NationalWatch

Active Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) contractors “colluded” with the Biden campaign when releasing a statement dismissing Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop as Russian disinformation ahead of the 2020 election, and the then-CIA chief was likely in the loop before the statement’s release, according to a joint report released by three House panels shows. 

“We knew that the rushed statement from the 51 former intelligence officials was a political maneuver between the Biden campaign and the intelligence community. Now with this interim report, we reveal how officials at the highest levels of the CIA were aware of the statement and CIA employees knew that several of the so-called former officials were on active contract with the CIA. The report underscores the risks posed by a weaponized federal government,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in a press release Tuesday.

The House Judiciary Committee, its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released a report Tuesday titled, “The Intelligence Community 51: How CIA Contractors Colluded with The Biden Campaign to Mislead American Voters.” 

The report found that active CIA contractors “coordinated” with the Biden campaign just weeks ahead of the 2020 election “to discredit serious allegations about Biden family influence peddling” connected to Hunter’s laptop when 51 alleged former intelligence officials released a statement dismissing the laptop. 

The former intelligence officials released a statement on Oct. 19, 2020, discounting the laptop as having “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,” in a bid to discredit the New York Post’s bombshell report on the laptop at the time. 

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

Chairman Jim Jordan listens as Attorney General Merrick Garland appears before a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Sept. 20, 2023, on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

FLASHBACK: MSNBC, CNN, CBS TOLD VIEWERS HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY WAS RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION

“The report reveals new information detailing how the highest levels of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), up to and including then-CIA Director Gina Haspel, were made aware of the ‘Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails’ by 51 former intelligence officials prior to its approval and publication,” the press release says, outlining of Haspel’s likely knowledge of the letter. Haspel served as CIA director from 2018 to 2021 during the Trump administration. 

The CIA’s chief operating officer, Andrew Makridis, testified that he informed Haspel or Deputy Director Vaughn Frederick Bishop about the statement ahead of its release, and the report indicates that CIA chiefs had the opportunity to vet the validity of the statement discrediting the laptop of Russian disinformation. 

The laptop re-emerged earlier this month when Hunter Biden faced a criminal trial in Delaware over his purchase of a firearm in 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

CNN BOSS, POLITICAL DIRECTOR SPIKED HUNTER BIDEN CONTROVERSY, AUDIOTAPES REVEAL: ‘WE’RE NOT GOING WITH’ STORY

The report also included internal CIA emails where intelligence officers lamented the political nature of the statement. 

“This frustrates me. I don’t think it is helpful to the Agency in the long run. Sigh,” one unnamed CIA official said in an email on Oct. 20, 2020, a day after Politico published the statement discounting the laptop as disinformation.  

Another unnamed colleague responded to the email, noting that some of the signatories were current CIA contractors. 

VIDEO GOES VIRAL OF DEMOCRATS, MEDIA MEMBERS DOUBTING HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP

President Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Sept. 15, 2023. (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I also love that at least a few of the random signatures belong to individuals currently working here on contracts…,” the emailed response reads. 

Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen in Wilmington, Delaware, during his trial. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The 2020 statement was signed by former CIA directors such as John Brennan and Leon Panetta, as well as former Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper, in addition to former CIA acting director Michael Morell and former CIA inspector general David Buckley. 

5 TAKES ON THE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP THAT HAVE AGED POORLY

Morell – who helped draft the statement and said it would provide President Biden with a “talking point” in a 2020 presidential debate – was actually a contractor with the CIA when the letter was issued, according to the report. While Buckley was also a contractor at the time of the letter, according to the report, citing CIA documents. 

“It is extremely concerning that signatories of the Hunter Biden statement were on contract with the CIA at the time of the statement’s drafting, review, and publication. This revelation shows that Morell, Buckley, and likely other signatories were receiving U.S. taxpayer funds while engaged in a politicized project to mislead American voters on behalf of the Biden campaign. Such an overtly political action would be illegal under the Hatch Act for a permanent CIA employee. Congress ought to consider whether to extend this important prohibition to CIA contractors as well,” the report states. 

The Hatch Act is a federal law that forbids most civilian federal employees, including intelligence community operatives, from engaging in partisan political activities. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the CIA and White House Wednesday morning regarding the report’s findings, but did not immediately receive responses. 

SECRETARY BLINKEN SILENT ON PAST EFFORTS TO DISCREDIT HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP AFTER FEDS ENTER IT INTO EVIDENCE

Biden did use the statement as a “talking point” during his final 2020 debate against President Trump, claiming that the dozens of signatories proved the laptop was Russian propaganda.  

“There are 50 former national intelligence folks who said that what he’s accusing me of is a Russian plant,” Biden said at the time of Trump. “Five former heads of the CIA, both parties, say what he’s saying is a bunch of garbage. Nobody believes it except his good friend Rudy Giuliani.”  

President Trump answers a question during his debate with former Vice President Biden at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, Oct. 22, 2020. (Morry Gash/Pool via Reuters)

The New York Post’s 2020 bombshell report on the contents of Hunter’s laptop was overwhelmingly dismissed by the media in 2020 as “Russian disinformation.” But liberal media outlets changed their tune in 2022 after newspapers such as The Washington Post and The New York Times authenticated thousands of his emails. The laptop hit the public view after Hunter left it at a Delaware repair shop ahead of the 2020 presidential election. 

FBI STILL MUM ON LAPTOP AS IT GETS ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE IN HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL

President Biden walks with his son Hunter Biden. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The laptop re-emerged earlier this month 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. 

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“The House Intelligence Committee’s work provided us with solid direct evidence that in the final weeks before the 2020 presidential election, 51 former intelligence officials coordinated with the Biden campaign to falsely cast doubt on an explosive New York Post story and label Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop as ‘Russian disinformation.’ The Committee worked to obtain classified documents from the CIA, including emails, and fought to include evidence of these materials in our report,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, said in a statement on the report.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will visit Arizona on Wednesday on his first trip to the southern border since the Senate quashed articles of impeachment against him. 

Mayorkas will speak to reporters in Tucson, where he is expected to tout the decrease in illegal migrant numbers after President Biden took executive action on asylum processing three weeks ago. Arrests for illegal border crossings have fallen more than 40% since the executive order went into effect, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

Border Patrol’s seven-day average of illegal migrant encounters dropped from well over 5,000 to about 2,200, according to the latest Customs and Border Protection numbers obtained by Fox News. Mayorkas said border encounters were “moving in the right direction” in an appearance on MSNBC Wednesday morning. 

“You correctly note that the number of encounters at the southwest border have decreased in the three weeks that we’ve been implementing the president’s proclamation by more than 40%,” Mayorkas told host Mika Brzezinski, adding it was a “remarkable implementation” by immigration enforcement agencies.

RACHEL MORIN’S MOM BLASTS MAYORKAS’ DESCRIPTION OF SLAIN DAUGHTER AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT NABBED

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sits down for an interview with ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Screenshot/ABC)

“We are conducting more removal flights than ever before. We are moving people through the system, and those who do not qualify are being removed or returned more rapidly.” 

The latest Border Patrol figures are welcome news for President Biden, who must defend his record from withering attacks by former President Trump at the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday. 

The U.S. has seen record numbers of migrant crossings at the border, with more than 2.4 million in FY 23 alone, on top of three years of the highest crossings ever seen. Republicans and Trump have hammered Biden over the crisis, arguing that it is his policies — and the rolling back of Trump-era policies — that have fueled the crisis. 

Trump lambasted Biden’s border policies at a rally in Philadelphia over the weekend and accused him of “releasing illegal criminals into our communities to rape, pillage, plunder and to kill.” 

BIDEN OFFERS ‘CONDOLENCES’ BUT NO SOLUTION AFTER LATEST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MURDER ALLEGATION

Migrants are processed by the U.S. Border Patrol near the Jacumba Hot Springs after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on June 13, 2024 in San Diego. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)

“Just this week, a 12-year-old girl in Houston, Jocelyn Nungaray, was tied up, stripped, and strangled to death after walking to a 7-Eleven,” Trump said, referencing the suspected murder and sexual assault of a Texas girl who was found strangled to death in a creek last week. 

“Charged with Jocelyn’s heinous murder are two illegal alien savages that Joe Biden recently set loose into our country. They came across our border claiming they feared for their lives in Venezuela.”

Trump has promised the largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history if elected, and to terminate “every Open Border policy of the Biden administration.” He has also promised to deploy special forces to the border and reinstate his 2017 travel ban.

Biden, on the contrary, has argued that Congress must pass reforms to fix what he calls a “broken” immigration system. He has proposed legislation that Republicans oppose which would grant a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants present in the U.S. 

BORDER PATROL INTERCEPTS MULTIPLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SEX OFFENDERS IN A SINGLE WEEKEND

President Biden, left, and former President Trump will face off in a presidential debate hosted by CNN on Thursday, June 27, 2024, when immigration is expected to be a top topic.  (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson and Evan Vucci)

He also backed a bipartisan Senate bill introduced earlier this year, but it has failed to pick up steam in the upper chamber. Biden has blamed Trump for stifling the bill, which included additional funding for border operations and a mechanism to shut down crossings after a certain level.

“Republicans in Congress, not all, walked away from it. Why? Because Donald Trump told them to,” he said in February.

