NationalWatch

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Friday that mail-in ballots without the correct dates on envelopes cannot be counted in elections, a decision which could prove crucial in this year’s presidential election where 19 electoral college votes are up for grabs.

The state’s high court ruled on procedural grounds, saying a lower court that found the mandate unenforceable should not have taken up the case because it did not draw in the election boards in all 67 counties. Left-leaning groups that filed the case only sued two of them, Philadelphia and Allegheny counties.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court said the lower Commonwealth Court “lacked subject matter jurisdiction to review the matter,” according to a court filing.

TRUMP CRUSHING HARRIS IN PENNSYLVANIA BAKERY’S ELECTION ‘COOKIE POLL’: ‘PEOPLE ARE UPSET’

An election worker flattens ballots during the 2024 Pennsylvania primary election at the City of Philadelphia’s Election Warehouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 23, 2024. The Pennsylvania Supreme court ruled Friday that mail-in ballots without the correct dates on envelopes cannot be counted in elections, a decision which could prove crucial in this year’s presidential election. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Commonwealth Court two weeks ago halted enforcement of the handwritten dates on exterior envelopes. Friday’s ruling now means mail-in ballots must be properly dated in order to be counted enforceable. 

The ruling was welcomed by Republicans as a victory for voter integrity in the hotly contested state, while voting rights advocates including the American Civil Liberties Union said they will look at pursuing additional legal options.

President Joe Biden won the state by more than 80,000 votes in 2020, and former President Trump and Vice-President Harris have been campaigning in the Keystone State this week.

Over 800,000 people requested mail ballots for April’s primary election where officials disqualified nearly 16,000 mail-in ballots for irregularities. Almost half were disqualified because of issues such as missing signatures and wrong dates on outer envelopes, according to the New York Times. About 75% of the mail-in ballots requested were made by Democrats. 

Around 2.5 million Pennsylvanians voted by mail in 2020, according to a lawsuit filed by Republicans in the aftermath of the election which sought to declare universal mail-in voting unconstitutional.

HARRIS, TRUMP ENTER POST-DEBATE ‘HOMESTRETCH’ WITH DUELING RALLIES IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES

Former President Trump and Vice-President Harris have been campaigning heavily in the Keystone State. (Left: (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images), Right: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said the Friday ruling was a “huge” win for election integrity.

“Following legal action from the RNC and @PAGOP [Republican Party of Pennsylvania], the PA Supreme Court REJECTED a Democrat attempt to count undated ballots,” Whatley wrote. “This makes mail voting in the Keystone State less susceptible to fraud. We will keep fighting and winning!”

Steve Loney, the senior supervising attorney for the ACLU in Pennsylvania, said the ruling was a setback for Pennsylvania voters.

“These eligible voters who got their ballots in on time should have their votes counted and voices heard,” Loney said. “The fundamental right to vote is among the most precious rights we enjoy as Pennsylvanians, and it should take more than a trivial paperwork error to take it away.”

The justices ruled 4-3, with two Democrats joining both Republicans on the Supreme Court to vacate the Commonwealth Court decision.

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RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said the Friday ruling was a “huge” win for election integrity. (Fox News – Paul  Steinhauser)

The dissent by three other Democratic justices said the high court should have taken up the dispute.

“A prompt and definitive ruling on the constitutional question presented in this appeal is of paramount public importance inasmuch as it will affect the counting of ballots in the upcoming general election,” wrote Justice David Wecht. He and the two other dissenters would have ruled on the matter based on written briefs.

Prior to the 2020 election, Republicans sought to prevent mail-in ballots received after election day from being counted, but ultimately, the Supreme Court sided with the Pennsylvania Supreme court decision allowing ballots to be counted if they were received within three days of election day, even if they did not have a legible postmark.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno took aim at the Biden administration, arguing that the issues faced by residents of this city can be traced back to policies in Washington, D.C.

Moreno, who is trying to unseat Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, spoke at an event in the city that has recently been thrust into the center of the national immigration debate. Residents say the federal government’s decision to settle as many as 20,000 Haitian immigrants in the city of 60,000 has caused widespread problems.

“What’s going on in this community is a total disgrace,” Moreno said. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, with the help of their number one ally in the United States Senate, Sherrod Brown, have absolutely corrupted our immigration laws to allow a mass, uncontrolled amount of immigration to come to a community like Springfield.” 

The Buckeye State’s other senator, JD Vance, who is running for vice president, has also spoken out about the issue since former President Donald Trump raised it during his debate earlier this week against Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country,” Vance wrote in a post on X this week. “Where is our border czar?”

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

Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno holds an event in downtown Springfield, Ohio on September 14, 2024. (Fox News – Michael Lee)

“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said during a response to a question about immigration. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

While the claims made by Trump and Vance have not been proven, there is little dispute about Springfield struggling to absorb the influx of Haitian migrants. According to former Ohio State Rep. Kyle Koehler, that has caused some issues in the community.

“We’ve got an influx of folks that have come in, and I think we were a little bit shocked that it was close to 20,000 people in a community of 60,000, and that’s caused some issues between the folks that live here and the folks that are coming in,” Koehler, a Republican now running for state senate, told Fox News Digital.

Koehler noted that many of the issues can be chalked up to differences in culture, which have been hard to overcome when new people have been coming into Springfield at such a high rate. However, the Republican also noted some other issues faced by the community, including a dramatic spike in traffic accidents.

Sign welcoming motorists to the city of Springfield, Ohio. (Michael Lee/Fox News Digital)

SPRINGFIELD PASTORS SPEAK OUT ON HAITIAN REFUGEE CHALLENGES: ‘THE SUFFERING IS REAL’

“We do have a really abnormal number of car accidents that are happening,” Koehler said. “And it’s not only the number, but the severity of them. When you go on a street that is a 35-mile-an-hour speed limit, and there’s a car sitting on its hood, and I’m not talking about one, I’m talking about five or six accidents a week like that, you begin to wonder.”

Moreno highlighted other issues faced by the community during his Saturday event, pointing to schools that have struggled to handle the surge of new students who don’t speak English.

“No country on earth would allow to happen what’s happening here,” Moreno said.

The Senate candidate vowed to help fix the immigration system if elected, promising that he would work to end the Temporary Protection Status program, which has been the primary driver of migration to Springfield, by letting it expire in 2026 while putting a new program with more strict requirements in place.

“Our leaders have failed to address it,” Moreno said, responding to comments by Brown that accused Republicans of using the situation in Springfield for political gain. “Where is Sherrod Brown by the way? . . . Where is he helping the citizens of Springfield resolve this problem?”

Rose Groute Creole Restaurant in Springfield, Ohio, a popular Haitian food establishment that opened in August 2023.

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Moreno also argued that it wasn’t the fault of migrants or local leaders in Springfield that the situation in the town has reached this point, instead pointing to Democrats in Washington.

“They didn’t cause this problem. It wasn’t a fair problem,” Moreno said. “This was dumped on them by corrupt federal elected leaders that weren’t looking out for the people in Springfield.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed President Biden’s administration for continuing to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles on Saturday, arguing it was a major escalation of the conflict.

Kennedy called out both Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. He made the comment in relation to reporting that the U.S. is set to approve Ukraine using long-range missiles to strike inside Russia.

“Secretary Blinken, President Biden — STOP IT! Stop this reckless escalation. I say this not as a political partisan, but simply as a citizen of the world,” Kennedy wrote.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his regime will “take appropriate decisions based on the threats.”

LATVIA AND ROMANIA CONFIRM RUSSIAN INCURSIONS INTO NATO TERRITORY

The U.S. and other Western nations have prohibited Ukraine from using NATO-supplies weapons in attacks on Russian territory, demanding they only be used for defensive purposes.

RUSSIA, CHINA HOLD BIGGEST WARGAMES SINCE SOVIET ERA

Since then, however, Ukraine has launched multiple incursions into Russia in an attempt to turn the tide of the conflict. Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy has also been pushing the U.S. and NATO to remove the targeting restrictions for months.

But Putin on Thursday drew a red line and said, “This will mean that NATO countries, the U.S. and European countries are at war with Russia.”

The U.S. and NATO may remove restrictions on Ukraine attacking targets within Russia. (REUTERS/Mike Segar )

“And if this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us,” he added, according to a translation posted by NBC News.

UKRAINE HITS MOSCOW IN LARGEST DRONE STRIKE SINCE WAR BEGAN

Putin has made threats about conflict with the U.S. and NATO throughout his invasion of Ukraine, warning Western powers to stay out of it. International support for Ukraine has turned the invasion into a costly one for Putin.

