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North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson was hospitalized following an “incident” at a campaign event on Friday evening, Fox News Digital has confirmed. 

It happened while Robinson was attending the Mayberry Truck Show in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. 

“Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was treated at Northern Regional Hospital for second-degree burns. He is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning,” Mike Lonergan, Robinson’s campaign communications director told Fox News Digital. 

It’s unclear exactly how Robinson was burned.

NC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE MARK ROBINSON HIRES TRUMP-FRIENDLY LAWYER TO INVESTIGATE PORN WEBSITE ALLEGATIONS

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was hospitalized Friday evening after he was burned at a campaign event, Fox News Digital confirmed. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Robinson, the current Republican lieutenant governor running against Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in the battleground state, was recently accused of making controversial comments on a porn website. 

Robinson denies the allegations. He hired an attorney who previously worked for former President Trump. The Binnall Law Group from northern Virginia is investigating claims raised in a CNN report published earlier this week. 

“Normally, something like this, an investigation, you know, run by the Department of Justice and the FBI would take months or years,” Binnall previously told Fox News Digital. “We can’t do that in this case because the voters need an answer before the election. And so we are going to move very quickly and still give them a very fulsome report.” 

“He absolutely denies saying any of the things that are in the CNN piece,” Binnall said of Robinson. “What my investigation is going to do is we are going to follow the facts. We are going to investigate this strenuously. We are going to leave no stone unturned. We’re going to be very, very aggressive. And the citizens of North Carolina deserve nothing less than a full investigation of this matter, which is what we are going to do.”

BATTLEGROUND STATE REPUBLICAN DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN PORN SCANDAL, DISMISSES IT AS ‘TABLOID TRASH’

It’s unclear how Robinson was burned. (Grant Baldwin/Getty Images)

The CNN report surfaced comments Robinson allegedly made more than a decade ago on a porn site messaging board, including describing himself as a “black NAZI;” saying he enjoyed transgender pornography; saying that he preferred Hitler to then-President Barack Obama in 2012; and criticizing the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.” 

Robinson has denied saying those words, but Republicans have begun to distance themselves from the candidate, who, if elected, would be North Carolina’s first Black governor. Trump did not mention Robinson, who he endorsed before the March primary and has spoken at other Trump events, during the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, Saturday. 

The “incident” happened at a campaign event in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

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“The allegations against me are outright lies, fabricated to distract voters from Josh Stein’s disastrous record,” Robinson previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the investigation. “The great people of North Carolina deserve the truth, and I am fully committed to ensuring they get it with complete transparency.”

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

The former director of Project 2025 did not step down in July, as was initially reported, but was fired due to “dismissive and unprofessional” workplace behavior, the conservative think tank revealed Friday. The man at the center of the controversy says he’s being made a “scapegoat.”

Project 2025 is only the latest iteration of a longstanding Heritage Foundation initiative to establish a conservative governing blueprint. But incessant attacks by Democrats focusing on Project 2025 have led to intense scrutiny and frequent misrepresentations of the plan’s details.

Still, Paul Dans’ departure from the institution had little to do with that firestorm, according to Heritage.

“Paul Dans was terminated from the Heritage Foundation due to a number of related issues, including his dismissive and unprofessional approach to interacting with a number of his colleagues,” Kelly Adams, director of people operations at Heritage, told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP HITS BACK AT HARRIS WITH ‘KAMALA’S PROJECT 2025′

Project 2025 lead Paul Dans in Milwaukee on the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention July 17, 2024. (Dominic Gwinn)

“After some specific disconcerting interactions were brought to the attention of senior management, an internal review was conducted, and a decision was made to separate Mr. Dans’ employment as amicably as possible.”

At the time, Dans was said to be stepping down as the Project 2025 head.

But Heritage soon reportedly received multiple communications from Dans that accused the think tank of terminating him on false grounds.

“I was made a scapegoat by The Heritage Foundation to cover up for their own mishandling of the public relations fiasco over Project 2025,” Dans told Real Clear Politics. “It appears that the Heritage Foundation continues to trash my good name and professional reputation for their benefit.”

The Heritage Foundation defended its decision and said it was Dans’ workplace behavior that led to his firing.

HERITAGE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT CONFIRMS TRUMP HAD NO INVOLVEMENT IN PROJECT 2025

“The Heritage Foundation deeply values all of our staff and is committed in both practice and principle to maintaining a positive work environment where abusive or demeaning behavior is not welcome,” Adams said.

“We are deeply disappointed that Mr. Dans is using the liberal media to attack Heritage’s decision to terminate him, thereby making the rationale behind his dismissal public. We will not allow him to falsely attack Heritage and its people, without defending the difficult decision to terminate Paul’s employment based on facts. We will continue to defend our staff and our institution from false narratives and disgruntled former employees.”

New reports have surfaced detailing Dans’ behavior leading up to the termination, specifically allegations about his conduct at the Republican National Convention in July, when he reportedly cursed at colleagues while critiquing their performance and was issued a warning by Heritage President Kevin Roberts. 

“He was being so demeaning,” a source told Real Clear Politics. “It was constant, and he refused to listen.” 

After he was fired, Dans, through his legal counsel, reportedly sought $3.1 million from Heritage and wanted the funds delivered in two days, according to documents reviewed by RCP. Heritage rejected the request.

An exterior view of The Heritage Foundation building July 30, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik)

Soon after he was fired, Dans became a vocal critic of the Trump campaign, telling The New York Times in September the former president should replace two of his senior advisers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita. Dans claimed their mismanagement had prevented Trump from surging ahead of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in Project 2025’s formation, saying, “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying, and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.”

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

DON’T MISS IT: Vance vs. Walz this Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. What might set this VP debate apart from the rest?

Top 3: 

– 3 hackers with ties to Iran indicted in plot against Trump campaign

– President Biden declines to say if Iran killing Trump would be an ‘act of war’

– NYC Mayor Eric Adams turns himself in to face charges in federal corruption case

Autumn Cleaning

North Carolina has removed over 700,000 individuals from its registered voter list, officials say. 

The State Board of Elections announced Thursday that 747,000 people have been removed from voter rolls in the last 20 months due to ineligibility. 

“The county boards follow careful policies to ensure that only ineligible records are removed, not those of eligible voters,” the Board of Elections said in a press release.

“Meanwhile, newly eligible voters are constantly being added to the registration rolls in our growing state,” the board added. “Currently, North Carolina has nearly 7.7 million registered voters.”

A common reason for removal from voter rolls was moving residences — either within the state without notifying election officials or to another state altogether. …Read more

Absentee ballots are prepared to be mailed at the Wake County Board of Elections in Raleigh, North Carolina. ((Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images))

Capitol Hill

AFRAID TO ESCALATE: White House declines to say if Iran killing Trump would be an ‘act of war’ …Read more

BOYCOTTED: Democrats skip testimony from GOP lawmakers with sniper experience at Trump assassination attempt hearing …Read more

‘WE’VE GOT TO’: Kamala Harris isn’t alone: Vulnerable Dems want current filibuster gone …Read more

Vulnerable Democrats have been on the same page as Vice President Harris when it comes to the filibuster.  (Reuters)

BATTLEGROUND BLITZ: As leader race looms, John Thune takes Senate map by storm to boost GOP candidates …Read more

Tales from the Trail

PLOT AGAINST TRUMP: 3 hackers with ties to Iran indicted in plot against Trump campaign: DOJ …Read more

BORDER BATTLE: Harris heads to southern border looking to flip script on immigration criticisms …Read more

‘VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP’: Trump meets Ukraine’s Zelenskyy at Trump Tower, says Russia’s war must end with ‘fair deal’ …Read more

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

UNDER SCRUTINY: Harris visits crucial border state as immigration record sparks scrutiny: A timeline …Read more

Across America

DAY IN COURT: Mayor Eric Adams arrives to turn himself in to face charges in federal corruption case …Read more

‘APPEASING’ RADICALS: Harvard went easy on students for antisemitic conduct, House committee finds …Read more

‘SECRET CONVERSATIONS’: Trump-endorsed House candidate sounds alarm on China’s growing influence in battleground state …Read more

HIGHLY REGULATED: 800-plus bills left on Newsom’s desk illustrate California’s overregulation problem: experts …Read more

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has more than a thousand bills to review at the end of the 2024 legislative session. (Anadolu / Contributor)

‘ANTI-ENERGY AGENDA’: Vulnerable Dem senator ripped for votes on key 2024 Rust Belt issue: ‘Lockstep’ with Harris …Read more

‘DEFIES ALL COMMON SENSE’: Tens of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals, including sex offenders, loose on the streets: ICE data …Read more

Around the World

HUNGARY FOR TRUMP: Hungarian FM recalls strong Trump admin ‘experience,’ claims ‘our hope is all’ on former president …Read more

THE COVID EXCUSE: China tried to smuggle drones to Libya disguised as Covid aid with help of UN workers, investigator says …Read more

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

DOUGLAS, Ariz. — Vice President Harris made her first appearance Friday at the southern border since becoming the Democratic nominee for president, and delivered a speech pledging to crack down on illegal immigration while blasting former President Trump.

“Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from reentering for five years,” Harris told an enthusiastic crowd inside the gymnasium of the Cochise County College Douglas Campus located roughly two miles from the southern border. 

“We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum. While we understand that many people are desperate to migrate to the United States. Our system must be orderly and secure.”

HARRIS VISITS CRUCIAL BORDER STATE AS IMMIGRATION RECORD SPARKS SCRUTINY: A TIMELINE

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris greets supporters during a campaign event at Cochise College Douglas Campus in Douglas, Ariz., Friday.

Harris, who touted her record as a border state attorney general, claimed that Trump “tanked” the “strongest border security bill we have seen in decades” earlier this year and argued that if it were law today, it would be producing “results” for the country.

“It is my pledge to you that as President of the United States I will bring it back up and proudly sign it into law,” she said.

Harris also pledged to “understand how solutions get formed” and to “reach across the aisle and I will embrace common sense approaches and new techniques to get the job done.”

“Because I know transnational gangs coming across the border, trafficking in guns, drugs and human beings could[n’t] care less who somebody voted for in the last election,” she said.

Harris added, “I will surge support to law enforcement agencies on the front lines, more personnel, more training and more technology, including 100 new inspection systems that can detect fentanyl hidden in vehicles.”

Fentanyl was a common message in Harris’ speech, which she delivered after being introduced by Theresa Guerrero, whose son, Jacob, was killed by fentanyl poisoning at age 31.

“We will make sure that our ports of entry, including airports and seaports, have additional state-of-the-art technology to detect fentanyl and the chemical tools used to make it,” Harris said. “I will also double the resources for the Department of Justice to extradite and prosecute transnational criminal organizations and the cartels.”

Harris added, “The United States is a sovereign nation, and I believe we have a duty to set rules at our border and to enforce them. And I take that responsibility very seriously. We are also a nation of immigrants. The United States has been enriched by generations of people who have come from every corner of the world to contribute to our country and to become part of the American story.”

MARK CUBAN SPARS WITH RILEY GAINES OVER HARRIS’ HANDLING OF THE BORDER CRISIS

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Harris visits the U.S.-Mexico border with U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin in Douglas, Ariz., Friday.

Harris claimed during her speech that Trump did “nothing” to fix our “broken immigration” system during his four years as president.

“He did not solve the shortage of immigration judges,” Harris said. “He did not solve the shortage of border agents. He did not create lawful pathways into our nation. He did nothing to address an outdated asylum system and did not work with other governments in our hemisphere to deal with what clearly is also a regional challenge.

“He separated families. He ripped toddlers out of their mothers arms, put children in cages, and tried to end protections for Dreamers. He made the challenges at the border worse. And he is still. And he is still fanning the flames of fear and division. And let me be clear, that is not the work of a leader. That is not the work of a leader. And that is, in fact, I think we all believe an abdication of leadership.”

Harris signaled that she will find a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers” who she said are “American in every way.”

Harris told the crowd she will work with Democrats and Republicans to fix the border issue and said she rejects the “false choice” between securing the border and “creating a system of immigration that is safe, orderly, and humane.”

“We can, and we must do both. We must do both.”

Shortly before the speech, Harris walked the southern border with two border patrol officials who the White House says briefed her on “their efforts to combat traffickers and transnational criminal organizations.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump speaks at a campaign event, Friday, in Walker, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Following that briefing, Harris traveled by motorcade to the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry in Douglas where she was briefed on efforts to stem the flow of fentanyl at the border. 

Harris’ speech outlining how she will tackle illegal immigration comes under the backdrop of millions of illegal immigrants overwhelming the southern border during her tenure as vice president, which has sparked frequent criticism from Trump, Republicans, and the Border Patrol union. 

“After years of not just ignoring the problem, but helping create it, Vice President Kamala is finally headed down to the border,” the National Border Patrol Council said in a statement leading up to Harris’ visit. “This is nothing more than for her to check the box, but what it is in reality, is a slap in the face towards the men and women that put their lives on the line every day, and also a slap in the face to the American public. Where has she been?”

BORDER-DISTRICT REPUBLICANS HAMMER HARRIS, DEMAND ‘AN APOLOGY’ OVER ‘PHOTO OP’ CAMPAIGN STOP IN ARIZONA

Fox News Digital reported earlier this year that at least 7.2 million illegal immigrants entered the United States under President Biden, an amount greater than the populations of 36 states.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris speaks at Cochise College Douglas Campus in Douglas, Ariz., Friday. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Harris faced criticism just hours before her speech after Immigration and Customs Enforcement released data showing that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with sex offenses and homicide convictions are currently loose on the streets in the U.S.

Fox News polling released this week showed Trump with a 3 point lead in Arizona after Harris was in the lead by a point last month. 

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The 3-point shift among registered voters is mainly due to movement among young voters, women and Hispanics.  

Polling has also shown that the vast majority of Americans believe the southern border is a “problem” after almost four years of the Biden-Harris administration and recent Fox News polling shows Americans trust Trump on the economy over Harris by 10 points.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Dana Blanton contributed to this report

The White House has yet to comment on new data released to lawmakers showing the number of illegal immigrants with convictions for sex offenses and homicide convictions and who are not in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.

The agency provided data to Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, about national data for illegal immigrants with criminal charges or convictions. The data, as of July 2024, is broken down by those in detention, and those who are not in detention — known as the non-detained docket. The non-detained docket includes noncitizens who have final orders of removal or are going through removal proceedings, but are not detained in ICE custody. 

There are currently more than 7.4 million people on that docket, up from around 3.7 million when former President Trump left office. 

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT, MURDER CONVICTIONS ROAMING US STREETS: ICE DATA 

U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S. and Mexico border fence in Calexico, Calif.  ( Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The data says that, among those not in detention, there are currently 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges. The data does not reveal how many of those criminals are recent arrivals. 

For comparison, in August 2016, toward the end of the Obama administration, ICE said there were about 2.2 million noncitizens on the non-detained docket and about 368,574 were convicted criminals. 

In the latest data, the convicted criminals include 62,231 convicted of assault, 14,301 convicted of burglary, 56,533 with drug convictions and 13,099 convicted of homicide. An additional 2,521 have kidnapping convictions and 15,811 have sexual assault convictions.  There are an additional 1,845 with pending homicide charges, 42,915 with assault charges, 3,266 with burglary charges and 4,250 with assault charges.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the data and whether it had been aware of the numbers. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign also did not comment — Harris is currently at the southern border in Arizona. 

Fox News Digital has also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security.

The news sparked outrage from Republicans, who tied the numbers to the policies of the Biden administration and those sanctuary jurisdictions who refuse to co-operate with ICE.

‘POLITICAL STUNT’: CRITICS DISMISS HARRIS’ EXPECTED ARIZONA BORDER VISIT AS IMMIGRATION REMAINS TOP ISSUE

Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, called the data “beyond disturbing” and said “it should be a wake-up call for the Biden-Harris administration and cities across the country that hide behind sanctuary policies.”

“It’s time for Washington to move past rhetoric and toward results. Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities. As an Appropriator, I will do everything in my power to ensure ICE has the resources necessary to deport noncitizens with a criminal record—this must be a priority,” he said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration also plays a part in cleaning up the mess their failed policies have created. They have the ear of sanctuary city mayors—it’s time to encourage them to reverse course and put the safety of American citizens first.”

Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green said the release of illegal immigrants into the U.S. “defies all common sense.”

Immigrants line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico in Lukeville, Ariz. (John Moore/Getty Images)

“This is madness. It is something no civilized, well-functioning society should tolerate,” he said.

In the letter to Gonzalez, ICE took aim at so-called “sanctuary” cities, which refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting illegal immigrant criminals.

“ICE recognizes that some jurisdictions are concerned that cooperating with federal immigration officials will erode trust with immigrant communities and make it harder for local law enforcement to serve those populations. However, ‘sanctuary’ policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities,” it said.