With no progress in Congress, Biden took unilateral action to further limit asylum claims by migrants once average border encounters exceed 2,500 a day. Last week, he also announced a deportation shield for some illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. He has repeatedly said, however, that it is not enough, and he needs Congress to act in order to fix the system. 

Mayorkas reinforced the president’s arguments on MSNBC, calling on Congress to “fix” the “broken immigration system.” 

CNN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LOOMS AS TOP ISSUE AMID OUTRAGE OVER 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL’S MURDER

“Remember that our detention capacity — and this is not specific to our administration, this has been historic, ever since the 90s, when I was a federal prosecutor — our detention capacity is not sufficient to meet the number of people we encounter,” he said. “We have to release people into the United States when they are in immigration enforcement proceedings. And we put them on alternatives to detention when that is necessary from an enforcement perspective.” 

House Republicans approved articles of impeachment against Mayorkas earlier this year, accusing him of “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and breach of public trust.

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However, the Democratic-controlled Senate had the articles declared unconstitutional and dismissed without a trial. 

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Rep. Lauren Boebert’s victory in Colorado’s GOP primary suggests voters still have an appetite for aggressive, pro-Trump politicians, despite the drama they sometimes bring.

Boebert claimed victory over a field of five other Republican challengers Tuesday night after switching congressional districts, having only narrowly secured a win in 2022. Boebert is among a cast of pro-Trump figures on Capitol Hill who have adopted the former president’s strategy of being constantly on offense and refusing to back down amid scandal.

Boebert’s campaign echoed that of former President Trump, with a hard-line stance on illegal immigration and bashing President Biden’s impact on the economy.

 “Build the wall, deport them all,” was a common refrain at her events.

LAUREN BOEBERT HAS SURGERY TO REMOVE BLOOD CLOT, DIAGNOSED WITH RARE CONDITION

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Boebert is expected to also win the November general election. Her new district sweeps across a wide expanse of ranches, ghost towns and conservative parts of the Denver metro area that make up much of the plains of eastern Colorado. Its voters overwhelmingly backed former President Trump in 2020.

BOEBERT RESPONDS TO REPORTS OF FIGHT WITH EX-HUSBAND AT COLORADO RESTAURANT AFTER POLICE CALLED

A November victory would see her replace Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., who announced his retirement this year. Buck cited the divisiveness of today’s politics and his party’s devotion to Trump in explaining his decision to resign. 

Like Trump, Boebert has paired her firebrand politics with a scandalous personal life. She sparked controversy and drew national headlines last September after she and a male companion were escorted out of a Denver theater’s production of the “Beetlejuice” musical for causing a disturbance that involved laughing, singing, recording and vaping.

A November victory would see her replace Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., who announced his retirement this year. Buck cited the divisiveness of today’s politics and his party’s devotion to former President Trump in explaining his decision to resign. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s victory in his district suggests GOP voters have little appetite for such sentiments. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Boebert acknowledged the “unwanted attention” she received after her appearance at the venue and insisted that her words and actions that night had not been meant to be “malicious” or to “cause harm.”

Her opponents in the primary attempted to use Beobert’s dramatic tenure in Washington as a weapon, suggesting she was too focused on attention from the media.

“We’ve seen how Lauren Boebert would represent us,” candidate Deborah Flora, a conservative radio host, said during a debate. “Missing key votes while chasing cameras and being in the center of D.C. drama instead of delivering real solutions for the people.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert has paired her firebrand politics with a scandalous personal life. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Boebert urged her voters forward at her victory event Tuesday evening, telling her supporters, “It’s not over.”

“President Trump needs us now more than ever to get him in the race, in the fight, in the White House Nov. 5,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do, don’t slow down. Don’t relent.”

Lawyers for former President Trump have filed the opening brief in their appeal of a court order in hopes of disqualifying District Attorney Fani Willis from the sweeping electioneering case against him in Georgia. 

“The brief persuasively argues that the trial court should have dismissed the case and disqualified DA Willis for her forensic misconduct and the appearance of impropriety between her and former Special Assistant DA Wade, who was her lover and taxpayer-funded financial benefactor,” Steve Sadow, lead attorney for Trump, said in a statement. 

“We are optimistic that the Court will favorably decide the appeal in our favor.”

The Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to hear arguments on Oct. 4 in the appeal by Trump and his co-defendants to have embattled Willis disqualified from the case due to an “improper” affair with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

FANI WILLIS’ EX-STAFFER TESTIFIES SHE WAS FIRED AFTER BLOWING WHISTLE ON DA’S SPENDING

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks to the media after winning the Democratic primary on May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Georgia. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

“Should a prosecutor be disqualified for intentionally and repeatedly violating ethical and professional canons to prejudice defendants for personal or political gain? Yes,” the brief argues.  

“Is disqualification necessary when a prosecutor testifies falsely, conceals misconduct, and creates ‘an odor of mendacity’ that results in a ‘significant appearance of impropriety?’ Undoubtedly so. If this prosecutor deflects attention from her misconduct by claiming on national television that the defendants are dishonest racists for bringing the truthful accusations to light, could anyone have confidence in the impartiality of the prosecutor’s actions? Absolutely not,” it states.

The appeals court paused activity in the case against Trump, all but eliminating any opportunity for Willis to try the former president before the election in November. 

TRUMP’S APPEAL TO DISQUALIFY FANI WILLIS FROM GA CASE GETS OCTOBER HEARING DATE

Willis filed a motion to dismiss that appeal earlier this month, saying the lower court found there was no sufficient evidence to support their claims that Willis has a conflict of interest, and says that there is “no basis” to appeal Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s March ruling allowing Willis to stay on the case.

Trump’s lawyer called the motion a “last ditch effort to stop any appellate review of [her] misconduct.”

Trump was indicted in August along with 18 co-defendants out of the yearslong criminal investigation led by Willis and state prosecutors in Georgia into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.

The charges include violating the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; conspiracy to commit filing false documents; conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; and filing false documents.

Since then, Willis has struggled to avoid roadblocks in her efforts to try Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, before the election.

McAfee in March dismissed six of the charges and said the state failed to allege sufficient detail for six counts of “solicitation of violation of oath by public officer.” 

District Attorney Fani Willis during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

In February, Michael Roman, a GOP operative and co-defendant in the case, dropped bombshell accusations that Willis had an “improper” affair with Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the case in November 2021. 

Other co-defendants made similar allegations, and said she financially benefited from her relationship with him by taking lavish vacations together. 

Both Wade and Willis denied they were in a romantic relationship prior to his hiring and said the couple would split the costs of their shared travels; Willis said she reimbursed Wade for her share of the trips in cash.

After evidentiary hearings held in February, Judge McAfee ordered that Wade had to be removed in order to keep Willis from disqualification in the Trump election interference case.

“[T]he established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team – an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options,” he wrote, adding that Willis and her whole office can choose to step aside, or Wade can withdraw from the case.

Wade subsequently resigned from his post as special prosecutor.

In his March order, McAfee said while Willis’ “reimbursement practice” was “unusual and the lack of any documentary corroboration understandably concerning,” he ultimately decided that the defendants did not present “sufficient evidence” that expenses weren’t “roughly divided evenly.” 

He also said “the evidence demonstrated that the financial gain flowing from her relationship with Wade was not a motivating factor on the part of the District Attorney to indict and prosecute this case.”

“[T]he Court finds that the record made at the evidentiary hearing established that the District Attorney’s prosecution is encumbered by an appearance of impropriety,” McAfee wrote in his order.

GEORGIA PROSECUTOR FANI WILLIS APPEALS AFTER JUDGE DROPS MULTIPLE TRUMP CHARGES

Nathan Wade arrives before Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks after winning the Democratic primary on May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Georgia. (AP)

“As the case moves forward, reasonable members of the public could easily be left to wonder whether the financial exchanges have continued resulting in some form of benefit to the District Attorney, or even whether the romantic relationship has resumed.”

“Put differently, an outsider could reasonably think that the District Attorney is not exercising her independent professional judgment totally free of any compromising influences. As long as Wade remains on the case, this unnecessary perception will persist,” he said.

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When the defense in March submitted a joint motion for a Certificate of Immediate Review, McAfee said his Order on the Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss and Disqualify the Fulton County District Attorney issued March 15 “is of such importance to the case that immediate review should be had” and allowed the defendants to ask the Georgia appeals court for an opportunity to appeal, which the court granted last month.

EXCLUSIVE – President Biden’s re-election campaign is taking aim at former President Trump over his actions during the attack three and a half years ago on the U.S. Capitol, as they launch a new ad on the eve of the first presidential debate.

The spot, shared first with Fox News on Wednesday, features Genesee County, MIchigan, Sheriff Chris Swanson discussing how he watched in horror as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and attacked Capitol police officers on Jan. 6, 2021 as they aimed to disrupt congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump.

The ad includes a clip of Trump at a rally with supporters near the White House ahead of the attack on the Capitol, saying “fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

Swanson, in the ad, says “it should have been stopped. That’s neglect of duty.”

HOW TO WATCH THE CNN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE SIMULCAST ON THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL

“As a sheriff, it’s awful to watch police officers getting attacked. That’s not supporting this badge and this uniform. I have no desire to work with somebody who divides. That’s not what America is,” Swanson emphasizes.

