Tim Walz slams Elon Musk as a ‘dips—‘ during rally with Obama in Wisconsin
Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., blasted billionaire X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, calling him a “dips—” during a rally in swing state Wisconsin on Tuesday with former President Barack Obama. “I’m not going to waste all the time on him,” Vice President Harris’ running mate told the crowd in Madison, Wisconsin. “I’m going to talk about his running mate,” he said. “Elon Musk.” MCCONNELL, GOP DESCEND ON NEBRASKA TO SAVE DEB FISCHER’S ENDANGERED SENATE SEAT The remark was met with laughs from attendees. “Seriously? Where is Sen. Vance?” Walz asked. TOP REPUBLICANS ACCUSE FTC CHAIR OF HATCH ACT VIOLATIONS OVER ‘CAMPAIGN-STYLE EVENTS’ WITH DEMS “Elon’s on that stage, jumping around, skipping like a dips— on these things,” he said, likely referencing Musk’s appearance at a rally for former President Donald Trump. “That guy is literally the richest man in the world, spending millions of dollars to help Donald Trump buy an election,” the Minnesota governor told the crowd. PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE LABELED ‘TOSS UP’ IN LAST-MINUTE SHIFT BY TOP HANDICAPPER According to Walz, Trump is “promising corruption” in front of Americans, claiming he has promised to put Musk in charge of the regulatory bodies that oversee his businesses. The Minnesota Democrat was seemingly referring to a report that Trump plans to create a government efficiency commission and tap Musk to run it, according to the Wall Street Journal. SCHUMER-TIED GROUP DROPS MILLIONS AGAINST TED CRUZ AS DEMS EYE PICKUP OPPORTUNITY IN TEXAS Trump reportedly said the commission would conduct “a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government.” Musk has been increasingly involved in politics and the 2024 election in particular, working to help Republicans win races down ballot. The billionaire has spearheaded a voter turnout PAC, donated substantial amounts to other groups, and started a controversial million dollar giveaway to battleground voters, among other things. “Here’s the good news, Madison,” Walz said on Tuesday. “Donald Trump is never going to be president. Elon Musk is never going to run anything.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Immigrant business owner blasts ‘anti-science’ Biden admin push that crippled her sales: ‘Devastating’
A small business owner who has successfully sold millions of infant sleepwear products tells Fox News Digital that her business was derailed by Biden administration actions cracking down on her product category, which she has called “anti-science.” “We had been successfully in business for more than 10 years when we first heard about any rumblings with the government,” Manasi Gangan, owner of Nested Bean, told Fox News Digital about her infant sleepwear company. “We had sold more than 2 million products successfully to families across America and when we heard that the line of products were broadly categorized as unsafe, we couldn’t believe it.” Gangan, an immigrant small business owner, told Fox News Digital that she started her “innovative line of sleepwear” that “mimics a parent’s gentle touch” after she had trouble getting her second child to sleep. “All we’re trying to do is lend a helping hand to parents who much deserve the rest and sleep and we’ve been very successful in helping these parents get some good night’s rest,” Gangan said. HARRIS TOUTS HER WORK ON THE ECONOMY, BUT WHAT HAS SHE ACTUALLY DONE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES? In May, Nested Bean’s products, along with similar products made by Dreamland Baby, were pulled from shelves at major retailers like Amazon and Target after a letter from the Consumer Product Safety Commission warning of potential dangers of the weighted sleepwear products. Gangan told Fox News Digital that the CPSC has not done the necessary due diligence. She said she’s done extensive safety research, commissioned a study that showed her weighted products did not hinder infant breathing, and that there has not been a single fatality associated with her product. “They’re claiming that the product is not safe and we are again at a loss as to why, because in the 13 years that we have been developing and delivering these products, their safety has been our number one priority,” Gangan said. “We established these products and this innovation into the industry after speaking with safety experts, after taking inspiration and advice from research, neonatal care research, and yet, when we shared this information with this commission, they refused to take heed and are claiming that these categories of products are not safe.” BUSINESS OWNERS SHARE STRUGGLE TO ‘KEEP UP’ UNDER BIDEN-HARRIS ECONOMY: ‘FORCED TO CLOSE’ Some lawmakers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have gone as far as promoting legislation to ban the category of sleepwear altogether, saying earlier this year, “The stakes are simply too high to allow weighted infant sleep sacks and swaddles to stay on the market without evidence that they are safe.” When reached for comment, Blumenthal told Fox News Digital, “What concerns me most is that these companies may be putting children’s lives at risk. They’ve sold millions of units of products while marketing them as safe in the face of strong opposition from child safety experts.” “Parents