NationalWatch

Vice President Kamala Harris conducted her second and third interviews since becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee, both of which are scheduled to air Friday.

Harris sat down with comedian Rickey Smiley of the nationally syndicated “Rickey Smiley Morning Show” on Wednesday, while on Thursday she did an interview with a Phoenix-area Spanish-language radio station. The Smiley interview aired Friday morning, while the latter is expected to air at 1 p.m. ET the same day. 

The “Rickey Smiley Morning Show” can be streamed online, while the Spanish-language radio interview will be broadcast locally in Phoenix and will also be available to be streamed online as well.

The Phoenix interview will air on Uforia Audio Network’s 106.3 FM. Uforia is the radio network subsidiary of Univision, one of the largest Spanish-language news outfits in the U.S. Univision told Fox News Digital that clips of the interview will be featured across its TV network.   

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Northwestern High School in Detroit on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

HARRIS, TRUMP AND 2024: DEBATES, POLICIES AND PRESS SCRUTINY ARE CRITICAL NOT OPTIONAL

The Friday interviews come amid criticism over Harris’ lack of formal press conferences and interviews when she can be asked hard questions. Last Thursday, Harris taped her first interview, with CNN, since becoming the Democratic Party’s informal nominee for president in mid-July.

Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R–Ohio, have conducted several dozen interviews since last month, while Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have only conducted six.

Former President Donald Trump sat for an interview with podcaster Theo Von, left, in late August.

EX-OBAMA ADVISER WARNS ‘IT’S VERY POSSIBLE’ TRUMP WOULD WIN ELECTION IF HELD TODAY, SAYS REPORTERS TOO COCKY

During Harris’ interview with Uforia entertainment reporter Edna Chapa, known as “Angel Baby,” they covered topics such as the economy and Harris’ new housing initiatives. The vice president also slammed Trump and argued there will be negative economic outcomes if the country faces another Trump presidency. 

“The issue of the economy is one of my highest priorities,” Harris told Chapa, according to pre-released excerpts of the interview obtained by Fox News Digital. 

The vice president’s first policy platform that was released last month covered economic issues, and this week, she unveiled new tax proposals intended to spur small business growth.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Detroit on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Harris also targeted Trump during the interview with Chapa for his “hateful rhetoric,” adding that she wants to “chart a new way forward for the country.”

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“I’m running because I believe we are in a fight for our country’s future,” Harris argued.

Next week, Trump and Harris will face off on the debate stage. The program will be moderated by ABC anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.

Update: According to Bloomberg, there were technical difficulties that prevented Rickey Smiley from airing the Harris interview Friday morning, per the campaign. It’s now expected for Monday.

Judge Juan Merchan decided to postpone former President Trump’s sentencing in New York v. Trump until after the November presidential election. 

Trump’s sentencing date is now scheduled for Nov. 26. The original date was Sept. 18.

“The public’s confidence in the integrity of our judicial system demands a sentencing hearing that is entirely focused on the verdict of the jury and the weighing of aggravating and mitigating factors free from distraction or distortion,” Merchan said in a letter Friday. 

“Unfortunately, we are now at a place in time that is fraught with complexities rendering the requirements of a sentencing hearing, should one be necessary, difficult to execute. Thus, in accordance with certain of the grounds submitted by Defendant and the reasons for adjournment provided by the People coupled with the unique time frame this matter currently finds itself in, the decision on the [motion] and the imposition of sentence will be adjourned to avoid any appearance – however unwarranted – that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate,” Merchan said. 

Justice Juan Merchan instructs the jury before deliberations during Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump’s criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, at Manhattan state court in New York City, May 29, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)

Trump was found guilty in an unprecedented criminal trial on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, following a six-week trial stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation. 

Steven Cheung, Trump campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, “There should be no sentencing in the Manhattan DA’s Election Interference Witch Hunt. As mandated by the United States Supreme Court, this case, along with all of the other Harris-Biden Hoaxes, should be dismissed.”

Trump’s initial sentencing was set for July 11 — just days before the Republican National Convention, where he was set to be formally nominated as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, but Judge Juan Merchan agreed to delay that until Sept. 18. 

A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA’s office said, “A jury of 12 New Yorkers swiftly and unanimously convicted Donald Trump of 34 felony counts. The Manhattan D.A.’s Office stands ready for sentencing on the new date set by the court.”

‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’: TRUMP LAWYERS CALL FOR DELAYED SENTENCING IN BRAGG CASE

Trump lawyers then requested that his sentencing be delayed until after the November presidential election, citing “naked election-interference objectives.” 

Trump has appealed the verdict, after pleading not guilty to all charges. Trump attorney Todd Blanche said the verdict should be overturned based on the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity, granting presidents limited immunity for official acts.

Judge Merchan will also now make a decision on Nov. 12 on Trump’s motion to vacate.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in court for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024, in New York City.  (Steven Hirsch-Pool/Getty Images)

Blanche also pointed to Merchan’s daughter’s work at Authentic Campaigns, which represents top Democratic candidates. 

TRUMP ASKS FEDERAL COURT TO TAKE OVER BRAGG CASE, WEEKS BEFORE SENTENCING

In his arguments for dismissal, Blanche argued that Bragg offered official acts as evidence during the six-week-long unprecedented criminal trial. Blanche said that included official White House communications with staffers like Hope Hicks, Madeleine Westerhout and others. 

The Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States that a former president has substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office but not for unofficial acts. The high court said Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for “official acts” but left it to the lower court to determine exactly where the line between official and unofficial is.

Former President Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (Emily Elconin/Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, last week, Trump asked a federal court to seize the New York criminal trial from the state and argued that he had become a victim of “constitutional violations” in proceedings that conflicted with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. 

U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied that request, saying there was nothing in the high court’s presidential immunity ruling that alters his view that private payments to an adult film star are not related to a president’s official acts. 

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He previously said that Trump’s reimbursement to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer who facilitated hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, were not official acts he made as president. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to the media after a jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York.  (AP/Seth Wenig)

“My holding of a hush money reimbursement remains true regardless of who has the burden, whether the People or Mr. Trump,” Hellerstein wrote in his decision. “Nothing in the Supreme Court’s decision affects my previous conclusion that the hush money payments were private, unofficial acts, outside the bounds of executive authority.”

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump reacted to Judge Juan Merchan’s decision to delay sentencing in New York v. Trump until after Election Day, telling Fox News Digital he “did nothing wrong” and that the case “should be dead.” 

Trump spoke exclusively with Fox News Digital after Merchan granted the former president’s request to have his sentencing delayed until after the presidential election in November. 

Trump’s sentencing date is now scheduled for Nov. 26. The original sentencing date was Sept. 18.

“The case was delayed because everyone realizes there was no case and I did nothing wrong,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “It is a case that should never have been brought.” 

Former President Trump gave a press conference in Manhattan Friday. (Getty Images)

Trump said “the public understands that and so does every legal scholar that has looked at it and studied it.” 

“I greatly respect the words ‘if necessary’ being used in this decision because there should be no, ‘if necessary,’” Trump said. “The case should be dead.”

Trump was referring to a section of Merchan’s letter Friday, in which he notifies Trump attorneys of the delay, and says that “the sentencing on this matter, if necessary, if adjourned to November 26, 2024 at 10am.” 

Merchan also said Friday the “public’s confidence in the integrity of our judicial system demands a sentencing hearing that is entirely focused on the verdict of the jury and the weighing of aggravating and mitigating factors free from distraction or distortion.”

“Unfortunately, we are now at a place in time that is fraught with complexities rendering the requirements of a sentencing hearing, should one be necessary, difficult to execute,” Merchan said. Thus, in accordance with certain of the grounds submitted by Defendant and the reasons for adjournment provided by the People coupled with the unique time frame this matter currently finds itself in, the decision on the [motion] and the imposition of sentence will be adjourned to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.” 

TRUMP ASKS FEDERAL COURT TO TAKE OVER BRAGG CASE WEEKS BEFORE SENTENCING

In this courtroom sketch, Judge Juan Merchan looks on as former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, attends his criminal trial in Manhattan state court in New York City May 30, 2024, on charges he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)

Trump was found guilty in an unprecedented criminal trial on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree after a six-week trial stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation. 

Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, “There should be no sentencing in the Manhattan DA’s election interference witch hunt. As mandated by the United States Supreme Court, this case, along with all of the other Harris-Biden hoaxes, should be dismissed.”

‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’: TRUMP LAWYERS CALL FOR DELAYED SENTENCING IN BRAGG CASE

Trump’s initial sentencing was scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, where he was formally nominated as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, but Judge Juan Merchan agreed to delay it until Sept. 18. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to the media after a jury found former President Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records May 30, 2024, in New York.  (AP/Seth Wenig)

Trump lawyers then requested his sentencing be delayed until after the November presidential election, citing “naked election-interference objectives.” 

Trump has appealed the verdict after pleading not guilty to all charges. Trump attorney Todd Blanche said the verdict should be overturned based on the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity. 

Blanche also pointed to Merchan’s daughter’s work at Authentic Campaigns, which represents top Democratic candidates. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In his arguments for dismissal, Blanche argued that Bragg offered official acts as evidence during the unprecedented six-week criminal trial. Blanche said that included official White House communications with staffers like Hope Hicks, Madeleine Westerhout and others. 

The Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States that a former president has substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office but not for unofficial acts. The high court said Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for “official acts” but left it to the lower court to determine exactly where the line between official and unofficial is.

The Republican Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Dave McCormick, attributed his rise in the polls to voters realizing the significance of the upcoming election. 

“People are recognizing that this truly is the most important election of their lifetimes,” he told Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser in an interview Thursday. “And we need leadership in there that’s going to bring about change. It’s a change election.”

He is facing off against incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who was elected in 2006 and is seeking re-election in the Keystone State for the third time. 

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McCormick, right, who is running against Casey, left, believes Pennsylvania voters are realizing the importance of the 2024 election. (Reuters/ Associated Press)

McCormick tied Casey at 46% in the latest CNN poll of the race. 

While the measure put the two neck and neck, there are some other surveys predicting a win for the Pennsylvania Democrat. A New York Times and Siena College poll of registered voters taken just weeks earlier showed Casey defeating McCormick, 50% to 36%. 

The CNN poll’s tie between the candidates brought the RealClearPolitics aggregated polling average to 48% for Casey and 45% for McCormick, forecasting a tight race less than nine weeks from Election Day. 

Casey and his family enjoy strong roots in Pennsylvania, particularly given his father, former Gov. Bob Casey Sr., was in office several years and was popular among Pennsylvanians. The elder Casey’s positions on issues like gun rights and abortion gave him a moderate reputation, which his son has benefited from as well in statewide elections.

SENATE GOP BRACING FOR LAST-MINUTE LEADER BIDS — POTENTIALLY BY KEY TRUMP ALLY

McCormick sought the GOP nomination for Senate in 2022 too.  (Getty Images)

However, the senator is markedly less moderate than his father. Despite Casey historically using the pro-life moniker to describe himself, he joined his fellow Democrats in condemning the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022. 

Casey’s alignment with his party is evidenced in particular by his most recent legislative record. In the 117th Congress, he voted in tandem with President Biden 99% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. 

“I always knew it would be a very close race. Pennsylvania is a tough state,” McCormick told Fox News Digital. He acknowledged that Casey is an incumbent, while the Republican is still somewhat unknown. 

“But people are starting to know who I am,” he said. 

SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR ‘CONCERNED’ OVER FUNDRAISING DISPARITY BUT PREDICTS WHO WILL WIN MAJORITY

Casey, pictured here, is the son of former Gov. Bob Casey Sr. (AP/Patrick Semansky)

McCormick explained this is why he thinks the gap between him and Casey in previous measures is closing. 

He further claimed that Pennsylvania “may be the one place where having Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket is worse than President Biden for the Democrats.”

After Biden’s campaign suspension and the last-minute nomination of Vice President Harris at the Democratic National Convention last month, Harris has seen an improvement over Biden’s previous polling numbers. 

However, McCormick predicted she would do worse in Pennsylvania than Biden would have. The Republican cited the fact that Biden has a history in Pennsylvania, which has benefited him in the past. But Harris, he said, is “wildly out of step with Pennsylvanians.” 

LINDSEY GRAHAM PUTS AMAZON ‘ON NOTICE’ OVER ALEXA’S POTENTIAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE

Harris was nominated as the Democratic candidate for president last month.  (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

He listed past stances of Harris, including, “banning fracking, giving amnesty to 10 million illegal immigrants, making sure they have federal benefits, mandatory buybacks of guns, elimination of private health insurers.”

Several of the policy positions McCormick outlined have since been reversed by Harris’ campaign, however. 

“Those positions are just out of touch with most Pennsylvanians. And so that’s the dilemma that she has when she comes to the state,” McCormick said.

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And Casey has been a “sure thing” for Biden, voting with him nearly all the time, he pointed out. 

“He’ll be a 99% vote for Harris-Walz,” McCormick predicted. 

“Pennsylvanians don’t want a rubber stamp. They want somebody who is going to stand up and fight for what they believe in and what they believe is right for Pennsylvanians,” he said. 

Casey’s campaign was asked by Fox News Digital about the tightening polls and why the gap appeared to be closing between Casey and McCormick, but it did not respond to the question in time for publication.

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

Political headwinds have recently shifted in eight close House races around the country. With less than two months until Election Day, Democrats continue to ride a wave of enthusiasm for their new presidential nominee.

Six races have shifted in Democrats’ favor, while just two are looking better for Republicans, according to a nonpartisan analysis by the Cook Political Report.

Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has spent the summer crisscrossing the country to campaign for fellow GOP lawmakers as he seeks to hold onto his razor-thin, four-seat majority in the House.

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Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are battling for control of the House. (Getty Images)

Two of the races that inched toward the left are in districts President Biden won in 2020 but are held by GOP representatives Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Michelle Steele, R-Calif. Both their ratings switched from “lean Republican” to “toss up.”

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, who flipped her seat from red to blue in 2020, saw her race move from “likely” victory for Republicans to only leaning in their favor.

Three Democratic seats — those held by representatives Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, and Henry Cuellar, D-Texas — have also become safer for the left.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: FIVE THEMES EMERGE IN THE BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE GAVEL

Moskowitz and Cuellar’s race predictions shifted to solidly and “likely” blue, respectively, while Kaptur’s seat is now leaning Democratic after being classified a “toss-up.”

Democrats could be on track to lose a seat in the House, however, with the race for Rep. Mary Peltola’s seat becoming a “toss-up” in Alaska, a state former President Trump won in 2020.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s re-election race is now projected more favorably for Democrats than before. (Bill Clark)

Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, which Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., is vacating to run in the nearby 4th Congressional District, is now “likely” to be held by Republicans after her departure.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the House Democrats’ campaign arm, took a victory lap over Cook’s latest updates Friday. 

“House Democrats continue to build momentum and grassroots enthusiasm across the country, while House GOP incumbents and candidates continue to fall flat on their faces,” DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton said in a statement to the press touting the update.

Republicans appeared to be on track to possibly win both the White House and Congress before Biden’s shocking decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race in late July.

Democrats have since been riding a wave of enthusiasm for their new candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, despite a lack of expansive policy platforms and few unscripted media appearances.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: FIVE THEMES EMERGE IN THE BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE GAVEL

At least one House Republican who spoke with Fox News Digital this week was bullish about the GOP’s chances of victory, however.

“If these predictive sites are to be believed, maybe Donald Trump’s got a 42% chance to be president. We’ve got a, you know, 60-some percent chance to take the Senate and a 55% chance to keep the House. So, that’s a better hand of cards than we’re holding today,” the GOP lawmaker said. 

“I would say this. If Donald Trump gets elected, he will likely usher in a Republican House and Senate along with him.”

One House Republican predicted Republicans would keep the House and win the Senate if Donald Trump won the presidency. (Getty Images)

Last month, House GOP leaders were expressing concerns about being out-raised by Democrats.

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., head of the House GOP campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), confirmed he sounded alarm bells in comments to Fox Business in August.

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“That’s true, and we’ve seen the fundraising on the Democrat side just go through the roof. And so I’ve warned my candidates and my colleagues in the Congress that we’ve got to step up and continue doing the things we need to do to win,” Hudson said at the time.

He said the response from House Republicans has been “great,” adding, “Everyone stepped up. We had a number of people pledge more money to the committee. … I think folks are ready for the fight.”

Fox Business’ Grady Trimble and Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report

The nation’s oldest and largest police organization endorsed Donald Trump Friday, saying there is “zero doubt” they want him in the White House for a second term, while the former president blasted his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, as a “defunder” of law enforcement, and vowed to end “Kamala’s crime wave” if elected. 

Trump traveled to North Carolina Friday to speak at a meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police and accept their endorsement, calling it an “honor.” The organization also endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020. 

“Public safety and border security will be important issues in the last months of this campaign,” FOP National President Patrick Yoes said. “Our members carefully considered the positions of the candidates on the issues and there was no doubt—zero doubt—as to who they want as our President for the next four years: Donald J. Trump.”

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE BLASTS SECRET SERVICE ‘FAILURE’

Yoes said that during Trump’s first term, he “made it clear he supported law enforcement and border security.”

“In the summer of 2020, he stood with us when very few would. With his help, we defeated the ‘defund the police’ movement and, finally, we are seeing crime rates decrease,” he said. “If we want to maintain these lower crime rates, we must re-elect Donald Trump.” 

Yoes said FOP leadership met with Trump—but said a similar meeting was not offered by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. 

FLASHBACK: HARRIS TRIED TO DEFUND BORDER PATROL AGENTS, SLASH ICE BUDGET

“As the nation’s oldest and largest law enforcement labor organization, the FOP’s presidential endorsement is one of the most sought-after endorsements by candidates running for the presidency,” Yoes said. “The FOP is the number one voice of America’s law enforcement. We have a responsibility to our members, to the 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the United States, and to the communities they serve to do our part in determining the direction in which our country will head.”

Yoes said Trump, during his first term, “provided our nation with strong, effective leadership.” 

“Now that he is seeking election to a second term, we intend to help him win it,” Yoes said. 

Trump touted the endorsement Friday afternoon during an event with members of the Fraternal Order of Police. 