Swanson, who has joined several Capitol police officers in pillorying Trump over his actions on Jan. 6, 2021 and travels the country campaigning for Biden, says “I’ll work with anybody who unites. That’s why I’m with President Joe Biden.”

TRUMP, BIDEN, AIM TO USE POST-DEBATE RALLIES IN THESE STATES TO PUT THEIR RIVAL ON DEFENSE

The Biden campaign said the spot is the latest in their massive $50 million ad blitz running this month in the key battleground states that will likely decide the winner of the 2024 presidential election rematch.

The commercial is part of the Biden campaign’s push to hammer the presumptive GOP presidential nominee over what they call “Donald Trump’s Attack on American Democracy.”

Then-President Trump arrives to speak at a rally near the White House, on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

A release from the Biden campaign said the ad and a news conference they will hold later on Wednesday underscore what they claim is “the stark contrast between Donald Trump’s campaign of revenge and retribution and President Biden’s respect for democracy and law and order.”

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Biden has long made what he charges is Trump’s threats to democracy a key focus of his presidency, and he has hammered home the point as he runs for a second term in the White House. It is very likely Biden will spotlight the issue in Thursday’s first presidential debate between the two major party standard-bearers.

The future of American democracy, at 68%, edged out the economy by two points as the most important issue among registered voters in deciding the presidency, according to the latest Fox News national poll.

President Biden, left, and former President Trump. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson | Evan Vucci)

While voters trusted Trump by five points over Biden on handling the economy, the poll indicated voters by a six-point margin said the president would do a better job than his Republican predecessor at protecting democracy.

As early as this week, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether Trump has immunity from criminal charges he faces over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. In a separate case, the justices are also expected to release an opinion on whether Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol can be prosecuted for obstructing an official proceeding.

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

President Biden is heading into the first presidential debate with a notably uneasy base of support, according to a new poll.

An Associated Press poll conducted in partnership with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research was released on Wednesday, dissecting the public’s attitudes towards the candidates heading into the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday.

Only 42% of Democrat respondents told pollsters that they were satisfied with Biden as their candidate.

BIDEN DEBATE PREP FOCUSED ON WAYS TO ‘TRIGGER’ TRUMP AS FORMER PRESIDENT RELIES ON CAMPAIGNING: REPORTS

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally at Girard College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

By contrast, approximately six in 10 Republicans are satisfied with Trump as their party’s candidate, according to the poll. About three in 10 adults are dissatisfied with both candidates.

Biden has spent the last five days at Camp David in rural Maryland huddling with at least 16 current and former aides, according to The New York Times, while Trump, who spoke with Fox News over the weekend, has held “policy discussions” with allies to prep for what is expected to be an epic clash on the debate stage in CNN’s Atlanta studios.

An old movie theater and airplane hangar have been outfitted as a mock debate stage, where Biden, despite having varying hours and a non-rigid schedule, is preparing to go on the offensive against Trump on issues like immigration and abortion, as well as push back on claims — appearing to be supported by various videos — that he is confused and frail, The Times reported.

INSIDERS REVEAL HOW BIDEN, TRUMP ARE PREPPING FOR THE 1ST 2024 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Joe Biden and Donald Trump debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee during the 2020 presidential election cycle. (Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump jokingly asked the crowd at his Philadelphia rally what his approach should be on the debate stage. 

“How should I handle him? Should I be tough and nasty, and just say, ‘You’re the worst president in history.’ Or should I be nice and calm and let him speak?” he asked.

A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released on Tuesday found only 12% of Georgia voters between the ages of 18 and 29 intended to vote for Biden. 

Approximately 37% of those young Georgia voters said they planned to vote for Trump.

While Republicans are more likely to be satisfied with Trump as their candidate than Democrats are satisfied with Biden, the two candidates experience nearly identical levels of positivity and negativity across party lines.

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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner hosted by the Minnesota Republican Party in St. Paul. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Approximately nine in 10 Democrats expressed negative feelings towards Trump, while nine in 10 Republicans said the same about Biden. 

Approximately seven in 10 Republicans expressed positive feelings about Trump, while a similar seven in 10 Democrats said the same about Biden. 

The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,088 adults selected to be representative of the U.S. population, drawn from the NORC AmeriSpeak Panel. It has a sampling error of +/-4%.

Fox News Digital’s Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.

Two of former President Trump’s top allies in the House of Representatives are in Atlanta on Wednesday to mobilize Black voters ahead of his November rematch with President Biden.

Reps. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., are hosting an event called “Congress, Cognac, and Cigars” at a cigar lounge in the Peach State alongside former ESPN host Sage Steele.

An invitation to the event obtained by Fox News Digital billed it in all capital letters as “a real conversation about the Black male vote, leadership, and how they will impact the 2024 election.”

Hunt told Fox News Digital in an interview that Black voters, particularly in a state like Georgia, are going to be “paramount” in deciding the winner of the next presidential race.

Rep. Wesley Hunt, left, and Rep. Byron Donalds are hitting the campaign trail to turn out Black male voters for former President Trump. (Getty Images)

DONALD TRUMP HAS PICKED HIS RUNNING MATE AND THEY WILL BE AT THURSDAY’S DEBATE

“The thing is, in the past, the Republican Party has not done a very good job of going to these communities, articulating why our policies are in the best interest of the Black community,” Hunt said. “Black issues are American issues. We just need voices to go articulate that.”

“You don’t have to vote for Democrats anymore because your mama and your grandmother and your parents told you to do it. The Republican Party right now is in your best interest. If you hate what’s going on at the border, if you hate what’s happening with inflation, if you hate crime, I’m telling you that … electing [Trump] and getting him back in office is definitely going to be in your best interest.”

It’s part of a wider strategy for Trump to win 25% to 35% of the Black male vote, Hunt said. Black voters were critical to Biden’s 2020 Democrat primary and general election victories and will likely play a critical role in the fall race.

CNN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LOOMS AS TOP ISSUE AMID OUTRAGE OVER 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL’S MURDER

President Biden did significantly better with Black voters than Trump in 2020. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Multiple exit polls show Trump having won 19% of Black male voters in 2020, though the vast majority of Black voters still went for Biden.

“That’s the highest that we’ve ever seen in modern history for a Republican president,” Hunt said. “We need to add about five or six percentage points and grow from what we did four years ago. And given the environment that we’re in right now, we think we can accomplish that.”

Their first “Congress, Cognac, and Cigars” event took place in Philadelphia. Hunt said the next one would be in Milwaukee, the site of next month’s Republican National Convention.

‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOSTS JOIN CLINTON IN SLAMMING WOMEN VOTERS FOR 2016 LOSS: ‘HOPE THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN’

Hunt said the Black vote will be critical to deciding who wins the presidency. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

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Hunt said the previous event showed him that Republicans could potentially make some headway with Black women, who overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020 as well.

“The biggest takeaway from that event is – again, Byron and I have been really focused on Black men, but there were Black women in that room that raised their hand and stood up and said, ‘Don’t forget about us. I’m a Black woman, I’m voting for President Trump, and I’m fed up with this, too. And I’m not saying you’re going to get as many of us as you are men, but what I am saying is, don’t just cater these events to Black men; cater them to the Black community,’” the lawmaker said.

The vastly different approaches taken by President Biden and former President Trump in prepping for Thursday’s presidential debate have continued to diverge, with the former hoping he can “trigger” the latter in the heat of the moment, and the latter relying heavily on his campaign experience, multiple reports show.

Biden has spent the last five days at Camp David in rural Maryland huddling with at least 16 current and former aides, according to The New York Times, while Trump, who spoke with Fox News over the weekend, has held “policy discussions” with allies to prep for what is expected to be an epic clash on the debate stage in CNN’s Atlanta studios.

An old movie theater and airplane hangar have been outfitted as a mock debate stage, where Biden, despite having varying hours and a non-rigid schedule, is preparing to go on the offensive against Trump on issues like immigration and abortion, as well as push back on claims — appearing to be supported by various videos — that he is confused and frail,” The Times reported.

HOW TO WATCH THE CNN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE SIMULCAST ON THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL

Former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden. (FOX News)

Biden’s mock debates have included his personal attorney, Bob Bauer, playing the role of Trump, the report said, while the team helping prepare him is being led by former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, and includes National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, current White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, White House counselor Steve Richetti, as well as campaign officials Anita Dunn, Mike Donilon, Ben LaBolt, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Cedric Richmond, Julie Chavez Rodriquez, Quentin Fulks, Michael Tyler and Rob Flaherty.

Former White House official Brian Deese is also expected to assist, according to the report.

Three sources familiar with the debate prep told NBC News that Biden advisors are studying the former president’s recent comments to see what topics might get under his skin most — all an effort to throw off what appears to be a more disciplined Trump as of late.

INSIDERS REVEAL HOW BIDEN, TRUMP ARE PREPPING FOR THE 1ST 2024 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Ron Klain, the former White House chief of staff. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

One source told the outlet the goal is to get “rally Trump” to come out, with another specifically pointing to Biden possibly attacking the former president’s 2020 election loss and subsequent actions that led to the Jan. 6 protest as a way to anger him by making him feel he’s being called a “loser.”

