Trump’s Florida allies oppose abortion amendment as former president decides how to vote


Allies of former President Trump in Florida are explaining which way they will vote on an abortion ballot question in the state’s November election after the Trump campaign’s clarification that he has yet to decide his position. 

A ballot initiative in Florida to amend the state constitution to enshrine the right to an abortion into law is known as Amendment 4. It states, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

Additionally, it says, “This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”

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Marco Rubio, Matt Gaetz

Trump allies reveal where they stand on Florida abortion amendment. (Reuters)

Trump, a resident of Florida, was asked Thursday how he would vote by a reporter. 

“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” he said in response. 

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, promptly responded with a statement, saying, “President Trump has consistently opposed abortions after five months of pregnancy. Amendment 4 would allow abortion past this point. Voting for Amendment 4 completely undermines his position.

“We strongly support Florida’s current heartbeat law,” she added. “For anyone who believes in drawing a different line, they still must vote against Amendment 4, unless they don’t want a line at all. Amendment 4 would lock unlimited abortion into the state constitution, preventing the Florida legislature from enacting any changes.”

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

Republican Presidential candidate, former U.S. president, Donald Trump.

Trump said six weeks was not enough time. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)

Afterward, SBA corrected the statement to add that Dannenfelser spoke with Trump Thursday night. 

“He has not committed to how he will vote on Amendment 4,” she said. 

Trump’s campaign also issued a statement after his remark.

“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida. He simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. 

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s office told Fox News Digital he will be voting against the amendment, which would enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution. A spokesperson referred Fox News Digital to an April interview when the senator explained his stance. 

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Pro-abortion activists outside SCOTUS

Advocates want to enshrine the right to an abortion into the Florida constitution. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

“My fundamental challenge, and that’s at the core of it, is I believe that the right from which all of the rights emanate is the right to live, the right of a human being to live. And that right to live when it comes to abortion is in conflict with a woman’s right to choose. And, so, we have to choose in public policy, what do we prioritize? The right to live or the right to choose in those circumstances. And it’s a tough choice for a lot of people, and I understand it. But, for me, I’m going to be on the side of life,” he said at the time. 

Another Trump ally, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in a statement, “I do not believe abortion policy belongs in the constitution. This matter should be addressed by the state legislature.”

Representatives for Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and representatives Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., did not provide comment in time for publication when asked by Fox News Digital how they plan to vote. 

BIDEN-HARRIS HHS SECRETARY SIDESTEPS BACKING ANY LIMIT ON LATE-TERM ABORTION

DeSantis, USA and Florida flags

DeSantis has come out against the amendment. (Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images)

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office did not provide comment but referred Fox News Digital to an outside campaign against the amendment, which is run by allies of the governor. Taryn Fenske, a representative for the Vote No On 4 Florida campaign, pointed Fox News Digital to her post on X in response to Trump. 

“Donald Trump has consistently stated that late-term abortions where a baby can feel pain should never be permitted, and he’s always stood up for parents’ rights,” she wrote. “Amendment 4 would allow late-term abortions, eliminate parental consent, and open the door to taxpayer-funded abortions. It’s extreme and must be defeated.”

DeSantis has publicly opposed the amendment in the past. 

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Opponents of the amendment have pointed to its vague language as an issue, noting it could be read to allow elective abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy as deemed necessary by employees of abortion clinics, rather than solely doctors. The amendment also does not define viability, typically understood to be around 20-25 weeks, leaving more gray area to be interpreted. 

Another concern brought by the amendment is its language regarding minors getting abortions. The text says that the amendment would not change the legislature’s ability to require parents to be notified about a minor’s abortion. However, it leaves out the legislature’s authority to require parental consent for such a procedure. The amendment is understood by critics to overturn current parental consent laws. 

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

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





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Pro-lifers blast Trump ‘betrayal’ with shifting abortion stance, answer on Florida Amendment 4


Former President Donald Trump’s latest comments on abortion, including his opposition to Florida’s ban on abortions after six weeks’ gestation, have sparked backlash from pro-life advocates on social media.

“Trump has destroyed both the conservative movement and the pro-life movement. He’s done what even Barack Obama couldn’t do,” one user on X said.

Former Vice President Mike Pence also posted to X, saying, “I’m pro-life. I don’t apologize for it.”

HARRIS REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM TRUMP WANTS TO ‘BAN’ ABORTION DURING FIRST CAMPAIGN RALLY SINCE BIDEN QUIT RACE

Trump at Arizona rally in closeup shot

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Georgia-based nationally syndicated radio host Erick Erickson also slammed Trump’s comments, saying on X, “Instead of having all the focus on the Kamala Harris interview tonight, Trump decided to further divide the GOP. Not a good strategy for winning.”

Other users expressed anger over Trump’s “betrayal” of the pro-life movement, which helped elect him in 2016. 

“If Pro-lifers had a spine and punished Trump for his betrayal by staying home in November, he would lose so badly that no Republican would ever dare to betray you on such an important issue,” one X user said. “Sadly, he knows most of you will still vote for him so the betrayals will intensify.”

Online political influencer and former police officer John Cardillo said he would be voting for Trump, but would “criticize him when he promotes Democrat policies.”

“I don’t care how you spin it. Trump told NBC he’s voting for a Soros funded unrestricted abortion amendment in FL,” he wrote on X. 

JD VANCE VOWS TRUMP WOULD NOT IMPOSE FEDERAL ABORTION BAN, VETO IT IF IT COMES ACROSS HIS DESK

Protestors behind a fence hold up signs

Pro-life activists protest outside where Planned Parenthood has a mobile van offering free vasectomies and medicinal abortions near the Democratic National Convention In Chicago on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Fox News Digital)

A spokesperson for Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who unsuccessfully challenged Trump in the 2024 primaries and who signed the ban into law — also responded to Trump’s indication that he may vote in favor of Amendment 4, which would enshrine a constitutional right to abortion in Florida.

“Donald Trump has consistently stated that late-term abortions where a baby can feel pain should never be permitted, and he’s always stood up for parents’ rights. Amendment 4 would allow late-term abortions, eliminate parental consent, and open the door to taxpayer-funded abortions,” Taryn Fenske said on X.  “It’s extreme and must be defeated.”

Conservative commentator David Limbaugh, brother of the late conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, said he “wholeheartedly” supports Trump, but that he “needs some ardent pro-lifers in his campaign-advisory inner circle.”

REP. MAXINE WATERS DODGES QUESTION ON CONTROVERSIAL ABORTION PROCEDURE

pro-life protesters in front of US Supreme Court building

People attend the annual March for Life rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

“Unforced errors are worse than run of the mill errors. Appeasement strategies that alienate more supporters than impress non-supporters are just plain disappointing,” he said on X.

Last week, Trump also upset anti-abortion activists when he posted on his Truth Social platform, “My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.” He has also indicated he would not restrict access to abortion prescriptions. 

This election cycle, Trump has countered Democratic attacks by stating he would leave abortion access to the states, as determined by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and opposes a federal abortion ban. The Republican Party also abandoned its long-standing position of advocating for abortion limits in July. However, Trump has remained opposed to late-term abortions.

On Thursday, Trump also said he would subsidize federal IVF treatments, despite saying abortion would be considered a state issue. The Trump campaign did not directly respond to what constitutes a state issue versus a federal one when asked via email.

TRUMP RISKS LOSING SOME PRO-LIFE VOTERS UNLESS HE CHANGES ‘HIS TUNE’ ON ABORTION, ACTIVIST WARNS

“I think the six-week is too short, there has to be more time,” Trump told an NBC News reporter when asked how he will vote on Florida’s Amendment 4 that will appear on the ballot for November elections. “I’ve told them that I want more weeks,” he continued. 

The reporter then pressed if Trump would vote in favor of the amendment. 

“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks. Look, just so you understand, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated for years, 52 years. I got it done. They wanted it to go back to the states. Exceptions are very important for me, for Ronald Reagan, for others that have navigated this very, very interesting and difficult path,” Trump responded. 

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The Trump campaign told Fox News Digital on Thursday evening that the 45th president has not yet revealed how he will vote on Amendment 4. 

“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. 

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

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



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Biden, who skipped Arlington event for vacation, trashed Trump in June for declining cemetery visit


President Biden remained on vacation with no remarks or events scheduled on the third anniversary of the Kabul airport attack, just weeks after bashing former President Donald Trump for previously canceling a World War I memorial visit.

During his presidency, Trump canceled a planned visit to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in 2018 citing bad flying weather for Marine One, with the Atlantic reporting that the trip was called off due to the rain affecting his hair. Biden made a visit to the cemetery in France in June and took a dig at Trump for the past report – which Trump and several members of his administration who were on the trip have since refuted.

“I was honored to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and pay my respects to those buried there. Those who served our country are heroes—not losers,” Biden posted on X in June, along with a video compilation of people bashing Trump.