“It’s an honor to be here. This is a big endorsement for me…It’s an honor,” Trump said. “I’m thrilled to be back with the incredible heroes and patriots of the Fraternal Order of Police, an incredible group and a group that’s highly respected all over the country.”

KAMALA HARRIS SUPPORTED ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ IN 2020 RADIO INTERVIEW, BEFORE BIDEN CAMPAIGN SAID OTHERWISE

Trump added: “To all of the law enforcement men and women here today, I respect you so much. I admire you, and as your president, I will always back the blue as I did.” 

Trump blasted his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris as a “defunder.” 

“I back to blue more than any other. I was not a defunder like Kamala. She was a defunder. She was a ten year defunder. When you, when you want to defend for ten years, that’s the end of that one,” Trump said.

He joked: “I think I could leave right now, and you say there’s no way that we’re not voting for that guy.” 

“I consider you in this room to be America’s finest,” Trump said. “You’re all over the country, all over from the country, all over the place. And, we really appreciate you being here.” 

Trump said law enforcement officers just want to “see our country, be safe and prosperous, and we want to love our country.” 

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives to speak about national security during a campaign rally at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame in Asheboro, North Carolina, August 21, 2024.  (PETER ZAY/AFP via Getty Images)

KAMALA HARRIS CALLED FOR REMOVING COPS FROM SCHOOLS TO FIGHT RACIAL ‘INEQUITIES’ IN 2019 INTERVIEW

“We know all about you and the great job that you do. And, the people of this country respect you greatly for it. So I just want to thank you on behalf of everybody,” Trump said. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“Under the Harris regime, 99% of law abiding citizens suffer while criminals run free and our country is plagued into literally third world conditions. In many ways, we’re a third world country, but we’re going to clean that up real fast,” Trump said. “I’m here today to declare that we do not have to live this way. And when I’m President of the United States, we are not going to take it anymore.” 

Trump said that there has been a 43% increase in violent crime since the Biden-Harris administration came into power, including a 58% increase in rape and an 89% increase in aggravated assault. 

“And under Comrade Kamala, assaults on police officers are up a minimum of 32% and many of them are not reported. And if they are reported, they’re not taken down. And shootings of our police officers are up by over 16%,” Trump said. “The day I take office is the day that Kamala’s crime wave comes to an end. It’s a crime wave in our country. We’ve never seen anything like it.” 

Which of these things is not like the others? The economy. The border. Abortion. Foreign policy. 

The first three are issues many voters consistently tell pollsters are the subjects most important to them in 2024. Foreign policy? Dwarfed by the others. In fact, recent Fox polling shows that foreign policy decisions were the most important subjects to only 3% of registered voters surveyed in Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona. Foreign policy only climbs to 4% when Fox asked the question nationally.

So why care about foreign policy in a race like the one between Vice President Harris and former President Trump? The importance of foreign policy as a determining factor in the race for the presidency rises and falls. Vietnam wore on the public consciousness in the late 1960s. It drove former President Lyndon Johnson away from seeking re-election in 1968. The Iranian hostage crisis certainly didn’t help former President Carter as he stumbled in 1980. It’s believed that former President Reagan scored a boost from improving America’s image on the global stage. Staring down the Soviets certainly enabled Reagan to cruise to victory in 1984.

Former President George H.W. Bush seemingly received no benefit for the 1991 Gulf War nor the fall of the Eastern Bloc in the late ‘80s and early ’90s. This was ironic. The president earned a staggering 91% approval rating just after the Gulf War. Yet he lost to former President Clinton less than two years later. The events of 9/11 lifted the fate of former President George W. Bush in 2001. Bush won re-election in 2004. But casualties from the war in Iraq cost him support that fall. 

Vice President Kamala Harris on July 30, 2024, and former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, Aug. 3. (AP Photos)

PUTIN SAYS HE BACKS HARRIS OVER TRUMP, ADDS HE’S READY FOR TALKS WITH UKRAINE

So, should we focus on foreign policy as a crucial issue in 2024? Hard to say. But in a tight race, anything might be decisive. Especially in battleground states where the race is a statistical dead heat.

“Pocketbook issues are always the most important issues for most people,” said Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind. But Bucshon offered a caveat.

“(Foreign policy) could be in the national security space part of the election narrative because the vice president was obviously part of this decision-making progress,” the Indiana Republican said.

That is precisely what Republicans hope to highlight as Congress returns to session. Biden is out the door. Harris is now the Democratic nominee. And Republicans hope to tell the story of the vice president and foreign policy.

War in the Middle East. Executions of Israeli hostages. Even the controversy involving Trump honoring service members killed in Afghanistan three years ago. Curiously, the incident and questions surrounding how Trump and his team conducted themselves at Arlington National Cemetery may have actually retrained focus on why they were there in the first place: the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan under the watch of the president and vice president.

A mother of one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Abbey Gate attack at the Kabul airport railed against the administration.

“We’ve been disrespected so much in the last three years,” Kelly Barnett told Fox. She’s a Gold Star mother who lost her son, Taylor Hoover, in the terrorist attack. “No response from them. No ‘I’m sorry.’”

Republicans see this as connective tissue to Harris.

“I think it’s open to criticism because the vice president was intimately involved in that discussion (to withdraw from Afghanistan),” said Bucshon.

Harris even said as much during an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash in 2021 after the withdrawal.

“(President Biden) just made a really big decision. Afghanistan,” said Bash. “Were you the last person in the room?”

President Biden holds hands with Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremony honoring the Golden State Warriors Jan. 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“Yes,” replied Harris.

“And you feel comfortable?” countered Bash.

“I do,” answered Harris.

On NBC, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., noted that former President Trump “was never able” to get out of Afghanistan despite wanting to do so.

“I give President Biden and Vice President Harris credit for finally ending a war after 20 years,” said Khanna.

The California Democrat conceded the administration bungled the withdrawal. But Khanna believes Harris and the president “deserve credit” for actually extracting the U.S. from the protracted conflict. In addition, some Republicans point to the Israel/Hamas war as a flashpoint for the administration.

TRUMP TOUTS FOREIGN POLICY CHOPS AT FOX NEWS TOWN HALL: ‘I WAS THE TOUGHEST ON RUSSIA’

“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have tried to hamstring Israel every step of the way here,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said on Fox.

On Fox Business, Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, argued that the only “two-state solution” Harris and vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz care about is winning “Pennsylvania and Michigan.”

But when it comes to the Middle East, the administration contends it’s clear who is to blame — despite the Mideast crisis unfolding on its watch.

“Hamas is responsible for their deaths. And as the president said, most leaders pay for their crimes,” said White House national security spokesman John Kirby.

The campaign trail now moves from battleground states like Nevada and North Carolina to Capitol Hill as Congress returns to session. Expect congressional Republicans to curate a narrative about the Biden administration’s foreign policy — and latch that to Harris.

The House is slated to vote on a number of measures in the coming days pertaining to China. There may even be legislation tied to Israel and the Mideast War. The House Foreign Affairs Committee is releasing an exhaustive report about the Afghanistan withdrawal imminently. The committee also issued a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to testify about the withdrawal Sept. 19.

President Biden speaks to reporters outside St. Edmond’s Roman Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Del., after attending a mass Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The State Department contends Blinken isn’t available then. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called the subpoena “unnecessary,” arguing Blinken worked with the committee in good faith. But Foreign Affairs Committee spokeswoman Leslie Shedd said Blinken knew the committee wanted his testimony since late May.

“The chairman offered the secretary any session day in the month of September to come in, and he refused. Instead, he vaguely suggested November or December — when it is far too late for Congress to take legislative action to fix the problems at the State Department that led to the withdrawal,” Shedd said.

Regardless, the coming days will present lots of fodder about what went wrong in Afghanistan three years ago. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will present the families of the 13 service members killed in Afghanistan with the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony Tuesday.

George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Jeb Bush stand together for a photo. (Getty Images)

So, do the foreign policy arguments stick to Harris? Unclear. However, you’ll notice that Republicans recently began to invoke the “Biden-Harris administration.” That’s a concerted effort to pivot from Biden and Velcro issues to the vice president — once she became the nominee.

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But will foreign policy make a difference? It can. But we won’t know until the vote is in. As observed earlier, George W. Bush won re-election over former Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in 2004. But there were “micro” costs to Bush’s campaign over the Iraq war in particular regions and precincts.

And in a close election, that’s why foreign policy might matter in 2024.

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

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Trump vs. Harris! The event that could define the election! Watch Fox News for coverage beginning Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

Here’s what’s happening now …

– Iran might complete a nuclear bomb before America’s presidential election, experts warn

– Navy SEAL who killed Bin Laden sues hotel over incident that halted career

– Harris campaign touts ‘largest haul of the 2024 cycle’

Election Objection

Judge Juan Merchan decided to postpone former President Trump’s sentencing in New York v. Trump until after the November presidential election.

Trump’s sentencing date is now scheduled for Nov. 26. The original date was set for Sept. 18.

“The public’s confidence in the integrity of our judicial system demands a sentencing hearing that is entirely focused on the verdict of the jury and the weighing of aggravating and mitigating factors free from distraction or distortion,” Merchan said in a letter Friday.