It also stressed DHS’ efforts to remove illegal immigrants: “From mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024, DHS removed or returned more than 893,600 individuals, including more than 138,300 individuals in family units. The majority of all individuals encountered at the Southwest Border over the past three years have been removed, returned, or expelled.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

The Biden administration has prioritized the removal of public safety and national security threats in narrowed priorities it released in 2021, but critics have linked those priorities with a drop in ICE removals.

Republicans have blamed the border crisis on the policies of the administration, including rolling back Trump policies that limited “catch and release.”

The administration has said it needs more funding and reforms from Congress, including via a bipartisan Senate bill introduced this year. That bill would increase the number of ICE detention beds, but critics of the administration have pointed to numbers showing not all beds are being filled currently.

Asked about the increase in the non-detained docket this summer, a White House spokesperson pointed to that bill.

“Congressional Republicans had an opportunity to support the fairest and toughest set of reforms in decades, and they chose to put partisan political interests ahead of fixing our immigration system and securing our borders,” the spokesperson said. “Congressional Republicans have proven that they do not care about securing our border because, frankly, if they did, they would have supported the bipartisan agreement.”

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The data’s release comes as Harris visits the southern border in Arizona and seeks to present herself as tougher on the border than former President Trump, who she blames for the border bill not passing.

“Donald Trump tanked a bill to improve border security—just so he can win this election,” she said on Friday. “As I have shown throughout my career, I won’t back down from my plan to make our border more secure.”

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

Former President Trump called the U.S. a “dumping ground” Friday, hours after newly released data revealed that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with sex offenses and homicide convictions are roaming American streets. 

The data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says that, among those not in detention, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges.

The figures include 62,231 people convicted of assault, 14,301 convicted of burglary, 56,533 with drug convictions and 13,099 convicted of homicide. An additional 2,521 have kidnapping convictions and 15,811 have sexual assault convictions. 

ICE NON-DETAINED DOCKET EXPLODES TO 7.4M CASES

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event, Friday, in Walker, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

“We’re like a dumping ground,” Trump told supporters during a campaign event in Walker, Michigan, on the same day Vice President Harris was scheduled to visit the southern border. “Non-citizens, convicted criminals from all over the world are right now at-large in the United States of America.”

ICE blamed the figures on “sanctuary” cities, which refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting illegal immigrant criminals.

“ICE recognizes that some jurisdictions are concerned that cooperating with federal immigration officials will erode trust with immigrant communities and make it harder for local law enforcement to serve those populations. However, ‘sanctuary’ policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities,” the agency said.

‘POLITICAL STUNT’: CRITICS DISMISS HARRIS’ EXPECTED ARIZONA BORDER VISIT AS IMMIGRATION REMAINS TOP ISSUE

The Biden administration has come under fire for releasing many migrants into the U.S. interior, resulting in a sharp drop in deportations. 

Trump blamed Harris, who Republicans argue is weak on border security and who was slated to visit the southern border in Arizona on Friday, saying she ignored the problem despite migrant crime becoming a top issue among voters. 

“It’s a killing machine, and they’re killing people all over our country. And Kamala said, she said, ‘oh, well, those people really don’t kill like our criminals,'” Trump said. “No, no. These people make our criminals look like nice people. And I’ve been saying this from the beginning of the Harris Biden disaster.”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris smiles next to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., as she departs for the U.S.-Mexico border from Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Friday. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP)

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“Four years ago, Kamala Harris inherited the most secure border in U.S. history,” he added. “And as borders are, she then set the all-time record for illegal immigration into our country. Every single year. And many of these people were stone-cold criminals and murderers. She willfully and deliberately erased her own nation’s borders.”

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

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore his name to New York’s election ballot.

The appeal was denied by the country’s highest court without comment and without any noted dissents.

Kennedy has been trying to get his name off ballots in key battleground states since he suspended his campaign in August and endorsed former President Trump.

The candidate has simultaneously tried to stay on the ballot in states like New York, where his presence is unlikely to make a difference in the battle between Trump and Vice President Harris.

NEW YORK MAG PUTS REPORTER OLIVIA NUZZI ON LEAVE FOR ALLEGED ‘PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP’ WITH RFK JR.

Former Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gives remarks in Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

When he suspended his campaign, Kennedy said he planned to keep his name on the ballot in safe Democratic and Republican states, but didn’t want to be a spoiler in the battleground states. 

RFK, JR.: WE’RE TRYING TO GET OFF THE BALLOT IN ALL THE STATES I MIGHT BE A SPOILER

“In about 10 battleground states where my presence would be a spoiler, I’m going to remove my name, and I’ve already started that process and urge voters not to vote for me,” Kennedy said. “Our polling consistently showed by staying on the ballot in the battleground states, I would likely hand the election over to the Democrats, with whom I disagree on the most existential issues.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump shakes hands with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a rally in Arizona last month. (Reuters/Go Nakamura)

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Since suspending his campaign, Kennedy backed former Trump’s White House bid. 

And since Kennedy’s endorsement, Trump added him and former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard to his transition team.

A new poll in the race for a crucial electoral vote that could potentially determine whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Trump wins the 2024 White House race suggests that Harris holds a sizable lead.

Harris stands at 53% support, and Trump at 42% among likely voters in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, according to a new CNN poll conducted Sept. 20 to 25 and released on Friday.

Nebraska and Maine are the only two states in the nation that divide their electoral votes by congressional district. A competitive district in each of the states could help decide whether Harris or Trump succeeds President Biden in the White House.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING IN THE 2024 ELECTION

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump departs a campaign event at the Central Wisconsin Airport on September 7, 2024, in Mosinee, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Nebraska is solidly red in presidential elections. Trump carried the state by 25 points in his 2016 White House victory and by 19 points in his 2020 re-election defeat.

But Nebraska’s 2nd District, an urban-suburban area anchored by the city of Omaha, has a history of being competitive. 

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS SHOW

In 2008, then-Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama narrowly won the district, capturing its single electoral vote. In 2012, GOP nominee Mitt Romney won the district by single digits. Trump narrowly carried the district in 2016, but Biden won it four years ago.

The poll indicates Harris grabbing the support of 96% of Democrats, 61% of independents and even 10% support among Republicans.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.  (Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to the survey, Harris also holds a 24-point lead among female voters, while Trump’s advantage among men is just five points.

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Six in ten of those questioned in the poll said that Nebraska should keep its current system of rewarding electoral votes in a presidential election, with 40% saying it should switch to the system employed in 48 states, where the statewide winner grabs all the electoral votes.

Trump and national Republicans made a full-court press in recent weeks to urge Nebraska Republican lawmakers to change the law and switch to a winner-take-all system, but their lobbying effort fell short.

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

Vice President Kamala Harris’ battleground border state visit on Friday is being panned by House Republicans whose districts represent the front lines of the current migrant crisis.

At issue is Harris’ campaign stop in Douglas, a border town in the key state of Arizona, that comes less than six weeks before voters head to the polls to pick the next president.

“I have been consistent in my willingness to work with anyone – on either side of the aisle – to address the crisis at the border,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital. “However, Vice President Harris’ visit to the border smells like nothing more than a photo opportunity to try and score political points.”

Ciscomani is just one of several GOP lawmakers from border districts who are accusing Harris of caring more about optics than results. They have long blamed the Biden administration for the record number of illegal border crossings since Democrats took office, and Harris’ handling of the border is one of Republicans’ most significant political cudgels against her.

HARRIS HEADS TO SOUTHERN BORDER LOOKING TO FLIP SCRIPT ON IMMIGRATION CRITICISMS 

Reps. Darrell Issa and Juan Ciscomani are among those who criticized Vice President Harris’ border visit. (Getty Images)

“For three and a half years, the Vice President has been in a position to address this crisis, but instead she has ignored it,” Ciscomani said. “As a result, border districts, like mine, have suffered under her lack of leadership.”

HARRIS LEANS IN ON BORDER SECURITY AND TRUMP RELISHES THE FIGHT

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., whose San Diego-anchored district includes about 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, suggested the border crisis is a “feature, not a flaw” of the administration’s policies.

“What followed? America’s deadliest drug crisis ever, the unprecedented trafficking of women and girls, and 10 million illegals allowed to enter the country and stay,” Issa said. “Kamala owes America an apology, not a photo op.”

Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that she believes Harris’ trip is purely about playing politics. 

“It’s no coincidence that this last-minute visit comes as polls show Harris struggling in Arizona,” she said. “Despite the photo ops, the fact remains [that] under Harris’s watch, we’ve faced an unprecedented border crisis, a stark contrast to the secure border we had under President Trump.”