RFK Jr. says it would be “reckless escalation” for the U.S. to continue sending long-range missiles to Ukraine. (Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

“Putin’s war in Ukraine has been a massive failure – hundreds of thousands of casualties, a brain drain, a million Russians have fled, Sweden and Finland are now NATO members, the list goes on,” former CIA Moscow station chief Dan Hoffman told Fox News Digital. “The only thing he succeeded at is rhetorical nuclear brinkmanship and other threats, trying to induce the Biden administration not to give Ukraine what they need, when they need it, to defend themselves.”

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Hoffman said Putin’s remarks were likely tailored to Biden and his administration, which has repeatedly been slow to send Ukraine sorely needed defense equipment like tanks, F-16s and long-range ATACMS missiles before then reversing course and eventually agreeing to send the top weaponry.

“He makes these threats because he knows they work,” Hoffman argued. “We shouldn’t be micromanaging how [Ukrainians] conduct their war.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report

The Nebraska Supreme Court has set up a major abortion policy showdown for election day, approving two competing ballot measures to go before voters.

One ballot measure, put forward by abortion advocates, would enshrine a fundamental right to abortion “until fetal viability.” The other measure, put forward by abortion opponents, would codify the state’s current 12-week abortion ban into the state’s constitution.

Current Nebraska law allows for exceptions in the case of rape, incest or the life of the mother.

Anti-abortion groups had filed a pair of lawsuits challenging the competing ballot measure, arguing it violated state policy requiring that such measures pertain to only one subject.

The lawsuits argued the ballot measure deals with abortion rights until viability, abortion rights after viability to protect a woman’s health, and whether the state should be allowed to regulate abortion, amounting to three separate issues.

TRUMP AND HARRIS ON COLLISION COURSE AS 2024 CAMPAIGN ENTERS FINAL STRETCH

Nebraska voters will decide the state’s future regarding abortion laws on election day, with two competing ballot measures.

The state Supreme Court struck down those challenges in a Friday ruling, allowing the measure to appear on ballots.

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Organizers for each ballot measure turned in more than 200,000 signatures supporting them, well over the 123,000 requirements.

The court battle comes as Democrats across the country seek to use abortion as a key issue to outplay Republicans. The effort was on full display during last week’s presidential debate, with Vice President Kamala Harris blasting the end of Roe v. Wade under former President Trump.

Harris argued that Trump would sign a national abortion ban if he is elected in November. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Harris argued Trump would sign a national abortion ban into law if he is elected in November. Trump rejected that claim and instead pointed to ballot measures like the ones now playing out in Nebraska.

VOTERS GIVE HARRIS THE DEBATE WIN, BUT PRAISE TRUMP ON POLICY: SHE GOT UNDER HIS SKIN

“As far as the abortion ban, no, I’m not in favor of an abortion ban, but it doesn’t matter, because this issue has now been taken over by the states,” Trump said.

“I believe in the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother,” he said. “I believe strongly in it. Ronald Reagan did also. Eighty-five percent of Republicans knew exceptions are very important,” he said.

Trump argues that abortion laws should be handled by the states, not the federal government. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Many states have adopted ballot measures on abortion since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022. Some, like California, enshrined abortion rights more firmly into law. Others, like Louisiana, paved the way for more restrictions on abortion.

Former President Trump’s 2024 campaign and the Republican National Committee are facing a fundraising deficit to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

But RNC chair Michael Whatley vows that the Trump campaign and the GOP’s national committee “absolutely have the resources” to win in November.

Harris’ campaign, touting an “historic, 24-hour haul,” this week showcased their fundraising prowess in the immediate aftermath of the first and potentially only debate between the vice president and Trump.

The money raked in by the Harris campaign was the latest sign of the vice president’s surge in fundraising in the nearly two months since she replaced President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 national ticket.

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

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)

Word of the post-debate fundraising comes a week after the Harris campaign announced that they hauled in $361 million in August, nearly triple the $130 million raised by the Trump campaign.

Asked about the fundraising, Whatley in a Fox News Digital interview Tuesday at the presidential debate in Philadelphia, responded that “the Democrats have a ton of money. The Democrats always have a ton of money.”

HARRIS AND TRUMP HOLD DUELING RALLIES IN KEY BATTLEGROUNDS

But he emphasized that “we absolutely have the resources that we need to get our message out to all the voters that we’re talking to and feel very comfortable that we’re going to be able to see this campaign through and we’re going to win on November 5.”

Longtime Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams noted that in the 2016 presidential election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton “vastly out raised Donald Trump and it didn’t make a difference. He was able to essentially commandeer free media and push his message without having to spend a lot of money on TV ads.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on Thursday, in Tucson, Arizona.  (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

“People have an opinion about Donald Trump. You can run tens of millions of dollars in negative ads against him but the cake’s kind of already baked in terms of his public perception,” added Williams, a veteran on multiple GOP presidential campaigns. “Harris is less known and less defined. I think the Trump campaign will have adequate resources to define her.”

The Harris campaign highlights that it is investing much of its fundraising dollars into its grassroots outreach and get-out-the vote efforts, noting that it’s “putting its resources to reach the voters who will decide the election.”

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The large ground game operation, originally constructed when Biden was the nominee, according to the campaign, includes over 312 offices and more than 2,000 staff in the key battlegrounds coordinated between the presidential campaign, the DNC, and state Democratic parties.

In a straight Harris campaign and the DNC comparison to the Trump campaign and the RNC, the Democrats enjoy a sizable ground game advantage. But Trump is relying on a handful of aligned outside groups to help run turnout operations that are traditionally performed by a presidential campaign. 

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)

Whatley took issue with the suggestion that the Democrats enjoyed a stronger get-out-the-vote operation.

“No, they don’t have a stronger ground game. I feel very, very comfortable about the ground game we’re putting in place through Trump Force 47,” the RNC chair told Fox News Digital.

Williams emphasized that “the ground game will be critical given how tight the margins are in the key battleground states and could tip the balance of the election.”

“In this race, where each critical race seems to be within a point, the ground game can make a difference, and you need resources, and you need organization to run an effective ground game, to identify persuadable voters and turn them out,” he added. “Democrats will have a very formidable operation and in many states will try to bank votes early.”

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

Billionaire conservative philanthropist Leonard Leo, who operates a vast network of conservative nonprofits, called on his groups to start “weaponizing” their ideas, something he said the left has been championing over the years. 

A letter sent to groups supported by Leo’s 85 Fund on Wednesday said it would be undergoing a “comprehensive review” of entities it supports, and “will be adjusting the extent to which it funds ideas and policy development.” The goal, according to Leo’s letter, is to ensure their philanthropic efforts are not overly focused on “ideation,” or as Leo describes it, “the development of and education about conservative ideas and policies.” Rather, Leo wants his groups to adopt more aggressive tactics that “weaponize” their ideas and produce more tangible results, something he suggested liberals have championed effectively for their causes.  

“The Left built powerful networks of activists, academics, journalists, and philanthropists, along with professionals from other disciplines, who could collaborate to influence public attitudes and generate political pressure on public officials,” Leo said. “They invested in talent pipelines to populate the power centers inside government, where policy would be implemented. They incubated litigation as a means of leveraging the law to produce change. And, beyond politics and law, left-wing philanthropy built or took over enormous infrastructure to control various cultural chokepoints.”

“In contrast,” Leo continued, “vastly insufficient funds are going toward operationalizing and weaponizing [conservative] ideas and policies to crush liberal dominance.”

‘STOP PRETENDING’: CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST WANTS DEMS BEHIND SCOTUS ETHICS RULES TO TAKE THEIR OWN MEDICINE 

Leonard Leo speaks at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2019.

Leo’s letter cited the George Soros-funded Tides Foundation and the Hansjörg Wyss-backed Arabella Advisors as examples of groups that “incubate action-oriented campaigns.” He pointed to their support of nationwide NGOs like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). SJP has been at the forefront of drumming up anti-Israel sentiment at college campuses across the country since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack that killed over a thousand innocent Israelis and took hundreds hostage. Meanwhile, WPATH has been at the forefront of the transgender movement, publishing standards of care that doctors and public officials alike have used to justify “gender-affirming care” for minors.

“With donors like Hansjörg Wyss and the Arabella Advisors network having billions at their disposal, the left is able to significantly outspend the conservative movement to shift American society,” Leo told Fox News Digital. “Consequently, we need to do more with less, focusing on leveraging the conservative movement’s talent to have impact, if we want to be successful.”

