Texas rejects insurance rate increase for coastal homeowners, businesses
Texas Windstorm Insurance Association officials argued they needed a 10% rate increase to help insure a growing number of policyholders.
New report warns bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang’s footprint will remain in US ‘for decades’
FIRST ON FOX: A violent Venezuelan gang that has committed crimes in multiple states in the U.S. is expanding across the country “like a slow growing cancer” and will impact the Americans “for decades,” according to a new report by a conservative organization. The Heritage Foundation is publishing an issue brief on Tren de Aragua, and how it has become the latest transnational criminal organization to establish itself in the U.S., a surge that coincided with the historic crisis at the southern border. “During the past few years, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have been released or paroled into the United States, allowed to stay in Temporary Protected Status, or just slipped in without being encountered by authorities (the “gotaways”),” the brief by Simon Hankinson and Erin Schnierderjan, an early copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital, says. “Blending among them are hundreds of members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), which, like all migrant gangs, begins by preying on its own countrymen.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘OPERATION AURORA’ TO TARGET ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT GANG MEMBERS IN COLORADO The researchers say that Tren de Aragua began in the Tocoron prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua and has since expanded into Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the U.S. They say the threat from TdA echoes the Salvadoran MS-13 gang, which arrived in the 1980s and is regularly linked to crimes throughout the country. “TdA expanded its network by creating alliances with other gangs and moved into areas following the pattern of Venezuelan migration into the U.S.,” they say. The report quotes former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) acting Commissioner Mark Morgan, who oversaw a gang task force in the early 2000s targeting MS-13. His warning is stark, as he blames the rise of TdA on the current administration. “Although MS-13 remains at the top of the list of the 50-plus different gangs from across the globe attempting to illegally enter our borders, the Biden–Harris Administration has intentionally provided the pathway for what could become MS-13 2.0,” he says. “This is a gang whose propensity for violence and ruthlessness is well documented. TdA is expanding its criminal operations like a slow growing cancer across our nation and unleashing a preventable wave of crime that will be with us for decades,” he says. The study also quotes Venezuela’s statistics showing that there has been a 25% drop in violent deaths between 2021 and 2022: “It is not implausible to postulate a link to Venezuela’s export of thousands of young criminals, many to the U.S.” Meanwhile, there have been numerous crimes in the last year that have been linked to TdA, in states including Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and New York — where officials linked the gang to more than 62 robberies in New York City and suspected gang members were arrested for an assault on cops. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bulletin in March alerted agents to tattoos and other identifiers of the gang. The brother of the suspect in the killing of Georgia student Laken Riley has ties to the gang. The gang has established a significant presence in parts of Colorado, where they have reportedly taken over a number of apartment blocks. Fox News Digital reported in July that TdA members have been given a “green light” to fire on or attack law enforcement in Denver. BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN STREET GANG SPARKS FEAR IN US AMID MIGRANT SURGE: WHAT TO KNOW With that growing presence, former President Trump has promised to tackle the gang if elected next month. On Friday, he detailed “Operation Aurora” to remove TdA members. The program would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle “every illegal migrant criminal network operating on American soil.” TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBER, ILLEGAL VENEZUELAN MIGRANT, ARRESTED IN HOUSTON “I’m announcing today that upon taking office, we will have an operation Aurora at the federal level to expedite the removals of these savage gangs and I will invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Think of that 1798. This was put there 1790. Yeah, that’s a long time ago. Right?” Trump said Friday. “To target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.” He added: “Who would have ever thought that a president or a future president would ever have to stand here and say such things?” Meanwhile, the Heritage Foundation report notes that there could be other instances of crimes committed by gang members that have been unreported. Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, recently pushed back against claims in the media that the gang was limited to a “handful” of apartment blocks. “It is plausible that they have connections to Tren de Aragua or other violent gangs that are not always evident to U.S. law enforcement even after arrest,” the report says, warning that the crimes reported could be the “tip of the iceberg.” Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Trump says GOP is ‘party of common sense’ during contentious Bloomberg interview