Trump was found guilty in an unprecedented criminal trial on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, following a six-week trial stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation. ….Read more

Justice Juan Merchan instructs the jury before deliberations during Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump’s criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, at Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. May 29, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)

White House

BIG STICK: Biden-Harris admin needs ‘more aggressive’ plan to take on Iran-backed Houthis, experts warn …Read more

ELECTION FALLOUT: Experts warn Iran could have a nuclear bomb before the next president takes office …Read more

IN THE FAMILY: ‘It’s still no’: KJP suggests Biden won’t pardon Hunter  …Read more

US President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden hug on stage at the conclusion of the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the party’s nomination for president at the DNC which runs from August 19-22 in Chicago. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Capitol Hill

SENATE SUCCESSION: Senate GOP bracing for last-minute leader bids — potentially by key Trump ally …Read more

Trump told allies that he wanted to see Daines run for Senate GOP leader. (Reuters/ AP)

‘IF WE SHUT DOWN, WE LOSE’: House GOP privately fears fallout of government shutdown …Read more

ORDER IN THE COURT: Trump attends arguments in appeal of first court loss to E. Jean Carroll …Read more

NO MORE SPYING: House tees up ‘China Week’ with floor votes aimed at combating CCP espionage  …Read more

Trials and Tribulation

TRUMP CARD: Former president blasts lawyers in presser after E Jean Carroll hearing …Read more

‘SHOULD BE DEAD’: Trump reacts to sentencing delay in Bragg case, says case ‘should be dead’ …Read more

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to the media after a jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York.  (AP/Seth Wenig)

Tales from the Trail

BOLD PREDICTION: Senate GOP campaign chair ‘concerned’ over fundraising disparity but predicts who will win majority …Read more

DEMS’ CASH DASH: Harris nearly triples Trump’s fundraising last month …Read more

SIGNS OF WEAKNESS: Harris failing to cobble together Biden’s winning 2020 coalition: analysis …Read more

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

‘DEFLECTION’: Harris quick to call for gun control after Georgia shooting, stays mum on armed Venezuelan migrant gangs …Read more

HABLAMOS: Harris conducts radio interviews with comedian Rickey Smiley and Spanish-language show in Phoenix …Read more

SHE WENT THERE: Trump will jail protesters, Jane Fonda claims at Harris event for overseas voters …Read more

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 10: Jane Fonda attends Tribeca X – Celebration Of The Most Famous Line In Advertising at Convene on June 10, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival) (Getty Images )

Across America

‘DIDN’T HAPPEN’: Navy SEAL who killed Bin Laden slaps hotel with lawsuit over incident that derailed career …Read more

SHOT DOWN: Newsom vetoes controversial bill that would have given housing loans to illegal immigrants …Read more

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a controversial bill that would have given hundreds of thousands of dollars in housing loans to illegal immigrants. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

DEMOCRAT DOWNGRADE: Political handicapper shifts Montana Senate to ‘leans Republican’ as Tester falls behind …Read more

STEEL SALE FIRESTORM: Unified opposition to Nippon-US Steel takeover is misguided: economists, Pittsburgh officials …Read more

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

After six weeks of recess, the House is set to fast-track approval of a slew of China-related bills that aim to counter the U.S.’s growing foe beginning on Monday. 

With only three weeks of work on Capitol Hill before the November election, the Republican-led lower chamber is dedicating precious floor time to bills that would root out Chinese spyware within the country and set up the next president to take tougher action against Beijing. 

“We wanted to combine them all into one week so that you had a real sharp focus on the fact that we need to be aggressive in confronting the threat that China poses,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise told Fox News Digital about the planned “China Week.”

“I think we can get real bipartisan support for a number of these,” the Louisiana Republican said. “They’re all bills that should be very bipartisan, because there are things that China is doing right now that are direct threats to our country’s national security, and if we get strong bipartisan votes, you have a higher chance of getting through the Senate.”

HOUSE GOP PRESSES HOCHUL ON ALLEGED CCP AGENT’S INFLUENCE IN NY 

“We wanted to combine them all into one week so that you had a real sharp focus on the fact that we need to be aggressive in confronting the threat that China poses,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise told Fox News Digital about the planned “China Week.” (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Scalise said that four bills will come up under a rule, meaning that they will be debated by the House and that members can offer amendments. Still more will come up under suspension of the rules, meaning that the House is aiming to pass them quickly and without debate. 

Scalise highlighted one bill that would undo the Biden administration’s guidance allowing Chinese-made electric vehicles to qualify for a $7,500 tax credit. The move enraged even West Virginia’s Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Manchin, who helped author the Inflation Reduction Act that allowed for the credit. 

The End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles Act, introduced by Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., would tighten the Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) definition of a 30D EV that qualifies for the credit to exclude those vehicles with significant parts that are made in China. 

Another bill would broadly ban China from purchasing U.S. farmland. Chinese entities owned about 380,000 acres of agricultural land in the U.S. as of 2023, or less than 1%. 

HONG KONG LAWMAKERS UNANIMOUSLY PASS CONTROVERSIAL SECURITY LAW, GRANTING GOVERNMENT POWER TO CURB DISSENT

Another bill, the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act, would prevent the U.S. from agreeing to any pandemic preparedness agreement negotiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) without the approval of two-thirds of the Senate. 

The House is looking to get tough on China, led by Xi Jinping, to woo voters ahead of the election.

“We’re giving an extra buffer so that the administration can’t just go partner up with WHO and come up with an agreement that would result in really bad policy for America,” Scalise said. 

Another bill, the Biosecure Act, would ban federal agencies that run research labs from using any biotech equipment from any company that could be at risk of harnessing data to send back to the CCP.

TIM WALZ SPENT YEARS PROMOTING RESEARCH FACILITY THAT COLLABORATED WITH ‘CHINESE MILITARY COMPANY’

Another, the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act, would prevent any federal money from going to universities involved with CCP-run Confucius Institutes. 

“You’re seeing China get more involved in our higher ed institutions,” said Scalise. 

During former President Donald Trump’s administration in 2018, Congress “restricted federal funding to schools with institutes; nearly all of the institutes have since closed,” according to Congress’s Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Another piece of legislation would re-establish a task force formed under Trump within the Department of Justice specifically focused on Chinese espionage. 

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FBI Director Christopher Wray estimated last year his agency has more than 2,000 active investigations related to Chinese spying. 

The FBI estimates that Chinese counterfeit goods, pirated software and theft of trade secrets have cost the U.S. economy between $225 billion and $600 billion. 

Former President Donald Trump held a nearly hourlong press conference on Friday, when he denied wrongdoing in any of the cases against him and briefly criticized his legal team, who were lined up behind him.

Trump, in particular, went after his three separate cases in New York, and the Georgia elections probe being conducted by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. He accused the Department of Justice (DOJ) of, in many cases, working with officials prosecuting him.

The former president and 2024 Republican nominee is in his hometown to appeal a jury’s verdict in writer E. Jean Carroll’s civil case that found Trump liable of sexual abuse and defamation – and levied a $5 million penalty.

“This is a disgraceful case, and disgraceful in particular, because it’s about a former President of the United States who is now leading in the polls to be the president again,” Trump said. “And this is being worked with the DOJ, Department of Justice – as are all of these cases.”

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL IN E. JEAN CARROLL SUIT, SAYS HE MUST PAY $83.3 MILLION

Former President Donald Trump gave a press conference in Manhattan on Friday. (Getty Images)

“They all come out – Atlanta, Fani, that is all Department of Justice. Nobody knew that. The case with Judge Engoron, most over-turned judge in [New York] – that is very close because they sent their team from the DOJ to help him. The [Manhattan District Attorney], Alvin Bragg, that was all worked with, again, they sent a top operative from the department, from the DOJ, department of— I called the Department of Injustice, because they’re using the Department of Justice to rig the campaign. These cases are disgraceful.”

At another point, he accused judges of acting with partisanship to block certain evidence from his trials.

“I have all this legal talent, but legal talent cannot overcome rigged judges. They can’t overcome a 4% Republican area,” Trump said in reference to trials being held in Democratic strongholds.

“And I’m disappointed in my legal talent, I’ll be honest with you. They’re good. They’re good people. They’re talented people,” he added, with his lawyers standing behind him.

TRUMP DEFENDS HIMSELF ON THE STAND, BLASTS E JEAN CARROLL TRIAL: ‘THIS IS NOT AMERICA’

Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers were also present at his press conference. (Getty Images)

Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in all civil and criminal cases he has faced since leaving office.

In addition to his hearing in the Carroll case, Trump was also in New York for a decision from New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan on whether to delay sentencing in his criminal trial about hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. A jury convicted him on 34 counts linked to falsifying business records earlier this year.

He was scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18, but Trump’s lawyers successfully petitioned him on Friday to delay until after the November election.

TRUMP AND HARRIS IN TOSS-UP RACES IN KEY SWING STATES PENNSYLVANIA, GEORGIA, NEVADA: POLL

The press conference came shortly before New York Judge Juan Merchan agreed to delay Trump’s criminal sentencing. (AP)

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While criticizing judges in several of his cases, Trump also praised Florida federal Judge Aileen Cannon for her handling of special counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents case.