Leo is the co-chairman and former executive vice president of the Federalist Society, a group focusing on advancing the principles of a limited, constitutional government, particularly in the legal world. He has been credited with transforming the Federalist Society into the powerhouse lawfare organization it is today with more than 70,000 members. Meanwhile, Leo has also been considered one of the foremost influences on former President Trump’s Supreme Court nominations. Prior to Trump’s selection of Federalist Society-backed Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, Leo drew up a list of potential judges that Trump released during his 2016 campaign.  

LEONARD LEO WARNS BIDEN-HARRIS EFFORTS TO RADICALLY OVERHAUL SUPREME COURT COULD ‘BACKFIRE’  

From left: Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson attend a private ceremony for late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in the Great Hall at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 18, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images)

After Trump was elected, Leo stepped away from his daily duties with the Federalist Society, but remained its co-chair. Meanwhile, in 2022, Leo’s Marble Freedom Trust received a $1.6 billion gift from American businessman and GOP donor Barre Seid. Leo still has roughly $1 billion left to spend, the Financial Times reported this week after analyzing public financial disclosures. A representative for Leo declined to share how many total NGOs receive financial support from the 85 Fund. 

“[W]e need to do more with less, focusing on leveraging the conservative movement’s talent to have impact, if we want to be successful.”

“Expect us to increase support for organizations that call out companies and financial institutions that bend to the woke mind virus spread by regulators and NGOs, so that they have to pay a price for putting extreme left-wing ideology ahead of consumers,” Leo said during a rare interview he granted to the Financial Times. 

Leo told the outlet that his Marble Freedom Trust has been increasingly focused on going after “woke” banks and China-friendly entities across a range of sectors, such as food production and artificial intelligence. Leo also indicated he plans to invest in local media in the U.S. over the next year.  

Protesters display a sign to protest conservative billionaire philanthropist Leonard Leo. 

The call from Leo for his groups to “operationalize” and “weaponize” their ideas has been met with anger from liberal critics. 

“Leonard Leo’s brazen call to ‘weaponize’ the conservative movement further exposes his strategy of using his dark money network to force his right-wing agenda on everyday Americans and stack the deck in favor of the powerful few,” said Carolina Ciccone, president of NGO watchdog Accountable.US. “Let’s be very clear: This isn’t just about shaping conservative thought — it’s about weaponizing the very institutions that are set up to protect the rights of everyday Americans to serve the interests of right-wing special interests.”

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Jay Willis, former GQ writer and current editor-in-chief of progressive commentary website Balls & Strikes, accused Leo of trying to rebrand “as an Elon Musk-style culture warrior who rants about the ‘woke mind virus.’”

The Mexican government has started busing migrants to the U.S. border if they have appointments under a controversial use of a phone app implemented by the Biden administration that allows migrants to be paroled into the U.S. 

The Mexican National Institute of Migration posted the video of what it said was the first bus transporting “foreigners” from Tapachula, in the south of the country near Guatemala, to Reynosa near the U.S. border. It said that migrants will attend their appointments scheduled via the CBP One app. It is part of an “Emerging Safe Mobility Corridor” launched by the Mexican government last month.

The CBP One app was expanded during the Biden administration to allow up to 1,450 migrants per day to schedule an appointment at a U.S. port of entry to be paroled into the U.S. if they meet certain conditions. The app also allows them to upload documents ahead of that appointment.

US TO SANCTION MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL JALISCO OVER FENTANYL TRAFFICKING

This video shows migrants being transported on a bus by the Mexican government. (INAMI)

The Biden administration has said that the app is a key part of its migration strategy, which involves increasing funding to the border while expanding “lawful” migration pathways. It has also used the app to allow up to 30,000 nationals from four countries to fly directly into the U.S. after being approved.

But Republicans have accused the administration of abusing humanitarian parole, which is supposed to be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. They have said that the administration is waving in migrants quasi-legally, and have pointed to numbers suggesting that over 95% of migrants who schedule an appointment are allowed in.

‘MOST RUTHLESS’ MEXICAN CARTELS OPERATE IN ALL 50 STATES, BRING TURF WARS TO US: DEA

The Mexican government announced in a press release last month the plan to transport foreigners to the U.S. border as part of a “safe mobility corridor.” Mexico said it will issue a temporary 20-day visa for those with a confirmed CBP One appointment, and give them transportation as well as food.

This video shows migrants being spoken to by a Mexican official. (INAMI)

The app recently came under fire from a DHS Inspector General report, which found issues with vetting among other problems with the app.

“Although CBP uses biographic and biometric information submitted to CBP One to determine whether arriving noncitizens have derogatory records, it does not leverage the information to identify suspicious trends as part of its pre-arrival vetting procedures,” the report said.

Meanwhile, immigration has become a top election issue after a three-year crisis at the southern border that repeatedly smashed records. The Biden administration has called for the backing of a bipartisan Senate bill that would increase funding for the border. It has blamed the crisis on the failure of Congress to provide that funding.

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DHS is also pointing to a sharp decrease in apprehensions since President Biden signed an order to allow authorities to temporarily suspend the entry of illegal immigrants across the border. Officials say that has led to a 50% decrease in apprehensions since that time. It also says it has removed more than 131,000 individuals to 144 countries, including 420 international deportation flights. Officials say they have also tripled the percentage of non-citizens processed through Expedited Removal to Mexico while in custody.

Republicans, including former President Trump, have blamed the crisis on the policies of the Biden administration and the rolling back of what they see as successful Trump-era policies. Trump has promised to shut down parole policies and launch a massive deportation operation if elected in November. 

Former President Trump told reporters in California on Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris gave “one of the dumbest answers” at this week’s presidential debate when she was asked at the beginning to speak about the impact of inflation.

“The first question she was given at the debate. Gave one of the dumbest answers. They were asking about pricing and would you be better off today or four years ago?” Trump said in Rancho Palos Verdes during a visit to Harris’ home state.

“Prices have gone up at numbers that nobody’s ever seen before, and just the concept of being better off, she didn’t, she didn’t give the answer. She talked about when she grew up. Nobody knew what the hell she was talking about,” Trump said.

As for his own performance, Trump said, “I thought the debate was great,” and “I thought I did very well, but I was fighting three people.”

KAMALA HARRIS PRESSED BY SOME ALLIES TO DO MORE INTERVIEWS

“I was fighting the crazy left radical lunatics at ABC. I think, considered the worst by me, considered the worst broadcaster out there,” he declared.

Trump also said, “I’m here today in California with a very simple message for the American people — we cannot allow Comrade Kamala Harris and the Communist left to do to America what they did to California.”

“The state of California is a mess, with people leaving and nothing’s going to stop them. They going to other states. Some are going to other countries. But what they’ve done, [Gov.] Gavin Newsom and Kamala and I want to say Kamala moreso — she destroyed San Francisco and she destroyed the state,” he added.

“When you look at the kind of destruction that’s taking place, it’s all man-made or woman-made destruction, too. It’s things that should have never happened,” Trump said. “But we’re not going to let that happen with four more years of her in the White House.”

TRUMP ADVISER HITS CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO ATTRACT ARAB AMERICAN SUPPORT IN SWING STATE MICHIGAN

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump appear during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump said, “San Francisco can be brought back, just like our country can be brought back, because we’re a nation in decline. The decline of this whole state is one of the sad chapters in what’s gone on with the radical left lunatics that we have to put up with.”

He also called Harris, during her time as San Francisco’s district attorney, the “godmother of sanctuary cities” who was “right out there at the forefront and also the movement of defunding the police, she was there right at the beginning.”

“Kamala refused to seek the death penalty for a gang member who murdered San Francisco Police Officer Isaac Espinoza during a traffic stop, very innocent traffic stop. She didn’t have the decency to call his family, never did, to explain her decision. Why would you do this? Why would you give such leniency to somebody that just killed the police officer?” Trump said.  

From left: Vice President Kamala Harris, President Biden, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, are seen together during a Sept. 11 ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City on Wednesday. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

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“This was a major reason why the San Francisco Police Officers Association has refused to endorse her in every single race since she became district attorney. The police don’t endorse her, and she’s got virtually no endorsements now,” he added.

Pope Francis on Friday urged Catholic voters to “choose the lesser evil” between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. 

The pope criticized Harris’ support of abortion rights as being an “assassination,” while he also chastised Trump, saying “not welcoming migrants is a sin.” 

