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Harris’ struggles with Michigan’s working class voters provides opening for Trump, GOP

Harris’ struggles with Michigan’s working class voters provides opening for Trump, GOP

Republicans in Michigan are attempting to capitalize on Vice President Kamala Harris’ struggles with blue-collar voters in the state, a demographic that has traditionally supported Democrats but has been trending in the direction of former President Donald Trump. “Michigan’s working class isn’t fooled by Kamala Harris’ word salads and dog and pony shows. Her policies, like the radical Green New Deal, are anti-worker,” Team Trump Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita told Fox News Digital. “Her attack on American energy has made the cost of living unaffordable, and her plan to ban gas-powered cars will decimate the backbone of our economy.” The comments come as the race to win Michigan, a vital swing state in the upcoming election, heats up, with the Real Clear Politics polling average showing Harris with just a slim 0.5 point lead in the state with just under four weeks to go before the election. Republicans have hit the state repeatedly in recent weeks, with both Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, making several appearances in the state. KAMALA HARRIS CONFRONTED ON NOT EARNING TEAMSTERS ENDORSEMENT: ‘WHAT WAS THEIR REASONING?’ Those appearances come as Michigan Democrats have begun to worry about the vice president’s prospects in the state, with some imploring her to visit the state more frequently as the race hits the home stretch. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, prominent Michigan Democrats, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have made appeals to the Harris campaign to focus on the state more as the election draws to a close. They have also warned Harris to sharpen her economic messaging, the report notes, with fears spreading that Trump has done well to court the state’s working class voters. Harris has struggled to distance herself from past positions that remain unpopular in the so-called “Blue Wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, including her previous support for transitioning fully to zero-emissions vehicles by 2035 and a ban on fracking. Those concerns were also highlighted by an internal poll shared with the Wall Street Journal that was conducted by Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s campaign that showed Harris down by three points in Wisconsin, another key Midwestern state with similar voting habits to Michigan. “The big thing is people don’t know her—they need to see more of her,” former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard, a Democrat, told the Wall Street Journal. FIREFIGHTERS UNION PRAISED FOR ‘SIGNIFICANT NON-ENDORSEMENT’ AFTER BACKING BIDEN IN 2020: ‘HUGE WIN FOR TRUMP’ Republicans believe that is because Harris has failed in her outreach to the types of workers that have now started gravitating toward Trump. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital that Harris’ message does not “resonate with working class voters” such as those in the upper Midwest, something that could also help down-ballot Republicans in the critical swing states. Harris’ struggles have also extended to union members, a group that has long been a stronghold for Democrats in the state. However, an internal poll conducted by Teamsters, one of the country’s largest and most influential unions, found that members in Michigan preferred Trump (61.7%) over Harris (35.2%), while national union leaders declined to make an endorsement in this year’s presidential race, despite supporting President Biden’s campaign in 2020. Harris also failed to gain the support of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which also supported Biden in 2020, though she did gain the support of both United Auto Workers and the Service Employees International Union. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Teamsters’ own polling shows exactly what we knew – that rank and file Michigan Teamsters are supporting President Trump and his pro-worker policies,” LaCivita said. “While local chapter leadership refuses to disrupt the status quo, the Michiganders who make up these chapters want strong leadership that will protect their jobs, lower inflation, and support American industries – and that’s President Donald J. Trump.” The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Montana Senate poll finds Democratic incumbent trailing GOP challenger, with control of Senate in balance

Montana Senate poll finds Democratic incumbent trailing GOP challenger, with control of Senate in balance

New polling shows Republicans are likely to take control of the Senate in the upcoming election, with the GOP challenger leading against a Democrat incumbent in Montana. Republican challenger Tim Sheehy leads the incumbent Democrat, Sen. Jon Tester, in a 52% to 44% matchup, according to a New York Times/Sienna poll released Thursday. Democrats currently hold a 51-seat majority in the Senate, and Sen. Joe Manchin’s, I-W.V., decision to retire virtually guarantees a seat flipping toward the GOP. While there are competitive races elsewhere in the Senate, Republicans appear to be holding strong, according to Marist polling. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading his race with 51% support, compared to the 46% of his challenger, Collin Allred. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., faces a closer race in Florida, where he holds a slim 50%-48% lead over challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. VULNERABLE DEM JON TESTER TURNS ON BIDEN ADMIN OVER DEI AFTER MONTANA UNIVERSITIES STRIPPED OF FEDERAL FUNDS That story is reversed in Ohio, however, where Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown holds a 50%-48% lead over Republican challenger Bernie Moreno. TRUMP, REPUBLICANS VENTURE TO BLUE AREAS IN WISCONSIN TO BOOST GOP TURNOUT The Cook Political Report also shifted the Wisconsin Senate race from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up” this week. The handicapper cited changes in polling in recent days, with Republican challenger Eric Hovde appearing to close the gap with Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin. SENATE REPUBLICANS MARK OCT 7 ATTACK 1 YEAR OUT AS ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR CONTINUES The latest Marquette Law School poll showed Baldwin winning the battle, 51% to Hovde’s 45%. The survey interviewed 882 registered voters over Sept. 18-26. The poll’s margin of error was +/-4.4 percentage points. The most recent Fox News Power Rankings from last month had Wisconsin at “Leans Dem.” Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report