Rep. Monica De La Cruz, whose district is also on the border, similarly accused Harris of staging a photo opportunity. (Getty Images)

The 2024 election has seen a paradigm shift in how Democrats are discussing the border. Candidates on the left who need to appeal to moderate and independent voters – a contingent that includes Harris – have emphasized the need for border security.

Democrats have also pointed to President Biden’s executive actions on asylum that preceded a drop-off in the number of illegal border crossings between ports of entry in recent months. Encounters at the southwestern border were lower in July than during former President Trump’s final month in office.

On an annual basis, however, Biden’s tenure has seen more illegal crossings – with 2022 seeing a record 2.2 million border encounters.

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

Crossings also soared between 2020 and 2021 when Biden took office and rolled back several of Trump’s more restrictive border policies.

But rather than the issue uniting both parties, it has split Democrats and Republicans on how best to approach that goal.

Harris has frequently touted her support for a border security plan that was tanked earlier this year by Republican lawmakers, who said it did not do enough to secure the border and also codified policies they opposed. Democrats accuse the GOP of killing the legislation because it was opposed by former President Trump.

Asked for comment on Republicans’ attacks against Harris visit, a campaign spokesperson pointed Fox News Digital to a senior Harris campaign official’s comments that previewed the vice president’s Friday remarks.

Harris is expected to lay into her opponent, former President Trump, during her border visit. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

She’s expected to accuse Trump of blocking progress on border security for political gain and advocate for tougher border security measures.

The Harris campaign also pointed Fox News Digital to a statement on her visit that said Harris will “outline her plan to deliver real solutions on border security and the fentanyl crisis – unlike Donald Trump, who did nothing to fix our broken immigration system, made things worse, and killed bipartisan border solutions to play politics.”

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Harris has not visited the border since 2021, a trip that came shortly after she was tasked with spearheading a solution to the root causes of mass migration, which earned her the informal title of “border czar.”

The Trump campaign said in its own statement on Harris’ Friday trip: “Kamala’s last-minute trip to the border and empty calls for more security 39 days before the election will not rewrite the past 44 months of chaos, crime, and bloodshed caused by her open border policy.”

Vice President Kamala Harris heads to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Friday, the first time she has been to the border since a visit to El Paso in 2021 and coming on the heels of her campaign being dogged by her past on the subject of illegal immigration.

Harris has faced frequent attacks from her Republican opponent, former President Trump, and the Border Patrol Union who argue that she is weak on border security, an issue that many Republicans see as the vice president’s political Achilles’ heel.

“After years of not just ignoring the problem, but helping create it, Vice President Kamala is finally headed down to the border,” the National Border Patrol Council said in a statement. “This is nothing more than for her to check the box, but what it is in reality, is a slap in the face towards the men and women that put their lives on the line every day, and also a slap in the face to the American public. Where has she been?”

HARRIS HEADS TO SOUTHERN BORDER LOOKING TO FLIP SCRIPT ON IMMIGRATION CRITICISMS 

This split shows Vice President Kamala Harris and the southern border. (Fox News/ Joe Raedle/Getty Images))

Harris’ campaign has pointed to her past as a prosecutor, taking on transnational criminal gangs, and says she is the candidate to secure the border as she backs a bipartisan funding bill. 

But Harris has a lengthy history on immigration at the national level.

California Dreamers 2018-2019

Harris, as a California senator, was on the far-left of the Democratic Party on immigration, and in 2018 she pushed her colleagues in the Senate to reject a request by the Trump administration for more funding for immigration detention beds and Border Patrol agents.

In a letter to senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee in 2018, Harris and other senators called for them to “reject President Trump’s FY 19 funding request for a costly and ineffective border wall, new Border Patrol agents, and a large increase in U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel and detention beds.”

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

Sen. Kamala Harris is pictured at a parade in California. (Obtained by Fox Digital.)

HARRIS LEANS IN ON BORDER SECURITY AND TRUMP RELISHES THE FIGHT

She also grilled Ronald Vitiello, who was former President Trump’s nominee to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whether he was “aware of the perception” of parallels between ICE and the KKK.

“Are you aware that there is a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?” she asked again.

In recently revealed footage, Harris is seen at a rally chanting “Up, up with education, down, down with deportation” at a rally which also featured now-disgraced actor Jussie Smollett.

2019 presidential campaign

Harris launched a bid for the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2019. Her campaign included a promise to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) by executive order, which gives protection to illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors. 

She said that she would eliminate age requirements on applications and use parole authority to create a “parole in place” program to put those illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. 

Also she promised to shield illegal immigrant parents of American citizens and green card holders from deportation by executive order. Overall, her plan was predicted to protect over six million illegal immigrants from deportation.

2021: Vice President ‘Border Czar’

Harris became vice president in 2021 and the administration immediately rolled back a number of Trump-era initiatives and attempted to place a moratorium on deportations. 

Migrant numbers skyrocketed, and Biden told reporters in March that Harris would be put in charge of tackling root causes, issues like climate change, poverty and violence that the administration believes was driving migrants north.

It quickly led to Harris being dubbed by media outlets and Republicans as the “border czar.” The White House rejected that title, but it has stuck with her ever since and made her a figurehead along with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the crisis.

Summer 2021: Pressure rises

After the assignment by Biden, and with numbers skyrocketing through subsequent months to record highs, Harris immediately came under pressure to visit the border as the White House said her role was more diplomatic than related to the border directly. She instead went to Mexico and Guatemala and had a stern message for migrants that upset immigrant activists.

“Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our borders,” she said. “If you come to our border, you will be turned back.”

The pressure kept rising for her to go to the U.S. border.

“You haven’t been to the border,” NBC’s Lester Holt told her, after she claimed she had been to the border.

“And I haven’t been to Europe,” Harris quipped.

Immigrants line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on December 7, 2023, in Lukeville, Arizona. Jesus Enrique Ramirez Cabrera, according to federal sources, came into the country illegally in December 2023 through Arizona, was apprehended and released into the U.S. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Later that month, she went to the border in El Paso, Texas, where she received a briefing and toured a processing center while meeting with advocates and providers.

2022: More time needed

Harris would largely be unseen through the rest of 2021 and 2022 on the root causes strategy, although a private sector initiative to draw investment to tackle those root causes would continue. 

In June 2022, she traveled to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles and met with other leaders to discuss ways to handle the crisis. During that summit, she announced that $3.2 billion in commitments from private sector companies had been secured.

She also came under fire for declaring the border was secure despite the ongoing crisis and mass releases into the interior.

“The border is secure, but we also have a broken immigration system, in particular over the last four years before we came in, and it needs to be fixed,” Harris said on NBC.

2023: More records smashed

Harris made few appearances in 2023 relating to the border crisis, although her private investment strategy continued to bring in additional commitments from companies.

But the crisis did not stay out of the news, and 2023 broke new records for enormous amounts of migrant encounters and a number of chaotic scenes at the border.

Fiscal year 2023 broke the record for encounters with over 2.4 million, while December had nearly 250,000 encounters in a single month.

2024: Support for bipartisan bill, presidential bid

While the White House continued to reject the “border czar” narrative, Harris put her support behind a bipartisan Senate agreement to provide more funding to the border and reduce migrant crossings when they reach a certain level.

She also backed a number of executive orders by President Biden, who would implement a limit on asylum and efforts to provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who are spouses of U.S. citizens.

She has sought to portray herself as tougher on the border than former President Trump.

Now, with a stop in Douglas, Arizona, she aims to show that she is better prepared than Trump to tackle the combustible issue of immigration and what Republicans have spotlighted as the crisis at the southern border.

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“We need a comprehensive plan,” Harris said Wednesday in an interview with MSNBC. “That includes what we need to do to fortify not only our border but deal with the fact that we also need to create pathways for people to earn citizenship.”

Along with the border stop, the Harris campaign is launching a new ad that will play in Arizona and other battleground states that spotlights her past border efforts and plans.

“She put cartel members and drug traffickers behind bars, and she will secure our border,” the narrator in the commercial says.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

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

Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with sex offenses and homicide convictions are loose on the streets, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data provided to lawmakers this week. 

The agency provided data to Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, about national data for illegal immigrants with criminal charges or convictions. The data, as of July 2024, is broken down by those in detention, and those who are not in detention — known as the non-detained docket.  The non-detained docket includes illegal immigrants who have final orders of removal or are going through removal proceedings but are not detained in ICE custody. There are currently more than 7 million people on that docket.

The data says that, among those not in detention, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges.