Former President Trump said the Republican Party is “the party of common sense” Tuesday during a contentious interview with Bloomberg News in Chicago. Trump sat for an interview with Bloomberg News’ editor-in-chief John Micklethwait at the Economic Club of Chicago. The two discussed Trump’s plans for the economy in a potential second term during a heated interview that lasted nearly an hour. Micklethwait spoke about the economy to start, but later got into the state of the presidential race, asking the former president which state he believed was most critical to deciding the election. TRUMP REVEALS WHICH ELECTION ISSUE IS A ‘BIGGER DEAL’ THAN INFLATION AND THE ECONOMY “They say Pennsylvania. I think we’re doing very well there. I think you look at Michigan, too, and I’m doing very well,” Trump said. “We’re way up in Pennsylvania. We’re way up in Michigan. We’re doing very well in Arizona. In fact, somebody said they’re going to pull the plug in Arizona – they’re going to give it up because it looks like we’re quite a ways ahead.” A RealClearPolitics polling average as of Tuesday afternoon showed Trump slightly ahead in Pennsylvania, as well as in Arizona and Michigan. Trump went on to say that the Republican Party is “the party of common sense.” “Forget about conservative, liberal. We’re, let’s say, conservative, but we’re really a party of ‘We need borders. We need fair elections. We don’t want men playing in women’s sports. We don’t want transgender operations without parental consent,’” Trump explained. “It is 99.9% common sense. It really is common sense. I say we’re really a party of common sense, and we want to have great people in our country.” Trump added: “I have a good heart. I have a heart where I want people to be taken care of. But I don’t want to take in people where millions of people – 21 million people at least have come in the last three and a half years unvetted, unchecked. We don’t know anything about them.” Micklethwait began Tuesday’s interview by claiming Trump’s economic plan would drive up debt and inflation, with the former president claiming that he served in office without inflation. “Yeah, I had four years – no inflation,” Trump said. Micklethwait also hit Trump on his plan for tariffs on foreign goods, but Trump fired back, explaining that foreign countries will pay a “100% tariff on everything sold into the United States.” FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: HARRIS LOSES HER LEAD AND A NEW ELECTORATE EMERGES Earlier this year, Trump rolled out a plan to eliminate China’s most favored nation trade status and impose universal baseline 10% tariffs on imports. In private, Trump has even floated tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese goods. Economists have warned that increasing tariffs would also cause an increase in prices for everyday goods due to American companies relying on cheap raw materials from China. Micklethwait said Trump’s plans would “have a serious effect on the overall economy.” “It’s going to have a massive effect – positive effect. It’s going to be a positive effect,” Trump replied. “It must be hard for you to spend 25 years talking about tariffs as being negative and then have somebody explain to you that you’re totally wrong.” Micklethwait fired back at Trump, saying he could be “plunging America into the biggest trade war.” “No, there are no tariffs – all you have to do is build your plant in the United States and you don’t have any tariffs,” Trump said. “That’s what I want.” The former president’s response was met with applause from the audience. “The higher the tariff, the more likely it is that the company will come into the United States and build a factory in the United States so it doesn’t have to pay the tariff,” Trump explained. As for national security and foreign policy, Trump touted his relationships with adversaries, like Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying the United States was respected under his administration. Trump was asked if he would send American troops to defend Taiwan if China invaded. The Chinese military are currently engaged in rehearsals for a naval blockade of the island nation. “The reason they’re doing it now is because they’re not going to do it afterward,” Trump said – a response met with applause from the audience. Trump was also asked if he has spoken to Putin since he left office, to which he replied: “I don’t comment on that.” “But I will tell you that if I did, it’s a smart thing,” Trump said. “If I’m friendly with people, if I can have a relationship with people, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing, in terms of a country.” “President Trump was in his element as he spoke passionately about restoring economic growth, prosperity, and opportunity for all Americans,” his campaign wrote in an email to supporters following the interview, adding that he “put on a master class outlining his plan to return American citizens and businesses to the successes they enjoyed during his first term.” The campaign added: “Kamala could NEVER.” The Trump campaign touted the former president’s responses and policies, and added: “President Trump did it once with record success – and he’ll do it again.”