Haitian migration into US becomes major political issue as election looms

Haitian migration into US becomes major political issue as election looms

The influx of Haitian migrants into the U.S. has become a major political issue in recent months, as both former President Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance repeated claims about the impact they are having on towns like Springfield, Ohio.  It has become a political issue in part due to the Biden administration’s parole processes for four nationalities — Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Under that program, migrants can arrive in the United States and be given a two-year parole term, along with temporary work permits. Some of those are eligible for protection from deportation by the redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status by the Biden administration this summer.  MAYORKAS MOVES TO SHIELD HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS FROM DEPORTATION BACK TO TROUBLED CARIBBEAN NATION The Biden administration announced on Friday that it will not be extending those parole periods for any of the four nationalities, meaning they will have to apply for a different immigration status or leave the country. The impact that the influx of migrants has had on some towns in the U.S. has become a 2024 election issue after it was put into the spotlight by former President Trump. Most notably, Trump repeated claims that migrants have been eating cats and dogs in Springfield Ohio, which officials have denied.  “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.” But others have pointed to the impact it has had on social services. Vance recently said that he does not consider those who come through via the parole programs to be legal immigrants as he sees the programs as illegal. Here is what to know about Haitian migration into the U.S. VANCE SAYS HE WILL KEEP CALLING HAITIAN MIGRANTS ‘ILLEGAL ALIENS’ DESPITE PAROLE STATUS     There are approximately 1,152,604 Haitian immigrants residing in the US according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey (ACS). That is up from nearly 731,000 Haitian immigrants in 2022. Florida has the largest Haitian population in the U.S., at about 511,621 individuals, while New York’s population is a distant 2nd with 196,698 individuals. Massachusetts has 72,677 and New Jersey has 69,069. The top four counties for Haitian immigrants were Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties in Florida, and Kings County in New York. Together, these counties accounted for 41 percent of Haitian immigrants in the United States. Meanwhile, in Springfield, officials estimate that between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitians live in the city. More broadly on the CHNV program, during an eight-month period from January through August 2023, roughly 200,000 migrants flew into the U.S. via the program from all four nationalities. Of those, 80% of them, (161,562) arrived in the state of Florida in four cities: Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa Bay, according to DHS data obtained via a subpoena by the House Homeland Security Committee and provided to Fox News. The Biden administration expanded the CHNV program to include Haitians in January 2023 and since then, 214,000 Haitians have entered the U.S. under the program. Recipients are given a two-year parole and a work permit if they have a sponsor and pass certain background checks. However, the administration announced this month that it will not be extending those paroles beyond that period, meaning Haitians and others protected under the program will have to find another immigration status or potentially leave the country. The Biden administration, however, has also redesignated and extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which protects designated migrant groups from deportation and allows work permits, until February 2026.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS To be eligible, Haitians must have been in the U.S. as of June 3. DHS predicts that it will allow an estimated 309,000 additional nationals to file for TPS, on top of those already protected. TPS grants protection to nationals in countries found to be unsafe for them to be returned and is based on three grounds: armed ongoing conflict, environmental disasters or “extraordinary and temporary conditions.”  “Several regions in Haiti continue to face violence or insecurity, and many have limited access to safety, health care, food, and water. Haiti is particularly prone to flooding and mudslides, and often experiences significant damage due to storms, flooding, and earthquakes. These overlapping humanitarian challenges have resulted in ongoing urgent humanitarian needs,” DHS said in a release. It has led to concerns from conservatives that the revoking of parole status will not lead to significant numbers of Haitians leaving the U.S. after their status expires.