and caretakers of newborns are notoriously hard-pressed for rest due to the intermittent sleep patterns of infants, and they need transparent information. Encouraging parents to use these products without clear evidence of their safety and against expert recommendations is dangerous and flat-out irresponsible.” Gangan said she has shared information with Blumenthal’s office and met with his staff to show that her product is not hazardous, but that has “fallen on deaf ears” in what she suggested could be a politically based effort to promote a message that Democrats are looking out for families. “Intentionally, the senator is providing disinformation to his constituents based on a political agenda,” Gangan said. “That’s the only thing that I can surmise, that it’s an election year.” Blumenthal’s office suggested they were open to looking at a “more comprehensive” study from Nested Bean. Critics of the sleepwear company have cited a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warning of potential dangers of weighted sleepwear products and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has claimed that multiple infant deaths have occurred due to weighted sleepwear products. The AAP study, CBS News reported, did not test the products in question in real world conditions for extended periods and only tested weights on five babies for two minutes. 3 BIDEN ADMINISTRATION POLICIES HARMING SMALL BUSINESSES Gangan has argued that CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. has “inaccurately attributed multiple infant deaths” and cited one coroner’s report in particular that didn’t mention Nested Bean or a weighted product and appears to be related to “a tragic combination of multiple proven-unsafe sleep practices.” “While associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have raised theoretical and hypothetical concerns regarding the potential dangers of added weight, there are no studies or incident data that show how, under what circumstances or under how much weight these potential dangers might manifest in weighted products on the market,” Gangan wrote in a February letter to Trumka. “On the other hand, there are studies showing effective and safe use of weighted products in hospital settings with the most vulnerable of infants. Nested Bean and other companies are supporting independent studies that will be peer reviewed, to help develop a better understanding of the potential issues involved.” Gangan told Fox News Digital she has met with every CPSC commissioner except Trumka, who she says “does not take meetings,” and pleaded her case to no avail. “We met with the chairman and other commissioners of the CPSC, shared our data research tests that we had successfully completed even before bringing out a single product into the market and since then, the tests that had been completed, to share how a safe product can be brought into the market, how innovation can be brought into the market, hoping to influence regulation, hoping to give data, facts, science to guide regulation,” Gangan said. “And instead we were shocked that we were being shut down. So as recently as April of 2024. Despite our multiple attempts at sharing information, being open and honest, Commissioner Trumka wrote letters to retailers pressurizing them to stop the sales of our products and this has been based
Fox News Politics: Georgia on Trump’s mind
Welcome to the Fox News’ Politics newsletter, with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Here’s what’s happening… – New Fox News Power Rankings: Voter outreach, ballot efficiency and a little housekeeping – FBI investigating classified docs leak of US intel on Israel’s planned attack against Iran – Legal experts question Harris’ backing from donors with government ties Former President Trump holds a slight lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the key swing state of Georgia, according to a new poll. The poll, conducted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the University of Georgia, found Trump at 47% support in the state, compared to Harris’ 43%. A sizable 8% of respondents said they remain undecided, however. The Georgia poll surveyed 1,000 of the state’s likely voters from Oct. 7-16. The poll advertises a margin of error of 3.1%…Read more ‘UNMISTAKABLE MESSAGE’Harris’ political career full of snubs and swipes at Catholic faithful, critics charge… Read more ‘THE FACTS’: Harris touts growing up in middle class while pushing mandate most ‘won’t be able to afford’: economist…Read more ‘I’VE NOT SEEN THAT’: KJP denies that Kamala Harris has had difficulty distinguishing herself from Biden: …Read more OLD SCHOOL: Anonymous GOP senator concerned about Grassley, 91, reclaiming key judiciary committee chair…Read more BATTLE BREWING: GOP NY congressman accuses Dem of refusing to let him cosponsor contraception bill for political reasons…Read more ‘INDEPENDENT THINKERS’: Swing state GOP chair reveals voter enthusiasm for Trump is something ‘we’ve never seen before’…Read more FLYING HIGH: : Left-wing climate groups silent after Harris campaign drops millions on private jet flights since July…Read more VOTING UNDERWAY: Millions of voters have already cast ballots for Nov. 5 election…Read more EFFICIENT MARKET: What are election betting odds? Expert explains why Trump is the current favorite…Read more ABSENTEE IMPACT: Jewish American group urges US citizens in Israel to vote as absentee ballots can impact swing states…Read more OFF SIDES: Former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft — who says he’s ‘a conservative’ — plans to vote for Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown…Read more ‘LEFT BEHIND’: ‘Left behind’: Vulnerable Dem incumbent in key swing state slammed for putting ‘knife in back’ of workers…Read more WEED ON THE BALLOT: Votes for Arkansas ballot measure on medical marijuana will not be counted, court rules…Read more MUM’S THE WORD: Harris senior spokesman silent on whether he still thinks Liz Cheney is ‘crazy,’ a ‘warlord’…Read more VOTING: Hawaii, Utah, Missouri, Wisconsin kick off in-person early voting…Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
