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Donald Trump wins Nevada, pushing his victory margin over Kamala Harris

Donald Trump wins Nevada, pushing his victory margin over Kamala Harris

Former President Trump has flipped the swing state of Nevada after falling just short in 2020. The six electoral votes for Nevada add to Trump’s victory in the 2024 race. Fox News Decision Desk called the presidential race in the Silver State for Trump, handing Vice President Harris a loss in a state where both candidates held several campaign events. Biden won Nevada in 2020 by 2.4%, which continued a trend of Democrat presidential candidates winning the state.  The state has voted for every Democrat who has run for president since 1992, except the two elections with President George W. Bush on the ballot. However, the average margin across those eight elections is just 4.1 points. DEMOCRATS HAVE AN ENORMOUS DILEMMA IF KAMALA HARRIS LOSES Republicans surprised many by beating Democrats in early in-person voting and also virtually erased the gap with registered voters heading into Election Day.  The Democratic turnout advantage in the state in years past has been driven by what is known as the “Reid Machine” that late Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, the U.S. Senate majority leader from 2007 to 2015, established to help pool resources to maximize support for candidates up and down the ballot.  SAN JOSE STATE REQUESTS LOST REVENUE DAMAGES AFTER OPPONENTS FORFEIT AMID TRANSGENDER CONTROVERSY His approach tapped into networks that extended well beyond the traditional party structure. He leaned especially on the heavily immigrant Culinary Union, which represents about 60,000 casino workers and leads efforts to register voters, make phone calls and knock on doors. Both Harris and Trump, along with their surrogates, made numerous trips to Nevada in recent weeks. “Nevada, I am here asking for your vote,” Harris told a crowd in Reno in the last days before the election. “I am asking for your vote. And here is my pledge to you, and I got your back, as president, I pledge to you to seek common ground and common sense solutions to the challenges you face. I am not looking to score political points.” “I am looking to make progress. And I pledge to listen to experts, to listen to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make and to listen to people who disagree with me. Because that’s what real leaders do.” Nevada was also home to a key Senate race between Republican Sam Brown and Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen.

Incumbent Dem Jacky Rosen holds onto Senate seat in battleground Nevada

Incumbent Dem Jacky Rosen holds onto Senate seat in battleground Nevada

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., has been re-elected to the Senate in Nevada, according to Friday night’s race call by the Associated Press. The Democrat senator successfully fended off a challenge from veteran Sam Brown, a Republican endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump. Rosen was first elected to the Senate in 2018 and this was her first re-election. Prior to the election, Fox News Power Rankings in September considered the November Senate match to be one of two “toss-ups,” alongside Ohio.  JACKY ROSEN HAS BEEN SUPPORTING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN AGENDA THAT HAS LEFT MANY NEVADANS HURT: SAM BROWN A top political handicapper, the Cook Political Report, had similarly rated it a “toss up” earlier in the year but more recently shifted the race back to “Lean Democrat.” Cook cited polling in the summer months that showed Rosen outpacing Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris by a significant margin. Also in the category were Senate races in Arizona and Pennsylvania. HISPANIC VOTERS RAIL AGAINST ‘DISHONEST’ BIDEN-HARRIS BORDER RECORD AS POLL SHOWS TRUMP GAINING IN KEY STATES Nevada was a critical swing state for elections down-ballot, including the presidential and Senate races. While the Nevada Senate battle wasn’t thought of as necessary for Republicans to gain the majority in the upper chamber, it was being eyed to expand a likely majority in the new Congress.  There were also several close House races in the state, which were similarly expected to determine which party would lead the lower chamber.  CBS REPORTER FINDS ONLY 3 HARRIS SUPPORTERS IN 3 NEVADA RESTAURANTS: ‘PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT TRUMP’ Rosen handily won the Democrat nomination for Senate earlier in the year, defeating both Troy Walker and Mike Schaefer, who were not prominent challengers. Brown faced a much more difficult primary race, with former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Jeffrey Gunter taking him on for the GOP nod.  Gunter spent significant money on attack ads against Brown, depicting him as a tool of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The primary was made more uncertain by President-elect Donald Trump’s decision not to weigh in until the last minute.  Trump ultimately threw his support behind Brown at a rally in Nevada ahead of the primary, allowing him to win the election by a healthy margin. The Trump-backed Senate candidate failed to close the polling gap with Rosen in the same fashion that other Republican candidates across the country had with their incumbent opponents. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

