Harris’ late surge in betting odds fueled by outlier poll, but Trump still ‘slightly favored’
Vice President Kamala Harris has had a late push to close some of the gap between her and former President Trump in the election betting odds. Trump enjoys a 13.1 point lead in the presidential betting odds as of Monday morning, leading Harris 56% to 42.9% in the Real Clear Politics betting average. The number, however, represents a late shift in the odds toward Harris, who trailed Trump by 28.9 percentage points just six days ago. “Some of the polls have been getting a little bit closer, so I think the betters are seeing some slight momentum toward Harris,” Maxim Lott, who runs ElectionBettingOdds.com, told Fox News Digital on Monday. WHAT ARE ELECTION BETTING ODDS? EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY TRUMP IS CURRENT FAVORITE Lott’s website shows a similar trend to the Real Clear Politics average, with Trump having a 56.4% chance to win the election as of Monday morning, while Harris has a 43.1% chance. But like the numbers on Real Clear Politics, Trump’s lead has fallen by 5.3 percentage points over the last week. Lott, who previously served as a program executive producer for the FOX Business Network, said many inputs can lead to changing betting behavior, pointing to a recent surprising Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll out of Iowa that showed Harris with a one-point lead over Trump in a state few believed to be in play for Democrats. While one poll could be dismissed as an outlier, Lott noted that betters have seemingly reacted to the news, with Trump’s odds of winning the state dropping from over 94% a week ago to 82.1% as of Monday morning. “I think there’s this kind of narrative behind that poll that abortion is actually going to be the driver this election, just like it was in 2022, and that women are going to come out in droves and elect Harris,” Lott said. “I think bettors are at least assigning some probability to that being true.” MAJOR POLLSTER DROPS FINAL BATTLEGROUND POLL NUMBERS What Lott doesn’t believe is behind the Harris surge is a small amount of very large bets in her direction, pointing to betting platforms such as PredictIt, which limit the amount of bettors and bet sizes on certain outcomes, that have tracked in a similar direction as every other platform tracked on his website. Nevertheless, Lott cautioned against putting too much stock into late momentum when it comes to evaluating the betting odds. “Momentum doesn’t matter at all… for this kind of thing,” Lott said. “With a market, the current price is the best predictor of the future price… if Harris was supposed to be in the lead, you could make a lot of money by putting her in the lead by putting your money on her now.” Add it all up, Lott envisions a close election that will likely come down to turnout. “I would expect on Election Day, Trump to still be slightly favored,” Lott said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘What a disgrace’: Trump taunts McConnell’s endorsement as GOP Senate leader race looms
Former President Trump taunted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., during a rally in Kinston, North Carolina, on Sunday, calling him a “disgrace,” despite receiving his endorsement for president in 2024. “Hopefully we get rid of Mitch McConnell pretty soon ‘cause he helped them, that guy,” he said, claiming the Kentucky Republican assisted President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ administration. REPUBLICANS CALL ON MAYORKAS TO REINSTATE COVID-ERA BORDER POLICY AMID TUBERCULOSIS ‘SURGE’ McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, notably announced in February that he would not seek the role of leader again after the 2024 elections. “Can you believe he endorsed me?” Trump asked the crowd Sunday. “Boy, that must have been a painful day in his life.” In March, once it became clear that Trump would go on to win the Republican nomination for president, McConnell gave him his backing. “It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” he said in a statement at the time. HARRIS SLAMS ‘OFFENSIVE’ TRUMP REMARK ON PROTECTING WOMEN FROM MIGRANT CRIME The endorsement came as a surprise to some, given the contentious relationship between the two men. But McConnell insisted it should not be considered at all unusual. “It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support,” he said. Remarking on the early 2024 endorsement from McConnell, Trump said on Sunday, “Every time I think of it, he didn’t have to do that.” HOW GOP, DEM SENATORS ARE USING 2024 CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO LOBBY FOR CONFERENCE INFLUENCE “He provided the necessary votes,” Trump claimed, presumably referring to votes he disagreed with in Congress. “What a disgrace.” McConnell’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. The former president’s mocking of both McConnell and his endorsement comes after the minority leader’s own thoughts on him over the years were revealed in a new book. TOP REPUBLICANS PROBE BIDEN ADMIN ON AFGHAN NATIONALS’ ALLEGED ELECTION DAY TERRORIST PLOT In “The Price of Power,” by Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief of The Associated Press, it was reported that McConnell referred to Trump at times as a “sleazeball,” “stupid,” “erratic,” a “despicable human being,” and a “narcissist.” The secret ballot election for the next leader, who will succeed McConnell, is slated for Nov. 13, just after the general elections. In the running to replace him are Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
