NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is demanding that a local elected official in her district resign after reportedly comparing former President Trump to a “rabid dog” after he was shot.

Christine Paige, a member of the Potsdam Town Council, has faced bipartisan backlash over her comments, which were first reported last month by local media.

“Far Left Democrats supporting political violence and the assassination of President Trump are shameful and do not deserve to represent the great people of the North Country,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital.

“Potsdam Town Board Member Christine Paige must be condemned by the NY Democrat State Party, and she must resign in disgrace after she said shooting President Trump would be like ‘putting down a rabid dog.’”

BUTLER DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS LOCAL SNIPERS WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ROOFTOP SHOOTER FIRED FROM 

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is the No. 4 House GOP leader. (AP/Mariam Zuhaib)

A screenshot of a now-deleted Facebook comment viewed by Fox News Digital showed Paige commenting on a post about the attempted assassination, “I have seen no credible proof that he’s a human being. Maybe you know something we don’t. To me, it would be akin to putting down a rabid dog.”

Potsdam Town Council Supervisor Marty Miller, a Democrat, responded in a lengthy media statement that said Paige’s comment “is not in any way shared” by the rest of the board.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT VICTIM SAYS HE IS ‘SAD’ WITH STATE OF ‘POLITICAL DIVISION’ IN US 

Former President Trump gestures while surrounded by Secret Service agents after shots were fired at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

“I can tell you firsthand this selfish act of one person’s satisfaction has been a nightmare for me and the rest of the Board the last couple of weeks,” Miller said, adding that the town council has been inundated with “phone calls, voicemails, and emails” on the matter.

Miller pointed out, however, that the town council cannot oust one of its own members. He also endorsed Stefanik for re-election, calling her a “strong” leader in a statement to Fox News Digital.

But Paige said she will not resign from her post, according to NNY360.

IRAN THREAT PROMPTS QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP GUNMAN’S UNCRACKED ENCRYPTION

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Fox News Digital reached out to Paige for comment on Stefanik’s demand.

It’s part of the continued fallout from the July 13 shooting at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally. A 20-year-old gunman opened fire from a rooftop outside the rally’s security perimeter, hitting Trump in the ear and killing one rally attendee and injuring two others.

New York’s Democratic Attorney General sent a letter to Big Tech companies demanding they step in and “protect” users of their respective websites from election “misinformation.”

“While misinformation has been a concern in past elections, with the rise of gen[erative] AI, barriers that prevent bad actors from creating deceptive or misleading content have weakened dramatically,” James wrote in a letter sent to 10 social media and AI companies, including Meta, Google and OpenAI.

The letter, sent this week and first obtained by ABC News, requested in-person meetings with the tech companies to walk James through the companies’ “meaningful steps to protect voters” to prevent election misinformation, the outlet reported. The letter did not address any penalties for not complying with James’ requests, but ABC noted, that “implicit in any request from the state attorney general is the possibility of an enforcement action.” 

Fox Digital reached out to James’ office regarding the letter, including what penalties the companies could face for not complying, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

GOOGLE HAS ‘INTERFERED’ WITH ELECTIONS 41 TIMES OVER THE LAST 16 YEARS, MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER SAYS

State Attorney General Letitia James seen during public safety announcement to prevent gun violence at City Hall.  (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The prevalence of artificial intelligence apps and programs has led to an increase in deceptive and convincing videos to spread on social media in recent years, including ones targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. James — who is a well-known critic of Trump’s and campaigned in 2018 on prosecuting him — said AI-created videos could cause confusion in the lead-up to election day. 

BIDEN AGENCY ‘LIKELY’ VIOLATED FREE SPEECH BY WORKING WITH BIG TECH TO CENSOR ELECTION CONTENT: COURT

Big Tech’s influence over elections, however, has become a lightning rod of criticism in recent years, most notably in 2020 when reports first surfaced of Hunter Biden’s now-notorious laptop. The New York Post broke the story of Hunter Biden’s laptop just days before the 2020 election in an article that detailed the first son’s overseas business communications. 

Twitter and Facebook moved to restrict the article from spreading on social media, however, deeming it misinformation as liberal media outlets and former intelligence officials slammed the laptop and report as “Russian disinformation.” 

Hunter Biden was found guilty on all counts by a Delaware jury.  (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The laptop re-emerged earlier this summer when the first son faced a criminal trial in Delaware over his purchase of a firearm in 2018 while he was reeling from a crack cocaine addiction. The trial, which found Hunter guilty on all counts, formally entered the laptop into evidence and was confirmed by the FBI as legitimate. 

BIDEN DOJ TO FIGHT COURT ORDER THAT BLOCKED FEDS FROM COLLUDING WITH BIG TECH TO CENSOR SPEECH

The suppression of the story was seen as likely swaying the outcome of the 2020 election, when President Biden defeated Trump. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James exits the courtroom for a lunch recess during the former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on November 13, 2023 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP RE-EMERGES AS MEDIA EMBARRASSMENT AS IT BECOMES KEY EVIDENCE AT GUN TRIAL

“Silicon Valley giants use powerful reactive and proactive methods of social manipulation to shift public opinion and influence election outcomes,” the Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky and Daniel Cochrane wrote in a piece earlier this year. “Reactive methods usually involve censoring or deplatforming voices out of step with progressive values.”

“One of the most infamous examples is Facebook and Twitter’s suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story ahead of the 2020 presidential election.” 

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Twitter has since been sold to tech billionaire Elon Musk, who renamed it X and now touts the service as a freewheeling platform for free speech. 

One of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s most prized possessions is set to hit the auction block against his will later this month, and the Republican U.S. Senate nominee said the situation reeks of blatant politics.

In 2009, the Democrat-turned-Republican rescued the Greenbrier luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, from bankruptcy by purchasing it from CSX. 

This week, Justice said the big banks never would have acted against the Greenbrier property now if he were not poised to flip the deciding seat in a narrowly-divided U.S. Senate.

Justice’s campaign and his gubernatorial office declined to respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment, but the governor told the Parkersburg News-Sentinel the situation is another “terrific burden” that comes with potentially upsetting the political apple cart.

MANCHIN SENATE SEAT RACE HEATS UP AS JUSTICE JUMPS IN: ‘I’M WORRIED ABOUT THIS NATION’

President Trump shakes hands with Gov. Jim Justice, who announced he would switch parties from Democrat to Republican during a Make America Great Again Rally at Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington, West Virginia, Aug. 3, 2017. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“I truly believe if I wasn’t running for the U.S. Senate, you never would have heard about this in 10 million years, and we would have just continued to do exactly what we’re doing with JPMorgan, and everyone would have been happy in the neighborhood,” Justice said.

With longtime Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., retiring, Justice is heavily favored to flip the seat in his race against Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott. If the rest of the Senate map remains static and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, becomes vice president, Republicans will win control of the upper chamber.

Justice, whose official biography describes him as the “largest farmer” east of the Mississippi, and his family are involved in more than 100 companies in the agriculture, coal, real estate and hospitality industries. The resort, halfway between Beckley, West Virginia, and Roanoke, Virginia, is known for its opulence and formal dress code.

In a statement, the Justice Companies said the governor and JPMorgan have had a decades-long, good-faith relationship and that the $142 million lien on the Greenbrier now sits at $9.4 million.

The statement said that, as of July, Justice was informed JPMorgan sold the loan to Baltimore-based Beltway Capital-McCormick 101 “despite the existence of a mutual agreement to resolve the outstanding obligations…” It was ultimately declared in-default.

“This deceitful move by JPMorgan is nothing more than the latest political stunt by the Democrats to undermine the next Republican senator from West Virginia,” the statement added.

JUSTICE IN THE SENATE: WV GOV INTERESTED IN CHALLENGING MANCHIN

Gov. Jim Justice during the State of the State address in Charleston, West Virginia, on Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson, File)

Beltway Capital and JPMorganChase did not return requests for comment.

At his Tuesday press briefing, Justice said the foreclosure auction “has to be driven by something.”

