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.
Centre calls high-level meeting after series of bomb threats in airplanes
Sources in CISF have confirmed that more than 10 bomb threats have been received on social media in last 24 hours.
Priyanka Gandhi set to make electoral debut from Wayanad, to contest Lok Sabha bypoll
The polling on the Wayanad Parliamentary constituency will be held on November 13.
Netanyahu hits Biden admin, says Israel – not US – will decide how to handle Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a swipe at President Biden’s administration Tuesday, stating firmly that Israel – not the U.S. – will decide how best to retaliate against Iran’s recent aggression. Biden administration officials have urged Israel to show restraint against both Iran and Hezbollah, the terrorist proxy group operating in Lebanon. Netanyahu’s regime has mulled action against Iran since it fired roughly 200 missiles into Israeli territory on Oct. 1. “We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest,” Netanyahu said in a statement. Netanyahu issued the statement following a report from the Washington Post claiming that the Biden White House was confident that Netanyahu was in a “more moderate place” now than in recent weeks. IDF MEETS LITTLE RESISTANCE FROM HEZBOLLAH AFTER WEEKS OF HITTING TERROR TARGETS, OFFICIALS SAY White House officials say Israel has assured the U.S. that it will not target Iran’s oil or nuclear facilities, however. That agreement came after Biden and Netanyahu held a phone call last week and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Israeli officials this week, according to the Wall Street Journal. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan reportedly told Israeli officials earlier this month that the U.S. expects “clarity and transparency” about Israel’s plans, specifically regarding any retaliation against Iran for the latest missile attack. AMERICAN FATHER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE ITAY CHEN PUSHES US, ISRAEL ON ‘PLAN B’ AS NEGOTIATIONS FALTER Vice President Kamala Harris also wouldn’t say whether she thought the administration had influence over Netanyahu in an interview last week. Nevertheless, Biden approved the Pentagon to send an advanced missile defense system to Israel this week, along with roughly 100 U.S. soldiers to operate it. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) has previously been deployed to Israel in 2019, but only for an exercise, Pentagon officials say. The system helps bolster Israel’s defense against more sophisticated missiles in Iran’s arsenal. “The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran. It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Georgia judge rules election officials must certify vote counts, even if they suspect fraud
A judge in a key battleground state has ruled that county election officials must certify results by the legal deadline even if they suspect fraud or mistakes. Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney of Fulton County, Georgia, ruled that “no election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance.” While they have the right to inspect the conduct of an election and to review related documents, McBurney wrote, “any delay in receiving such information is not a basis for refusing to certify the election results or abstaining from doing so.” Election results must be certified by Georgia’s individual counties by 5 p.m. the Monday or Tuesday after the race. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
‘Ruining our car industry’: Biden-Harris EV regs prove flashpoint in Michigan Senate debate
Former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., traded blows on electric vehicle mandates and border security during their Senate debate in the critical swing state of Michigan. “It’s ruining our car industry,” Rogers said of mandates related to buying and producing electric vehicles (EV) during Monday’s debate, starting one of the most heated exchanges of the event. “You’re promoting Chinese technology in America.” The two candidates in Michigan’s critical Senate race have sparred over the issue of EV mandates throughout the campaign, highlighting how critical the issue is in a state that will play a major role in deciding the presidential election and control of the federal legislature. Rogers has attempted through two debates in the race to tie President Biden and the Democratic Party’s support for EVs to Slotkin, who has countered that her support for the technology will ensure that Michigan remains competitive in the future of auto manufacturing. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATES CLASH ON NATIONAL SECURITY, IMMIGRATION AND ABORTION Rogers said Democrats such as Slotkin are “killing the car business” when it comes to promoting EVs, accusing his opponent of voting for a “mandate” on EVs “at least three times.” While there has been no mandate that Americans must purchase EVs, the Biden administration has pressed emissions standards that could force automakers to ensure that up to two-thirds of their new vehicles sold are zero-emissions by 2032. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, Slotkin voted against legislation that would have blocked the new standards, but has expressed openness to rewriting them if they would hurt U.S. automakers. “I want that manufacturing here. I don’t care what you drive, I want to build them,” Slotkin said during Monday’s debate. The two candidates also attempted to cast blame on the other for the situation at the southern border, with Slotkin accusing Rogers and Republicans of a campaign to kill Biden’s border legislation before it could get through Congress. “What’s going on at the southern border is a symptom of a broken immigration system,” Slotkin said, accusing Republicans of using the “border as a political issue than actually do the real work and get things done.” FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: HARRIS TICKS UP AND SENATE REPUBLICANS TAKE CHARGE Rogers instead blamed Democrats on the issue, calling Biden’s legislation a “terrible bill” that would have allowed for continued legal crossings, while Slotkin questioned how Rogers could claim to know better on the issue than the national Border Patrol union, which threw its support behind the deal. The debate also highlighted the two candidates’ competing views on abortion, with Slotkin doubling down on campaign ads that have accused Rogers of supporting several pieces of anti-abortion legislation. “He has shown us who he is, don’t trust him on this issue,” Slotkin said. MICHIGAN DEM LAUNCHES ANTI-EV AD IN BID FOR SENATE RACE AFTER VOTING AGAINST A BIPARTISAN PUSHBACK ON MANDATES Rogers countered by arguing that he supported leaving the question of abortion to the voters in each state, promising not to do anything in the Senate that would undo the will of voters in Michigan who voted to make abortion a right in the state. “I won’t do anything when I go back to the United States Senate to undo the vote of the people,” Rogers said. Another tense exchange saw the two candidates trade blows over gun reform, with Slotkin acknowledging her own history with firearms but calling for tougher legislation to “go after the number one killer of children in our communities.” “It’s really, really easy to understand why politicians, in the face of murdered children, don’t do anything. They don’t do it because they receive campaign donations and they’re scared,” Slotkin said. “They’re