NationalWatch

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced Wednesday that it will provide Ukraine with an additional $425 million worth of supplies and weapons as it continues to defend itself against Russian forces.

According to a press release from the DoD, this is the 67th tranche of equipment from DoD inventories being sent to Ukraine from the Biden administration since August 2021.

The Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package is estimated to hold a value of about $425 million and will provide Ukraine with the ability to meet its most urgent needs in terms of air defense, air-to-ground weapons, rocket systems and artillery munitions, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons.

Particularly, the capabilities being provided to Ukraine by the U.S. included additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS); RIM-7 missiles and support for air defense; Stinger anti-aircraft missiles; ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); air-to-ground munitions; 150mm and 105mm artillery ammunition; tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs); small arms and ammunition; grenades, thermals and training equipment; demolitions equipment and munitions; and spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training and transportation.

PUTIN WARNS US, NATO RISK WAR WITH RUSSIA IF LONG-RANGE STRIKE BANS LIFTED FOR UKRAINE

Ukrainian servicemen of the 1st Independent Tank Brigade ride a BREM-1 evacuation tank as Russias attack on Ukraine continues, near the frontline of Vuhledar, in Donetsk region, Ukraine March 6, 2023. (REUTERS/Lisi Niesner)

“The United States is committed to supporting Ukraine with the equipment it needs to strengthen its position on the battlefield, defend its territory and people from the Kremlin’s brutal aggression, and secure a just and lasting peace,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. “As President Biden has made clear, the United States and the international coalition we have assembled will continue to stand with Ukraine.”

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2025, and both sides have made little gains on the battlefield.

As the winter fighting season begins soon, the Ukrainian government needs to step up its efforts to recruit new soldiers, train them and provide the necessary military equipment to win the war, the country said. 

ZELENSKYY DOWNPLAYS COMMENT THAT TRUMP DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO END RUSSIA’S WAR WITH UKRAINE

A Ukrainian service member rides a tank, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, near the frontline town of Vuhledar, Ukraine February 22, 2023. (REUTERS/Alex Babenko)

With no end in sight, mobilization is proceeding according to plans laid out by the Ukrainian government.

In April, Ukraine passed a mobilization law to reform the military recruitment process as the war continues and casualties stack up.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told Fox News Digital the aim of the law is to make recruitment more efficient and transparent.

PUTIN LOWERS THRESHOLD FOR NUCLEAR RESPONSE AS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES NEW FUNDING TO UKRAINE

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov speaks during an interview with Reuters, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 27, 2024. (REUTERS/Alina Smutko)

Umerov said that the positive numbers show that Ukrainians are ready to “defend their land with weapons in their hands.”

Still, he said Ukraine needs help from its international partners.

“We have enough troops. However, we need support from international partners in weapons and equipment, and we require it fast.”

Umerov said Ukraine desperately needs modern Western-made air defense systems and a sufficient supply of ammunition for these systems. Ukraine needs a multi-layered air defense system to protect critical infrastructure and long-range capability to strike airfields and other military facilities deep inside Russia. 

So far, the Biden administration has been hesitant to consent to the need for long-range systems for fear of antagonizing Russian President Vladimir Putin and escalating a possible confrontation with Russia.

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Official data on Ukrainian battlefield casualties are unreliable, but the U.S. estimates that some 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and between 100,000 and 120,000 wounded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the goal is to mobilize up to 500,000 additional conscripts for future war efforts. 

Fox News’ Chris Massaro contributed to this report.

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

Here’s what’s happening…

-New poll shows Harris, Trump splitting two key states

–North Carolina prepares to launch in-person early voting with mountain areas still recovering from Helene

-FBI says ISIS was behind foiled mass shooting plot on Election Day

Robert Telles was found guilty of killing Jeff German in 2022

A former Las Vegas-area Democratic politician convicted of killing an investigative journalist who had written critical stories about him was told by a judge Wednesday that he must spend at least 28 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. 

The judge invoked sentencing enhancements to add eight years to the minimum 20 years to life sentence that a jury set in August after finding Robert Telles guilty of killing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German outside German’s home during Labor Day weekend in 2022.

German, 69, spent 44 years covering crime, courts and corruption in Las Vegas. At the time of German’s death, Telles, 47, was the elected administrator of a Clark County office that handles unclaimed estate and probate property cases…Read more

Robert Telles delivers a statement during his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 16. (KTNV)

White House

‘SHOCKING’: FBI quietly updates violent crime data to show increase, not decrease, under Biden-Harris…Read more

‘CUT HER OWN PATH’?: White House: Biden is not holding Harris back, has been ‘really clear about passing the torch’…Read more

‘60 MINUTES’ IN THE HOT SEAT: CBS accused of ‘significant and intentional news distortion’ in FCC complaint over ’60 Minutes’ edit…Read more

‘HARD TO BELIEVE’: Secret Service trained at mock White House that Hollywood producer Tyler Perry built as stage…Read more

‘SHAM CHARITY’: Biden admin outlaws Palestinian organization for funding terrorism: ‘Sham charity’…Read more

‘BETRAYED’ TAXPAYERS: Sen. Cotton says Biden-Harris likely prolonged Gaza war, let aid go to terrorists: ‘Betrayed’ taxpayers…Read more

Capitol Hill

BURSTING THE BUBBLE: ‘China is our enemy’: GOP lawmaker shoots down Chinese spy balloon in new ad…Read more

‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’: Cruz, Allred trade barbs in heated Texas Senate debate: ‘Extreme,’ ‘threat to democracy’…Read more

KEYSTONE FIREWORKS: Chinese investments, rebukes for ‘preaching’ take center stage at contentious Casey v. McCormick rematch…Read more

Tales from the Trail

WHO’S MORE ACCESSIBLE?: Trump-Vance ticket has done a combined 79 interviews since August compared to 43 for Harris-Walz…Read more

CLIMATE ON THE BALLOT: Voters to face climate-related ballot initiatives, such as repealing law to reduce emissions by 95% by 2050…Read more

‘SOLID’ GROUND GAME: From Christmas City to the coal mines: An inside look at the Dems’ ground game in PA’s crucial Lehigh Valley…Read more

COURTING REPUBLICANS: Harris teaming up with top anti-Trump Republican ahead of Bret Baier Fox News interview…Read more

FALLING SHORT: Senate Dems target Black voters with new ad as Harris’ support falls short…Read more

‘CONSCIOUS CHOICE’: Laken Riley Act sponsor blasts Bill Clinton’s claim about Georgia student’s death…Read more

‘OUT OF TOUCH’: Michigan community leader tells CBS ‘a lot of Black men are not into the Harris campaign’…Read more

Across America

ENEMY WITHIN: Accused Afghan terrorist radicalized two years after entering US, officials say …Read more

NOT SO FAST: Violent convict’s taxpayer-funded sex change challenged by state AG after judge’s approval…Read more

MOVING FORWARD: Texas can probe ‘vote harvesting’ through Election Day, appeals court rules…Read more

‘WE ARE IN SHOCK’: Photojournalist killed in stabbing, son arrested…Read more

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

A Republican congressman released a new advertisement showing him shooting a Chinese spy balloon out of the sky.

Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., is running for a second full term in the House of Representatives, having first won a special election in 2022 to succeed indicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.

The 30-second video clip emphasizes Flood’s record as a China hawk by using comments from the congressman himself, while emphasizing China’s imminent threat with a Chinese flag-covered balloon floating across the screen.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM ONLY VP DEBATE BETWEEN VANCE AND WALZ BEFORE ELECTION

Rep. Mike Flood released a new advertisement depicting him shooting a Chinese spy balloon. (Mike Flood For Congress)

“China is our enemy. Plain and simple. The Chinese Communist Party hacks our computers, buys up land near military bases, and spies on our armed forces, even here in Nebraska,” Flood says in the ad.

“That’s why I’m fighting to keep Chinese technology off our cell towers, stop China from buying Nebraska farmland, and protect Americans from Chinese spying and cyberattacks.”

Toward the end of the video, Flood promises to do “whatever it takes” to defend Nebraska while cocking a pistol and blowing the balloon to smithereens. 

TRUMP IMPERSONATES ELON MUSK TALKING ABOUT ROCKETS: ‘I’M DOING A NEW STAINLESS STEEL HUB’

The ad shows a Chinese spy balloon flying across the screen. (Mike Flood For Congress)

It’s a callback to when a suspected Chinese spy balloon entered U.S. airspace and subsequently floated across multiple states, at a level low enough to be seen with the naked eye, before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina after several days.