The 1.6M voters who could determine the US election don’t currently reside in the country
The U.S. election might hinge on voters currently residing tens of thousands of miles away, according to new estimates from the Democratic Party – prompting a flurry of new efforts to mobilize voters abroad and, they hope, swing the election in Vice President Kamala Harris’ favor. According to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), an estimated 1.6 million U.S. voters living overseas are eligible to vote in one of seven swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin. The states, which carry a combined total of 93 Electoral College votes, are considered to be crucial in deciding the next president in an increasingly tight race. Now, with Harris and former President Trump locked in a virtual dead heat just two weeks before Election Day, this bloc could carry more influence than ever. Democrats, for their part, are wasting little time in seizing upon what they see as a crucial demographic of U.S. voters overseas. NEBRASKA HIGH COURT RESTORES VOTING RIGHT FOR THOUSANDS OF CONVICTED FELONS Earlier this year, the DNC announced a $300,000 investment in the group “Democrats Abroad,” aimed at helping mobilize U.S. voters overseas. The investment is a first-of-its-kind donation from the DNC during a presidential campaign cycle, a spokesperson told Fox News. It seeks to ramp up voter registration efforts by U.S. voters overseas, educate residents about registration and mail-in voting operations, and widely mobilize the population. They have also taken out ads on social media. Voters living overseas do face additional challenges in casting their votes, which must be submitted – often by mail – to the state in which they are registered. U.S. voters abroad do historically vote at a much lower rate in national elections when compared to their counterparts on U.S. soil. Additionally, 47% of military voters living abroad participated in the 2020 election but just 8% of non-military voters cast their ballots from overseas – a statistic Democrats are hoping to change. In an email to Fox News, a spokesperson for the DNC noted that President Biden’s narrow 44,000-vote advantage in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin helped carry him to victory in 2020. FLURRY OF PRE-ELECTION LEGAL CASES IS NOW ‘STANDARDIZED’ STRATEGY, EXPERTS SAY Abroad voters had a notable difference in at least two of those states – Georgia and Arizona – and also played a key role two years later in the outcome of the close 2022 midterm races. Now, as the race tightens even further in its final weeks, Democrats see this bloc as potentially offering Harris a winning edge. “This election will be won on the margins, and every single vote counts,” DNC deputy communications director Abhi Rahman told Fox News in a statement. The push comes as Republicans in at least three swing states have sought to crack down on overseas voting in the final sprint to Election Day. The Republican National Committee and state-level groups in Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina have filed lawsuits this month seeking additional restrictions on a vetting and verification process they argue is devoid of proper safeguards. Though federal law defers to individual states to establish their own election rules, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act tasks the secretary of Defense with implementing the registration and voting for U.S. service members and government employees living abroad. As of this writing, two judges in Michigan and North Carolina rejected the lawsuits, which they said were devoid of evidence and risked disenfranchising voters. Democrats, for their part, have criticized the legal push as a last-minute effort by Republicans to restrict voter turnout from a demographic that has until recently been a fairly reliable bedrock of GOP support. “We’re going to win this election by engaging every eligible voter, no matter where they live,” Rahman told Fox News, adding that their investment “shows our commitment to leaving no stone left unturned.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘Suspicious envelope’ sent to Kari Lake’s office deemed safe after lockdown, police say
