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Harris’ off-putting manner put Zelenskyy on defensive ahead of Russian invasion, new book reveals

Harris’ off-putting manner put Zelenskyy on defensive ahead of Russian invasion, new book reveals

Vice President Kamala Harris’ history as a federal prosecutor instilled in her a direct, sometimes adversarial communication style that reportedly alienated Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their first private sit-down, leaving him “disgruntled” and defensive just days before Russian troops invaded his country.  Their tense sit-down was chronicled in “War,” the new book by Bob Woodward. In the book, Woodward details some of the most consequential foreign policy and security challenges overseen by President Biden during his first term. Among them, Russia’s 2022 invasion and ongoing war in Ukraine. Fox News obtained an early copy of the book, which is available in bookstores today. As Woodward reports, Biden deployed Harris to the Munich Security Conference in February 2022, less than a week before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops commenced their full-scale invasion of Ukraine – with the sole mission of convincing Zelenskyy that the Russian incursion was imminent, based on all available U.S. intelligence and the hundreds of thousands of troops it had confirmed Russia had been amassing nearby, including some 40,000 soldiers near the Belarusian border.  Harris was to demonstrate unified support for Ukraine from the U.S. and NATO, and to help Zelenskyy accept the fact that this was, indeed, happening.  However, Woodward reports, aspects of that mission backfired – at least behind closed doors. Publicly, Harris delivered a winning speech, effectively reassuring the world of the U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and Article 5. It is considered among her major achievements as vice president.  HUNTER BIDEN LEGAL SAGA IS ‘REAL WAR’ THAT ‘PREOCCUPIED’ OUTGOING PRESIDENT, NEW WOODWARD BOOK CLAIMS In private, however, Zelenskyy was immediately put off by Harris’s brusque communication style and “forceful” demeanor during their sit-down, during which Harris and her national security adviser, Philip Gordon, wore masks and did not attempt to shake hands with their Ukrainian counterparts upon entering the room. Though Germany was still under COVID-19 protocols, the icy start to the meeting “disgruntled” Zelenskyy, Woodward said, and left the Ukrainian president feeling “like he was about to be reprimanded” at a frightening and vulnerable time for his nation. “You need to take seriously the likelihood that any day the Russians will invade your country,” Harris told him forcefully. In Woodward’s telling, things between the two did not improve from there. Harris, a successful former federal prosecutor and California attorney general, has been praised and criticized for her adversarial communication style – and it was one she reportedly employed during her sit-down with Zelenskyy, in attempt to convince him of the imminence of Russia’s invasion. TRUMP MEETS UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY AT TRUMP TOWER, SAYS RUSSIA’S WAR MUST END WITH ‘FAIR DEAL’ “Look,” Harris told him, after some tense back-and-forth, “our teams will share more specific information with you but we are telling you that your numbers are wrong. You really face a potentially imminent invasion.”  Rather than softening him, the meeting appeared to put Ukraine’s president even more on the defensive.  As Woodward writes, Zelenskyy was hard-pressed to acknowledge the imminence of the invasion despite credible U.S. intelligence, in large part because it would create a “self-fulling prophecy” for Ukraine’s nascent democracy, risking the collapse of the country’s economy, and potentially, its government. Finally, Zelenskyy relented, looking Harris in the eye and asking directly, “What do you want me to do?”  He inquired whether the U.S. would impose sanctions, close ports to Russian ships, give Ukraine Stinger or Javelin missiles or send warplanes to his country, in order to equip them for the battles ahead. Harris’s answer did little to assuage him. “The punishment can only come after the crime,” she said of a U.S. response to Russia, Woodward noted, instead advising him to “start thinking about things like having a succession plan in place to run the country if you’re captured or killed or cannot govern.”  Zelenskyy was urged by the U.S. to have an escape plan – one which he boldly rebuffed, choosing to remain in Kyiv in the days and weeks following Russia’s invasion.  He also turned down evacuation offers from both the U.S. and Turkey following the start of the war. The “fight is here,” he would later say from Kyiv. “I need ammunition, not a ride.” BIDEN PLEDGES $8 BILLION TO UKRAINE FOLLOWING PUTIN’S PROPOSED CHANGES TO NUCLEAR RULES Harris remarked to Gordon upon leaving the meeting that that was the last time they might ever see him again.  “War” is available for purchase in stores on Oct. 15. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

Dem strategists ratchet up Hitler-Trump comparisons despite concerns about heated rhetoric

Dem strategists ratchet up Hitler-Trump comparisons despite concerns about heated rhetoric

