NationalWatch

Once again, it’s all about the economy.

With just over six weeks to go until Election Day on Nov. 5 and early voting and absentee balloting underway in a growing number of states, a slew of public opinion polls agree on a couple of key points.

One – the race in the key battlegrounds that will decide the 2024 White House election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump is within the margin-of-error.

Two – Harris has a healthy advantage among voters when it comes to the issue of abortion, while Trump has an equally large margin in dealing with the border and immigration.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL SHOWS IN THE HARRIS-TRUMP 2024 SHOWDOWN 

Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and former President Donald Trump shake hands during their first and potentially only presidential debate, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Photographer: Doug Mills/The New York Time/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)

Three – the economy remains the top issue on the minds of American voters as they prepare to cast their ballot in the presidential election.

“The economy tops voters’ minds,” reads the headline from a new AP/NORC national poll, which was conducted entirely after last week’s first and potentially only debate between the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees.

Nearly eight in ten questioned in the survey said the economy was one of their top issues, far ahead of everything else.

HEAD HERE FOR ALL THE MOST RECENT FOX NEWS POLLING IN THE 2024 ELECTION

A Fox News national poll also in the field entirely post-debate spotlighted that 39% of voters surveyed said the economy was their most pressing issue, far ahead of immigration (16%) and abortion (15%). All other issues tested were in single digits. 

The economy reigns supreme in pretty much every other survey.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Bojangles Coliseum, in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

While the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic-inflicted recession continues, inflation remains a leading concern among Americans.

“An increasing number say grocery prices and housing costs are tough for their family,” the Fox News poll notes.

When it comes to which presidential candidate can better handle the economy, Trump continues to have the edge – but his margins over Harris differ dramatically depending on the poll.

The former president’s up 13 points over the vice president in a post-debate survey from the New York Times and Siena College, and favored by 7 points in an ABC News Ipsos survey also conducted after the showdown.

But Trump’s advantage over Harris on the economy stands at only 5 points in the Fox News poll, and just 2 points in the AP/NORC survey.

“The issue profile of this election continues to favor Trump,” said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll along with Democrat Chris Anderson.

But Shaw added that Trump’s “edge on economic issues has decreased, probably due to Harris’ messaging on housing costs and taxes, both of which target the middle class and appear to be paying off.”

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Boosting Trump when it comes to the economy are apparent fond memories of his tenure in the White House.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Uniondale, New York on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)

Voters questioned in the Fox News poll by a 17 point margin said Trump’s policies on the economy were more helpful than harmful. But by 24 points, they said that President Biden’s economic policies have been more hurtful than helpful.

“The perception that Trump’s policies helped more than Biden’s creates some heavy baggage for Harris in this campaign and shows why ‘turning the page’ is a central theme she’s tried to stress,” Anderson said.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report 

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

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., issued an ultimatum to North Carolina’s GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson following the bombshell report of his alleged porn scandal, saying that he “owes it to President Trump.”

“If the reporting on Mark Robinson is a total media fabrication, he needs to take immediate legal action,” Tillis said in a Friday post on X. 

“If the reporting is true, he owes it to President Trump and every Republican to take accountability for his actions and put the future of NC & our party before himself,” he said.

BATTLEGROUND STATE REPUBLICAN DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN PORN SCANDAL, DISMISSES IT AS ‘TABLOID TRASH’

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson arrives during a “Get Out The Vote” rally in Greensboro, N.C., March 2. (Getty Images)

WATCH:

Tillis’ statement came after Robinson made a social media video denying his involvement in the scandal and vowing to remain in the race to become the Old North State’s governor.

“Let me reassure you, the things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson. You know my words, you know my character, and you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before. Folks, this race right now, our opponents are desperate to shift the focus here from the substantive issues and focus on what you are concerned with to salacious trap, tabloid trash,” he said in the X video. 

NC GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE MARK ROBINSON FACING CALLS TO DROP OUT AMID RUMORS OF LOOMING BOMBSHELL

Fox News Digital has reached out to Robinson’s campaign for comment.

In comments to CNN, Robinson said that this was “not us.”

“This is not us. These are not our words. And this is not anything that is characteristic of me,” Robinson said. “I’m not going to get into the minutia of how somebody manufactured this, these salacious tabloid lies.”

Mark Robinson, Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina and candidate for Governor, delivers remarks prior to Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaking at a campaign event at Harrah’s Cherokee Center on August 14, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina.

In CNN’s report Thursday afternoon, the outlet alleged Robinson’s previous use of a pornography site, called “Nude Africa.”

On the pornographic site, Robinson allegedly messaged with fellow users regarding peeping on women in locker rooms as a teenager, describing himself as a “black NAZI” and declaring a fondness for transgender pornography. The candidates’ involvement spanned from 2008 to 2012, according to CNN, well before Robinson entered the political arena in 2019.

REPUBLICAN MARK ROBINSON ON HISTORIC LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WIN: ‘THIS PARTY IS OPEN TO EVERYBODY’

CNN’s report alleged that Robinson used a pseudonym on the porn site, “minisoldr.”

“I came to a spot that was a dead end but had two big vent covers over it! It just so happened it overlooked the showers! I sat there for about an hour and watched as several girls came in and showered,” Robinson allegedly wrote on Nude Africa.

In another post in 2010, CNN reported Robinson allegedly stated, “I’m a Black Nazi!” while discussing Black Republicans. 

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson speaks at the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority conference at the Washington Hilton on June 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

The allegations come as North Carolina remains a highly contested battleground state as the 2024 election inches closer.

The key battleground states – including North Carolina – had razor-thin margins that decided President Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump.

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In 2020, Trump narrowly won North Carolina by just over 1 point. The latest polls in the monumental 2024 presidential race suggest a coin-toss race, with the former president holding the slightest edge.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton, Paul Steinhauser and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

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

The recent attempts on former President Trump’s life have left some House Republicans questioning whether the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) should remain under the control of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“I think that’s something that we should look at — if we need to remove them from Homeland, make them a standalone agency or answer to someone else. I mean, their mission, I think, is entirely different than a lot of the agencies under that Department of Homeland Security umbrella,” Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., vice chair of the Committee on Homeland Security, told Fox News Digital.

The Secret Service was established in 1865 as a bureau of the Treasury Department to tackle counterfeiting and was authorized by Congress to provide full-time protection to the president in 1913, according to the agency’s website. It was transferred from the Treasury Department to the newly created DHS in 2003.

The agency has faced a barrage of scrutiny after two assassination attempts against Trump. In July, Trump was injured after a 20-year-old gunman opened fire on his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one attendee. Last weekend, officers arrested a 58-year-old man who appeared to have been waiting for Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course with an AK-47.

WATCH ON FOX NATION: THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATIONS OF DONALD TRUMP

Congress has focused scrutiny on the Secret Service after two failed assassination attempts on former President Trump (Getty Images)

No legislative proposal has surfaced on this specific issue, but several GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital the incidents spurred wider conversations among some members about DHS in general.

“I think what this opens up is the extent to which, 20 years later, the wisdom of creating the Department of Homeland Security in the first place should be questioned,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. “Frankly, DHS is failing as a whole, on multiple levels.

“That’s not a testament to any of the line folks. … But the top folks in the bureaucracy, it’s killing us. … Secret Service would be a step.”

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said DHS being “a catch-all agency” was “not working.”

“I just honestly feel that the Secret Service isn’t getting the sunshine or the attention it needs from [Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas], simply because his agency is massive. And I think there’s nothing wrong with us breaking that up,” Donalds said. “And it’s not just Secret Service. It’s border security. It’s immigration processes and all the other stuff.”

TRUMP BLAMES BIDEN-HARRIS ‘RHETORIC’ FOR LATEST ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, SAYS HE WILL ‘SAVE THE COUNTRY’

Rep. Chip Roy said it should generate discussion about DHS’s role in general. (Getty Images)

Donalds added that it would likely not feasibly be done this year, but he suggested there could be a more serious push if Republicans kept the House majority in November.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, recalled that, during his time in the White House medical unit, there was some discontent among agents about being moved to DHS.

