Six in 10 Democrats say Israel bears ‘a lot’ of responsibility for Gaza war: AP poll
American voters worry that the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas will escalate into a larger regional conflict in the Middle East, a new poll finds. While Democrats and Republicans both agree that the ongoing war is a problem and both are wary of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, there’s a stark partisan divide over who is to blame for escalating the conflict, according to the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey. The poll was conducted before Israel launched airstrikes on military bases in Iran on Friday. About 6 in 10 voters overall say the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, the Iranian government and the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah share “a lot” of responsibility for escalating the war. Roughly 4 in 10 assign blame to the Israeli government and only about 2 in 10 say the U.S. government has “a lot” of responsibility, the Associated Press reported. But breaking the numbers down by party affiliation reveals a big gap between the left and right. About 6 in 10 Democrats say the Israeli government bears “a lot” of responsibility for escalating the conflict in Gaza – a similar number of Democrats say Hamas bears “a lot” of responsibility – while only about 1 in 4 Republicans assign “a lot” of blame to Israel. ISRAEL’S STRIKE ON IRAN TOOK OUT MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC ‘IS ESSENTIALLY NAKED’ The conflict in the Middle East has become a major campaign issue as former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris attempt to win over Muslim and Jewish voters in battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. About half of voters are “extremely” or “very” worried about a wider war in the Middle East. Though fewer voters – 4 in 10 – are concerned that the U.S. will be drawn into the conflict. The poll finds that a majority of voters (55%) support economic sanctions on Iran, which U.S. officials recognize as the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East. However, Americans are evenly divided on whether the U.S. should supply Israel’s military with weapons and voters are more likely to oppose sending U.S. aid to Israel’s military, according to the AP. ISRAEL BEGINS RETALIATORY STRIKES AGAINST IRAN FOLLOWING MISSILE BARRAGE TARGETING ISRAELIS There is bipartisan opposition to deploying U.S. troops in the Middle East to assist Israel. Nearly half of voters oppose putting American boots on the ground in Gaza, while just 2 in 10 voters favor sending soldiers to fight with Israel. About another 2 in 10 had a neutral view, the AP reported. The Biden-Harris administration has continued to apply pressure on Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire for more than a year now, with little success. IT WAS ‘WISE’ FOR ISRAEL TO NOT STRIKE IRANIAN OIL, NUCLEAR FACILITIES, SAYS FORMER USS COLE COMMANDER About half of American voters think the U.S. is “doing as much as it can” to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah. Three in 10 say the U.S. could be doing more, while roughly 2 in 10 voters say the U.S. should be doing less. Again, there is a partisan split on how the U.S. should approach the conflict. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say the U.S. should be less involved in cease-fire negotiations. About 3 in 10 GOP voters say the U.S. should do less, but just 1 in 10 Democrats say the same. About 6 in 10 Democrats say the U.S. is doing what it can, compared to about 4 in 10 Republicans. Democrats, Republicans and independents are about equally likely to say the U.S. could be doing more. The AP-NORC poll of 1,072 adults was conducted Oct. 11-14, 2024 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump, Harris dead even in battleground Michigan 6 days from Election Day, poll finds
Former President Trump and Vice President Harris are in a deadlock tie in the battleground state of Michigan as the nation sits less than one week from Election Day. A Wednesday poll from USA Today found that Trump and Harris are both tied at 47% among likely voters in Michigan. The poll surveyed 500 likely voters from Oct. 24 to Oct. 27, advertising a margin of error of 4.4%. The poll also found Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receiving roughly 1% of the vote, despite him dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump. Kennedy’s efforts to get his name removed from ballots in Michigan have been unsuccessful, with the Michigan Supreme Court ruling against the move this fall. The poll comes as Harris’ lead in a Reuters national poll has shrunk to just one point, with the vice president sitting at 44% to Trump’s 43%. MILLIONS OF VOTERS HAVE ALREADY CAST BALLOTS