FEMA official directed hurricane relief workers to avoid homes with Trump signage as agency conducts cleanup

FEMA official directed hurricane relief workers to avoid homes with Trump signage as agency conducts cleanup

A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official has been fired after directing disaster relief workers to skip homes “advertising” support of now President-elect Trump in the wake of the devastating hurricanes in Florida. A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official has been fired after directing disaster relief workers to skip homes of supporters of now President-elect Trump in the wake of the devastating hurricanes. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a FEMA spokesperson said that they are “deeply disturbed” following the incident,” noting that the official who gave the instruction “was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes.” “While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again,” the spokesperson said.  “The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes, and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident,” the agency said. FLORIDA RESIDENTS FEEL ‘BEATEN DOWN’ BY HURRICANE SEASON: REP. BYRON DONALDS The Daily Wire first obtained internal messages about the incident. In messages obtained by the outlet, a FEMA official is seen instructing workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump” among other practices. The outlet noted that the aid workers would enter into a system tracking application that they made no contact with the residents, blaming the directive: “Trump sign, no contact per leadership.” The agency said that it is investigating the incident and are taking it “extremely seriously.” FEMA noted that following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the agency has helped over 365,000 households and provided over $898 million in direct assistance. FEMA DOESN’T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THIS: ADAM SMITH “We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels,” the agency said. “Helping people is what we do best and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes.” In a statement on X, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that his administration is launching an investigation into FEMA following the “blatant weaponization” of the agency. “The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days,” he said. “At my direction, the Division of Emergency Management is launching an investigation into the federal government’s targeted discrimination of Floridians who support Donald Trump.” FOLLOW THE MONEY: UNDERSTANDING FEMA’S DISASTER BUDGET IN HURRICANE MILTON AFTERMATH “New leadership is on the way to D.C. and I’m optimistic that these partisan bureaucrats will be fired,” he added. WATCH: The discovery of mismanagement came after the Biden administration lectured people about spreading “disinformation” about FEMA.  During a White House address on the government’s response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene, President Biden denounced the “reckless, irresponsible and relentless disinformation and outright lies that continue to flow.” “That $750 that they’re talking about, Mr. Trump and all those other people know it’s a lie to suggest that’s all they’re going to get,” Biden said during an address in October. “It’s just bizarre. They got to stop this. They’re being so damn un-American with the way they’re talking about this stuff.”

US Rep. Mike Rogers being considered for secretary of defense under Trump

US Rep. Mike Rogers being considered for secretary of defense under Trump

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., is being considered to serve as secretary of defense in a second Trump administration.  A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital Rogers has been contacted by the Trump transition team.  Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for comment. INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN VICTORIES IN SUBURBAN NEW YORK: ‘FED UP WITH ONE PARTY DEMOCRATIC RULE’ Rogers was re-elected to a third term Tuesday after running unopposed.  Another potential candidate for defense secretary is Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Green Beret. In addition to serving in the military before joining Congress, Waltz was an adviser to defense secretaries Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld and spent time in the private sector as CEO of defense contractor Metis Solutions. He sits on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, in addition to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. NEW YORK DEM WARNS ‘VILIFYING VOTERS OF COLOR AS WHITE SUPREMACISTS’ PUSHES THEM ‘FURTHER INTO TRUMP’S CAMP’ Republicans are bullish about keeping the House majority after victories in the Senate and the White House on election night.  Replacing a House member, even one from a district that heavily favors one party or the other, generally takes at least several weeks. Republican leaders have already signaled they would not want to waste any time in using their majorities in Congress to forward Trump’s agenda. On Thursday, Trump announced his campaign manager, Susie Wiles, will serve as his White House chief of staff.  House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is being discussed as a potential candidate for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, two people familiar with such discussions told Fox News Digital.