“For a while, when it first happened, I know for a fact — because I was around these guys every day being at the White House 14 years — they weren’t big fans of it. … They were kind of a big fish in a little pond when they were with Treasury, and then when they got rolled into this massive, you know, bureaucracy of DHS … they felt like it kind of downgraded their importance and their abilities,” Jackson said.

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., similarly told Fox News Digital he “wouldn’t be opposed” to looking at breaking up DHS.

NEW WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS ON FIRST TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ‘HIGHLY DAMAGING’ TO SECRET SERVICE: HAWLEY

A general view of the fenced area near the sixth hole of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., where Ryan Routh allegedly waited for former President Trump Sunday. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital/Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)

And Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., wrote on X in recent days, “We don’t need to throw more money at the U.S. Secret Service — we need new leadership.

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“I believe we should move the USSS back under the Treasury Department, away from Homeland Security — which has become a political tool under the biggest liar since Pinocchio, Alejandro Mayorkas,” Alford said.

Several other House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital, however, were either skeptical of the idea or said they had not had such discussions.

“People say a lot of things that, I don’t know if it’s just off the cuff, but they say things are – it’s just a thought process that they’re going through,” said House Trump shooting task force chairman Mike Kelly, R-Pa. “There’s a structure in place right now.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Secret Service and DHS for comment but did not receive responses prior to publication.

The election board in one of the most crucial swing states in the 2024 presidential election approved a controversial new rule that will require the hand counting of ballots on election night. 

The Georgia State Election Board voted 3-2 to approve a rule that requires poll workers to count the number of paper ballots by hand after voting is completed in a decision that was opposed by the state attorney general’s office, the secretary of state’s office and an association of county election officials but supported by many conservatives.

Three board members who were praised by former President Donald Trump during a rally last month in Atlanta voted to approve the measure.

Critics of the move say that the measures came at the last minute and will delay reporting results in the state.

TRUMP LEADS HARRIS WITHIN MARGIN OF ERROR IN TIGHT GEORGIA RACE, POLL FINDS

Georgia is expected to be one of the most crucial swing states in the November election (Brandon Bell/Getty Images.)

In a memo sent to election board members Thursday, the office of state Attorney General Chris Carr said no provision in state law allows counting the number of ballots by hand at the precinct level before the ballots are brought to county election superintendent for vote tallying. As a result, the memo says, the rule is “not tethered to any statute” and is “likely the precise kind of impermissible legislation that agencies cannot do.”

The new rule, according to the Associated Press, requires that the number of paper ballots — not the number of votes — be counted at each polling place by three separate poll workers until all three counts are the same. If a scanner has more than 750 ballots inside at the end of voting, the poll manager can decide to begin the count the following day.

The board’s chair, John Fervier, a Republican, voted against the rule, saying the “overwhelming number of election officials” who reached out to him were opposed to the change.

NEW TRUMP VOTER FRAUD SQUADS BEGIN GEARING UP FOR ‘ELECTION INTEGRITY’ FIGHT

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is shown in this Oct. 18, 2022 file photograph speaking during the Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ben Gray File)

“I do think it’s too close to the election,” Fervier said. “It’s too late to train a lot of poll workers.”

Other conservatives on social media praised the move as a step in the right direction to avoid voter fraud including former Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington who posted on X that the decision was “great news.”

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‘I Voted’ stickers sit on a table at a polling station. 

“YES!!!” Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X. “Way to go GA State Election Board!! Thank you for taking every step to fight for election integrity!!”

In 2020, approximately five million votes were cast in the presidential race statewide, more than half in early voting.

Recent polling shows that Harris and Trump are neck-and-neck in Georgia with approximately 46.9% of voters currently saying they would vote for Trump, compared to 44.4% of voters who say they would cast their vote for Harris. 

Fox News Digital’s Timothy HJ Nerozzi, The Associated Press and Reuters 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…

– Experts warn US ‘sleepwalking’ into World War III… 

– House passes bill increasing Secret Service protections for presidential, VP candidates

– Anti-Israel agitators rock UNC, vandalize building, pull down U.S. flag

‘Unprecedented’ Power Play

A new requirement in New York that will take effect this weekend is set to grant Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James widespread power over the state’s election process, a New York election attorney said. 

“Nobody is really talking about it or what a big effect it’s going to have,” election attorney Joseph T. Burns, partner at the law firm Holtzman Vogel, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview this week. “But it’s interesting because, look, there’s a lot of bad stuff that happens in New York when it comes to the elections and everything else, but this strikes me as being particularly bad. And it’s certainly quite a power grab by the attorney general as well.”

Under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law in 2022, a preclearance requirement is set to take effect on Sept. 22. The new rule requires certain jurisdictions in the Empire State to request preclearance from the attorney general or a designated court to make election-related decisions, which range from changing the hours of early voting to culling deceased residents from a voter list, Burns said. 

Burns published an op-ed in the New York Post this week, warning that the new law hands James “unprecedented power over election processes in some of the most hotly contested congressional districts in the nation, including those on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley.” The upcoming requirement has flown under the radar, Burns said, telling Fox Digital, “Nobody’s talking about. It’s pretty remarkable.”

“The new rule upends the system of constitutionally mandated, bipartisan election administration that has served New York’s voters ably for generations,” Burns wrote in his op-ed, which was published on Sunday. “The law requires certain counties, cities, towns, villages and school districts to get the blessing of the AG or a designated court before making election-related or voting-related changes.”  …Read more

New York Attorney General Letitia James. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Trump Assassination Attempts

‘CAT AND MOUSE’: Trump assassination attempt suspect played game with police, expert says …Read more

405-0: Secret Service protection bill passes House unanimously after Trump assassination attempts …Read more

Capitol Hill

EPA BLOCKED: House passes bill blocking Biden admin attempt to require two-thirds of new cars to be electric within years …Read more

A Tesla Model 3 charges at a ChargePoint electric vehicle charging station in Rhinebeck, New York, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Angus Mordant)

BORDER BUCKS: Mayorkas, top border officials in Biden-Harris admin worth millions: report …Read more

NOT PREPARED: US ‘sleepwalking’ into World War III, experts warn nation underprepared …Read more

‘SO NECESSARY’: Dem lawmakers push bill to restore funding to UN agency with alleged ties to Hamas: ‘So necessary’ …Read more

Tales from the Trail

THE ELECTION IS HERE: Virginia’s in-person early voting begins as election season picks up steam …Read more

EMPIRE STATEMENT: NY rallygoers plead for Trump’s return to restore future of blue state, cite migrant crisis as major concern …Read more

MARGIN-OF-ERROR: Razor-thin race in battle to succeed popular swing state Republican governor …Read more

SWING STATE BATTLE: Harris, Trump hit key battleground states as November nears …Read more

US Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and former US President Donald Trump during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Trump and Harris enter Tuesday’s debate in search of the same goal, a moment that will help them gain the edge in a race polls show is essentially tied.  (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Across America

LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO: Trump has higher favorability than Taylor Swift: poll …Read more

SHORE THING: Down the shore: New Jersey lawmakers seek to undo sunscreen prohibition for kids …Read more

DEEPFAKE WOES: Newsom’s deepfake election laws are already being challenged in federal court …Read more

‘FALSE INFORMATION’: Issa rips State Department for spreading ‘knowingly false’ info on funding migrant counseling to enter U.S. …Read more

US FLAG REMOVED: Anti-Israel agitators rock UNC, vandalize building and remove Old Glory …Read more

Anti-Israel agitators have been causing campus unrest at the University of North Carolina since last school year. The “Gaza solidarity encampment” seen here was removed by police in April. (Travis Long/News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: Vulnerable Sen. Tammy Baldwin loses ground to GOP candidate in Wisconsin, consecutive polls show …Read more

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

FIRST ON FOX: A group of Republicans wrote to national law enforcement and intelligence heads Friday requesting weekly updates on foreign election interference after bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio, turned out to be “hoaxes” originating overseas.

Ten House Republicans wrote to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, FBI Director Chris Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding to know which country was involved in the 33 “hoax” bomb threats that went out to Springfield and what actions they’d taken to combat social media campaigns, cyberespionage and threats of physical harm perpetrated by foreign actors. 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine revealed Monday that local law enforcement had responded to 33 fake bomb threats in Springfield made against hospitals, schools and government offices. 