This past Monday marked three years since 13 American service members were killed in a suicide bombing attack during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, while Biden stayed away from the White House for the second week in a row.

TRUMP ‘RESPECTFULLY’ HONORED FALLEN TROOPS AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY AMID ALTERCATION REPORT: VETERAN

“During the anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal, amidst an ongoing migrant and economic crisis, President Biden continues to do what he does best – NOTHING!” Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., said in a post on X.

GOLD STAR MOM REVEALS WHAT TRUMP TOLD HER ON THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF SON’S DEATH IN AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz, said that Biden’s absence “should tell you everything you need to know.”

“Three years ago, Biden-Harris’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal caused the deaths of 13 U.S. service members. President Trump attended the ceremony in their honor at Arlington Cemetery today,” Biggs posted on X. “Biden is on vacation.”

One Gold Star father, Mark Schmitz, told Fox News Digital that they were “not surprised in the least bit that neither one of them would show up for this event.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump lays a wreath alongside Marine Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart (Ret.) and Marine Corps. Sergeant Tyler Vargas-Andrews (Ret.) who were injured at the Abbey Gate Bombing, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 26, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump lays a wreath alongside Marine Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart (Ret.) and Marine Corps. Sergeant Tyler Vargas-Andrews (Ret.) who were injured at the Abbey Gate Bombing, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 26, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker)

The White House released a statement on the anniversary, but Biden did not attend any memorial ceremonies, according to his public schedule.

“Three years ago, an ISIS suicide bomber launched an attack of deliberate evil at Abbey Gate outside of Kabul Airport—killing 13 American service members and more than 100 innocent Afghans. Today, and every day, we honor our fallen,” a statement from Biden read.

The president’s beach stay is his second vacation this month after spending the week of the Democratic National Convention in Santa Barbara, California.

The White House National Security Council communications adviser was pressed on whether a paper statement was “enough” for the anniversary. 

President Joe Biden on vacation in Delaware

President Biden sits in a beach chair with his wife, first lady Jill Biden, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (Leigh Green)

“Neither going to Arlington nor any individual paper statement is ever going to be enough to repay these families and to try and make sure they know they are supported,” John Kirby told CNN.

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Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery on the anniversary to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate the service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan. Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and the Trump campaign were also joined by members of the Gold Star families during a call with reporters on Monday afternoon.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.



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Christianity has been “hijacked” by White supremacy, says new Harris-Walz faith leader


The Harris-Walz campaign has hired liberal activist the Rev. Jennifer Butler to be its new head of faith outreach, with Butler confirming the appointment on social media and in an interview with Religion News Service. 

Butler is a longtime liberal activist who argued in 2022 that White supremacists have “hijacked” the Christian faith, and has said that faith calls us to “resist.” She is the founder of the nonprofit Faith in Public Life, which claims to advance the “moral imperative for a just, inclusive and equitable country.” She now runs a campaign seeking to root out White nationalism within the Christian faith. 

“I bring a broad set of relationships that I think can help, very quickly, pull a broad coalition together,” Butler told Religion News Service (RNS) on Wednesday. “I also recognize that we’re at a pivotal moment in American democracy where faith voices for justice are needed now more than ever… The Harris-Walz campaign is a really unique opportunity to shift the debate, to engage all of those who are concerned about what a Trump presidency would mean, the work of this campaign and what it can do to transform America.”

‘EVANGELICALS FOR HARRIS’ HOST HAS SAID ‘WHITENESS IS WICKED,’ POLICE NEED TO BE ‘DESTROYED AND REBUILT’

Harris in meeting w mask

Vice President Kamala Harris sits down for a roundtable discussion with faith leaders on March 31, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

Butler’s official title will be national faith engagement director, according to RNS. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for more details on what Butler’s new role will specifically entail but did not receive a response. Additionally, no announcement appears on the campaign’s website, or its official X account, as of Thursday morning.   

In 2022, Butler wrote an editorial posted to the website of a progressive, non-denominational Christian movement. “More Christians must step up,” she wrote at the time. “We must do more than just watch the January 6th hearings aghast. We cannot allow our faith to continue to be hijacked by white supremacists covered in religious language. For the sake of our faith and our democracy, we must denounce Christian nationalism and reclaim a faith that values and affirms the human dignity of all people. Including our own.”

‘EVANGELICALS FOR HARRIS’ COURTS ‘POLITICALLY HOMELESS’ CHRISTIANS TO BACK DEMOCRAT IN NOVEMBER

Angie Cox

Two women hug after the United Methodist Church General Conference repealed its ban on LGBTQ clergy, on May 1, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Meanwhile, the following month, she reiterated her comments during an interview on MSNBC. During the interview, Butler proclaimed that Christianity “has long been used to justify the oppression of others” and she insisted it was happening again amid the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. “That is not my faith,” Butler continued. “As Christians, particularly as White Christians in this country… we need as Christians to speak more loudly about what our faith – that our faith calls us to resist the pharaohs, the Egyptian kings, the Roman Caesars of our day.”

Butler added that she is working to “reclaim [Christianity] for justice and for compassion,” and also charged Republicans with using religious liberty as a “weapon” to pass discriminatory bills against people who identify as LGBTQ. The activist reverend was arrested in 2017 for nonviolently protesting Republican efforts to repeal provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including attempts to override abortion regulations on grounds that it violated religious liberty.

couple blessed by clergy member

A same-sex couple in Germany is given a blessing by a clergy member.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Butler for comment but did not receive a response.



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VP Harris has no regrets about standing by Biden’s mental acuity


Vice President Kamala Harris is standing by her previous comments defending President Joe Biden’s mental acuity — even now as she’s running to replace him.

The vice president and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate was asked by CNN whether she has any regrets about defending Biden’s mental acuity amid a firestorm of skepticism following the first presidential debate.

“No, not at all,” Harris told CNN reporter Dana Bash.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM KAMALA HARRIS’ FIRST INTERVIEW AS DEM NOMINEE: ‘I WILL NOT BAN FRACKING’

Biden and Harris on DNC stage

Kamala Harris is currently serving as Vice President of the United States for the Biden-Harris administration. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris rose to the top of the ticket after Biden dropped out of the race last month following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump in June. 

The debate, which included Biden repeatedly tripping over his words and losing his train of thought, opened the floodgates to traditional Democratic allies of the president joining conservatives in sounding the alarm over Biden’s mental acuity and age. 

The vice president publicly supported Biden throughout the media circus and secured his endorsement just minutes after his own campaign came to close.

CONSERVATIVES REACT TO KAMALA HARRIS’ LATEST ‘WORD SALAD’ ON CLIMATE CHANGE ‘DEADLINES’

Tim Walz Kamala Harris

Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris listens to her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, speak during a visit with members of the marching band at Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Georgia. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Harris dodged the question of whether Biden initially endorsed her to run in his place when he called to announce his withdrawal from the election amid mounting concern over his mental faculties. 

“What about the endorsement? Did you ask for it?” Bash asked Harris. 

“He was very clear that he was gonna support me,” Harris responded. 

“So, when he called to tell you, he said, ‘I’m pulling out of the race, and I’m gonna support you?,’” Bash pressed Harris. 

“Well, my first thought was not about me, to be honest with you. My first thought was about him, to be honest. I think history is gonna show a number of things about Joe Biden’s presidency. I think history is gonna show that in so many ways, it was transformative, be it on what we have accomplished around finally investing in America’s infrastructure, investing in new economics, in new industries, what we have done to bring our allies back together, and have confidence in who we are as America, and grow that alliance, what we have done to stand true to our principles including the — the — one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said. 

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Biden vacation delaware

President Biden sits on the beach in Cape Henlopen State Park, in Lewes, Delaware. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

The highly anticipated sit-down marked the first interview Harris has held in 39 days, since she became the presumptive nominee. She was joined by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for the pre-taped CNN interview that aired Thursday evening. 

Harris has largely avoided the media since ascending the Democratic ticket, only rarely answering media questions while on the campaign trail and holding no press conferences. 

Biden has spent the majority of the last two weeks on vacation at beach properties in California and Delaware.

Fox News’ Emma Colton and Matteo Cina contributed to this report.



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Families of school shooting victims slam Harris’ ‘sickening’ unearthed comments


Loved ones of students killed in school shootings slammed Vice President Kamala Harris after unearthed comments from 2019 surfaced this week, detailing that Harris supports removing police officers from schools. 

“My brother was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting because of liberal policies like the one Kamala is pushing here… I wish there had been a police officer there to protect him. Students need more protection, not less!,” school safety advocate JT Lewis posted to X. Lewis’ younger brother, six-year-old Jesse Lewis, was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut that left 26 children and staffers dead. 

Lewis was reacting to unearthed footage of Harris in 2019, when she was a California senator, declaring her support of removing police officers from schools in an effort to “demilitarize” campuses. 