Nathan Wade grilled by House investigators probing Georgia Trump prosecution
Former Fulton County Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade left Capitol Hill on Tuesday after a marathon four-and-a-half hour grilling by House Judiciary Committee investigators. Wade, whose legal team included former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, said little to reporters before, after and during his closed-door deposition. No lawmakers were seen entering or leaving the room. “This is all I’m going to say – we gave our testimony, we cooperated and we are through,” Barnes told reporters after the session. GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE Barnes said “yes” when asked if it was an effective meeting and “no” when asked by Fox News Digital if he expected to follow up with the committee. Earlier, he had testy words for a reporter who asked whether Wade would plead the Fifth Amendment, responding tersely, “What crime has been committed here?” The House Judiciary Committee has been seeking information on Wade’s relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is investigating former President Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Trump and 18 allies were indicted by a grand jury in August 2023 on charges including racketeering and conspiracy. Wade was brought into that investigation by Willis as a special prosecutor, but stepped away after it was revealed he and Willis began a romantic relationship, which has since ended. TRUMP VS HARRIS ROUND 2? VOTERS IN KEY GA COUNTY REVEAL IF THEY WANT SECOND DEBATE In a pair of letters published by the Republican majority on the committee on Monday night, Willis said Wade was instructed “not to answer any questions about his role in the election interference case or about any evidence in that case.” “The disclosure of such evidence may also interfere with ongoing proceedings, this is considered legally privileged and not subject to disclosure,” Willis wrote. The committee responded on X, saying, “What is she trying to hide?” CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION It’s one of several probes by House Republicans into Trump’s legal battles since he left office. Both Willis and Wade have maintained that their relationship had nothing to do with the case and have accused Republicans of trying to unjustly interfere in the Fulton County probe. Jordan, meanwhile, is probing whether U.S. tax dollars were used to help bankroll their relationship during the course of the Trump probe. One of Trump’s co-defendants had sued to have Willis and Wade disqualified from the case, arguing their relationship presented a conflict of interest and that they financially benefited from the probe – which they have denied. A Fulton County judge ruled in March that Willis could stay on the case if Wade was removed. Fox News Digital reached out to the House Judiciary Committee for comment on Wade’s deposition.
Singapore fighter jets escort Air India Express plane after bomb threat
There was no immediate statement from Air India Express on the incident.
Popular PA Democratic mayor warns Trump is ‘out-messaging’ Harris: ‘I get more from Colbert’
The longtime Democratic mayor of a major city in one of Pennsylvania’s most swing counties said he believes the GOP and the Trump campaign are connecting better with voters in this close race than the vice president and her campaign are. “I think the Democrats are being out-messaged by the Republicans,” Easton Mayor Salvatore “Sal” Panto, Jr., said during a Monday interview with Fox News Digital. “In the one commercial where Kamala Harris is saying, ‘Well, that’s Bidenomics,’ I think that is hurting this because I think the Trump campaign has done a much better job of saying ‘things are really bad.’” Easton is the county seat of Northampton County, about 70 miles north of Philadelphia. It flipped from voting for former President Donald Trump in 2016 to President Biden in 2020. HARRIS PLAYS MASHUP OF TRUMP’S ‘ENEMY WITHIN’ COMMENTS AT ERIE RALLY, AFTER CROWD CHANTS ‘LOCK HIM UP’ Panto, a popular, moderate Democrat who has served six terms in office over two nonconsecutive periods since 1984, added that when his party identifies something Trump says that is untrue, they should drill down