FOR NOV. 5 ELECTION The Tuesday poll found Harris’s lead had shrunk compared to a poll conducted earlier in October that showed her with a two-point lead. The Reuters poll surveyed 1,150 U.S. adults across the country, including 975 registered voters. The poll also found Harris slipping on some of her key issues, such as voters’ concerns about extremism and threats to democracy. A Reuters poll earlier in October found that she had a 7-point lead over Trump on the issue, but the Tuesday poll found that lead shrank to just 2%. Wednesday’s poll comes after another USA Today poll found Harris and Trump locked in another dead heat in Wisconsin on Monday. That state poll of 500 likely voters had Trump at 48% compared to Harris’ 47%. BATTLEGROUND STATE OFFICIALS SAY FOREIGN ENEMIES USING MISINFORMATION TO ‘UNDERMINE’ DEMOCRATIC PROCESS Wisconsin is one of three Rust Belt states that voted for Trump in 2016, then flipped back to the Democrats in 2020. President Biden won the state by just 20,682 votes, or 0.7 points. As of Monday morning, early voters in Wisconsin cast 850,163 ballots, whereas nationwide more than 41 million votes have already been cast in the election. Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report
Harris indicates she’s open to a cognitive test, commits to ousting unlawful migrants and prosecuting cartels
Vice President Kamala Harris, who has indicated that she would be willing to undergo a cognitive test, has also suggested that under a Harris administration, the U.S. would swiftly remove individuals who illegally enter the country, “prosecute the cartels,” and provide Border Patrol with needed support. “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell confronted Harris about former President Donald Trump’s claim that the vice president is “a very low-IQ person” who should undergo a test. “Would you take a cognitive test?” O’Donnell asked. “Sure,” Harris responded, adding, “I would challenge him to take the same one.” She claimed that Trump “is increasingly unstable and unhinged.” HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: THE VICE PRESIDENT GIVES CLOSING ARGUMENT WITH WHITE HOUSE AS BACKDROP During a lengthy interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Trump suggested that everyone who seeks the presidency should undergo testing. “I think you should take cognitive tests,” he said. “I think Kamala should have a test because there’s something missing, there’s something wrong with her.” Earlier this month in a post on Truth Social, Trump declared, “I believe it is very important that Kamala Harris pass a test on Cognitive Stamina and Agility. Her actions have led many to believe that there could be something very wrong with her.” FULL INTERVIEW: VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS SITS DOWN WITH BRET BAIER IN ‘SPECIAL REPORT’ EXCLUSIVE Republicans have been hammering Democrats over the border crisis throughout President Joe Biden’s White House tenure, and earlier this month the National Border Patrol Council, a union, endorsed Trump. But Harris is suggesting that as president, she would tackle the problem. “When I was attorney general of a border state, I saw the chaos and violence caused by transnational criminal organizations that I took on. And when I am president, we will quickly remove those who arrive here unlawfully, prosecute the cartels, and give Border Patrol the support they so desperately need,” Harris said during a speech at the Ellipse in Washington D.C. on Monday. GEORGE W BUSH’S DAUGHTER JOINS HARRIS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: ‘IT WAS INSPIRING’ “At the same time, we must acknowledge we are a nation of immigrants. And I will work with Congress to pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for hard-working immigrants, like farmworkers and our dreamers,” she added.
India, China troops disengagement in eastern Ladakh taking place in ‘orderly’ manner, claims Chinese Foreign Ministry
Following the key agreement firmed up between India and China, the two countries began troop disengagement at the two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh on October 2
Takeaways from our reporting on Texas’ housing affordability crisis
The Texas Tribune examined the state’s housing affordability crisis and why the state has struggled to build enough homes to meet demand.
A community college could transform the Lockhart area. Will voters approve it?
Residents of a rural Texas school district decide in November whether to expand Austin Community College’s reach.
Colin Allred courts Black voters in the final days of his bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz
With stops in Houston and the Rio Grande Valley, Allred hopes to make the race competitive by running up the tally with the core of the Democratic base.