“What we need to do about … demilitarizing our schools and taking police officers out of schools. We need to deal with the reality and speak the truth about the inequities around school discipline. Where in particular, Black and Brown boys are being expelled and or suspended as young as, I’ve seen, as young as in elementary school,” Harris said in 2019 in South Carolina, when she served as a California senator running for president during the 2020 cycle. 

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

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at American Federation of Teachers' 88th National Convention

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th National Convention on July 25, 2024, in Houston, Texas.  (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

Harris joined the 2019 Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, in October of that year before she dropped out of the 2020 race and was announced as President Biden’s running mate. A college student asked Harris how she would go about expunging the records of juveniles to allow them to attend college, including expunging “a criminal offense,” not “just a marijuana expungement.”

CRIME SPIKES FORCE SCHOOLS TO REINSTATE RESOURCE OFFICERS AS DEFUND MOVEMENT COLLAPSES

Sandy Hook memorial at twilight

The Connecticut House of Representatives passed the state’s largest gun control initiative since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in a 96-51 vote. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

“That’s a great question and a great point, because when we talk about reform of the criminal justice system, we’ve got to understand that the juvenile justice system is in dire need of reform, and I know that. And I’ve seen it,” Harris responded, touting her 2020 campaign’s “plan of action” on criminal justice reform. 

ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL REINSTATES SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AFTER TEACHER, PARENT PLEAS OVER VIOLENCE

“I will end solitary confinement of juveniles, which includes what we need to do to talk about and have a commitment for less incarceration of juveniles. And have guidelines in terms of exactly what those, those numbers should be, because right now, in so many states, children are being incarcerated for … a child being incarcerated for a couple of days is traumatic, much less the weeks, months and years that we’re seeing that happen,” she explained. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris presidential campaign earlier this week inquiring whether she still supports removing police officers from schools, but did not receive a reply. 

Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school being torn down

Crews use heavy equipment to tear down the 1200 building of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Friday, June 14, 2024, in Parkland, Fla. On February 14, 2018, a gunman entered the school and killed 17 people. (Miami Herald)

PARKLAND VICTIM’S DAD SLAMS VP KAMALA HARRIS’ ‘PHOTO OP’ VISIT TO ‘PUSH AN AGENDA’: ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’

Other family members of school-shooting victims joined Lewis in their condemnation of Harris’ 2019 comments, including Ryan Petty and Andrew Pollack, two dads who lost their respective teenage daughters in the tragic Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. 

“Wreckless. Radical. Kamala wants to make schools less safe. Your kids aren’t safe with Kamala Harris in office,” Petty, who lost his 14-year-old daughter Alaina Petty in the 2018 shooting, tweeted in response to the Trump War Room posting footage of Harris’ comments. 

Parkland shooting memorial by school sign

People visit the memorial for the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 people, on the fifth anniversary of the massacre on February 14, 2023. Seventeen people were killed, and another seventeen were injured after a 19-year-old former student opened fire at the school on February 14, 2018. (Photo by Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images) (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

“This is sickening. My daughter was killed because Parkland didn’t have enough security. We need more school resource officers — not fewer!” Pollack, whose 18-year-old daughter Meadow Pollack was killed in the same shooting, posted on X. 

Harris’ comments declaring support for the removal of officers from schools were made ahead of 2020’s summer of protests and riots in response to the killing of George Floyd during a police interaction on Memorial Day of that year. Floyd’s death reignited calls from activists to defund the police, which had a cascading effect across the country as liberal cities moved to slash police budgets, and school boards also voted to sever ties with police departments. 

FATHER OF PARKLAND SHOOTING VICTIM SPEAKS OUT ON TRAGIC ANNIVERSARY: ‘CRIMINALS DON’T OBEY GUN LAWS’

Researchers with the outlet Education Week found in 2022 that at least 50 school districts between May 2020 through June 2022 had removed officers from school campuses or slashed budgets for school officers. The plans to remove officers from schools, however, were short-lived in many jurisdictions, as violence broke out on campuses when students returned to the classrooms following the pandemic and its lockdowns. 

In the face of violence, such as a shooting at a Denver high school, or repeated fights within the Alexandria, Virginia, school district, education officials from coast to coast backtracked on removing officers, welcoming them back to campuses in an effort to curb crime.

Kamala Harris pointing and laughing in closeup shot, Gov. Walz behind her

Vice President Harris has not sat down for an interview or held a press conference since emerging as the Democratic presidential nominee. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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Harris officially accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in Chicago last week. She rose to the top of the ticket after President Biden dropped out of the race last month amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity. 



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Trump asks federal court to take over Bragg case weeks before sentencing


Lawyers representing former President Donald Trump are now asking a federal court to seize his New York criminal trial from the state, arguing he has become a victim of “Constitutional violations” in proceedings that conflicted with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. 

The attorneys wrote in a filing Thursday that the “ongoing proceedings will continue to cause direct and irreparable harm to President Trump — the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential election — and voters located far beyond Manhattan.” 

“And an entirely unjust sentencing is currently scheduled to occur on September 18, 2024, which could result in President Trump’s immediate and unconstitutional incarceration and prevent him from continuing his groundbreaking campaign,” they warned. 

“Post-trial removal is necessary under these circumstances to afford President Trump an unbiased forum, free from local hostilities, where he can seek redress for these Constitutional violations,” the lawyers added in their bid to overturn his conviction. 

TRUMP CAMPAIGN SLAMS HARRIS AS ‘STILL A SAN FRANCISCO RADICAL’ AFTER CNN INTERVIEW 

Trump and Manhattan DA Bragg

Former President Donald Trump, left, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump’s attorneys said in his New York criminal trial, Bragg’s office “violated the Presidential immunity doctrine in grand jury proceedings, and again at trial, by relying on evidence of President Trump’s official acts during his first term in Office.” (Emily Elconin/Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

In May, Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, following a six-week trial stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into alleged hush money payments ahead of the 2016 presidential election. 

However, Trump’s attorneys wrote in their filing with U.S. District Court in Manhattan that Bragg’s office “violated the Presidential immunity doctrine in grand jury proceedings, and again at trial, by relying on evidence of President Trump’s official acts during his first term in Office.” 

READ THE TRUMP FILING – APP USERS, CLICK HERE:

“The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that these types of violations threaten the structure of the federal government and the ability of future Presidents to carry out their vital duties in the way the Framers intended,” they said. 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROVIDING SECRET SERVICE ‘ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE’ IN WAKE OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT 

Merchan in New York chambers

Judge Juan Merchan has delayed former President Donald Trump’s sentencing date to Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

“In an opinion that became final less than 30 days ago, the Supreme Court held that President Trump is entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for his official acts, and — as particularly relevant here — that prosecutors may not use official-acts evidence in connection with a prosecution that they claim arises out of unofficial conduct,” they continued. 

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital on Thursday that “The Manhattan DA’s Witch Hunt, which violates many provisions of the United States Constitution and is crushed by the Supreme Court’s historic decision on Presidential immunity, has to be removed to federal court and summarily dismissed.” 

Trump in Michigan

Former President Donald Trump responds to a question from a reporter after his remarks on Aug. 20 at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in Howell, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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A federal judge already has rejected one attempt by Trump to move the criminal case away from New York state court, ruling in July 2023 that “Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a President’s official acts” and that it “does not reflect in any way the color of the President’s official duties,” according to The Associated Press. 



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Harris shifts key positions on border, illegal immigration as campaign promises ‘pragmatic’ approach


The Harris campaign on Thursday confirmed to Fox News that Vice President Kamala Harris has changed her positions on a number of immigration and border-security policies, including decriminalizing illegal crossings and closing immigration detention centers.

“While Donald Trump is wedded to the extreme ideas in his Project 2025 agenda, Vice President Harris believes real leadership means bringing all sides together to build consensus,” spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement. “It is that approach that made it possible for the Biden-Harris administration to achieve bipartisan breakthroughs on everything from infrastructure to gun violence prevention. As President, she will take that same pragmatic approach, focusing on common-sense solutions for the sake of progress.”

Harris has faced scrutiny for her past positions on border security as a California senator and a 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidate. A Harris campaign adviser told Fox that her positions have been “shaped by three years of effective governance as part of the Biden-Harris administration.”

‘TOTAL BULLS—’: TRUMP CAMPAIGN RIPS ‘PREPOSTEROUS’ HARRIS PRO-BORDER WALL NARRATIVE AFTER MEDIA REPORT

US Vice President Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz disembark from their campaign bus in Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday as they travel across Georgia for a two-day campaign bus tour. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Harris previously expressed support for decriminalizing illegal crossings at the border during the 2020 presidential primaries, arguing they should be a civil offense instead. 

“An undocumented immigrant is not a criminal,” she said in 2017.

This week, a campaign spokesman told Fox that “the Vice President’s position is the same as the administration’s — unauthorized border crossings are illegal.” 

On Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, Harris had previously promised as a presidential candidate in 2019 to shut down immigration detention centers on “day one.” In other remarks, she had also talked about ICE potentially starting “from scratch.”