8 states will vote on measures that would explicitly ban noncitizens from voting
Eight states will take to the polls on Tuesday to decide on ballot measures that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote. Ballot measures in Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri and Wisconsin come after House Republicans passed a bill over the summer that would require proof of citizenship to vote. That bill has not been taken up by the Senate. Some municipalities allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, like Washington, D.C., and a handful in Maryland, Vermont and California. New York City’s law allowing noncitizen voting was struck down in court earlier this year. The wave of noncitizen ballot referenda began with North Dakota in 2018, when the state constitution was amended, changing the wording from “every citizen” to “only a citizen” regarding voting eligibility. Voters in Florida, Colorado and Alabama passed identical language changes in the 2020 elections. Ohio and Louisiana followed suit in 2022. While noncitizen voting in federal elections is illegal, Republicans argue there is no adequate enforcement in place, and such unlawful voting could tilt the results of the presidential election. Iowa’s state constitution currently lists the voting age at 21, but the state has been following the 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which set the voting age at 18. A proposed state constitutional amendment would mandate that “only a citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years,” changing both the age and existing language from “every citizen” to “only a citizen.” The amendment would also delineate that only those who live in the state can vote in its elections. On Sunday, a federal judge ruled that he would not block Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s challenge to the ballots of roughly 2,200 suspected noncitizens. SEN. MIKE LEE WARNS DEMOCRATS WOULD ‘RULE AMERICA UNCONTESTED FOR 100 YEARS’ IF THEY SWEEP 2024 ELECTIONS The ACLU of Iowa had filed a lawsuit on behalf of four naturalized citizens who had their registrations challenged. Pate required any potential noncitizen on his list to vote with a provisional ballot and return to the county auditor’s office with proof of citizenship for their vote to count. A new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released Saturday found Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump by three percentage points in the state, 47% to 44%. North Carolina’s GOP-led legislature passed a bill that put forth an amendment that would change the state constitution’s requirements to vote. The document currently says “every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized” can vote in North Carolina if they are over 18 and a U.S. resident. The amendment would alter the text to “only a citizen of the United States” can vote if they have met the other requirements. North Carolina does not require proof of citizenship to vote but requires people to swear they are a citizen and otherwise eligible to vote or risk felony charges of perjury. North Carolina is one of seven key swing states in the presidential election. Similarly, a ballot measure in South Carolina would change the state’s constitution to read that “only a citizen of the United States and of this State” who is at least 18 years of age and “properly registered” can vote. Currently, it reads “every citizen” who has met the other qualifications can vote. “It doesn’t make it harder for a legal voter in the state to vote, but it does make clear in South Carolina we will not open ourselves up to lawsuits by groups that are pushing noncitizens to vote in elections anywhere in the state,” state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, the lead sponsor of the bill that established the measure, told a local news outlet. “We have had multiple court challenges across the United States in multiple jurisdictions where some courts have upheld municipal governments or school boards extending the right to vote to those who are not legally in this country,” Kimbrell said. “We want to remove any ambiguity in South Carolina.” NATIONAL POLLS SHOW TRUMP, HARRIS IN TIGHT RACE AS ELECTORATE IS UNHAPPY WITH CHOICES Wisconsin’s Republican-led legislature voted to add a measure on noncitizen voting to the November ballot to amend the state’s constitution to say “only” U.S. citizens who are 18 or older can vote, rather than “every” citizen who is 18 and older. The Idaho constitution currently states that “every male or female citizen of the United States” who meets certain age and residency requirements is eligible to vote in the state. The ballot referendum