“I truly believe it’s a political play. Everybody I talk to says the same thing,” he said. “We weren’t notified. Carter Bank was never asked about their position. In all honesty… if you wanted to sell the $9.4 million obligation, why wouldn’t you have asked Carter Bank?” 

A spokesman for Carter Bank of Martinsville, Virginia, with which Justice reportedly sought a second lien to boost his standing with JPMorgan, said it is aware of the notice of foreclosure sale, but is not the lender who started the process.

“Carter Bank will closely monitor the matter and act in a manner that best protects the Bank and its shareholders,” the spokesman said.

Justice also criticized JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, noting he had longtime ties to the Democratic Party. 

Dimon regularly donated to Democrats throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but as of late has critiqued “Bidenomics” and raised eyebrows among elites when he praised Trump at Davos.

Meanwhile, Democrats rejected Justice’s claim of a campaign-season political ploy, with the state’s party chairman appearing to laugh off the idea of the left conspiring against him.

“Calling Jamie Dimon a ‘friend to Democrats’ is like calling JD Vance an Appalachian,” said State Del. Mike Pushkin of Kanawha County.

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A building at the Greenbrier at Christmastime. (West Virginia Department of Tourism  )

“The Democratic Party had nothing to do with [Justice’s] failure to pay his creditors,” he added.

Bob Wolford, an attorney for Justice, released a statement on the matter, floating potential future damage litigation against JPMorganChase, among other points:

“Let me be clear that the Greenbrier will not be sold, and the Justice family will take all necessary action to ensure that there will not be any adverse impact on their ownership of the Greenbrier or the Greenbrier’s operations and the ability of the Greenbrier to continue to provide world-class service for its guests will be uninterrupted,” Wolford said.

A public notice in the city’s local paper announced the Greenbrier would be sold to the highest bidder Aug. 27 at 2p.m. on the steps of the Greenbrier County Courthouse in Lewisburg — absent further intervention.

The Democratic candidate for vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, posted to X on Wednesday agreeing to a debate Oct. 1 on CBS News.

Walz’s reply came in response to CBS News listing potential dates in an X post for Walz and Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance to debate on the network.

Tim Walz re-posted the graphic, saying “See you on Oct. 1, JD.”

FORMER MINNESOTA RESIDENT UNLOADS ON GOV WALZ AFTER MOTHER DIED ‘OF LONELINESS’ DURING PANDEMIC

Vance responded to the potential debate with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on “The Ingraham Angle.” 

“Look, Laura, we’re certainly going to debate Tim Walz. We just heard about this three hours ago. So we’re going to talk to them and figure out when we can debate,” Vance said.

“I strongly suspect we’re going to be there on Oct. 1, but we’re not going to do one of these fake debates, Laura, where they don’t actually have an audience there, where they don’t actually set the parameters in a right way, where you can have a good exchange of ideas,” Vance added. 

Tim Walz is the first to accept debate terms set by CBS News proposed for October 1. (Getty Images)

“In other words, we’re not going to run and walk into a fake news media garbage debate,” Vance asserted. “We’re going to do a real debate, and if CBS agrees to it, certainly we’ll do it.”

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

According to a Harris campaign official, “Harris for President has accepted CBS’ invitation to a vice presidential candidate debate on October 1. Governor Walz looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.”

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According to CBS, four dates were proposed: Sept. 17, Sept, 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8.

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

Here’s what’s happening…

– Biden-Harris admin using taxpayer funds to mask Medicare premium hikes…

– Report claims many illegal immigrants on terror list have been released…

– Trump campaign eyes counter-programming during DNC convention…

With Friends Like These…

President Biden remains bitter toward the top Democrats who organized his ouster from the 2024 presidential race, even as the party prepares a massive sendoff at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), according to a report.

Biden remains frustrated that former President Obama did not tell him to drop out face to face, but rather relied on his influence behind the scenes, Politico reported Tuesday. Biden is also angry at former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who he believes played the major role in forcing him to withdraw, alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the outlet reported, citing three sources familiar with Biden’s thinking.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

A White House source told Politico that Biden views Pelosi as “ruthless” following the events of July. 

News of Biden’s frustration comes as the Democratic Party plans a massive celebratory sendoff for Biden at the DNC. The very party members who forced him to drop out now hail him as an elder statesman ….Read more

Former President Obama, President Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Left:(Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images), Center: (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) , Right:  (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images))

White House

JOE-KING AROUND: Biden quips that he is ‘looking for a job’ to audience of content creators …Read more

HOMICIDE DROP?: Death toll lower in Biden’s last year compared to Trump’s: Report …Read more

‘DEATH SPIRAL’: Biden-Harris administration uses taxpayer funds to mask Medicare premium hikes …Read more

A side-by-side view of a Medicare health care card and Vice President Kamala Harris. (iStock/REUTERS)

Capitol Hill

‘DEEPLY CONCERNED’: GOP lawmakers demand answers on fraud within Biden migrant flight program …Read more

‘PLEASANTLY SURPRISED’: Trump push to dismantle Education Department spurs House GOP enthusiasm …Read more

‘RABID DOG’: Stefanik calls on NY official to resign for Trump comments after assassination attempt …Read more

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., talks at the House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing on “Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University’s Response to Antisemitism” on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Wednesday, April 17.  (AP/Mariam Zuhaib)

‘MADE IT WORSE’: Rep. Jordan says Kamala Harris could fix the border, economy as VP but hasn’t …Read more

‘RUBBER-STAMPED’: Key Dem hit over support of Biden-Harris record on border, inflation …Read more

Writing on the Walz

‘THANK YOU’: Walz defends his military record, has kind words for JD Vance’s record …Read more

‘DIED OF LONELINESS’: Former Minnesota resident reveals why she left Gov Walz’s state during heart-wrenching interview …Read more

‘UNFATHOMABLE: Ex-federal prosecutor who charged George Floyd rioters unleashes scathing critique of Gov Walz …Read more

‘TEXTBOOK STOLEN VALOR’: Viral video shows Walz retired military rank falsely identified over a dozen times …Read more

‘SOCIALIST CRUSADE’: Top Minnesota lawmaker sounds alarm on businesses fleeing Walz’s ‘devastating agenda’ …Read more
 

GOP Rep. Pete Stauber is warning the economic policies of fellow Minnesotan Tim Walz (Getty Images)

Poll Position

IN KAMALA WE TRUST?: Americans find Harris more honest than Trump: poll …Read more

POWER RANKINGS: Fox News Power Rankings: Three governor’s races to watch on election night …Read more

Fox News Power Rankings on 2024 gubernatorial races. (Fox News Power Rankings)

Tales from the Trail

‘DIFFERENT BALLGAME’: Election enthusiasm among Dems has jumped dramatically since Harris replaced Biden …Read more

TAMMY’S TRACK RECORD: Vulnerable Dem’s support of sanctuary cities targeted in Wisconsin ad …Read more

CONVENTION CLASH?: Trump campaign picks up the pace, eyes counter-programming during Democrats’ convention …Read more

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Border Security

DANGER AT THE DOOR?: Report that many illegal immigrants on terror watchlist have been freed sparks push for answers …Read more

DOUBLING DOLLARS: New York City migrant crisis costs expected to exceed $5B in 2-year period — double to $10B by 2025 …Read more

Across America

ON NOTICE: Rabbi warns colleges after ‘national failure’ to protect Jewish students …Read more

‘ON A ROLL’: Democratic Gov. Murphy defends Harris for avoiding media interviews …Read more

‘BAD ACTORS’: Anti-Trump blue-state AG calls on Big Tech to ‘protect’ voters from election misinformation …Read more

CRACKING DOWN: New York county bans wearing masks in public amid crime fears …Read more

Big Tech

‘INADEQUATE’: Google says omissions of Trump assassination attempt search results was by design …Read more

FIGHTING WORDS: Boxer Imane Khelif files complaint to French authorities over alleged cyber harassment, citing Elon Musk, JK Rowling …Read more

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif named Elon Musk and JK Rowling in a criminal complaint filed to French authorities. (Getty Images)

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.