“You must choose the lesser evil,” Francis told reporters in a press conference held from his papal airplane following a 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania. “Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone, in conscience, [has to] think and do this.”

But he also said, “Not voting is ugly. It is not good. You must vote.”

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS AFTER POPE CONDEMNS ‘GENDER THEORY,’ AFFIRMS BIDEN’S SUPPORT FOR TRANS COMMUNITY

Pope Francis urged Catholic voters on Friday to “choose the lesser evil” between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Reuters)

Harris has said that she wants to codify Roe v. Wade into law if elected, and Trump has promised the “largest mass deportation in American history of our country.” 

The pope didn’t specify which candidate, if either, he personally prefers. 

On abortion, he said, “It is an assassination. On these things we must speak clearly. No ‘but’ or ‘however.'” 

On Trump’s deportation plans, the pope said: “Not giving welcome to migrants is a sin. It is grave.”

“Whether it is the one who is chasing away migrants, or the one who that kills children, both are against life,” he claimed. 

POPE FRANCIS RESPONDS TO CONSERVATIVE CRITICS IN NEW INTERVIEW 

Trump and Harris made their positions on immigration and abortion a focus of their debate on Tuesday. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump previously sparred with the pope in 2016, after the pontiff claimed that his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border was “not Christian.” 

“I’m a very good Christian,” Trump responded at the time in a news conference, “He’s questioning my faith. I was very surprised to see it.” 

Pope Francis accused both Harris and Trump of being “against life” in their stances on abortion and illegal immigration. (Reuters/Yara Nardi    )

Trump called questioning a person’s faith “disgraceful,” claiming that the pope was being used as a “pawn” by the Mexican government. 

The pope has also previously criticized President Biden’s stance on abortion. Biden is a Catholic, but supports a woman’s right to choose, which Francis called an “incoherence” in a 2022 interview, saying that he would leave it to Biden’s “conscience.” 

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There are more than 50 million Catholics in the U.S., including a sizable number of voters in swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

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…

– Trump and Vance have had 48 interviews combined since last month, only eight for Harris and Walz

– Mexican government buses migrants to US border

– Putin warns that the US, NATO risk war with Russia if long-range strike bans are lifted for Ukraine

‘The suffering is real’

Two Springfield, Ohio pastors spoke to Fox News Digital about the ministry challenges facing their town that has been thrust into the national spotlight after viral videos of residents complaining of disturbing behavior from Haitian refugees who have settled in the area.

“I think the biggest change that we’ve seen happen has just been sort of a breakdown in the trust of the community and some basic civility has also broken down a little bit,” BJ Newman, a pastor in Springfield, Ohio, told Fox News Digital from Springfield’s Snyder Park on Thursday. “I think the reason for that is because there have been so many changes so quickly… In the 2020 census, there was about 50,000, a little north of that, residents here, now we have, numbers I have been reading, between 15,000 and 20,000 additional immigrants have arrived.”

“I think there’s a larger narrative… that says the only compassionate response in a situation like this is you accept all of these immigrants and shut up. Any sense of raising our hand and saying ‘wait a second, we weren’t considered, we’re suffering her too.’ And the response is something like… you’re racist or you’re a bigot, why are you so anti-immigrant,” Newman said.

Pastors speak out on the situation concerning migrants in Springfield, OH. (Fox News)

“There’s tension in the community, much like the ways that tension has arisen in the past when there have been new members to move into an established area,” the Rev. Adam Banks of First Baptist Church told Fox News Digital, adding that his experience with migrants has been generally positive.

“They have joined right in helping with the sound system, sharing special music, sharing their lovely voices, reading scripture, providing leadership in various capacities in the congregation,” Banks said, adding that he will continue to “welcome” people who “want to celebrate the gift that each person brings and magnify God.”  …Read more

Capitol Hill

BLOCKED: House GOP rolling out bill to block China, American adversaries from accessing US ports …Read more

‘RESPECT OUR WARRIORS’: House GOP veteran proposes key benefit to aid deployed service members …Read more

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Johnson faces major leadership test as GOP wars over government shutdown …Read more

Tales from the Trail

34 TO 1: Trump-Vance ticket has done combined 48 interviews since last month compared to only eight for Harris-Walz …Read more

CASH DASH: Harris brings in big bucks in 24 hours after debate with Trump …Read more

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump shake hands during their debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Getty Images)

‘ONLY OPTION’: Trump adviser Alina Habba hits campaign trail to attract Arab American support in swing state Michigan …Read more

Across America

COMMUNITY ‘UPENDED’: ‘It’ll upend the community’: PA town roiled by talk of migrant housing in Civil War-era orphanage building …Read more

NO ME GUSTA: Half of Latinos haven’t heard of ‘Latinx’ term, overwhelming majority don’t like it: poll …Read more

DEFIANT FANI: Fani Willis likely to defy Georgia state Senate subpoena ahead of Friday hearing, chairman says …Read more

TOUGH ON CRIME?: Gov. Newsom signs bill to resume harsh penalties for smash-and-grab robberies in California …Read more

Video of a shocking smash and grab robbery shows the moment a Sunnyvale jewelry store is overwhelmed by suspects armed with tools and hammers.  (KTVU)

LIKE ‘ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK’: Springfield resident says roads are like ‘Escape from New York’ after Haitian migrants overrun rural town …Read more

Around the World

‘GRAY’ AREA: Lawmakers crack down on CCP influence in US government tech, warn of potential ‘devastating’ cyber attack …Read more

BORDER BATTLE: Mexican government buses migrants to US border as illegal immigration becomes top issue …Read more

A glide bomb is seen under the wing of a Su-34 bomber of the Russian air force during a combat mission in Ukraine. Ukraine is imploring the West to allow it to use ATACMS to strike inside Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

BAD WORDS: New online ‘misinformation’ bill slammed as ‘biggest attack’ on freedoms in Australia …Read more

PUTIN’S RED LINE: Putin warns US, NATO risk war with Russia if long-range strike bans lifted for Ukraine …Read more

Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.

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

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke for around a half hour to a packed crowd at the McHale Athletic Center of Wilkes University in Pennsylvania on Friday, where she was interrupted at least twice by pro-Palestinian protesters.

“You’re supporting a war criminal,” one protester shouted about two-thirds of the way into her speech. 

A second appeared shortly after the first was ushered out, and shouted for several minutes until he also was removed, crying out “Free Palestine” as he was led past the press cordon.

In response, Harris said, “I respect your voice, but right now, I am speaking,” before moving on with the rest of her address over the interjector’s din.

PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS TAUNT HARRIS RALLYGOERS AS VEEP SUPPORTER HITS BACK: ‘WHAT ABOUT HAMAS?’

Harris had been introduced by Mary Grace, a local nurse who said she was a longtime Republican who could not support former President Trump.

After thanking Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr., D-Pa., Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Wilkes-Barre Democratic mayor George Brown, all of whom preceded her remarks, she began the crux of her remarks by referencing the ABC News debate from earlier in the week.

“I take it many people here watched it,” she said, as the reference drew applause.

“You’ll remember that night I talked about issues that matter to families across America, like bringing down the cost of living, investing in America’s small businesses, protecting reproductive freedom. And keeping our nation safe and secure. But that is not what we heard from Donald Trump. Instead, it was the same old show, the same tired playbook we’ve heard for years with no plan, no plan on how he would address the needs of the American people. Well, folks, it’s time to turn the page.”

Harris claimed Trump will give billionaires and large corporations “massive” tax cuts while also taking a scalpel to entitlements.

She also said the Republican wants to impose a “Trump sales tax,” which some observers claim to be a reference to the former president’s foreign tariff plans.

DE NIRO, DE BLASIO HEADLINE ‘PAISANS FOR KAMALA’ RED-SAUCE DINNER LIVESTREAM EVENT

US Vice President Kamala Harris during the second presidential debate. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Harris also spoke about national division, saying “we are not going back” to past years, and instead called for a “new way forward.”

“We need a President of the United States who works for all the American people and that just stops with all the trying to divide us,” she said.

“People are exhausted with that stuff.”

She also called herself the “underdog” in the race, predicting it will be tight in the crucial Commonwealth in which she spoke.

“So Pennsylvania, today I ask you, are you ready to make your voices heard? Do we believe in freedom?” Harris asked

Making the trek north on I-81 from Harrisburg, Shapiro – who many believed was the proverbial runner-up to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in Harris’ running mate consideration – offered a booming endorsement shortly before the candidate came onstage.