on it. “I know in running my own campaigns it’s easier to embellish the negative rather than the positive. And that’s what I think [Trump] is doing very well. I mean, we know that he lies about things, and we prove that he lies, but then it drops. And I don’t think they should let it drop,” he said. “I get more of that on the Steven Colbert show at night than I do from the Kamala Harris campaign. I think she should be pointing out that his 2025 plan is much different than her plan. And she’s not afraid to talk about her plan. He hasn’t said ‘boo’ about his.” Easton is one of the three cities – along with Allentown and Bethlehem – that make up the diverse and electorally crucial Lehigh Valley of the Keystone State. Allentown is the largest — and the third such in Pennsylvania — while bi-county Bethlehem was long known for its steel mills and otherwise as a leafy college town that embraces its “Christmas City” identity every winter. Easton, facing Phillipsburg, New Jersey, across the Delaware River, is a multifaceted city home to Lafayette College, the Crayola company, several historic sites and a few famous people, including former boxer champion Larry Holmes. TRENDS ARE GOOD IN SWING COUNTY GOP CHAIR CALLS ‘LITTLE PENNSYLVANIA’: IT’LL BE A REPEAT OF 2016 Panto said College Hill, where Lafayette is located, was once a Republican stronghold – though not a right-wing one per se – during his earlier terms in office. “Today, Democrats and Republicans are 50-50,” he said, as Democrats in town lean conservative, and Republicans lean moderate in the vein of the area’s former Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa. That voting bloc is crucial for both top-tier candidates this year, and both Harris and Trump have welcomed members of each other’s parties into their folds. Harris recently welcomed the endorsement of former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and while in office, Trump celebrated party-switches by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J. In that regard, Panto said political extremes hurt both parties, and that College Hill’s “liberal Republicans” and the city’s moderate Democrats tended to complement with each other in Easton’s case. “I don’t believe in the fringes. I think the fringes are hurting both political parties … I believe the economy is going to be the biggest thing [this election],” he said. “Inflation is down, interest rates are down and investments are up. But that’s not the message. I think Democrats are very poor at messaging. I think Donald Trump is much better at messaging, and it’s always easier to be divisive and talk about the negative. People like to hear the negative. They don’t like to hear the positive.” PA TOWN ROILED BY TALK OF MIGRANT HOUSING IN CIVIL-WAR-ERA ORPHANAGE BUILDING With its swing status, the Lehigh Valley has become festooned with billboards, particularly for Harris and many by third-party PACs or supporters, including along Interstate 78 and US-22, which see thousands of commuters and travelers per day. “I never ran a national campaign, so I know you pick out your points, and you’ve got to just experiment. But I see the billboards in the Lehigh Valley, and they say Kamala Harris voted for [increasing the] minimum wage. Minimum wage doesn’t matter,” he said. “Nobody’s paid minimum wage because you can’t get employees. The unemployment rate is down to 2.1%. I mean, [what] they need to talk about in the Valley is lowering the price of goods … not increasing the minimum wage.” He noted that with the formerly-industrial Lehigh Valley’s rebirth as a commercial center for warehousing and the like, there are labor jobs paying more than $23 per hour regardless of federal minimums. The election will likely come down to GOTV or “get out the vote” efforts by the campaigns, Panto predicted. He quipped that when he is up for re-election, his critics are often very energized to vote – and that that dynamic of voting “against” someone is not ideal in any respect. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “That’s not a reason to vote. The reason to vote is a vote for the best person. And I think if you look at the experience and the vision, Kamala Harris should win,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.