would explicitly amend the state’s constitution to say that noncitizens are barred from voting in any election in the state. A ballot measure in Kentucky proposes an addition to the state constitution stating, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to vote in this state.” The state’s constitution currently expresses, “Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years who has resided in the state one year, and in the county six months, and the precinct in which he offers to vote sixty days next preceding the election, shall be a voter in said precinct and not elsewhere.” If successful, Missouri’s ballot measure would change the state’s constitution to say “only citizens of the United States” can vote in elections. Currently, it says “All citizens of the United States” over the age of 18 and those who reside in Missouri “are entitled to vote at all elections.” However, the amendment would also outlaw ranked choice voting, which allows voters to rank their choice of candidates in order or preference. Experts believe that type of system typically favors moderates. The state’s Republican-dominated legislature got a measure on the ballot this year that would change the state’s constitution to say “only” instead of “all” citizens who reside in the state and are over 18 are “qualified” to vote. The Department of Justice last week sued Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin‘s administration for removing people from the voter rolls who had been
Trump leads Harris by 2% in North Carolina heading into Election Day, poll finds
A new poll has found that former President Trump is leading Vice President Harris 50% to 48% in the battleground state of North Carolina. The East Carolina University survey of 1,250 registered voters was conducted from Oct. 24 to 29 and has a margin of error of 3%. “Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have invested significant resources in North Carolina to win its 16 votes in the Electoral College,” Peter Francia, the director of the ECU Center for Survey Research, said in a statement. “The reason for that is clear: North Carolina is still too close to call, and its electoral votes could be critical in deciding the winner of the presidential election,” he added. ON ELECTION EVE, HARRIS AND TRUMP HOLD DUELING RALLIES IN THE BIGGEST OF THE BATTLEGROUNDS Voters who responded to the poll indicated that inflation and the overall cost of living is their most important issue, at 27%, followed by the economy at 24%, abortion at 14%, border security at 12% and the affordability of health care at 4%. Within the electorate, Trump leads among White voters 64% to 34%, while Harris is leading among Black voters 89% to 10%, according to East Carolina University. REPUBLICANS OUTPACING DEMOCRATS IN NORTH CAROLINA EARLY VOTING, DATA SHOWS Across genders, Harris is leading Trump 52% to 47% among women, while men prefer Trump 54% to 44%, the poll revealed. Voters who are under the age of 45 support Harris over Trump 57% to 41%, while Trump leads 56% to 43% among voters 45 and over, the results show. The survey also found that 41% of the voters approve of the job President Biden is doing, while 54% disapprove.
Trump to continue swing state tradition in final campaign event of 2024
Former President Trump will continue the tradition of ending his presidential campaigns in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the same place he ended his 2016 and 2020 White House bids. The Trump campaign announced that the event will take place at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena, with doors opening to supporters at 6:30 p.m. and Trump scheduled to speak at 10:30 p.m. The event will mark the third time Trump has ended his campaign with a late-night rally in Grand Rapids, emphasizing the importance of the swing state of Michigan to his chances to win back the White House. TRUMP CAMPAIGN BLASTS TOP HARRIS SURROGATE MARK CUBAN FOR ‘INSULTING’ PRO-TRUMP WOMEN Trump ended his successful 2016 campaign for president with a late-night rally at DeVos Place convention center in downtown Grand Rapids, then ended his unsuccessful bid for re-election with a rally at the Grand Rapids airport. “I kept saying we have to finish off here.… We can be a little superstitious, right?” Trump asked supporters during the 2020 rally in the city. Trump narrowly won the state of Michigan over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 before dropping the state in another close race with President Biden in 2020. BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY Polls show another tight race brewing in 2024, with the Real Clear Politics polling average giving Harris a slight 0.6 point lead as of Sunday. Harris also held a slim lead in the betting odds in Michigan as of Sunday, coming in with a 59.7% chance to take the state, according to ElectionBettingOdds.com. Meanwhile, the latest Fox News Power Rankings rate Michigan as a toss-up. Kent County, where Grand Rapids is located, promises to be one of the most vital swing counties in the state in 2024. Long a Republican stronghold, the country has trended more toward Democrats in recent years. Trump was able to win the county by three points in 2016, but dropped the county to Biden by six points in 2020. “Michiganders love a late night rally, and President Trump loves Michigan,” Team Trump Michigan communications director Victoria LaCivita told Fox News Digital. “From the beginning, Team Trump has known that the path to the White House runs directly through Michigan, so there’s no better place to conclude a historic and momentous campaign season.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump, Harris have visited these states the most heading into Election Day