Those sources told NBC they believe attacking Trump’s post-2020 election actions could help boost Biden with independent voters who might be turned off by continued claims he actually won the election.

One Biden campaign official told the outlet the president has to walk a “fine line” because they want him to be seen as the “adult in the room.” The official also said Biden didn’t need to “goad” Trump into anything because the two men’s contrasting visions for the country would be clear enough without that.

FAITH VOTERS WILL ‘DECIDE THIS ELECTION,’ ACCORDING TO PROMINENT GOP MEMBERS

Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks on stage to deliver the keynote address at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton on June 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Trump hit the campaign trail for a rally at Temple University in Philadelphia and the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority conference in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. Fox spoke with him during his Philadelphia stop, where he described the “best strategy” as being around people who scream questions at him.

Trump jokingly asked the crowd during his rally what his approach should be on the debate stage.

“How should I handle him? Should I be tough and nasty, and just say, ‘you’re the worst president in history.’ Or should I be nice and calm and let him speak?” he asked.

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Trump later told Fox he isn’t worried about Biden’s debate preparations and feels confident in his own ability.

“Well, I think if he prepares, he’ll be fine. Then he will forget it within about an hour after preparing. So, we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

The Fox News Channel will be airing the CNN Presidential Debate Simulcast at 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 27.

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

EXCLUSIVE – Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who’s under consideration as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, is weighing in on the GOP Senate primary in a key battleground state.

Scott on Wednesday endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, a former House Intelligence Committee chair who is the front-runner in the August Republican primary in the fight to succeed longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat who is not seeking re-election this year.

The seat is one of a handful that Republicans are aiming to flip from blue to red in the autumn elections as they push to regain the Senate majority they lost in the 2020 cycle.

“Mike Rogers’ commitment to service has always been about putting the American people first. When Mike and I served together, he was a leader who delivered results and fought to expand opportunities for working families and those pursuing their American Dream,” Scott said in a statement. “I’m proud to endorse him to be Michigan’s next U.S. Senator because I know Mike will bring his servant leadership to the U.S. Senate.”

WHAT THE REPUBLICAN SENATE CAMPAIGN CHAIR TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT WINNING BACK THE MAJORITY

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump looks to Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., during a Fox News Channel town hall Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Scott’s backing of Rogers, which was shared first with Fox News, is his first formal endorsement in a Senate race this election cycle, although he’s helped other Republican candidates raise money.

Rogers, an Army veteran and a former FBI special agent before serving in Congress, enjoys the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is the campaign arm of the Senate GOP. And in March, Rogers landed the endorsement of Trump, the party’s presumptive presidential nominee.

6 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER 

“Senator Scott has been a tremendous champion for conservative values in the U.S. Senate and I’m honored to receive his endorsement,” Rogers said in a statement. “Together in the Senate we will work with President Trump to help Michigan families, lower the cost of gas and groceries, and secure the southern border.”

Rogers has also been endorsed in recent months by seven other Republican senators, as well as Mike Pompeo, who served as Secretary of State and CIA director in the Trump administration. He’s also been endorsed by former Detroit police chief James Craig, who backed Rogers after ending his own Republican Senate nomination bid earlier this year.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens as Michigan Senate candidate former Rep. Mike Rogers speaks at a campaign rally in Freeland, Mich., Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

As they work to win a Senate election in Michigan for the first time in three decades, Republicans were hoping to avoid a potentially costly and combustible primary.

But Rogers doesn’t have the field to himself.

The primary race also includes wealthy businessman and investor Sandy Pensler, who’s making his second run for office and has been spending big bucks to run ads targeting Rogers. Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed Pensler.

Among the others running for the GOP nomination are former Rep. Justin Amash, who as an independent House member joined Democrats in voting to impeach then-President Trump in his first impeachment trial in 2019.

The state primary in Michigan will be held on August 6.

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Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, ran unsuccessfully for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination but remains a very popular and influential figure in the party.

The senator, who was known for his ferocious fundraising as he cruised to a Senate re-election in 2022, has strong ties with many leading figures in the GOP donor class. The money raised two years ago served as a down payment for his 2024 national run.

Besides raising money for himself, Scott has also been very active in helping fellow Republicans running for office.

In the 2022 cycle, the senator raised nearly $1 million for other candidates and donated more than $1 million to down ballot races. And two outside groups aligned with Scott spent $13 million on top Senate and House races, while also transferring $5 million to the top super PAC supporting Senate Republicans.

A super PAC allied with Scott announced earlier this month it would spend $14 million to help Republicans grow support among Black voters.

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

For months, the media-industrial complex has churned out useless speculation about the veepstakes, much of it generated by the wannabe candidates themselves. 

Out of nowhere, these stories would appear: Tom Cotton, an unusually strong candidate! Ben Carson! Byron Donalds! Glenn Youngkin! People who you knew, whatever their qualifications, didn’t really have a shot at becoming Donald Trump’s running mate.

And then there was the former president himself, who met or campaigned with most of the contenders, watching their TV interviews, in a process resembling “The Apprentice.”

A particularly absurd moment came when Axios reported that Nikki Haley was under “active consideration” for VP. The piece collapsed the next day when Trump put out a statement saying Haley was most definitely not being considered, which was no surprise given the bad blood between them and her lack of an endorsement.

VEEPSTAKES VERVE: CONTENDERS CREATE MEDIA BOOMLETS WITH LEAKS AND MANIPULATION

The final leg of former President Trump’s veepstakes is underway and only three serious contenders live to tell the tale: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

What made most of the stories shaky is that Trump hadn’t made up his mind. Now he says he has, but hasn’t told the lucky contender. Of course, there’s nothing stopping Trump from changing his mind at the last minute, which he is famously prone to do.

Still, with the vetting process under way and multiple news outlets reporting that it is down to a fortunate trio, I’m inclined to take those stories more seriously.

Those three are Marco Rubio, J.D. Vance and Doug Burgum.

Each brings strengths and weaknesses to the table, so such decisions often boil down to whom Trump is most comfortable with. Eight years ago, it was Mike Pence, who was the ultimate loyalist until Jan. 6.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio are all in contention to be Trump’s running mate for the 2024 presidential election. (Left: Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Center: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Right: Saul Martinez/Getty Images)

Rubio, the only one with a national reputation, might seem a no-brainer. To name the first Hispanic vice president would obviously excite that community, even though it is not a monolith and Cuban-Americans would be the most energized. I don’t see the Constitutional bar against two candidates from the same state as a big deal, as the Florida senator can easily change his address.

I’ve interviewed Rubio several times, but more important, I watched him do town halls in 2016 and he is a charismatic speaker. He has foreign policy chops and has long since mended fences with Trump over their mutual name-calling (“con man”).

RUBIO SAYS BEING TRUMP RUNNING MATE WOULD BE ‘INCREDIBLE HONOR’

As a strong speaker, he would definitely make news – which is also his pitfall. Trump doesn’t like to be overshadowed. From day one, whether overtly or not, Rubio would be running for president in 2028.

What’s more, Rubio has made a point of not campaigning for the job. He didn’t join some of the other aspirants by showing up for Trump’s Manhattan trial. This, by some accounts, has made Trump question how badly Marco wants the job, but I think it’s just a different style.

Third-term Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a major 2016 primary rival of former President Trump, now sits on his vice presidential shortlist. However, Rubio must exercise caution in how much of Trump’s limelight he might try and seize. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

J.D. Vance is not a household name and has been a senator for less than two years. He gained public notice for his best-selling book “Hillbilly Elegy,” which drew widespread praise (and some criticism) for explaining the kind of White voters who would fuel Trump’s win. He’s also a success story, rising from a tough childhood in which his grandmother had to plead for more food from Meals on Wheels.

But Vance opposed the ex-president in 2016 and was on the “Never Trump” train (“idiot,” “reprehensible”), a stance he conveniently dropped when he ran for office.

Vance undoubtedly has the sharpest intellect of the group, the backing of Donald Trump Jr. and the most pro-MAGA voting record, but his view of the revolution differs from Trump’s. Two years ago, Vance said in an interview that Trump should “fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people.” That, of course, would violate civil service rules.

SEN. JD VANCE ON TRUMP VP RUMORS: THE PRESIDENT HAS NOT ASKED ME

Vance told New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, who knew him before he was an author: “I was confronted with the reality that part of the reason the anti-Trump conservatives hated Donald Trump was that he represented a threat to a way of doing things in this country that has been very good for them.”

The Ohio senator recently told the Washington Post: “The price of being beloved by the establishment is you don’t say anything interesting.”

And that is precisely the problem. Vance will say lots of interesting things, which would draw attention from the boss.

“Hillbilly Elegy” author and freshman Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, once an ardent Trump opponent, changed his tune once he sought federal office and is now a finalist in the former president’s veepstakes. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Which brings us to Doug Burgum. He’s a governor! Has been for eight years. Yes, the governor of the small state of North Dakota, whose three electoral votes Trump would win anyway, but the former president has spent a lot of time with him and really likes him – despite Burgum running against him earlier in the presidential election cycle.