“We have proved … that we can ‘get sh—done’!” Shapiro shouted, referencing his gubernatorial administration’s edgy slogan of sorts.

“[We’ve invested] a historic amount in our public schools… when those kids go to and from schools, they deserve to live in safe communities,” he added.

“We want everyone to know that you are valued here, whether you choose to be a lawyer or a laborer, we want you to know you belong here [in Pennsylvania].”

“Where you come from, who you love, and who you pray to – you belong and I got your back,” Shapiro went on, adding Harris’ campaign offers a similar vision.

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Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Senator JD Vance, U.S. President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris stand on the day of a ceremony marking the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

“She and I have both been prosecutors,” said Shapiro, who served as the separately-elected attorney general during the governorship of predecessor Tom Wolf.

“Kamala Harris has always been for the people… She stood up for our union sisters and brothers.

This time borrowing a line instead from Harris, Shapiro added of Trump’s tenure in the White House, “we are not going back to that.”

“When you go back and look at his record, it was … less jobs and a whole lot less freedom when Donald Trump was in charge,” he said, invoking the abortion issue and claiming women lost “basic freedom to make decisions about their own bodies.”

Shapiro went on to point to Philadelphia, just 100 miles on the other end of the Northeast Extension from where he spoke, saying that Americans “declared our independence from a king [there, once] and we are not going back.”

In response to Harris visiting the Commonwealth, PA Trump Team spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital that Pennsylvanians are fed up with the rising costs of groceries, gas, and utilities thanks to the Harris-Biden administration’s disastrous inflationary, anti-energy agenda.”

“The choice between another four years of retirees scraping by off ramen under Kamala or a return to the peace, prosperity, and stability of the Trump administration couldn’t be easier for Pennsylvanians.”

At the debate in Philadelphia, Harris made reference to the approximate 800,000 Polish-Americans who reside in Pennsylvania. Outside Port Richmond and the Philadelphia area, the counties in and around where Harris rallied Friday have a sizeable such population.

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Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda at Trump Tower on April 17, 2024. ((Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images))

In Wilkes-Barre’s Luzerne County, about one-sixth of the population is Polish American, and cities like Nanticoke, Hazleton and Shamokin – in nearby Northumberland County – also host sizable communities.

In that regard, when asked, Desai said Trump is an “especially easy choice” for Pennsylvania’s Polish-Americans, noting his “blossoming friendship” with Polish President Andrzej Duda and his work with Warsaw to build a stronger alliance, including within their shared NATO status.

At the debate, Harris appeared to draw a connection between the Polish-American electorate and her criticisms of how Trump would end the war in Ukraine – which borders Poland:

“Why don’t you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch,” Harris said, referring to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

A supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris shouted back at several pro-Palestinian protesters who appeared outside the throng lined up to see the Democratic presidential nominee at Wilkes University on Friday.

“Did I hear something about Hamas?” a Harris supporter who later identified himself as Frank from Stroudsburg, Pa., hollered back at a man waving a Palestinian flag and criticizing the protesters. The man was joined by a female protester, whose own remarks preceded his, and about five other people.

“You are a bull—- spreader,” the male pro-Palestinian protester shot back. “You are the cowardly one here. Come show your muscle… Let the people live; that’s what we want.”

The woman had been shouting at the crowd, trying to make the case that there is little daylight between Harris and former President Trump on the issue of the Israel-Gaza conflict and the Jerusalem government’s response to the October 7 terror attack.

KAMALA HARRIS: WE NEED A ‘CEASE-FIRE’ AND CHART A COURSE FOR A ‘TWO-STATE SOLUTION’

Frank told Fox News Digital after the kerfuffle that he effectively had had enough of the protesters’ invective and had to say something.

“Everybody agrees that the war [in Gaza] is horrible… but they’re complaining about Kamala, who has called for a cease fire.

“[The protesters] are representing the Palestinians, which is fine, but they say nothing about Hamas and the horror that started this whole thing,” Frank added. 

“And they don’t say anything about how Hamas uses the Palestinians as human shields. So, you know, United States has been trying to negotiate a cease fire here for months and months. And the problem is Netanyahu and the right wing of the Israeli government — they don’t even want a two-state solution.”

Frank criticize Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has and will continue engage in indiscriminate bombings of Gazan territory – while underlining additionally that the U.S. made a promise to Israel and should uphold it:

“[America] has a commitment, a long-standing commitment since the year I was born to defend Israel’s right to exist. Hamas’s stated purpose is to end Israel as a state,” he said.

REPORTS OF BIDEN WHITE HOUSE KEEPING ‘SENSITIVE’ HAMAS INTEL FROM ISRAEL DRAWS OUTRAGE

Frank from Stroudsburg, a support of Vice President Harris, pushed back on pro-Palestinian protesters deriding the rally crowd. (Charlie Creitz/Fox News)

“You know, look, these guys have a perfect right to say whatever they want to say, but it’s a very narrow view of everything; what’s really going on here. And virtually everybody wants peace.”

“Kamala Harris is on record as advocating for a cease fire. So, you know, aim your anger where it might do some good.”

After speaking with Frank, Fox News Digital also caught up with Loai, the male protester who had been jawing with the Harris supporter.

Loai said he was born in Palestinian territory but now lives locally in the Wyoming Valley.

When asked why he and his group are protesting the Harris rally, Loai said the vice president supports “Zionists [and is] supporting Israel.”

Loai added that both Harris and Trump are “essentially” the same on the matter. When asked who he prefers if he had to choose, Loai quipped, “let’s see who is less smelly.”

Loai, one of the pro-Palestinian protesters, said he hails from Palestinian territory but now lives locally in the Wyoming Valley. He and rallygoer Frank engaged in a back and forth, yelling across the street in front of a Harris rally site. (Charlie Creitz/Fox News)

“We want to see the genocide stop,” he added.

Loai said he also “doesn’t care” about Israel – and personally is not calling for its demise, as other protesters have shouted “from the river to the sea” – a phrase connected to calls for the destruction of Israel.

“We don’t care about Israel; that they exist or not. That’s not our business. We are American here. We want this genocide to be stopped. – Wherever they go, they just [need] to get the Hell out of [the Palestinian territory].”

Fox News Digital’s Matteo Cina contributed to this report.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – An Ohio town has been thrust into the national spotlight over the last week after separate but similar claims made by vice presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance and former President Donald Trump, making the town an unexpected flashpoint ahead of November’s election.

Springfield, Ohio, located roughly 50 miles east of Columbus, bears many of the trademarks of a typical Midwestern town, with a strong history of manufacturing followed by a period of decline that has become a familiar story for many cities just like it.

But Springfield has become one of the most unique towns in the country in recent years, with a flood of migrants from Haiti resettling in the city and suddenly reversing decades of population decline.

Estimates vary on just how many Haitian migrants have moved to Springfield over the last few years, but most settle somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000, a huge population boom for a town that the 2020 census showed had under 60,000 residents. Many of those migrants have come to the U.S. with temporary protected status, allowing them the ability to live and work in the U.S. for a limited amount of time.

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

Sign welcoming motorists to city of Springfield, Ohio. (Michael Lee/Fox News Digital)

However, as more and more refugees came to the city, tensions between the local population and the sudden burst of newcomers started to bubble to the surface. Those tensions flared most after an October incident last year, which saw a school bus carrying dozens of children collide with a minivan, injuring many of the students on the bus and killing one, 11-year-old Aiden Clark.

Longtime locals have since continued to voice their frustrations, appearing at city council meetings with complaints about unsafe road conditions they claim is due to the influx of drivers unfamiliar with local laws and norms.

The attention on Springfield then became amplified more this week, first when Vance took to X to claim that people in the city have had their “pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.” 

A day later while giving an answer on immigration and border security, Trump similarly claimed that Haitian refugees in Springfield are “eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats.”

“They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame,” Trump said in the response.

Rose Groute Creole Restaurant in Springfield, Ohio, a popular Haitian food establishment that opened in August 2023.

SPRINGFIELD PASTORS SPEAK OUT ON HAITIAN REFUGEE CHALLENGES: ‘THE SUFFERING IS REAL’

To date, such claims have not been verified and local officials in Springfield have forcefully denied such incidents have taken place. Nevertheless, the claims have shined an even brighter light on the Ohio town.

Still, struggles remain as the town continues to adapt to its new reality. Former Ohio State Rep. Kyle Koehler, a Republican who represented Springfield and is now seeking a seat in the State Senate to represent the same area, acknowledged that the influx of newcomers has come as a bit of a shock to the city.

