Harris said candidates must ‘earn’ voter support — despite skipping primaries before becoming Dem nominee
Vice President Kamala Harris said political candidates should have to “earn” support from voters, despite previous criticism for becoming the Democratic presidential nominee without having to run in any primary election in 2024. Harris was asked about why voters still have reservations about her during a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Monday night. “A quarter of registered voters still say they don’t know you, they don’t know what makes you tick,” “60 Minutes,” journalist Bill Whitaker asked during a sitdown interview. “Why do you think that is? What’s the disconnect?” BILL MAHER TRASHES KAMALA HARRIS FOR BEING ‘FULL OF S—‘ ON ISRAEL, MIDDLE EAST: ‘JUST SHUT UP’ “It’s an election Bill, and I take it seriously that I have to earn everyone’s vote,” Harris replied. “This is an election for President of the United States. No one should be able to take for granted that they can just declare themselves a candidate and automatically receive support.” “You have to earn it and that’s what I intend to do,” she added. The Democratic Party has been accused by critics of anointing Harris as the party’s nominee after Biden abruptly ended his re-election bid following his first debate against former President Trump. Many Republicans and groups like Black Lives Matter accused the Democratic Party of installing Harris as its nominee and sidestepping the voting process. The Democratic Party coalesced around her, winning enough delegate support to secure the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August. In response to the criticism, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the party’s presidential nominating process was “open,” and Harris “won it,” despite the absence of any such contest.
Assembly Election Results 2024: Counting in Haryana, J-K begins today, key candidates to watch out for
These are the first major elections in India following the recent Lok Sabha polls.
Haryana, J-K Elections Results 2024 today: When and where to watch?
The counting will begin with postal ballots, which are reserved for specific groups such as security personnel, people with disabilities, and essential service employees.
Political storm: Harris says DeSantis ‘selfish’ for reportedly not taking her hurricane-related calls
Vice President Kamala Harris took aim at Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Monday for reportedly not taking her calls regarding federal storm relief efforts as a second powerful hurricane bears down on Florida. “People are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games at this moment in these crisis situations…is just utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish,” Harris charged on Monday. “It is about political gamesmanship, instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first.” The vice president’s comments came a couple of hours after reports from NBC and later ABC News that the Florida governor was not taking calls from Harris regarding storm recovery efforts, citing unnamed aides to the governor who said the calls seemed political in nature. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS WEATHER UPDATES ON HURRICANE MILTON Asked about ther reports at a hurricane news conference, DeSantis said he wasn’t aware Harris was trying to reach him. “I didn’t know that she had called. I’m not sure who they called. They didn’t call me,” he said. “It wasn’t anything that anybody in my office did, in terms of saying it was political.” CLICK HERE FOR UP-TO-DATE FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE STORMS Asked again about the report, the governor reiterated “I didn’t know that she had called.” The dispute comes as Hurricane Milton, now an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm, is on course to slam into Florida Wednesday evening. Milton is bearing down on Florida as the death toll rises and roughly a quarter of a million people remain without power or running water a week and a half after Hurricane Helen tore a path of destruction through Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Tennessee, and parts of Virginia. President Biden made stops last week in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida to survey storm damage from Hurricane Helene. While Biden was in Florida, DeSantis was holding a separate press event across the state in another area damaged from the storm. “We were in Florida, we invited the governor of Florida to come, it was his decision not to attend,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “The president has reached out around Hurricane Helene. He reached out. It is up to the governor, it is really up to the governor.” The White House said hours later that the president held separate calls with DeSantis and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor “to get a firsthand report on recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene, and to discuss preparations for Hurricane Milton.” According to the White House, Biden urged the governor and the mayor to “call him directly if there is anything that can be done to further support the response and recovery efforts.” Asked about the federal response, DeSantis said during his news conference that “we have gotten what we need from the feds….the president has approved what we asked for….I’m thankful for that.” “Everything we’ve asked for from President Biden, he’s approved,” DeSantis highlighted. With four weeks to go until Election Day in November and Harris and former President Trump locked in a bitter margin-of-error showdown in the race to succeed Biden in the White House, and with two of the hardest-hit states from Helene — North Carolina and Georgia — among the seven key battlegrounds that will likely determine the outcome of the 2024 election – the politics of federal disaster relief are once again front and center on the campaign trail. Trump, for a week and a half, has been repeatedly attacking Biden and Harris over the federal response to Hurricane Helene. Harris, on Monday, clapped back, accusing Trump of pushing “a lot of mis and disinformation.” Fox News Nick Rojas contributed to this story. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Reporter’s Notebook: All about the politics of disaster relief