ICE NON-DETAINED DOCKET EXPLODES TO 7.4M CASES

Those include 62,231 convicted of assault, 14,301 convicted of burglary, 56,533 with drug convictions and 13,099 convicted of homicide. An additional 2,521 have kidnapping convictions and 15,811 have sexual assault convictions. 

There are an additional 1,845 with pending homicide charges, 42,915 with assault charges, 3,266 with burglary charges and 4,250 with assault charges.

Immigrants line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on December 07, 2023 in Lukeville, Arizona. Jesus Enrique Ramirez Cabrera, according to federal sources, came into the country illegally in December 2023 through Arizona, was apprehended and released into the U.S. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

“As of July 21, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE’s national docket—13,099 criminally convicted MURDERS!” Gonzales said in a statement. “Americans deserve to be SAFE in our own communities.”

In a statement accompanying the latter, ICE took aim at so-called “sanctuary” cities, which refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting illegal immigrant criminals.

“ICE recognizes that some jurisdictions are concerned that cooperating with federal immigration officials will erode trust with immigrant communities and make it harder for local law enforcement to serve those populations. However, ‘sanctuary’ policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities,” it said.

It also stressed DHS’ efforts to remove illegal immigrants: “From mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024, DHS removed or returned more than 893,600 individuals, including more than 138,300 individuals in family units. The majority of all individuals encountered at the Southwest Border over the past three years have been removed, returned, or expelled.”

‘POLITICAL STUNT’: CRITICS DISMISS HARRIS’ EXPECTED ARIZONA BORDER VISIT AS IMMIGRATION REMAINS TOP ISSUE

However, the Biden administration came under fire for releasing many migrants who came to the U.S. border into the interior, which coincided with a sharp drop in deportations as it focused on prioritizing public safety and national security threats. There were 142,580 removals in FY 23, up considerably from 72,177 in FY 22 and 59,011 in FY 21, but still down from the highs of 267,258 under the Trump administration in FY 19. 

The number of illegal immigrants on the non-detained docket, meanwhile, has soared from 3.7 million in FY 2021 to nearly 4.8 million in FY 2022 to over 7 million in FY 2023. 

Republicans have blamed the border crisis on the policies of the administration, including rolling back Trump policies that limited “catch and release.”

“It may be shocking to hear that the Biden-Harris administration is actively releasing tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens into our communities, but their own numbers conclusively prove this to be the case. This defies all common sense,” House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green told Fox News Digital. “Under President Biden and his ‘border czar,’ Vice President Harris, DHS law enforcement has been directed to mass-release illegal aliens whom they know have criminal convictions or are facing charges for serious crimes—and these dangerous, destructive individuals are making their way into every city and state in this country. How many more Americans need to die or be victimized before this administration is forced to abide by the laws they swore to uphold? This is madness. It is something no civilized, well-functioning society should tolerate.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

The administration has said it needs more funding and reforms from Congress, including via a bipartisan Senate bill introduced this year – which has been rejected by Republicans.

“Despite the challenges of operating within a broken immigration system, and in the face of an enormous workload and consistently limited funding, DHS continues to enforce the law to secure our borders.

That bill would increase the number of ICE detention beds, but critics of the administration have pointed to numbers showing not all beds are being filled currently.

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The data’s release comes as Vice President Kamala Harris visits the southern border in Arizona as she seeks to blunt criticism from former President Trump on the matter. Conservatives were not swayed by the visit.

“Border Czar Kamala Harris has had nearly four years to protect America and failed,” RJ Hauman, president of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE), told Fox News Digital in response to the data. “She is allowing tens of thousands of murderers and rapists to roam free. She puts criminals first and the safety and security of you and your family last.”

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX – A nonpartisan police leadership organization that notes that it is the only national law enforcement advocacy group to endorse political candidates is weighing in on the 2024 White House race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

The Police Leaders for Community Safety said Monday that it is endorsing Harris, in an announcement shared first with Fox News.

The organization – which says it is led by a diverse group of prominent police professionals who have been at the helm of numerous major national law enforcement leadership groups – highlights that its mission is to champion “policies to make communities and the people in them safer, improve and evolve policing, and safeguard the rule of law.”

The backing by the group, which was formed in June, gives Harris support from a major law enforcement group following the endorsement earlier this month of Trump by the National Fraternal Order of Police, the country’s largest police union.

And earlier this year, Trump also landed the endorsement of another major law enforcement union – the International Union of Police Associations – as well as the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO).

NATION’S LARGEST AND OLDEST POLICE UNION MAKES AN ENDORSEMENT IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris (Fox News )

“This endorsement reflects Vice President Harris’ track record and unwavering commitment to public safety and the rule of law,” Sue Riseling, chair of Police Leaders for Community Safety, said.

Police Leaders for Community Safety board member David Mahoney, a former Dane County, Wisconsin, sheriff and past president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, said that Harris “spent her prosecutorial career protecting people, supporting victims and holding accountable those who have harmed others and betrayed the public trust. As a lawmaker, she has fought hard for the critical law enforcement-backed policies needed to fight crime and protect the public.”

CASH DASH: THIS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE HOLDS A SUBSTANTIAL FUNDRAISING LEAD 

Additionally, Board Vice Chair Rick Myers, a former police chief in eight communities in multiple states, said that “too many politicians call themselves tough on crime and say they support law enforcement but then don’t have the courage to do what is right to keep us safe…We need a leader who will protect both the 2nd Amendment and our nation from the scourge of gun violence, and that leader is Kamala Harris.” 

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign stop at the Throwback Brewery, in North Hampton, New Hampshire, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Regardless of downward trends in many crime categories nationally, crime remains a leading issue on the minds of American voters. 

Trump has argued that Harris, a former prosecutor, San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, is soft on crime and anti-police and has blamed her for persistent crime issues in San Francisco.  

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL SHOWS IN THE HARRIS-TRUMP 2024 SHOWDOWN 

The former president and GOP nominee has called for more aggressive policing, less oversight by the federal government, and more military equipment for local police departments.

Former President Trump arrives for a campaign rally at Wilmington International Airport on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 in North Carolina. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Harris has spotlighted Trump’s legal controversies – he made history earlier this year as the first former or current president convicted of a felony – and argues he has been hostile to law enforcement that has investigated him.

The vice president and Democratic Party nominee spotlights the Biden-Harris administration’s record on law enforcement funding through pandemic relief funds. She advocates for stronger federal oversight and less military equipment for local police departments.

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Harris campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, in a statement following the endorsement, noted that “as a prosecutor who has stood with law enforcement throughout her entire career, Vice President Harris took a tough and smart approach on crime: increasing conviction rates, holding violent criminals accountable, and keeping communities safe. She also worked tirelessly to make the criminal justice system more fair – especially for communities of color.”

She argued that “this November, Americans will choose between someone who spent her career enforcing the rule of law and someone who has been convicted of breaking them.”

The Harris campaign notes that the latest endorsement follows the backing of the vice president by 100 law enforcement officials, including officers who protected the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack by Trump supporters, and over 700 national security officials.

Editor’s note: This story’s headline has been updated to reflect that Police Leaders for Community Safety is comprised of former law enforcement leaders and not a leading group.

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

FIRST ON FOX: Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., is blitzing through battleground states in the lead-up to the election, helping boost Republicans in their quest to take the Senate majority as he simultaneously vies to be their next leader. 

The Senate is in recess for the month of October and won’t be back until after the election, but Thune doesn’t seem to be slowing down in the meantime. This weekend, the minority whip will be in Nevada for events with Senate candidate Sam Brown, who is taking on vulnerable Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., a source shared with Fox News Digital. 

Afterward, he’s heading to New York City to raise money for Brown, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick, and Michigan Senate candidate former Rep. Mike Rogers, as well as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

KAMALA HARRIS ISN’T ALONE: VULNERABLE DEMS WANT CURRENT FILIBUSTER GONE

Thune had a similar travel schedule in August. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Later in the month, the source told Fox News Digital that Thune would be joining McCormick in Pennsylvania, Senate candidate Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., in Indiana and Senate candidate Tim Sheehy in Montana. 

He also has an array of events lined up with several senators who aren’t up for re-election as he looks to lock down more support in the GOP conference. 

“It’s an insider’s game,” said Ron Bonjean, a former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference told Fox News Digital of the leader race. 

“John Thune is playing the inside game while showing enthusiasm—showing public enthusiasm by going to the states.”

“They’re going to remember that Thune was there over the last few weeks before the election,” said Bonjean, who was a spokesman for Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott when he was majority leader.

“Money is important, but showing up matters. And if you can do both, that really can do wonders . . . for racking up Senate votes.”