Republicans used the incident as evidence of their criticism that President Biden has not been tough enough on China, arguing that the surveillance device was sent by the Chinese military with little fear of U.S. reprisal.

TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT’S DEBATE ADVICE FOR TRUMP: ‘LET HARRIS SPEAK’

The balloon is seen exploding after being shot at by Flood. (Mike Flood For Congress)

Beijing has denied that the balloon was a spying tool.

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It comes after new revelations of a swarm of unidentified drones over a sensitive military site in Virginia caused alarm. 

U.S. officials were stumped in December last year when the unidentified aircraft flew over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for more than two weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Wednesday that President Biden is “not at all” holding Vice President Kamala Harris back and has been “really clear about passing the torch” following his decision to drop out of the 2024 race. 

Jean-Pierre made the remark after Biden said last night that Harris is “going to cut her own path” if elected president, and just days after reports emerged of growing tension and miscommunication between the White House and the Harris campaign. 

“Kamala and I have specific plans to bring down the cost of housing, child care, elder care and more,” Biden said during a campaign event for Harris in Philadelphia.  

“Every president has to cut their own path. That’s what I did. I was loyal to Barack Obama, but I cut my own path as president. That’s what Kamala is going to do. She’s been loyal so far, but she’s going to cut her own path,” Biden added. 

HARRIS TO SIT DOWN WITH BRET BAIER FOR FIRST FOX NEWS INTERVIEW 

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden attend a campaign event at the IBEW Local Union #5 union hall in Pittsburgh, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

When asked Wednesday at the White House press briefing if Biden feels he has held Harris back, Jean-Pierre said, “No, not at all.” 

“I’m not going to speak to politics from here, but what I can say more broadly is that every president has the opportunity to cut their own path. And the president has been really clear about passing the torch,” Jean-Pierre said, “and seeing Vice President Harris as a leader from day one.” 

“He’s incredibly proud of her. He has supported her from day one,” she also said. “He has said many times the best decision that he made in 2020 was asking her to be his running mate.”

However, an Axios report alleged Sunday that there are growing tensions between the White House and the Harris campaign. 

HARRIS HOLDS SMALL NATIONAL LEAD AS TRUMP INCREASES HIS EDGE ON THE ECONOMY: POLL 

President Biden gives remarks on the effects of Hurricane Milton on the White House campus on Oct. 10. He said Tuesday night that Harris will have to “cut her own path” if elected president. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

National political correspondent Alex Thompson reported that “many senior Biden aides remain wounded by the president being pushed out of his re-election bid and are still adjusting to being in a supporting role on the campaign trail.” 

Thompson wrote the main issue with some Harris campaign members is that White House aides “aren’t sufficiently coordinating Biden’s messaging and schedule to align with what’s best for the vice president’s campaign.” 

Thompson cited recent conflicts such as Biden holding an impromptu press conference on Friday while Harris was attending an event in Michigan.  

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two on departure from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

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Another notable incident included Biden complimenting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for handling recent hurricanes shortly after Harris criticized DeSantis for not taking her calls. Thompson wrote that a person familiar with the situation said Biden wasn’t briefed on Harris’ comments before praising DeSantis. 

Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who led the Senate introduction of the Laken Riley Act alongside Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., hit former President Bill Clinton for failing to acknowledge during his remarks about the border crisis “that this is a conscious choice the Biden-Harris Administration has made.”

In a campaign visit to Georgia on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., Clinton invoked the February death of Laken Riley, an Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia’s campus. 

The suspect charged with allegedly murdering Riley, Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, has pleaded not guilty. 

SENATE DEMS TARGET BLACK VOTERS WITH NEW AD AS HARRIS’ SUPPORT FALLS SHORT

Sen. Katie Britt, right, criticized former President Bill Clinton for mentioning the border’s failure to vet illegal immigrants without mentioning the Biden-Harris administration’s actions. Laken Riley is pictured center. (Reuters/ Laken Riley Facebook)

“[Harris is] the only candidate who has actually endorsed a bill that would hold down immigration any given year to a certain point and then made sure we gave people a decent place to live, didn’t divide people from their children. And we did total vetting before people got in. Now, Trump killed the bill,” Clinton said during the campaign stop. 

“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. Yeah, well, if they’d all been properly vetted that probably wouldn’t have happened.”

‘A LOT OF TRUMP SIGNS’: RESIDENTS IN BLUE STRONGHOLD MILWAUKEE BREAK DOWN 2024 ELECTION

Former President Bill Clinton’s speech in Columbus, Georgia, on Monday heavily focused on the issue of the border. (Getty Images)

In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Britt said, “Laken Riley would be alive today if the Biden-Harris Administration had stronger border security and interior immigration enforcement policies in place. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have willfully, recklessly, and unlawfully allowed poorly vetted individuals, including Laken Riley’s accused murderer, to unleash havoc on American families nationwide.”

“What President Clinton refused to admit is that this is a conscious choice the Biden-Harris Administration has made,” she continued. “No one is forcing them to parole hundreds of thousands of poorly vetted individuals into communities across our country, and they could end their dangerous, unprecedented abuse of immigration parole today if they wanted to.”

‘I WAS MUCH BETTER OFF’: THESE VOTERS BACK TRUMP IN TOP BATTLEGROUND COUNTY

Introduced by Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., right, and Ted Budd, R-N.C., the bill serves as the Senate companion to H.R. 7511, which was originally introduced in the House by Georgia GOP Rep. Mike Collins. (Getty Images, Laken Riley/Facebook)

Britt also slammed the extensive executive actions by the administration that she said, “weakened border security and immigration enforcement.”

“They suspended deportations, halted construction of the border wall, and announced a plan to give amnesty to millions. That made it crystal clear from the start of their tenure that their goal was mass migration – not the safety and security of the American people.”

The Alabama senator criticized her Democrat counterparts in the Senate for blocking “the commonsense, bipartisan Laken Riley Act and instead defend[ing] the Biden-Harris mass migration agenda – the very agenda that senselessly enabled the murders of Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, Rachel Morin, and countless others.”

“I’m going to continue fighting to pass this important legislation and return President Trump to the White House, so he can restore the strong border policies that were working under his Administration.”

KAMALA HARRIS ACCUSED OF PLAGIARIZING IN 2009 BOOK ABOUT BEING ‘SMART ON CRIME’

Former President Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he speaks with Republican Senator Katie Britt from Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium for a football game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on Sep 28, 2024. (Gary Cosby Jr/Imagn Images)

Britt and Budd’s measure would require illegal immigrants who commit crimes such as theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting to be arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Further, the detainment of said illegal immigrants would be mandated until removal from the country can be coordinated. 

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The bill would also establish standing for states to bring civil action against federal officials that do not enforce immigration law or violate the law. 

The measure is co-sponsored by nearly every member of the Senate Republican conference and one Democrat, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who joined in the summer after initially opposing a modified version of the bill being included in a several bill appropriations package earlier in the year. 

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

WASHINGTON CROSSING, Penn. – As she ramps up her efforts to court disgruntled Republicans in her battle with former President Donald Trump for the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a two-pronged approach on Wednesday.

The Democratic presidential nominee will team up in battleground Pennsylvania with more than 100 anti-Trump Republicans, including one of the most vocal and visible, former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger.

Following her campaign event at the historic park where George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 – a turning point moment in the American Revolutionary War – the vice president will sit down with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier for an interview that will run on “Special Report” at 6 p.m. ET.

With less than three weeks until Election Day, Harris and Trump are locked in a margin-of-error race in the key swing states.

HARRIS RAMPS UP OUTREACH TO BLACK MEN AS TRUMP MAKES GAINS

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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

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

Kinzinger, who flew missions as a pilot in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and later served a dozen years as a conservative member of Congress, had a prominent speaking role at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, when Harris gave her nomination acceptance speech.

Kinzinger was one of only two Republicans who served on a special select committee organized by House Democrats that investigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to prevent the Congressional certification of the 2020 election.

Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22, 2024 in Chicago. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )

The other was former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the one-time rising conservative star among House Republicans who became a leading GOP crusader against Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden. 

Cheney formally endorsed Harris as the two teamed up at a campaign event in swing state Wisconsin two weeks ago.