EXCLUSIVE: BYRON CENTER, Mich. — Donald Trump’s running mate has an answer to the blunt advice from allies and fellow Republicans that the former president should stick to policy and messaging instead of questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’ crowd sizes at her rallies, her race or attacks on her intellect.

“I think one of the things people actually love about Donald Trump in politics is he’s not unwilling to speak off the cuff. He says what’s actually on his mind. He’s not always filtered. I think that’s a good thing and part of his appeal,” GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said Wednesday in a national exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

But Vance, speaking ahead of a campaign event in battleground Michigan, also emphasized that “if you look at this race, we’re talking about policy. That’s 90% of what we’re doing. And I think that’s going to keep on happening.”

Harris has been riding a wave of momentum — witnessed in public opinion polling, in her soaring fundraising and in her large crowds she’s attracting on the campaign trail — in the three and a half weeks since she replaced President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PLANS COUNTER-PROGRAMMING DURING DEMOCRATS’ CONVENTION

Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice presidential nominee, headlines a Trump campaign event in Byron Center, Michigan, on Wednesday.  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

While criticizing Harris over key issues such as border security, crime and inflation, Trump has also continuously slammed the vice president and insulted her during speeches, news conferences and in social media posts.

Sources in Trump’s political orbit tell Fox News that top advisers to the former president are quietly aiming to persuade him to tamp down the insults to Harris and the questioning of the vice president’s racial identity and instead focus on branding her an ultra-liberal and spotlighting her stance on the border, crime and inflation

TRUMP ARGUES HARRIS IS MORE LIBERAL THAN BERNIE SANDERS — HERE’S WHAT THE VERMONT SENATOR TOLD FOX NEWS 

Trump allies are also publicly pitching Trump to refocus his attention.

“You’ve got to make this race not on personalities,” former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday in an interview on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” “Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position.”

McCarthy emphasized that Trump has “a short time frame to do it, so don’t sit back. Get out there and start making the case.”

During an interview Tuesday with Bret Baier on Fox News’ “Special Report,” former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — Trump’s top rival from the Republican presidential primaries earlier this year — also had some unsolicited advice for her former boss.

Haley, who reiterated that she wants Trump to win the presidential election, emphasized that “the campaign is not going to win talking about crowd sizes. It’s not going to win talking about what race Kamala Harris is. It’s not going to win. Talking about whether she’s dumb. It’s not. You can’t win on those things. The American people are smart. Treat them like they’re smart.”

NIKKI HALEY HAS BLUNT MESSAGE FOR TRUMP, GOP AS KAMALA HARRIS GAINS MOMENTUM: ‘QUIT WHINING’

Following his interview with Fox News Digital, Vance was also asked about the criticism of Trump from fellow Republicans as he took questions from reporters at the conclusion of his campaign event at a trucking company in this southwestern Michigan town just south of Grand Rapids.

Former President Trump dances as he wraps up a campaign rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota on July 27. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“To the people who say that Donald Trump should do something different, they had an opportunity to make Donald Trump do something different by challenging him over three separate primaries, every single one of which he won. I think Donald Trump has earned the right to run the kind of campaign that he wants to run,” Vance emphasized.

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But the senator added that “if you listen to what Donald J. Trump says, if you look at what I say, we are prosecuting the case against Kamala Harris on policy.”

And taking aim at Harris, Vance charged that “we’d much rather have an American president who is who he is, who’s willing to offend us, who’s willing to tell us the truth, who isn’t a fake who hides behind a teleprompter.”

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

The Harris campaign appears to be offering maximum inclusivity with unlimited preferred pronoun options for potential new hires to choose from when filling out their applications. 

Immediately after supplying one’s full name and resume, Harris for President job applicants are given a menu of pronouns to choose from, including identifiers such as “Fae/faer,” “Hu/hu,” “Ey/em,” and “Xe/xem,” among others. If, for some reason, none of the nine recommended pronouns the Harris campaign lists work for an applicant, they can check a box that reads “Custom” and enter in whatever pronouns they want. 

Image of Harris for President application that includes a list of nine different pronoun identifiers, as well as an option to create “custom” pronouns if none that are included fit an applicant’s preference.

In addition to its unlimited array of pronoun options, the Harris campaign’s job applications also ask potential new hires to explain how they will “contribute to building a diverse culture” if they are hired. Meanwhile, the applications include a so-called “optional” diversity survey, which the campaign says helps them “evaluate our diversity and inclusion efforts.” The survey asks applicants to once again identify their preferred pronouns, as well as their gender identity and whether they are gay or straight.

JESSE WATTERS: TRUMP’S RUNNING AGAINST A WOKE WOMAN AND A PROGRESSIVE VP

The Harris campaign’s so-called ‘optional’ diversity survey asks potential new hires to share their gender identity and sexual preferences. 

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

Earlier this month, a resurfaced clip of Vice President Kamala Harris from 2017 showed the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee calling on “everybody” to be “woke.”

“We have to stay woke. Like everybody needs to be woke,” then-senator Harris said during a 2017 conference. “And you can talk about if you’re the wokest or woker, but just stay more woke than less woke.” Harris also followed up the next day reiterating her comments in a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “We have to stay active. We have to stay woke.”

HARRIS SAYS ‘EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE WOKE’ IN UNEARTHED CLIP SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t answered on-the-record questions from journalists since she was dispatched to insist President Biden had a “bad night” during his disastrous debate performance.  (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)

A few days prior to that clip surfacing, Harris also drew mockery from the internet when another clip resurfaced of Harris introducing herself with her name, pronouns and descriptions of her clothing to a group that was visually impaired. “Good afternoon. I want to welcome these leaders for coming in to have this very important discussion about some of the most pressing issues of our time,” a masked up Harris said at the roundtable event discussing the Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision and its impact on people with disabilities. “I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her. I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit.” Other guests at the table followed suit with similar introductions.

Harris officially took over the Democratic nomination for president on Aug. 5, after President Joe Biden bowed to intra-party pressure over his cognitive decline and announced he would not continue to seek reelection. Upon her entrance into the race, Harris was lauded in the media for her identity politics, including her position as a “daughter of immigrants,” “the first female vice president in U.S. history,” and “the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket.”

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Pronouns mixed with neopronouns.  ((Screenshot/ Gutfeld!))

While running the first time around in 2020 to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, Harris purposely highlighted her female pronouns when talking about the presidency. She shared why in a 2019 article from Buzzfeed News.

“I’m articulating it more than I have before, but I’ve always been very aware that for these jobs, we’re asking people to see what they’ve not seen before,” Harris told Buzzfeed in response to questions about her choice of words. It’s necessary, Harris continued, “especially in light of the whole discussion about ‘electability,’ which drives me bananas. It’s important for people to understand that they have to really check how they’re thinking about these things. But we have to help along the way, and part of it is about how we use language.”  

The Democratic candidate for vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, posted to X on Wednesday agreeing to a debate Oct. 1 on CBS News.

Walz’s reply came in response to CBS News listing potential dates in an X post for Walz and Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance to debate on the network.

Tim Walz re-posted the graphic, saying “See you on Oct. 1, JD.”

FORMER MINNESOTA RESIDENT UNLOADS ON GOV WALZ AFTER MOTHER DIED ‘OF LONELINESS’ DURING PANDEMIC

Vance had not yet responded to the debate proposal publicly. Vance and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Tim Walz is the first to accept debate terms set by CBS News proposed for October 1. (Getty Images)

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According to a Harris campaign official, “Harris for President has accepted CBS’ invitation to a vice presidential candidate debate on October 1. Governor Walz looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.”

According to CBS, four dates were proposed: Sept. 17, Sept, 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8.

Senate Majority Whip and Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., urged Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a letter Wednesday to reconsider his choice to revoke plea deals reached with the accused masterminds of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“We have a legal and moral obligation to deliver justice for these family members, rather than false promises that these commissions will ever deliver more. That’s why I am troubled by your decision to revoke the guilty pleas that, in the reasoned judgment of the prosecutors of the case, were the best path forward to finality and justice,” Durbin wrote. 