Democrats on television have continued their heated rhetoric against former President Donald Trump despite multiple attempts on his life, and pundits twice compared him to murderous dictator Adolph Hitler in the last week. In an interview on “CNN News Central,” Democratic strategist Aisha Mills was asked to respond to a comment made earlier in the day by Trump, who remarked that the U.S. has “a lot of bad genes in our country right now” during a discussion about illegal immigrants who were committing murders. Mills began by claiming that Trump “revered the Nazis… revered Hitler.” “Donald Trump has had a very sinister philosophy, wanting to be a dictator, absolutely dividing people up based on who they are, based on factors about them that have to do with their race and their gender, etc.,” she continued. MSNBC GUEST COMPARES TRUMP TO HITLER’S FINAL DAYS IN BUNKER OVER HIS HARRIS AI CROWD CLAIMS “And when he uses language like this, I don’t think that it’s a Freudian slip. I think that the danger of a Donald Trump is that he would absolutely try to exterminate an entire group of people because he thinks that their genes are somehow different than his and faulty,” Mills said. “And I say this with all the sternness that you hear in my voice because it is serious. And Americans should recognize that.” On Sunday, prominent Democratic strategist James Carville compared Trump’s plans to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City to a Nazi sympathizer who held a rally there almost 100 years ago. TRUMP REVEALS NEW DETAILS OF FIRST ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ‘IT WAS THE CRAZIEST DAY’ “See what happened there. They are telling you exactly what they’re going to do, they’re telling you, ‘We’re going to institute a fascist regime,’” Carville told MSNBC’s Jen Psaki in response to a Trump comment that “radical left lunatics” might need to be handled by the National Guard on Election Day.  Carville explained that “this election is about the Constitution.” “We are not going to have one if we lose it. And I’m not exaggerating. I’d love to debate anybody on that question,” Carville said. “He lies about everything, except, except he’s telling the truth when he’s going to have a roundup.” Fox News Digital reached out to CNN and MSNBC for comment but did not immediately receive a response.  Fox News Digital reached Carville by phone, and the political veteran dismissed the social media blow back to his comments. “He said he would round up his political opponents,” Carville said. “Am I not supposed to repeat what he said? I am only repeating what he said.” “He’s the one that chose to have a rally at Madison Square Garden. The same place the Nazis had a rally on Feb. 20, 1939,” Carville added.  Carville also dismissed the “implication” that “because there are crazy people who aren’t even Democrats, they are registered Republicans, that made an attempt on Trump’s life that we shouldn’t repeat what he said, which I think is an idiotic position.” Thomas Matthew Crooks, the first man who attempted to assassinate Trump, was a registered Republican, according to voting records, but he only participated in the Nov. 8, 2022 state election due to his age. Records also show that he made a $15 donation to Progressive Turnout Project, a Chicago-based political action committee that supports Democratic candidates. Ryan Routh, the second attempted assassin, is not currently registered but was a registered Democrat in the past and claimed to have voted for Trump in 2016 while also voicing support for several Democrats on social media. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Hill in a statement that Carville has “lost his marbles.” “President Trump is 100% correct — those who seek to undermine democracy by sowing chaos in our elections are a direct threat, just like the terrorist from Afghanistan that was arrested for plotting multiple attacks on Election Day within the United States.” The Hitler comparisons come after Trump has blasted Democrats and the media for heated rhetoric against him that he says contributed to two failed assassination attempts against him. “He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,” Trump told Fox News Digital about the gunman who pointed a gun on him on a Florida golf course. “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out.”  Over the weekend, a man with multiple guns and ammunition was arrested outside a Trump rally in California in what many fear was a potential third assassination attempt against Trump. The man dismissed those fears and claimed he was a Trump supporter in a phone call with Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Yael Halon contributed to this report

‘Boys playing girls’ sports’ ad lands Texas Dem in hot water with LGBTQ activists on eve of pivotal debate

‘Boys playing girls’ sports’ ad lands Texas Dem in hot water with LGBTQ activists on eve of pivotal debate