The Harris campaign highlighted that the vice president on Wednesday will also be joined at her event in Bucks County – a key swing county north of Philadelphia – by former Republican Reps. Barbara Comstack of Virginia, Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania, Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, Denver Riggleman of Virginia, Chris Shays of Connecticut, David Trott of Michigan, as well as former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and former aides who served in the Trump administration.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW 

As she did at her event with Cheney, Harris is expected to spotlight the importance of patriotism and upholding the Constitution in a bipartisan call for putting country above party in this election.

“Anyone who recklessly tramples on our democratic values as Donald Trump has, anyone who has actively and violently obstructed the will of the people and the peaceful transfer of power as Donald Trump has … must never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States,” Harris emphasized two weeks ago as she stood on the podium with Cheney.

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

Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, has also endorsed Harris.

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

HARRIS TEAMS UP WITH CHENEY AT BIRTHPLACE OF THE GOP

Following Wednesday’s event, the vice president is expected to sit with Baier for approximately 25–30 minutes at around 5 p.m. ET, about an hour before “Special Report” airs live.

“We are going to run it uninterrupted, unedited, all the way,” Baier said on the eve of the interview.

The vice president’s first formal interview on Fox News will give her a chance to speak directly to viewers across the ideological spectrum who normally do not watch the rival cable news networks CNN and MSNBC.

“Special Report” is regularly among the most-watched programs on cable news, and the show’s “Common Ground” segment features political leaders from across the aisle discussing the issues of the day with the goal of finding compromise.

“We have a lot of eyeballs. We have Democrats, independents and Republicans,” Baier said. “We have the biggest cable news audience. And this is probably going to get a lot more eyeballs. I think tough but fair is what I pitched it as. And I think that’s what they’re going to see.”

Harris largely avoided interviews after replacing President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket in mid-July. Her first formal sit-down interview with CNN did not happen until late August. However, she has ramped up her media appearances in recent weeks, including interviews with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” ABC’s “The View,” late night talk show host Stephen Colbert, radio personality Howard Stern and numerous podcasts. Most of those encounters were perceived as friendly interviews.

The interview with Baier on Fox News, however, may feed the perception that the vice president in the closing stretch of the campaign is open to facing tough questions.

“She knows there are going to be hard questions. She can handle those,” seasoned Democratic strategist and communicator Chris Moyer told Fox News. “Going through that process and handling that, you’re kind of going behind enemy lines a little bit.”

Harris will be the first Democratic presidential nominee in eight years to sit for an interview on Fox News, when Hillary Clinton spoke with Chris Wallace in 2016.

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However, leading Harris surrogates – including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg – have made high-profile appearances on Fox News this summer and autumn.

Additionally, Democratic vice presidential nominee, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday” the past two weekends.

Former President Donald Trump sat down with Fox News’ Harris Faulkner for a town hall on “The Faulkner Focus” answering questions from female voters in Georgia. (‘Fox & Friends’ )

The Harris sitdown with Baier comes the same day that Fox News ran a townhall with Trump, with the former president fielding questions on issues such as abortion and child care from an all-female audience.

The program, recorded on Tuesday in battleground Georgia, ran Wednesday morning on “The Faulkner Focus.”

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

The Senate Democrat campaign arm announced a new effort to reach Black voters on Wednesday as Vice President Kamala Harris, who leads the ticket, is struggling to match President Biden’s margin with the demographic. 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is advertising in local Black media outlets across seven states with pivotal Senate races, including Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Maryland, Texas and Florida. 

The ads will focus on emphasizing the importance of participating in the upcoming elections, as fears of declining enthusiasm among Black voters are returning. 

‘A LOT OF TRUMP SIGNS’: RESIDENTS IN BLUE STRONGHOLD MILWAUKEE BREAK DOWN 2024 ELECTION

Vice President Kamala Harris is short of President Biden’s 2020 margin with Black voters. (Istock)

“Our vote. Our power. Make your voice heard, make your plan to vote. IWillVote.com,” the ad said. 

It is running, starting on Wednesday, in publications such as the Florida Star, the Baltimore Times/Annapolis Times, the Michigan Chronicle, the Call & Post in Ohio, the West Philly Journal, Houston Style Magazine, Dallas Weekly and the Milwaukee Community Journal. 

“Black voters have the power to shape the outcome of the 2024 election and will play a critical role in defending Democrats’ Senate majority that is fighting for the values, priorities and issues that matter most for Black Americans. This campaign will build on Senate Democrats’ efforts to meet Black voters wherever they are and ensure that every voter has the information they need to make their plan to vote and make their voice heard in the 2024 Senate election,” DSCC Deputy Executive Director Jessica Knight Henry said in a statement.

The Democrats’ effort to shore up Black voter turnout and support in crucial Senate races comes as recent polling indicates former President Donald Trump is making gains with Black men, who are traditionally some of the Democratic Party’s most reliable supporters.

‘I WAS MUCH BETTER OFF’: THESE VOTERS BACK TRUMP IN TOP BATTLEGROUND COUNTY

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on the campus of East Carolina University on Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, North Carolina. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

It also comes as Harris’ campaign faces a disparity between Biden’s 2020 vote share of the demographic and hers. 

In a recent poll, 76% of Black voters said they would support Harris if the election were held that day, per the New York Times and Siena College. While over three-quarters of the group indicated they would back Harris, the number was shy of the 90% of Black voters who chose Biden in 2020, when the president defeated then-President Trump. 

Amid this concern, Harris’ campaign unveiled this week its “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men.” 

Her plan includes fully forgivable loans for Black entrepreneurs, a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and legalizing recreational marijuana, among other measures. 

KAMALA HARRIS ACCUSED OF PLAGIARIZING IN 2009 BOOK ABOUT BEING ‘SMART ON CRIME’

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed concerns about waning support from Black male voters in a new interview with “The Shade Room” host Justin Carter. (YouTube The Shade Room/Screenshot)

“Kamala Harris and Senate Democrats are struggling with Black voters because Black voters don’t like paying insanely high prices at the grocery store, mass illegal immigration, and having their taxpayer funds used to pay for gender transition surgery for murderers,” National Republican Senate Committee Communications Director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Top Democrat Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., recently admitted his concern about Black voters supporting Republicans, saying on CNN’s “State of the Union,” “I am concerned about Black men staying home or voting for Trump.” 

Former President Barack Obama also expressed worry in Pennsylvania, telling people at a pre-campaign stop, “I’m speaking to men directly — part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.” 

TRUMP ALLY TIM SCOTT MULLS BID FOR TOP ROLE AT SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM

Comedian Bill Maher recently poked fun at the fact that former President Barack Obama had to resort to “scolding” Black men into supporting Vice President Kamala Harris. (Michelle Gustafson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Harris answered questions about her support with Black men in a recent interview, explaining, “One, that’s not my experience,” and, “Two, Election Day has not arrived yet.”

“Black men are no different from anybody else,” she said on the Black-focused entertainment show “The Shade Room.” 

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“They expect that you have to earn their vote. And that’s why I’m out here.”

Harris also did an audio town hall this week on iHeartRadio with “Breakfast Club” radio show co-host Charlamagne Tha God, who is particularly popular with Black listeners. 

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

A local Democratic Party chair in North Carolina resigned this week after he was arrested for allegedly ripping out and stealing roadside signs supporting former President Donald Trump. 

Lowell Simon, the now former chair of the Moore County Democratic Party, who is also running for North Carolina House in November, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs. 

The Moore County Democratic Party announced in a Facebook post on Monday that 68-year-old Simon had resigned as chair “following recent allegations and arrest related to the theft of political signs.” 

The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy working in the West End area observed Simon removing campaign signs from the roadside along Seven Lakes Drive at approximately 5:25 p.m. Thursday. 

“The deputy, who was responding to an unrelated call at the time, later followed up at Simon’s residence, where the signs were found in his vehicle,” according to the office. “Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.” 

NORTH CAROLINA MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING FEMA WORKERS WITH ASSAULT RIFLE AMID HURRICANE HELENE CLEAN-UP

Moore County Democratic Party Chair Lowell Simon was arrested for allegedly stealing political signs. (Moore County Sheriff’s Office)

A warrant for Simon’s arrest was issued Saturday. He was released “under a written promise to appear in court,” according to the sheriff’s office, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30. 

“While we appreciate the hard work and dedication he has shown to the Democratic Party and the community, the Moore County Democratic Party cannot and will not condone the tampering of political signs or any other illegal activity,” the local party wrote on Facebook. “Mr. Simon has offered an apology for his actions, as well as his resignation, both of which have been accepted by the MCDP.”