“We’ve got an influx of folks that have come in, and I think we were a little bit shocked that it was close to 20,000 people in a community of 60,000, and that’s caused some issues between the folks that live here and the folks that are coming in,” Koehler told Fox News Digital.

Koehler chalked up the disconnect to a difference of cultures, arguing the sudden collision between longtime locals and refugees from another country has “caused some issues.”

Former Ohio State Rep. Kyle Koehler (Fox News)

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“They don’t understand the laws, they don’t understand some of our customs, we don’t understand some of their customs, and that clash and the overwhelming amount of people that have come at one point has really caused some issues,” Koehler said.

But Koehler also stressed how hospitable Springfield’s residents are and argued that the town has much to offer.

“We have a wonderful town,” Koehler said.

A handful of leading senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) were briefed Thursday by Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe on the investigation into the July assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. 

“I think the American people are going to be shocked, astonished and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures by the Secret Service in this assassination attempt on the former president,” HSGAC Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) Chairman Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital following the briefing. 

The senator refused to go into details about what he had heard in the meeting, however. 

DEMS RUN ON BORDER BILL REPUBLICANS SAY ‘WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM’

Four top senators on the Homeland Security Committee were briefed on the investigation into the assassination attempt against Trump.  (Reuters)

Rowe briefed Blumenthal, PSI Ranking Member Ron Johnson, R-Wis., HSGAC Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., and HSGAC Ranking Member Rand Paul, R-Ky., before venturing to the House of Representatives to similarly brief the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump. 

“I do think that the director is attempting to try to make sure this doesn’t happen again. And so I do appreciate that he’s trying,” Paul said after exiting the briefing. 

TOP HANDICAPPER GIVES GOP’S TIM SHEEHY EDGE AGAINST DEMOCRAT JON TESTER IN MONTANA RACE SHIFT

President Trump famously raised his fist and yelled, ‘Fight!’ to the crowd after surviving an assassination attempt in July. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

He added that “major errors” had occurred on July 13 when Trump was shot in the ear at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and one attendee was killed, while two others were critically injured. 

He detailed that the committee’s bipartisan interim report on the assassination attempt would be coming out in a few days.  

“I think it’s going to identify very specific errors that were made in this,” Paul said. 

TEXAS DEM’S SENATE AD FEATURES BORDER WALL HE ONCE BLASTED AS ‘RACIST’

Johnson was one of the senators briefed.  (Umit Bektas)

Peters emphasized that the forthcoming report will “only be an interim report, because there’s a lot more information that we need to find.” 

“We hope once this report comes out, and we can get the additional information necessary to have a complete report of what happened, as well as steps of what we need to do in the future to make sure that this never happens,” he told Fox News. 

ROGERS ADDRESSES ABORTION AMID SLOTKIN ATTACKS: ‘MICHIGAN VOTERS HAVE ALREADY DECIDED’

Blumenthal predicted that people would be shocked by the report.  (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Paul additionally told reporters that he had not learned any new information about the shooter’s motive or anything else. 

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The Secret Service provided senators with an initial briefing just days after the assassination attempt, which left many senators unsatisfied. At the time, Johnson said “virtually no information” was shared, and the discussion was primarily meant to “check the box.” 

A Peters aide told Fox News Digital one day after the shooting that the committee would be launching an investigation into the assassination attempt, also revealing that the chairman had been scheduled to speak with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas that weekend. 

“Buonasera Tutti,” former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio toasted as he opened a three-hour “Paisans for Kamala” virtual dinner this week in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid headlined by staunch Trump critic Robert De Niro.

De Blasio co-hosted the event with Paul Mercurio, a comedian who works on Stephen Colbert’s CBS late-night program.

During the livestream event, which featured several high-profile Italian Americans, many dinner guests lauded Harris while criticizing former President Trump’s immigration policies from the viewpoint of children or grandchildren of Italian immigrants.

De Blasio noted he had made an intentional visit to the childhood home of one such prominent Italian-American official.

“We just did a little pilgrimage… [to] Little Italy in Baltimore — to the home of Nancy D’Alesandro-Pelosi; where she grew up,” he said, as the former mayor also highlighted the visit on X, posing at Pelosi’s former home alongside Maryland State Sen. James Rosapepe, D-Laurel.

“A dinner expresses who we are — we want to be a family as Italian-Americans — [and] bring everyone together for these amazing candidates,” de Blasio said.

DE NIRO CLAIMS TRUMP COULD ‘DESTROY THE WORLD’

Former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)

Mercurio went on to tell De Niro that Trump has “tapped into something” within his base that have bonded them to him.

De Niro, who once expressed a wish to “punch [Trump] in the face,” replied that he has indeed listened to some of Trump’s supporters.

“I could very well see that there is a way, with them, that’s more for them than with Trump, because Trump doesn’t offer anything,” the actor said.

“We’ve seen this before in other countries and other societies… they think they can control someone like him… God forbid he becomes ‘the boss,’ all the people who thought they could control him, they’ll find out differently.”

Later, former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who said his maternal side is “fully Italian,” joined the dinner sporting a “White Dudes for Harris” hat and spoke about the values he believes Harris brings to the table.

De Blasio soon displayed a slice of pizza and proceeded to eat it with a fork — in an apparent homage to a 2014 controversy that erupted when he dined in the same fashion in Staten Island.

De Blasio argued he remains correct that it is the proper way to eat a pie.

Former CIA Director Leon Panetta later appeared and said he supports Harris because Trump appears to support isolationism, remarking that such behavior “didn’t work before World War II.”

“[There is] the importance of presidents standing up to tyrants… not appeasing them,” he said.

Later, actor Steve Buscemi said Harris struck the right tone as a descendant of immigrants.

WATCH: DE BLASIO DEBATES SEAN HANNITY

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Most immigrants are just looking for a better life, better opportunities, and they don’t deserve to be punished for pursuing that dream,” Buscemi said. “Kamala Harris is smart, strong, kind and inclusive.”

When Pelosi appeared at the dinner, she recounted how her family lived for multiple generations in the Little Italy neighborhood of Baltimore that de Blasio visited.

“My grandfather and his contemporaries came here thinking the streets would be paved in gold — little did they know they would pave the streets when they got here,” said Pelosi, whose father and grandfather, both named Thomas D’Alesandro, were mayors of Baltimore.

“It is an important race because of [Trump’s attitude toward immigrants] and so many other reasons. We must not take this election for granted,” she said.

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Anthony Scaramucci was the White House communications director for less than two weeks. He was dismissed from his position after he went on an on-the-record, profanity-laced rant about other members of the Trump administration. (Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

Pelosi went on to cite a speech by former President Reagan, highlighting the fact she was quoting a Republican, and saying that he understood in the speech that the Statue of Liberty is a “beacon of hope.”

She claimed to have recited the quote to Republicans, who did not applaud: “I said, ‘They don’t applaud for Ronald Reagan?’”

Near the close of the dinner, one of Trump’s former officials — who notably broke with the president years ago — appeared.

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci quipped, in addressing de Blasio, “Can you imagine me, you and [former Republican Vice President] Dick Cheney getting together to support Vice President Harris?”

“Yes, I can imagine it because each of us understands the systemic danger involved with the potential reelection of Donald Trump,” he said, before pledging $5,000 to Paisans for Harris.

“I bet they didn’t discuss Kamala’s support for ending Columbus Day, a very important national holiday for Italian Americans, named after the Italian explorer who discovered the Americas!” Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary told Fox in a statement.

“While Kamala Harris is supported by these disconnected California elites who wouldn’t know their Sunday dinner costs 21.5 percent more thanks to Kamala’s economic policies, President Trump will continue to earn the support of everyday Americans who want to lower costs, secure the border, and Make America Great Again,” Leavitt added.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., expressed skepticism about a recent poll that showed him losing his Senate seat in Montana, which prompted two prominent political handicappers to shift their race ratings to give Republicans an advantage. 

“If you look at the AARP poll, there’s absolute inconsistency with reality,” he told reporters on Thursday. 

In particular, Tester took issue with how similar his polling stature was to Vice President Kamala Harris.

TOP SENATORS BRIEFED ON ‘MAJOR ERRORS’ LEADING UP TO TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Sen. Jon Tester arrives for a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hearing at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum)

Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, led Tester in the poll, 49% to 41%. Former President Donald Trump similarly led Harris 56% to 41%. 