“Thirty-three threats. Thirty-three hoaxes,” DeWine said during a press conference in Springfield. “I want to make that very, very clear. None of these had any validity at all.” 

HAITIAN REFUGEES ‘DON’T UNDERSTAND THE LAWS,’ FORMER LAWMAKER SAYS AMID FATAL WRECK, CULTURAL CLASHES

People watch as Springfield Police Department officers investigate Springfield City Hall after bomb threats were made against buildings Sept. 12, 2024. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

The governor said many of the threats came from “one particular country,” which he declined to name. 

“We have people, unfortunately, overseas, who are taking these actions,” DeWine said. “Some of them are coming from one particular country.” 

“The American people and Congress deserve to know which of our foreign adversaries are intentionally spreading misinformation to elicit fear and confusion. I stand ready to assist you in any way possible as we work to ensure the security and integrity of the 2024 elections,” Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, wrote in the letter. 

Springfield found itself front and center on the national stage after viral social media posts about Haitian migrants eating pets, claims that turned out to be unverifiable. Former President Trump amplified the unsubstantiated claim during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris Sept. 10. 

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE U.S. NEWS

“These bomb threats have caused closures, evacuations of municipal buildings as well as schools. This placed additional strain on police and social services already overburdened by the community’s influx of Haitian migrants,” the letter, signed by Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mike Carey of Ohio, Gooden and others, said.

Springfield’s Republican leadership says it has been overwhelmed by the influx of 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian migrants. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)

“The purpose of these hoaxes is clear: our foreign adversaries aim to stoke the flames of division.”

But the 60,000-person town’s Republican leadership says it has been overwhelmed by the influx of 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian migrants. Many have come to the U.S. under temporary protected status, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. for a limited time. 

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost told Fox News Digital the federal government has not properly coordinated resettling those migrants with the town, and it is therefore “stressing the schools, the health care system and the safety net.” He said at least 4,000 of the migrants were receiving government assistance. 

Russia and Iran have been accused of meddling in U.S. elections. Earlier this month, the Justice Department seized websites and indicted Russian media employees it accused the Kremlin of using to spread misinformation and sow discord. 

“We think that this is one more opportunity to mess with the United States,” DeWine said of the foreign actors making the threats. “And they’re continuing to do that.”  

“We cannot let the bad guys win. Our schools must remain open,” he added, noting additional law enforcement resources will be deployed in Springfield amid the flurry of threats. 

“The people who are doing this are doing this to sow discord in our community,” Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, said. “We just can’t let them do that. We have to keep providing the services that the citizens of Springfield and Clark County expect.”

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Springfield city Manager Bryan Heck has said there are “no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

The town canceled its upcoming annual celebration of diversity, arts and culture amid the increase in threats, officials said Monday. 

Democrats roundly condemned political violence after news that a suspect had been arrested for threatening to hurt and kill six of the Supreme Court’s nine Justices and some of their family members.

“Threats and acts of violence are unacceptable. Period,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told the Washington Post. “As President Biden and Vice President Harris have always said, violence has absolutely no place in our country. Violent rhetoric and threats are unacceptable,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said. “There’s absolutely no place for political violence in this country – full stop,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

It remains unknown exactly which justices 76-year-old Alaska resident Panos Anastasiou intended to attack. 

However, a complaint filed against him Wednesday indicated that his threats included anti-Black slurs, and there is only one Black Supreme Court Justice – Clarence Thomas, who typically votes with the Court’s conservative majority. Additionally, the complaint laid out that Anastasiou’s threats included extreme remarks about a former president described by Anastasiou as a “convicted criminal.” Former President Donald Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a felony, earlier this year.

ALASKA MAN ARRESTED FOR THREATS AGAINST SIX SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

The Anchorage, Alaska, home of Panos Anastasiou, who has been charged in federal court for allegedly threatening U.S. Supreme Court justices and their family members. ((AP Photo/Mark Thiessen))

Democrats have repeatedly slammed the Supreme Court as illegitimate. In a foretelling speech from Duke Law School on Monday, Kannon Shanmugam, who is widely considered one of the nation’s top appellate litigators and has argued 35 cases in front of the Supreme Court, said that “attacks on the legitimacy of the courts are contributing to the threat of violence against judges in general.” 

“Enough is enough. When will the media press Democrats like Sen. Schumer, Sen. Durbin, Sen. Whitehouse, VP Harris and others to stop their baseless attacks on the Supreme Court that have created actual threats to the safety of our Justices?” questioned GOP Florida Sen. Rick Scott following news of Anastasiou’s arrest. “Hey, look, someone who took Chuck Schumer seriously,” said Trent England, the founder and executive director of conservative nonprofit Save Our States. Other critics pointed to how Anastasiou was a frequent donor to Democrats. 

ROE V. WADE ABORTION DECISION: DEMOCRATS CALL SUPREME COURT ‘ILLEGITIMATE’

Trump’s ability to shakeup the Supreme Court with new Justices has not sat well with Democrats. 

In a fiery speech in front of the Supreme Court after a preliminary draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked in spring 2020, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., put conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, both nominated by Trump, in his crosshairs: “I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Schumer exclaimed outside the steps of the Supreme Court in 2020. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

Justices serving on the U.S. Supreme Court bench (front row L-R) Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Associate Justice Samuel Alito, and Associate Justice Elena Kagan, (back row L-R) Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.  ((Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images))

“The Supreme Court is not well. And the people know it,” a cohort of Democratic senators said in an August 2019 brief after the High Court took up a case about the constitutionality of a New York City law restricting legal gun owners from transporting their firearms.

In 2020, during the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s final Supreme Court nomination that would eventually make it to the bench, then-Sen. Kamala Harris called the confirmation “illegitimate” and “reckless.” Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Harris warned that there is “a national movement afoot to attack hard-won and hard-fought freedoms.” 

“I don’t want to, at this point, use my voice in a way that is alarmist,” she added earlier this year in an interview with the New York Times. “But this court has made it very clear that they are willing to undo recognized rights.” 

HARRIS WAS ‘OPEN’ TO PACKING SUPREME COURT DURING 2019 PRESIDENTIAL BID

The U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., is the seat of the Supreme Court of the United States and the judicial branch of government. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, in July, Sen. Ed Markey said: “Donald Trump and his MAGA partners” were to blame for the fact that “Our most fundamental freedoms are under attack from an illegitimate, extremist U.S. Supreme Court majority.” 

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“They started by breaking the rules for confirming justices and ended up breaking the Supreme Court itself,” Markey said.

The DOJ indicated Wednesday that Anastasiou was charged with nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce. He faces up to 10 years in jail. 

“Our justice system depends on the ability of judges to make their decisions based on the law, and not on fear,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday. “Our democracy depends on the ability of public officials to do their jobs without fearing for their lives or the safety of their families.”

An illegal immigrant coming across the U.S. border bit a Border Patrol agent in the face while being taken into custody, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed to Fox News on Friday.

The agency said that on Thursday an agent encountered a group of illegal immigrants who had crossed the border near Sunland Park, New Mexico.

While taking them into custody, one agent “was physically assaulted and bitten” by one of the illegal immigrants. The agency said that one subject had been arrested for assault and taken to a hospital for medical evaluation.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: FENCE-CUTTING MIGRANTS BUSTED BY FEDS 

CBP later confirmed to Fox News that the agent had been bitten in the face by the illegal immigrant, and that three of the four migrants in the group had crossed back into Mexico.

The agency says that Mexican officials were nearby and grabbed the group as they came across, taking them to the edge of the border for the Border Patrol agents to identify.

Texas National Guard troops watch over more than 1,000 immigrants who had crossed the Rio Grande overnight from Mexico on December 18, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Customs and Border Protection recently warned in a press release that it has seen “a significant risk in attacks on Border Patrol Agents recently.” In the El Paso sector of the border, where the latest assault took place, 66 agents have been assaulted so far this fiscal year. Last fiscal year, 104 agents were assaulted.

Sunland Park has been a key crossing area for migrants at the southern border. But apprehensions in the sector are down this year, compared to last year, something agents have put down to an increase in technology and surveillance, as well as existing border barriers.