He called on Austin to “hear from the prosecutors who determined that securing guilty pleas was the best available path to justice,” in addition to listening to “a variety of victim family members with differing views” before assessing “whether proceeding with the failed and broken commissions can realistically provide the families with a better outcome than pleas.” Durbin asked for an update from him after several weeks. 

KAMALA HARRIS LED DEMS IN 2018 CALL TO REJECT MORE FUNDING FOR BORDER PATROL, ICE

Durbin urged Secretary Austin to reconsider his decision to withdraw plea agreements with 9/11 masterminds. (Getty Images/ AP)

Last month, the Department of Defense (DOD) revealed that pre-trial agreements had been entered into with Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. The alleged masterminds of the 9/11 attacks would avoid the death penalty under the deals, according to the New York Post. The Office of Military Commissions (OMC) reportedly informed relatives of 9/11 victims of this condition. 

GOOGLE EXECS PRESSED TO TESTIFY AFTER ADMITTING TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SEARCH OMISSIONS WERE BY DESIGN

Shortly after the revelation, the news was met with significant backlash from politicians, primarily Republicans, as well as family members of 9/11 victims. Austin subsequently announced the revocation of the plea deals, writing in a memo to Convening Authority for Military Commissions, Brigadier General (Ret.) Susan Escallier, “I have determined that, in light of the significance of the decision to enter into pre-trial agreements with the accused in the above-referenced case, responsibility for such a decision should rest with me as the superior convening authority under the Military Commissions Act of 2009.”

BIDEN REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM HE TRAVELED 17,000 MILES WITH CHINA’S XI JINPING

Durbin said he was disappointed in Austin’s decision. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the DOD told Fox News Digital that, as with all congressional correspondence, the Department would respond directly to the authors.

Durbin first remarked on the withdrawn plea agreements days after Austin took over authority. “I urge Secretary Austin to reverse this deeply disappointing decision, which denies finality and justice to 9/11 families and exposes yet again the lack of independence that has haunted the military commissions from the outset,” he wrote on X. 

ERIC HOVDE WINS GOP SENATE NOD IN WISCONSIN, TEEING UP TIGHT RACE AGAINST DEMOCRAT TAMMY BALDWIN

Austin withdrew the plea deals after backlash. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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His letter to the secretary marks an enduring concern from Durbin calling for the potential re-institution of the deals for the three prisoners. According to the top Democratic senator, the agreements brought about a sense of closure. 

“In addition to closure, this agreement would have given families the opportunity to access information and have their questions answered in ways that a trial, if it ever happens, is unlikely to provide,” he wrote. 

He additionally noted that the deals would have near certainly resulted in life sentences for the accused, which Durbin said would be “the harshest sentences they are likely to receive after years of litigation and appeals.”

Vice President Kamala Harris previously led a group of Democratic senators in calling for a reduction in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to reject appropriations entirely for additional Border Patrol agents and border wall construction.

In 2018, then-Sen. Harris and her fellow Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee led several other Democrats in a letter to Senate appropriators. “We urge the Committee additionally to reject President Trump’s proposal for funding to hire new Border Patrol personnel at this time,” they wrote.

Another signatory of the document pushing back on President Trump’s administration and its request for funding in fiscal year 2019 was vulnerable Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who now faces a competitive challenge in her bid for re-election in November. 

GOOGLE EXECS PRESSED TO TESTIFY AFTER ADMITTING TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SEARCH OMISSIONS WERE BY DESIGN

Kamala Harris called to provide no funding for additional border patrol or for border wall construction in 2018. (Getty Images)

The lawmakers pleaded with appropriators at the time to “reject any funding for President Trump’s border wall.”  

“We urge you to reduce funding for the administration’s reckless immigration enforcement operations that are tearing families apart and harming our economy,” they said at the time.

Harris, Baldwin, and the other co-signers denounced Trump’s administration for expanding its enforcement of immigration laws. They claimed he did so in an “indiscriminate manner, failing to distinguish Dreamers and other hardworking individuals with deep community ties from actual threats to our public safety.” 

At the time, the Trump administration had declared Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), referred to by Democrats as “Dreamers,” to be unconstitutional and ended the program. The Supreme Court would later rule against the Trump administration for failing to justify its claim that the Obama-era program had been unlawful from the beginning. The court did not determine that the program could not be abolished, however. 

BIDEN REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM HE TRAVELED 17,000 MILES WITH CHINA’S XI JINPING

Baldwin also signed onto the letter. (Getty Images)

DACA allows illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. as children to apply for deferred removal from the country for a period of two years. This deferred action can be renewed. Recipients are able to get work authorization but aren’t granted lawful status. 

In the letter, the senators pointed to the administration’s enforcement of laws against illegal immigrants who did not have established criminal histories in the U.S. as evidence of its “indiscriminate” effort. 

ERIC HOVDE WINS GOP SENATE NOD IN WISCONSIN, TEEING UP TIGHT RACE AGAINST DEMOCRAT TAMMY BALDWIN

“During Fiscal Year 2017, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrests of individuals without criminal convictions doubled compared to the prior year,” Harris, Baldwin and their colleagues wrote. “During the last three months of 2017, ICE arrests of individuals who had no criminal background tripled compared to the same period the prior year.”

The Democrats further suggested that ICE’s enforcement efforts were undermining “public safety” due to illegal immigrants being detained in “workplaces and neighborhoods.” 

The border crisis has become a top issue for voters. (James Breeden for New York Post / Mega)

‘RUBBER-STAMPED’: KEY DEM HIT OVER BIDEN-HARRIS SUPPORT ON BORDER, INFLATION

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Baldwin said, “Tammy Baldwin knows that we need to fix our broken immigration system and invest in smart border security. She also knows that Wisconsinites do not want to go back to the cruel days of separating families at the border. That’s why she has consistently voted — including in a recent bipartisan deal — to strengthen our border with more agents and technology, create a fair immigration system, and stop illegal drugs like fentanyl from coming into the country.”

Harris’ campaign did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

Since Harris launched her 2024 campaign for president, she has toughened her stance on border security. 

“We know our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it. Comprehensive reform that includes, yes, strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship,” she told a Las Vegas, Nevada, crowd recently. 

Harris has said she wants to secure the border. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Harris took aim at Trump for urging Republican senators against supporting a border and immigration bill earlier this year that was negotiated by Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn. The measure has been touted by Democratic lawmakers as a “bipartisan” border bill, but during its most recent procedural vote, both Lankford and Sinema voted against it. 

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Democrats, including Harris, have claimed Trump single-handedly tanked the bill, but Republican senators told Fox News Digital the bill was already a nonstarter for them, regardless of the former president’s opinion. Some even suggested the measure would have made the border crisis worse. 

Despite Harris’ claim she is supportive of securing the border, under the Biden-Harris administration, 99 terror watchlist suspects have been released into the U.S. following arrests by Border Patrol at the southern border between fiscal years 2021 and 2023. 

Thirty-four additional terror watchlist suspects are in federal custody but have not been removed from the U.S., according to data from the Department of Homeland Security that was provided to the House Judiciary Committee. 

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report. 

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

STURGEON LAKE – A GOP congressman in northeast Minnesota is blasting the economic policies of Tim Walz, arguing that the governor’s economic efforts and COVID policies have been “devastating” for most Minnesotans.

“I’ve talked to a lot of businesses that either have left or when they expand are not expanding in Minnesota,” GOP Rep. Pete Stauber, who represents Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. “I mean, hundreds of millions of private investment are leaving Minnesota under Walz’s watch.”

“He’s supported the highest income tax rate in the nation at 10%, he has taken a $19 billion surplus and the next year added a $10 billion tax on the hardworking Minnesotans. He’s increased government spending by almost 50%. Very little growth in the private sector. I think if you look at North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, our neighboring states are growing the private sector jobs three and four times more than Walz.”

The nonpartisan Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index for 2024, which was published in October 2023, ranked Minnesota as having the 44th best tax climate for businesses in the country.