“Give me a break,” the Montana Democrat said of him garnering the same percentage as Harris. 

“We’re not saying it isn’t a good poll,” he added. 

DEMS RUN ON BORDER BILL REPUBLICANS SAY ‘WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM’

Sen. Tester suggested he was defeating his Republican opponent by a significant amount in internal polls.  (Getty Images)

According to Tester, “It’s a margin-of-error race right now.” 

The AARP poll was conducted by the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward (R) & David Binder Research (D). Between August 25-29, 1,064 likely voters were interviewed, with an overall sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Tester also told reporters that he didn’t have any thoughts on the Cook Political Report moving his race to “leans Republican.”

Asked whether he was concerned about being down in the polls, he responded, “I’m not.”

TOP HANDICAPPER GIVES GOP’S TIM SHEEHY EDGE AGAINST DEMOCRAT JON TESTER IN MONTANA RACE SHIFT

Senate Candidate for Montana Tim Sheehy speaks on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont., for the first time claimed the Republicans would take back the Senate majority in the upcoming election.

“We will win the Senate majority,” he said. 

“Fifty-one is the number that we want to get to. Clearly, there’s an opportunity to get beyond that, but 51 is the number we’ve got to get to,” he explained.

On Thursday, Tester also answered why he has yet to endorse Harris, explaining, “Because I want to be about Montana.”

TEXAS DEM’S SENATE AD FEATURES BORDER WALL HE ONCE BLASTED AS ‘RACIST’

Tester took issue with how similar his polling stature was to Vice President Kamala Harris. (Getty Images)

Despite his refusal to explicitly issue an endorsement of Harris, Tester was reportedly personally responsible for recruiting her to run for the Senate in 2015, when he served as Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) chairman. 

Even more recently, Tester was supportive of President Biden’s choice of Harris as his running mate in 2020, writing on X, “My friend @KamalaHarris is a proven fighter and an excellent pick for Vice President. As VP, I’m confident she will continue to fight for working families across this country. Looking forward to supporting her and @JoeBiden in November.” 

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Tester has been re-elected in Republican Montana twice but has not appeared on a ballot with Trump before. Trump won the state twice, in both 2016 and 2020. 

Sheehy notably boasts the endorsement of Trump going into the competitive election. 

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

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is facing criticism from his Republican opponent for images in a campaign ad that show the border wall as his campaign touts his efforts to secure the southern border despite his past opposition to wall construction, which Casey has called “a waste of money.”

A recent ad by Casey says he has “voted repeatedly to secure the border” and has voted “25 times to secure the border.” During the spot, the backdrop on the screen shows the border wall and what appears to be Trump-era wall construction.

The move is similar to moves by the Harris campaign, which has also shown images of the border wall in its ads despite shutting down most wall construction.

TEXAS DEM’S SENATE AD FEATURES BORDER WALL HE ONCE BLASTED AS ‘RACIST’ 

This screenshot shows an ad by Sen. Bob Casey’s campaign (Screenshot)

But the vulnerable Democratic senator has a history of mostly opposition rather than support for the wall. In 2019, he said “building a wall is a waste of money” and that the U.S. should be “investing in border infrastructure and security technology at ports of entry, where most illegal smuggling happens.”

“President Trump doesn’t seem to get it. He’s not getting a concrete or steel wall along the width of the border — never, ever, ever, ever,” Casey said on X.

“If President Trump is serious about stopping illegal drugs, then he should stop talking about building an ineffective wall and start talking about hiring more people and beginning 24-hour surveillance of vehicle screenings,” Casey said in an interview the same year.

Casey also voted against a border security deal that would have combined permanent status for young illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children in exchange for border wall funding. 

The Biden administration halted border wall construction in early 2021 after entering office. Casey’s votes suggest support for that move. He repeatedly voted against measures introduced by Republicans that blocked the cancellation of wall contracts. He has also voted against the House GOP border security bill, which included border wall funding, and against an amendment in 2022 to replace funding for a chief readiness support officer with $500 million for border wall construction.

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Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick, right, believes Pennsylvania voters are realizing the importance of the 2024 election. (Reuters I Associated Press)

Fox News Digital has previously reported that Casey supported a border fence in 2006 but later voted against a number of fence-related funding amendments in the years after that.

This year, Casey has thrown his support behind a bipartisan border security measure that would have increased funding to the border and would limit asylum entries into the U.S. It has found support with the Biden administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris. The bill includes a limited amount of border wall funding, but only a fraction of the billions that had been requested by former President Trump.

Dave McCormick, the Republican challenging Casey for his Senate seat, accused him of lying about his record in the ads.

“Bob Casey is yet again lying to the commonwealth. He’s weak and desperate to cover up his extreme record of opposing a wall, supporting open borders and enabling the flood of fentanyl pouring into the country,” McCormick said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Pennsylvanians are sick of the liberal hypocrisy and ready for a strong leader who will fight every day to finish the wall, secure the border and protect our communities.”

The Casey campaign defended his record on the border, pointing to his support of a bipartisan 2013 immigration reform bill by the ‘’Gang of Eight” that included adding 700 miles of fencing to the border along with other measures, including a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants.

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McCormick accused Casey of lying about his record. (Getty Images)

It also pointed to broader border security votes Casey has made, including voting for electronic verification systems, emergency funding for security and Border Patrol hiring, a 2023 appropriations bill that included $10.7 billion in border security funding and a 2021 amendment to create a deficit-neutral reserve for immigration enforcement.

“Sen. Casey has voted more than 25 times to secure our border, working with Republicans to add physical barriers, hire more Border Patrol agents and invest in border security technology to stop the illegal flow of fentanyl and keep Pennsylvanians safe,” spokesperson Kate Smart said.

The campaign also noted McCormick’s opposition to the bipartisan bill introduced this year. McCormick called that legislation a “capitulation” and said it would solidify high levels of illegal immigration.

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“David McCormick opposed the toughest border security bill in modern history that was backed by Border Patrol agents and written by members of his own party because he cares more about playing petty politics than keeping Pennsylvanians safe,” Smart said.

The ad is not the only wall-related ad controversy in the Senate race. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, featured the southern border wall in a recent Senate campaign ad despite having previously claimed the wall proposed by former President Trump was “racist.” 

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is facing his last critical leadership test of this year as congressional lawmakers grapple with a looming government shutdown deadline at the end of this month. 

The House Republican Conference is at odds over how to proceed with funding the government in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. A growing contingent of GOP lawmakers are resigned to a short-term spending patch called a continuing resolution (CR) until December to give negotiators more time to work out next year’s federal spending.

Conservatives on Johnson’s right flank, however, want him to keep fighting for a six-month CR attached to a bill that would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process – which the Democrat-controlled White House and Senate have called a nonstarter.

Johnson was forced to delay a planned vote on that bill last week amid a wave of Republican defections from lawmakers who saw it as a “messaging” tactic without a sufficient plan to get the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act enacted.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson is holding firm to his plan on government funding. (Getty Images)

How he navigates the political quagmire could be pivotal for the Louisiana Republican in the House GOP’s December leadership decisions.

A majority of GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital saw little appetite for a coup – particularly so close to the election – but several did acknowledge that Johnson would face backlash if he fully acquiesced to Democrats on spending.

“If there’s an omnibus, I think he’ll likely get challenged for speaker,” one GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital, noting the challenge would be significant.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, admitted there was room for blowback but did not see any imminent threat to Johnson.

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“If he really flubs this, and people feel like they were deceived – but I don’t see that he’s on that path now,” Burlison said.

Freedom Caucus member Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., noted he was close to Johnson personally but said broadly, “I think if we get jammed with an omni it will be a significant factor in any kind of leadership elections across the board.”

He said it was “not really a topic of conversation at this point” but added that it “could be part of the calculus” for others.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said there were no ongoing conversations about replacing House Speaker Mike Johnson if he falls short on spending but said it “could be part of the calculus” for some. (Getty Images )

Meanwhile, Reps. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Cory Mills, R-Fla., who have not shied away from criticizing the speaker, suggested it was inevitable that he would face some sort of rival.

“I think in order for Mike Johnson to remain speaker, in my humble opinion, it’s going to require some Democrats to help him,” Nehls told Fox News Digital, adding that House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, would be a “great” candidate.

Jordan was one of several Republican leaders who ran for speaker after the ouster of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., over McCarthy’s own handling of government spending last fall. Jordan’s bid was derailed by opposition from moderates, however.

Mills, who came out against Johnson’s CR plan, said, “I think he’s gonna have a significant leadership challenge regardless.”

