

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China said it would carry out live fire drills in the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, ratcheting up tensions that have reached a fever pitch since the re-election of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, a sign that voters continue to support resisting mainland China. 

Taiwan’s premier, Cho Jung-tai, said Tuesday the drills, planned for an island about 100 miles from Taipei, risked “unnecessary tension.”

“No matter how large the scale of the drill is, they should not be frequent and close to Taiwan,” he told reporters. “This will only cause unnecessary tension.”

West Virginia kicks off early in-person voting Wednesday, 13 days from Election Day.

In addition to the U.S. presidential race, voting also begins Wednesday in several down-ballot races. For a full list of competitive elections, see the latest Senate and House rankings.

• West Virginia Senate: Republicans will kick off the night strong in West Virginia. The seat is held by Sen. Joe Manchin, who decided not to run for re-election earlier this year. The senator’s enduring relationship with West Virginians helped him eke out a three-point win in 2018, but with Trump’s nearly 39-point win in the last presidential race, this is deep red territory. Democrats needed Manchin on the ballot to put up a good fight. That victory alone would give Republicans 50 senate seats, or one short of a majority. (If Trump wins the presidential race, the GOP would rule the senate even without a majority because the Vice President breaks ties.)

NEW DOJ GUIDANCE MEANT TO SCARE ELECTION OFFICIALS FROM CLEANING UP VOTER ROLLS, SAYS EXPERT

Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., registered as an independent and chose not to run for re-election. (@Sen_JoeManchin)

DEM LOSES IT ON ‘UNINFORMED’ WORKERS AFTER POWERFUL UNION REFUSES TO ENDORSE VP HARRIS

How to vote in West Virginia

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

People arrive to vote in the 2018 midterm elections in Omar, W.Va.., Nov. 6, 2018. (Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

Voting by mail

West Virginia began absentee voting in late September. Applicants must provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The county must receive a ballot application by Oct. 30, and that ballot must be submitted by Nov. 5.

The town sign calls for people to vote in the 2018 midterm elections in Man, W.Va., Nov. 6, 2018.  (Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

Early in-person voting

Early in-person voting begins Wednesday and will continue through Nov. 2. Absentee ballots can be submitted in person through Nov. 4.

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Voter registration

The voter registration deadline in West Virginia was Oct. 15.

A state lawmaker who represents part of North Carolina hit hard by Hurricane Helene said rules on the books of the state’s environmental agency will sandbag recovery.

State Rep. Jake Johnson of the North Carolina General Assembly told Fox News Digital the current regulations by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hamper rebuilding efforts after Helene ravaged parts of the state’s northwest. 

He said the general assembly already targeted rules on debris removal via burning but said policies like those dictating how close to a river developments can be built up could also impede rebuilding after the storm.

“Where a lot of the rebuilding is going to have to be done — and a lot of the cleanup, obviously, is near the river — one thing we need to look at is, you know, at least temporarily suspending some of the [regulations], how close you can work to a river and making sure that, you know, they’re not cracking down on that,” Johnson said. 

WHAT ARE ELECTION BETTING ODDS? EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY TRUMP IS CURRENT FAVORITE

Parts of North Carolina like Chimney Rock were hit hard by Helene. (Getty Images)

“They’ve got enough on their plate. … You’re going to have people working in areas where they wouldn’t normally be working,” Johnson said of recovery teams in the area. “And, I mean, that would just be insult to injury for them to come in and be cracking down on these contractors when they’re just in there trying to do a good job and clean things up.”

He suggested the GOP-held general assembly would work to roll back several regulations that Johnson sees as barriers to rebuilding.

“But, at the end of the day, the enforcement mechanism and the permitting is still done by a department head that is appointed by Roy Cooper, a very liberal Democrat governor,” he said. “I don’t really see them doing too much of that on their own without us directing it.“

However, Johnson conceded that Cooper would likely put politics aside to sign multiple regulatory rollbacks if they were put on his desk.

DOJ DEPLOYS DISTRICT ELECTIONS OFFICERS TO HANDLE ‘THREATS AND INTIMIDATION’

Rep. Jake Johnson, a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, criticized the state environmental agency. (Facebook/Representative Jake Johnson)

“We had, I believe it was, a unanimous vote in both chambers for the first bill, and it did include some rolling back those regulatory boundaries on burning,” he said. “So, yes. I mean, I believe — if anything we have in there to expedite the cleanup, I think he would sign.”

North Carolina state Rep. Ray Pickett did not name a specific policy he was most concerned about but said he was worried about DEQ’s permitting and approvals process in general.