Welcome to the politics of disaster relief. Republicans are excoriating the Biden/Harris administration for how it responded to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, Tennessee and other parts of the South. This is now about to be a double whammy as Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida. It unfolds amid a tight presidential election. So the disaster response is now infused with politics in swing states like North Carolina and Georgia. There is also a competitive but not top-tier Senate race in Florida. Storms can disrupt the typical electorate. The usual people who vote might not make it to the polls. It’s hard to care about voting if you’re low on food, lack electricity and can’t even make it out of the holler in western North Carolina because Helene wrecked the road. ‘IMMEDIATELY RECONVENE’: SCOTT URGES SCHUMER TO RECALL SENATE AMID HELENE’S DEVASTATION Pray tell, where should you vote in Tampa or Sarasota if your basement is swamped by Milton – after getting drenched when Helene spun through a few weeks ago? You were going to vote at the school down the street. But now it lacks power. You’re now living at your sister’s house inland. But you’re not registered to vote there … You see what we’re getting at. Republicans are hammering the Biden/Harris administration for its response to the storm. “It’s like the DMV at industrial scale,” said Republican vice presidential nominee and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, on Fox. “It is incompetence of the highest order.” “At the federal level, this has been a massive failure,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “When you talk to the people who are directly affected, they will tell you that this has been an abject failure. FEMA has lost sight of its core mission. The administration has not shown that they were prepared for this eventuality in this terrible disaster.” “Kamala Harris has left them stranded. This is the worst response to a storm or a catastrophe or a hurricane that we’ve ever seen. Probably worse than Katrina. And that’s hard to beat, right?” asked former President Trump. Storm responses are challenging. Hurricane Andrew was a powerful Category 5 storm that swept through Florida in August 1992. Former President George H.W. Bush’s tepid response to Andrew slashed his support in Florida. “Bush 41” wound up narrowly winning Florida, besting former President Clinton by less than 2%. Bush won Florida by 22 points four years earlier. Moreover, the response to Hurricane Andrew raised questions about the competence of the administration weeks before the election. It’s believed that cost Bush a few points nationwide. When Clinton took office, he immediately beefed up FEMA to prepare and respond to other natural disasters. BIDEN GETS DEFENSIVE WHEN PUSHED ON WHO’S COMMANDING’ HURRICANE HELENE RESPONSE So, part of this tactic is the natural extension of Republicans to undercut the Biden/Harris administration at nearly every turn. This is another component of the GOP narrative that the administration can’t handle the economy. Can’t handle foreign policy. Can’t handle the border. Did someone say the border? “We give $20 billion a year to FEMA. And unfortunately, they have drained everything dry,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., on Fox Business. “We spent $200 billion in Ukraine. We spent $220-$500 a month on our illegal aliens.” This is where things get tricky. FEMA is under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security. DHS runs a program that sends money to cities besieged by the illegal migrant crisis. Some of the money goes for food and shelter for those in the country illegally. But it also helps those towns cope by addressing strains on their medical systems and other services. Money for disaster recovery and migrant assistance constitute two separate line items in the DHS budget. Congress approved money for both these programs. In fact, some Republicans would prefer to spend more to help their communities grapple with an infusion of illegal immigration. SPEAKER JOHNSON ADDRESSES CLAIMS FEMA DIVERTED FUNDS TO IMMIGRATION EFFORTS: ‘AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTED’ About $640 million currently goes to assist these towns beset by an influx of illegal migrants. But some lawmakers would like that to spike to as much as $3 billion next year. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced legislation to halt the migrant assistance program. And Johnson blurred the line between FEMA disaster aid and migrants and the border. “FEMA should be involved and the Federal Emergency Management Association. Their mission is to help people in times like this of natural disaster. Not to be engaged in using any pool of funding from any account for resettling illegal aliens who have come across the border,” said Johnson on Fox. Other Republicans believe this may be an opportunity to recalibrate spending overall. Keep in mind that many Republicans look askance at foreign aid to Ukraine. “As an elected official, it’s our responsibility to put Americans first. Whether you’re in Florida, in my district or you’re anywhere in the union, I think that it’s important for us to prioritize Americans and restore hope and let them know they’re not forgotten,” said Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., on Fox. But some Republicans compared issues with FEMA’s response to how the administration addresses other subjects. KJP SLAMMED AFTER HURRICANE HELENE OVER MIXED MESSAGES ON WHETHER FEMA RESOURCES USED FOR MIGRANTS “This administration seems to have no problem finding money when they want to spend it on their priorities. When they need hundreds of billions of dollars to pay off student loans for graduate students and gender studies programs, they somehow find it. When it’s trying to get helicopters to deliver food and water and cellular service and lifesaving medicine into these mountain valleys, they somehow can’t seem to find the money,” declared Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on NBC. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell castigated Republicans for suggesting FEMA was focused on other issues rather than the storms. “It’s frankly ridiculous and just plain false. This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people,” said Criswell on ABC. Before leaving Washington, Congress
‘Traitor’ Liz Cheney walloped by Wyoming voters for Harris endorsement, break with GOP
Former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney officially endorsed Vice President Harris for the Oval Office, breaking from the GOP to hit the campaign trail with the Democrat ticket in the key battleground state of Wisconsin last week. Fox News Digital traveled to Casper, Wyoming, over the weekend to speak to voters about their thoughts on the upcoming election and Cheney snubbing the Republican presidential ticket in favor of endorsing Harris this cycle. Voters in the Cowboy State overwhelmingly admonished Cheney for the endorsement, with some slamming her as a “traitor” and “turncoat.” “I’m not impressed with that at all,” Clark Johnson told Fox News Digital when asked about his thoughts on Cheney campaigning with Harris last week in Wisconsin. “I think it’s ridiculous. I think she’s a traitor to the country,” another Wyomingite, Gunner Berg, said of the campaign event. KAMALA HARRIS TEAMS UP WITH LIZ CHENEY IN BIRTHPLACE OF REPUBLICAN PARTY Cheney, who is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, is a vocal critic of former President Trump, putting her at odds with the Republican Party and her former constituents, who overwhelmingly supported Trump in his 2016 and 2020 elections. Wyoming is again expected to vote red this election. The vast majority of voters who spoke to Fox Digital from Casper said they are no fan of Cheney’s and that she would unlikely hold another elected office in Wyoming due to her politics. “I’m definitely not a fan, and it definitely kind of turned some tables there,” Dillon Sigman said, adding that he does not believe Cheney could again successfully run for office in Wyoming. “I think Liz Cheney, who originally was a Wyoming person that moved to Connecticut and then returned to Wyoming wearing cowboy blue jeans and a cowboy rodeo belt buckle and seated herself, completely flipped and became a turncoat. Liz has gone totally Democratic and appears to be down the road of the DEI inclusion and all the other dysfunctional things that are going on in her government,” said a Wyoming resident who identified himself as “Ralph.” “I support her decision to campaign for whoever she chooses. However, I do not think that she is a voice for the Wyoming people. The majority of people I know do not back Kamala Harris or that campaign,” Alicia Kellch told Fox Digital. NIKKI HALEY DEFENDS TRUMP SUPPORT AFTER BEING CALLED OUT BY LIZ CHENEY: ‘THIS IS ABOUT AMERICA’ Kellch said it is unlikely Cheney would be re-elected in Wyoming if she were to pursue such an avenue, adding that she believes many people who initially voted for Cheney feel “sold out once they got her in office and realized what her true intentions were.” Chuck Kucera added in an interview that Cheney is a “backstabber,” quipping that a Harris campaign event is “probably a good place for her.” John Shelton said Cheney could “never” run for office again in Wyoming and that he wouldn’t vote for her even “if she’s the last one to be voted for.” One Wyoming resident told Fox Digital that Cheney teaming up with Harris didn’t “bother” him and didn’t view it as an issue, while noting that “most folks in Wyoming don’t agree with” Cheney endorsing Harris. JAN 6 COMMITTEE ALLEGEDLY SUPPRESSED TESTIMONY SHOWING TRUMP ADMIN PUSHED FOR NATIONAL GUARD PRESENCE: REPORT Two Wyoming residents told Fox News Digital they support Cheney teaming with Harris, with Jennifer Dillinger saying it was “absolutely amazing.” “It’s amazing how somebody who is extremely conservative, has been Republican her entire life but will support the Constitution and the country and not be specific for the party,” Dillinger said, adding that it’s unlikely Cheney would make a successful return to Wyoming politics as the state is “too conservative.” TRUMP CALLS LIZ CHENEY A ‘LOW IQ WAR HAWK’ AFTER APPEARANCE IN SUPPORT OF HARRIS Another woman, Randi Chepke, said she’s “thrilled that Liz Cheney is supporting Kamala Harris,” arguing that Cheney is “putting our country above her party.” Chepke added that Cheney’s endorsement of Harris will “absolutely” encourage some Republican voters to cast ballots for Harris next month. “I think that she is a die-hard conservative and