“I think she’s a brilliant woman. I think she handled a scam. It’s a scam case,” Trump said. “We won that trial.”

Actress and environmental activist Jane Fonda once again addressed an overseas audience, warning Democratic voters abroad that former President Donald Trump will “jail” anyone who protests his policies if he’s re-elected. 

“If you are young out there abroad, you’re going to want to vote so that you have a livable future. And you’re going to want to vote so that you have a voice in a democracy. Now, with a Harris ticket, you will have a voice, if you want something to happen, or you want something to not happen, you can lobby. You can protest, demonstrate, you can do all kinds of things,” Fonda said during a Democrats Abroad campaign event for the Harris-Walz ticket Thursday afternoon. 

“The Orange Man will not let that happen. He puts the people who don’t agree with him in jail, and he said he’s going to make their lives miserable,” Fonda continued before a moderator for the campaign event interjected that their next speaker, Sen. Ed Markey, was set to address the virtual event. 

Democrats Abroad is the official arm of the Democratic Party for American citizens living overseas, including registering them to vote and keeping them apprised of key policy issues during election cycles. About three million U.S. citizens live abroad and vote overseas, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program. 

JANE FONDA CLAIMS SHE’S ONLY INTERESTED IN YOUNG LOVERS BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T ‘LIKE OLD SKIN’

Jane Fonda attends Tribeca X – Celebration Of The Most Famous Line In Advertising at Convene on June 10, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival) (Getty Images )

The group held an hours-long campaign event Thursday afternoon on Zoom, where a bevy of elected Democratic officials and Hollywood elites spoke to those living overseas about why they are supporting the Harris-Walz ticket. 

DONALD TRUMP PRAISED BY STARS AS ‘A WARRIOR,’ MAN ‘WILLING TO GIVE HIS LIFE’ AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a Fox News Town Hall with Sean Hannity at the New Holland Arena on September 4, 2024, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Hollywood stars such as Kyra Sedgewick, Rob Reiner, Alfre Woodard and Fonda, as well as elected officials including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former Attorney General Eric Holder and Rep. Adam Schiff, delivered short remarks to those watching, encouraging them to snub Trump at the ballot box. 

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“One of the main reasons … this particular election in this coming November is so utterly critical, is because one of the two top tickets – and I don’t think I need to mention the names – will take us in the absolutely wrong direction. I’m going to say the Orange Man. Okay, the Orange Man has let us know in no uncertain terms that on day one, if he is elected, it’s going to be ‘Drill, baby, drill.’ And as I said, the world cannot afford another four years of not paying attention to the climate crisis. It’s going to be too late to solve this existential crisis. We need a strong democracy. And the Orange Man has also let us know that he’s not crazy about democracy,” Fonda continued in her remarks. 

JANE FONDA SAYS HARRIS-WALZ TICKET IS ‘ONLY HOPE’ TO BEAT ‘ORANGE MAN’ IN CAMPAIGN CALL WITH CLIMATE ACTIVISTS

Pelosi also slammed Trump, while opting to call the 45th president “what’s his name” and arguing that “our democracy is at stake” this election cycle. She added that she’s grateful to God that she was serving as speaker of the House on Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of Trump’s breached the U.S. Capitol, instead of a Republican House leader. 

“I want to say this immodestly, but I was very glad that God placed me to be the speaker on January 6 of last time. Because if it had been a Republican speaker, the whole story would be different now. So, Hakeem Jeffries must be the Speaker of the House on January 6. That’s a must. It’s up to you. No burden, just up to you,” Pelosi said. 

(L-R) Alexander Vindman and Eric Holder attend the Genesis Prize Award Dinner in Honor of 10th Anniversary Laureate Barbra Streisand on June 6, 2024, in Malibu, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Genesis Prize Foundation) (Getty Images)

The former attorney general under the Obama administration, Eric Holder, also addressed those watching, arguing that Trump’s political statements and policies during the 2024 campaign cycle have been “chilling.” 

“They’ve grown comfortable with everything from gerrymandering to voter suppression to outright intimidation. And this is profoundly, you know, un American. I mean, earlier this summer, Donald Trump asked a part of his MAGA base, talking to some Maga supporters, he told them that you just have to vote just this time. Vote just this time. And then he said you won’t have to do it anymore. That’s a pretty chilling thing,” Holder said. 

Minnesota DFL(Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party) Governor Tim Walz poses for a photo with his wife Gwen, right, and daughter Hope, 21, after voting at Linwood Community Recreation Center, Tuesday, November 8, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. It was Hope’s first gubernatorial election where she could vote for her dad.  (David Joles/Star Tribune via Getty Images)

Holder joined the Harris campaign earlier this year to lead the vetting process of her potential running mates before Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was announced as the candidate last month.

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September is a key month for American voters abroad, with federal law requiring absentee ballots to be sent to members of the military and voters overseas 45 days before the election. The ballots will be sent out by Sept. 21 during this election cycle. 

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

A top political handicapper has changed its prediction for the November Senate election in Montana to show an advantage for Republicans as Democratic Sen. Jon Tester has begun to slip in polling. 

The battle between Tester and Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, was shifted from a “toss up” to “leans Republican” by Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics on Friday, with less than nine weeks until the election. 

The rating change followed the Thursday release of a new AARP poll showing Sheehy with a six-point 51%-45% advantage over Tester in a two-way race. In an expanded field, Sheehy still defeated Tester 49%-41%. 

SENATE GOP BRACING FOR LAST-MINUTE LEADER BIDS — POTENTIALLY BY KEY TRUMP ALLY

Sheehy is now favored to win the Nevada Senate race against incumbent Tester.  (Reuters)

“Beyond the polling, history and recent trends are just not on Tester’s side, as we have mentioned previously,” wrote managing editor Kyle Kondik. “He is one of a relatively small number of partisan outliers in either chamber of Congress, holding a Senate seat that the other party won by 16 points in the most recent presidential election.”

“Perhaps ticket-splitting returns in force this year — if it did, Tester could still survive. But the longer-term trend is clearly toward less ticket-splitting,” he said. 

SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR ‘CONCERNED’ OVER FUNDRAISING DISPARITY BUT PREDICTS WHO WILL WIN MAJORITY

Tester is seeking re-election for the third time.  (Samuel Corum)

Campaigns for Tester and Sheehy did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. 

Montanans first elected Tester to the Senate in 2006, and he’s won re-election twice, despite the state traditionally voting Republican. 

The Democratic senator’s re-election bid in 2018 did not coincide with a presidential election, freeing him from concerns that the Democrat presidential nominee would influence his race. But now, Vice President Kamala Harris will be at the top of the Democratic ticket, while former President Trump, who won Montana twice in 2016 and 2020, will lead the Republican ticket in the state. 

LINDSEY GRAHAM PUTS AMAZON ‘ON NOTICE’ OVER ALEXA’S POTENTIAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE

Tester was involved in recruiting Harris to run for senate. (Reuters)

Tester has held off endorsing Harris and did not attend the Democratic National Convention last month. Despite appearing to distance himself from Harris and his party, the strategy’s effectiveness is unclear, particularly as reports have indicated that Tester, who was leading the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) at the time, was personally responsible for recruiting Harris for the Senate in 2015. 

DEMS LOSE GROUND TO GOP CONTENDERS IN PIVOTAL SENATE RACES AS VOTERS LOCK IN: POLL

Sheehy is beating Tester in the latest poll. (Reuter/Mike Segar)

In addition, the Montana Democrat offered a ringing endorsement of fellow senator Harris when she was chosen as President Biden’s running mate in 2020. He wrote 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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More recently, Tester claimed, “I’m not going to endorse for the presidential – and I will tell you why.” 

“Two reasons: No. 1, I’m focused on my race. And No. 2, folks have wanted to nationalize this race, and this isn’t about national politics. This is about Montana,” he said, justifying his decision not to offer his seal of approval to Harris. 

Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report. 

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

Vice President Kamala Harris is running behind President Biden’s 2020 numbers among several demographic groups, a gap that could loom large in what increasingly appears to be a razor’s-edge election.

“Harris is significantly underperforming Biden, according to most polls, with Black voters, Hispanic voters, working class voters, and young voters,” Democratic strategist Julian Epstein told Fox News Digital.

The comments come as an analysis of polling data released by the Wall Street Journal this week showed Harris still struggling with key demographics that have been critical to Democratic success in national elections. Although the vice president has made up ground on Biden’s numbers when he decided to drop out of the race, she has still failed to meet the president’s 2020 performance.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: FIVE THEMES EMERGE IN THE BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE GAVEL

Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo by Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

One such group Harris is struggling with is Black voters, with the vice president running 10 points behind the numbers put up by Biden in 2020. She is also behind Biden’s mark with Latino voters (6 points), voters under the age of 30 (12 points), male voters (4 points) and female voters (2 points.)

Meanwhile, Trump has continued to make inroads with minority communities that have previously been difficult for Republicans to appeal to. The former President now has the support of 20% of black men, the Wall Street Journal analysis found, and only trails Harris by one point among Latino men, 48% to 47%. 

