Biden admin worried costs outweigh benefits of green-lighting long-range missiles for Ukraine: US official
A U.S. official told Fox News the Intelligence Committee (IC) and Pentagon have recommended against modifying a U.S. policy that would allow Ukraine to strike targets deep within Russia using U.S.-made long-range missiles, citing there would be greater costs than benefits. According to the IC and Department of Defense (DOD) analysis, a change in policy would not have a strategic impact or would not change the course of the war, in part because there are a few targets inside the Army Tactical Missile System’s (ATACMS) 300-km range. In August, the IC assessed that Russia relocated more than 90% of its aircraft outside ATACMS range, so it was a “misconception that it would be a solution to the glide bombs.” The recommendation is also partially due to limited stocks, as Ukraine does not have enough ATACMS, and the DOD has advised the U.S. would not be able to draw down additional stocks without hurting U.S. military readiness. LLOYD AUSTIN WARNS AGAINST ISOLATIONISM AND INSISTS UKRAINE ABSOLUTELY CAN WIN WAR AGAINST RUSSIA President Biden has not ruled out changing the policy in the future, and the U.S. has not officially said “no” to Ukraine. Still, a U.S. official told Fox the reason Biden has not been inclined to change the policy is because there would be little benefit, and potentially some cost. “It would be irresponsible if we didn’t take into account what Russia would do,” the official said. The official also said Russia is a “nuclear power capable of doing very bad things both to Ukraine and to the U.S.,” referencing warehouses being blown up, and revelations made by the German spy chief last week that Russia was behind an attempted act of sabotage involving a parcel bomb on a plane this summer, which could have pushed Berlin and Moscow closer to war. AUSTIN WARNS ‘NO SILVER BULLET’ TO DEFEAT PUTIN AS US AID HANGS IN BALANCE AHEAD OF ELECTIONS The official reiterated that concerns about escalation are not the only factor driving Biden’s thinking. If a change in policy was made, the IC assessed that Russia would just reposition its assets out of range. Still, Fox was told that the Biden administration is considering more sanctions in response to North Korean troops being sent to Russia. The U.S. is currently in talks with its allies and partners about the best way to move forward, the official added. The official reached out to Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich after her exchange with White House national security spokesperson John Kirby on Wednesday. ZELENSKYY VICTORY PLAN: REPLACE US TROOPS AT OUTPOSTS IN EUROPE WITH BATTLE-HARDENED UKRAINIANS During the exchange, Heinrich asked why the U.S. had not approved long-range missiles for Ukraine to use – given it is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s No. 1 request – as U.S. officials sounded the alarm about what could have far-reaching implications if North Korean soldiers go into Ukraine. “We don’t exactly know what these guys are going to do,” Kirby said. “We don’t know what they’re going to do. We don’t know if they’re going to deploy into combat or not. “We’ll see what the Russians and North Koreans decide to do here,” he later told Heinrich. “As I said earlier, if these North Korean soldiers decide to join the fight against Ukraine, they will become legitimate military targets.” Zelenskyy visited the U.S. this month to present his “victory plan,” a key provision of which was lifting restrictions on ATACMS and other U.S.-provided long-range missiles to strike military targets inside Russia. Ukraine claimed that the long-range missiles could thwart Russia’s deadly glide bombs, and many U.S. lawmakers turned up the pressure on Biden to unleash the long-range missile capability. Fox News’ Morgan Phillips and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
DOJ warns Elon Musk’s America PAC that $1 million giveaway may break the law
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently contacted Elon Musk’s America PAC about its historic $1 million giveaway to swing-state voters after the agency was warned by lawyers who claimed that the initiative may be illegal. On Monday, the DOJ was sent a letter from a “group of attorneys and public officials” requesting an investigation into Ameria PAC’s payments to petition signers. The letter, which was obtained by the Washington Post, was addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland as well as Michelle Henry, the Pennsylvania attorney general. “We are a group of attorneys and public officials, including those who have served in senior legal and law-enforcement roles under every Republican president from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump,” the letter reads. “We write to you today to request that you