EX-BORDER PATROL CHIEF RIPS BIDEN ADMIN FOR ALLEGEDLY SUPPRESSING INFO ON MIGRANTS WITH POTENTIAL TERROR TIES

Immigration and border security have become top issues in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The Biden administration has pointed to a recent drop by more than 50% in border apprehensions since President Biden signed an executive order in June limiting arrivals. It has also called for Congress to pass a bipartisan border security bill to provide additional funding and resources to the border.

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A Border Patrol agent guides migrants who had crossed into Shelby Park into a Border Patrol van to be taken to a processing center on February 4, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. ((Photo by Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images))

Republicans have accused the administration of causing the historic border crisis in the first place, arguing that the ending of Trump-era policies and expansion of “catch and release” encouraged millions of migrants to travel to the border and be released into the interior.

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

President Biden convened his Cabinet on Friday for the first time in nearly a year – this time with First Lady Jill Biden joining him for the meeting. 

It was the first time the Cabinet has met since Oct. 2, 2023. Jill Biden spoke about a White House initiative on women’s health research before the president fielded a question about the escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon. 

“We’re continuing to try to do who we’ve tried from the beginning. To make sure that both the people in northern Israel, as well as southern Lebanon, are able to go back to their homes and go back safely,” Biden said. “And the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, our whole team is working with the intelligence community to try to get that done. We’re going to keep at it till we get it done. But, we’ve got a way to go.” 

FLASHBACK: BIDEN’S CABINET DOUBLES DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT FOLLOWING DEBATE 

President Joe Biden flanked Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, right, speaks during a meeting with the members of his cabinet and first lady Jill Biden, in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Friday, Sept. 20. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Biden, when asked about the chances of an Israel-Hamas cease-fire in Gaza, responded “If I ever said ‘it’s not realistic’ we might as well leave.” 

“A lot of things don’t look realistic until we get them done. We have to keep at it,” Biden said. 

SECRET SERVICE, HOMELAND SECURITY SUED OVER FIRST TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT 

First lady Jill Biden, third from left, speaks during Friday’s Cabinet meeting. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Biden also highlighted during the meeting the need for Congress to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government. 

The last time President Biden held a Cabinet meeting was in October 2023. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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At the last Cabinet meeting in October 2023, Biden said he was convening the gathering “to get an update on the progress we’re making on pressing priorities for our country” — specifically the “promise and peril of artificial intelligence” and “taking action on gun violence.” 

With just over six weeks to go until Election Day on November 5, and early and absentee voting now underway in an increasing number of states, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump are not letting up as they campaign in the key battleground states.

After a stop Thursday evening in Michigan, Harris heads to Georgia on Friday afternoon for a reproductive rights event before heading to a rally later in the day in Wisconsin.

Trump, who campaigned in Michigan earlier in the week, returns to the campaign trail on Saturday with a rally in North Carolina.

TRUMP MAKES A BOLD PREDICTION ABOUT THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 

Former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump speaks during a Wednesday campaign event in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Aug. 21, 2024. (Kate Medley for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Those four states, along with Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada, had razor-thin margins that decided President Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump. And those seven swing states will likely determine whether Harris or Trump wins the 2024 election and succeeds Biden in the White House.

Harris will keep the spotlight on the combustible issue of abortion during her Atlanta area stop. The issue has been a winning one for the Democrats at the ballot box since the conservative majority on the Supreme Court in a blockbuster decision two years ago overturned the landmark nearly half-century-old Roe v. Wade ruling, which had legalized abortion nationwide.

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

“Trump Abortion Bans have criminalized reproductive care,” Harris said on social media Thursday night after spotlighting the issue during a live-streamed forum in Michigan with one of her best known surrogates, Oprah Winfrey.

Biden narrowly edged Trump in Georgia four years ago to become the first Democrat to carry the state in a presidential election in over a quarter-century.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at the Enmarket Arena August 29, 2024, in Savannah, Georgia.    (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Harris returns to Georgia after making a campaign swing in the southeastern part of the state earlier this month.

Trump, amid strained relations with Gov. Brian Kemp, the state’s popular two-term conservative governor, hasn’t returned to Georgia since holding a large rally in Atlanta on August 5.

DOES TRUMP OR HARRIS HAVE THE EDGE IN THESE KEY BATTLEGROUNDS?

The latest public opinion polls in Georgia conducted entirely after the first and potentially only debate between Harris and Trump indicate the former president holding a slight lower-single digit edge over the vice president.

Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and former President Donald Trump during their presidential debate  in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Harris later on Friday headlines a rally in Madison, Wisconsin, for her fourth visit to the Midwestern battleground since replacing Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket over two months ago.

The most recent surveys in Wisconsin also show a margin-of-error race, with Harris holding a razor-thin lower single digit edge over Trump.

Wisconsin, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, is part of the Democrats’ so-called Blue Wall of Rust Belt states that the party reliably won in presidential elections for a quarter-century until Trump narrowly captured all three states en route to a White House victory in 2016. But four years ago, Biden edged Trump in all three states to win the presidency.

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Trump on Saturday returns to North Carolina, a state he won by roughly one-point over Biden four years ago.

The state is a must-win for the GOP presidential nominee, and his campaign is now spending big bucks to run ads in North Carolina. The latest polls suggest a coin-toss race, with the former president holding the slightest edge.

Trump’s visit comes two days after a bombshell report rocked the state’s governor’s race, with allegations that GOP nominee and controversial Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson posted disturbing and inflammatory statements on a forum of a pornographic website. Robinson has denied the allegations.

A source familiar with Trump’s rally Saturday in Wilmington, North Carolina, told Fox News that Robinson would not be attending the event.

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

The House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill increasing U.S. Secret Service (USSS) protections for major presidential and vice presidential candidates after two foiled assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump.

It passed with an overwhelming unanimous 405 to 0 vote, a rare show of bipartisanship in Congress.

The legislation was introduced by Reps. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., in response to the July 13 shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

A 20-year-old gunman was able to open fire on the rally from a rooftop just outside the rally perimeter, killing one attendee and injuring Trump and two others.

WATCH ON FOX NATION: THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATIONS OF DONALD TRUMP

Former President Donald Trump was injured during an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and a second attempt occurred weeks later. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Weeks later, USSS agents arrested a man near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course who had been waiting for the ex-president during a game on Sunday with an SKS rifle.

If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden, the bill would mandate a comprehensive review of USSS protective standards and impose uniform standards for the security of presidents, vice presidents and major White House candidates.

“Regardless of how every American feels, regardless of how every American intends to vote, it is the right of the American people to determine the outcome of this election. The idea that our election could be decided by an assassin’s bullet should shake the conscience of our nation, and it requires swift action by the federal government,” Lawler said during debate on the bill Thursday.

TRUMP BLAMES BIDEN-HARRIS ‘RHETORIC’ FOR LATEST ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, SAYS HE WILL ‘SAVE THE COUNTRY’

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is the lead Republican on the bill. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“It is shocking that it took a second assassination attempt for Donald Trump to get the same level of protective detail from the Secret Service as the president of the United States.”

Progressive Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said he is backing the bill but argued it would be meaningless without stronger firearm laws.

“I support this legislation because the Secret Service must be able to protect our highest elected officials and candidates. But this legislation will do nothing to make the rest of us any safer, or change the fact that gun violence continues to take the lives of more than 100 Americans every single day,” Nadler said.

NEW WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS ON FIRST TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ‘HIGHLY DAMAGING’ TO SECRET SERVICE: HAWLEY

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pushed back on Nadler’s comments and accused him of painting the assassination attempts as “Republicans’ fault.”

“Next thing they’re going to say is, oh, some crazy guy on the left tries to assassinate President Trump, and it’s President Trump’s fault. Oh, wait a minute. They said that too. This is ridiculous,” Jordan said.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., is leading the bill on the Democratic side. (Getty)

It is not immediately clear how the bill would classify “major” candidates.

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Following the first attempt against Trump, Biden extended heightened USSS protection to the ex-president, who he was still running against at the time before dropping out of the race.