“I absolutely share those concerns,” Pickett told Fox News Digital. “I see it with some of our infrastructure that’s going to have to be replaced. DEQ … has not always been the quickest agency we have.

“We have wastewater treatment plants that are going to have to be rebuilt. They’re going to have to speed those things up, and they’re going to have to get along with the program.”

DEQ told Fox News Digital, however, that it requested the regulatory rollbacks recently passed and would utilize “flexibility” to assess further needs.  

NC FAMILY THAT LOST 11 IN HURRICANE HELENE MUDSLIDES SAYS COMMUNITY SACRIFICED ‘LIFE AND LIMB’ TO SAVE EACH OTHER

“The department is utilizing all available flexibility and discretion in regulatory, funding and enforcement decisions to ensure the focus is on restoring critical infrastructure and services to the people of North Carolina. DEQ requested the regulatory changes in the recent legislative package and will continue to do so as needed to support recovery efforts,” an agency spokesperson said.

But Johnson also told Fox News Digital he was “frustrated” by delays in DEQ staff getting to certain parts of the state after Helene, specifically in the first week after the storm, which DEQ denied.

“That’s usually the department — if you’re doing any kind of building or development … if there’s even mud on the road or something, you know, any kind of minor erosion, they’re all over it,” he said. 

Johnson said he did not see DEQ personnel on the ground for at least the first week after the storm.

Johnson said propane tanks in rivers were creating environmental concerns. (Getty Images)

“Ideally, they would have personnel helping clean it up. But even something as simple as taking levels of how, you know, maybe how toxic the water is, the estimated amount of spillage that is in there and helping get quotes for cleanup – I mean, all those things would be great first steps that would certainly at least help,” he said.

Pickett said of his experience the week after the storm, “I had to make a few phone calls to get things moving a little quicker. … I shouldn’t have had to made those phone calls. They should have understood that we’ve got to move fast.”

DEQ, however, told Fox News Digital its staff was “on the ground during the storm and in the days immediately after providing emergency response, support and assessments.”

“Our staff have been working — and will continue to work — directly with water and wastewater systems, along with our federal and state partners, to assess damages, coordinate resources and provide technical assistance to restore services to western North Carolina,” the agency said.

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The DEQ’s mission is “providing science-based environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians,” according to its website.

The agency is dedicated to helping the state improve air and water quality as well as issuing and overseeing permits for development, water storage and other initiatives.

“The governor has taken meaningful action to bolster the state’s unprecedented response to this storm, including issuing an executive order that waives regulations in order to ensure that water systems and environmental needs can be met quickly during recovery,” Cooper’s spokesperson, Jordan Monaghan, told Fox News Digital in response to Johnson’s comments.

Cooper’s executive order empowers DEQ to expedite repairs related to drinking water and wastewater issues. It also grants DEQ the discretion to waive certain requirements related to projects “that require an individual water quality certification” to speed up rebuilding.

More than 1 in 4 Georgia voters have cast ballots in the 2024 presidential election so far.

The Peach State has been smashing pre-Election Day turnout records and is expected to be a critical factor in the White House contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 1.8 million of Georgia’s some 7.2 million active voters cast absentee or early in-person ballots, or 25.2%.

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

Early voting in Georgia has broken records this year. (Getty Images)

“Another milestone reached,” Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, wrote on X.

“At 1:30, 25.2% of active voters in Georgia have cast their ballots. That is more than 1 in 4 voters, with 9 more mandatory days of Early Voting to go. These are amazing numbers. Congratulations to our counties for their work and voters for theirs.”

Both the Harris and Trump campaigns have poured enormous time and resources into Georgia, a state President Biden won by less than 1% in 2020.

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

Former President Barack Obama will appear with Harris in Georgia on Thursday. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

On the first day of early voting alone, Georgians cast more than 313,000 in-person ballots. That was 123% higher than the previous Day 1 record, according to Sterling.

And the single-day vote total on Sunday wound up being nearly twice the number seen on the first Sunday of early in-person voting in 2022.

White voters made up the largest share of that total so far, followed by Black voters. Georgia women also slightly outnumbered men in the pre-Election Day tally by 55.3% to 44.4%.

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

Trump will be in Georgia on Wednesday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Both presidential candidates will also be in Georgia this week. Harris will be in Atlanta on Thursday alongside former President Barack Obama, while Trump will participate in multiple events on Wednesday.

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The former president will partake in a religious event in rural Georgia on Wednesday, according to WRBL, followed by an evening rally in Duluth.

Georgia has seen surging early voter numbers but is not the only state breaking records — both North Carolina and South Carolina broke their previous Day 1 thresholds, according to local reports.