VIDEO SHOWS WALZ PRAISING CONTROVERSIAL MUSLIM CLERIC HARRIS CAMPAIGN SAID HE HAD NO ‘RELATIONSHIP WITH’

GOP Rep. Pete Stauber is warning about the economic policies of fellow Minnesotan Tim Walz. (Getty Images)

An analysis published by the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in January found that Minnesota’s tax code was the most progressive of all 50 states, with only the District of Columbia having a more progressive one.

“You talk to Kristi Noem in South Dakota, she says one of the best things to happen for South Dakota was Walz becoming governor in Minnesota, they’re just leaving our state,” Stauber told Fox News Digital.

VETERANS INCREASINGLY CALLING OUT WALZ’S MILITARY RECORD: ‘SHAMEFUL’

Rep. Pete Stauber speaks at the Back the Blue bike tour at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington. (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce produced a 2023 state of business retention and expansion in Minnesota report that said, “While overall activity ticked up in Minnesota since 2021, the state consistently ranks near the bottom of Midwest states for new and expansion projects. Minnesota ranked 10th out of 12 states in the region in total projects from 2018 to 2022, and ranked 10th in projects per capita in 2022.”

“Data from fDi Markets shows that Minnesota based companies are expanding in other states at a higher rate than out-of-state companies are expanding in Minnesota,” the report stated. “Since 2020, Minnesota had a net investment deficit of 54 projects, 2,500 jobs and $6.6 billion in capital expenditures.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event on Aug. 7, 2024, in Detroit. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The report did add, however, that “Minnesota’s corporate and financial sector expanded at a relatively fast pace over the past decade.”

“Minnesota is a recognized hub for corporate headquarters and industry-leading businesses… This professional and technical talent pool extends beyond just corporate headquarters, making Minnesota a conducive environment for companies in financial and professional/technical services as well.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson Charles Lutvak said, “After Donald Trump devastated our nation’s economy, Gov. Walz led Minnesota back with strong leadership, competent management, and smart policies – cutting taxes for working families and reaching the lowest state unemployment rate in recorded history.”

“That’s why CNBC ranked Minnesota the best state in the country for business outside of the south. Every day until November 5, Trump will have to defend his record of instability and unpopular anti-growth agenda against Team Harris-Walz’s record and vision to foster business growth, create jobs, and lower costs for the American people.”

Earlier this year, CNBC ranked Minnesota as the sixth-best state for business, which several Minnesota residents who spoke to Fox News Digital seemingly disagreed with.

“We joke that we’re mini California,” Matthew A., a Minnesota resident who owns a farm with his family raising corn and soybeans, recently told Fox News Digital.

“Most of us, if we could, we would annex into South Dakota. He’s put policies in place that have hurt small businesses. I have friends that have lost small businesses because of his policies. It’s killing our small towns, our rural development.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz gesture during a campaign rally at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, Aug. 10, 2024. (Ronda Churchill/AFP via Getty Images)

The Cato Institute found this year that IRS migration data shows “the state is losing about ten households earning more than $200,000 for every six that it gains, which is the fifth worst ratio among the states.”

At the same time, Minnesota ranks 44th on the Tax Foundation’s business tax climate index, giving companies a strong incentive to invest elsewhere. To stem the outflow of skilled people and capital, Minnesota would need to adopt a leaner government and cut individual and business tax rates.

Stauber told Fox News Digital that Walz has led a “socialist crusade in Minnesota” and that voters should expect him to do the “same at the national level” as Kamala Harris’ running mate. 

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“You saw her do it as a senator from California, and you’ve seen Tim Walz do it as the governor in Minnesota, many, many devastating policies and legislation that he has signed that has not benefited the vast majority of Minnesotans.”

Former White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett told FOX Business last week that Walz has a “disturbing” approach to economic policy and is “absolutely is a tax-and-spend liberal.”

Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report

President Biden joked about his upcoming exit from the White House during an event at the West Wing of the White House on Wednesday, telling a group of content creators that he is “looking for a job.”

The White House held a Creator Economy Conference on Wednesday, playing host to social media influences and other content creators. He said in his brief remarks that they can play a key role curbing partisanship in U.S. politics.

“It’s never been this bad before. I don’t mean the press, I mean the way we treat each other in politics,” Biden said. “It’s getting incredibly difficult to count the number of lies people hear.”

“They don’t know what to believe. They don’t know what to count on, but you break through,” he told the creators. “And that’s why I invited you to the White House, because I’m looking for a job.”

PRESIDENT BIDEN ADMITS PRESSURE FROM DEMOCRATS CONTRIBUTED TO DECISION TO DROP OUT

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Biden’s humor comes despite rumors that he remains bitter toward top Democrats who forced him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election. Biden is particularly frustrated with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Obama, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, reports say.

NANCY PELOSI WIELDS BIBLE, QUOTES BUSH, OBAMA IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP

The Democratic Party is planning a massive celebratory sendoff for Biden at the DNC in Chicago next week. The very party members who forced him to drop out now hail him as an elder statesman.

President Biden has expressed frustration in private after Democratic Party heavyweights, including Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and even former President Obama encouraged him to drop out of the race.  (Getty Images)

“President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history,” Pelosi wrote in July just moments after Biden announced his withdrawal.

PELOSI DEMURS ON IF ‘EVERYTHING IS OK’ BETWEEN HER AND BIDEN: ‘YOU’D HAVE TO ASK HIM’

“With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment,” she added. “God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness.”

Biden will deliver a major address on the first night of the DNC in Chicago. (Susan Walsh/AP)

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The schedule for the DNC reveals how Democrats plan to formalize the transfer from Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden will deliver his address on Monday night after Hillary Clinton and others. Two other Democratic former presidents will take the stage the following nights, with Obama headlining Tuesday and Bill Clinton on Wednesday, followed by Gov. Tim Walz. 

Harris will take the stage on Thursday, completing the transition.

In a move critics say is designed to shield the Biden-Harris administration from election fallout, the administration has leveraged taxpayer funds to mask upcoming increases in Medicare premiums.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which was intended to cap out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, insurers are poised to significantly hike monthly premiums, with average bids for Part D plans expected to triple by 2025.

In response to potential voter backlash, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rolled out a three-year “demonstration project” to subsidize these premiums, aiming to keep them artificially low. However, despite the appearance of relief, some critics are saying that taxpayers will fund a dramatic increase in subsidies — from $30 per recipient per month in 2024 to $142.70 in 2025 — raising concerns about the long-term impact on government spending and debt. 

HEALTH CARE IS ‘OVERWHELMINGLY COMPLEX’ FOR OLDER ADULTS, EXPERTS SAY: ‘EVER-INCREASING HURDLE’

Medicare health care card. (iStock)

Former President Trump adviser Joe Grogan has criticized the maneuver, arguing that it merely shifts costs rather than providing real relief.

“They’ve destroyed Part D premiums,” Grogan told Fox News Digital in an interview. “I’m not sure it’ll survive legal scrutiny if someone were to sue. Objectively, it shouldn’t be done. It’s just interjecting $5-$10 billion of taxpayer dollars, while the taxpayers are paying the price 85 days before an election. It’s sickening.”

“This is only going to get worse in 2025, 2026,” Grogan continued. “The program is in a death spiral. They announced a three-year demo. It’s already broken. The demo is going to fail. Premiums are still going to go up.”

Paragon Health Institute, a health care research group, called the CMS demo plan a “fake, costly demonstration,” in a recent analysis. 

5 STEPS TOWARD A FRESH APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE REFORM

Research shows that a 65-year-old retiring today can expect to spend $165,000 on health care in retirement, a 5% increase from last year and more than double the estimate from 2002. (iStock)

“Fearing the premium increases that the IRA redesign will impose on Part D plans, CMS has now launched a new voluntary, nationwide demonstration program that is neither a demonstration nor voluntary. Unlike this massive subsidization scheme, demonstrations are supposed to be limited in nature and test alternative features of program design,” the institute wrote. “As a result of the IRA changes, insurers that don’t participate are expected to either be uncompetitive from a price perspective or face significant losses — hardly a choice for insurers.”