Kamala Harris campaign silent after Biden’s ‘garbage’ gaffe referring to Trump supporters
President Biden’s “garbage” comment while talking about Trump supporters has the U.S. political world talking out loud. Everyone except Vice President Kamala Harris and top Democrats, that is. The Harris campaign has been silent since Biden made his remark during a Zoom call on Tuesday with Voto Latino, one of the largest Latino voter and civic outreach organizations in the U.S. During the call, Biden was asked about a comment made Sunday during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in which comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” TRUMP HAS ANOTHER RESPONSE TO BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ COMMENT ABOUT GOP SUPPORTERS Outrage spewed from Democrats over the next two days saying Trump’s campaign should not refer to Puerto Rico like that. Then, as Harris was holding her last major campaign event — and not far from the White House — Biden was asked what he thought of Hinchcliffe’s comedy bit at the Trump rally in New York. BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said on Tuesday. “[Trump’s] demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it is un-American.” “Garbage” and “supporters” are the two words everyone latched onto after it was said. And it’s kept the Harris campaign to no words, just six days before the 2024 presidential election. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment. Furthermore, none of the top Democrats have openly spoken about Biden’s comments. Those who were openly defiant against Trump after Hinchcliffe’s comment at the rally have been mum since Biden made his remark. Many top Republicans who are seeking reelection — like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Rick Scott — have also been quiet since Biden called many of their voters “garbage.” Based on the 74.2 million votes that Trump received in the 2020 election, according to the Federal Elections Commission, the sitting president called nearly half of the country’s voters “garbage.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Democrats make ‘final pitch’ to swing state voters in dead heat race
FIRST ON FOX — The Democratic National Committee on Wednesday launched a series of full-page ad buys in 25 newspapers as part of the party’s effort to reach voters in the heart of critical battleground states and lay out its final case against Donald Trump. The ad buys were shared exclusively with Fox News Digital and consist of full-page spreads in 25 newspapers in suburban and exurban newspapers across the country. They include five newspapers each in the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia; four newspapers in Wisconsin; and six other newspapers spread across towns in North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada. The ads are an effort to drive home what Democrats said in an interview is their final, “most important” message to voters ahead of Election Day — that Donald Trump is “unhinged, unstable,” and “unfit to lead” in a second term. SWING STATE’S SUPREME COURT ISSUES PIVOTAL RULING ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS SENT WITHOUT POSTMARK Roger Lau, the deputy executive director at the DNC, told Fox News the ads seek to communicate to voters “that this is a clear choice between Donald Trump — his message of chaos, retribution, revenge, division, and the Democratic message; Kamala Harris’s message. Which is that she’s going to be president for all Americans. She is someone that is going to be building an opportunity economy for all of us, and showing us a new way forward.” They take aim at what the DNC characterized as Trump’s “chaotic and reckless record,” as well as his “pursuit of unchecked power,” which they will argue he will seek to advance if re-elected to a second term in November. “In a presidential race that will be decided on razor-thin margins, the paid media campaign is designed to reach voters who could be key to deciding the result of the most important election of our lifetimes,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. The locations of the newspapers selected also offer insight into parts of the map Democrats view as most competitive in the final sprint to Election Day. Combined, a total of 93 electoral votes are at stake in the seven battleground states, votes the DNC said it is prepared to fight hard for in a neck-and-neck election to help elect Harris. Lau told Fox News the papers were chosen specifically to appeal to voters beyond traditional major media markets in large cities. 26 REPUBLICAN ATTORNEYS GENERAL JOIN VIRGINIA IN PETITIONING SUPREME COURT TO RULE ON VOTER ROLL “With the race being as close as it is, and the stakes being as high as they are, we want to make sure that we’re hitting the exurbs and suburbs too,” Lau said. “Places like Macomb County in Michigan, La Crosse in Wisconsin [and] Yuma in Arizona. “These are places that we’re not going to cede ground.” But with less than a week until the election, it’s unclear how many undecided voters in major swing states could be swayed, especially in areas where both the Trump and Harris campaigns have already exhausted significant resources and get-out-the-vote initiatives designed to boost voter registration and appeal to candidates in competitive districts. That’s part of why the DNC chose to run the paid advertisements in print newspapers, it said, in a final bid to appeal to rare voters by way of a trusted, local news source. The news comes after several major news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today all announced they will not be endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2023 election, sparking outrage and a wave of cancellations from some readers. “We always knew that this was going to be a close race,” Lau said. “We always knew that these seven battlegrounds would come down to the final stretch. And I feel like the infrastructure that we’ve built, the energy and enthusiasm we have in our grassroots base, that’s going to help us put it over the edge.” Combined with Harris’ closing remarks to voters on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night, Lau said, “I think it’s going to be a strong closing argument to propel us across the finish line in the end.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘Middle class shrinking’: Jairam Ramesh blasts wage stagnation one day after President Murmu boasts of Indian economy
Just a day after President Murmu lauded the Indian economy, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said India was in its “most precarious and difficult” economic situation.