The office of Arizona GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake was put on lockdown Tuesday after a campaign staffer opened a package with a “suspicious” substance. A campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital that an intern at the campaign’s Phoenix office opened an envelope with a suspicious substance and a note that said, “caution anthrax.” CONTENTIOUS EXCHANGES OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FRONT AND CENTER IN ARIZONA SENATE DEBATE The campaign called authorities, prompting a response from multiple law enforcement agencies and a hazmat team. Officers and firefighters cleared the building and sent in a team to investigate the substance. The Phoenix Police Department said the substance was tested and deemed “non-hazardous.” “There were no immediate threats to the community and the occupants of the building will be allowed access shortly. Investigators have been assigned,” Phoenix police told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The radical left, with help from the mainstream media, has escalated its attacks against me from baseless smears and legal harassment to physical threats. Today, my office received a suspicious envelope, potentially containing anthrax — an attempt to intimidate and silence me,” Lake said in a statement. “This isn’t just about me; it’s an attack on our movement. I won’t be intimidated, and those responsible must be brought to justice. The time to unite against these dangerous, un-American tactics is now.” Lake’s Democratic opponent, Ruben Gallego wrote on X: “I condemn any act of violence of threats against Kari Lake, her office, or other public officials.” “My thoughts are with the staffer involved, and I’m grateful for the swift response by @PhoenixPolice, @PHXFire, and the hazmat team,” he said. “I hope everything is resolved safely and quickly.”
Kari Lake’s office on lockdown after campaign staffer opened envelope with ‘suspicious’ substance inside
The office of Arizona GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake was put on lockdown Tuesday after a campaign staffer opened a package with a “suspicious” substance. A campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital that an intern at the campaign’s Phoenix office opened an envelope with a suspicious substance and a note that said, “caution anthrax.” CONTENTIOUS EXCHANGES OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FRONT AND CENTER IN ARIZONA SENATE DEBATE The campaign called authorities, prompting a response from multiple law enforcement agencies and a hazmat team. Authorities have not confirmed if the substance was anthrax. The campaign spokesperson said the substance is now being tested. “The radical left, with help from the mainstream media, has escalated its attacks against me from baseless smears and legal harassment to physical threats. Today, my office received a suspicious envelope, potentially containing anthrax — an attempt to intimidate and silence me,” Lake said in a statement. “This isn’t just about me; it’s an attack on our movement. I won’t be intimidated, and those responsible must be brought to justice. The time to unite against these dangerous, un-American tactics is now.”
McConnell, GOP descend on Nebraska to save Deb Fischer’s endangered Senate seat
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other Republicans are coming to the rescue of Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., who faces a legitimate threat to her re-election from independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn, a union leader and mechanic. Millions of dollars have been poured into Fischer’s Nebraska Senate race in the last month as Republicans look to prevent an upset that could hurt their chances of taking the upper chamber’s majority. The McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund recently launched a $3 million ad buy in the state to shore up the Nebraska Republican’s support. TOP REPUBLICANS ACCUSE FTC CHAIR OF HATCH ACT VIOLATIONS OVER ‘CAMPAIGN-STYLE EVENTS’ WITH DEMS “California and New York Democrats are putting crazy money into Dan Osborn’s campaign. They’re not going to succeed, especially as Nebraska voters learn about Osborn’s Democrat ties and Bernie Sanders’ ideology. We’re just closing the gap a bit,” Senate Leadership Fund President and CEO Steven Law said in a statement. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has also gotten involved, putting more than $500,000 into ad reservations as of the beginning of October, according to AdImpact. Additionally, Fischer is getting help from well-known top Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in neighboring Iowa. In a new radio ad, he tells voters, “This is your neighbor Chuck Grassley,” adding, “my friend Deb Fischer needs your vote.” PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE LABELED ‘TOSS UP’ IN LAST-MINUTE SHIFT BY TOP HANDICAPPER Grassley’s radio ad in Nebraska went out over the airwaves last week and will run through Election Day. The Iowa senator’s five-figure ad buy covers 90% of the state, according to a source familiar with his political operation. The ad is on both FM and AM radio and plays during the University of Nebraska’s football games to reach farmers, families and football fans. Osborn’s popularity in Nebraska has appeared to take the Fischer campaign by surprise, given the seeming last-minute efforts to fortify her support. It’s frequently difficult for independent candidates to gain traction, especially against an incumbent. However, without a Democratic candidate nominated in the Senate race, Osborn has a much larger pool of potential voters. SCHUMER-TIED GROUP DROPS MILLIONS AGAINST TED CRUZ AS DEMS EYE PICKUP OPPORTUNITY IN TEXAS Republicans are heavily favored to regain the Senate majority