For one thing, he’s a fellow tycoon, having sold his tech company two decades ago to Microsoft for a billion bucks. For another, he’s charming in a subdued way. And Burgum has “the look” – the dignified appearance of a vice president – and Trump loves to embrace those who look like they’re from central casting.

When I interviewed Burgum a few weeks back, he downplayed his chances and said he has a dozen private-sector ideas he’d love to try rather than taking a Cabinet position. He skillfully answered issue questions without missing a beat, sometimes with a crisp one-liner. 

BURGUM TOUTS ‘MUCH CLOSER’ RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP WHILE STUMPING FOR FORMER PRESIDENT IN BATTLEGROUND STATE

Having attended the Alvin Bragg case and then read the media coverage, “I think that they were in a different trial than I was at … Americans have already acquitted Donald Trump,” he told me.  

Yet, as one of my colleagues observed, he’s just rough-edged enough and new to the national game that he still seems like a real person.

The mild-mannered gent can also throw a punch. Burgum told FOX’s Martha MacCallum last week that “under Joe Biden, we’re actually living under a dictatorship today where he’s, you know, bypassing Congress on immigration policy; he’s bypassing Congress on protecting our border; he’s bypassing Congress on student loan forgiveness; he’s defying the Supreme Court.” That line of attack has reverberated ever since.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum quickly surged to the top of former President Trump’s vice presidential shortlist after his own unsuccessful candidacy for the Republican nomination. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

So, by the process of elimination, Burgum creates the fewest problems for Trump. He’s not angling to run for president in four years, he’s not going to draw much attention from the president and he has a greater chance than I thought he did when we did our interview.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

Now this is where I have to caution that this reasoned analysis could be off base. Trump could pick Rubio, for instance, or could go with someone not on the list of three. He could change his mind at the last minute. How would we know, since we have no way of checking who he says he’s now picked?

A word about the timing of the announcement: There are many reasons why unveiling a running mate at the convention has fallen out of favor, and his name is Dan Quayle. The media unloaded on George H.W. Bush’s pick, questioning everything from the senator’s intelligence to past ethical questions, and it completely disrupted the convention.

When John McCain picked Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor and hockey mom was a smash hit at the convention. Not until later, under questioning by Katie Couric and others, did she come to be viewed as inexperienced and unprepared.

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So I suspect Trump will announce his choice just before the Milwaukee convention, letting the story play out before the spotlight should understandably shift to the nominee.

But again, with Donald Trump, anything is possible.

A Republican incumbent backed by former President Trump has survived a challenge from the right in her deep-red upstate New York House district.

Rep. Claudia Tenney defeated attorney and businessman Mario Fratto in the Republican primary for New York’s 24th Congressional District. 

Fratto referred to Tenney as a “RINO” (Republican in Name Only) throughout the campaign and accused her of not being conservative enough on various issues, while Tenney tried to paint Fratto as antisemitic and extreme.

HOW TO WATCH THE CNN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE SIMULCAST ON THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL

Republicans Mario Fratto and Claudia Tenney (Mario Fratto for Congress | Getty Images)

This is the second time Tenney and Fratto have faced off in a Republican primary for the district. The two clashed in 2022, with Tenney securing just under 54% of the vote to Fratto’s 40%.

Tenney’s win means she has likely secured a fourth term in the House of Representatives, given the conservative leanings of her district.

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She was first elected in 2016 to represent New York’s 22nd Congressional District, but she narrowly lost her 2018 re-election bid in a tough year for Republicans. She was re-elected in 2020 to again represent the 22nd District, but after redistricting across the state, she successfully ran for the 24th District in 2022.

Elections analysts rate the race as either “solid” or “safe” Republican.

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

John Curtis won Tuesday night’s primary challenge in Utah, taking one step closer to potentially replacing retiring moderate Republican Sen. Mitt Romney.

Curtis was leading with 52% of the vote when the Associated Press called the race.

He will now proceed to the November general election and face Democratic nominee Caroline Gleich. Utah hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1970. 

UTAH GOP CHOOSE TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE AS NOMINEE TO REPLACE SEN. ROMNEY, BUT PRIMARY STILL TO COME

(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/Rick Bowmer)

Runner-up candidate Trent Staggs was at 28.2%. Staggs built his base by calling delegates personally and courting the endorsements of Trump and many of his allies nationwide. The former president wrote on his Truth Social platform in April that Staggs is a “100% MAGA” candidate who knows how to stop inflation, grow the economy and secure the U.S.-Mexico border. 

UTAH GOP CHOOSES TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE AS NOMINEE TO REPLACE SEN. ROMNEY, BUT PRIMARY STILL TO COME

Staggs was the first candidate to enter the Senate race, even before Romney announced he was not seeking reelection.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Tuesday he would not be supporting former President Trump in his bid to become president again, saying it was a matter of character. (Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images / Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images )

Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, is currently the longest serving congressman in Utah’s House delegation and positioned himself as an alternative to the Trump-endorsed Staggs. A former mayor of the city of Provo, Curtis, 63, has served in Congress since 2017, winning a special election that year and reelection by wide margins ever since.

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Like Romney, Curtis hasn’t endorsed Trump for president, likely squaring him with Romney’s base, and leans more left on issues like climate change compared to the rest of the Republican flank. 

Another conservative candidate, former state House Speaker Brad Wilson, despite loaning $3 million to his campaign, lost at the April state Republican convention to Staggs and was once considered a leading contender. Meanwhile, candidate Jason Walton positioned himself as a businessman similar to Trump.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

New York state Sen. John Mannion, a former public school teacher, won the Democratic primary in New York’s 22nd congressional district Tuesday night to face Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., in November. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report ranks the district as one of the most competitive in the country, and Democrats are eyeing it as a prime pickup opportunity to retake control of the House next year.

His victory comes despite recent allegations that his New York State Senate office was a toxic work environment “including mistreatment, harassment, and retaliation,” according to an unverified open letter signed by “Concerned Mannion Staff.” Mannion told local outlet CNY that the accusations were a “false political attack.”

WATCH: THIS HOUSE PRIMARY IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN CONGRESSIONAL HISTORY

Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., is one of the most vulnerable House incumbents this cycle. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Williams’ district in central New York includes cities like Syracuse and Utica.

It’s one of 17 House GOP-held districts that President Biden won in 2020, making it a prime target for Democrats.

HEAD HERE FOR LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE PRIMARY CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Democrats John Mannion and Sarah Klee Hood faced off in a bid to challenge Williams in November. (Mannion For Congress/Sarah Klee Hood for NY)

Williams won his seat in 2022 with roughly 1.5% of the vote, and off-year redistricting has since changed his district’s boundaries to include bluer areas.

The first-term Republican lawmaker is a Navy veteran and currently sits on the committees for Transportation, Science, and Education and the Workforce.

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Williams is supporting former President Trump’s reelection. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

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Williams came out in support of former President Trump in late January of this year, though with a lukewarm endorsement that didn’t extol the former president directly.

“President Trump will be the Republican nominee for president. Our country is under immense pressure—inflation, chaos at the border, sanctuary cities, fentanyl, cashless bail, crime, energy costs—we can’t endure 4 more years of Progressive fantasies, we need a Republican in the White House. And I have always said our nominee will have my full support to turn this country around,” Williams said on X after Trump won the New Hampshire GOP primary.

Mike Kennedy on Tuesday won the Republican nomination for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District to replace outgoing Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, becoming the immediate favorite to win the seat in November.

Kennedy beat fellow Republicans JR Bird, John Dougall, Case Lawrence and Stewart Peay in a packed primary pool for the district. Curtis is vacating his seat to run for U.S. Senate to replace outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney.

Kennedy, a state senator, had won the party’s nomination for the seat in April but faced challenges from other candidates who gathered signatures to be on the ballot. Peay had won the endorsement of Romney, who is also Peay’s wife’s uncle. Kennedy had won the endorsement of Sen. Mike Lee, who said he was needed to “fight against the Uniparty and help get this country back on track.”

‘SQUAD’ MEMBER FACES OUSTER FROM CONGRESS AS NEW YORK, COLORADO AND UTAH HOLD PRIMARIES ON TUESDAY

From left, JR Bird, John Dougall, Mike Kennedy, Case Lawrence and Stewart Peay, candidates in the Republican primary for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, take part in a debate at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City on June 12, 2024. (Spenser Heaps/Deseret News via AP/Pool)

Bird, a mayor, emphasized his experience of running a small town as well as the importance of the energy sector and agriculture, according to the Deseret News.

Dougall, the state auditor, had run as an anti-MAGA candidate and had slammed some GOP legislation, including what he saw as an overly aggressive bill that tasks him with enforcing a ban on transgender-identifying individuals using restrooms that are inconsistent with their sex.

WATCH: THIS HOUSE PRIMARY IS MOST EXPENSIVE IN CONGRESSIONAL HISTORY

He has also been deeply critical of former President Trump. On Tuesday on X, he also questioned the “cavalier manner” of any official who swears to uphold the Constitution “then endorses Trump following January 6th.” He has advertised himself as “mainstream, not MAGA.”

At a debate this month, candidates split on the question of military funding to Ukraine as well as whether the federal government should explicitly ban abortion. Peay, Dougall and Case Lawrence – a trampoline park entrepreneur – had called on Congress to keep sending weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off the ongoing Russian invasion.