The figures could offer a glimpse into why Biden has begun joining Harris on the trial, with the president and vice president campaigning together for the first time over Labor Day weekend. Biden has also seen some positive momentum when it comes to his approval rating, which one USA Today/Suffolk poll showed has jumped 13 points in just a few months.

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

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: THREE GOVERNOR’S RACES TO WATCH ON ELECTION NIGHT

If Harris fails to match Biden’s standing among some minority demographics, the Wall Street Journal analysis suggests she may look to pick off the support of white voters, a group with whom Trump has traditionally performed well. But the analysis found Harris outperforming Biden’s 2020 marks among white voters with and without college degrees in seven critical swing states.

“Harris is overperforming Biden with college-educated elites and suburban women,” Epstein said. “This suggests not just that Trump is likely ahead by a small margin, as Nate Silver has pointed out, but it also suggests longer-term realignment with the Democratic Party becoming a party of elites, and the Republican Party becoming a populist working-class party.” 

However, picking off enough white voters could put Harris over the top in a close race.

Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at a campaign rally in Savannah, Georgia, August 29, 2024. Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz (Reuters)

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“A small gain among white voters can offset a bigger loss among those from minority groups, because white voters account for 70% or more of those who participate in elections,” the analysis notes.

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

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

While Vice President Kamala Harris was quick to call for action against gun violence after Wednesday’s school shooting in Georgia that killed four and injured several others, she has remained silent on alarming incidents involving armed Venezuelan migrant gangs overtaking apartment buildings, critics charge.

“It’s telling that gun violence is only mentioned when it fits a particular narrative,” Beverly Hills school board candidate and gun shop owner Russell Stuart told Fox News Digital. “VP Harris is quick to politicize the actions of a mentally ill 14-year-old boy, but remains silent on the very real and dangerous violence being carried out by illegal immigrant gangs in American cities.”

“Law abiding citizens deserve safety and security, and their protection should not be sidelined by political gamemanship and deflection,” he added.

AURORA POLICE REACT TO ALLEGED VENEZUELAN GANG PRESENCE AT APARTMENTS: ‘HAVE NOT TAKEN OVER’

Vice President Kamala Harris has remained silent about the alarming incidents involving armed Venezuelan migrant gangs overtaking apartment buildings, critics charge. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/Fox News)

Harris lamented the incident on X Thursday and said that her and her husband were “mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short by gun violence at Apalachee High School in Georgia.”

“Our hearts are with the students, teachers, and families impacted by this shooting, and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement on the scene. This is a senseless tragedy — and it does not have to be this way. We must end the epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all,” Harris wrote.

The school shooting in battleground Georgia brought the Second Amendment back into the focal point of the neck-and-neck election race and added to the list of different policy stances between Harris and former President Donald Trump.

TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS ARRESTED IN AURORA, COLORADO IN CONNECTION TO APARTMENT BUILDING TAKEOVER: POLICE

A screenshot from a video shows the alleged shooter’s weapon used in the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Alexsandra Romero/Joel Romero via Storyful)

The familiar reaction following a school shooting echoed across social media platforms, as proponents for stricter gun control measures reignited their calls and gun rights activists attributed it to a mental health epidemic among teens.

“We need to get to the cause of what’s happening with these school shootings,” retired Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and congressional candidate John Fabbricatore told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It’s not the guns causing the school shootings. Why are these kids thinking that they can go out and kill other human beings?”

“Why do these kids feel that it is the right thing to do to find something to kill other people? That’s the main issue. That’s the issue that we need to direct our attention to,” he said.

He added that Harris is unlikely to bring up the Venezuelan migrant gang apartment takeovers because, “she helped cause this” since she has been in office for the last four years and will avoid bringing attention to what critics have called weakened border security measures.

SANCTUARY CITY’S POLICIES PUSH VIOLENT MIGRANT GANG INTO SUBURBS: ‘IT’S A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM’

Alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang have overtaken an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, charging rent in exchange for “protection.” (Edward Romero)

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., a Cuban-born lawmaker, told Fox News Digital that the migrant gangs “are taking over” communities, “yet [Harris] turns a blind eye to the consequences of her disastrous policies.”

Additionally, the alleged migrant gang takeover is exacerbated by local sanctuary state laws, Venezuelan-born researcher at the Manhattan Institute, Daniel Di Martino told Fox News Digital. 

“It’s going to be a very difficult foreign policy issue too, by the way, both for Trump and Biden or Harris, no matter who wins,” Di Martino said. “Because most people don’t know this, but Venezuelans cannot be deported to Venezuela right now.”

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime has chosen not to cooperate with deportation requests as of February. 

A violent transnational gang from Venezuela allegedly first gained a “stranglehold” on an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, late last year, according to a local report.

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Tren de Aragua gang members took over the Whispering Pines Apartments in 2023, engaging in violent assaults, murder threats, extortion, child prostitution and strongarm tactics, Denver law firm Perkins Coie wrote to city leaders in a nine-page report obtained by CBS News Colorado.

“The evidence we have reviewed indicates that gang members are engaging in flagrant trespass violations, assaults and battery, human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors, unlawful firearms possession, extortion, and other criminal activities, often targeting vulnerable Venezuelan and other immigrant populations,” T. Markus Funk, a former U.S. Attorney, wrote in the letter.

The Harris campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. 

Attorneys for former President Donald Trump are expected to appeal the $5 million verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s case at a federal appeals court on Friday. 

Trump is expected to attend the hearing at the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City. 

Carroll alleged that Trump raped her at the Bergdorf Goodman department store across from Trump Tower in Manhattan sometime in 1996. She was seeking $12 million. 

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL IN E. JEAN CARROLL SUIT, SAYS HE MUST PAY $83.3 MILLION

A federal jury in New York City decided last year that Trump was not liable for rape but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The former president was ordered to pay $5 million in that trial. 

Trump has vehemently denied Carroll’s allegations. He has repeatedly said he does not know her and has “absolutely no idea who this woman is.” 

E. Jean Carroll leaves federal court, Friday, Jan 26, 2024, in New York. A jury has awarded an additional $83.3 million to Carroll, who says former President Donald Trump damaged her reputation by calling her a liar after she accused him of sexual assault.  (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

His denials resulted in Carroll slapping Trump with a separate defamation suit, claiming his response caused harm to her reputation. 

Trump and his legal team insist that Carroll’s allegations are fabricated, with the former president’s initial reaction including an accusation that Carroll was motivated by wanting to sell copies of her book. 

TRUMP DEFENDS HIMSELF ON THE STAND, BLASTS E JEAN CARROLL TRIAL: ‘THIS IS NOT AMERICA’

The jury, this year, found that Carroll was injured as a result of statements Trump made while in the White House in 2019. 

The jury decided that Trump’s statements were made to harm Carroll and awarded her $65 million in punitive damages. In total, with the reputational repair program, the jury said Carroll should be paid $83.3 million. 

A federal jury ordered former President Donald Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll more than $83 million in damages after he denied allegations he raped her in the 1990s. (Getty Images)

Trump had appealed that fine and requested a new trial in the defamation suit, but was denied in April. 

Trump attorneys on Friday are expected to argue that the jury’s verdict should be tossed because evidence was allowed at trial that should have been excluded, and that other evidence was excluded that should have been permitted. 

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The court is unlikely to rule on the matter before the November presidential election. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE – LAS VEGAS – Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, the chair of the Senate Republicans’ campaign committee, is making his pitch to top dollar donors and influential conservative activists in order to remedy the cash disparity between GOP campaigns and those of Democrats.

“We need your help to close the fundraising gap,” the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chair emphasized as he addressed the crowd at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting. “We have the right candidates. Let’s get them the resources they need to win.”

Minutes earlier, in an interview with Fox News Digital, Daines pointed to the GOP’s fundraising gap as compared to the Democrats as Republicans aim to win back the Senate majority and acknowledged, “it’s a concern of mine.”

“There are winnable races right now that we may not be able to bring across the finish line because of lack of resources. We are literally two months away from the most consequential election of my lifetime,” Daines emphasized. “That’s why we’re working very, very hard to make sure we’re ringing that alarm bell to get to donors.”

REPUBLICAN AIMING TO FLIP DEMOCRAT HELD SENATE SEAT IN RED STATE MAKING GAINS 

Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, speaks on Sept. 5, 2024 in Las Vegas at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Democrats have outraised and outspent their Republican counterparts in the 2024 battle for the Senate majority, and looking forward, they have dished out more money for ad reservations for the final two months leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.

Senate Democrats and outside groups supporting them have made significantly larger post-Labor Day ad reservations in four of the seven key Senate battlegrounds, per AdImpact. In Wisconsin, Nevada, Michigan and Arizona each, Democratic ad reservation spending is at least double that of their respective Republican opponents, presenting a stark obstacle for GOP candidates, some of whom already face name recognition issues and the hurdle of taking on an incumbent. 

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Overall, Democrats have an advantage over their Republican Senate foes with nearly $348 million in planned spending in pivotal races across the country ahead of election day, compared to Republicans’ over $255 million. 

The relatively small GOP expenditures in Wisconsin, Nevada, Michigan and Arizona appear to be a result of massive prioritized pro-Republican Senate buys in Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Republicans are managing to outspend Democrats in these states, but their opponents have still boasted similarly large planned spending. In Ohio, while Republicans had $81.9 million reserved, Democratic future spending wasn’t far behind at $78.3 million, according to AdImpact. 