Harris ramps up outreach to Black male voters as polls suggest Trump making gains
With three weeks until Election Day, and Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump locked in a margin-of-error battle for the White House, the vice president is making a full court press for Black men. The moves come just days after former President Barack Obama, in comments that went viral, admonished Black male voters for a lack of enthusiasm in support of Harris. Obama’s comments came as polls indicate Trump is making gains with Black men, who are traditionally some of the Democratic Party’s most reliable supporters. Harris, in battleground Michigan on Tuesday, will take part in a town hall discussion in Detroit with radio talk show host Charlamagne Tha God, whose “The Breakfast Club” program is popular with Black listeners. HARRIS UNVEILS NEW AGENDA AS SHE COURTS BLACK MALE VOTERS Before sitting down for the town hall conversation, which will be heard on radio stations and on-line nationwide, the vice president will stop at a local Black-owned business, where her campaign highlights that she will “have a conversation with Detroit area Black men about how her ‘Opportunity Agenda’ will help equip them with the tools to achieve financial freedom, lower costs to better provide for themselves and their families, and protect their rights.” Harris on Monday rolled out the new agenda, which aims to boost financial and career prospects for Black men. She highlighted her proposals on “The Shade Room,” which offers trending news to the Black community, and with Black newscaster Roland Martin. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW During a stop at a Black-owned coffee shop and record store in Erie, Pennsylvania, which is another crucial battleground state, the vice president also showcased her agenda – which includes providing 1 million loans that are fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business, championing education, training and mentorship programs that help Black men get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries and lead their communities, including pathways to become teachers. Monday’s stops followed a weekend when Harris met in swing state North Carolina with Black faith leaders in Raleigh on Saturday and attended church services in Greenville on Sunday, followed by a conversation with Black farmers. The Harris campaign notes that the vice president “will continue engaging with Black voters.” The campaign also spotlights that it is also enlisting the support of influential entrepreneurs for what it calls an “Economic Freedom Talk” series with Black business owners. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION The new effort comes as Democrats are increasingly concerned about wavering support among Black men, and in particular younger Black men, for Harris, who would make history if she is elected as the nation’s first female president. The Trump campaign argued on Monday that “Kamala Harris is in full-blown desperation mode as she spends the waning days of the campaign attempting to stop the bleeding among voting blocs most traditionally aligned with Democrats. Nowhere is that more evident than in her outreach to Black Americans — voters of whom Democrats have taken advantage for generations.” Harris and Trump are locked in a neck and neck race in the seven key battleground states whose razor-thin margins decided President Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump and will likely determine the winner of the 2024 White House race. Any erosion of support among Black voters, and in particular Black males, could prove costly to the vice president. Obama, speaking Thursday at a Harris campaign office in Pittsburgh, recollected the surge in support among Black voters that boosted him toward history in 2008 to become the nation’s first Black president. He bluntly said he could not understand why Harris was not enjoying the same level of enthusiasm, noting that the hesitation was “more pronounced with the brothers.” “You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses,” Obama said. “I’ve got a problem with that.” Speaking directly to Black males, the former president said that “part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.” As expected, Black supporters of Trump quickly rebuked the former president. “President Obama’s recent call for Black men to support Kamala Harris based solely on her skin color, rather than her policies, is deeply insulting,” the Black Men for Trump advisory board argued this weekend. However, some Democrats also called out the former president for his remarks, arguing that Obama unfairly admonished Black men without striking a similar chord with other demographic groups that have also expressed increased support for Trump. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Bidens on the trail: President and first lady campaign in the biggest of the battlegrounds