Bird and Kennedy disagreed, arguing that it was not beneficial to the U.S. to keep funding the Ukrainians, with the two calling for stronger sanctions and the seizure of Russian assets.

HEAD HERE FOR LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE PRIMARY CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Sen. Mitt Romney (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Kennedy will go on to face Democrat Glenn Wright in the November election, but the Republican is favored to win comfortably in a district that has voted Republican since 1997.

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Elsewhere in the state, Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, a major GOP Trump critic, held off a primary challenge from Phil Lyman, another 2020 election denier who easily won the state party convention.

The Associated Press and Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Spencer Cox emerged with the victory in the battle for the GOP nomination in Utah’s governor’s race, besting Phil Lyman in one of the more surprising primary challenges in the country.

TRUMP ENDORSES GOP UTAH SENATE CANDIDATE LOOKING TO REPLACE ROMNEY: ‘HE WILL BE A GREAT SENATOR’

Gov. Spencer Cox applauds after signing two social media regulation bills during a ceremony at the Capitol building in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 23, 2023. Cox signed a pair of measures that aim to limit when and where children can use social media and stop companies from luring kids to the sites. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

Lyman, a loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump’s, mounted the primary challenge against Cox despite the incumbent’s popularity in the state, with many conservative members of the state party becoming disillusioned with the governor’s vetoes of conservative legislation and noncommittal support for the former president.

Lyman, who was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after a misdemeanor conviction related to protesting the federal closure of the Recapture Canyon to offload vehicles, has promised a slew of reforms including tax cuts, education reforms, and immigration reforms.

Cox, meanwhile, continued to enjoy healthy popular support throughout the state, with recent polls showing a nearly 40 point lead for the incumbent ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Phil Lyman (Utah House of Representatives) 

UTAH GOP CHOOSE TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE AS NOMINEE TO REPLACE SEN. ROMNEY, BUT PRIMARY STILL TO COME

The current governor, who represents the party’s more moderate flank, further angered the states GOP delegates by gathering the 28,000 signatures necessary to be on the ballot instead of relying on the convention process, a tactic also used by former Gov. Gary Herbert to also work around the state’s more conservative grassroots. Herbert went on to easily win the nomination and general election that year.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Cox will now face off with Democratic State Rep. Brian King in November’s general election, with King securing his party’s nomination for the top state post in April.

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King faces an uphill battle in reliably red Utah, with a Republican holding the governor’s office in the state every year since 1985.

Republican candidate Gabe Evans, who received the backing of former President Donald Trump, defeated his primary challenger in the race to represent Colorado’s 8th Congressional District in the House.

The victory by Evans, a current member of the Colorado House of Representatives, came after he was pitted against former state Rep. Janak Joshi in Tuesday’s primary election.

Evans previously served in the U.S. Army and Colorado Army National Guard as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot and company commander, according to his campaign’s website.

In addition to his service in the military, Evans, a first-term state representative from Fort Lupton, also served as an Arvada police officer for more than a decade. Now, in his free time from serving as a state lawmaker, he teaches a concealed carry class in the 8th District.

SEMI DRIVER IN DEADLY COLORADO HIGHWAY CRASH IS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO WAS DEPORTED FROM US MULTIPLE TIMES: ICE

Gabe Evans (left) defeated Janak Joshi (right), in Tuesday’s GOP primary election to represent Colorado’s 8th Congressional District in the House. (Getty Images, Janak Joshi for Congress)

Evans’ campaign outlines “four pillars” on its website for which he is running his campaign, including American prosperity, American security, American education, and the defense of American values.

Evans and Joshi were the only two Republicans seeking their party’s nomination in Tuesday’s election. Evans received support from Trump and several other prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, while retired physician Joshi was backed by the Colorado Republican Party.

Trump gave Evans his “Complete and Total Endorsement” earlier this month, writing in a post to Truth Social, “A decorated Army helicopter pilot and police officer, Gabe will be an INCREDIBLE Fighter in Congress and will work hard to Grow the Economy, Lower Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, Defend the Border, Promote American Energy, and Support our Great Military and Police.”

With his primary victory in the bag, Evans now advances to the state’s Nov. 5 general election, where he will face off against incumbent Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo – a former Colorado state representative who has represented the district in the House since 2023.

Colorado state Rep. Gabe Evans works at the Colorado State Capitol on February 8, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. (RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Caraveo’s campaign previously slammed Evans following the endorsement from Trump, saying he “will do anything to get elected.”

“Evans will do anything to get elected, even stand by convicted felon Donald Trump. Now, Trump is rewarding Evans’ allegiance with an endorsement,” Mallory Payne, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Colorado Politics this month. “If it wasn’t already clear that Evans would cave to his MAGA leader’s every demand, it is now.”

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Immigration issues and the border crisis are likely to play a large role in the general election matchup between Evans and Caraveo.

Evans’ campaign website notes the “humanitarian and public policy crisis at the Southern border started the moment Joe Biden took office” and that a “huge percentage of the crime in Colorado is driven not just by homegrown criminals but by international crime organizations and cartels who exploit the open border and Colorado’s sanctuary policies as they prey on Colorado residents.”

Caraveo was one of 211 Democrats who voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023. That measure, which passed in the House, would have expanded the type of crimes that make someone ineligible for asylum, limited the eligibility to those who arrive at ports of entry, mandated a system similar to the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system and created additional penalties for visa overstay.

Incumbent Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., will face off against Gabe Evans in the state’s Nov. 5 general election. (Getty Images)

Caraveo was also one of the many House Democrats who voted against a GOP-led effort in the House to impeach Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas.

During her previous tenure in the Colorado state House of Representatives, Caraveo joined other Democrats from across the nation to send a letter urging the Biden administration to relax immigration rules and “divest from immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and CBP.”

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The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election analyst, currently ranks Colorado’s 8th District as a “Democrat Toss Up” race this cycle.

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

FACE OFF: Don’t miss the Fox News Simulcast of the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. Stay in the know for more updates here.

What’s happening…

-Calls for Biden to fire official for past anti-Israel tweets

-Trump urges drug test for Biden

-Whistleblower who exposed NPR bias finds new job

What can he say?

Judge Juan Merchan has partially lifted the gag order he imposed against former President Trump – weeks after the jury found him guilty on all counts.

Trump and his legal team have been fighting the gag order since it was imposed upon him at the start of the trial, but had ramped up their efforts when it concluded last month. The former president and presumptive Republican nominee’s legal team had argued the gag order should be lifted before the June 27 presidential debate.

Merchan’s gag order barred Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about witnesses with regard to their potential participation or about counsel in the case – other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg – or about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff.

Merchan on Tuesday partially lifted the gag order because the trial has concluded.

Trump is now able to speak about protected witnesses and jurors.

Trump is still blocked from commenting about individual prosecutors, court staff and their family members. That portion of the gag order will remain in effect until Trump’s sentencing on July 11.

Judge Juan Merchan imposed over Donald Trump (AP)

White House

‘JUST HORRIFYING’: Watchdog group calls for Biden to fire WH official for past anti-Israel tweets …Read more

Capitol Hill

‘OBSCENE’: House GOP lawmaker rips State Dept ahead of vote on U.S. dollars going to Taliban …Read more

U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks to the crowd while he campaigns in the Bronx borough of New York City, U.S., June 22, 2024. REUTERS/Joy Malone (REUTERS/Joy Malone)

Tales from the Campaign Trail

‘THEATER OF CONFLICT’: Democrat challenger slams Bowman tirade, says profanity-laced rally jeopardizes party ‘unity’ …Read more

JUST SAY ‘NO’: Trump urges drug test for Biden, says he’ll do same screening …Read more

EPIC CLASH: How to watch the CNN Presidential Debate Simulcast on the Fox News Channel …Read more

‘SUGARCOATING’ CONTROVERSY: California city keeps charged ballot language for non-citizen voting measure …Read more

CALL TO THE BULLPEN: Obama again serving as Joe’s closer ahead of 2024 Trump rematch …Read more

Trials and Tribulations

DAY 3: US v Trump: The afternoon public hearing ended with no decision from Judge Cannon Read more

Across America

NO ABORTIONS FOR MINORS: Tennessee sued over law banning adults from helping minors get abortions without parental consent …Read more

MOVING ON: Whistleblower finds new gig after exposing alleged liberal bias at NPR …Read more

NEW YORK PAYS PRICE FOR NAIVETY: Cuomo scorches Dems for migrant crisis: ‘We’re finding out, 200,000 people later, you needed a plan’ …Read more

GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER: This blue city that ‘Defund Police’ supporters call home has over 1,000 unsolved homicides …Read more

KENYAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE: Kenyan police depart for Haiti to tackle rampant gang violence …Read more

ALL MUST SERVE: Israel’s Supreme Court rules ultra-Orthodox men must serve in military in unanimous decision …Read more

HUGE POPULATION: Houston area, an immigration hot spot, reeling from murder of Jocelyn Nungaray …Read more

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

Attorneys for former President Trump argued that the search of his Mar-a-Lago property in August 2022 was without probable cause and a violation of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s constitutional rights, while federal prosecutors blasted the defense as a “conspiracy theory.” 

Trump attorneys and federal prosecutors appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Tuesday before Judge Aileen Cannon.