He also granted a request by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then running as a third-party candidate, for USSS protection.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other top officials dealing with the crisis at the southern border are worth millions, according to a database collecting federal forms — leading a top Trump ally to accuse them of inflicting mass migration on regular Americans while avoiding the consequences.

“Inside Biden’s Basement,” which lists the OGE Form 278e of government employees showing financial worth, is an organization stemming from the Transparency Action Fund, a 501(c)4.

According to the database, Mayorkas’ estimated net worth is between $3.8 million to $9 million. 

NEW ‘INSIDE BIDEN’S BASEMENT’ PROJECT AIMS TO ‘EXPOSE’ OFFICIALS ‘DRIVING AMERICA INTO A DITCH’

A reporter raises his hand to ask a question to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas during a press briefing on Monday, July 15, 2024, at the White House in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Previous reporting identified his worth at around $8 million. Mayorkas’ finances, specifically his salary, came into focus this year when Republicans voted to block his salary.

It was an amendment by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., for the House’s appropriations bill funding the DHS for fiscal year 2025 that would block funds in the bill from being used to pay Mayorkas.

Biggs cited Mayorkas’ impeachment in the House earlier in the year for freezing his salary. Mayorkas was impeached in the GOP-led chamber for his handling of the border crisis, but the Senate did not take up his trial. The DHS had brushed off efforts by Republicans to freeze his salary.

“While the House Majority has wasted months trying to score points with baseless attacks, Secretary Mayorkas has been doing his job and working to keep Americans safe,” a spokesperson said last year. “Instead of continuing their reckless charades and attacks on law enforcement, Congress should work with us to keep our country safe, build on the progress DHS is making, and deliver desperately needed reforms for our broken immigration system that only legislation can fix.” 

Meanwhile, other officials were also valued as having a high net worth by the website.

TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE SHREDS BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN ON BORDER CRISIS IN NEW REPORT: ‘ASSAULT ON THE RULE OF LAW’ 

Immigrants line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on December 07, 2023 in Lukeville, Arizona. Jesus Enrique Ramirez Cabrera, according to federal sources, came into the country illegally in December 2023 through Arizona, was apprehended and released into the U.S. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Royce Bernstein Murray, assistant secretary for Border and Immigration Policy, has an estimated net worth of $1.7 million to $6.8 million. Michelle Brane, the immigration detention ombudsman and who previously served as executive director for the department’s Family Reunification Task Force, has an estimated net worth of $1.4 million to $3.3 million.

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment on the figures.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

While the website shows others in the administration have significantly higher net worth, the numbers from the immigration officials brought criticism from former Trump senior White House official Stephen Miller, who told Fox News Digital that it showed how rich officials have the ability to distance themselves from the policies of the administration.

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“Leftist elites force intolerable mass migration on an unwilling populace while using their wealth to remove themselves as far as possible from the catastrophe they have inflicted on everyone else,” Miller, who is also the founder of America First Legal, told Fox News Digital.

Immigration and the ongoing border crisis has been a top issue in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Republicans have placed the blame for the crisis on the Biden administration’s ending of Trump-era policies. The Biden administration has said its strategy of expanding lawful pathways for migration while implementing consequences at the border is working – pointing to a recent drop in encounters by more than 50% since June when President Biden signed an executive order implementing new restrictions.

Since the 1970s, the state of New Jersey has regulated sunblock as an over-the-counter medication, which means it can be prohibited in schools, according to state lawmakers.

State Assemb. Nancy Munoz, R-Union, put forward a bill Wednesday directing schools to allow students to use sunscreen and for faculty to assist in certain situations.

Munoz is a former nurse, who said visiting the Jersey Shore isn’t the only place people are susceptible to the repercussions of sun exposure.

“Children need protection during the entire day, including recess, sports, and outside activities. Sunscreen, along with protective clothing and shade, are the most effective ways to protect children from the risk of getting skin cancer,” she said. 

“However, it is not readily accessible at schools without a doctor’s note because the [FDA] classifies it as an over-the-counter drug.”

TRUMP ORGANIZATION FLAMES REPORTS NJ MIGHT PULL LIQUOR LICENSES AFTER CONVICTION

Munoz noted that sunblock is indeed subject to federal regulation and testing as it prevents or treats disease, but that students need access to it.

Dr. Seth Matarasso, president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that 90% of skin cancer is preventable.

“Helping to reduce our children’s UV ray exposure, while instilling in them lifelong sun-safe habits, is one of the best things we can do to protect them,” he said.

“I’m pleased New Jersey is taking the initiative to protect children from overexposure to the sun.”

NJ RESIDENTS HIT WITH DOUBLED ENERGY BILLS AS LAWMAKERS FUME OVER MURPHY’S ENERGY ‘DISASTER PLAN’

Unprotected ultraviolet light exposure is the most preventable skin cancer risk factor, as Munoz said the disease is the most common form of cancer in the U.S.

Last September, “Margaritaville” scribe and longtime performer Jimmy Buffett passed away after battling an aggressive form of skin cancer called Merkel-cell carcinoma. Nearly 8,000 other Americans died last year from more-common melanoma skin cancer.

“It is up to us as adults to protect the health and wellbeing of New Jersey’s children through reasonable and commonsense legislation,” Munoz said, adding scholastic sports and recess should not come with such risks.

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A notebook and pencil on a desk in a school classroom (iStock)

The bill has also received its first co-sponsor, Assemb. Michele Matsikoudis, R-New Providence, as of Thursday morning.

In Congress, another Garden State lawmaker sounded the alarm on skin cancer risks, launching a “Sunscreen Safety Plan” to streamline the FDA approval process among other goals.

“One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70, and more than two people die of skin cancer in our country every hour,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said in a recent statement.

“It’s critical that more Americans wear sunscreen and that we all have access to the absolute best and latest sun-protecting products on the market.”

Gottheimer also said only 35% of U.S.-marketed sunblocks pass what are reportedly more stringent European Union standards.

A new requirement in New York that will take effect this weekend is set to grant Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James widespread power over the state’s election process, a New York election attorney said. 

“Nobody is really talking about it or what a big effect it’s going to have,” election attorney Joseph T. Burns, partner at the law firm Holtzman Vogel, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview this week. “But it’s interesting because, look, there’s a lot of bad stuff that happens in New York when it comes to the elections and everything else, but this strikes me as being particularly bad. And it’s certainly quite a power grab by the attorney general as well.”

Under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law in 2022, a preclearance requirement in the law is set to take effect on Sept. 22. The new rule requires certain jurisdictions in the Empire State to request preclearance from the attorney general or a designated court to make election-related decisions, which range from changing the hours of early voting to culling deceased residents from a voter list, Burns said. 

Burns published an op-ed in the New York Post this week, warning that the new law hands James “unprecedented power over election processes in some of the most hotly contested congressional districts in the nation, including those on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley.” The upcoming requirement has flown under the radar, Burns said, telling Fox Digital, “Nobody’s talking about. It’s pretty remarkable.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/File)

“The new rule upends the system of constitutionally mandated, bipartisan election administration that has served New York’s voters ably for generations,” Burns wrote in his op-ed, which was published on Sept. 15. “The law requires certain counties, cities, towns, villages and school districts to get the blessing of the AG or a designated court before making election-related or voting-related changes.”

The new rule covers massive jurisdictions such as New York City and nine counties on Long Island, including America’s largest township of Hempstead, as well as other areas known as “covered entities” under the requirement. 

The jurisdictions are determined by a handful of factors, including arrest rates for residents of “protected classes” and whether a jurisdiction committed civil rights or voting rights violations in the last 25 years, Burns said, citing documents from James’ office last year that detailed the rules. 

NY ELECTION LAW THAT ‘NATIONALIZES’ LOCAL POLITICS FLIES UNDER THE RADAR DESPITE BEING ‘MONUMENTAL’: EXPERT

Burns, who has a background in Republican politics and election legal issues, told Fox Digital there are “four triggers” that label a jurisdiction a “covered entity.”

(Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/File)

“Any political subdivision which, within the previous 25 years, has become subject to a court order or government enforcement action based upon a finding of any violation of this title, the Federal Voting Rights Act, the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution or a voting-related violation of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution,” Burns said, reading from the 2023 document published by James’ office.