“I think there’s no question that we’ve got to critically re-examine ICE and its role and the way that it is being administered and the work it is doing,” Harris told MSNBC in 2018. “And we need to probably think about starting from scratch.”

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS BIDEN ADMIN MOVE TO GIVE LEGAL STATUS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SPOUSES OF US CITIZENS

On Thursday, the campaign said her position is the same as the administration’s, which is “continuing to ensure sufficient resources to enforce our laws and prioritize detention and removal for individuals who pose threats to public safety and national security, as well as ensure compliance with immigration proceedings and decisions, including removal.”

More broadly, Harris has repeatedly backed the bipartisan Senate package that emerged from negotiations in the chamber earlier this year, which increases funding for the border, including ICE bed space, and a mechanism to limit asylum entries into the U.S.

Migrants border caravan

Migrants walk along the highway through Suchiate, Chiapas state in southern Mexico, on July 21 during their journey north toward the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente)

In June, President Biden signed an executive order that limited asylum at the border and has led to a sharp decrease in crossings after three years of a historic crisis. The administration has said the low numbers come directly because of that order, and has renewed calls for the package to be passed by the Senate — blaming former President Trump for its failure to pass.

“The only ‘plan’ Donald Trump has to secure our border is ripping mothers from their children and a few xenophobic placards at the Republican National Convention. He tanked the bipartisan border security deal because for Donald Trump, this has never been about solutions just running on a problem,” spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

“Like everything with Donald Trump, it’s never been about helping the country, it’s only about helping himself. There’s only one candidate in this race who will fight for bipartisan solutions to strengthen border security, and that’s Vice President Harris,” he said.

The Trump campaign has pushed back against narratives in the media suggesting that Harris has turned into a moderate on the issue, attacking her positions this week. In response to Fox’s reporting, the Trump campaign said that Harris is “ON TAPE spanning a decade spewing her dangerously liberal positions on every one of these issues.”

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“She’s not changing, she’s just lying,” the campaign said.





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Multiple polls indicate Harris-Walz maintaining momentum against Trump-Vance


A flurry of recent polls seem to indicate Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is maintaining its post-Democratic National Convention momentum.

In the past two days, Fox News, Reuters and USA Today have published poll results indicating Harris is holding on to her lead against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The Reuters/Ipsos Poll released Thursday reported Harris leading Trump 45% to 41% among registered voters. 

FOX NEWS POLL: HARRIS CLOSES GAP WITH TRUMP IN SUN BELT STATES

US Vice President Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, disembark from their campaign bus in Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

The poll, conducted over eight days concluding Wednesday, reported that the source of this boost in support came from Hispanic and women voters. 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll maintained a plus or minus 2% margin of error.

A USA Today/Suffolk University Poll released Wednesday found Harris surging ahead of Trump by several points. 

HOW WILL RFK JR.’S ENDORSEMENT OF TRUMP IMPACT THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE?

The poll, which surveyed 1,000 likely voters via landline phones and cellphones from Aug. 25-28, found Harris was leading with 48% against Trump’s 43% nationwide. The USA Today poll reports a plus or minus 3.1% margin of error.

A Fox News Poll released Wednesday found Harris has improved on President Biden’s 2024 election numbers in four battleground states, driven by strong support among women, Black voters and young voters. 

Candidate and former President Donald Trump

Former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, speaks at the U.S.-Mexico border south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, on Aug. 22. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

In addition, while Trump leads on top issues, more voters see Harris as the candidate who can unite the country and who will “fight for people like you.” That’s according to new Fox News statewide surveys in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.  

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Each survey includes about 1,000 registered voters and was conducted Aug. 23-26, after the Democratic National Convention and just after Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. dropped out and endorsed Trump.

The surveys, released Wednesday, find a close, two-way Harris-Trump race. Harris is up by 1 percentage point in Arizona and by 2 points in Georgia and Nevada, while Trump is ahead by 1 point in North Carolina. All are within the margin of sampling error.

Fox News Digital’s Dana Blanton and Victoria Balara contributed to this report.



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GOP senators look to tie crackdown on noncitizen voting to must-pass spending bill


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Several Republican lawmakers have called on their colleagues to support attaching a bill that would safeguard elections and require proof of citizenship to vote on an upcoming stopgap spending measure due at the end of next month. 

Prominent conservative Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X this week pushing for the bill, which would require proof of citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections, to be tethered to a spending bill extension to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the fiscal year. 

“There isn’t a good argument against attaching the SAVE Act to the September spending bill,” Lee said in one of several posts promoting the idea. 

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

Ted Cruz, Mike Lee

Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee called for the bill to be included in a stopgap spending measure. (Reuters)

Other Republican senators, including Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., also shared their support for the legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, in posts on X. However, they didn’t go as far as calling for the bill to be taken up as part of a continuing resolution to extend the current spending bill. 

“Texas just announced that it has removed 6,500+ non-citizens from its voter rolls, almost 2,000 of which illegally voted in past elections. We cannot ignore this threat to our democratic process. It’s time to pass my SAVE Act & stop illegal voting,” Scott said. 

HARRIS CAMPAIGN MANAGER IGNORES PRESS CONFERENCE QUESTION AS VP HITS 33 DAYS WITHOUT ONE

Person voting

A voter casts a ballot at a polling location in Fairfax, Virginia, on Nov. 7, 2023. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The SAVE Act was initially passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 221-198, primarily along party lines. Five Democrats split with their party to support it, including Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, Jared Golden, D-Maine, Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.

Earlier this month, the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus expressed its desire to see the measure included in the stopgap government spending package next month. Without the SAVE Act’s inclusion in a continuing resolution (CR), appropriators risk losing the support of Freedom Caucus members and enduring a potential government shutdown.

“@HouseGOP must force the question by attaching the SAVE Act to a 6-month funding bill before the Sept. 30 funding deadline,” wrote House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, on X on Thursday. He also hit the Senate, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for refusing to take up the bill for a vote on its own. 

BIDEN-HARRIS HHS SECRETARY SIDESTEPS BACKING ANY LIMIT ON LATE-TERM ABORTION

While vocal conservative lawmakers see the necessary spending measure as an opportunity to force a vote on the Republican priority, which is backed by former President Trump, a top Republican appropriator has cast doubt on its inclusion. 

“If it can’t pass the Senate, it isn’t going to be an effective CR,” House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters last month.

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The idea of tying the SAVE Act to a spending bill also lacks the backing of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. A Senate GOP aide told Fox News Digital that keeping the government open and avoiding a shutdown is paramount to the Kentucky Republican.

Notably, the Biden-Harris administration has come out in strong opposition to the SAVE Act, making clear it wouldn’t be signed by the president if passed.

“It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in Federal elections – it is a Federal crime punishable by prison and fines,” reads a statement of administration policy last month.

The Trump campaign did not provide comment on whether the bill should be included in a spending measure but did reinforce support for the quick passage of the SAVE Act. His campaign pointed Fox News Digital to the former president’s Truth Social post last month in which he said, “Republicans must pass the Save Act, or go home and cry yourself to sleep.”



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‘Molesters’ and ‘rapists’ would go free under California bill, state Senate GOP warns


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FIRST ON FOX — A Democrat-led bill meant to protect prisoners from sexual violence while incarcerated in California state facilities by addressing issues related to sexual abuse could wind up reducing violent criminals’ sentences altogether, state Republicans warn. 

SB 898, authored by Berkeley Democrat state Sen. Nancy Skinner, aims to enhance protections for individuals incarcerated in California state facilities by addressing issues related to sexual abuse and expanding opportunities for legal relief.

But Republicans say that a little-known provision in the bill would enable inmates serving sentences of 15 years or more to seek resentencing or release if there have been changes to sentencing guidelines since their conviction.

“And you know, they’re touting that crime is going down, but it’s because the Democrats have decriminalized crime in California,” state Sen. Brian Dahle told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And so victims of homicide, heinous sexual crimes, rape, murder, molestation of children all can come up in every three years, can go have a potential hearing to get out, whether or not they’ve been rehabilitated or not.”

EX-CALIFORNIA RESIDENT SLAMS STATE BILL THAT GIVES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HOUSING LOANS: ‘ASININE’

Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., closeup shot

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (AP Photo/Steven Senne/File)

Dahle said this will create a cycle of frequent hearings and petitions, which means victims will have to repeatedly attend these hearings every three years and relive the trauma inflicted upon them by the perpetrator.

Skinner dismisses the Republican criticisms, calling them “false accusations” about SB 898 that are “just the latest example of MAGA distortions and lies.”

“SB 898 is focused first and foremost on providing protections for incarcerated people who have proven to have been raped or sexually assaulted by prison guards or staff,” she told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Its additional provision merely adds defense attorneys to the existing list of those who are eligible to request a court hearing if California changes a sentencing law. SB 898 does not release anyone from prison, period.”