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have spent all their time traveling to a select group of states leading up to Election Day, with two of them commanding the most of their attention. An analysis of trips reveals that both candidates have visited Pennsylvania and Michigan a combined 52 times since Aug. 5, according to Axios. Later today, Harris will be visiting Pennsylvania for the 17th time during that period when she speaks at a series of campaign rallies there, Axios reported. The analysis found that she has made 10 visits to Michigan – her second most-traveled-to state – eight to Wisconsin, six to Georgia, six to North Carolina, four to Arizona and four to Nevada. TRUMP, HARRIS NECK AND NECK IN BATTLEGROUND STATES, POLLS SHOW Harris also has traveled two times each to New York and California for fundraisers and hosted a campaign rally in Texas late last month. For Trump, he has been to Pennsylvania 15 times already, followed by 11 visits to Michigan and 11 visits to North Carolina, according to Axios. POLLS OF GEORGIA, NORTH CAROLINA LIKELY VOTERS FINDS TRUMP, HARRIS NEARLY TIED On the eve of Election Day, Trump is hosting rallies in all three of those battleground states one more time. Following those states, since the start of August, Trump has traveled to Wisconsin seven times, Georgia seven times, Nevada five times, Arizona four times and New York four times, Axios reported. The analysis was based on press releases and media reports and does not include stops that Harris or Trump made in Washington, D.C., or Florida, where they are respectively based.
‘Continued harassment’: Lawsuit to ban feds from polling sites filed by Missouri Republicans
Missouri’s secretary of state and attorney general filed a lawsuit Monday aimed to block the Department of Justice from interfering with polling places on Election Day. “No one is above the law,” Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in a press release. “The law clearly and specifically limits who may be in polling places and this action by the DOJ is not allowed. Once again the federal government is attempting to illegally interfere in Missouri’s elections.” The suit comes after the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last week that it would deploy election monitors to 86 voting jurisdictions across 27 states, including both Republican-led states such as Florida and Democrat-led states such as California. The DOJ has deployed election monitors to polling stations nationwide since the 1965 Voting Rights Act in an effort to better ensure fair ballot access and prevent partisan influence, according to the Washington Post. The number of jurisdictions that are set to be monitored this year is a 49% increase from the 2020 election, and roughly matches the number of jurisdictions the DOJ monitored two decades ago during the 2004 election. REPUBLICANS SCORE VICTORY IN GEORGIA FIGHT OVER ELECTION OBSERVERS, RNC CHAIRMAN SAYS Ashcroft explained that in 2022, Missouri officials banned the DOJ from entering and monitoring polling places, citing that the state has been identified as leading “the nation regarding election integrity as it pertains to accessible, secure voting with timely, credible results,” according to organizations such as the conservative Heritage Foundation. “This is a repeat performance,” Ashcroft continued. “Two years ago, we met with the DOJ. We showed them the law and explained that they have no jurisdiction to interfere in Missouri elections. Now they are doing the same thing; trying to go through the back door by contacting local election officials and making false jurisdictional claims for access rather than contacting my office directly. The DOJ just doesn’t seem to get it – we don’t need them here; we don’t want them here. This time we are taking it a step further and filing a lawsuit against the DOJ to get them to stop the continued harassment.” DOJ DEPLOYS DISTRICT ELECTIONS OFFICERS TO HANDLE ‘THREATS AND INTIMIDATION’ Florida also banned federal monitors from polling stations in 2022. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment on Monday morning but did not immediately receive a reply. “Rather than contaminate the process – like in Virginia and Alabama, the DOJ should consider the Show-Me State as the example for other states when it comes to sound non-partisan elections,” Ashcroft continued. “It would be highly inappropriate for federal agents to violate the law by intimidating Missouri voters and harassing poll workers.” YOUNGKIN HITS BACK AT DOJ SUIT OVER ‘COMMON SENSE’ LAW THAT CULLS NONCITIZENS FROM VOTER ROLLS “The secretary of state’s office has full confidence in our election authorities. Voting has been underway for several weeks and we are ready for Election Day. I want to personally thank all 116 local election authorities and the thousands of poll workers across Missouri who make our elections safe, secure and credible.” Missouri is expected to again vote for the Republican ticket during the general election after previously voting for former President Donald Trump by 15 points in 2020 and nearly 19 points in 2016. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