Burns gave an example of Erie County, which is considered a “covered entity” under the new rules, when the jurisdiction was hit with a court order involving the 14th Amendment about a decade ago.

“You think, ‘Wow, this sounds really sinister,’” he said of the 2014 court order. “‘They’re probably doing something. They’re disenfranchising a minority.’”

BLUE STATE EFFORT TO UPROOT ELECTION LAW COULD FOREVER CHANGE LOCAL RACES: EXPERT

“No, not at all. What happened was the county executive and the county legislature couldn’t agree on a redistricting plan,” Burns said of the case. “… Something like that would put a local government under preclearance.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James sits in the courtroom during the fraud trial of former President Trump and his children. (Dave Sanders/Pool/Getty Images/File)

“It isn’t just bad policy, because it undermines the bipartisan nature of the boards of elections. Which, again, they’re not perfect, there’s so many inefficiencies. But by and large, in this day and age where people are so concerned about election integrity, what’s better than having both sides have a stake in the outcome, both sides wanting to and needing to make sure that elections are run smoothly and fairly? And now you have a partisan elected official stepping in to essentially have a veto power over our boards of elections,” Burns said. 

Under New York’s Constitution, elections are run by bipartisan boards that equally represent the Republican and Democrat parties. 

NY COURT DECISION GIVES DEMS INSIDE TRACK ON COMPETITIVE HOUSE DISTRICTS

“One side watches the other, and both parties have a stake in ensuring that elections run smoothly – even in jurisdictions heavily dominated by one party or the other, like New York City. It’s not a perfect system, and it certainly has its inefficiencies. But it successfully preserves voter confidence,” Burns wrote in his op-ed. 

“The preclearance rules of the state VRA, however, undermine this constitutionally mandated system of bipartisan election administration,” he added. 

The New York State Capitol (Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images/File)

Burns said it’s possible the new rule, which will go into effect roughly 40 days before the presidential election, could cause some hiccups at the polls this year.

DEMS TURN TO STATE COURTS AS POLITICAL ‘WEAPON’ AMID 2024’S GERRYMANDER BLITZ: EXPERTS

“It’s certainly possible. I mean, what’s going to happen if, God forbid, an early voting site or an Election Day poll site … and a pipe breaks and it floods and it’s unusable, or there’s a fire in the facility and it burns down. They got to move it.”

Local commissioners would then choose a new poll site before filing an application with the AG’s office. Burns said he’s not arguing that the AG’s office wouldn’t swiftly approve the application but rather it adds additional layers of paperwork and clearance to run an election.

“New Yorkers of all political parties and persuasions want elections to be run fairly, honestly and efficiently – and the state’s system of bipartisan election administration already serves voters well,” Burns wrote in his op-ed. 

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“Our elections – and the public’s faith in them – will not be improved by the AG’s meddling.”

Fox News Digital reached out to James’ office regarding the upcoming requirement and Burns’ concerns in the op-ed but did not receive a response prior to publication.

A new poll has found that former President Trump has higher favorability numbers among likely voters compared to pop superstar Taylor Swift. 

The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Siena College poll of 2,436 likely voters nationwide revealed that 44% have a favorable opinion of Taylor Swift, compared to 34% who have unfavorable views. 

The same poll found that 47% view Trump favorably, compared to 51% who don’t. Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, was viewed favorably by 48% of the likely voters and unfavorably by 49%, the newspaper says. 

The poll, with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, was conducted from Sept. 11 to 16, starting one day after Swift endorsed the Harris-Walz campaign. 

TAYLOR SWIFT’S ENDORSEMENT OF HARRIS DRAWS MIXED REACTION FROM VOTERS 

Taylor Swift, left, and former President Donald Trump. A new poll of likely voters has found they view Trump more favorably. (AP/Chris Pizzello/Evan Vucci)

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Swift wrote on her Instagram account on Sept. 10, following the presidential debate between the two candidates that day. 

“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift added. “I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.” 

WHAT THE TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSEMENT OF KAMALA HARRIS MEANS FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION 

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Leadership Conference, at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Swift has endorsed Harris for president.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The New York Times reports that her endorsement appears to have divided voters along party lines. 

The poll shows that 70% of Democrats have a favorable view of Swift, compared to 41% of independents and just 23% of Republicans.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in Uniondale, N.Y.  (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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A total of 60% of Republicans indicated that they had an unfavorable view of Swift, while only 11% of Democrats felt the same way. 

Supporters of former President Trump in New York pleaded for his return to office, telling Fox News Digital outside his Uniondale, New York, rally that immigration and crime were at the top of their minds before November.  

Former President Trump returned to the deep blue state he long called home Wednesday for a rally on Long Island just days after a second assassination attempt on his life. 

“The main issue for me is illegal immigration. I believe in immigration, but just not illegally,” Mary Beth O’Hare told Fox News Digital outside the Nassau Coliseum. “And I think our city in particular is being overrun with illegals, and we are eventually going to pay the price for that if we’re not already, and we see it in our own communities. 

“And I also think it’s not fair to the migrants as well. I think they’re being told that they’re going to get something fantastic when they get here. And when you actually speak to them, you realize that they’re not happy either. So, all around, it’s just an unfair situation.

HARRIS TEAM ‘NOT AWARE’ OF STOLEN TRUMP DOCS SENT ‘DIRECTLY’ TO BIDEN CAMP

“I do think New York is in need of a revival. And, as a matter of fact, I just sold my home, and we’re thinking about leaving New York as well. And it’s because you just don’t feel safe and secure here,” O’Hare added. “And it’s just gotten so expensive that you can’t see your own family being able to create a family here and continue the legacy that you started.

“I think it’s time that we figure out why it is so expensive to live here and make it more affordable for younger people.”

“First and foremost is the open border. I’ve seen Manhattan especially overcome by the illegal immigrants that have been traveling through the night on large jets and landing in our cities. I really see it in New York. And it’s not good,” Amy Hesse told Fox News Digital. “Trump is a New Yorker. That is his home. And he will turn that city around and turn the state of New York around. Go Trump 2024.” 

Another Trump supporter, Tom, said immigration was one of the major issues facing New York state, where he predicted Trump was rallying not to win for himself but to generate support for GOP congressmen. 

Trump supporters wait outside Nassau Coliseum before the Republican presidential nominee’s rally Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y.  (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

“It’s important for the sake of Republicans maintaining the House that these moderate districts remain in Republican hands, like the ones on Long Island, the ones in the Hudson River Valley,” he told Fox News Digital. “I think this is an opportunity to get good publicity that even within the heavy blue area of the state of New York, he can still bring out crowds like this peacefully, patriotically and joyfully celebrating the day.

“I am the son of immigrants. I am proud to be the son of immigrants. And I believe that if you come into this country lawfully and want to be a part of the American dream, you are welcome,” Tom added. 

“But that is not what is transpiring right now. And our cities, much less to be said in New York about this. We have had so many illegal immigrants come into this country that the infrastructure is bending. We don’t have the money to school these people properly. We don’t have the money to house these people properly. Right now, 25% of all the hotel rooms occupied in the city of New York are occupied by migrants. 

“We are paying for this instead of using this money to educate our own children. Even in the inner cities, where they’re dying for additional funding for education. Instead, we’re welcoming these people in, and we don’t have any place to put them.” 

A man wearing a “Jews For Trump” shirt outside the rally said he wanted to dispel the misconception that most Jews would vote for Kamala Harris, especially after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks. 

“If you look at everyone around you, the crime has gone up. Our cars are being broken into,” the man said. “The homes are being broken into. People are afraid to buy houses right now just because they’re afraid it’s going to be broken into. It’s not the way it was under Trump. The crime was less. The economy was better. Everything was better. There was no complaints. All the complaints we have is the crime is through the roof. The economy. We’re paying through the roof for everything right now. Vote Trump.” 

Former President Trump rallies Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y.  (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

He said the government has been housing a lot of migrants in his neighborhood in Queens. 

“I get worried about my wife and kids a lot because of that,” he said. “Because there is crime going on. We don’t know who these migrants are. Yes, some of them could be good, but we don’t know. No one’s vetted them. And they just came into the country. We don’t know anything about them.”