Democrat Rep. Colin Allred of Texas is getting pushback from the progressive flank of his party for his most recent attack ad against Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in which he says he doesn’t want “boys playing girls’ sports.” The Allred ad debuted days before he’s set to take the stage Tuesday night in a debate against his Republican opponent in next month’s Senate election. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBTQ lobbying group in the country, endorsed Allred this year. But they’re expecting Allred to explain his comments.  “Texans have, for too many years, been subjected to Ted Cruz’s hate and lies. They are ready to turn the page,” HRC spokesperson Brandon Wolf told LGBTQ media outlet The Advocate. “Congressman Allred needs to explain his comments in this ad. They simply don’t square with what we know about his record. For years, he has supported our community and worked to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. Texans deserve to finally have a leader who values equality and freedom.” TEXAS DEM’S SENATE AD FEATURES BORDER WALL HE ONCE BLASTED AS ‘RACIST’ Allred, who is now running for Senate, released the ad in response to recent attacks by Cruz, who has tried to link Allred to support for transgender inclusion in women’s and girls’ sports.  “I’m a dad, I’m also a Christian, and my faith has taught me that all kids are God’s kids. So let me be clear, I don’t want boys playing girls’ sports or any of this ridiculous stuff Ted Cruz is saying,” Allred said in the ad.  His statement also drew the ire of other trans activists, including transgender journalist Erin Reed.  “Allred’s response is significant. He’s the first major Democratic candidate to acquiesce to anti-trans messaging,” Reed wrote on X. “His decision to respond this way may be short sighted.” TEXAS DEM ALLRED SAYS HE OPPOSES ‘BOYS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS’ DESPITE PAST OF ALLOWING IT, FIGHTING PARENTAL RIGHTS A new ad paid for by Cruz’s campaign aired during NFL games in Texas this month and claimed that Allred wanted an “extreme liberal vision for America” for wanting to allow “boys in girls’ sports.” Cruz is reportedly set to run another ad this Sunday, the third addressing the subject. Allred is a former NFL linebacker who played for the Tennessee Titans from 2006 to 2010 after a college career at Baylor. He announced his Senate campaign to challenge Cruz in May 2023 and then won his party’s nomination in early March this year.  In October 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law restricting transgender student athletes from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Texas is one of 23 states with laws in place to prevent transgender inclusion in women’s sports. Allred has been an opponent of those efforts dating back to the first year of his congressional career. As recently as June 2023, he co-sponsored a law that “would force public schools to allow biologically male athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams.” CRUZ RACE NOW A ‘TOSS-UP’ SHOULD BE WARNING FOR TEXAS GOP, SAYS EXPERT Allred posted on X, “Texas should be a place where our young people can be who they are, free from discrimination. This is yet another dark, shameful moment for our state as the GOP in Texas is more focused on attacking trans students than fixing the real problems we face.” Allred also advocated for a Transgender Bill of Rights, co-sponsoring a resolution in March 2023 “Recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights.” The resolution called for federal law to ensure that biological men can “participate in sports on teams and in programs that best align with their gender identity; [and] use school facilities that best align with their gender identity.” Additionally, Allred supported efforts that would limit parents’ rights regarding transgender athletes. He voted against the Parents Bill of Rights Act, which required school districts to alert parents if their child was sharing a bathroom, locker room or sports team with a student of the opposite biological sex. Cruz and Allred are scheduled to have their first and only debate Tuesday evening. Cruz has held his Senate seat for the last 12 years. Fox News Digital reached out to Allred’s campaign for comment but received no response by the publication deadline.  Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Harris touts her work on the economy, but what has she actually done for small businesses?

Harris touts her work on the economy, but what has she actually done for small businesses?