Research published by Fidelity, an investment research group, shows that a 65-year-old retiring today can expect to spend $165,000 on health care in retirement, a 5% increase from last year and more than double the estimate from 2002.

Yet, there appears to be a disconnect for many Americans between the actual projected cost of health care in retirement and how much they expect to spend on those expenses. The average American thinks they will spend about $75,000 on health care and other medical expenses, less than half of Fidelity’s calculation, according to the research.

HEALTH CARE COSTS UP TO 300% HIGHER FOR PRIVATELY INSURED PATIENTS THAN THOSE WITH MEDICARE

Hundreds of New York City retirees protest outside City Hall on Broadway while waiting to gain access to a City Council hearing. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)

The estimate assumes that an individual is enrolled in Medicare — including Part A and Part B, which cover most hospital care and doctor’s visits — and Part D, which covers prescription drugs. Other expenses such as Medicare premiums, over-the-counter medications, dental and vision care and other costs typically not covered by Medicare are “left to retirees to manage on their own,” the report said.

As of April of this year, about 67.3 million Americans were enrolled in Medicare, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Of those, about half were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, while about 80% were covered by Medicare Part D.

“They just want to get through the election,” Grogan said. “They’re hoping after the election they can face it, but it’s gonna need to be dealt with in the next 12 to 18 months. They did not believe it would be this bad and it’s only gonna get worse.” 

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Americans are also dealing with a spike in the cost of prescription drugs, which has surged nearly 40% over the past decade, easily outstripping the pace of inflation. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to CMS for comment. 

FOX Business’ Megan Henney contributed to this report. 

Fox News Power Rankings competitive gubernatorial races. (Fox News Power Rankings)

All eyes will be on the governor’s mansions in New Hampshire, North Carolina and Washington this November as voters in 11 states head to the polls.

Retiring incumbents give both parties chances to flip states

The biggest challenge for gubernatorial candidates this year is getting noticed. 

With the presidency at stake and control of the House and Senate also up for grabs, it is easy to forget that a few governor’s races could also change hands. 

But there are exciting statewide races.

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

In New Hampshire, Democrats are chasing a win in a hotly contested race after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu decided not to run for re-election.

Republicans are looking to flip North Carolina. In the last two cycles, voters elected term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to office twice while simultaneously choosing Trump for president. That battle will be won or lost on ticket-splitting.

Additionally, while Democrats have a clear advantage in Washington, the GOP hopes that bringing a sheriff to town will keep the race close. 

Fox News Power Rankings on the 2024 gubernatorial races. (Fox News Power Rankings)

Republicans will also play defense in seven safe states, including North Dakota, Utah and Vermont, while Democrats have a safe race ahead in Delaware.

New Hampshire

The most competitive race on the map is New Hampshire, where Sununu announced he was not running for a fifth term this year.

The governor is one of a handful of Northeast Republicans who have proven popular with the electorate for sound fiscal management while staying out of the culture wars. Last time he was on the ballot in a presidential cycle, he won by nearly 32 points.

Fox News Power Rankings find New Hampshire is currently a toss-up. (Fox News Power Rankings)

New Hampshire is yet to hold its gubernatorial primary, but leading Republican candidates this time include former Sen. Kelly Ayotte and New Hampshire state senator Chuck Morse. Ayotte is running closely to Sununu’s playbook and received his endorsement last week.  

The Democrats’ leading candidates include former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington; they have been running center-left campaigns focusing on families and healthcare, respectively.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: VOTERS’ APPETITE FOR TICKET-SPLITTING WILL DECIDE THE SENATE

New Hampshire’s leftward drift at the presidential level is good news for Democrats, who have been hungry to compete in an open race.

However, Sununu’s strong brand may well live on in Ayotte, making this a toss-up.

North Carolina

North Carolina has a long history of ticket-splitting in its presidential and gubernatorial elections. 

Republicans have won all but one presidential race in the Tar Heel State since 1980 (Obama eked out a win in 2008), but Democratic governors have won all but three of their elections over the same period. 

Fox News Power Rankings rated North Carolina as “Lean D.” (Fox News Power Rankings)

There are signs that the tradition could continue this year. 

Democrats have fielded Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general since 2017. He is running a pro-business, pro-police campaign and has talked up the need to protect abortion rights on the trail. That is the right mix of issues for any Democratic candidate running in a close state. 

Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson is the Republican candidate. He is closely aligned with former President Trump, who has endorsed him, and gave an impassioned speech at the RNC about rising costs and the American dream. 

But Robinson brings a lot of baggage to this race. He has condemned homosexuality, promoted conspiracy theories and used antisemitic language, and previously endorsed a “no compromise” anti-abortion policy. He now agrees with a 12 week ban with limited exceptions.

Stein also nearly tripled Robinson’s fundraising in the second quarter this year.

A strong Trump performance will help Robinson get over the line, but Stein starts with an edge. This race is rated Lean D.

Washington

Voters in Washington will choose a new governor after Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee said he would not run for a fourth term last year. 

Fox News Power Rankings rank Washington as “Likely D.” (Fox News Power Rankings)

Inslee presides over a blue-leaning state. Washington last chose a Republican for governor in 1985, and Inslee has improved his margin in every election since his first victory. 

However, the first time he ran – also the last time this state had an open race – voters delivered a close result. Inslee took 51.5% of the vote to the Republican candidate’s 48.5%, putting just three points between them. 

Twelve years later, and it is Dave Reichert’s turn to try to make this a race. The Republican challenger and former congressman is banking that his long career as a county sheriff will be salient in a state still struggling with crime. He has also avoided aligning himself with Trump. 

Democrat Bob Ferguson, a three-term attorney general, starts this race with a clear lead. Ferguson has raised over $9.3 million, more than double Reichert’s $4.5 million, thanks in part to leftover cash from previous campaigns. He is campaigning on abortion and worker rights.

This race is rated Likely D. 

Fox News Power Rankings on 2024 gubernatorial races. (Fox News Power Rankings)

An all-new Issues Tracker will close out the week

Fox News Power Rankings are now available for more than 500 races this November. The complete set of forecasts is available on the Elections Hub.

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On Sunday, Fox News Democracy 24 special coverage for the Democratic National Convention begins in Chicago. 

Tune in to Fox News Sunday on your local station and Fox News Channel, and check back here to see the first Power Rankings Issues Tracker with Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz defended his military record amid an onslaught of accusations that he has been intentionally misleading about his service and also offered some kind words about his Republican vice presidential rival’s service in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“I am damn proud of my service to this country,” Walz, who was tapped as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate last month, said during a speech in front of members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), one of the country’s strongest public sector unions.

The speech marked Walz’s first solo event since joining the campaign and comes amid a wave of questions about how he has represented his military service, including from his Republican counterpart on the trail.

HARRIS CAMPAIGN MANIPULATED HEADLINES OF NEWS STORIES INJECTING PRO-KAMALA SPIN IN GOOGLE ADS

Gov. Tim Walz, vice presidential nominee, delivers remarks at the AFSCMEs 46th International Convention in Los Angeles on Aug. 13, 2024. Walz was joined by AFSCME President Lee Saunders and public service workers from all over the U.S. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage,” Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who was tapped by former President Trump to run on the Republican ticket, said of Walz last week.

Vance’s critique was in reference to remarks Walz made in which he argued he would like to ban the kind of weapons he had “carried in war,” despite the Minnesota governor having never served in a war zone.

“We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at,” Walz said in a video that was released by the Harris campaign last month.

“What was this weapon that you carried into war, given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq, and he has not spent a day in a combat zone?” Vance said in response to the remarks, referencing Walz’s decision to retire and run for Congress shortly before his unit deployed to Iraq.

Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speaks during a campaign event on Aug. 7, 2024 in Detroit. (Andrew Harnik)

VIDEO SHOWS WALZ PRAISING CONTROVERSIAL MUSLIM CLERIC HARRIS CAMPAIGN SAID HE HAD ‘NO RELATIONSHIP WITH’

Critics have also accused Walz of being misleading when referencing deployments “in support” of Operation Enduring Freedom and claims that he retired as a command sergeant major when he never completed the necessary coursework to keep the rank and instead retired as a master sergeant.