First lady stumps in key battleground state while Biden remains absent from the campaign trail
First lady Jill Biden will stump for Vice President Kamala Harris in a key battleground state on the last day before the general election, while President Biden, the former Democratic nominee, is absent from the campaign trail. The first lady will spend election eve campaigning for Harris in North Carolina – a state of 16 key electoral votes that former President Donald Trump won in both 2016 and 2020. Neither Harris nor her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, have events scheduled in North Carolina on Monday. However, Jill Biden is expected to make stops in three cities across the state: Winston-Salem, Carrboro and Durham. The first lady was also on the campaign trail Sunday, speaking at a get-out-the-vote event in Pennsylvania. HARRIS DISTANCES HERSELF FROM BIDEN LABELING TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ While his wife hits the trail for the Democratic presidential nominee, President Biden’s public schedule shows he will remain off the campaign trail until Election Day. HARRIS CAMPAIGN ABANDONS BIDEN IN FINAL WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION DAY: REPORT The president will spend Monday making calls to thank service members for “recent successful counterterrorism operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria,” according to his public schedule. The president attended a get-out-the-vote event in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, but has remained largely distant from the campaign trail since Harris stepped in as his replacement in July. Harris, herself, has also appeared to distance herself from Biden throughout her campaign. The vice president recently told Fox News’ Bret Baier that her presidency would “not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency.” “Like every new president that comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences, and fresh and new ideas. I represent a new generation of leadership,” Harris told Fox News. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Most recently, President Biden suggested that Trump supporters are “garbage.” Questioned on the comment, which sparked outrage from the GOP, Harris told reporters that “I think that first of all, he clarified his comments, but let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
Critics warn red state ballot measure is progressive ‘power grab’ that will ‘decimate’ voice of voters
DAYTON, OH – A competitive Senate race in Ohio has resulted in voters being flooded with ads about national issues, but a lesser known state ballot measure to amend the state constitution could, according to its critics, fundamentally change the makeup of elections for the worse for years to come. On Tuesday, Ohio voters will vote “yes” or “no” on a measure “to create an appointed redistricting commission not elected by or subject to removal by the voters of the state.” The ballot question states that it would, among other things, “repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved by nearly three quarters of Ohio electors participating in the statewide elections of 2015 and 2018, and eliminate the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts.” Ohioans voted overwhelmingly in 2015 to create the commission and have it draw State House districts. During that bipartisan campaign, which was called Fair Districts for Ohio, they were promised the new system would “protect against gerrymandering.” In 2018, voters gave the commission an additional role in a new system set up to draw congressional districts. NONPARTISAN WATCHDOG RELEASES REPORT OUTLINING TOP ELECTION SECURITY THREATS FOR 2024: ‘A LOT CAN GO SIDEWAYS’ Citizens Not Politicians (CNP) argues the existing system has failed. The group is calling for replacing the current regime with an independent body made up of average citizens. Current and former politicians, party officials and lobbyists would be ineligible. The 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission would include Republicans, Democrats and independents and represent a mix of the state’s geographic and demographic traits. CNP sued the Ohio Ballot Board and Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose over the wording of the ballot measure, and small tweaks were made. However, the court ruled the phrase “required to gerrymander” was accurate and upheld the majority of the wording. While CNP argues that this measure puts citizens in control of