WRAL, the outlet that interviewed Simon over the phone after his arrest, said the local chair complained that signs he had already placed in support of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein, the state’s current attorney general running against Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, were obstructed by new signs later set up in front of them that read: “Trump low taxes, Kamala high taxes.” 

RETIRED NORTH CAROLINA POLICE OFFICER DELIVERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SUPPLIES, FOOD TO HELENE SURVIVORS

“My worse angels got the better of me and I removed the signs,” Simon said. “I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t do it in the stealth of night or anything. I did it when it was five o’clock in the afternoon.”

Former President Donald Trump supporters hold up signs during a campaign rally at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Aug. 21, 2024. (PETER ZAY/AFP via Getty Images)

“We believe in the importance of freedom of expression and speech, and hope that local law enforcement will continue to enforce such laws that protect those freedoms fairly and without bias across party lines,” the local party added. “As we move forward, our focus will remain on electing Democrats up and down the ballot in this critical election. Together, we are committed to promoting the values of justice, fairness, and freedom that our Party holds dear, and we look forward to building a better future for all in Moore County.”

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Last week, Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields, a Republican, also issued a reminder to the public after Simon’s arrest “that the removal or theft of campaign signs is a violation of North Carolina General Statute § 136-32(e), which protects the lawful placement of these signs during election periods.” 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will have to turn over unredacted copies of a White House officials’ correspondence with DHS that refers to VP Kamala Harris as the “border czar,” if Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., gets his way. 

Last month, Rep. Matt Gaetz demanded all correspondence from the DHS that refers to Harris as the “border czar” by Aug. 30. According to documents from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the Heritage Oversight Project, Ian Sams, a White House official, reportedly intervened to block the release of the documents.

“At the time [Sams] was engaged in a cover-up for her using government resources, he already had lined up his job on her campaign, which he officially started less than two weeks later,” Gaetz wrote in a letter to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday. “This is shady.”

HERITAGE FOUNDATION SUES DHS FOR DOCUMENTS THAT SAY ‘HARRIS’ AND ‘BORDER CZAR’

Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 17, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Gaetz is requesting unredacted copies of the correspondence involving Ian Sams related to his oversight request by Oct. 25. 

“In fact, the day before the due date, on August 29, 2024, they raised the issue again to political appointees. Kudos to them. But the reason they did not respond to my request, apparently, is that the White House got involved,” Gaetz wrote.

Gaetz suggests that Sams’ actions may have violated the Hatch Act and other ethics rules, and he expects DHS to produce the requested emails as well as his initial request for emails with the term “border czar” by the end of the month.

The Heritage Foundation submitted their FOIA request on July 30, but DHS denied it, saying it was “too broad in scope and did not specifically identify the records which you are seeking,” the lawsuit states. The plaintiffs were asked to specify what records they wanted. 

AXIOS HIT WITH COMMUNITY NOTE AFTER CLAIMING HARRIS WAS NEVER ‘BORDER CZAR’

Harris was reportedly dubbed the “border czar.” (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“If she wasn’t the border czar then there shouldn’t be any. Amongst other excuses, DHS says this request is too big a burden for them,” the Oversight Project posted on X. 

Harris’ immigration record has been a major talking point since she announced her candidacy for president after President Biden dropped out of the race.

Harris was widely dubbed the “border czar” after Biden tasked her in March 2021 to address the root causes of mass migration from Central and South America. 

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The term has become a cornerstone of GOP attacks on Harris as she continues her White House bid.

The Biden administration has rejected “border czar” as an unofficial title for Harris’ role, but the term was embraced by multiple news organizations before she ascended to the top of the presidential ticket.

Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment but did not hear back by publication deadline.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.

Vice President Harris continues to hold a slim lead over former President Trump, even as Trump extends his lead on the top issues for voters, according to a new poll.

A Tuesday poll from Reuters/Ipsos found Harris leading Trump in a 45%-42% match-up nationally, well within the margin of error. Meanwhile, Trump sits at 45% support on the economy, compared to Harris’ 40%. Reuters had previously polled just a 3-point lead for Trump on the issue in late November.

Harris, however, holds a commanding lead when it comes to healthcare, where she is 14 points ahead of Trump. She also holds a 43%-38% lead on handling political extremism and protecting democracy.

The Reuters poll surveyed 938 U.S. adults online, nationwide, including 807 registered voters. Among these, 769 were considered the most likely to turn out on Election Day. The poll closed on Sunday.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are locked into a neck-and-neck race for president.

Voters on both sides of the aisle say they are deeply motivated to head to the polls, according to the survey. Roughly 86% of Democrats and 81% of Republicans said they are “completely certain” that they would cast a ballot in the presidential election.

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

Reuters noted that 74% of the wider electorate said they were certain to vote in the 2020 election, but 78% say the same for the 2024 election.

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

The poll comes as the Harris campaign is sounding the alarm regarding a lack of support among Black male voters.

HARRIS UNVEILS NEW AGENDA AS SHE COURTS BLACK MALE VOTERS

Former President Obama, in comments that went viral, admonished Black male voters for a lack of enthusiasm for Harris this weekend. Obama’s comments came as polls indicate Trump is making gains with the demographic, who are traditionally some of the Democratic Party’s most reliable supporters.

Vice President Kamala Harris is reaching out to Black male voters ahead of Election Day. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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During a stop at a Black-owned coffee shop and record store in Erie, Pennsylvania, – located in another crucial battleground state – the vice president also showcased her agenda including providing 1 million loans that are fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business, championing education, training and mentorship programs that help Black men get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries and lead their communities, including pathways to become teachers.

EXCLUSIVE: Former first lady Melania Trump is releasing a special collector’s edition of her new memoir containing exclusive images she photographed at the White House and around the world. 

The collector’s edition of the former first lady’s first-ever memoir, “Melania,” features 256 pages in full color, with each copy signed by Trump. 

MELANIA TRUMP’S MEMOIR SOARS TO TOP SPOT ON SEVERAL AMAZON ‘BEST SELLERS’ LISTS WEEKS BEFORE ITS RELEASE

The collector’s edition includes photos hand-selected by Trump, many she photographed herself surrounding her home and various trips she has taken around the world. 

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained several photos taken by the former first lady featured in the collector’s edition, including a photo of her and former President Donald Trump on their very first date. 

“Donald and I on our first date night,” she told Fox News Digital. “It was an enjoyable and memorable evening.” 

Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump on their first date.

Another photo expected to be featured in the collector’s edition is one that Trump took herself, a photo of Marine One outside the first lady’s room in the White House. 

“The striking view from my room as my husband returns to the White House aboard Marine One,” Trump told Fox News Digital, as she described the photo she captured. “The helicopter’s iconic silhouette against the skyline symbolizes his commitment to service, while the surrounding landscape serves as a reminder of the responsibilities he carries.” 

A photo former first lady Melania Trump took from outside her window in the White House of Marine One.

Another image Trump photographed that will be featured in the collector’s edition is one inside the historic West Wing residence.  

“The West Wing hallway, in the residence, characterized by its iconic window, serves as a significant architectural feature that allows natural light to brighten up the space,” she told Fox News Digital. 

A photo from inside the West Wing residence, taken by former first lady Melania Trump.

Fox News Digital has learned the collector’s edition of the book is printed on “premium art paper with a special custom white binding and adorned with black foil, blocking, and a ribbon marker.” 

“Writing my memoir has been an amazing journey filled with emotional highs and lows,” the former first lady told Fox News Digital. “Each story shaped me into who I am today.” 

MELANIA TRUMP LAUNCHES JEWELRY LINE TO HONOR MOMS AHEAD OF MOTHER’S DAY, RAISE FUNDS FOR FOSTER KIDS

She told Fox News Digital that “although daunting at times, the process has been incredibly rewarding, reminding me of my strength, and the beauty of sharing my truth.” 

The memoir, according to the press release, is “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overcome adversity and defined personal excellence.” 

The special “Collector’s Edition” of former first lady Melania Trump’s memoir, “Melania.”

“The former First Lady invites readers into her world, offering an intimate portrait of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life,” the press release says. “Melania includes personal stories and family photos she has never before shared with the public.” 

“Melania” is the former first lady’s first book. 

MELANIA TRUMP TO RELEASE FIRST MEMOIR, WILL REVEAL STORIES AND PHOTOS ‘NEVER BEFORE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC’

During her time as first lady, Trump hosted virtual roundtables on foster care as part of her “Be Best” initiative and focused on strengthening the child welfare system. She worked with members of Congress on legislation that secured funding for grants awarded to youth and young adults currently or formerly in foster care to help pay for college, career school or training. The bill ultimately was signed by then-President Donald Trump in December 2020.