The California District Attorneys Association decried the bill, saying they “strenuously object to creating a revolving door of hearings for [murderers], rapists, and child molesters.”

The provision allows defense attorneys to request hearings if California ever revises prison sentences for certain crimes, but it does not automatically release anyone from prison. The hearings are not guaranteed and can be denied by judges, with no assurance that a change in sentencing guidelines would result in immediate release.

CALIFORNIA CLOSE TO APPROVING $150K LOANS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO HELP PURCHASE HOMES

pair of hands grasping prison bars stock image

Meanwhile, Skinner’s bill focuses on several proposals regarding how sexual abuse and sentencing issues are handled within the California prison system. It mandates that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation monitor incarcerated individuals who report sexual abuse for 90 days to prevent retaliation. 

“If somebody’s being raped in prison, then obviously we need to isolate those incidences and do something to correct that,” Dahle said in response. “That’s been an ongoing thing since people have been put in prison. Yes, there are some bad actors, but for the most part, we’re doing as good as we can in the situations we have, but they’ve made prisons a place where it’s hard to isolate somebody.”

5 CALIFORNIA TAXES KAMALA HARRIS COULD USE TO CRUSH THE MIDDLE CLASS

California state legislature building

The California State Capitol (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League/File)

According to the Senate Republicans’ analysis of the bill, the bill “is mislabeled by Legislative Counsel as a bill primarily dealing with ‘sexual assault resentencing.'”

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“That title remains from the prior version and while [it] has some remaining provisions on that topic, the most important changes the bill makes to sentencing law have nothing to do with sexual assault, other than to potentially let individuals who have committed sex crimes out of prison earlier,” the analysis reads.



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Biden vacations for second straight week: ‘Who is running the country?’


President Biden began his second straight week of vacation Monday, providing more fodder for critics who insist he is not finishing out his term with very much vigor.

Biden arrived at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, beach house on Sunday, where he will remain until at least Saturday, according to The New York Post. The president arrived following a six-night vacation stay with his family the previous week at Democratic Party donor Joe Kiani’s California ranch estate. Biden also reportedly has no public events scheduled while he is at the beach this week.

The lame duck president has been criticized for overusing vacation time when he is supposed to be the leader of the free world. During the third anniversary of the Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 American soldiers on Monday, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby was pressed by a reporter on whether Biden is simply a “ceremonial figure” at this point.

‘ACCESS GRANTED’: BIDEN’S FREE VACATION AT FRIEND’S CALIFORNIA MANSION DRAWS IRE OF CRITICS

President Joe Biden on vacation in Delaware

President Biden tries to get up from a beach chair in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Wednesday. (Leigh Green)

“My goodness, he talked to Prime Minister Modi today. He had calls with leaders in the region and in Europe, President Zelenskyy, last week. He monitored in real time what was going on over the weekend. I mean, come on,” Kirby said of Biden. “The president is on vacation, but you can never unplug from a job like that, nor does he try to… He’s very much in command of making sure we can continue to protect our national security interests here at home and certainly overseas.”

BIDEN IS IN CHARGE OF COUNTRY ON SECOND STRAIGHT VACATION, WHITE HOUSE INSISTS 

President Joe Biden on vacation in Delaware

President Biden talks on the phone in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Wednesday. (Leigh Green)

Meanwhile, shortly after bowing out of the race to win re-election in July, Biden told reporters he is “not going anywhere” and intended to “work like hell” until the end of his term in January 2025. “Over the next six months, I’ll be focused on doing my job as president,” Biden added during a July 24 Oval Office address, which was only the third speech he had given from the Resolute desk since becoming commander in chief. 

Sources differ on the exact number of days that Biden has spent on vacation during his presidency. Data from the Republican National Committee claims that after serving roughly two years and seven months as president, Biden spent about 40% of his time on vacation.

BIDEN FLIES FROM ONE VACATION TO ANOTHER AFTER VOWING TO END GAZA WAR, WITH MIDDLE EAST ON THE BRINK

House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., alongside other congressional Republicans, have called on Biden’s Cabinet to consider invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows for the vice president to take over the president’s duties if he is unable to fulfill the responsibilities necessary to run the White House. Democrats similarly sought to invoke the 25th Amendment during the final days of former President Trump’s time in office.

“Who is running the country?” several social media users asked Thursday, including Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. “An Armed Illegal Alien Street Gang from Venezuela Seizes an Apartment Complex in Aurora, Colorado—Residents Terrified! Meanwhile, Joe Biden is on his second vacation in two weeks and Kamala Harris is preparing for her first interview in 40 days.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response.



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Kamala Harris offers vague ‘Day 1’ Oval Office plan in CNN interview: ‘A number of things’


Vice President Kamala Harris, in her first media interview since taking over the top of the Democratic ticket roughly 40 days ago, said she had “a number of things” in mind for day one priorities should she take the Oval Office but didn’t divulge much in the way of specifics. 

She did say she believes Americans are ready to “turn the page” on former President Donald Trump.

“The voters are really eager to hear what your plans are. If you are elected, what would you do on day one in the White House,” CNN’s Dana Bash asked Harris, who was flanked by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

“Well, there are a number of things I will tell you. First and foremost, one of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class,” Harris said. 

HARRIS CLAIMS SHE ‘MADE CLEAR’ HER POSITION ON FRACKING IN 2020 – TRANSCRIPT SHOWS ANOTHER STORY

Harris in interview

Vice President Kamala Harris in her first sit-down interview with the media since rising to the top of the Democratic ticket.  (CNN)

“When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward, in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by, by hope and by optimism. I think, sadly, in the last decade, we have had in the former president, someone who has really been pushing an agenda, and in an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans — really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn the page on that,” Harris replied. 

“So, what would you do? Day one?” Bash pressed. To which Harris said, its going to be about one implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy.”

“I’ve already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we’re going to do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we’re going to do to invest in America’s small businesses, what we’re going to do to invest in families,” Harris said. 

ON DODGING THE MEDIA, KAMALA HARRIS ‘OWES RESPONSES’ TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, SAYS CAMPAIGN ADVISER

Harris and Walz at DNC

Harris and Walz sat down for an interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash that aired on Thursday evening. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“For example, extending the child tax credit to $6,000 for families for the first year of their child’s life, to help them buy a car seat, to help them buy baby clothes, a crib,” she said. 

Notably, extending the child tax credit, though it differs slightly, was first a policy announcement by the Trump campaign. 

“There’s the work that we’re going to do that is about investing in the American family around affordable housing, a big issue in our country right now. So there are a number of things on day one,” Harris stated. 

Later in the roughly 26-minute, pre-taped interview, Harris said one of her proposals included a tax credit of $25,000 for first-time home buyers. 

‘WHATEVER’: DEMOCRATS REACT TO KAMALA HARRIS’ LACK OF INTERVIEWS

kamala harris on the campaign trail

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at United Auto Workers Local 900 on Aug. 8, 2024, in Wayne, Michigan.  (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“What we need to do to bring down the cost of housing. My proposal includes what would be a tax credit of $25,000 for first-time home buyers, so they can just have enough to put a down payment on a home, which is part of the American dream and their aspiration. But do it in a way that allows them to actually get on the path to achieving that goal and that dream,” she said. 

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Walz, for his part, said he is “excited” about Harris’ agenda. 

“As I said, the idea of inspiring America to what can be and I think many of these things that the vice president’s proposing are, are things that we share in values,” he said. 



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Top 5 moments from Kamala Harris’ first sit-down interview since ascending Dem presidential ticket


Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for her first interview with the media since rising to the top of the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket, shedding light on President Biden’s call announcing he was dropping out of the race, as well as defending her recent policy flip-flops.

Harris rose to the top of the ticket after Biden dropped out of the race last month following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump in June. The debate, which included Biden tripping over his words and losing his train of thought, opened the floodgates to traditional Democratic allies of the president joining conservatives in sounding the alarm over Biden’s mental acuity and 81 years of age. 

The highly anticipated sit-down marks the first interview Harris has held in 39 days, when she became the presumptive nominee. Harris has largely avoided the media since ascending the Democratic ticket, only rarely answering media questions while on the campaign trail and holding no press conferences. 

Harris was joined by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for the pre-taped CNN interview that aired Thursday evening. 

TRUMP, VANCE CONTINUE TO HAMMER HARRIS FOR ‘COPYING’ THEIR POLICIES 

Harris and Walz at DNC

Harris and Walz will sit down for an interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash that airs on Thursday evening. ( Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Following Harris’ first sit-down interview with the media since ascending the ticket, Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments from the Savannah, Georgia, interview as the election cycle comes down to its final months. 

Harris fumbles ‘day one’ question 

Harris was asked twice about her “day one” agenda, but gave overarching answers instead of responding with a specific executive order or directive. 

“The voters are really eager to hear what your plans are. If you are elected, what would you do on day one in the White House?” Bash asked Harris. 