“New York needs to change. You know, New York used to be so prosperous. Like, New York was the hub of the entire world in regards to finance. And now it’s just like everybody’s leaving New York. The policies are horrendous,” Nick Passino, part of a group of Trump supporters who call themselves the MAGA Boyz, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP ADVISER UNPACKS WHY FORMER PRESIDENT IS HOLDING RALLY IN DEEP-BLUE STATE WEEKS FROM ELECTION

Passino said he and his friend, Devin Dashnaw, were in the front row of Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when the July 13 assassination attempt unfolded. 

He said their group stood behind Trump at his subsequent rally in Michigan to show support. Trump is keeping up his public rally schedule after another assassination attempt while the former president was golfing in West Palm Beach, Florida, over the weekend. Passino said Trump is making a statement “that he’s willing to do whatever it takes for the American people.” 

“Even though they tried to take him out like — what, a couple of days ago? — now he’s doing a rally here in New York. He’s just, you know, it’s business as usual,” Passino told Fox News Digital. “He’s not scared. He’s going to continue doing it. And, you know, MAGA. MAGA will live on no matter what.” 

People arrive at Nassau Coliseum before the start of a rally featuring former President Trump Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

As for Kamala Harris, Passino said “she has no policies, and she has nothing to speak on. That’s why she always reflects back to the way she used to grow up.”

“Nobody cares how you grew up, Kamala. What are you going to do now?” he said. “I mean, we’ve already seen what you’re doing now because you’re in office, which is, you know, trash the economy, open borders. Like, it’s not going to change. It’s only going to get worse.” 

Another Trump supporter, Matt, told Fox News Digital immigration was the most important issue influencing his vote given he personally knows someone who died of an accidental fentanyl overdose. 

“Not even as a New Yorker, but an American as a whole,” Matt said, specifying that he’s against illegal immigration. “They’re illegal for a reason. I mean, they’re able to take jobs, but are they paying the taxes that everyone else is paying? And there’s even some reports that they’ve been able to vote in some places. So, it’s just America first.” 

As for Trump still rallying, Matt said, “He’s a billionaire. He doesn’t have to be here. He could be out on a yacht wherever he wants, a cruise ship. But he’s here fighting for us. So, it means the world to everyone here.”

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Esther Rivera, who waved a “Latinos For Trump” sign outside the rally, told Fox News Digital “migrants is not a problem. Illegal immigrants is the problem.” 

“Having a wall doesn’t mean don’t come in. It means knock the door first. Enter legally,” she said. 

New legislation signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom regulating AI-generated “deepfake” election content and requiring the removal of “deceptive content” from social media is now being challenged in court.

The new laws build on legislation passed years earlier regulating campaign ads and communications, according to the governor’s office.

But two of the three new laws are being challenged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California by a conservative poster – @MrReaganUSA – Fox News Digital has learned. The account had posted an AI-generated parody of a Harris campaign ad that resurfaced and went viral after Newsom signed the bills. 

“This chills free speech, particularly for political commentators like Mr. Reagan, who use satire to critique public figures and rely on social media viewership for their livelihood,” said the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, the public interest firm filing the lawsuit on behalf of @MrReaganUSA, in a news release.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The legislation, which Newsom’s office says will not ban memes or parodies, will instead require all satire or parody content to either remove their content or display a disclaimer label that the content is digitally altered. One of the laws also exempts “Materially deceptive content that constitutes satire or parody.”

But the attorney for the account holder suing California, Theodore Frank, told Fox News Digital in an interview that there’s a provision in one of the laws that would require social media platforms to have “a large censorship apparatus and respond to complaints within 36 hours.”

“And what’s going to happen is that social media is just going to ban us so that they don’t have to have a big infrastructure to deal with it. They’re not going to look to see whether something counts as parody,” Frank said.

“There’s a provision that allows lawsuits against the makers of the videos, if, unless there are these really burdensome disclosure requirements that basically require you to use the entire screen to have the disclosure and requires them to take down years of videos and spend hours on hours re-cutting them with the disclosure requirements and then having a disclosure that’s louder than the video itself, and that takes away the entire comedic event,” Frank added.

The law makes it illegal to create and publish deepfakes ahead of Election Day and 60 days thereafter. It also allows courts to stop distribution of the materials and impose civil penalties, per the Associated Press.

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A conservative X account that posted an AI-generated parody of a Kamala Harris campaign ad is at the center of a lawsuit challenging new California laws restricting AI “deepfakes” on social media. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

X allows parody accounts so long as they distinguish themselves as such “in their account name and in their bio,” per the company’s website. The platform does not have rules around individual posts containing parody and has been known to label deepfakes if the poster does not do so.

There are similar laws already in place in Alabama, and Frank said they’re prepared to file suit against those, too.

“I don’t think Republicans are immune to over-legislating in this area, but there are certainly other states that are doing this. And you know, I think it depends on who’s in power and who’s getting made fun of,” he said.

In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said, “The person who created this misleading deepfake in the middle of an election already labeled the post as a parody on X. Requiring them to use the word ‘parody’ on the actual video avoids further misleading the public as the video is shared across the platform.”

“It’s unclear why this conservative activist is suing California. This new disclosure law for election misinformation isn’t any more onerous than laws already passed in other states, including Alabama,” Gardon said. “We’re proud California did expand the law to also include misinformation about election workers for two months after an election — so that malicious actors don’t attempt to disrupt the democratic process.”

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has previously condemned such satirical election content generated by AI. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Newsom has previously condemned such satirical election content generated by AI. In response to the altered election ad of Harris, which Elon Musk reposted, Newsom said in July. “Manipulating a voice in an ‘ad’ like this one should be illegal. I’ll be signing a bill in a matter of weeks to make sure it is.”

Fox Business’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

The election season is in full swing Friday as Virginia becomes the first state to allow in-person early voting in the 2024 cycle and six other states – Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming – make absentee ballots available, some with restrictions. 

Minnesota and Virginia lean blue, but have deep red pockets

Two competitive states begin voting today, beginning with Minnesota. 

The midwestern state has voted for Democrats in every election since 1972, but with a higher proportion of White working class voters and deep red rural pockets, the result has remained within competitive margins every cycle. Biden won by about 7 points in 2020.

The president’s weaknesses put this state a touch more in play through the middle of the year; the same time the Trump campaign announced they were opening more field offices there. But with Harris reenergizing Democrats and Minnesota’s Tim Walz as her running mate, this state is likely to stay in Democratic hands.

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It’s a similar story in Virginia, which is home to heavily populated blue areas in the northeast near DC, and ruby red vote in the southwest. That leaves places like Virginia Beach and Chesterfield as the battlegrounds. Biden won the Old Dominion by just over 10 points in the last election, so it would take a very good night for Republicans to pick this off. This state is Likely D on the Power Rankings. 

Key downballot races in today’s early voting states 

Across the seven states that will begin early voting in some form today, there are only three competitive U.S. Senate, House, or Governor races:

• Minnesota’s 2nd district: Democratic Rep. Angie Craig has held this Twin Cities district since 2019. This cycle she will face Marine and former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab. It’s the inclusion of rural areas in southwest Minnesota that make this race competitive. The race is ranked Lean D on the Fox News Power Rankings.
• Virginia’s 2nd district: Virginia’s 2nd district was one of the most closely watched races in 2022 and a Republican flip. Congresswoman Jen Kiggans faces US Navy veteran and small businesswoman Missy Cotter Smasal this time in a military-heavy district that includes Virginia Beach. This is a Lean R race on the Power Rankings.
• Virginia’s 7th district: The north central 7th district stayed in Democratic hands in 2022 thanks to Abigail Spanberger’s strong brand, but she is vacating the seat at the end of this term to run for governor. This will be a face-off between two Army veterans: Democrat Eugene Vindman and Republican Derrick Anderson. It’s Lean D on the Power Rankings.

How to vote in Arkansas

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 Arkansas.

Voting by mail:

Friday is the deadline for Arkansas county clerks to send absentee ballots to U.S. service members and other citizens living abroad who have already applied. Absentee ballots must be mailed to voters with an excuse for not being able to vote in-person no later than Oct. 11.