scared because they don’t want to lose their election, and it’s terrible.” THE BIDEN-HARRIS EV MANDATES WILL HURT WORKERS IN STATES LIKE MICHIGAN: TUDOR DIXON Rogers countered that the issue mostly centered on the country’s struggles with mental health, and that “banning guns isn’t going” to solve the issue. Inflation and the economy were another major issue during the debate, with Rogers appealing to voters to remember if they were better off under the leadership of Republicans four years ago. “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Rogers asked. “My opponent voted 100% with Biden-Harris (Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic presidential nominee) on all of the things that have raised your prices.” Slotkin responded by pointing to her support for bringing supply chains back to the U.S., which she argued would help bring prices down. She also hit Rogers on his lack of support for allowing the government to negotiate lower pharmaceutical prices, something she said would help alleviate the pressure on middle-class families. The Senate race in Michigan will be one of the closely watched nationally and features one of the few tight races that could determine control of the upper chamber this election. According to the Fox News Power Rankings, the Michigan Senate race leans in the Democrats’ favor. According to the Real Clear Politics polling average, Slotkin currently holds a slim 1.9 lead over her Republican opponent. Even so, the race has shifted significantly since Sept. 19, when Slotkin held a 5.1 advantage over Rogers in the average. Republicans have showed optimism about the race, with Axios reporting Tuesday that the Republicans’ Senate Leadership Fund will pour another $10.5 million into Rogers’ campaign for the home stretch of the election. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Harris and Trump tied in battleground Michigan, Senate race on razor’s edge: AARP poll
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are tied in battleground Michigan, according to a new public opinion poll. Fox News’ Power Rankings have moved Michigan into the toss-up column, with both parties making a strong play for Rust Belt voters. The race has tightened significantly, with voters split along generational and gender lines, according to an AARP poll conducted Oct. 2-8. With a full ballot including all third-party candidates, Harris and Trump are tied at 46% support each, the survey said. Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. still receives 3% support even though he endorsed Trump in August. All other third-party candidates polled at a combined 2%. In a head-to-head matchup, Trump leads Harris by just one point, 49%-48%. VP KAMALA HARRIS TO SIT DOWN WITH CHIEF POLITICAL ANCHOR BRET BAIER FOR FIRST FORMAL FOX NEWS INTERVIEW The survey is consistent with other AARP polls that have pointed to a generational divide. Harris leads by double digits among voters 18-34 and 65+, while Trump polls stronger among voters 35-49 and 50-64. Voters are split by gender as well. “There is a very large gender gap of a net 40-points among voters overall and 29-points among voters 50+, with Harris strong with women voters and Trump with men,” the survey release states. The AARP poll also finds a competitive race for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: THE BIGGEST SURPRISES COME AFTER OCTOBER Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a three-term House lawmaker, holds a narrow 49%-46% lead over Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.9%. Michigan, along with Pennsylvania 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. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: SENATE REPUBLICANS TAKE CHARGE Four years later, in 2020, Biden carried all three states by razor-thin margins to put them back in the Democrats’ column and defeated Trump. Harris will swing through Detroit for a campaign stop Tuesday afternoon. During her visit to Motor City, she will participate in a radio town hall with Charlamagne tha God. The vice president will return to Michigan on Friday for events in Grand Rapids, Lansing and suburban Detroit. Trump visited Michigan last Thursday and delivered a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, where he announced proposals to make interest on auto loans tax-deductible, slash corporate taxes for American manufacturers and threatened up to 1,000% tariffs on foreign-imported vehicles if he returns to the White House. Fox Business’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this update.
Trump says ‘I don’t care when you vote’ in new House GOP ad urging voters to turn out early
FIRST ON FOX: A dramatic, months-long campaign season is drawing to a close as the clock ticks closer to Election Day, according to a new message from House Republicans to voters. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP’s campaign arm, released a new digital ad on Tuesday marking 21 days until the election. It comes as Republican Party operators at the state, federal and local level work overtime to convince supporters to vote early, particularly in pivotal swing states like Georgia and North Carolina that have been ravaged by Helene this storm season. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION The ad features audio clips from the entire House GOP leadership suite – Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson – as well as former President Trump. Trump’s voice opens the video with, “Republicans must win, and we must use every appropriate tool available to beat the Democrats. They are destroying our country.” “I don’t care when you vote, but you’ve got to vote,” Trump says in the video. Meanwhile, clips of vulnerable Republicans, like Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Ken Calvert, R-Calif., flash across the screen interspersed with the word “vote.” GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE It’s set against a portion of “Dream On” by Aerosmith, per an airing viewed by Fox News Digital. “In 21 days, Americans will cast their ballots to end Democrats’ dangerous, far-left socialist agenda for our country. Every trip to the grocery store, fentanyl death or crime committed in a family’s neighborhood should give voters another reason to record their vote in this critical election,” NRCC rapid response director Macy Gardner told Fox News Digital. Early in-person voting is kicking off in four states this week. Georgia can head to the polls before Election Day from Tuesday through Nov. 1, while North Carolina begins early voting on Thursday. Voters in Iowa and Kansas are also heading to the polls. Republican Party officials have been working overtime to convince their base to vote early after Democrats walloped the GOP with non-Election Day voters in 2020. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ Those efforts will be particularly critical in North Carolina and Georgia, both states hit hard by Hurricane Helene and where the election is expected to be close. Getting likely voters to head to the polls early, Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon explained early this month, frees up resources closer to Election Day to convince “low propensity voters” to turn out as well. “All of that requires resources. That requires money – put mail in the mailbox, ads on television, telephone calls to their home, knocking on their door. We’re trying to do all of those things,” McKoon told Fox News Digital. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.