“Well, there are a number of things. I will tell you first and foremost one of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class. When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by — by hope and by optimism.,” Harris responded. 

“I think sadly in the last decade, we have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans — really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn the page on that.

“So what would you do? Day one?” Bash pressed. 

“Day one, it’s gonna be about one, implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy. I’ve already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we’re gonna do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we’re gonna do to invest in America’s small businesses, what we’re gonna do to invest in families,” Harris said. 

“For example, extending the child tax credit to $6,000 for families for the first year of their child’s life to help them buy a car seat, to help them buy baby clothes, a crib. There’s the work that we’re gonna do that is about investing in the American family around affordable housing, a big issue in our country right now. So there are a number of things on day one.”

Harris and Walz interview

Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz in a CNN interview.  (CNN)

‘SICKENING’: VP HARRIS SLAMMED BY SCHOOL SHOOTING VICTIMS’ FAMILIES OVER RECENTLY UNEARTHED COMMENTS

Harris says she made position clear on allowing fracking in 2020 — except it wasn’t hers

Harris doubled down in the interview that she would not ban fracking if elected, claiming she made “clear” where she stood on fracking during the 2020 election. 

“No, and I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking. As vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president, I will not ban fracking,” Harris said. 

Before Harris dropped her bid for president in 2019 and joined President Biden’s ticket, she said during a CNN town hall “there’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking” on her first day in office. 

Harris was asked about fracking during her 2020 vice presidential debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence but did not reveal her position on fracking, instead saying Biden would not ban fracking. Fox News Digital reviewed a transcript of the 2020 vice presidential debate and found “fracking” was mentioned nine times, with Harris using the word twice. 

“Joe Biden will not end fracking. He has been very clear about that,” Harris said during the debate in 2020 cycle. 

“I will repeat, and the American people know that Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That is a fact. That is a fact,” she added during another portion of the debate. 

Walz cites ‘grammar’ for false claim on guns he ‘carried in war’

Tim Walz takes the stage on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention

U.S. Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Governor Tim Walz takes the stage on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center, in Chicago, on August 21, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Gov. Walz attempted to blame his grammar when asked about his prior comments that he wants to ban guns like the ones he “carried in war,” even though he never saw combat during his time in the Army National Guard. 

“The country is just starting to get to know you,” Bash noted before asking him about his 2018 remarks. “I want to ask you a question about how you described your service in the National Guard. You said that you carried weapons in war, but you have never deployed, actually, in a war zone. A campaign official said that you misspoke. Did you?”

Walz responded: “Well, first of all, I’m incredibly proud. I’ve done 24 years of wearing the uniform of this country. Equally proud of my service in a public school classroom, whether it’s Congress or — or the governor. My record speaks for itself, but I think people are coming to get to know me. I — I speak like they do. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves, and I speak especially passionately about — about our children being shot in schools and around — around guns.” 

Bash again asked if he misspoke, sparking Walz to admit he did while citing his “grammar.” 

“Yeah, I said — we were talking about in this case, this was after a school shooting, the ideas of carrying these weapons of war. And my wifem the English teacher, told me my grammar’s not always correct. But again, if it’s not this, it’s an attack on my children for showing love for me, or it’s an attack on my dog. I’m not gonna do that, and the one thing I’ll never do is I’ll never demean another member’s service in any way. I never have and I never will,” he responded.

Harris dodges whether Biden endorsed her in phone call he was dropping out 

Harris dodged answering whether Biden endorsed her to run in his place when he first called and informed her he was bowing out of the election amid mounting concern over his mental acuity. 

“What about the endorsement? Did you ask for it?” Bash asked Harris. 

“He was very clear that he was gonna support me,” Harris responded. 

“So when he called to tell you, he said, ‘I’m pulling out of the race, and I’m gonna support you?,’” Bash pressed Harris. 

“Well, my first thought was not about me to be honest with you. My first thought was about him, to be honest. I think history is gonna show a number of things about Joe Biden’s presidency. I think history is gonna show that in so many ways it was transformative, be it on what we have accomplished around finally investing in America’s infrastructure, investing in new economics, in new industries, what we have done to bring our allies back together, and have confidence in who we are as America, and grow that alliance, what we have done to stand true to our principles including the — the — one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said. 

Biden did endorse Harris just minutes after dropping out of the race in a message on X. 

Harris in interview

Vice President Kamala Harris in her first sit-down interview with the media since rising to the top of the Democratic ticket.  (CNN)

HARRIS CLAIMS SHE ‘MADE CLEAR’ HER POSITION ON FRACKING IN 2020 – TRANSCRIPT SHOWS ANOTHER STORY

“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” he wrote. 

Harris would appoint a Republican to the cabinet if elected 

Harris said that she would appoint a Republican to her cabinet if elected, which follows a tradition of presidents bringing on or retaining politicians from across the aisle until recent history. 

CONSERVATIVES REACT TO KAMALA HARRIS’ LATEST ‘WORD SALAD’ ON CLIMATE CHANGE ‘DEADLINES’

“You had a lot of Republican speakers at the convention. Will you appoint a Republican to your cabinet?” Bash asked. 

“Yes, I would.,” Harris responded, noting she does not have a specific person in mind. 

Kamala Harris holds a rally in Savannah, Georgia

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives for a campaign rally in Savannah, Ga., Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.  (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Before the respective Trump and Biden administrations, presidents have historically appointed politicians from the opposite party to their cabinet or kept on politicians from a previous president of the opposite party. 

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Transportation Secretary under the Bush administration, Norm Mineta, for example, was a Democrat, while President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Defense was Republican William Cohen, and former President Obama retained Bush’s Republican Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. 

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



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Trump campaign slams Harris as ‘still a San Francisco radical’ after CNN interview


The Trump-Vance campaign released a statement Thursday night following Vice President Kamala Harris’ first media interview since becoming the Democratic nominee for president, calling her a “San Francisco radical” and highlighting aspects of her record that were not discussed in the interview. 

“[Harris] said her values ‘have not changed’ three separate times. She’s still a San Francisco radical,” the campaign said. 

Among other things, the Trump-Vance campaign said that CNN’s Dana Bash did not bring up Harris’ history of supporting “ending cash bail for violent criminals, fundraising for the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which freed rioters,” her “vote for tie-breaking vote for American Rescue Plan, which economists say fueled inflation,” and her “support for closing immigration detention centers and freeing thousands of criminals into American neighborhoods.”

“[Harris] spoke for just over 16 minutes and didn’t even address the crime crisis in this nation. She spent a mere 3 minutes and 25 seconds talking about the economy and 2 minutes and 36 seconds talking about immigration,” the statement said. 

KAMALA HARRIS OFFERS VAGUE ‘DAY 1’ OVAL OFFICE PLAN IN CNN INTERVIEW: ‘A NUMBER OF THINGS’

Kamala Harris CNN interview

Vice President Kamala Harris raised eyebrows when telling CNN’s Dana Bash that her ‘values haven’t changed’ after making complete reversals on far-left positions she held in 2019. (Screenshot/CNN)

During her interview, Harris said she believes Americans are ready to “turn the page” on former President Donald Trump.

She also defended her work as the appointed border czar for the Biden administration and that her work “resulted in a number of benefits.”

“The root causes work that I did as vice president that I was asked to do by the president has actually resulted in a number of benefits, including historic investments by American businesses in that region, the number of immigrants coming from that region has actually reduced since we began that work,” she said. 

ON DODGING THE MEDIA, KAMALA HARRIS ‘OWES RESPONSES’ TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, SAYS CAMPAIGN ADVISER

kamala harris

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at United Auto Workers Local 900 on August 8, 2024 in Wayne, Michigan.  (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward, in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by, by hope and by optimism. I think, sadly, in the last decade, we have had in the former president, someone who has really been pushing an agenda, and in an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans — really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn the page on that,” Harris said. 

‘WHATEVER’: DEMOCRATS REACT TO KAMALA HARRIS’ LACK OF INTERVIEWS

Kamala Harris at a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Harris’ most detailed plans revealed in the Thursday night interview included a $6,000 child tax credit – similar to what the Trump-Vance campaign earlier had announced as a policy plan.  (Photo by Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

This was in response to what she would accomplish on day one of a Harris presidency, which Bash later had to press for more detail. 

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Harris’ most detailed plans revealed in the Thursday night interview included a $6,000 child tax credit – similar to what the Trump-Vance campaign earlier had announced as a policy plan –  and a $25,000 tax credit for first-time homeowners. 



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In bruising battle with Trump, Harris urges supporters to not ‘pay too much attention to the polls’


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SAVANNAH, Ga. — She’s been riding a wave of energy and momentum since replacing President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 presidential ticket nearly six weeks ago, but Vice President Harris is urging caution in her battle against former President Trump.

“This is going to be a tight race until the very end,” Harris told supporters on Thursday at a packed arena in this historic coastal city in Georgia, one of seven crucial battleground states that will likely determine the outcome of the presidential election.