district mapping, opponents warn that the measure is a partisan power grab funded by progressive groups, including dark money. “Issue 1 doesn’t empower citizens, it does the exact opposite,” Honest Elections Project Executive Director Jason Snead told Fox News Digital. “It creates a new class of politicians who are wholly unaccountable to the people of Ohio. It’s nothing more than a liberal power grab designed to send more progressive politicians to Washington and Columbus.” KEY BIDEN AGENCY SLAPPED WITH ANOTHER SUBPOENA RELATED TO VOTER REGISTRATION PUSH IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE Americans for Public Trust Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland has raised concerns about who is funding the “yes” side of the argument. “Liberal operatives have openly discussed their strategy to weaponize ballot issues in competitive states not only to bypass the legislatures, but also boost their preferred progressive candidates,” Sutherland said. “That’s the exact playbook they’re using in Ohio with Issue 1. The Arabella-managed Sixteen Thirty Fund is the number one donor to the campaign to pass Issue 1, which would force gerrymandering in the state and decimate the voice of Ohioans.” Issue 1 Ohio Works has argued that a “yes” vote “creates an unaccountable commission whose members are chosen out of a hat by four retired judges, an unknown private hiring firm and commission members themselves.” “Issue 1 will require Ohio’s legislative districts be gerrymandered to ensure that Republicans and Democrats can each win a set number of seats in the General Assembly and Congress,” Ohio Works argued. “Ohio voters could be stuck with a representative from the opposite party on the opposite end of the state who doesn’t share their point of view. Issue 1 will allow for maps to divide any county, city or township into as many districts as necessary to achieve the set number of seats. It will also create legislative districts with strange shapes like the famous ‘snake on the lake’ district that has defined Ohio gerrymandering for years.” UNEARTHED DOCUMENTS CONTRADICT VULNERABLE HOUSE DEMOCRAT’S RHETORIC ABOUT CHAMPIONING EVICTION BAN Fox News Digital spoke to LaRose about the ballot measure on Saturday and asked what his message would be to voters who are still undecided or perhaps confused by the barrage of ads from both sides. “Here’s the easiest way to describe it,” LaRose said. “Issue 1 would replace the current redistricting process where people that you can fire, that are accountable to you, right? Elected officials are in charge of drawing district lines and are required to draw those in a balanced, bipartisan way. That’s what the Ohio Constitution was amended to do ten years ago when over 70% of Ohioans voted for that.” “Now, if Issue 1 passes, all of those rules that protect against gerrymandering go away. A 15 member panel will be created. It’s supposed to be five Democrats, five Republicans and five Independents. But they’re appointed through this really complex process. I call it a Rube Goldberg device, like one of those drawings with the overly complicated thing. So, somehow they get these 15 people, those people then can never be fired from the redistricting commission. You’re literally never allowed to talk to them, which I think is a First Amendment violation. It says right in the amendment. You only can talk to them at a public meeting. So if your kid plays soccer with one of their kids, you can’t tell them how you think that the line drawing should work, which is crazy.” SWING STATE GOP CANDIDATE COULD HIT MAJOR MILESTONE IN MAYORAL RACE AMID ‘REPUBLICAN WAVE’ OPTIMISM LaRose explained that “they’re required to sit down and draw state legislative and congressional districts to create a certain number of Democratic seats and a certain number of Republican seats,” which he calls the “definition of gerrymandering.” LaRose also warned that a “yes” on Issue 1 could end up negatively affecting minority communities in inner cities. “They will try to create an arbitrary number of Democrat seats that really don’t fit, square peg, round hole kind of stuff and what they will do is crack urban populations, reduce minority representation,” LaRose
‘Human punch-line’ Tim Kaine mocked for SNL cameo by GOP Senate challenger amid equal-time rule outrage
Virginia Republican Senate candidate Hung Cao mocked his Democratic opponent, incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine, for appearing on “Saturday Night Live” amid outrage that NBC appeared to violate a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) equal-time rule for featuring both Kaine and Vice President Kamala Harris on the comedy show without showcasing their political opponents. “Many of my supporters are saying I should sue NBC for giving free airtime to my opponent Tim Kaine right before my election. I disagree,” Cao said in a statement posted to his social media. “I was barnstorming 12 towns and cities across Virginia yesterday talking about how we’re going to secure our border & lower prices, while Tim was being a human punch-line in New York City.” Social media erupted on