that she is stating her case about why she thinks it’s important to put democracy first. And, you know, frankly, democracy is much more important than the cost of a loaf of bread or a gallon of gas at this point in our lives,” Chepke said. Cheney joined Harris in Ripon, Wisconsin, which bills itself as the birthplace of the GOP, on Thursday, and formally endorsed Harris for president. “I have never voted for a Democrat, but this year I am proudly casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Cheney told the audience. “As a conservative, as a patriot, as a mother, as someone who reveres our Constitution, I am honored to join her in this urgent cause.” LIZ CHENEY CALLS SPEAKER JOHNSON ‘DANGEROUS’ FOR HELPING TRUMP ‘UNDERMINE OUR REPUBLIC’ Harris praised Cheney as a leader who “puts country above party and above self, a true patriot.” Cheney was the third-most powerful Republican in Congress from 2019 to 2021 but saw her rising star fade in the party as she launched repeated attacks against Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. “What is important is to recognize we just had a violent mob assault the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent us from carrying out our constitutional duty,” Cheney said on Jan. 6 after Trump supporters stormed into the Capitol. “There is no question that the president formed the mob. The president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob. This is what America is not.” HOUSE JAN 6 COMMITTEE DELETED MORE THAN 100 ENCRYPTED FILES DAYS BEFORE GOP TOOK MAJORITY: SOURCES Cheney went on to vote to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting an insurrection, sat on the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack to investigate the protest and has continued leveling attacks on Trump this year. “I ask you to
Trump sounds alarm on illegal immigrant murderers: ‘A lot of bad genes in our country’
Former President Trump on Monday described illegal immigrant murderers as having “bad genes” and warned that there are “a lot of bad genes in our country” as illegal immigrant crime remains a top issue for voters ahead of the November election. “How about allowing people to come to an open border, 13,000 of which were murderers, many of them murdered far more than one person, and they’re now happily living in the United States,” the 2024 Republican presidential nominee told radio host Hugh Hewitt. Trump appeared to be referring to the more than 13,000 illegal immigrants in the U.S. who are on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s non-detained docket with a conviction for homicide. The data was revealed in a letter to lawmakers last month. Some of those, although it is unclear how many, will be in federal or state prisons, and some came into the U.S. in prior administrations. The data says that, among those not in detention, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges. NEW POLL REVEALS TRUMP HAS SIGNIFICANT LEAD ON IMMIGRATION, BORDER SECURITY IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE The data revelation has again fired up the issue of illegal immigrant crime, which has been a top concern for many voters amid a massive border security crisis in which record numbers were seen at the border and a number of high-profile crimes committed allegedly by illegal immigrants. “You know, now a murderer, I believe this, it’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now,” he said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Trump appeared to be referring only to murderers, but some media outlets quickly pounced on Trump’s words and accused him of referring to immigrants more broadly. An NBC News headline described it as the “latest disparagement of migrants” from the former president. The Washington Post, Politico and other mainstream media outlets also echoed this same narrative. Mediaite described Trump’s comment as “chilling” and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “That type of language is hateful, it’s disgusting, it’s inappropriate. It has no place in our country.” Trump has promised to take a tougher line on illegal immigration as well as some forms of legal immigration. He has promised to launch a massive deportation campaign if elected. He has also promised to finish the border wall that he started in his first administration and end Biden-era parole programs that have brought hundreds of thousands of migrants into the U.S. Polls generally show that Trump is leading his Democrat opponent, Vice President Harris, on the issues of immigration and border security. Republicans have said that the Biden administration encouraged and fueled the border crisis by rolling back Trump-era policies and expanding catch-and-release. VANCE, WALZ SPAR ON IMMIGRATION DURING VP DEBATE: BEEN TO THE BORDER ‘MORE THAN OUR BORDER CZAR’ Harris has sought to position herself as the candidate better suited to handle border security, pointing to her past as a prosecutor who went after transnational criminal organizations. She has also backed a bipartisan border security bill unveiled this year that would surge funding for the border and also limit some asylum entries. Harris and the Biden administration have accused Trump of opposing that bill for political purposes, but conservatives have said the bill would only codify high levels of illegal immigration. Meanwhile, border encounters are down sharply at the border, with a drop of more than 50% since the summer. The administration puts that down in part to an executive order signed by President Biden that limits asylum entries into the U.S. Harris recently supported a move to toughen up that order further.