SENATE PASSES FUNDING BILL WITHOUT SAVE ACT, AVOIDING POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN

Sheehy is favored to unseat incumbent Sen. Tester.  (Getty Images)

Thune is one of three announced leader candidates, alongside Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla. 

Cornyn has established himself as a prolific fundraiser during his tenure, a factor that is certain to play into the race, given outgoing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s reputation as a fundraising behemoth. 

A source familiar with the Texas Republican’s political operation told Fox News Digital, “Sen. Cornyn plans to visit multiple battleground states across the country to campaign with candidates over the October recess and raise valuable hard dollars as he’s done for the last two decades, totaling more than $400 million since 2002.” 

His all-time fundraising is something he’s looked to emphasize in recent days, sending his donor network a letter this week highlighting the data and further specifying that he has brought in $500,000 for 33 different Republican senators and candidates over the years and even raised over $1 million each for four senators.

This cycle, Cornyn has brought in $26 million for Republicans, $11.8 million specifically for the NRSC. He notably served as NRSC chair twice and was lauded for his leadership in the role. 

JOHN CORNYN FLEXES FUNDRAISING CHOPS AS BATTLE TO SUCCEED MITCH MCCONNELL RAMPS UP

Cornyn has pointed to his strong fundraising history.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Thune has raised over $29 million this cycle, and a source familiar shared with Fox News Digital that the South Dakota senator expects to hit $30 million during his October travels. 

Recently, he announced a record-breaking $4 million transfer to the NRSC to assist with competitive races. Thune was the previous record-holder, with a prior $2 million transfer. According to the source, the minority whip’s lifetime transfers to the GOP campaign arm now exceed $9 million. The leader hopeful has been the most active senator with the NRSC this cycle, second only to NRSC Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont.

At a recent fundraiser with former president Trump’s campaign in Washington, D.C., Thune brought in $2 million, which was half of the night’s entire fundraising haul, a source familiar with the matter revealed. 

The source also detailed that the minority whip has so far headlined or is scheduled to headline nearly 200 events this cycle for either Republican candidates and the NRSC. 

Thune has been on the road the most out of the leader candidates ahead of the election, doing a similar battleground blitz during the Senate’s August recess. However, Cornyn has been keeping busy in his state of Texas, known for its fundraising potential. 

“Texas has a huge concentration of wealthy donors with conservative values,” one national GOP strategist said.

JOE MANCHIN SAYS HE WON’T ENDORSE HARRIS OVER SUPPORT FOR ELIMINATING FILIBUSTER

Cornyn, Thune and Scott have announced their bids for leader.  (Getty Images)

Cornyn has attended a series of in-state fundraisers alongside the Trump-Vance campaign and has additionally made trips to Ohio and Pennsylvania to raise money for Moreno and McCormick. The Texas Republican has been a longtime fundraiser for his colleagues, ramping up his giving roughly around 2008. 

Scott faces the disadvantage of being currently in-cycle for his own re-election. As Florida endures a hurricane turned tropical storm, the senator is understood to be spending his time focusing on the storm and his constituents’ safety. 

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Afterward, Scott is expected to spend the bulk of his time campaigning for his re-election bid in-state, with less ability to travel the country than his out-of-cycle counterparts. 

Notably, Thune is the only candidate thus far with public endorsements from colleagues, with the backing of both Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.

As fracking continues to be a key issue in many of the Rust Belt swing states that could decide the 2024 presidential election, incumbent Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown is facing increased criticism from his GOP opponent for previously held positions on the matter.

In 2021, Brown was one of 43 senators to vote against a bill to “establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to prohibiting the Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency from promulgating rules or guidance that bans hydraulic fracturing in the United States.”

Brown also voted no on a motion in the Senate in 2022 giving states “sole authority” to permit and enforce fracking regulations.

While speaking to CNN in 2020, Brown suggested that most of the fracking jobs in Ohio go to “out of state” workers and that “there just aren’t that many jobs in fracking or, unfortunately, even coal in Ohio now” when answering a question about his level of concern about Ohio workers losing their jobs in the fracking industry. 

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR IGNORING QUESTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S PUSH TO ‘BAN’ GAS-POWERED CARS

L – Bernie Moreno R – Sherrod Brown (Getty Images)

Some estimates have suggested that fracking supports over 300,000 jobs in Ohio and contributed $55 billion to the state’s economy in 2021. 

When confronted by Fox News reporter Hillary Vaughn on the issue of fracking and VP Harris backing away from her position to ban fracking, Brown declined to call Harris out for changing positions and said he believes in an “all of the above strategy.”

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR FLIP-FLOPS ON SUPPLYING ENERGY TO CHINA IN MIDDLE OF RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio and chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, speaks during a confirmation hearing (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Brown, who has been criticized for supporting the Biden administration’s policies nearly 100% of the time according to the VoteView database maintained by UCLA political scientists, has bucked the Biden administration on certain issues related to climate change. However, his critics say he is more in line with the progressive “Green New Deal,” than he is the oil and gas industry in Ohio. 

“Sherrod Brown is in lockstep with San Francisco liberal Kamala Harris on all of her radical policies, including a complete ban on fracking. Brown and Harris would rather rely on our adversaries for energy instead of using our resources here at home,” Brown’s GOP opponent, businessman Bernie Moreno, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

U.S. Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno (R-OH) speaks on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024.  (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)

“In November, Ohioans will reject their radical, anti-energy agenda.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Brown campaign spokesperson said the senator “supports fracking” when it’s “done right.”

“Bernie Moreno is lying and trying to distract from his long record only looking out for himself — from refusing to pay his employees the overtime they were owed and shredding the evidence to get out of it to selling the Chinese-made Buick Envision, which shipped Ohio jobs overseas,” the spokesperson said. 

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“Sherrod has been clear that he supports fracking and shale development when it’s done right and supports Ohio workers, has led legislation to connect Ohio workers with jobs in the shale and fracking industry, and has stood up to his own party to protect Ohio jobs.”  

The campaign also pointed to a 2012 press release where Brown said, “Shale development has tremendous potential to bring new economic development and new jobs to our state. Not only do we have to protect our public safety and health, but we must make sure that these new jobs are going to Ohioans—not out-of-staters.”

The Ohio Senate race will be one of the most highly watched in the country as Republicans view the Buckeye State as a prime location to take back control of the Senate in a state that Trump won by eight points in 2020.

The Cook Political report ranks the race as a “toss up.”

Multiple people with connections to Iran have been indicted in relation to a hacking plot against former President Donald Trump’s campaign.

It is not yet known how many people are being charged in connection to the alleged cybercrime. Specific charges have also not yet been released.

The details of the indictments could be unsealed as soon as today. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI and Department of Justice but did not receive a response.

This is a developing story and will be updated. 

North Carolina has removed over 700,000 individuals from its registered voter list, officials say. 

The State Board of Elections announced Thursday that 747,000 people have been removed from voter rolls in the last 20 months due to ineligibility. 

“The county boards follow careful policies to ensure that only ineligible records are removed, not those of eligible voters,” the Board of Elections said in a press release.

NORTH CAROLINA GOP FOCUSING ON ‘HAND-TO-HAND POLITICAL COMBAT’ TO RAMP UP GROUND GAME IN BATTLEGROUND STATE

Absentee ballots are prepared to be mailed at the Wake County Board of Elections in Raleigh, North Carolina.  (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

“Meanwhile, newly eligible voters are constantly being added to the registration rolls in our growing state,” the board added. “Currently, North Carolina has nearly 7.7 million registered voters.”

A common reason for removal from voter rolls was moving residences — either within the state without notifying election officials or to another state altogether.

Other removed individuals failed to vote in the last two federal elections and did not respond to follow-up notifications from the government seeking to confirm their registration.

NC RALLYGOERS ‘PRAYING’ THAT TRUMP WINS, SLAM DEM RHETORIC CALLING HIM A ‘THREAT’ AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS

A voter casts their ballot at a polling station inside the Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina. (Allison Joyce/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Death, felony conviction, requests to be removed, and lack of U.S. citizenship were also listed as reasons for dropping individuals from voter rolls.

The Marist Poll released Thursday finds that Harris and Trump are tied at 49% among likely voters in North Carolina who were asked which candidate they were leaning toward. Of those polled who have made up their minds, 91% said they strongly support their choice.

North Carolina last voted for a Democratic president in 2008, when then-Sen. Barack Obama won the state by 0.3 points, or 14,177 votes. 

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North Carolina sent out absentee ballots to military and overseas citizens ahead of the September 20 deadline. Other absentee ballots were sent by September 24 to voters who requested ballots by mail. Early voting begins October 17. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

Trump pulled out a convincing 3.7 point win in 2016, but that margin shrank to 1.3 points against President Biden in 2020. 