Saturday as news spread that Harris’ planned flight to Detroit for a campaign event was diverted to New York City, as speculation mounted the Democratic nominee would make a surprise appearance on “SNL.” Harris, as well as Kaine, did appear on the comedy show, sparking outrage from Trump supporters, as well as a commissioner on the FCC, who said NBC appeared to violate the agency’s equal-time rule for hosting the political candidates in the final episode of “SNL” before Election Day. FCC COMMISSIONER RIPS NBC OVER HARRIS’ LAST-MINUTE SNL APPEARANCE: ‘PLAINLY DESIGNED TO EVADE’ THE RULES The equal-time rule, established in 1934, requires radio and television broadcast stations to provide the same amount of time for competing political candidates. There are exceptions to the rule, such as newscasts, documentaries and political debates. “This has all the appearances of, at least some leadership at NBC, at SNL, making clear that they wanted to weigh in in favor of one candidate before the election. That’s exactly why, for decades, we’ve had an equal-time rule on the book, is to prevent that. Because remember, broadcasters are placed in a special position of trust. They’re not just like any other person with a soapbox on the corner. They have a license from the federal government that obligates them to operate in the public interest,” Republican FCC commissioner Brendan Carr told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview Sunday morning. TRUMP, HARRIS CAMPAIGNS MAKE FINAL PLAYS AS NATION SITS BARELY ONE DAY FROM ELECTION DAY Carr said Cao, former President Trump, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, and even Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – who is still on the ballot in some states after dropping out of the presidential and endorsing Trump – are likely eligible to receive the same amount of time on “SNL” as their respective challengers this election cycle. “Later on in the program, Sen. Kaine here in Virginia, where I am, appeared on the program, and he’s up for election on Tuesday as well. There’s an opposing campaign, the Hung Cao campaign, they may also have a right now to comparable time in programming,” he told Fox Digital on Sunday. KAMALA HARRIS APPEARS ON ‘SNL’ IN FINAL EPISODE BEFORE ELECTION Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate during her failed 2016 presidential run, appeared in a skit as a contestant on a game show who couldn’t remember who Kaine was. His appearance followed Harris joining “SNL” alum Maya Rudolph in the comedy show’s cold open. ‘SNL’ TAKES AIM AT KAMALA HARRIS’ ‘MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY’ FAMILY RESPONSE DURING ‘FAMILY FEUD’ SKIT Fox News Digital reached out to Cao for additional comment on the debacle, but did not immediately receive a response. The Virginia Republican and retired Navy captain did thank NBC and Kaine for the appearance in his initial comment. FCC COMMISSIONER OUTLINES ‘POTENTIAL REMEDIES’ FOR NBC’S ‘CLEAR AND BLATANT’ ELECTION LAW VIOLATION “I want to thank NBC & Tim Kaine for making the contrast so clear about the stakes on Tuesday,” he capped off his statement. Lorne Michaels, the creator of “Saturday Night Live,” said just last month that it was highly unlikely that either Trump or Harris would appear on the comedy show, explicitly citing the equal time provision laws. NBC FILES EQUAL TIME NOTICE FOR HARRIS’ SNL CAMEO FOLLOWING BACKLASH “You can’t bring the actual people who are running on because of election laws and the equal time provisions,” Michaels told the Hollywood Reporter in October. “You can’t have the main candidates without having all the candidates, and there are lots of minor candidates that are only on the ballot in, like, three states and that becomes really complicated.” Carr noted in the Fox Digital interview that Michaels was aware of the FCC’s equal time rule just the other week. “This is exactly why Lorne Michaels just weeks ago went public and said they would not be doing any candidate appearances, because he understood the thicket that it would throw NBC into. Something changed at the last minute, and they’ve now gone down this path. And again, I think it’s important that the FCC come together and we take action. Otherwise, our rules are absolutely meaningless,” he said. Late Sunday, NBC and affiliates ultimately filed equal-time notices regarding Harris’ and Kaine’s appearances on the show. “Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for president in the 2024 national election, appeared without charge on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) for a total period of 1 minute and 30 seconds on November 2, 2024,” the notice reads. Amid outrage over the appearances, an election ad for Trump aired on NBC toward the end of its broadcast of a NASCAR event and the NFL’s coverage of the Minnesota Vikings-Indianapolis Colts game on Sunday night. “We’re losing everything, including viability,” Trump said in the ad. “We’re going to end up in a depression based on what’s been happening. We’ve never seen anything like it, at least in the last 40 years.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.