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Detroit on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Fueling the financial disparity, the surge in Democratic Party enthusiasm and fundraising in the month and a half since Vice President Kamala Harris replaced President Biden at the top of the party’s 2024 ticket in the White House race against former President Donald Trump.

“You just saw in the last 48 hours Kamala Harris announce she’s directing $25 million of her presidential campaign dollars down-ballot including $10 million for Senate Democrats,” Daines spotlighted. “There’s not many things Kamala Harris does well but one thing she does well is raise money. So this does have us concerned.”

However, Daines said there is a silver lining when it comes to Harris replacing the 81-year-old Biden in the White House race.

SENATE DEMOCRATS CAMPAIGN CHAIR GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH FOX NEWS

“What it does is it helps us take the age issue off the table because that was one of the reasons that Biden did so poorly. It was more about his age than anything else,” Daines said. “This now gets us laser focused on policy. This is going to be a policy contrast election….For the first time in decades, we have the results of two different administrations to run against – President Trump’s four years and Kamala Harris’ four years. Two very different administrations – very different outcomes. That contrast, we think will be very helpful for us in the key Senate races.”

Democrats control the Senate by a razor-thin 51-49 margin, and Republicans are looking at a favorable election map this year with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)

One of those seats is in West Virginia, a deep red state that Trump carried by nearly 40 points in 2020. With moderate Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Manchin, a former governor, not seeking re-election, flipping the seat is nearly a sure thing for the GOP.

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Additionally, in Daines’ home state of Montana and in Ohio, two states Trump comfortably carried four years ago, Republicans are aiming to defeat Democratic Sens. Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown.

Five more Democratic-held seats are up for grabs this year in crucial presidential-election battleground states.

With Democrats trying to protect their fragile Senate majority, former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan of blue-state Maryland’s late entry into the Senate race in February gave them an unexpected headache in a state previously considered safe territory. Hogan left the governor’s office at the beginning of 2023 with very positive approval and favorable ratings.

Daines, for the first time, definitely said his party would recapture the majority.

“We will win the Senate majority” Daines told Fox News.

“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 stressed.

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

Vice President Kamala Harris raked in a staggering $361 million in fundraising in August, her campaign announced on Friday morning, in what it touted was “the largest haul of the 2024 cycle.”

The fundraising by the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee was nearly triple the $130 million that the Donald Trump campaign announced on Wednesday that the former president brought in last month.

Harris has enjoyed a fundraising surge in the nearly seven weeks since she replaced President Biden at the top of the Democratic Party’s 2024 ticket.

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

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan, US, on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The vice president’s campaign highlighted that Harris has brought in over $615 million in fundraising since July 21, when Biden, in a blockbuster announcement, ended his re-election campaign and endorsed his running mate.

The Harris campaign also touted August’s haul was “the best grassroots fundraising month in presidential history.”

The vice president’s team also showcased what it called “a massive war chest,” reporting $404 million cash-on-hand as of the end of last month. That’s over $100 million more than the $295 million the Trump campaign said it had in its coffers.

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Harris’ August haul was up from the $310 million the Democratic ticket brought in during July, while Trump’s fundraising last month was slightly down from the $138.7 it raised in July.

“In just a short time, Vice President Harris’ candidacy has galvanized a history-making, broad, and diverse coalition – with the type of enthusiasm, energy, and grit that wins close elections,” Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. “As we enter the final stretch of this election, we’re making sure every hard-earned dollar goes to winning over the voters who will decide this election.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial, in Johnstown, Pa., Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke) (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)

The former president’s team on Wednesday, in a statement revealing its fundraising figures, said that it’s cash-on-hand ensured that it had “the resources needed to propel President Trump’s campaign to victory.”

The Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee enjoyed a fundraising lead over Trump and the Republican National Committee earlier this year. But Trump and the RNC topped Biden and the DNC by $331 million to $264 million during the April-June second quarter of 2024 fundraising.

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Biden enjoyed a brief fundraising surge after his disastrous performance in his late June debate with Trump, as donors briefly shelled out big bucks in a sign of support for the 81-year-old president.

This combination of photos taken at campaign rallies in Atlanta shows Vice President Kamala Harris on July 30, 2024, left, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on Aug. 3. (AP Photos)

But Biden’s halting and shaky debate delivery also instantly fueled questions about his physical and mental abilities to serve another four years in the White House – and spurred a rising chorus of calls from within his own party for the president to end his bid for a second term. The brief surge in fundraising didn’t last and, by early July, began to significantly slow down. 

Fundraising, along with polling, is a key metric in campaign politics and a measure of a candidate’s popularity and their campaign’s strength. The money raised can be used – among other things – to hire staff, expand grassroots outreach and get-out-the-vote efforts, pay to produce and run ads on TV, radio, digital and mailers, and for candidate travel.

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

Senate Republicans have a feeling that the battle to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is just beginning and that more contenders will make last-minute bids for the role after the general election in November. 

One name that continues to be tossed around is that of Steve Daines, R-Mont., head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), who has notably refused to rule out the possibility of running for the top Senate GOP role. 

A source with knowledge told Fox News Digital that earlier in the year, after McConnell’s shock February announcement that he would not seek another term as leader, former President Trump shared with allies that he would like to see Daines run for the position. 

The two get along well, which spurred Trump’s desire to see the Montana Republican join the race, the source said. 

LINDSEY GRAHAM PUTS AMAZON ‘ON NOTICE’ OVER ALEXA’S POTENTIAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE

Trump told allies that he wanted to see Daines run for Senate GOP leader. (Reuters/AP)

There are three senators already vying to be the next leader, including John Thune, R-S.D., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla. Scott notably challenged McConnell, R-Ky., in 2022 with a last-minute campaign for the role, citing issues with how the conference was being run. 

At several points in 2024, Daines was asked by Fox News Digital whether he would run for leader. The senator has repeatedly said his focus is on facilitating Republican Senate wins in the upcoming election: “That’s where I’m staying focused,” he said in July. 

When Fox News Digital noted at the time that his response was not ruling out potentially running, Daines said, “I think we have got good candidates to lead the Republicans and all three are great friends of mine and all three of them would do a good job.”

“Chairman Daines is focused on taking back the Senate Majority,” NRSC spokesperson Mike Berg said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

DEMS LOSE GROUND TO GOP CONTENDERS IN PIVOTAL SENATE RACES AS VOTERS LOCK IN: POLL

Daines is the NRSC chair. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

While Trump’s admiration could prove a significant advantage for Daines if he chooses to enter the race, his role as NRSC chair could also make any chance he has at winning contingent on the results of the November election. 

As one Senate GOP aide said, “Senate Republicans need to post huge numbers on election night for him to have a shot.”

Daines is currently overseeing multiple key Senate races in states such as Montana, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona, in several of which Republicans are hoping to knock off vulnerable incumbent Democrats. 

However, the aide voiced confidence that Daines would jump into the fray after the election, as long as the GOP performs well. 

The source with knowledge of Trump’s feelings toward the Montana Republican also noted that despite his interest in seeing Daines run, Thune and Trump have been nurturing a strong relationship over the past year. 

BORDER SENATOR AND FORMER HARRIS VP SHORT-LISTER CLAIMS ‘NO EVIDENCE’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS VOTE

Trump’s endorsement could be a pivotal force in the Senate leader race. (PETER ZAY/AFP via Getty Images)

Another source familiar said the lines of communication between Thune and Trump have been open. They also said that the current Senate minority whip headlined a fundraiser in Nebraska with Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, only a few weeks ago. 

All the current leader contenders endorsed Trump early on, doing so during the Republican primary race. 

Both Thune and Cornyn have been flexing their fundraising muscles over the past several months, each pulling in massive sums for nationwide Republican candidates and committees as well as conservative groups. The two are each known as effective fundraisers, which is a notable consideration in the leader fight, given McConnell’s reputation as a GOP fundraising machine. 

Scott has also made moves to keep up his strong relationship with Trump, jetting to Chicago to kick off counterprogramming to the Democratic National Convention for the Trump campaign in July. 

Of the three announced candidates, Scott has been the most vocal about policy and style changes he would like to see at the conference. This was also the driving force behind his challenge to McConnell in 2022. His candidacy could be particularly attractive to GOP senators who are similarly frustrated with the conference’s functioning under McConnell, some of whom have been vocal about their grievances. 

The fact that Scott is currently campaigning for re-election in Florida, which is being heavily targeted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), poses a potential difficulty when it comes to lobbying for the leader role. Despite the DSCC’s efforts, Republicans remain favored to hold on to Scott’s Florida Senate seat. 

Daines isn’t the only other senator that conference members and staff believe could still enter the race. 

Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has been predicting additional contenders in the leader election since the spring.

“Someone’s going to jump in,” he told reporters in July. “I think it’s imminently possible.”

“I mean, that’s how it happened last time,” he said, referencing when Scott launched his 2022 campaign against McConnell just before the Republican leader election.