With a margin of error race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump and three weeks to go until Election Day, the two residents of the White House are heading to the biggest of the battlegrounds to campaign on behalf of Harris and down-ballot Democrats. President Biden travels to his native state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as he serves as the main attraction at the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee’s autumn fundraising dinner. And first lady Jill Biden will be in suburban Philadelphia – as she headlines an afternoon event in Chester County and then speaks in the evening in Montgomery County, where she grew up. The first lady is campaigning on behalf of Harris in the seven key swing states whose razor-thin margins decided her husband’s 2020 victory over Trump and will likely determine if Harris or Trump succeed Biden in the White House. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION Biden’s latest campaign trail foray for fellow Democrats comes amid reports of a lack of coordination between political advisers to the president and the vice president. TENSIONS ALLEGEDLY RISE BETWEEN BIDEN AND HARRIS AIDES The appearances by both Bidens also come a day after the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees campaigned in Pennsylvania, with Harris holding two events in Erie, in the northwest corner of the state, and Trump in suburban Philadelphia, in the southeastern portion of the commonwealth. It was the vice president’s 10th visit to Pennsylvania since replacing Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket in mid-July. Trump’s also been a frequent visitor, with rallies in Scranton and Reading less than a week ago. Pennsylvania, along with Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada, had razor-thin margins that decided Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump. And the seven states will likely determine whether Harris or Trump wins the 2024 presidential election. But with 19 electoral votes at stake, Pennsylvania’s the biggest of the key battlegrounds. And while the campaigns and their allied super PACs are pouring resources into all seven states, more money has been spent running spots in Pennsylvania than any of the other battlegrounds, according to figures from AdImpact, a top national ad tracking firm. Pennsylvania, along with Michigan and Wisconsin, are the three Rust Belt states that make up the Democrats’ so-called “Blue Wall.” The party reliably won all three states for a quarter-century before Trump narrowly captured them in the 2016 election to win the White House. Four years later, in 2020, Biden carried all three states to put them back in the Democrats’ column and defeated Trump. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Harris support for EVs could tank campaign in critical swing state, expert says
Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for electric vehicles (EVs) could prove to be costly to her chances in the critical swing state of Michigan. “With Republicans beginning to embrace unions and labor, we are seeing a dramatic shift in voting behavior in Rust Belt States,” Jimmy Keady, the founder and president of JLK Political Strategies, told Fox News Digital. The comments come as the outlook for former President Donald Trump in Michigan has continued to improve in recent weeks, with Trump now holding a narrow lead of 0.9 points in the state, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average. That lead represents a roughly three-point swing in the race since the end of August, when Harris held a 2.2-point lead over the former president, according to the historic view of the polling average. Michigan is rated a tossup state in the presidential race in the current Fox News Power Rankings. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: HARRIS LOSES HER LEAD AND A NEW ELECTORATE EMERGES Part of the reason for Trump’s recent surge in the state could be due to the support of working class and union voters, who worry that the push towards EVs could put many of them out of jobs in the not-so-distant future. “I think it is hurting Harris because of the Biden-Harris agenda on policies that don’t work for the working class,” Michael Markey, a former Republican Michigan Congressional candidate and financial adviser, told Fox News Digital. The Trump campaign has leaned into the narrative, releasing an ad earlier this month that warned Michigan voters about Democratic support for EVs. “Attention autoworkers: Kamala Harris wants to end all gas powered cars,” the ad said. “Crazy, but true!” Markey believes the message is hitting home for voters in Michigan, arguing the issue is one reason Trump and the GOP have gained ground in the state. MICHIGAN DEM LAUNCHES ANTI-EV AD IN BID FOR SENATE RACE AFTER VOTING AGAINST A BIPARTISAN PUSHBACK ON MANDATES “It’s a slap in the face to the union workers,” he said. “I think that’s why we’re seeing a lot of the polling trending in Republicans favor right now.” For her part, Harris has attempted to push back against the narrative, arguing at a rally in Flint, Michigan, earlier this month that we would “never” mandate the “kind of car you have to drive.” Nevertheless, Republicans have continued to hammer Harris both for her support of Biden administration regulations on tailpipe emissions, a push to phase-in EVs for newly built cars and heavy subsidies for EV production in the United States. They have also pointed to Harris’ plan during her 2020 run for president to transition all new vehicles built in the U.S. to zero emissions by 2030. “They’re saying… ‘no one’s going to force you or tell you what kind of car you can drive,’ but they’re putting standards through the EPA