North Carolina began absentee voting for registered voters on Tuesday, having begun sending absentee ballots to military and overseas voters on Friday. Applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. 

The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 29, and that ballot must be delivered to county officials by Nov. 5.

Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo, Rémy Numa, Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

President Biden is resisting Republican demands to warn Iran in no uncertain terms that killing former President Trump would be an act of war.

The White House declined to comment on the specific demands but referred to a statement on the recent Iranian threats to Trump’s life.

“We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority, and we strongly condemn Iran for these brazen threats,” National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savitt said.

Savitt said Iran has long sought revenge against Trump and his officials for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.

“We have ensured that appropriate agencies are continuously and promptly providing the former president’s security detail with evolving threat information. Additionally, President Biden has reiterated his directive that the United States Secret Service should receive every resource, capability and protective measure required to address those evolving threats to the former president.”

TRUMP BRIEFED ON ‘REAL AND SPECIFIC’ THREATS TO ASSASSINATE HIM

President Biden is resisting Republican demands to warn Iran in no uncertain terms that killing President Trump would be an act of war. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, top U.S. intelligence officials briefed Trump about threats from Iran to assassinate him, his campaign said. 

On Wednesday, Trump prodded Biden to warn Iran it was risking hot war with the U.S. with such threats.

“As you know, there have been two assassination attempts on my life that we know of, and they may or may not involve – but possibly do – Iran,” Trump said at a campaign event in North Carolina.

“If I were the president, I would inform the threatening country, in this case Iran, that if you do anything to harm this person, we are going to blow your largest cities and the country itself to smithereens,” he added.

Trump said he and the nation had been “threatened very directly by Iran” and the regime needed to know the consequences of harming a U.S. political candidate.

“The best way to do it is through the office of the president, that [if] you do any attacks on former presidents or candidates for president, your country gets blown to smithereens, as we say.”

The White House said Iran has long been seeking revenge on Trump and his officials for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, center. (Press Office of Iranian Supreme Leader/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner also demanded Biden warn Iran.

“President Biden and Vice President Harris must make it clear to Iran that any attempt on President Trump’s life would be an act of war,” the Ohio Republican said in a statement Thursday. 

But it comes as Middle East watchers believe Iran could be weeks to months away from the capacity to build a nuclear weapon – fast approaching the capability to enrich uranium to the 90% threshold and with renewed activity at two nuclear weapons test sites. 

Trump also called it “strange” to see that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was in New York this week and was offered substantial protection as he attended the United Nations General Assembly.

DOES IRAN WANT KAMALA HARRIS TO WIN? EXPERTS WEIGH IN 

“We have large security forces guarding him, and yet they’re threatening our former president and the leading candidate to become the next president of the United States,” Trump said, referring to himself.

The U.S. is obligated to offer security to foreign heads of state at the General Assembly under its treaty with the U.N.

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Iran recently hacked the Trump campaign and obtained information that it then peddled to the Biden campaign and the media, U.S. intelligence officials revealed last week. 

Pezeshkian, who took office in July, ran on a platform suggesting that he would moderate the regime to get sanctions lifted from the West. 

Vice President Harris stops in battleground Arizona on Friday to hold a campaign event along the U.S. southern border with Mexico as the Democrat presidential nominee works to turn the issue of immigration and border security from a negative into a positive.

Harris has faced frequent attacks from her Republican opponent, former President Trump, and his allies who argue she’s weak on border security, an issue that many Republicans see as the vice president’s political Achilles’ heel. Harris has faced intense criticism over the surge of migrants across the nation’s southern border during the first three years of President Biden’s administration.

The Trump campaign, on the eve of Harris’ first border visit as a presidential nominee, called it a “political ploy.”

But Harris, with a stop in Douglas, Arizona, aims to show that she’s better prepared than Trump to tackle the combustible issue of immigration and what Republicans have spotlighted as the crisis at the southern border.

HARRIS LEANS IN ON BORDER SECURITY AND TRUMP RELISHES THE FIGHT

Vice President Harris, the Democrat presidential nominee, is shown at a rally in Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 9, 2024. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The vice president is expected to speak about how she is pushing what she describes as the toughest bipartisan border security plan in a generation, a measure that includes new border agents and technologies to stop fentanyl trafficking.

And she’s expected to reiterate her argument that Trump “has been talking a big game about securing our border, but he does not walk the walk.”

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She has repeatedly pointed to a border security bill with some bipartisan support that had been making its way through Congress this year before Republicans turned against the measure after prompting from Trump.

Harris has said that the former president “tanked the bipartisan deal because he thought it would help him win an election” and has pledged that “as the president, I will bring back the border security bill that Donald Trump killed.”

Former President Trump speaks at the U.S.-Mexico border on Aug. 22, 2024, south of Sierra Vista, Ariz. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Since replacing Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket more than two months ago, Harris has described herself as a former “border state prosecutor” who took on international gangs and criminal organizations behind illegal drug, gun and human trafficking across the border.

The description comes as Harris and her campaign have also spotlighted a tougher stance on border security while still pushing for a pathway to citizenship for some migrants.

“We need a comprehensive plan,” Harris said Wednesday in an interview with MSNBC. “That includes what we need to do to fortify not only our border but deal with the fact that we also need to create pathways for people to earn citizenship.”

Biden tasked Harris in 2021 with leading the diplomatic outreach to tackle the “root causes” of migration in Central American countries. It led to her being dubbed the “border czar” both by the media and some Republicans, although the White House has rejected that description. And the vice president has been pilloried over her role as “Biden’s border czar” by Trump and his allies.

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Trump, as he runs to win back his old job in the White House, is calling for a major crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border and has suggested using police and the military to carry out mass deportations of undocumented migrants.

Speaking at a campaign event in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump said Harris was traveling to the southern border for “political reasons.”

“When Kamala speaks about the border, her credibility is less than zero,” Trump said. “I hope you’re going to remember that on Friday. When she tells you about the border, ask her just one simple question: ‘Why didn’t you do it four years ago?’”

And Trump has said the policies of the Biden-Harris administration have allowed millions of people to enter the U.S. illegally.

In June, after the collapse of the bipartisan border security bill, Biden announced rules that bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials say the U.S.-Mexico border is overwhelmed. Following the implementation of the new rules through executive orders, arrests for illegal border crossings have plummeted.

Polls indicate that immigration and abortion are two of the top issues on the minds of American voters, following the economy and inflation.

And public opinion surveys, including those from Fox News, indicate that by double digits Americans believe Trump would do a better job than Harris handling the issue.

Trump last visited the border during a stop last month in Arizona, which is one of the seven crucial battleground states that will likely determine the winner of the presidential election.

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

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

The House task force investigating the assassination attempts against former President Trump held its first hearing Thursday.

“They’ve done a lot of work behind the scenes. They’ve interviewed dozens of witnesses. They gathered thousands of documents. They’ve been doing the work to lead up to the hearing, and I know there’ll be a lot of interest in that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday.

“The American people desire and deserve answers, and the task force is working around the clock to deliver them.”

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN FLORIDA: SECRET SERVICE ‘REDLINES,’ PENNSYLVANIA TASK FORCE SAYS

The Trump assassination attempt task force, led by U.S. representatives Mike Kelly, left, and Jason Crow, right, is holding its first hearing. (Getty Images)

The task force was assembled after unanimous approval in the House, a rare feat in today’s partisan environment. 

Its scope was just expanded last week after a foiled second alleged attempt on Trump’s life, this time while the ex-president was golfing at his own course in West Palm Beach.

Thursday’s hearing, however, focused on the July 13 shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

A 20-year-old gunman opened fire from a rooftop just outside the rally perimeter, killing one attendee and injuring others. Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet and was quickly evacuated offstage by Secret Service agents.

TRUMP HAS ‘PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL’ SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION, LAWMAKERS TOLD

Witnesses included Edward Lenz, commander of the Butler County Emergency Services Unit; Butler Township Police Patrolman Drew Blasko; Pennsylvania State Police Lt. John Herold; former Secret Service agent Patrick Sullivan; and the Allegheny County medical examiner, Dr. Ariel Goldschmidt.

Police stand over Thomas Crooks after he was shot. (Butler Township Police Department)

The task force, led by Chairman Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and ranking member Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., has already sent out a flurry of information and document requests to local, state and federal officials.

Lawmakers hope to get to the bottom of how Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to position himself so close to the rally with his weapon despite being noticed by some attendees and even local officials long before he opened fire.