However, Walz used his first solo event to push back against the critics, arguing he was “proud to serve my country, and I always will be.”

Walz then turned his attention to Vance, noting that some of the criticism has come from Trump’s campaign.

“These guys have — are even attacking me for my record of service,” Walz said.

However, Walz argued that such critiques should be off limits, going so far as to thank Vance, a Marine veteran, for his time in uniform.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks during a campaign event in Glendale, Arizona, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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“I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record,” Walz said. “To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”

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

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

A new poll has found that American adults view Vice President Kamala Harris as a more honest person than former President Trump, but are less likely to trust her when it comes to handling key issues such as the economy and immigration. 

The AP-NORC survey of 1,164 adults revealed that around 4 in 10 say “honest” better describes Harris, compared to 24% for Trump. About 4 in 10 respondents also say Harris is someone who “cares about people like you,” compared to around 3 in 10 saying that about Trump. 

Yet when it comes to the economy, 45% of those surveyed said they believe Trump is more likely to do a better job handling it, compared to 38% for Harris, according to The Associated Press. A similar difference was reported on the topic of immigration, while independent voters are nearly twice as likely to trust Trump over Harris on handling economic issues. 

Harris has more of an advantage over Trump when it comes to handling issues related to race and racial inequality, abortion policy, and health care.  

CLOSE CONTEST BETWEEN TRUMP AND HARRIS IN THIS BATTLEGROUND STATE TURNED RED: POLL 

Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and former President Donald Trump.  (AP/Julia Nikhinson/Rick Bowmer)

Roughly half of U.S. adults say Harris would do a better job than Trump handling each of those issues, compared with about 3 in 10 for Trump. Harris is especially strong among Democrats, independents and women on the issue of abortion policy. 

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PICKS UP THE PACE, EYES COUNTER-PROGRAMMING DURING DEMOCRATS’ CONVENTION 

Vice President Kamala Harris is being described as more “honest” than Trump, the AP-NORC poll finds. (REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/Pool)

About two-thirds of Democrats also say they are “excited,” describing either extremely well or very well how they would feel if Harris were to be elected. 

Former President Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana, on Friday, Aug. 9. The poll found American adults think more highly of Trump’s ability to handle the economy, compared to Harris. (AP/Rick Bowmer)

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The enthusiasm represents a sharp reversal from when Biden was the Democrats’ candidate: an AP-NORC poll from March found that only 4 in 10 Democrats said “excited” would describe their feelings extremely or very well if he won another term. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

President Biden remains bitter toward the top Democrats who organized his ouster from the 2024 presidential race, even as the party prepares a massive sendoff at the Democratic National Convention, according to a report.

Biden remains frustrated that former President Obama did not tell him to drop out face to face, but rather relied on his influence behind the scenes, Politico reported Tuesday. Biden is also angry at former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who he believes played the major role in forcing him to withdraw, alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the outlet reported, citing three sources familiar with Biden’s thinking.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

A White House source told Politico that Biden views Pelosi as “ruthless” following the events of July.

NANCY PELOSI WIELDS BIBLE, QUOTES BUSH, OBAMA IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP

President Biden has expressed frustration in private after Democratic Party heavyweights, including Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and even former President Obama encouraged him to drop out of the race.  (Getty Images)

News of Biden’s frustration comes as the Democratic Party plans a massive celebratory sendoff for Biden at the DNC. The very party members who forced him to drop out now hail him as an elder statesman.

“President Joe Biden is a patriotic American who has always put our country first. His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history,” Pelosi wrote in July just moments after Biden announced his withdrawal.

PELOSI DEMURS ON IF ‘EVERYTHING IS OK’ BETWEEN HER AND BIDEN: ‘YOU’D HAVE TO ASK HIM’

“With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment,” she added. “God blessed America with Joe Biden’s greatness and goodness.”

President Biden will deliver the keynote address on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. (Susan Walsh/AP)

The schedule for the DNC reveals how Democrats plan to formalize the transfer from Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden will deliver his address on Monday night after Hillary Clinton and others. Two other Democratic former presidents will take the stage the following nights, with Obama headlining Tuesday and Bill Clinton on Wednesday, followed by Gov. Tim Walz. Harris will take the stage on Thursday, completing the transition.

PRESIDENT BIDEN ADMITS PRESSURE FROM DEMOCRATS CONTRIBUTED TO DECISION TO DROP OUT

Pelosi addressed whether she believes there is a way to repair her relationship with Biden after the party coup against him this week.

“Is there a way back for your friendship?” former Biden administration White House press secretary Jen Psaki asked Pelosi during a segment of her MSNBC show “Inside with Jen Psaki” that aired Sunday.

Pelosi says winning the election is more important than maintaining a good relationship with President Biden. (Getty Images)

Pelosi focused her attention on the generational love her family has for Biden and on sustaining the 46th president’s legacy when answering the question.

“In our family, we have three generations of love for Joe Biden. My husband and I, of course, we’ve known him for a very long time – respect him, love him and Jill. He and Jill are so remarkable, and their family. Our kids have always loved them. I had pictures with him from our children growing up and now our grandchildren growing up,” she said.

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“But the most important thing we have to do is to win the election, just to sustain his legacy and to have the legacy be to do even more in the presidency and the vice presidency of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Pelosi continued.

Representatives for Obama and Schumer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The number of homicides in major American cities through the first six months of Biden’s last year in office is plunging compared to the same time period during former President Trump’s administration, a report says. 

Data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) is showing a 13% drop in homicides among 66 cities from January 1 to June 30, 2024, compared to those dates in 2020, according to Axios. 

The website reports that Boston recorded an 80% drop in homicides in the first six months of 2024, followed by Philadelphia with 70%, Baltimore with 45% and Miami with 29%. 

However, it added that Portland, Oregon saw an increase of 278%, while Seattle’s homicide count increased by 59% and Las Vegas’ by 55%. 

COLORADO POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOWS NEW WAYS TO USE DRONES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 

Police from the Crime scene unit of the NYPD arrive at the scene and investigate after two women were shot near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan, New York, on July 26, 2024.  (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Overall, the MCCA data shows that 3,451 homicides were reported by 66 agencies in the first half of 2020.  

For this year’s report, three more agencies submitted data, but the overall number of homicides fell to 3,124. 

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PICKS UP THE PACE, EYES COUNTER-PROGRAMMING DURING DEMOCRATS’ CONVENTION 

A forensics technician gathers evidence at the scene of a homicide in Baltimore, Maryland, in August 2017. The city has seen a drop in homicides through the first six months of this year compared to the same time period in 2020, according to Axios. (Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The Trump campaign is pushing back on the Axios analysis. 

“It may be true that in *some* cities, some categories of violent crime are lower for the first 6 months of 2024 than in 2023 — but violent crime is still WAY UP compared to 2019 under President Trump,” a spokesperson said. 

“When you compare data from the report Axios profiled to the MCCA’s 2019 report, it paints an entirely different picture — a picture the liberal media refuses to show because they are all-in for Kamala: Cities in battleground states were safer under President Trump,” they added. 

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

The Trump campaign is pushing back on the Axios report comparing the Trump and Biden administrations, calling it “ridiculous.” (Left: (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images), Right: (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))

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The MCCA describes itself as a “professional organization of police executives representing the largest cities in the United States and Canada” with a mission to “provide a forum for police executives from large population centers to address the challenges and issues of policing, to influence national and international policy that affects police services, to enhance the development of current and future police leaders, and to encourage and sponsor research that advances this mission.” 

With Vice President Kamala Harris riding a wave heading into next week’s Democratic National Convention, former President Trump and his campaign appear to be stepping up their efforts to blunt her momentum.

Trump’s campaign tells Fox News it plans to counter-program during the Democrats’ national nominating convention, which kicks off next Monday in Chicago.

“We’re going to roll out some stuff,” a Trump campaign senior adviser told Fox News.

The adviser, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said the campaign will put “a whole cadre of people” – including Trump and top surrogates – into the field next week.