that are basically mandating EV production,” Markey said. Markey argued that Michigan workers have a long history of being at the cutting edge of the automotive industry and do not want to see jobs lost to a product that is neither profitable nor in demand by consumers. “The public is telling us what the next generation of cars is,” Markey said. “They still want internal combustion engines, they want hybrids, but EVs… that’s not where the public is.” That could all add up to a problem in places like Michigan for Harris, Keady argued, noting the Democratic candidate’s struggles with traditional blue voting blocs such as unions. “The Teamsters refusal to endorse is sign number one that Harris is in trouble with union workers,” Keady said. “It is not just the Biden-Harris administration’s manufacturing policies that are hurting Michigan workers; their embrace of electric vehicle mandates will add an undue burden on middle-class families.” The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘I was much better off’: These voters back Trump in top battleground county
Voters who spoke with Fox News Digital in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, emphasized the economy’s outsized role in the 2024 election next month, citing the struggles being felt by Wisconsinites across the state. “I just know I was much better off when Trump was president,” retired teacher Sharon Kaufman told Fox News Digital. She explained that she considered how her family was doing under both the Trump-Pence administration and the Biden-Harris administration, and also looked “at all our investments and life and bills” before coming to that conclusion. Tim Moss, who works for an alcohol distributor, explained, “the economy in and of itself is another big thing that the young people [and] older people are all stressing about.” ‘THE LEFT HAS PERFECTED THIS’: CONSERVATIVES TAKE PAGE FROM OBAMA’S PLAYBOOK IN BATTLEGROUND WISCONSIN “I think we’ll be able to at least afford groceries” under Trump, Moss predicted. “Gas prices were a lot better. Food prices were way down,” said Diana Altwies, a forklift operator. “I went to the store the other day, I bought hardly anything, and I came home with maybe two bags of stuff, and it was over $50.” According to Sue Matuszak, who is retired, she could not imagine how families — such as those of her six grown children — manage to raise their own kids in the current economy. “I don’t know how families really do it now,” she said. Matuszak’s husband, also retired, stressed that Trump is “a businessman,” and “that’s what we need in our government.” ‘DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS’: WISCONSINITES TALK HARRIS’ MIDWESTERN RUNNING MATE, TIM WALZ Altwies described Trump, who she supported in 2016 and 2020, remarking, “he’s got a little bit of a loud mouth on him, but he tells it like it is.” For her, this demonstrates that Trump is fearless when it comes to speaking his mind and shows he is not afraid to stand up to anyone. “Kamala, she just seems all giggly and hasn’t really done anything they claim they have,” she said. Some of the other issues motivating these voters to support Trump again are safety, foreign policy, immigration and abortion. FOR WISCONSIN DEMS, A 2024 WIN IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE IS YEARS IN THE MAKING “I don’t like to see the babies that are destroyed every year,” Matuszak said, explaining that abortion was an important issue for her. Kaufman, on the other hand, explained, “I truly believe it should be with the woman and letting her figure out what she needs to do. It’s a hard decision no matter what.” Despite advertising and messaging from Democrats claiming Trump would institute a federal ban on abortion, Kaufman said she does not believe such claims. Matuszak also pointed to immigration, telling Fox News Digital, “I am so disappointed about the open borders that we have.” “I think if that doesn’t get stopped, I think our country is really going to go down,” she added. Nobody who spoke with Fox News Digital in Waukesha County said they supported the Harris-Walz ticket. SEE IT: WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMER SAYS ‘NO QUESTION’ TRUMP ADMIN WAS ‘MUCH BETTER’ THAN BIDEN-HARRIS The voters described seeing Trump and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, signs frequently throughout Waukesha County, which they said was on par with both 2016 and 2020. They also said they have seen very few signs promoting Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn. Fox News Digital observed a plethora of signs in general in the county, with the majority appearing to be in support of Trump-Vance and other Republicans. However, in the downtown area of the city of Waukesha, a college town, there were clusters of Harris-Walz signs. Waukesha County was ranked as one of the top 15 battleground counties to watch across the country, per U.S. News and World Report. The Milwaukee suburban county has developed this reputation given its shift over the last decade. While Republicans have an edge throughout the area, their lead has shrunk in the county during the Trump-era. Waukesha County’s movement politically has followed a trend away from Republicans that other affluent suburbs have also experienced. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.