Georgia high court restores state’s 6-week ‘heartbeat’ abortion law
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday stopped a lower court’s ruling from last week that allowed abortions up to 22 weeks, as opposed to six weeks, as it considers an appeal filed by the state. The order from the state Supreme Court came a week after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that abortions must be regulated the way they were before the “Heartbeat Law” went into effect, meaning abortions could be allowed until the 22-week mark. The Associated Press reported that Justice John J. Ellington argued against McBurney’s ruling, saying the case “should not be predetermined in the State’s favor before the appeal is even docketed.” “The State should not be in the business of enforcing laws that have been determined to violate fundamental rights guaranteed to millions of individuals under the Georgia Constitution,” Ellington wrote. “The ‘status quo’ that should be maintained is the state of the law before the challenged laws took effect.” GEORGIA JUDGE OVERTURNS STATE’S 6-WEEK ‘HEARTBEAT’ ABORTION LAW, CALLS IT ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, signed the “Heartbeat” abortion bill, also known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act, into law in 2019. The law made abortions after the six-week mark illegal. McBurney called the law “unconstitutional.” “The authors of our Constitutions, state and federal, entrusted to future generations a charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning,” McBurney wrote in his final order last week. “A review of our higher courts’ interpretations of ‘liberty’ demonstrates that liberty in Georgia includes in its meaning, in its protections, and in its bundle of rights the power of a woman to control her own body, to decide what happens to it and in it, and to reject state interference with her healthcare choices. GEORGIA GOV BRIAN KEMP SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL ‘HEARTBEAT’ BILL INTO LAW “That power is not, however, unlimited,” the judge added. “When a fetus growing inside a woman reaches viability, when society can assume care and responsibility for that separate life, then – and only then – may society intervene.” McBurney continued by saying a law that prevents abortions after six weeks was inconsistent with those rights as well as the proper balance that a viability rule establishes between a woman’s rights and society’s interests in protecting and caring for unborn infants. There were exceptions written into the law Kemp signed in 2019, including rape and incest as long as a police report was filed. GEORGIA ABORTION LAW: A LOOK BACK AT WHAT HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION COMPANIES HAVE SAID ABOUT FILMING IN THE STATE The law signed by Kemp was blocked by a federal judge in October 2019 – before it went into effect – and ruled it violated the right to abortion as established by Roe v. Wade in 1973. The Supreme Court then overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, clearing the way for Georgia’s law on abortion to go into effect. McBurney, in November 2022, ruled the law was “unequivocally unconstitutional” because it was enacted in 2019 when Roe v. Wade allowed abortions after six weeks. But in October 2023, the Georgia Supreme Court rejected the ruling in a 6-1 decision, saying McBurney was wrong. McBurney’s ruling last week determined that the state, county, municipal and other local authorities are “enjoined” from seeking to enforce the six-week abortion law. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: One Year Since October 7th Attacks
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening… – Trump-Vance ticket has done combined 65 interviews since August compared to 26 for Harris-Walz –SCOTUS kicks off historic term under scrutiny amid ethics code debate – Women for Trump, Goya team up to provide relief to Hurricane Helene victims in Georgia Anti-Israel protesters set up an encampment outside the home of a Jewish Democratic House member on the eve of the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, the congressman revealed on social media. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, posted on X overnight announcing that a group of people with their faces covered had congregated outside his house, prompting his family to get police escorts in order to exit and enter their home. “A group of masked anti-Israel protesters assembled outside my home early Sunday morning and remained through the evening, forcing police to escort my family in and out of our house for safety,” the lawmaker declared in a post that included a photo of the group. “The protesters refuse to leave, setting up tents, cots, and sleeping bags in their encampment in the road, and are spending the night harassing my family outside our home. It’s not clear if or when they will leave,” he added in another tweet…Read more ‘WE’VE BEEN FAILED’: American father of Hamas hostage Itay Chen pushes US, Israel on ‘Plan B’ as negotiations falter…Read more LASTING TRAUMA: One-year anniversary of Oct. 7 attacks arrives with lasting trauma for Israelis, American Jews…Read more ‘BRING THEM HOME’: Vance gives full-throated support for Israel, has choice words for Biden-Harris at Oct 7 memorial rally…Read more TEXAS LAW UPHELD: Supreme Court denies Biden administration appeal over federal emergency abortion requirement in Texas…Read more FIRST ON FOX: Kamala Harris courts disillusioned Arab Americans over Jewish groups, records show…Read more 1 YEAR LATER: Senate Republicans mark Oct 7 attack 1 year out as Israel-Hamas war continues…Read more GEORGIA ON HIS MIND: Georgia GOP chair shares 2-pronged election strategy as Trump works to win back Peach State…Read more NJ SENATE RACE: GOP New Jersey Senate candidate Curtis Bashaw nearly passes out during debate…Read more THE EARLY VOTING BEGINS: Early voting begins in California, Texas, 5 other states…Read more TRUMP GAINING GROUND: New poll shows who Hispanics are backing in southwest swing states…Read more ‘RADICAL AS THEY COME’: Battleground Senate candidate unloads on ‘radical’ Dem opponent for disparaging Trump voters…Read more CHARGED UP: Michigan Dem launches anti-EV ad in bid for Senate race after voting against a bipartisan pushback on mandates…Read more ‘DOUBLE WHAMMY’: Lake rips Biden-Harris ‘double whammy’ policies affecting Arizonans : ‘Driven us over the cliff’…Read more ‘HAVEN’T DONE THAT MUCH’: ‘We haven’t done that much’: Former Estonia head says US fears of escalation with Putin are unwarranted…Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
MAGA candidate vying to flip Virginia Senate seat red stands firm on controversial military comments
Republican candidate Hung Cao, running for the Virginia Senate seat currently held by Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine, is confident he can turn Virginia red from purple. He’s also doubling down on his controversial comments made during last week’s debate about U.S. military personnel “who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds” in a bid against progressive social training in the military. Cao, a 25-year Navy veteran endorsed by former President Trump, told Fox News Digital in an interview, “It’s about warriors that are just going to do anything to win, and those are the people we need.” VIRGINIA SENATE DEBATE: CLINTON’S EX-RUNNING MATE KAINE AND GOP CHALLENGER CAO SPAR ON IMMIGRATION AND DEI IN THE MILITARY “And that’s what I mean by rip out your own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. That’s a true warrior, whether it’s a alpha male or alpha female, but not some cross-dressing … drag queen,” he said. “That’s not what we need in the military. We need strong men and women that are willing to put their lives online to fight for this country.” During last week’s debate against Kaine, Cao criticized the military’s collective failure to recently meet recruiting goals. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer than 30% of Americans aged 17 to 24 were eligible to serve in the military, and this number has declined even more since then. “There’s only so many hours in the day, and there’s so much money. And when you’re spending all your money and time to look at all these woke issues, you’re taking away from time to train for war,” Cao said. VIRGINIA FAA CONTRACTOR ALLEGEDLY SPIED FOR IRAN, SHARED PRIVATE INFO ON US AIRPORTS, ENERGY INDUSTRY: DOJ When it comes to flipping Virginia’s Senate seat, Cao is confident he can achieve it despite the Cook Political Report designating the seat as solid blue. Cao argued that the Cook report is wrong, noting how he reduced Biden’s 19% margin in Northern Virginia to 6% in 2022. He highlighted that despite Trump losing Virginia by 10 points in 2010, Republicans won all statewide races in 2021 and gained a seat in 2022. In 2023, more Republicans voted than Democrats despite Democrat gerrymandering efforts. “And so, you know, having moved north Virginia the way I did, and if the south comes out, we’re going to win this race,” he said. VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD TO PAY ‘WRONGFULLY FIRED’ TEACHER WHO REFUSED TO USE STUDENT’S PREFERRED PRONOUNS Trump has endorsed Cao, and political scientists say his path to victory is narrow, given Virginia’s moderate electorate, aversion to Trump in 2020 and Kaine’s salience with voters, according to the Associated Press. Kaine won his last race in 2018 by 16 percentage points, although he said he was preparing for a tough race this year. The most recent Republican from Virginia to hold a Senate seat was the late John Warner, a centrist with an independent streak who last won in 2002. Fox News’ Daniel Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report.