Moderate Republican Don Bacon projected to win re-election for Nebraska swing seat

Moderate Republican Don Bacon projected to win re-election for Nebraska swing seat

Moderate Republican Rep. Don Bacon is projected to survive a close re-election race in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District. The Associated Press projected on Friday that Bacon, a retired military general, who ran against Democratic state lawmaker Tony Vargas, won.  The race was one of the most closely watched races of the 2024 election cycle. It was a key win for House GOP leaders fighting to keep the chamber majority. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION In a testament to the district’s battleground status, both Bacon and Vargas emphasized their bipartisan work in the closing days of the campaign. Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District is the least red House seat in the state. It includes all of Omaha, the state’s largest city, as well as the city of Papillion.  Bacon was one of 16 House Republicans who won seats in 2022 in areas that had voted for President Biden in 2020, making it one of the most competitive races from the get-go. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ The moderate GOP lawmaker made a name for himself for speaking his mind, even when it came to criticizing plans and measures levied by fellow Republicans and House Republican leadership. He retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general in 2014. Bacon won the seat in 2016 by defeating incumbent Democratic Rep. Brad Ashford by roughly 1%. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ His three subsequent elections saw him narrowly hold on to power by roughly 2% or less. Vargas had previously challenged Bacon in the 2022 midterms and lost by about 2.2%. A former teacher and Omaha Public Schools Board member, Vargas joined the Nebraska Legislature in 2017. Like Bacon, he defeated an incumbent of the opposite party to win his seat.

Texas AG demands records from special counsel investigation of Trump

Texas AG demands records from special counsel investigation of Trump

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Biden administration’s Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday, demanding that it provide records relating to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s corruption investigation into President-elect Trump. In a release, the Republican AG alleged that former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who led a team investigating Trump regarding a false Trump-Russia election collaboration, “destroyed records.” “Past Special Counsels, including — notoriously — Robert Mueller, destroyed records at the end of their investigations to avoid accountability,” Paxton said in a release. “It is not clear why nobody was prosecuted for doing so,” he added. “This request is part of my Office’s efforts to ensure that Americans are not cheated out of accountability or information again. This pattern of weaponizing the justice system for partisan retribution must end.” JORDAN DEMANDS SMITH RETAIN ALL RECORDS RELATED TO TRUMP PROSECUTIONS AS SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE WINDS DOWN In Paxton’s request, he argued that past special counselors “appear to have intentionally destroyed documents” during their tenure. “Our office would consider any destruction of the documents requested herein to be a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1361, and would refer the matter for prosecution in the event destruction occurs,” the letter said. PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ALREADY MEETING WITH TRANSITION TEAM, STRATEGIZING HOW TO FILL ADMINISTRATION According to the DOJ, 18 U.S.C. § 1361 “protects “any property” of the United States or an agency or department thereof.” The FOIA request from Paxton follows the House Judiciary Committee sharing its concern that Smith and prosecutors involved in the Trump investigations will “purge” records to skirt oversight. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., penned a letter to Smith on Friday, demanding that he produce to Congress all documents related to the probes before the end of the month. “The Committee on the Judiciary is continuing its oversight of the Department of Justice and the Office of Special Counsel. According to recent public reports, prosecutors in your office have been ‘gaming out legal options’ in the event that President Donald Trump won the election,” they wrote. “With President Trump’s decisive victory this week, we are concerned that the Office of Special Counsel may attempt to purge relevant records, communications, and documents responsive to our numerous requests for information.”  Following Trump’s decisive victory, the DOJ is looking to wind down two federal criminal cases against Trump as he prepares to be sworn in for a second term in the White House. Its decision to do so upholds a long-standing policy that prevents DOJ attorneys from prosecuting a sitting president. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.