TRUMP ARGUES HARRIS IS MORE LIBERAL THAN BERNIE SANDERS – HERE’S WHAT THE VERMONT SENATOR TOLD FOX NEWS 

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

“We’re certainly going to have key people in the battlegrounds and available to the media to counterprogram,” the adviser said. 

And one of those key people will be Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, Fox News has learned.

In years past, it was traditional for a presidential candidate to lay low while the other party held its national nominating convention. 

WHAT THE LATEST POLLS IN THREE KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES SHOW IN THE HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN

But last month, as the Republicans held their convention in Milwaukee, President Biden briefly campaigned in the key swing state of Nevada before cutting his trip short after catching COVID.

Days later, Biden’s blockbuster announcement that he was ending his re-election campaign following his disastrous late June debate performance against Trump upended the 2024 election.

President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid.  (Evan Vucci, Pool via AP)

At his more than hour-long news conference last week, Trump argued that he wasn’t currently criss-crossing the campaign trail because he is leading in the race — even as the latest polls indicate Harris has closed the gap in national and key battleground state surveys. 

TRUMP MOVES TO DEFINE HARRIS AS ULTRA-LIBERAL

Trump defended his pace on the campaign trail, saying he’s “competing a lot” and added that he would further pick up the pace “after their convention.”

Sources in Trump’s political orbit tell Fox News that top advisers to the former president are quietly aiming to persuade Trump to tamp down the insults to Harris and the questioning of the vice president’s racial identity and instead focus on branding her an ultra-liberal and spotlighting her stance on the border, crime and inflation

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Trump allies are also publicly pitching Trump to refocus his attention.

“You’ve got to make this race not on personalities,” former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday in an interview on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” “Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position.”

McCarthy emphasized that Trump has “a short time frame to do it, so don’t sit back. Get out there and start making the case.”

Trump is expected to spotlight an economic argument against Harris on Wednesday at a campaign event at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center’s Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, in Asheville, North Carolina.

It’s the former president’s second stop in the crucial southeastern battleground state in the three and a half weeks since Harris replaced Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket.

The Trump campaign earlier this week announced that the former president will hold a rally in another crucial swing state – Pennsylvania – on Saturday.

GOP running mate Sen. JD Vance criticizes Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at a Trump campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 6, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

And Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, holds campaign events Wednesday in Michigan, Thursday in Pennsylvania, and Friday in Wisconsin.

The former president on Monday returned to X [formerly known as Twitter], where he posted a series of campaign videos leading up to his interview hours later with Elon Musk. The multi-billionaire investor who is considered one of the richest people in the world, owns the social media platform and earlier this summer officially endorsed the former president.

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Trump, who was banned from Twitter for a couple of years, made a brief return last year to post his mugshot and a link to collect fundraising donations, before going dark again until Monday.

But Trump’s campaign says the return to X isn’t a one-off this time around.

A Trump campaign senior adviser emphasized that moving forward, we’re “going to continue to see a lot of alternative platform work.”

“You’ll see him on X talking to millions of people. You’ll see him on all kinds of conversational podcasts and streams coming up the rest of the campaign. And he’ll still be doing – as he always does – press availabilities, and he will obviously keep doing rallies and special large audience events,” said the adviser, who also asked for anonymity to speak more freely.

“Whether it’s on X or any of these other things, the president is unafraid of having unscripted conversations about the issues that matter, in stark contrast to Kamala Harris,” the adviser added.

While technical difficulties which delayed the interview with Musk for over 40 minutes grabbed headlines, Trump also gained over 900,000 new followers on X as of Monday night.

Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling chief executive officer and a prominent Republican donor and bundler who raised big bucks for Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign and who is supporting Trump again after backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primaries, told Fox News that “you’ve always got to be assessing the state of the race, and I would like to see more offense from the Trump campaign. Trump, the man, is the campaign’s best asset. Put him out there.”

“Immediately after the Democrat convention closes, I would like to see the gloves come off in a full-throated campaign for Trump,” Eberhart emphasized.

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

Rep. Thomas Massie is suggesting that Republicans could dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) if the GOP wins control of both Congress and the White House in November.

“Would [former President Trump] follow through with it? Honestly, I think it depends on who controls Congress and who his Cabinet secretary is,” the Kentucky Republican told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

The Kentucky Republican made the comments the day after Trump’s interview on X with owner Elon Musk in which Trump suggested doing the same.

“What I’m going to do, one of the first acts – and this is where I need an Elon Musk; I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts – I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states,” Trump said Monday night.

HARRIS CAMPAIGN CRITICIZES TRUMP FOR SERVING ‘SELF-OBSESSED RICH GUYS’ AFTER INTERVIEW WITH ELON MUSK 

Rep. Thomas Massie, who is leading the push to end the Education Department in the House, said he was “pleasantly surprised” to hear Donald Trump support such an effort. (Getty Images)

Massie introduced a bill late last year that would do just that, and it currently has more than 30 House GOP co-sponsors, including vocal Trump allies like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla.

While he has not had conversations with Trump or his campaign about the bill, Massie said it’s an issue he’s discussed with the Trump-aligned Republican lawmakers “all the time.”

It signals that the effort, long pushed by conservatives, could potentially materialize if Trump and Republicans take over the levers of power in Washington in November.

TRUMP CHATS WITH MUSK IN LENGTHY, OVERARCHING INTERVIEW AS HARRIS CONTINUES SNUBBING MEDIA 

The DOE was established under former President Carter in 1979 when he split it from the Health and Human Services Department. It’s charged with regulating federal student aid funds and ensuring equal access to education, among other responsibilities.

It faced conservative backlash almost instantly, with former President Reagan threatening to dissolve it, though he was ultimately unsuccessful. 

“Reagan promised that he would try to eliminate it, and he never did. And then [people] became comfortable with [the] Department of Education, and it started seeming like a radical notion just to do what Ronald Reagan said he would do, so I felt the need to reintroduce this bill,” Massie said.

Betsy DeVos, Trump’s former Education secretary, told the Detroit News she would return to the role if asked. (Yuri Gripas)

The Kentucky Republican, who has been at odds with Trump in the past, said he was “pleasantly surprised” to hear him discuss it on Monday.

He argued that the funding that goes toward managing the DOE and its 14,000 Washington, D.C., employees “could be distributed to the school systems instead of burning … on extra red tape.”

Massie also said that other core facets of academic policy like student lunches and the Head Start program are run by the Department of Agriculture and HHS, respectively.

More than 160 Republicans voted for an amendment by Massie to dismantle the DOE in March 2023, though it ultimately failed.

X MELTS DOWN AFTER TRUMP-MUSK’S INTERVIEW ‘SPACE’ IMMEDIATELY CRASHES 

But despite its foundations in the Reagan era, the push to dismantle the DOE has been used as a political cudgel by Democrats after its inclusion in Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation-backed set of policies and recommendations for a new Republican administration.

Trump and his allies have distanced themselves from Project 2025, which Democrats have cast as a far-right and repressive vision for the country.

Massie similarly said he had no knowledge of Project 2025’s details, pointing out that he’s pushed to end the DOE before the initiative was formed.

Rep. Byron Donalds, a Trump ally, is a co-sponsor of Massie’s bill. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

“I would just say, regardless of any other initiatives, this stands on its own. Organizations like the Heritage Foundation [and FreedomWorks] have been for getting rid of the Department of Education … since they were created, and Reagan was for it,” Massie said. “So, I don’t think it’s a radical notion. I think what’s radical is having a federal school board. And I think education is better without it.”

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Massie indicated he would support former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos – who has advocated for phasing out the department she ran – to head it again.

The Trump campaign did not comment directly on Massie’s bill but told Fox News Digital when asked, “As President Trump has repeatedly stated on the campaign trail, he is committed to cutting the Department of Education and returning important decisions about education back to parents, teachers and educators at the state level. The DOE has been failing America’s students for too long, and it’s time for serious change.”

When asked for comment, the DOE referred Fox News Digital to Vice President Harris’ campaign, which did not immediately return a request for comment.