Oct. 29 is the deadline for all absentee ballot applications to be received by county clerks. The ballot must be submitted to the state by Nov. 1 if in-person and by Nov. 5 if by mail.

Early in-person voting:

Residents can vote early beginning Oct. 21 at the county clerk’s office. Absentee ballots can be returned in-person through Nov. 1.

Voter registration:

Oct. 7 is the deadline for Arkansans to register to vote. 

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How to vote in Idaho 

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 Idaho.

Voting by mail:

Idaho began absentee voting Friday. Applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 25, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting:

Early in-person voting begins October 21. Absentee ballots can also be submitted in-person through Election Day. See your Idaho’s voting website for more information. 

Voter registration:

Idaho allows residents to register to vote in person at early voting or on Election Day. Online voter registration ends 24 days before Election Day.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, speaks during a rally, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y.  (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

How to vote in Minnesota

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 Minnesota.

Voting by mail:

Minnesota began absentee voting Friday. Applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Nov. 4, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting:

Absentee ballots can be returned in-person through Election Day. Early voting policies vary by location. See your Minnesota’s voting website for more information. 

Voter registration:

Minnesota residents may register to vote online, in-person during early voting or in-person on Election Day.

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How to vote in South Dakota

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 South Dakota.

Voting by mail:

South Dakota began absentee voting Friday. Applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The county must receive a ballot application by Nov. 4, and that ballot must be delivered to county officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting:

Absentee ballots can be returned in-person through Election Day.

Voter registration: 

South Dakota residents need to register to vote by Oct. 21.

(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

How to vote in Virginia 

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

Voting by mail:

Virginia began absentee voting Friday. Applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The voter’s county must receive a ballot application by Oct. 25, and that ballot must be submitted by Nov. 5. An emergency absentee ballot may be requested until Nov. 4, but some restrictions apply.

Early in-person voting:

Early in-person voting also began Friday, and will continue through Nov. 2. Absentee ballots can be submitted in-person through Election Day.

Voter registration:

Virginia residents who desire to vote must register by Oct. 15, though they may register until Election Day and vote using a provisional ballot.

How to vote in West Virginia

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

Voting by mail:

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

Early in-person voting:

Early in-person voting begins Oct. 23 and will continue through Nov. 2. Absentee ballots can be submitted in-person through Nov. 4. 

Voter registration:

West Virginians wishing to vote in the general election must register online, by mail or in-person by Oct. 15. 

How to vote in Wyoming

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 Wyoming. 

Voting by mail:

Wyoming began absentee voting Friday for U.S. service members or citizens abroad. Absentee voting for others begins Oct. 8, and ballots must be submitted by Nov. 5. 

Early in-person voting:

In-person absentee voting begins on Oct. 8 and runs through Nov. 4.

Voter registration: 

Voter registration closes Oct. 21. 

By the end of September, 26 states and Washington, D.C., are expected to have begun some form of voting.

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A new poll suggests that support is dropping among all Americans for Taylor Swift’s efforts to encourage her legions of fans to vote in the upcoming elections.

Fifty-three percent of voters questioned in a Monmouth University national survey released on Thursday said they approved of Swift’s voter encouragement efforts — which she did last week in a social media post following the first and potentially only debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump.

Swift, in her social media post, also endorsed Harris in the race to succeed President Biden in the White House.

Support for the pop star’s voter participation efforts is down 15 points from 68% in a Monmouth survey conducted in February, when Swift was in the spotlight for a debunked conspiracy theory surrounding the presidential election and the Super Bowl.

CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS’ LATEST REPORTING ON TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor Swift attends the Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sept. 5. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

A baseless conspiracy theory at the time suggested that Swift was involved in a covert government plot to help President Biden win re-election. 

Swift endorsed Biden in the 2020 presidential election and for years has encouraged her fans to vote. 

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The president suspended his re-election campaign following a disastrous debate performance in late June with Trump, and Harris replaced Biden two months ago atop the Democrats’ 2024 national ticket.

The new poll indicates that while support for Swift’s voter participation efforts remains high among Democrats — 87% in the new survey, unchanged from February — support has, not surprisingly, plunged among Republicans from an already low 41% earlier this year to just 20% now. Support among independents dropped from 73% to 52%, according to the survey.

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands at their debate in Philadelphia on Sept. 10. (Doug Mills/The New York Time/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Republicans were wary of Swift all along. What we don’t know is whether this will have any effect on the part of her fan base who already leans right,” Monmouth University Polling Institute director Patrick Murray highlighted in the poll’s release.

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More than 400,000 people clicked on the vote.gov website in the 24 hours after Swift’s endorsement of Harris in a post that also included a link to the voter registration website. What’s unclear is how many of those people will actually end up voting and whom they’ll support in the presidential election.

Trump initially downplayed Swift’s endorsement of Harris in a “FOX and Friends” interview the morning after the debate. 

Former President Trump raises his fist as he departs a campaign event at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

But on Sunday, Trump turned up the temperature, writing “I hate Taylor Swift” in a social media post.

The Monmouth University poll was conducted from Sept. 11-15, with 803 registered voters nationwide questioned. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

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

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s favorability among likely New York voters has cratered, and former President Trump is viewed more favorably by voters in the historically blue state in a new poll.

Siena College on Thursday released a poll showing that just 34% of voters in the Empire State view Hochul favorably, with 54% viewing her poorly. When asked about their views on Trump, 39% of likely New York voters told pollsters they view the 45th president favorably, and 57% view him poorly, a figure slightly higher than voters’ assessment of Hochul. 

​​”It is also worth noting that Hochul’s favorability rating, 20 points underwater, is worse than Trump’s, 18 points underwater,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in the poll’s press release. “To repeat, Kathy Hochul has a lower net favorability rating in New York than Donald Trump.”

The poll found that Hochul’s favorability rating dropped from last month’s findings of 39% favorability to 50% disapproval among voters. 

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate. (Getty Images)

“While Hochul’s favorability rating has never been outstanding — she’s never been viewed favorably by 50% of voters in a state where 49% of the voters are Democrats — it has now hit an all-time low, 34%-54%,” Greenberg said. “Her job approval rating, 39%-56%, is also a record low.”

Trump traveled to his home state on Wednesday, where he joined thousands of supporters on Long Island at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. He vowed to the crowd he would “win New York” and “save” the longtime blue state. 

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“The reason I’m here,” Trump told the crowd, is because “we are going to win New York.

“That’s the first time in many, many years that a Republican can honestly say it, and we’re going to do it.” 

“I Voted” stickers on a table at a polling station. (Associated Press)

A Republican presidential candidate has not claimed victory in the Empire State since Ronald Reagan in 1984. 

“We have to do it. We do it, and the election nationwide is over. We take over the White House, and we fix up our country,” he said. 

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Former President Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on Wednesday. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“I say to the people of New York: With crime at record levels, with terrorists and criminals pouring in and with inflation eating your hearts out, vote for Donald Trump. What the hell do you have to lose?” Trump told the crowd. 

Trump has previously said he has a good shot at winning the traditionally liberal state, including in May as he faced trial in New York City on 34 counts of falsifying business records. 

“I think we have a chance to win in New York. It hasn’t been done in, you know, many, many decades as a Republican,” he told “Fox & Friends” in May. “I think we have a very good chance.”

Supporters of former President Trump are ready and waiting outside the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, for Trump’s rally on Wednesday. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, Trump has also campaigned on winning the Garden State, another historically blue jurisdiction. 

“We’re going to win New Jersey,” Trump told a massive crowd this spring in Wildwood, sparking exuberant cheers from supporters. 

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The Siena survey found that, in New York, Vice President Kamala Harris still has a lead over Trump, though it appears to not be as “deep blue” compared to previous presidential elections.

“New York remains solidly ‘blue’ but perhaps not as deep blue as it has been in the last several presidential cycles. In the six presidential elections this century, Democrats have carried New York by at least 18 points, and at least 22 points in five of the six. President Biden won here by 23 points in 2020,” Greenberg said. “With less than seven weeks till Election Day, Harris leads Trump head-to-head by 13 points, little changed from 14 points last month, and by 12 points in a multi-candidate race, unchanged from August.”

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