As Election Day creeps closer, Vice President Kamala Harris has sought to define herself as a champion of small businesses, which she has called “the engines of our economy.” However, does the vice president’s record match her rhetoric? Voters who rank the economy as their top issue in this election do not seem to think so. The Harris-Walz campaign has lagged behind rival former President Donald Trump, who, as of Oct. 1, held a nine percentage point lead over Harris in trust on this issue, according to the Fox News Power Rankings.  To undercut Trump, Harris has proposed a wide range of policies to boost small businesses, with an ambitious goal of 25 million new business applications by the end of her first term, should she be elected president. She hopes to outpace the 15 million applications filed during Trump’s first term. Harris has pledged to give startup businesses a $50,000 tax deduction and steer venture capital toward local entrepreneurs in rural parts of the country to meet that goal.  “I believe America’s small businesses are an essential foundation to our entire economy,” Harris said at a Sept. 4 rally in North Hampton, New Hampshire, where she outlined her vision for an “opportunity economy.”  JAMES CARVILLE ADMITS HE’S ‘SCARED TO DEATH’ ABOUT ELECTION DAY Her proposals include low and no-interest loans to small businesses, simplifying how businesses can file taxes, increasing the number of federal contracts with small businesses and increasing taxes on “billionaires and big corporations” to fund these programs. Harris’ tax deduction plan has won praise from some economists, including Nicholas Creel, an assistant professor of Business Law at Georgia College and State University, who called it “potentially transformational.”  Creel told Fox News Digital her plan would help people “justify the risky prospect of starting a new business and making sure more of those new businesses survive.”  Other supporters point to Harris’ work as vice president and senator to boost minority-owned businesses in poorer communities.  “As Vice President, Harris established the Economic Opportunity Coalition, an unprecedented public–private partnership that has poured billions of dollars of critical investment into historically underserved communities. As Senator, she secured a transformative $12 billion for Community Development Financial Institutions and other community lenders, providing capital to small businesses around the country, including to rural communities,” said Lindi Li, a Democratic strategist and member of the Harriz-Walz National Finance Committee.  Li’s family owns commercial and residential real estate in Pennsylvania. “My family and I run a small business ourselves and the Biden-Harris administration has been incredibly supportive, always extending a listening ear,” she told Fox News Digital.  ‘WE BELIEVE IN DONALD TRUMP’: MORE THAN A DOZEN MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS ENDORSE FORMER PRESIDENT Hundreds of venture capital investors have signed on to the Harris economic agenda as well.  “VP Harris’ support for small businesses and startups is genuine and began long before this campaign,” said Gayle Jennings O’Byrne, CEO of Wocstar Capital. “I had the opportunity to speak with her earlier this year when she came to North Carolina to announce $32 million in investments into women and minority-led venture capital funds, including mine. Over 825 of the nation’s top venture capitalists, myself included, believe in her commitment so strongly that we publicly signed a pledge titled ‘VCs for Kamala.’” Republicans are predictably far less optimistic about Harris’ plans. Critics point to high inflation under the Biden-Harris administration, brought about by excessive government spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, as harmful for existing businesses.  “Vice President Kamala Harris has certainly positioned herself as an advocate for small businesses, with notable initiatives like increasing the startup tax deduction and focusing on underserved communities. However, the reality on the ground tells a more complicated story,” said Ryan Waite, a Republican political consultant.  Waite argued the Biden-Harris record has exacerbated inflationary pressures and undermines any support for small businesses Harris aims to provide. Year-over-year price increases peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, though inflation has since fallen to around 3% – still above the Federal Reserve’s target 2% rate.  “Entrepreneurs need more than just access to capital. They need a stable economic foundation to thrive. So far, the administration has fallen short in addressing these immediate concerns, and many small businesses aren’t seeing the benefits of these policies as quickly as VP Harris would have us believe.” The Harris-Walz campaign and White House did not respond to requests for comment.  Harris’ campaign website claims she was a strong advocate for small businesses as both a U.S. senator and later as vice president. She was California’s junior senator from 2017-2021, when Trump occupied the White House, during which time she opposed the GOP economic agenda.   Harris voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which slashed corporate taxes and provided tax relief for small businesses with the Qualified Business Income Deduction, in addition to changes in individual tax deductions and the family tax credit, which affects the economy overall. As one of the more liberal members of the Senate, Harris co-sponsored the Raise the Wage Act of 2019. Introduced by self-described democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the bill would have increased the federal minimum wage to $15. Republicans opposed the effort, arguing it would increase costs on businesses that rely on low-skill or entry-level labor. It passed the House but died in the Senate. TRUMP, HARRIS LOCKED IN DEAD HEAT IN 7 BATTLEGROUND STATES, POLL FINDS: ‘COULD NOT BE CLOSER’ On a more bipartisan note, Harris voted for the CARES Act of 2020, a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package that created the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan initiatives to help small businesses survive COVID lockdown mandates. The final bill passed nearly unanimously, 96-0-4. Later that year, Harris secured passage of the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act, which was included in the COVID-related stimulus package passed in December 2020. The legislation provided $12 billion to community development financial institutions (CDFIs), which direct capital to businesses in minority and low- and moderate-income communities.  Harris also

Trump resoundingly endorses Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ahead of Tuesday night Senate debate

Trump resoundingly endorses Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ahead of Tuesday night Senate debate

Former President Donald Trump issued a full-throated endorsement of incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) on Truth Social. “While I have Endorsed Ted, on numerous occasions, verbally, because of the Importance of the Race, and Ted’s Importance to the future of our Country, I thought the Endorsement should be memorialized in writing,” Trump declared in a post. Cruz — who has served in the Senate since 2013 and is currently seeking a third term — is facing off in the 2024 Texas U.S. Senate race against Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred, who has served in the House since 2019. CRUZ RACE NOW A TOSS-UP SHOULD BE WARNING FOR TEXAS GOP, SAYS EXPERT The two men are slated to debate on Tuesday night. “Ted is one of the strongest Senators in the Country on Border Security, whereas his Opponent, Colin Allred, is a Radical Open Border Extremist, who will put our Country, and Safety, LAST. Ted, on the other hand, will ALWAYS put Texas, and America, FIRST,” Trump said in another post on Truth Social. “Ted Cruz has my Complete and Total Endorsement – HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” “Thank you!! Vote Trump! Vote Cruz!” the Lone Star State senator tweeted in response to Trump’s messages. TED CRUZ WARNS TEXAS SENATE RACE IS ‘INCREDIBLY CLOSE’ Cruz endorsed Trump back in January on the heels of the former president’s decisive win in the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses. Former President Barack Obama has urged voters to back Allred’s Senate bid. ‘AGAINST OUR DAUGHTERS’: CRUZ CHALLENGER HIT WITH BLISTERING 7-FIGURE AD OVER TRANSGENDER SPORTS BILL VOTE Texas has been a reliably red state in presidential contests for decades. Jimmy Carter’s 1976 win there marked the last time a Democratic presidential candidate won the Lone Star State.