Former first lady Melania Trump.

Since leaving the White House, the former first lady has also created special edition Non-Fungible Tokens. A portion of those proceeds also went toward her initiative “Fostering the Future” to secure educational opportunities and scholarships for children in the foster care community.

“Fostering the Future” students are currently enrolled in multiple colleges and universities across the country, with areas of focus primarily on technology and computer sciences. 

Earlier this year, the former first lady also rolled out a jewelry line to honor “all mothers,” telling Fox News Digital that mothers are “the bedrock of the American family.”

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A portion of the proceeds from the jewelry line are going toward her “Fostering the Future” initiative.

The memoir is being published by Skyhorse Publishing. 

MILWAUKEE — In a battleground Wisconsin’s biggest blue enclave, people who spoke with Fox News Digital are divided on who they’re supporting in the November presidential election. 

Giovanni Riley is voting for the Democrat nominee, Vice President Harris, he told Fox News Digital. 

When asked what issues sold him on Harris, he said he’s “doing it for the culture.”

Riley said he chose to back Harris “to make sure our people, minorities, get the things and resources that they need and for everyone to be in a good space.”

‘I WAS MUCH BETTER OFF’: THESE VOTERS BACK TRUMP IN TOP BATTLEGROUND COUNTY

Voters in Milwaukee were divided on the 2024 presidential election. (Fox News Digital | istock)

According to him, the symbolism of Harris, a Black and Indian mixed-race woman, being president of the United States is important.

“I believe that having a Black president and then going to a female president is something different. That is something that we never had,” he said. “And it just brings hope to our minorities to believe that you can do anything that you put your heart to.”

“And I believe that she’s the one for it.”

‘THE LEFT HAS PERFECTED THIS’: CONSERVATIVES TAKE PAGE FROM OBAMA’S PLAYBOOK IN BATTLEGROUND WISCONSIN

Trump and Harris are fighting to win swing state Wisconsin, which has gone Democrat and Republican in the past two elections. (Reuters/IStock)

In fact, Riley said he only supported President Biden because of Harris being on his ticket. 

However, not everyone in Milwaukee County shares his view, despite its voting record. 

Steve Batsky told Fox News Digital that he was voting for the Republican nominee, former President Trump, as he did in the past two elections. He cited immigration and the economy as his reasons.

As compared to 2016 and 2020 in the blue area, he said, “I’m seeing more Republican overall support; a lot of Trump signs, a lot of Donovan signs,” presumably referencing Wisconsin state Rep. Bob Donovan.

‘DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS’: WISCONSINITES TALK HARRIS’ MIDWESTERN RUNNING MATE TIM WALZ

Vice President Harris (Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Again, everything in Milwaukee County tends to be blue,” Batsky said for context. 

Brian Morawski said he sees a variety of Democrat signs in the area in and around Milwaukee and that “People are incorrect in their voting.”

“Actually, I counted signs” outside Milwaukee County, he said. “I was driving west through the state, and there were more corn stands than there were Harris signs.”

“Harris is actually going to lose to corn stands this year,” he laughed. “It turns out that part of Wisconsin is correct.” 

FOR WISCONSIN DEMS, A 2024 WIN IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE IS YEARS IN THE MAKING

The Lawrence sisters were special guest speakers at a Trump press conference this month. (Reuters)

In early October, Milwaukee residents Michaella and Leah Lawrence joined Trump for a press conference on school choice in the city. Speaking with Fox News Digital after the event, Michaella said, “This would be my first year voting.”

Her younger sister will not be old enough to vote next month.

As for what she was hearing from people her age just starting college, Michaella said they are mostly concerned about the costs associated with being in the adult world.

She talked about hearing “people around my age saying it’s really hard. It’s a big struggle finding – like just to live – basic necessities to live.”

“Inflation is like crazy high.”

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Leah noted that she and her friends can’t vote but are paying attention.

“Whatever happens with this election, we will be directly affected by that because we will be paying taxes, we will be working, and we’ll just, you know, be out here in the economy,” she said, referring to the added responsibilities that come with turning 18.

“That’s the biggest worry for us,” she said.

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

Five states join the rest of the country on Wednesday as they start the early voting process for the 2024 election.

Iowa, Kansas, Nevada, Oregon and Rhode Island make a total of 49 states and Washington, D.C., that have begun early voting.

Here’s how to cast a ballot in each state.

WORKING CLASS WILL COME HOME TO HARRIS, RALLYGOERS IN POSTINDUSTRIAL PENNSYLVANIANS SAY

A volunteer sanitizes a voting booth at a polling location for the 2020 presidential election in Ankeny, Iowa.

Nevada is one of the most competitive states this cycle

Forever a battleground, reliably Democrat: That’s the story of Nevada’s presidential politics.

The state has voted for every Democrat who has run for president since 1992, except the two elections with President Bush on the ballot. But the average margin across those eight elections is just 4.1 points.

There are only six electoral votes at stake, but they could be crucial for either candidate. If Harris wins two of the battleground Rust Belt states but loses Pennsylvania, for example, then a combination of Nevada and North Carolina would make up for the deficit.

Nevada is home to the “Reid Machine,” a voter turnout operation named after late Senate leader Harry Reid, that activates voters favorable to Democrats, especially Hispanic and unionized hospitality workers in the Las Vegas area.

Those groups aren’t as overwhelmingly Democrat as they used to be. The party has shed 10 points worth of the Hispanic vote since 2020 and seven points of the non-college-educated vote.

Voters backed a Republican for governor in 2022; that election came two years after the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the tourism industry. They held on to their Democrat senator.

Republicans do well in the vast rural areas led by Lincoln County, where Trump won by 71 points in 2020, and the state’s northeastern counties.

The battleground is Washoe County, home to Reno. Biden won there by 4.5 points in 2020, making it the state’s closest county.

Nevada is a Toss Up in the Fox News Power Rankings.

The Silver State also has a senate race on the ballot. Democrat Sen. Jacky Rosen seeks a second term in office but faces Republican Army veteran Sam Brown. The Senate race is ranked Lean D.

Finally, Iowa voters start heading to the polls today. Once a hotly competitive state, it voted for Trump by eight points in 2020. Iowa is one of several states dominated by White working-class voters who flipped to Trump in his first run for office and have not gone back.

A recent Des Moines Register survey showing Harris four points behind Trump raised eyebrows, but it would take an extraordinary night for Harris to flip this one.

Key downballot races in today’s early voting states

Voting also begins today in four battleground House districts. For a full list of competitive races, see the latest Senate and House rankings.

• Iowa’s 1st District: Second-term GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks won this seat by six votes in 2020, and while redistricting gave her a more comfortable win in the midterms, she remains vulnerable in the Davenport and Iowa City district. Former state Rep. Christina Bohannan is the Democrat candidate. It’s a Toss Up in the Power Rankings.
• Iowa’s 3rd District: The southern 3rd District is represented by Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who flipped the seat during the midterms. It was another close race, with 2,145 votes separating him and his Democrat opponent. This year, he’s up against Democrat Lanon Baccam, who recently worked at the USDA. This is a Lean R race.
• Nevada’s 3rd District: This district almost touches Las Vegas, but it stretches a long way west of that out to Henderson, Boulder City and rural Clark County. Democrat Rep. Susie Lee has served in the district since 2019; this year, she faces Republican Drew Johnson. This race is ranked Lean D.
• Oregon’s 5th District: Finally, Oregon’s 5th District ranges from parts of Portland out to the Cascades. GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer flipped this race in the midterms after Democrats booted out their incumbent moderate Democrat in a primary, but it’s a razor-thin race in 2024. The Democrat challenger this time around is state Rep. Janelle Bynum. It’s another Power Rankings Toss Up.

How to vote in Iowa

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 Iowa.

Voting by mail

Iowa began absentee voting on Wednesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. State officials must receive a ballot request by Oct. 21, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

PA TOWN ROILED BY TALK OF MIGRANT HOUSING IN CIVIL-WAR-ERA ORPHANAGE BUILDING

Early in-person voting

Iowa offers early in-person voting beginning Oct. 16 and running through Nov. 4.

Voter registration

Iowa residents can register to vote in person at any point during early voting or on Election Day. The deadline for online or mail registration is Oct. 21.

Dozens of states now offer early voting. (Fox News Digital)

How to vote in Kansas

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 Kansas.