Harris, speaking after a slew of polls released over the past 24 hours indicated a margin-of-error race in the key swing states and new national surveys suggested Harris with the edge, told the crowd at Savannah’s Enmarket Arena “let’s not pay too much attention to the polls because we are running as the underdog.”

“We have some hard work ahead of us. But we like hard work. Hard work is good work,” Harris said to cheers. “And with your help, we are going to win this November.”

NEW FOX NEWS POLL NUMBERS IN 4 KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES

Kamala Harris holds a rally in Savannah, Georgia

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris arrives for a campaign rally in Savannah, Ga., on Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

For much of this year, polls suggested a close contest between President Biden and Trump as they faced off in a rematch of their 2020 showdown. But Trump opened up a small but significant lead in the weeks after the president’s disastrous performance against his predecessor in their late-June debate showdown in Atlanta.

But Harris has enjoyed a surge, both in polling and in fundraising, since replacing Biden after her boss in a blockbuster announcement ended his re-election campaign on July 21.

KAMALA HARRIS DEFENDS POLICY REVERSALS AS SHE SITS FOR HER FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE REPLACING BIDEN ATOP DEMOCRATS’ 2024 TICKET

Harris’ rally in Savannah came at the end of a two-day swing through parts of southeastern Georgia with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. And she arrived at the arena about two hours after sitting for her first network interview since becoming the Democrats’ standard-bearer.

US Vice President Kamala Harris

Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, step off their campaign bus in Savannah, Ga., on Aug. 28, 2024. (Sail Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Georgia had long been a reliably red state in White House elections until Biden narrowly edged Trump in 2020 to become the first Democrat in nearly three decades to capture the state.

And in runoff elections two months later, the Democrats flipped both of the state’s GOP-held Senate seats.

But fast-forward to this summer, as Biden was facing a rising chorus of calls from within his own party to end his 2024 bid, Trump built a lead in Georgia.

Harris’ trip this week sends a signal that Democrats feel the state is once again in play.

“Georgia, for the past two election cycles, voters in this very state … have delivered,” Harris told the crowd.

“You did that, and so now we are asking you to do it again,” she said. “Let’s do it again.”

THIS STATE MAY DECIDE THE 2024 SHOWDOWN BETWEEN HARRIS AND TRUMP

Georgia’s popular two-term conservative governor agrees that his state’s very competitive.

“Certainly this is a battleground state,” Gov. Brian Kemp said during a Fox News Digital interview on Tuesday.

“I’ve been saying for a long time that the road to the White House is going to run through Georgia. And there’s no path for former President Trump to win, or any Republican … to get to 270 without Georgia,” Kemp said.

But Kemp, who on Thursday headlined a fundraiser in Atlanta for Trump, added that Georgia “should be one that we win if we have all the mechanics that we need. And I’m working hard to help provide those in a lot of ways and turn the Republican vote out and make sure that we win this state in November.”

Kamala Harris holds a rally in Savannah, in battleground Georgia

Vice President Harris urges her supporters not to pay attention to the polls as she headlines a rally in Savannah, Ga., on Aug. 29, 2024. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

The vice president, in her rally, reiterated her themes of preserving democracy, increasing access to affordable health care and child care, and protecting abortion access.

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But Harris was interrupted twice during her rally by demonstrators protesting the Biden-Harris administration’s stance in support of Israel in its deadly war with Hamas in Gaza.

Both protesters were removed as the crowd cheered and chanted, “Kamala, Kamala.”

Harris paused her speech, saying that people “have a right” to be heard. And then she addressed the conflict in the Mideast, saying “the president and I are working around the clock. … We’ve got to get a hostage deal and get a cease-fire done now.”

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



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Trump pledges universal coverage for IVF treatment


Former President Trump pledged during a campaign rally in Michigan Thursday that if he wins a second term, he would mandate free in vitro fertilization treatment for women. 

“I’m announcing today in a major statement that under the Trump administration, your government will pay for — or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for — all costs associated with IVF treatment,” Trump told the crowd at Alro Steel in Potterville, Michigan. “Because we want more babies, to put it nicely.”

IVF treatments are notoriously expensive and can cost tens of thousands of dollars for a single round. Many women require multiple rounds, and there is no guarantee of success.

“And for the same reason, we will also allow new parents to deduct major newborn expenses from their taxes,” Trump said.  

TRUMP ‘RESPECTFULLY’ HONORED FALLEN TROOPS AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY AMID ALTERCATION REPORT: VETERAN

Donald Trump at a campaign event in Michigan

Former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, arrives to speak at a campaign event at Alro Steel Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in Potterville, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump’s announcement, which was short on details, comes after the Republican nominee has faced intense scrutiny from Democrats for his role in appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, sending the issue of abortion back to the states. 

Trump has tried to present himself as moderate on the issue, going as far as declaring himself “very strong on women’s reproductive rights.”

IVF tanks

Embryo tanks sit in the IVF lab of a women’s hospital in Boston. Trump vowed that if he wins a second term, the government or insurance will pay for IVF treatment.  (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe)

In an interview with NBC before Thursday’s rally, Trump signaled support for changing Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which limits the procedure before many women even know they are pregnant.

Trump, in the interview, did not explicitly say how he plans to vote on the ballot measure when he casts his vote this fall. But he repeated his past criticism that the measure, signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, is too restrictive.

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“I think the six weeks is too short. It has to be more time,” he said. “I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks.”

Trump had previously called DeSantis’ decision to sign the bill a “terrible mistake.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Trump signals support for changing Florida heartbeat bill: ‘need more time’


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Former President Donald Trump said Florida’s six-week abortion ban “is too short,” signaling he could vote in favor of a ballot initiative to overturn the six-week ban on abortions in the state. 

“I think the six-week is too short, there has to be more time,” Trump told an NBC News reporter when asked how he will vote on Florida’s Amendment 4 that will appear on the ballot for November elections. “I’ve told them that I want more weeks,” he continued. 

The reporter then pressed if Trump will vote in favor of the amendment.

“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks. Look, just so you understand, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated for years, 52 years. I got it done. They wanted it to go back to the states. Exceptions are very important for me, for Ronald Reagan, for others that have navigated this very, very interesting and difficult path,” Trump responded. 

JD VANCE VOWS TRUMP WOULD NOT IMPOSE FEDERAL ABORTION BAN, VETO IT IF COMES ACROSS DESK

Donald Trump speaks at podium

BOZEMAN, MONTANA – AUGUST 09: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at Montana State University on August 9, 2024, in Bozeman, Montana. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

The Trump campaign told Fox News Digital on Thursday evening that the 45th president has not yet revealed how he will vote on the Amendment. 

“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. 

HARRIS REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM TRUMP WANTS TO ‘BAN’ ABORTION DURING FIRST CAMPAIGN RALLY SINCE BIDEN QUIT RACE

Pregnancy

A pregnant woman stands for a portrait in Dallas, Thursday, May 18, 2023. According to provisional statistics for 2023 released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, April 25, 2024, U.S. births fell last year, in a substantial drop marking an apparent end to pandemic-related fluctuations and a return to a long-standing national decline. A little under 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. last year, about 76,000 fewer than the year before. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed The Heartbeat Protection Act into law last year, which banned most abortions after six weeks of gestation. This year, Florida residents will vote on Amendment 4, Right to Abortion Initiative, which works to overturn the ban. 

“No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion,” the amendment reads. 

Trump also addressed the interview and his remarks regarding Amendement 4 during an event in Potterville, Michigan, on Thursday when he 

“She asked me about abortion. And I handled it very nicely. Because you know what? That’s so overplayed. We have abortion. We have the whole thing brought back into the states where it belongs. That’s where everybody wanted it for years and years and years, and they are voting on it,” he said of the interview with NBC News. 

“And I happen to believe in the exceptions Ronald Reagan did, for life of the mother, rape, incest. The exceptions – probably 90% of the people [support exceptions]. But, you know, I was just telling this reporter the real problem, and the real radicals on that issue are the Democrats. Where you can have an abortion in the ninth month. And in six states, you’re allowed to kill the baby after the baby is born,” he added. 

THREE HARRIS DNC ATTACK LINES AGAINST TRUMP THAT WERE INACCURATE OR FALSE

Ron DeSantis speaks on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Republicans and religious leaders in the state have railed against the pro-choice amendment in Florida, including DeSantis who said the amendment potentially passing would represent “the end of the pro-life movement.” 

“If you care about building a culture of life in this state or this country, them winning in Florida I think really represents the end of the pro-life movement,” DeSantis said earlier this month during an event at Jesuit High School in Tampa, the Tampa Bay Times reported. 

“If you look at the state of Florida, we do not have a pro-life majority,” DeSantis warned. “We’ve got a big chunk, but we don’t have a majority. If only people that are pro-life oppose it, it very well might pass.”