in the next Congress, with expected gains in both West Virginia and Montana, as well as several other competitive races that could build a larger advantage for the GOP over Democrats in the upper chamber. However, those expectations rely on incumbents in relatively safe races winning their re-election matches. Fischer’s Senate race has been shifted away from Republicans by top political handicapper the Cook Political Report two times in the past month, indicating a quickly tightening battle. GOP CHALLENGER TIES SEN BALDWIN’S REMARK ABOUT TRUMP VOTERS TO CLINTON’S INFAMOUS ‘DEPLORABLES’ MOMENT In the most recent rating shift by Cook, the race is considered “Lean Republican,” putting it in the same category as Sen. Ted Cruz’s re-election bid in Texas against Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas. Osborn has criticized Fischer in ads as being beholden to lobbyists and special interest groups that have donated to her, likening her to a race car driver with sponsors on her jacket. The independent candidate has claimed he would not caucus with Democrats or Republicans in the Senate if elected. Osborn has faced some controversy during his campaign, with revelations that groups backing him heavily in the election are funded in part by a dark money group that has received tens of millions in grants from billionaire George Soros’ group, the Open Society Foundations. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Harris aide walks back promise not to support new drilling
Vice President Kamala Harris’ top campaign climate adviser is walking back comments she made last week that Harris would not support an expansion of fossil fuel drilling as president. “I didn’t explain myself clearly,” Camila Thorndike, Harris’ climate engagement director, said in a post on X Monday. “Contrary to Trump’s claims, the VP has not banned fracking, doesn’t support banning fracking, and in fact cast the tie-breaking vote on the biggest pro-climate law ever, which, yes, opened new fracking leases.” The comments come after Thorndike said in an interview with Politico last week that the vice president would not “promote” new fossil fuel drilling, comments that raised eyebrows as Harris has tried to alleviate fears over her previous positions on fracking. HARRIS WON’T SUPPORT EXPANDING FOSSIL FUEL DRILLING, CAMPAIGN SAYS “Just to be clear, Vice President Harris hasn’t said anything that the administration hasn’t already said. She is not promoting expansion [of fossil fuel drilling]. She’s just said that they wouldn’t ban fracking,” Thorndike said. Harris has faced continued pressure to clarify her stance on energy production over the last few months, most notably in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where support for fracking is high. But Thorndike’s comments seemed to go against Harris’ new theme on the trail, which has included boasting that the “largest increase in domestic oil production in history” happened during her time as vice president. HARRIS TOUTS OIL PRODUCTION DURING 2024 RUN AFTER SAYING COMPANIES NEED TO ‘PAY THE PRICE’ FOR CLIMATE CHANGE “We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over rely on foreign oil,” Harris said during a debate with former President Trump in Pennsylvania. “I am proud that as vice president over the last four years, we have invested a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy while we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels,” Harris said. The campaign’s evolving position has drawn the scorn of proponents of fossil fuel production, with the U.S. Oil & Gas Association taking to social media after Thorndike’s initial comments and accusing the vice president of making a “change in her prior, prior, position.” “So Harris’s new position in Oct is she now opposes fracking and no longer supports her position in July when she changed her position to support fracking, which was subsequently a change in her prior, prior position of June, which was to oppose fracking? Got it,” the organization said. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
High-profile Trump surrogate casts ballot for former president in early voting
Fox News Exclusive – Republican Sen. Tim Scott, a top surrogate for former President Trump, made a pitch for Republicans to embrace early voting as he cast his own ballot on Tuesday in his home state of South Carolina. “Donald Trump is for early voting. I’m for early voting. Every Republican should be for early voting. So let’s just go do it, and that’s what I’m doing today,” the senator said in an exclusive national news outlet interview with Fox News Digital before casting his ballot. Scott emphasized that “we’re going to continue to see more Republicans vote early, vote often, and take advantage of every option on the table to vote.” The former president was a very vocal early voting critic, blaming it in part for what he has repeatedly claimed – without offering proof – was massive fraud that led to his 2020 election defeat at the hands of President Biden. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS 2024 ELECTION POWER RANKINGS As he runs to win back the White House this cycle, Trump has sent mixed messages on early voting, even as the Republican National Committee and the GOP have worked hard the past year to encourage Republicans to embrace the practice of casting their ballots before Election Day. But in recent weeks, Trump apparently has listened to his advisers as he’s implored Republicans to vote early. And while Democrats still have the clear edge when it comes to early voting, Republicans appear to be narrowing the gap. Asked about whether Trump has helped or hurt the GOP effort, Scott emphasized that “this cycle the president has been crystal clear. He wants every Republican voting every single way they can. We’re going to make sure we win this election, and I’m glad that President Trump and I are on the same page once again.” States vastly expanded early voting – by absentee ballot, voting by mail or early in-person voting – during the 2020 election, due to health concerns amid the coronavirus, the worst pandemic to strike the globe in a century. And four years later, most states have similar rules. Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, last year launched an unsuccessful bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. After ending his White House bid, Scott endorsed Trump in January at a campaign event in New Hampshire, ahead of the state’s first-in-the-nation Republican presidential primary. And Scott became a leading surrogate for the former president. Scott was also considered to be among a handful of politicians in contention as Trump’s running mate, before the former president named Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his junior partner on the GOP national ticket. The conservative senator, who remains a very popular figure in the GOP, is also known for his fundraising prowess, and has helped raise money for Trump as well as for Republican Senate candidates, as the GOP works to win back the chamber’s majority in the 2024 elections. Asked about his campaign efforts in the final two weeks leading up to Election Day, Scott said he’ll be campaigning in key battleground states – including Pennsylvania and Michigan – for Trump and Republican Senate candidates. “I’ll be talking about President Trump and four more years and why that matters and in addition to that, I’ll be talking about the importance of winning the Senate, and I’m excited about where we are,” he emphasized. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘It’s a mess’: Vulnerable House Dem shreds Biden on border crisis in ‘closing message’ of campaign
A House Democratic incumbent running in a tight race is touting his agreement with Republicans about President Biden’s responsibility on the border crisis. Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., released a new ad his campaign called his “closing message” emphasizing his willingness to break from his own party. “My first commander in the Army always said, ‘You’re not doing your job right if you don’t piss a few people off.’ I guess you could say I took his advice,” Ryan began in the minute-long clip. “Even my own party — when I stood with Republicans and demanded Biden take action to secure our border. It’s a mess. He needs to clean it up.” CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION He then accused Republicans, including his opponent Alison Esposito, of walking in lock-step with former President Donald Trump. “Their loyalty is to big donors and Trump. The only flag I pledge allegiance to is the one I wore on my shoulder in combat,” Ryan said. Esposito campaign manager Ben Weiner blasted Ryan in response, “Pat Ryan has been an open-border, pro-sanctuary proponent his entire career.” “This is a lame attempt from Pat Ryan to run away from his pro-illegal migrant record two weeks before an election. Pat Ryan is wrong on all the issues. He has voted against lifting the SALT Cap, supports the radical Green New Deal, and thinks New Yorkers will not recognize that he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Hudson Valley voters know the real Sanctuary Pat and won’t be fooled,” Weiner told Fox News Digital. Weiner also pointed out that Ryan signed an order in 2019 as Ulster County executive stopping local agencies from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ New York’s 18th Congressional District includes part of New York City’s northern suburbs and is anchored by the city of Poughkeepsie. It also includes West Point Military Academy, Ryan’s own alma mater. Republicans, whose 2022 House majority win was driven by victories in the Big Apple’s suburbs, have eyed Ryan’s seat as a prime pickup opportunity. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates his seat D+2. Esposito is a 25-year veteran of the New York Police Department (NYPD). Her own campaign emphasized the border in a recent ad warning her district is “paying the price of an open border.” “DC politicians are funding illegal immigrants. Who’s fighting for us?” she asked. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ Her campaign also created a website using the “Sanctuary Pat” label to point out Ryan taking softer stances on the border in the past. But the issue has become a political lightening rod in this election. What’s long been a hot-button issue for Republicans has now become a metric of moderation for Democrats who are working to appeal to middle-ground voters. The paradigm shift shows the effects the border crisis has had on cities and towns throughout the country, with apprehensions between ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border hitting record levels under the Biden administration. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.