Voting by mail

Kansas began absentee voting on Wednesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. State officials must receive a ballot request by Oct. 29, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

PENNSYLVANIA LEADERS IN BOTH PARTIES TALK GROUND GAME AS GOP SEEKS TO UNDO MASSIVE GAINS

Early in-person voting

Some Kansas counties offer early in-person voting beginning Oct. 16, but other counties start later. Check the state’s website for more information.

Voter registration

Kansas residents must have registered to vote by Oct. 15.

How to vote in Nevada

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 Nevada.

Voting by mail

Nevada began absentee voting on Wednesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. State officials began actively sending absentee ballots to eligible voters on Wednesday, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting

Nevada will begin early in-person voting on Oct. 19, and it will continue through Nov. 1.

Voter registration

Nevada residents can register online through Election Day, and they can register in person from Oct. 19 to Nov. 1 or in person on Election Day.

Fifteen states are starting or expanding their early voting programs this week. (Fox News Digital)

How to vote in Oregon

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 Oregon.

Voting by mail

Oregon began absentee voting on Wednesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. State officials began actively sending absentee ballots to eligible voters on Wednesday, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting

Oregon does not offer in-person early voting.

Voter registration

Oregon residents must have registered to vote by Oct. 15.

How to vote in Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island.

Voting by mail

Rhode Island began absentee voting on Wednesday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. Residents must request a ballot by Oct. 15, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5. 

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Early in-person voting

Rhode Island begins early in-person voting on Wednesday, and it will continue through Nov. 4.

Voter registration

Rhode Island can register to vote in person on election day or during early voting. The deadline for online or by-mail registration was Oct. 6.

Facing off against former President Trump in a margin-of-error showdown with less than three weeks to go until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris is stepping up her conversations with the media during the final stretch on the campaign.

That effort ramps up a notch on Wednesday, as the vice president is scheduled to sit down in battleground Pennsylvania with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier for an interview that will run on “Special Report” at 6 p.m. ET.

Harris will speak with Fox News following an afternoon campaign event in Bucks County, a crucial swing county in Philadelphia’s northern suburbs.

Baier said the Democratic presidential nominee is expected to sit for approximately 25-30 minutes at around 5 p.m. ET, about an hour before “Special Report” airs live.

HARRIS RAMPS UP OUTREACH TO BLACK MEN AS TRUMP MAKES GAINS

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, in Erie, Pennyslvania, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“We are going to run it uninterrupted, unedited, all the way,” Baier said on the eve of the interview.

The vice president’s first formal interview on Fox News will give her a chance to speak directly to viewers across the ideological spectrum who normally don’t watch the rival cable news networks CNN and MSNBC.

“Special Report” is regularly among the most-watched programs on cable news, and the show’s Common Ground segment features political leaders from across the aisle discussing the issues of the day with the goal of finding compromise.

“We have a lot of eyeballs. We have Democrats, independents and Republicans,” Baier said. “We have the biggest cable news audience. And this is probably going to get a lot more eyeballs. I think tough but fair is what I pitched it as. And I think that’s what they’re going to see.”

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

Harris largely avoided interviews after replacing President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket in mid-July. Her first formal sitdown interview – with CNN – didn’t occur until late August. But she has ramped up her media appearances in recent weeks, including interviews with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” ABC’s “The View,” late night talk show host Stephen Colbert, radio personality Howard Stern, and numerous podcasts. Most of those encounters were perceived as friendly interviews.

But the interview with Baier on Fox News may feed the perception that the vice president in the closing stretch of the campaign is open to facing tough questions.

“She knows there are going to be hard questions. She can handle those,” seasoned Democratic strategist and communicator Chris Moyer told Fox News. “Going through that process and handling that, you’re kind of going behind enemy lines a little bit.”

Moyer, a veteran of multiple Democratic presidential campaigns, argued that “doing well in that is a good boost for the campaign, and voters like to know that they’re going to elect somebody who can handle not just the friendly interviews.”

Vice President Kamala Harris will be interviewed by Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier on Wednesday.

Harris becomes the first Democratic presidential nominee in eight years to sit for an interview on Fox News – 2016 standard-bearer Hillary Clinton spoke with Chris Wallace.

But leading Harris surrogates – including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg – have made high-profile appearances on Fox News this summer and autumn.

And Democratic vice presidential nominee, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday” the past two weekends.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW 

Aides to the Harris running mate reached out to Fox News to schedule his second appearance. 

“Folks deserve to hear where we stand on this. Vice President Harris and I have an agenda for, you know, a new way forward, a manufacturing agenda. I was just in Michigan this week. And I think folks are still undecided out there. And I appreciate you. You ask good, hard questions and your viewers get a chance to hear,” Walz told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream this past weekend.

Former President Trump holds a town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center on Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pennsylvania. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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The Harris sitdown with Baier comes the same day that Fox News will run a townhall with Trump, with the former president fielding questions on issues such as abortion and child care from an all-female audience.

The program, recorded on Tuesday in battleground Georgia, will air Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET on “The Faulkner Focus.”

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report

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

As the negative media onslaught against Donald Trump grows louder, he is taking on the fact-checkers.

What’s fascinating in the coverage is that the journalists and organizations that do this are treated like prophets handing down the tablets from Mount Olympus. There is no hint, not a whiff, that they might sometimes be wrong or engaging in overkill.

AS A CAUTIOUS KAMALA LOSES MOMENTUM, DEMOCRATS ARE PANICKING OVER A TRUMP WIN

In a new Gallup poll, 36 percent said they had “no trust at all” in the media, while just 31 percent said they found the media to be fair and accurate a “great deal” or “fair amount.” The distrust was far higher among Republicans than Democrats.

Now skeptics will say that Trump tells a lot of falsehoods, some decisions are clear-cut, and it’s worth trying to hold him accountable. I know these folks work hard, having done a lot of it myself, but sometimes the fact checks are contentious in gray areas, or even over something Trump said jokingly at a rally.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

I don’t even have to make the argument that Kamala Harris draws overwhelmingly favorable coverage. Now that she’s come out of her cocoon in the light of slipping polls, sitting down today with Fox’s Bret Baier, she has a short period of time to break through after walling herself off. With Democrats in panic mode, she is also ramping up her rhetoric against the former president. And we’re seeing an explosion of columns and segments on what Harris needs to do to turn her campaign around – free advice from the media.

OBAMA ACCUSES BLACK MEN OF SEXISM AMID RELUCTANCE TO SUPPORT KAMALA HARRIS

As the Washington Post notes, Trump complained about fact-checking by ABC in his debate with Harris (when it did seem like 3 against 1). And in turning down “60 Minutes,” he cited the program’s tradition of fact checking. (He also drew flak from CNBC yesterday after backing out of an interview.)

Trump visits the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 in Chicago, IL. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

If there’s one moment that crystallizes the media opposition to Trump, it’s his appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists. The opening question was a diatribe about how he was a horrible racist, building up to why any Black voters should support him. The Harris appearance, by contrast, was practically a lovefest.

Behind the scenes, there was a tense, hour-long impasse in which Trump was refusing to take the stage if there would be fact-checking. When he finally took the stage, the group lied and blamed the entire delay on audio problems.

TRUMP COUNTERS HARRIS MEDIA BLITZ BY RIPPING BOB WOODWARD, HOWARD STERN AND HER HURRICANE BRIEFING

How is it that Trump says things that trigger journalistic outrage, sometimes with incendiary language, but raise no doubts among many Republicans? The New York Times offers this explanation: 

“One of the more peculiar aspects of Donald J. Trump’s political appeal is this: A lot of people are happy to vote for him because they simply do not believe he will do many of the things he says he will…

Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on the campus of East Carolina University on October 13, 2024 in Greenville, North Carolina. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“It’s how they rationalize his rhetoric, by affording him a reverse benefit of the doubt.” 

A 40-year-old Detroit publisher was quoted as saying he didn’t believe Trump would purge the federal government and hire only election deniers: “It could just be for publicity, just riling up the news.”

Whether Trump wins or loses, he will have the support of roughly half the country. In 2020, that amounted to 73 million voters.

And yet most of the mainstream media, with some exceptions, have never really understood the unshakable bond between Trump and his supporters. Most tend to travel in circles where allowing him to be a “danger to democracy” is unthinkable. He has made inroads among Black voters, especially Black men, some of whom say the Democrats make promises at election time and then forget about their community.