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“I don’t think this is going to be that pivotal moment where it’s a make or break, but what I will say is, is that the one guarantee that I continue to try and sound the alarm on or beat the drums on, is…we’re heading towards economic collapse,” Mills said.

Meanwhile, another conservative lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital anonymously was emphatic that, unlike his predecessor, Johnson is safe from a political coup.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, guessed House Speaker Mike Johnson would need Democratic votes to win the speakership next year if the GOP has the majority. (Nathan Howard)

“I think just what little conversations I’ve had with him last weekend, what little conversations I’ve had with him and staff, I think they are genuine in wanting to make sure we don’t end up with an omnibus,” that conservative said.

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In addition to pressure from within his own conference, Johnson is also having to navigate government funding talks while the Republicans’ 2024 nominee, former President Donald Trump, is actively calling for a partial shutdown if election security legislation cannot be passed.

Johnson, for his part, has told reporters that he is still sticking firmly to his course and would work through the weekend on the issue.

“We’re going to continue to work on this. Whip is going to do the hard work to build consensus, we’re going to work through the weekend on that. And I want any member of Congress in either party to explain to the American people why we should not ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in U.S. elections,” Johnson said earlier this week.

If Republicans lose the majority, Johnson will only need a majority vote of his conference to remain its leader. A Speaker of the House, however, needs a majority of the entire chamber – meaning the GOP would likely need to be in lock-step for him to win.

Former President Donald Trump’s senior adviser, Alina Habba, has hit the campaign trail to attract Arab support in the key swing state of Michigan. 

Habba, who also is an attorney on Trump’s legal team, is a first generation American. Both of Habba’s parents are from Iraq. 

Habba has been crisscrossing Michigan since Thursday, participating in nearly a dozen events and engaging in meetings in Arab American communities — including with Indian Americans and Chaldean Americans. 

“As someone who understands how tight-knit and faith-driven these communities are, I’m incredibly proud to be here with the Arab American communities in Michigan,” Habba told Fox News Digital. “Many of us have roots in countries where we left behind persecution for the freedom that we now cherish.” 

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Alina Habba speaking on the final night of the Republican National Convention on Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Habba told Fox News Digital it is “vital that we speak up to protect that freedom here in the United States.” 

“We cannot allow our country to go down the same dangerous path,” Habba said. “Donald Trump is the only option to ensure our values and way of life are safeguarded.” 

Metro Detroit has the world’s largest population of Iraqis outside of Iraq, with an estimated 187,000 people. 

On Friday, Habba toured the Chaldean Foundation and the community. Habba also spoke to children at a school in the community and spoke to local leaders. 

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“The Chaldean community is driven by its faith and close-knit family ties,” Habba told Fox News Digital, adding that Trump’s policies are attractive to them, and “resonating with independents, moderates, and traditional Republicans, especially here in battleground states like Michigan.”

Alina Habba visits a Chaldean community in Michigan. 

Also on Friday, Habba is participating in a “Trump 47 Agenda Policy Tour” event with Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Tim Walberg, Tudor Dixon and more in Farmington Hills, Mich. 

Alina Habba visits a Chaldean community in Michigan.  (Alina Habba)

“The Trump 47 Policy Tour is working, and we’re seeing results in key areas like Oakland County,” Habba said. “The Chaldean community, with its 10 Catholic churches in Metro-Detroit, is a strong, faith-based force, and we stand united behind President Trump.” 

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According to the latest Fox News Power Rankings, key swing states like North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nevada are listed as “toss-ups.”

Michigan, though, is listed as “lean Democrat.” 

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Two local pastors spoke to Fox News Digital about the ministry challenges facing their town that has been thrust into the national spotlight after viral videos of residents complaining of disturbing behavior from Haitian refugees who have settled in the area.

“I think the biggest change that we’ve seen happen has just been sort of a breakdown in the trust of the community and some basic civility has also broken down a little bit,” BJ Newman, a pastor in Springfield, Ohio, told Fox News Digital from Springfield’s Snyder Park on Thursday. “I think the reason for that is because there have been so many changes so quickly…. In the 2020 census, there was about 50,000, a little north of that, residents here, now we have, numbers I have been reading, between 15,000 and 20,000 additional immigrants have arrived.”

The comments come as the town where Newman works has been thrust into the national spotlight, attention that has only grown since Ohio Sen. JD Vance and former President Donald Trump highlighted the town in back-to-back days earlier this week.

On Monday, Vance took to social media to write about the town, claiming that “people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.” 

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Local Springfield, Ohio, pastor BJ Newman. (Fox News – Michael Lee)

Trump doubled down on the claim during Tuesday’s debate, arguing that Haitian refugees in Springfield are “eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats.”

“They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame,”  Trump said in a response to a question about immigration.

Many local leaders rushed to the town’s defense, disputing what has become a widespread claim. 

Newman also expressed frustration with the claim, arguing that it has distracted from real issues being faced by Springfield locals as they try to adjust to the boom in the town’s population.

“I think the suffering is real,” Newman said. “One of the reasons that I wanted to speak to this is because I am a pastor, and because I am seeing the local people that I’m ministering to are being affected by it.”

At the heart of the issue, Newman argued, is how quickly the makeup of the town changed, exacerbating cultural differences that have led to tensions between longtime locals and the growing population of refugees from Haiti.

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This is the lake where geese have allegedly been poached and slaughtered by Haitian refugees. (Michael Lee/ Fox News Digital)

“I think most people here in Springfield are good people, I think most people here are very kind and hospitable people. And I do think that the massive influx in such a short time has created real stress, real friction, and ultimately, I think that’s the source of all of the difficulty,” Newman said.

That friction has increasingly bubbled up among longtime residents, who have attended city council meetings to attempt to voice their concerns about the influx.

Locals have specifically pointed to road safety issues, arguing that many immigrant drivers have been found responsible for many recent crashes, including some of which have been fatal. 

“The driving in town is horrendous,” former Ohio Republican State Rep. Kyle Koehler told Fox News Digital, adding that much of that can be chalked up to cultural differences and the fact that many immigrants have arrived in Springfield with no license and very little experience driving.

In one high profile incident last October, a school bus with dozens of children collided with a minivan, resulting in over 20 injuries to students on board and one fatality, Aiden Clark.

Hermanio Joseph, a Haitian immigrant, was found responsible for the accident and was later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide.

A Haitian community center in Springfield, Ohio. (Michael Lee/Fox News Digital)

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“That traumatized this community,” Newman said of the fatal crash. “We mobilized pretty quickly in my role as a minister, and we had to work really hard to do some counseling and to intervene. And I think what that did was that shown a bright flashing star, like ‘wait a second, what’s going on here.’”

However, as some residents mobilized to push back against the influx, others began mounting an effort to defend the Haitian refugees.

At an event across town later Thursday, other religious leaders in town gathered at Springfield’s Covenant Presbyterian Church to highlight their efforts to welcome and assist the growing number of Haitian refugees.

One of those attending the event was First Baptist Church Reverend Adam Banks, who told Fox News Digital that tension in Springfield is expected but can be overcome.

“There’s tension in the community, much like the ways that tension has arisen in the past when there have been new members to move into an established area,” Banks said.

Banks chalked up the current tension in Springfield to a “lack of understanding” and “familiarity” between two cultures not used to each other, but argued that also means there are “more people who are available to share their gifts” and assist with “services in the community.”

A sign welcoming motorists to the city of Springfield, Ohio. (Michael Lee/Fox News Digital)

Banks, who said some members of the Haitian community have attended his services, argued that refugees should be welcomed by the community instead of shunned.

“They have joined right in helping with the sound system, sharing special music, sharing their lovely voices, reading scripture, providing leadership in various capacities in the congregation,” Banks said, adding that he will continue to “welcome” people who “want to celebrate the gift that each person brings and magnify god.”

First Baptist Church Reverend Adam Banks. (Fox News – Michael Lee)

“We do not need any more false information being shared, that really display a fear we have for those that we don’t understand,” Banks said.

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Meanwhile, Newman argued that those who have been members of the community for a long time should be able to be part of the conversation, though they are typically dismissed for voicing any concerns.

“I think there’s a larger narrative… that says the only compassionate response in a situation like this is you accept all of these immigrants and shut up. Any sense of raising our hand and saying ‘wait a second, we weren’t considered, we’re suffering her too.’ And the response is something like… you’re racist or you’re a bigot, why are you so anti-immigrant,” Newman said.