“The communication failures on the day of the event were clearly catastrophic [and] led to what we saw happen that day. So, I anticipate we’re going to hear testimony from people who were there, who were part of that process, who can give us information about how those breakdowns occurred,” Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., a task force member, said on “Fox News Live” Sunday.

Trump was grazed in the ear during the assassination attempt. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The hearing came a day after the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released a damning interim report detailing planning and security failures that occurred July 13.

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The report said the Secret Service did not have an adequate chain of command in place for approving security decisions ahead of the rally and failed to coordinate security specifically in relation to the building the shooter fired from.

It accused the Secret Service Counter Sniper Team leader of not going inside or on top of the building and said a sniper team charged with monitoring the area had an obstructed view, among other issues.

China’s growing influence in Michigan has brewed into a “huge issue of concern” for voters in the key battleground state, according to a Trump-backed House candidate sounding the alarm on “failed Democratic” policies in the Great Lakes State. 

“This is a huge issue of concern both from national security and economic security standpoint,” Republican House candidate to represent Michigan’s Tom Barrett told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview this week. “Here in Michigan, the Democrats are giving nearly $200 million of state tax money to a Chinese-backed, Communist Party affiliated company that’s going to come to Michigan to build a battery plant. They’ve already purchased a bunch of rural farmland to go out and build a Chinese Communist Party-backed battery plant in Michigan, not far from a military installation where I trained for countless hours during my career in the Army.”

Barrett is an Army veteran who previously served in Michigan’s state House and state Senate before launching his race to represent the 7th District in the U.S. House. Barrett earned Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” for the House seat earlier this year, and spoke to Fox News Digital about the top issues he’s highlighting from the campaign trail, including spiraling inflation, border policies, fentanyl overdose deaths, as well as China’s growing influence in the state. 

“While families are struggling in Michigan to make ends meet and just buy groceries, pay for their home heating costs, our state government, backed by my opponent, is sending nearly $200 million of their state tax money to a Chinese communist company just so they can come here and spy on us. This is rotten to the core,” Barrett said. 

MICHIGAN REPUBLICANS CONTINUE TO SPAR WITH DEMS OVER DEAL WITH CHINESE EV COMPANY IN KEY HOUSE RACE

Republican Michigan state Sen. Tom Barrett, his party’s nominee for Congress in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, speaks to supporters on the campaign trail. (Tom Barrett For Congress)

In 2022, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Gotion, a China-based manufacturer, would construct a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in a rural area of the state near Big Rapids. The announcement was met with outrage from residents, including local leaders working to reverse a water supply agreement that would have crippled the plant’s construction. Gotion sued the township, Green Charter, and notched a legal victory last month when a federal judge upheld a preliminary injunction allowing construction to continue. 

Barrett’s competitor this cycle, Curtis Hertel, worked as Whitmer’s director of legislative affairs from 2015 to 2023, before serving in the state Senate. 

“My opponent signed a nondisclosure agreement to negotiate sending this money to this Chinese company while he was a member of the state Senate and then later went to work as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s chief lobbyist. He’s listed in the Foreign Agents Registries Act filings with having secret conversations with this Chinese company about maneuvering through the legislature to get their funding approved,” Barrett said of his competitor and Democrats in the state. 

Hertell’s campaign and Whitmer’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for contact. 

Barrett pointed to remarks from former Obama administration CIA director Leon Panetta, who warned earlier this year that China would likely use the battery plant for espionage purposes. 

“I don’t think there’s any question that they’re going to take advantage of that situation,” Panetta warned in January when asked about the plant during a House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party hearing. “And I think we have to be very vigilant about what the hell is going on. That’s just the way they operate. They’ll establish a manufacturing unit, they’ll establish whatever they can, and then they will use that for their own intelligence purposes. They will use that for their own economic purposes.”

Barrett said the deal is not only a national security threat, but also risks American jobs. 

MICHIGAN REPUBLICAN TOM BARRETT LEAPS BACK INTO CRUCIAL HOUSE RACE AFTER SLOTKIN EXIT

“It is all in the pursuit of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s electric vehicle mandate that will systematically replace and eliminate existing manufacturing jobs in Michigan that make up the very fabric of our economy here. So we have a Chinese company threatening with national security concerns to replace American jobs in traditional manufacturing with electric vehicle mandates that are borne by the Biden administration. So this has so many problems. It’s an absolutely horrible deal,” he said. 

Former State Senator Tom Barrett, a Republican from Michigan and US Republican House candidate, speaking at a primary election night party in August 2024.  (Nic Antaya/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Michiganders are stepping up. They’re aware of this. It is terribly unpopular here. And we need to take this fight to the ballot box to make sure that we don’t let this go forward.”

Trump joined farmers during a panel earlier this week in another battleground state, Pennsylvania, where they discussed China’s recent purchases of American farmland and again enforcing a trade deal against China that benefits American farmers. 

“My first call, I’m going to call up President Xi. I’m going to say, ‘You have to honor the deal you made. We made a deal. You’d buy $50 billion worth of American farm product.’ And I guarantee you he will buy it. 100% he will buy it,” Trump said Monday during a campaign event in Smithton, Pennsylvania. 

SENATE GOP UNLEASHES CAMPAIGN BLASTING DEM CANDIDATE FOR HUSH AGREEMENT INVOLVING CCP-TIED COMPANY

Trump struck a trade deal with China in 2020 that included Beijing’s commitment to halt intellectual property theft, refrain from currency manipulation, cooperate in financial services and purchase an additional $200 billion of U.S. products over two years, including up to $50 billion of U.S. agriculture. 

“Second thing I’m going to do is, I’m going to say you have to give the death penalty to your fentanyl dealers who are sending fentanyl. You know, in China, they give the death penalty. They don’t have a drug problem because they give the death penalty,” Trump said. 

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, looks on during a campaign stop to address Pennsylvanians who are concerned about the threat of Communist China to U.S. agriculture at the Smith Family Farm September 23, 2024 in Smithton, Pennsylvania.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Fentanyl and overdose deaths are again one of the top concerns for Americans this election cycle, with Trump tying the fatal drug to the influx of illegal immigrants who have poured over the southern border under the Biden-Harris administration. 

Barrett said his area and district are among the communities across the nation that have been rocked by the influx of the synthetic opioid from across the border. 

TRUMP AND VANCE TO HOLD FIRST RALLY IN MICHIGAN

“Every single community in America, in every town, not just in the district where I’m running, but every town in America has been touched and affected and devastated by the outcomes of illegal immigration and lax border policies that have flooded every community with fentanyl. And now the leading cause of death of Americans my age is fentanyl overdose. It’s a crippling and devastating tragedy. And we have to fix the problem,” he said. 

“We have to secure our border with more structures. We have to reinstate the remain in Mexico policy. We can’t allow the exploitation of asylum claims to overwhelm our social welfare system, to overwhelm our border security. We need to put Border Patrol agents on the border instead of processing asylum claims all day as they’re doing right now. And we need to get back to two policies that deter illegal border crossing,” he continued. 

Barrett is an Army veteran who signed his contract over the Christmas break of his senior year in high school. He spent 22 years in the Army, serving in the Iraq War, Guantanamo Bay, Kuwait, and at the DMZ separating North and South Korea. 

Republican House candidate and former Army pilot Tom Barrett is seen here in a campaign ad still. (Tom Barrett campaign)

Barrett pointed to his military career amid his calls to secure the border. 

EARLY VOTING BEGINS IN ILLINOIS, NORTH DAKOTA, FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN

“I spent a year of my life deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom to Guantanomo Bay, Cuba, where there were terrorists that we were securing in that facility. And they told us straight to our face, that they wanted to come to America and kill Americans. I believe them. We need to keep them out of our country. We’ve had hundreds on the terror watch list that we already know have crossed into this country just during this administration. We need to remove them and we need to make sure that we don’t allow any further terrorists into our country,” he said. 

Barrett is in the lead in his race against Hertell, but underscored he’s not taking anything for granted while 

“I think President Trump is very well poised to win Michigan. We know this is going to be a very close race and absolutely nothing we can take for granted. The seventh Congressional District in Michigan, where I’m running, is also highly competitive. And we also have a very competitive United States Senate race in Michigan,” he said. 

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“This really is going to shape the direction of our country. And we can go down the same failed path we’ve been on already with the high cost of living and groceries that are unaffordable for families, and mortgage rates that don’t allow a young couple to begin their own family. Or we can turn the corner. Secure our border. Get our costs of living under control, get crime under control, put our foreign adversaries back in check where they belong, and really forge a new path for America.”

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