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In fact, some pundits have unloaded on Trump supporters as being dummies or racist yahoos. That “basket of deplorables” approach means they are failing to grasp how much of the country feels and what their legitimate grievances might be.  That would seem to call for a sweeping reassessment of their views about America if Trump wins a second term, except the media aren’t big on self-reflection.

The presidential race is a toss-up as the last key state in Vice President Harris’ column drifts towards former President Trump.

But even as polls show a tight race, some voters are rethinking long-held beliefs. This week’s Power Rankings draws up the new Harris and Trump coalitions and shows how they could propel either candidate to victory.

Fox News Power Rankings presidential forecast.

Harris ties herself to an unpopular Joe Biden during media blitz

Harris will make headlines tomorrow when she sits down for her first ever formal interview on Fox News.

The sit-down will be the Vice President’s biggest and most closely-watched opportunity in an uneven media tour.

Her talk show appearances went smoothly, and an interview on Call Her Daddy, one of the country’s most popular podcasts, generated the same kind of excitement among young women that Trump has gained from male influencers.

But last Wednesday, asked if she would have done something differently than President Biden during his administration, Harris told ABC’s The View that “there is not a thing that comes to mind.”

VP KAMALA HARRIS TO SIT DOWN WITH CHIEF POLITICAL ANCHOR BRET BAIER FOR FIRST FORMAL FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

Harris on ABC’s The View.

The answer reminded voters that Harris is the second-in-command in a presidency they say has made their lives worse.

In NBC’s latest national poll, 45% of voters say Biden’s policies have hurt them and their families, while only a quarter say those policies have helped. That is a “net hurt” of 20 points.

Voters say Biden’s policies have hurt more than helped.

Voters view Trump’s policies much more positively, with 44% saying they helped and 31% saying they hurt. In other words, a “net help” of 13 points.

The same poll found Trump’s retrospective job approval is higher than in any of their surveys when he was president.

Harris’ campaign knows that tying the Vice President to Biden isn’t a winner. In her first interview as the Democratic nominee, Harris said it was time to “turn the page on the last decade;” her bus tells voters she offers “a new way forward.”

Trump allies have said they will use the clip in new ads, though it’s not yet clear whether that will happen.

Voters on candidate qualities.

Democrats counter that elections are as much about personal qualities as the issues. Harris leads on caring about people like you (+8), and being honest and trustworthy (+11) in a recent New York Times/Siena poll. At the same time, Trump is up three points on being a strong leader, while Harris leads by eight on being fun.

Either way, Harris’ answer was unhelpful to her campaign, which has weeks left to persuade voters that she would do things differently.

Trump stronger after the vice presidential debate

It has now been two weeks since the only debate between Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and two polls conducted after the showdown suggest that Vance won the night.

• Trump is up one point against Harris at 47%-46% among registered voters in NBC’s survey. Harris previously led by six points.
• Harris is two points ahead of Trump at 50%-48% among likely voters in ABC and Ipsos’ survey. She previously led by five points.

Those are meaningful shifts in Trump’s direction, and NBC’s poll also showed a modest improvement in Vance’s favorability.

In polls showing a tight race, a new electorate emerges

The polls above are two of many showing a race within the margin of error. 

But beneath the top lines, there are signs that the Democratic and Republican coalitions are changing. And while Trump’s gains with Black and Latino voters have been talked about the most, both coalitions are strong enough to win an election.

Trump is gaining with key voter groups.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: THE BIGGEST SURPRISES COME AFTER OCTOBER

Trump is gaining in four key voting groups. Compared to the 2020 electorate, he is up six points with male voters, while Democrats have shed 20 points worth of Black vote, 10 points of Hispanic vote, and 3 points with young voters, according to the Times/Siena poll.

The Black and Hispanic gains are the most important for the GOP. These voters can make all the difference in states like Pennsylvania and Arizona. 

The column on the left in the charts shows the percentage that each group made up of the 2020 electorate according to the Fox News Voter Analysis. The percentages apply within each voter category (race, age, etc).

Men, for example, made up 47% of the electorate, which means 53% of voters were women.

That is where the picture becomes more complicated for the Trump campaign. 

As men have shifted six points towards the former president, women have shifted three points towards Harris. Voters with a college degree have shifted 10 points towards the Vice President, giving her an overall 26-point advantage with the bloc. And Harris has flipped seniors.

Harris is gaining with key voter groups.

These are some of the most reliable and over-represented voting groups in the U.S. Only about a third of adults have a college degree, for example, but this group accounts for 40% of voters.

In other words, the gains that Trump has made with some key groups are counterbalanced by Harris’ gains with other voters.

Harris loses her lead in the forecast

Battleground polls also show a race on a knife’s edge. 

Surveys from the Wall Street Journal and Quinnipiac across the three key Rust Belt states have the candidates within a few points, matching more than a dozen other high-quality polls over the last month.

Battleground polls show races within the margin of error.

This forecast previously gave Harris an advantage in Michigan. The state has delivered for Democrats since 2016, and the GOP’s turnout operation appears to be particularly disorganized there. 

But that isn’t enough when the polls show a race this tight. Both campaigns are making regular visits, and Republicans have booked more spending here than any other battleground state (except Pennsylvania, where ad rates are higher).

Fox News Power Rankings presidential map.

Michigan moves from Lean D to Toss Up.

After that shift, the Power Rankings predict that Harris will win at least 226 electoral votes, with Trump winning at least 219. There are seven states worth 93 votes in the middle.

Fox News Power Rankings presidential forecast.

Harris has a six-vote edge that includes Nebraska’s second district. That is important for the Vice President, since a victory there, combined with the Rust Belt battlegrounds, would give her an outright win.

But with so many coin-flip states, this race looks like an electoral college dogfight. The presidential election moves from Harris Lead to Toss Up.

Democrats hold a ticket-splitting edge in battleground states, including Nevada

The Senate forecast still puts Republicans in control with 51 seats. An all-but-certain flip in West Virginia and an edge in Montana gets them over the line.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: SENATE REPUBLICANS TAKE CHARGE

Fox News Power Rankings Senate map.

Some polls still show GOP Senate candidates running behind Trump. In a recent Arizona survey, the chasm was 12 points wide, with Trump leading the presidential race by five and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego with a seven-point lead over Republican Kari Lake.

Some polls show higher levels of ticket-splitting.

History suggests that the gap will diminish by election night. The direction of these ticket-splitters is less clear. Either Trump voters will come home to downballot GOP candidates, or support for the former president is softer than polls suggest.

For now, with polls showing Nevada’s Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen well ahead of Republican challenger Sam Brown, their Senate race moves from Toss Up to Lean D.

Three weeks until election night

More than four million voters have now cast a ballot. Early voting is underway in all the battlegrounds except Nevada.

Tomorrow, Fox News will be the only place to see both presidential candidates. At 11AM eastern, watch Harris Faulkner’s town hall with Trump in front of an all-woman audience in Georgia. Hours later, Bret Baier will sit down with Harris in Pennsylvania. The interview airs at 6PM on Special Report.

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Fox News Media has also proposed a second Harris-Trump debate to be moderated by Baier and Martha MacCallum.

FIRST ON FOX: A dramatic, months-long campaign season is drawing to a close as the clock ticks closer to Election Day, according to a new message from House Republicans to voters.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP’s campaign arm, released a new digital ad on Tuesday marking 21 days until the election.

It comes as Republican Party operators at the state, federal and local level work overtime to convince supporters to vote early, particularly in pivotal swing states like Georgia and North Carolina that have been ravaged by Helene this storm season.

CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION

Republicans are working overtime to turn voters out early in former President Trump’s race to beat Vice President Harris. (Getty Images)

The ad features audio clips from the entire House GOP leadership suite – Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson – as well as former President Trump.

Trump’s voice opens the video with, “Republicans must win, and we must use every appropriate tool available to beat the Democrats. They are destroying our country.”

“I don’t care when you vote, but you’ve got to vote,” Trump says in the video.

Meanwhile, clips of vulnerable Republicans, like Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Ken Calvert, R-Calif., flash across the screen interspersed with the word “vote.”

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

The ad features vulnerable Republicans like Rep. Jen Kiggans. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

It’s set against a portion of “Dream On” by Aerosmith, per an airing viewed by Fox News Digital.

“In 21 days, Americans will cast their ballots to end Democrats’ dangerous, far-left socialist agenda for our country. Every trip to the grocery store, fentanyl death or crime committed in a family’s neighborhood should give voters another reason to record their vote in this critical election,” NRCC rapid response director Macy Gardner told Fox News Digital.