Catholic leaders in the state have also slammed the amendment as “extremely grave” and urged all “Floridians of goodwill” to vote against it. 

“We urge all Floridians of goodwill to stand against the legalization of late-term abortion and oppose the abortion amendment. In doing so, we will not only protect the weakest, most innocent, and defenseless of human life among us but also countless women throughout the state from the harms of abortion,” said the Catholic bishops of Florida in a statement on Amendment 4.

TRUMP SAYS PROJECT 2025 ‘GOES WAY TOO FAR’ WITH ABORTION RESTRICTIONS

Trump had previously voiced his displeasure with DeSantis signing the ban on abortion after six weeks last year, calling it a “terrible mistake” and “terrible thing.” 

Trump in Michigan

HOWELL, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 20: Republican Presidential Candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump responds to a queston from a reporter after his remarks on August 20, 2024 at the Livingston County Sheriffs Office in Howell, Michigan. Trump is visiting Michigan this week to discuss “crime and safety” during a campaign event.  (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The 45th president’s comments come as Vice President Kamala Harris and her 2024 presidential campaign claim Trump would impose a federal abortion ban if re-elected to the White House, which Harris cited in her nomination acceptance speech last week at the DNC in Chicago. 

SOFTENED ABORTION LANGUAGE IN TRUMP-APPROVED GOP PLATFORM IRKS SOME SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES

“Children who have survived sexual assault, potentially being forced to carry a pregnancy to term. This is what’s happening in our country because of Donald Trump. And understand, he is not done. As a part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress,” Harris said. 

Kamala Harris kicks off a two-day bus tour in southeastern Georgia

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Trump has denied that he would impose a federal abortion ban, instead advocating that abortion laws be left up to individual states. 

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s 2024 running mate, also addressed Democrats’ claims that Trump would impose a federal ban if re-elected in an interview on Sunday. 

“Democrats made the case this week, and beyond this week, that Donald Trump, if elected, will impose a federal ban on abortion if he wins. Now, Donald Trump says he won’t. But can you commit, senator, sitting right here with me today, that if you and Donald Trump are elected, that you will not impose a federal ban on abortion?” “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker asked Vance in an interview that aired Sunday. 

Vance and Trump

Former President Trump and vice presidential candidate U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, appear on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“I can absolutely commit to that, Kristen. Donald Trump has been as clear about that as possible. I think it’s important to step back and say, ‘What does Donald Trump actually said on the abortion question, and how is it different from what Kamala Harris and the Democrats have said?’ Donald Trump wants to end this culture war over this particular topic.”

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“If… California wants to have a different abortion policy from Ohio, then Ohio has to respect California, and California has to respect Ohio. Donald Trump’s view is that we want the individual states and their individual cultures and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions, because we don’t want to have a non-stop federal conflict over this issue. The federal government ought to be focused on getting food prices down, getting housing prices down. Issues, of course, where Kamala Harris has been a total disaster,” Vance continued. 

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



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Fox News Politics: Harris in the Hot Seat


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

What’s happening…

-This state may be the decider between Trump & Harris

-GOP Senator slams Biden admin over missing migrant children

-New Jersey faces doubled energy rates

‘FAIR BUT TOUGH’

Former President Trump is weighing in – in advance – on 2024 election rival Vice President Kamala Harris’ first interview since replacing President Biden atop the Democrats’ national ticket.

Trump, in a social media post on Thursday morning, called for CNN to conduct a “fair but tough interview” of Harris and if that occurs, the former president argued “it will expose her as being totally inept and ill-suited for the job of President.”

Harris has been riding a wave of energy, enthusiasm and momentum in both polling and fundraising since succeeding her boss as their party’s presidential nominee nearly six weeks ago. 

But she’s refrained from holding a news conference or sitting for a major interview – until now.

And that’s brought continuous incoming fire from Trump, GOP running mate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, their campaign, and allied Republicans.

“She can’t answer questions,” Trump charged earlier this week as he took questions from reporters during a stop in northern Virginia.” Why doesn’t she do something like I’m doing right now?”

And he claimed that the vice president “can’t talk. We can’t have another dummy as a president.”…Read more

Kamala Harris at a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli citizens speak with Fox News Digital to discuss their varying views on what a Harris presidency would mean for the people of Israel. (Photo by Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

White House

PARTISAN IMPACTS: GOP Rep subpoenas Biden officials over get-out-the-vote EO …Read more

Capitol

SWING STATE BATTLE: This state may decide whether Harris or Trump wins the 2024 presidential election …Read more

‘OFFENSIVE TO ALL WOMEN’: Top Republican joins chorus of backlash against key Kamala Harris interview decision …Read more

‘RECKLESS DISREGARD’: GOP sen slams Biden admin over missing migrant children …Read more

Tales from the Trail

‘LOST CONTROL’: Incident took place as Harris was campaigning in key swing state …Read more

T-MINUS 8: With 8 days until voting starts, ‘election season’ kicks off sooner than you think …Read more

‘RESPECTFULLY AND SOLEMNLY’: Veteran praises Trump after ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery amid altercation report …Read more

CAMPAIGN CONFUSION: Harris team’s ‘internal worries about cohesiveness’ surface in new report …Read more

NOT A WARM WELCOME: Vance booed during speech to firefighters union …Read more

JD Vance during Watters interview

GOP Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance enlisted in the Marines and served in Iraq. (Fox News)

Across America

‘DISASTER PLAN’ IN ACTION: NJ residents, lawmakers fume at double energy rates …Read more

PIER PRESSURE: Gaza pier interfered with ability to open ‘more efficient’ humanitarian aid corridors: inspector general …Read more

‘SPREADING THE WORD’: Montana college athlete recalls ‘frustration’ after being offered thousands of dollars to make endorsement videos for Jon Tester …Read more

ARMY WEIGHS IN: Military says Arlington National Cemetery employee who was ‘abruptly pushed aside’ during Trump visit won’t press charges …Read more

REAL ESTATE REPARATIONS?: Controversial new program designed to correct alleged systemic injustice …Read more

‘MS-13 ON STEROIDS’: El Paso on high alert with deadly migrant gang surges into US …Read more

DAM BURSTING?: More problems for Dolton ‘supermayor’ as former assistant turns whistleblower …Read more

FREE AGENT: Trump shooting victims’ attorney response to Secret Service agents on leave …Read more

HELPING ILLEGALS: California Republican lawmaker reacts to ‘crazy’ bill that would give undocumented first-time homebuyers money …Read more

‘INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE’: Vermont officials suggest removing terms ‘son’ and ‘daughter’ from the classroom …Read more

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

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



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Conservatives react to Kamala Harris’ latest ‘word salad’ on climate change ‘deadlines’


Conservative activists and media outlets took to X to share their thoughts on a clip of CNN’s interview with Vice President Kamala Harris as she explained why her policy positions have changed since she took over the Democratic ticket for president. 

In the clip of the interview, which will air Thursday night on CNN, anchor Dana Bash asked, “Generally speaking, how should voters look at some of the changes that you’ve made? … Is it because you have more experience now, and you’ve learned more about the information? Is it because you were running for president in a Democratic primary? And should they feel comfortable and confident that what you’re saying now is going to be your policy moving forward?”

“Dana, I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed,” Harris replied. 

“You mentioned the Green New Deal. I have always believed, and I’ve worked on it, that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time. We did that with the Inflation Reduction Act,” Harris continued. 

TRUMP, VANCE CONTINUE TO HAMMER HARRIS FOR ‘COPYING’ THEIR POLICIES

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at United Auto Workers Local 900 in Wayne, Michigan, on Aug. 8.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at United Auto Workers Local 900 in Wayne, Michigan, on Aug. 8. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“Gobbledygook,” conservative commentator Steve Guest posted on X. “The definition of a deadline is ‘the latest time or date by which something should be completed’.”

Noah Rothman, senior writer at the National Review, referenced her comments as “rambling.” 

Charles C. W. Cooke, a British-American journalist, called the clip an “instant classic.”

“Undefeated. She’s still got it—even as the nominee,” he said. 

The X account for The Blaze referred to the comment as “word salad” — a term Republicans frequently use to describe Harris’ media engagements. 

39 DAYS: KAMALA HARRIS HAS YET TO DO FORMAL PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE EMERGING AS DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

Kamala Harris kicks off a bus tour in battleground Georgia

Vice President Kamala Harris talks as she visits SandFly Bar-B-Q in Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris continued, “We have set goals for the United States of America and, by extension, the globe, around when we should meet certain standards for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as an example.”

“That value has not changed. My value around what we need to do to secure our border. That value is not changed,” she said. 

39 DAYS: KAMALA HARRIS HAS YET TO DO FORMAL PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE EMERGING AS DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 19.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 19. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

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“I spent two terms as the Attorney General of California prosecuting transnational criminal organizations, violations of American laws regarding the passage, illegal passage of guns, drugs, and human beings across our border. My values have not changed,” she said. 



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