JUDGE UNSEALS FBI FILES IN TRUMP CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE, INCLUDING DETAILED TIMELINE OF MAR-A-LAGO RAID

Cannon first held a hearing Tuesday morning related to Trump’s “Motion for Relief relating to the Mar-a-Lago Raid and Unlawful Piercing of Attorney-Client Privilege.”

The hearing took place during a sealed session in order to protect secret grand jury materials. It is also sealed to protect materials in which Trump asserts attorney-client privilege and/or work product protection.

Former President Donald Trump, left, and Special Counsel Jack Smith. Smith is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Trump’s immunity claims in the election interference criminal case against him.  (Getty Images)

Cannon later opened the hearing to the public and the press. The hearing Tuesday focused on the legality of federal agents raiding Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property. 

Trump attorney Emil Bove argued that the search was impermissably large, arguing that the Mar-a-Lago property is 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, and that the federal government needed to establish probable cause for a search of the property in its entirety.

Cannon expressed skepticism, asking Bove: “What’s your point? It’s a property.”

Bove reportedly went on to explain areas the FBI agents took photos of — areas he said they were not supposed to search, like former First Lady Melania Trump’s bedroom, the gym and Barron Trump’s room.

Cannon pressed back, saying: “You can agree though, paperwork is a thing you could find anywhere.”

Cannon was essentially suggesting that classified documents could have been found anywhere in the home.

Bove also argued that the government told the magistrate judge, who signed off on the warrant, certain things but did not fully brief FBI agents on where to search during the raid. 

Bove said FBI agents executing the search were in no position to decide unilaterally where to search and what were personal records of Trump and what were not. 

A view of former President Donald TrumpÂs Mar-a-Lago home on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Bove went on to say there were omissions in the information given to the magistrate judge, arguing that some FBI agents said the search was unnecessary and that Trump should’ve been given a heads-up.

Bove said the agents were interested in “consent” from Trump. 

The Trump legal team repeatedly asked Cannon to schedule a “Franks hearing,” which is a hearing to explore the admission of evidence obtained during a search warrant that was issued after a magistrate judge had been misled. Cannon seemed skeptical but said she would take the motion under advisement.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges against Trump after his months-long classified records investigation, was present in court Tuesday. 

FEDERAL JUDGE POSTPONES TRUMP’S CLASSIFIED RECORDS TRIAL WITH NO NEW DATE

Federal prosecutor David Harbach argued for the special counsel’s team and told Cannon that, in this instance, the defense is required to make a “substantial showing” to prove false statements intentionally or a reckless disregard for the truth in the documentation given to the magistrate judge when obtaining the initial search warrant. 

Harbach added that the mandate for such a hearing is that there must be allegations of a “deliberate falsehood,” and that must be accompanied by proof. Harbach argued to Cannon that Trump’s team had fallen “woefully” short in their filings to satisfy those requirements.

Cannon did ask the prosecution about the Trump team’s allegation that there was dissension within the FBI about whether to give former President Trump a chance at “consent” of the search — in other words, to let him know a search was coming and negotiate the terms of turning over documents. 

Former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.  (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“Would that have made a difference?” Cannon asked.

Harbach replied, “Definitely not,” and added that was not something that the magistrate judge would have considered in connection with probable cause. Harbach also called that argument from the Trump team a “conspiracy theory.”

Harbach said the defense team did not meet their burden of proof for this motion and argued they should not be allowed to trigger an additional evidentiary hearing. They hoped to be able to bring in FBI agents to ask about their “mental state” on the day of the Mar-a-Lago raid.

With regard to Trump’s argument that the search of Mar-a-Lago was overbroad, Harbach argued that the former president had access to his wife’s quarters as well as his son’s, and said the FBI’s search of those rooms was “plainly within the scope of the warrant.”

Harbach also defended the search, saying there was no “rummaging” through rooms, and maintained that the agents carried out their duties “professionally and expeditiously.” 

Harbach argued that there was “reason to believe” that classified documents were at Mar-a-Lago, and that the documents had been moved at Trump’s direction. Harbach said coupled together, those two things were sufficient reason to search the entire property.

Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers raised issue with the fact that other documents were seized during the raid beyond classified records, including personal documents like medical and tax records. 

Cannon asked why a medical record “would need to be seized?” 

Harbach answered that was because the warrant “authorized the seizure of the box… the boxes contained all kinds of things.” 

Harbach also added that the medical records and the passport were returned to Trump. 

Trump’s team had also argued that the FBI had carried out the raid in an egregious fashion, but Harbach told Judge Cannon that was “false.”

The Trump team also has said there was no reason for the FBI to bring firearms to Mar-a-Lago, the property of a former president protected by Secret Service.

Federal Judge Aileen Cannon. (US Courts )

Harbach told Cannon that FBI agents carry firearms as a matter of course and that’s just “part of protocol.”

Bove delivered a rebuttal, where he again urged Cannon to schedule a hearing to explore issues surrounding the magistrate judge’s issuing of the search warrant and the FBI’s execution of the search warrant.

“He says there was no rummaging,” said Bove, referring to Harbach, “Says who?”

TRUMP CLASSIFIED DOCS JUDGE TO WEIGH ALLEGED ‘UNLAWFUL’ APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH

Bove added that’s why this situation “requires a hearing.”

“Your challenge is a particularity challenge,” Cannon said. “I don’t see what else should have been [in the attachments given to the magistrate judge.]” 

Meanwhile, Harbach accused Trump defense attorneys of attempting to “hijack the hearing.”

Cannon replied that there was no hijacking, that rather the hearing was coming to an end.

Harbach then said he wanted to make a “factual point about the tactics of the defense,” and accused them of repeated attempts to use this hearing to import other allegations.

There, Cannon cut him off and said she would take the motion under advisement.

The hearing comes after Cannon indefinitely postponed Trump’s trial due to the “myriad and interconnected pre-trial” issues “remaining and forthcoming.” She said it would be “imprudent and inconsistent with the Court’s duty to fully and fairly consider the various pending pre-trial motions.”

Cannon did not schedule a new trial date.

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Trump was charged out of Smith’s investigation into his retention of classified materials. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony charges from Smith’s probe, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements.

Trump was also charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of the investigation: an additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts.

Trump pleaded not guilty.

Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

During a week in which President Biden remains optimistic about his chances for a second term, the people of Scranton, Pennsylvania — Biden’s own birthplace — shared their perspectives with Fox News Digital on his first term’s performance and the issues most important to them this year.

Resident Michael said the president has left many a mark on his hometown.

“Well, the road’s named after him. You can start there,” Michael pointed as he stood just off Biden Street — formerly Spruce — in the city’s downtown.

“You know what the crazy part about politics is? You can’t win either way,” he said, casting doubt on the qualifications of both major-party candidates.

BIDEN CLAIMS TO SEE THE ECONOMY THROUGH THE EYES OF SCRANTON, NOT WALL STREET

The former Central Scranton Expressway — now the President Biden Expressway — diverges from I-81, which continues toward Binghamton, N.Y. (Charles Creitz)

“Now, what are we going to do? Vote-in a convict; a criminal — or person who doesn’t know anything.”

Resident Lauren, who declined to give her last name, said her top issue is women’s reproductive rights. Lauren said she is not pleased with how the chips fell on the abortion issue during Biden’s tenure.

Walking with a companion near Boscov’s department store on Lackawanna Avenue, local resident Thomas said he fully supports Biden, saying he has “done a lot for the economy.”

He cited food prices recently sliding somewhat, and praised the city’s decision to rename the Central Scranton Expressway connector to I-81 after its native son.

Steve later spoke to Fox News Digital outside the city bus terminal along the Lackawanna River.

He said he was on his way to the welfare office; a trip he never thought he’d have to make.

BIDEN’S HOMETOWN SPEAKS OUT ON BIDENOMICS

Gary spoke to Fox News Digital outside a Scranton market (Charlie Creitz/Fox News Digital)

“[The economy] has tanked,” he said. “It’s so terrible right now. Everything — every decision [Biden] has made, it’s put us in a spot where we can’t even live,” he said, going on to reference where he was heading.

“That’s the first time in my life. It’s terrible. I can’t even explain it. If we continue like this, everybody’s going to be living in the woods.”

Another man, Brian, said Biden’s term has been a “disaster,” but stopped short of claiming former President Trump returning to office would be the answer.

“I think they’re both the same, to be honest with you.”

“[Biden’s] presidency has been a disaster. Our country only got worse. Everything’s been bad ever since. But it’s been that way for the last 20 years with everybody [who has been] in office. So I just don’t know what the answer is to that.”

Nonetheless, Brian said, he still remains undecided about his candidate choice.

Heather, who was on break from her job at a local restaurant, remarked, “Trump 2024,” when asked about Biden.

“Absolutely ridiculous — he doesn’t even complete sentences,” she said.

BIDEN’S MOVE TO LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON NOTORIOUS DICTATORSHIP RECEIVES BACKLASH

John from Scranton said he’s supporting Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. this year. (Charlie Creitz/Fox News Digital)

Her friend, John, said he can’t give a prognosis of Biden’s first four years. “We go downhill, then we go uphill,” he said of the U.S. economy over the longer term.