Early in-person voting is kicking off in four states this week. Georgia can head to the polls before Election Day from Tuesday through Nov. 1, while North Carolina begins early voting on Thursday. Voters in Iowa and Kansas are also heading to the polls.

Republican Party officials have been working overtime to convince their base to vote early after Democrats walloped the GOP with non-Election Day voters in 2020.

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

President Biden’s 2020 victory was due in no small part to non-Election Day voters. (Aaron Schwartz/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Those efforts will be particularly critical in North Carolina and Georgia, both states hit hard by Hurricane Helene and where the election is expected to be close.

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Getting likely voters to head to the polls early, Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon explained early this month, frees up resources closer to Election Day to convince “low propensity voters” to turn out as well.

“All of that requires resources. That requires money – put mail in the mailbox, ads on television, telephone calls to their home, knocking on their door. We’re trying to do all of those things,” McKoon told Fox News Digital.

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

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are tied in battleground Michigan, according to a new public opinion poll.

Fox News’ Power Rankings have moved Michigan into the toss-up column, with both parties making a strong play for Rust Belt voters. The race has tightened significantly, with voters split along generational and gender lines, according to an AARP poll conducted Oct. 2-8.

With a full ballot including all third-party candidates, Harris and Trump are tied at 46% support each, the survey said. Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. still receives 3% support even though he endorsed Trump in August. All other third-party candidates polled at a combined 2%. 

In a head-to-head matchup, Trump leads Harris by just one point, 49%-48%.

VP KAMALA HARRIS TO SIT DOWN WITH CHIEF POLITICAL ANCHOR BRET BAIER FOR FIRST FORMAL FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump answers questions at a meeting of the Detroit Economic Club, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit.  (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The survey is consistent with other AARP polls that have pointed to a generational divide. 

Harris leads by double digits among voters 18-34 and 65+, while Trump polls stronger among voters 35-49 and 50-64.

Voters are split by gender as well. “There is a very large gender gap of a net 40-points among voters overall and 29-points among voters 50+, with Harris strong with women voters and Trump with men,” the survey release states. 

The AARP poll also finds a competitive race for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. 

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: THE BIGGEST SURPRISES COME AFTER OCTOBER

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Mich., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. 

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a three-term House lawmaker, holds a narrow 49%-46% lead over Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers. 

The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.9%. 

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

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

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: SENATE REPUBLICANS TAKE CHARGE

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, the Democratic candidate for the open Michigan U.S. Senate seat, left, and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate vying for the seat, debated the issues on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, with moderators Alicia Smith, Chuck Stokes and Carolyn Clifford of WXYZ-TV in Southfield, Mich.  (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP)

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

Harris will swing through Detroit for a campaign stop Tuesday afternoon. During her visit to Motor City, she will participate in a radio town hall with Charlamagne tha God. The vice president will return to Michigan on Friday for events in Grand Rapids, Lansing and suburban Detroit.

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Trump visited Michigan last Thursday and delivered a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, where he announced proposals to make interest on auto loans tax-deductible, slash corporate taxes for American manufacturers and threatened up to 1,000% tariffs on foreign-imported vehicles if he returns to the White House.

Fox Business’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this update.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for electric vehicles (EVs) could prove to be costly to her chances in the critical swing state of Michigan.

“With Republicans beginning to embrace unions and labor, we are seeing a dramatic shift in voting behavior in Rust Belt States,” Jimmy Keady, the founder and president of JLK Political Strategies, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come as the outlook for former President Donald Trump in Michigan has continued to improve in recent weeks, with Trump now holding a narrow lead of 0.9 points in the state, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.

That lead represents a roughly three-point swing in the race since the end of August, when Harris held a 2.2-point lead over the former president, according to the historic view of the polling average.

Michigan is rated a tossup state in the presidential race in the current Fox News Power Rankings.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: HARRIS LOSES HER LEAD AND A NEW ELECTORATE EMERGES

Vice President Kamala Harris (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Part of the reason for Trump’s recent surge in the state could be due to the support of working class and union voters, who worry that the push towards EVs could put many of them out of jobs in the not-so-distant future.

“I think it is hurting Harris because of the Biden-Harris agenda on policies that don’t work for the working class,” Michael Markey, a former Republican Michigan Congressional candidate and financial adviser, told Fox News Digital.

The Trump campaign has leaned into the narrative, releasing an ad earlier this month that warned Michigan voters about Democratic support for EVs.

“Attention autoworkers: Kamala Harris wants to end all gas powered cars,” the ad said. “Crazy, but true!”

Markey believes the message is hitting home for voters in Michigan, arguing the issue is one reason Trump and the GOP have gained ground in the state.

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

“It’s a slap in the face to the union workers,” he said. “I think that’s why we’re seeing a lot of the polling trending in Republicans favor right now.”

For her part, Harris has attempted to push back against the narrative, arguing at a rally in Flint, Michigan, earlier this month that we would “never” mandate the “kind of car you have to drive.”

Former President Trump speaks during a rally on Sept. 18, 2024 in Uniondale, New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Nevertheless, Republicans have continued to hammer Harris both for her support of Biden administration regulations on tailpipe emissions, a push to phase-in EVs for newly built cars and heavy subsidies for EV production in the United States. They have also pointed to Harris’ plan during her 2020 run for president to transition all new vehicles built in the U.S. to zero emissions by 2030.

“They’re saying… ‘no one’s going to force you or tell you what kind of car you can drive,’ but they’re putting standards through the EPA that are basically mandating EV production,” Markey said.

Markey argued that Michigan workers have a long history of being at the cutting edge of the automotive industry and do not want to see jobs lost to a product that is neither profitable nor in demand by consumers.

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“The public is telling us what the next generation of cars is,” Markey said. “They still want internal combustion engines, they want hybrids, but EVs… that’s not where the public is.”

That could all add up to a problem in places like Michigan for Harris, Keady argued, noting the Democratic candidate’s struggles with traditional blue voting blocs such as unions.

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

“The Teamsters refusal to endorse is sign number one that Harris is in trouble with union workers,” Keady said. “It is not just the Biden-Harris administration’s manufacturing policies that are hurting Michigan workers; their embrace of electric vehicle mandates will add an undue burden on middle-class families.”

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

Reached for comment, a Harris campaign spokesperson referred Fox News Digital to the vice president’s most recent comments on the issue at the Flint rally.

“And, Michigan let us be clear, contrary to what my opponent is suggesting I will never tell you what kind of car you have to drive,” Harris said at the time. “But here’s what I will do: I will invest in communities like Flint, which helped build the auto industry and the UAW. We will retool existing factories, hire locally, and work with unions to create good paying jobs, including jobs that do not require a college degree”

With a margin of error race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump and three weeks to go until Election Day, the two residents of the White House are heading to the biggest of the battlegrounds to campaign on behalf of Harris and down-ballot Democrats.

President Biden travels to his native state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as he serves as the main attraction at the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee’s autumn fundraising dinner.

And first lady Jill Biden will be in suburban Philadelphia – as she headlines an afternoon event in Chester County and then speaks in the evening in Montgomery County, where she grew up.

The first lady is campaigning on behalf of Harris in the seven key swing states whose razor-thin margins decided her husband’s 2020 victory over Trump and will likely determine if Harris or Trump succeed Biden in the White House.

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

First lady Jill Biden speaks during a campaign stop Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Biden’s latest campaign trail foray for fellow Democrats comes amid reports of a lack of coordination between political advisers to the president and the vice president.

TENSIONS ALLEGEDLY RISE BETWEEN BIDEN AND HARRIS AIDES

The appearances by both Bidens also come a day after the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees campaigned in Pennsylvania, with Harris holding two events in Erie, in the northwest corner of the state, and Trump in suburban Philadelphia, in the southeastern portion of the commonwealth.

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden arrive at a campaign event at the IBEW Local Union #5 hall in Pittsburgh, on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

It was the vice president’s 10th visit to Pennsylvania since replacing Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket in mid-July. Trump’s also been a frequent visitor, with rallies in Scranton and Reading less than a week ago.

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

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But with 19 electoral votes at stake, Pennsylvania’s the biggest of the key battlegrounds. And while the campaigns and their allied super PACs are pouring resources into all seven states, more money has been spent running spots in Pennsylvania than any of the other battlegrounds, according to figures from AdImpact, a top national ad tracking firm.

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, in Erie, Pennsylvania, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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

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

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

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