SCHUMER SOUNDS OFF ON GOP PLAN TO TIE CITIZENSHIP VOTING REQUIREMENT TO SPENDING BILL

Thune, Scott and Cornyn have announced their leader bids. (Reuters)

“I just know that we’re all pretty competitive people, and I just wouldn’t be surprised if somebody else jumps in,” Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said in July. 

As for who else could enter, Hawley had previously expressed hope that Tom Cotton, R-Ark., might consider running for the top role. In March, he said he plans to support Cotton for the position he is currently running for, GOP conference chair, because of his support for a bill to help radiation victims in Missouri. Praising him at the time, Hawley said, “Maybe Tom ought to run for the leader.”

A spokesperson for Cotton declined to provide comment to Fox News Digital. 

According to the Senate GOP aide, another Republican to watch is Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has given some forceful remarks to fellow Republicans during closed-door meetings regarding the future of the conference and its leadership. 

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But Tillis’ office shut down the idea: “Senator Tillis believes there are a number of outstanding candidates running to be the next leader and the conference will be in good hands when one of them becomes the Senate’s next majority leader in January,” said spokesperson Adam Webb. 

Because of the expectation that the candidate field will continue to grow, senators have mostly avoided getting behind any current contenders, except for Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who backed Thune early on. 

Some House Republicans are already privately worrying about how a partial government shutdown would affect their electoral chances in November.

“If we shut down, we lose,” one lawmaker told Fox News Digital.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., unveiled his plan to avoid a partial shutdown in a private call with House GOP lawmakers on Wednesday morning, four sources told Fox News Digital.

It involves a six-month extension of fiscal 2024’s federal funding levels known as a “continuing resolution” (CR) – to buy House and Senate negotiators more time to hash out next year’s spending priorities – and would be linked to a bill adding a proof of citizenship requirement to the voter registration process.

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

House Republican leaders are pushing for a plan to avoid a government shutdown that’s tied to a Trump-backed elections bill. (Getty Images)

But with both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the White House publicly opposing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, it’s highly likely Johnson’s plan would be dead on arrival if it passed the House.

“My problem isn’t with the policy, which I support. My problem isn’t with the messaging, which I think is strong. My problem is that I just don’t think Chuck Schumer is going to agree to it,” a second House Republican said of their concerns about the plan.

If the Senate and House don’t agree on a way forward by Oct. 1, the country could be wracked by a partial government shutdown roughly a month before Election Day.

Past government shutdowns like those seen under the Obama and Trump administrations in 2013 and 2019, respectively, have traditionally seen Americans blame the GOP. 

JOHNSON UNVEILS TRUMP-BACKED HOUSE GOP PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, SETS UP BATTLE WITH SCHUMER

“In general, the voters seem to have a strong bias for blaming Republicans for shutdowns, which is understandable,” the second Republican continued.

“We often have the more combative rhetoric leading up to a shutdown. We often are the ones who are most quick to claim that a shutdown isn’t a real problem. And so I think we kind of telegraph to voters that we’re OK with that. I think that makes it a little easier for the Democrats to try to stick us with [it].”

They added at the end of their explanation, “But it takes two to tango, and I don’t think what we’re asking for is too much.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is opposed to the elections bill the House GOP is pushing. (Reuters/Cheney Orr)

Meanwhile, two sources familiar with the Tuesday House GOP call said questions were raised about what Johnson’s next step would be if the Senate sent back a “clean” CR with no attachments, and concerns were aired about how a possible shutdown would affect vulnerable Republicans.

“The Republicans have the majority today because we won seats in California and [other blue states]. Those seem to be members who’d be most disadvantaged by a shutdown in the four weeks before an election,” the second GOP lawmaker said.

Veteran GOP strategist Doug Heye said a possible shutdown could have less of an impact given it’s a presidential election year, but he conceded “that’s a real risk to take.”

“Republicans usually get blamed for shutdowns, and that could play into Harris’ ‘Trump-as-chaos’ argument,” Heye said.

MCCARTHY’S ‘FINAL STRUGGLES’ THREATEN TO HAUNT JOHNSON’S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FIGHT

He added, however, “that’s not a bet I’d make. Especially when the speaker has offered a path to avoid this.”

Other Republicans dismissed fears of political blowback in the event of a government shutdown.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who is not committed or opposed to Johnson’s plan, told Fox News Digital this week, “The legacy media makes these shutdowns worse than they are. … Nobody loses their house, nobody loses a dime. They all get made whole.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump has called on House Republicans to leverage a shutdown. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

A partial government shutdown would see some non-emergency federal services halted and potentially thousands of government employees furloughed.

Any federal payments paused during a shutdown are retroactively made to their recipients, however. 

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Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, one of the architects of the SAVE Act, would not say whether he’d want a shutdown if the Johnson plan failed to pass.

“I’m not going to play the shutdown game … the press wants to make it about a shutdown. Democrats want to make this about a shutdown,” Roy said. “We’re offering to fund the government – all manners of sin, by the way, in that government…we’re willing to do that, but these guys need to make sure our elections are secure.”

“If [Democrats] want to shut the government down, that’s on them.”

A federal judge last week ruled in favor of a whistleblower advocacy group that sued the Justice Department to unseal documents related to its secretly obtaining communications about congressional staffers who were investigating the DOJ.

Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Research won a partial victory in a lawsuit it filed in May, when a federal court ordered the DOJ to release documents. The victory on Friday came days after the group filed a second lawsuit to force the Justice Department to unseal additional records.

“The requested records are likely to show a startling failure by DOJ to respect the long-established separation of powers in the United States Constitution,” the recent Empower Oversight complaint said. “These records will show the lengths to which DOJ went starting in 2016 to secretly surveil various congressional staff members (of both political parties) who were actively engaged in oversight of the DOJ pursuant to their constitutional authorities.”

The Justice Department subpoenaed Google in 2017 for records of Google email addresses and Google Voice phone numbers. Empower Oversight found that the DOJ scooped up records of multiple Republican and Democratic attorneys for the Senate Judiciary Committee, the House Intelligence Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee, panels that were engaged in oversight of the department.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS FOR DOJ WHISTLEBLOWERS

Empower Oversight is suing the U.S. Department of Justice for secret surveillance of congressional staffers who were at work investigating the DOJ. The case is before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. (Sha Hanting/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

The Justice Department kept this secret for six years through gag orders it obtained in Washington, D.C., federal court against providers such as Google, according to Empower Oversight.

“This is a massive, massive separation of powers issue,” Tristan Leavitt, president of Empower Oversight, told Fox News Digital.

He questioned whether the Justice Department properly informed the court that subpoenas were for congressional lawyers conducting oversight of the department.

PROSECUTORS WANT 2-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR EX-SENATE INTEL STAFFER JAMES WOLFE IN LEAK CASE

Google was forbidden by a court-issued gag order from disclosing that it had released communications from congressional staffers to DOJ investigators. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“Congressional oversight is supposed to have safeguards. If the security apparatus allows the DOJ to see when a congressional committee is communicating with a whistleblower, that will out the whistleblower,” Leavitt added.

Empower Oversight founder Jason Foster, a former senior staffer for Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., learned earlier this year that the Justice Department obtained his records through Google.

A Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an email, “The department will decline to comment on on-going litigation.”

However, the New York Times reported that Carlos Felipe Uriarte, an assistant attorney general, wrote to the House Judiciary Committee in January to say the department would change its subpoena policies and largely blamed the Trump administration. “The new policies require additional consultations and approvals,” the letter said.

The subpoenas of the Google email and phone records appear to be related to a federal leak investigation of confidential information about the surveillance warrant of Carter Page, a 2016 Trump campaign aide. The leak probe led to the eventual guilty plea of James Wolfe, former security director for the Senate Intelligence Committee, for lying to the FBI about his relationship with a New York Times journalist.

WATCHDOG GROUP ASKS TO UNSEAL RECORDS OF DOJ’S SUBPOENAS OF CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS’ MESSAGES

A Department of Justice inscription is seen at its headquarters building in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 20, 2022. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Still, after the Wolfe conviction, the Justice Department continued getting annual renewals of the secret gag orders from the federal court.

This is the second lawsuit, as Empower Oversight filed an earlier public records lawsuit in May for documents about the department’s subpoenas related to court filings that justified the years of secrecy the DOJ imposed on providers like Google.

Under the recent judgment, Empower Oversight will obtain the underlying documents it was seeking in the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The group submitted public record requests to the Justice Department in October, November and June about the department’s use of grand jury subpoenas to get personal and official communications records of attorneys for congressional oversight committees investigating the department. The department did not provide the initial records.

A spokesperson for Google did not respond to an inquiry for this story.

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However, in a May statement to Fox News Digital, a Google spokesperson said, “We’re seeing non-disclosure orders issued for an increasing number of court orders, warrants, and subpoenas from U.S. authorities. Delayed notice results in users not having the opportunity to assert their rights in court to contest demands for their data. For these reasons, we support the bipartisan NDO Fairness Act, which would ensure that gag orders are issued only when warranted and for reasonable periods.”

A non-disclosure order (NDO) is commonly referred to as a gag order. The NDO Fairness Act —sponsored by Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Mike Lee, R-Utah —would require the federal government to adhere to established legal norms for electronic searches that apply to physical searches, such as notifying individuals unless a higher standard to delay such notice is met.