At the Northern Light Espresso Bar on Biden Street, owner Jennifer Saunders told Fox News Digital business is going well as of late.

She said restaurant-related prices and costs are high, however, while adding she avoids passing the difference on to the consumer.

“I try not to as much as I can, but I have to stay in business… it’s a tough balance,” she said.

Saunders said she doesn’t necessarily ascribe such market forces to who is in power. Instead, she said the effects of COVID-19 caused the economy to tank over the long-term.

Joe Biden speaks to reporters outside his childhood home on N. Washington Ave. in Scranton in 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty)

As for elections, Saunders said 2020 felt like a choice of “the lesser of two evils,” and that the 2024 rematch appears the same.

Locally, however, Saunders said things are looking up, calling Scranton a “fantastic city” in which to live, work and visit.

Josie, a self-described “anarchist” who was leaving a Pride Month event in neighboring Wilkes-Barre, said neither candidate is in it “for the people,” but that Biden has a purported advantage in her mind:

“I think that they’re all completely removed from the struggles of regular people. However, at least his team doesn’t really seem to want me dead,” she claimed, referring to Trump as the latter.

“To be honest with you. I mean, as for everything with Israel, it’s absolutely appalling,” Josie added.

IN WINNING DEBATE COIN FLIP, TEAM BIDEN PRIORITIZES PODIUM OVER CLOSING STATEMENT ORDER

A sign popularized by NBC’s “The Office” sits on display at the Mall at Steamtown, Scranton, Pa. (Charles Creitz)

In Scranton’s downtown, a young man named John said he was eschewing both major party nominees in favor of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

John said Kennedy has both an impressive policy agenda and persona.

“I like his character. I like the way he speaks on a variety of issues and his plans to address them,” he said.

John said he believes Kennedy is gaining traction at the right time, and that he’s “rooting for him” to pull off an upset in November.

“A world leader, [Biden] is not,” added Joe, another Scrantonian. 

“The economy is not as good as he says it is,” Joe said as he walked near the government building named for another famous city native, former Democratic Gov. Robert Casey of Casey v. Planned Parenthood fame.

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Lauren from Scranton offered her take on President Biden, saying women’s reproductive rights are top of mind. (Charles Creitz/Fox News)

Relatedly, Monday marked the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision reversing Roe v. Wade, and Scranton Democratic Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti headlined a Biden campaign-connected rally outside the courthouse.

After her remarks, Gebhardt Cognetti spoke to Fox News Digital about why she is supporting her fellow Scrantonian this fall.

With “Dobbs” front-of-mind, Gebhardt Cognetti said Trump will try to “erode the rights of women” if he has a second term in office. She praised Biden for supporting working-class cities like Scranton, which she said need to remain attractive for investment and raising families.

Jen, a registered nurse for the past 28 years, who spoke at Gebhardt Cognetti’s event, said health care has always been her top political issue.

“My general messaging is always just that ‘Donald Trump is hazardous to your health,'” she said.

“You look at the Affordable Care Act, you look at the protections that are in place for patients with preexisting conditions. Overall, there’s just no better choice when it comes to health care than Joe Biden.”

Fox News Digital’s Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.

The primary race between Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Westchester County, N.Y., Executive George Latimer tells a story.

It’s a story which will say a lot about the Democratic Party, circa 2024.

And it’s a story Democrats may wish would disappear just four-and-half months before the November election. 

SENATE STUMPED OVER COVID ORIGINS: WHAT WE KNOW – AND DON’T KNOW

The primary challenge race Bowman and Latimer highlights schisms in the Democratic Party. It exposes the raw nerves between progressives like Bowman and more mainstream Democrats like Latimer. It also underscores the fissure over the Middle East which is cleaving the party. Bowman lambastes Israel over the war against Hamas. Latimer is outspoken in his defense of Israel.

Latimer decided to challenge Bowman after the Congressman formerly denied sexual violence and other atrocities by Hamas.

“There’s still no evidence of beheaded babies or raped women. But they still keep using that lie. Propaganda,” said Bowman in a TikTok video which went viral.

It took until last week for Bowman to retract those comments during an appearance on WNYC-FM in New York.

“Immediately when the UN provided additional evidence, I voted to condemn the sexual violence. I apologize for my comments,” said Bowman on WNYC. 

A side-by-side view of Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Westchester County, N.Y., Executive George Latimer. (Getty Images)

The pro-Israel political action committee AIPAC poured money into the campaign of Latimer after Bowman lashed out at Isarel. The race emerged as the most-expensive primary in House history. The tab: a whopping $24 million between the candidates combined.

But it’s the involvement of groups like AIPAC playing in the race which spurred the progressive cavalry to ride to the aid of Bowman. Bowman surrogates didn’t linger on his differences with Israel. Instead, they targeted the influx of cash into the race.

“This election is not about a clash of ideas. This election is about whether billionaire super PACs can buy our democracy,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

“Since he has been elected to Congress, he has not accepted one dime of corporate lobbyists,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., while campaigning for Bowman. “Why does he do that? Because he knows if you take corporate money, if you take lobbyist money, you can not put the people of Westchester first.”

Bowman put it in more profane terms while campaigning over the weekend.

BIDEN’S ATTORNEY GENERAL IS FIGHTING BACK AS THE GOP-LED HOUSE CONTEMPLATES CONTEMPT

“We are gonna show f$*king AIPAC the power of the motherf–king South Bronx,” boasted Bowman at an expletive-laden campaign rally outside the district Saturday. 

Latimer called such coarse language “inappropriate.”

“I think I get the right to lose my temper,” said Latimer. “I don’t think I get the right to curse in public.”

Bowman continued his salty rant to an adoring crowd in the Bronx.

“People ask me why I got a foul mouth. What am I supposed to do? You coming after me? You coming after my family? You coming after my children? I’m not supposed to fight back?  I’m not supposed to fight back? We’re gonna show them who the f&%$ we are,” warned Bowman.

That distills the quintessence of the Bowman/Latimer race. Different styles. Different approaches. Different ways to connect with Democratic voters.

“X. For Gen X. For the Bronx. X. From Malcom X!” thundered Bowman.

“What I’ve offered is a slogan that says results. Not rhetoric,” said Latimer. 

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks at a re-election rally at Maceachron Park on June 21, 2024 in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.  (Joy Malone/Getty Images)

And then there is the geography of the district. Progressives dot the urban areas of the north Bronx which Bowman represents now. Same with inner suburbs like Yonkers and New Rochelle. But it’s a different game when you tread deeper into Westchester County. That’s home to a significant pro-Israel, Jewish population. Especially in towns like Rye Brook and Mamaroneck. 

Voters aren’t as progressive as you creep out of New York City. 

“Bowman’s support diminishes as you go north in Westchester County,” said Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University who’s watched the race. “It’s really tapering off pretty dramatically when you get to places like Rye. So it’s basically Latimer country.” 

Bowman finds himself squeezed in an electoral vice between progressives and energized voters who align with Israel. That’s why the contest is a bellwether for the internal rift which torments the Democratic Party.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON: WHO NEEDS WHO?

“If Jamaal Bowman also falls, I think it would deliver a pretty strong message that this particular wing of the Democratic Party is out of favor with Democratic primary voters,” said Baker. “(The Middle East) is right on the fault line between progressives and moderates. And both candidates are perfect examples of what their various factions represent.”

Latimer tries to contrast his views with those held by Bowman. 

“He had other members of the squad have an active, aggressive, anti-Israel situation. If there’s a path to peace, then you have to have Israel and the Arab world at the table and they have to negotiate this out.”

Bowman was controversial before the war in the Middle East. U.S. Capitol Police charged him criminally after he pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building last fall during a vote to avoid a government shutdown. 

“It was a dumb choice,” said Bowman after his court appearance. “I take full responsibility for it now. I’m trying to move on. Just do my job.”

George Latimer, Westchester County executive and US Democratic House candidate for New York, speaks during the Glen Island Bridge public meeting at New York Athletic Club Travers Island in Pelham, New York, US, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.  (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Bowman avoided jail time. But he faced a fine and had to exhibit good behavior for a couple of months. The judge also required him to write a letter of apology to the U.S. Capitol Police. 

Former. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee and was a major supporter of Israel, represented the district for three decades. But Bowman defeated Engel in a 2020 primary. That loss by Engel represented a leftward tilt by Democrats and an emergence by progressives in the House Democratic Caucus. Ocasio-Cortez defeated former Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., in the New York primary in 2018. Crowley was thought by many to be a potential successor to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Then came other progressives. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., took out former Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., in a 2020 primary as well. 

But the war in the Middle East began to reveal friction in the Democratic coalition. The fight over the Bowman/Latimer race is a microcosm of this. The Mideast conflict is why President Biden may struggle to get younger voters to the polls this fall. He and other Democrats may also face trouble in regions with significant Arab or Muslim populations like Michigan. 

But the race is a litmus test for the direction of the party. A Bowman loss may show fractures with progressives. But a single loss could just be a one-off. However, Bush is on the ballot in a primary contest against St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell and former state senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal in August. It’s a trend if Bowman loses – potentially followed by a loss later this summer by Bush. 

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And the lesson for the Democratic Party? There’s a lot of division on their side of the aisle.