review payments that are being made by the Elon Musk-founded America PAC to voters in Pennsylvania and other states that experts say raise serious questions under applicable law.” Musk, the CEO of Tesla, is offering $1 million a day to swing-state voters who sign his political action committee’s petition in support of the Constitution. Only voters in swing states are eligible. ELON GOES ON CAMPAIGN BLITZ AGAINST GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS, VOWS TO REVEAL BIZARRE ALLEGED SCHEMES “The payments are framed as being made for signing, or referring others to sign, a ‘petition’ in support of the First and Second Amendments. But only registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina may receive payments,” the lawyers’ letter says. “We are aware of nothing like this in modern political history… We urge you to investigate whether America PAC’s payments are prohibited payments for voter registration.” Fox News Digital did an analysis of the initiative and found it to be in a legally gray area, and it also discovered that other similar initiatives in support of Democratic causes exist. FETTERMAN ISSUES WARNING TO DEMOCRATS AFTER ELON STUMPS FOR TRUMP IN PENNSYLVANIA The giveaway explicitly asks voters to sign a petition rather than register to vote, but the letter sent to the DOJ alleged the petition still encourages registering to vote. “We recognize that they are framed as payments for signing a petition, or for referring voters who sign,” the lawyers argued. “But many of the payments are restricted to registered voters, so anyone who wishes to get paid must first register.” The initiative was announced by Musk this week. The PAC plans to give away $1 million to one swing-state voter per day until Election Day. “Every day, from now through Nov 5, @America PAC will be giving away $1M to someone in swing states who signed our petition to support free speech & the right to bear arms! We want to make sure that everyone in swing states hears about this and I suspect this will ensure they do,” Musk wrote on X on Sunday. Fox News Digital reached out to America PAC for comment but did not immediately hear back. The DOJ declined to comment. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: Harris surrogates bedeviled by gaffes
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 report reveals DHS official used social media to promote illegal immigration – More than 19M voters have already cast ballot for Nov. 5 election – Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard announces she has joined the Republican Party While Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz have drawn backlash over awkward moments during the presidential race, their surrogates have not escaped criticism for their own gaffes. In addition to Walz saying he is “friends with school shooters” and Harris calling North Korea “an alliance,” their campaign surrogates have mispronounced the vice president’s name, called Tim Walz “Tom,” told males they are misogynists, attempted to imitate former President Trump, accidentally supported his policies and more. “Not sure we’ve ever seen such a colossally inept campaign like the one run by Kamala Harris,” Fox Business “Evening Edit” anchor Elizabeth MacDonald said last week. …Read more DRUNK DRIVING: Suspected drunk driver drove wrong way toward Kamala Harris’ motorcade in Milwaukee…Read more AVOID THE NUKES: Lloyd Austin says he would recommend Israel strike military targets…Read more ‘SPRINTING TO THE FINISH’: Biden seeks to cement legacy on climate change in remaining months as president…Read more WITH FRIENDS LIKE THAT…: GOP senator demands answers after Pentagon finds Army gave Taiwan moldy gear, ammo from 1983…Read more JURY IS STILL OUT: Last-minute hearing could determine whether vulnerable House Dem can vote for herself in key race…Read more EMPIRE STATE SPLIT: 2 swing districts in New York split as GOP incumbents fight to hold seats…Read more DEMAND FOR DETAILS: Lindsey Graham demands ICC reveal details of probe into prosecutor Khan’s misconduct allegations…Read more ‘VINDICTIVE’: ‘Vindictive’: Democrat in tight Senate race blasted by GOP rival for swipe at McDonald’s after Trump visit…Read more WHO’S MORE ACCESSIBLE?: Trump-Vance ticket has done combined 90 interviews since August compared to 53 for Harris-Walz…Read more OPEN IT UP: Open primary ballot initiative to weed out ‘polarizing’ politicians makes headway in six states…Read more FACT CHECK: Obama claims Trump ‘did not solve’ immigration ‘problem,’ despite numbers telling different story…Read more THE BRITISH ARE COMING: UK Labour Party staffers campaigning for Harris are volunteers, PM says, rejecting Trump interference claim…Read more POLL-ARIZING: Harris campaign celebrates defeat of new ballot security rules in Georgia…Read more ‘WHAT COULD BE WORSE?’: Traditionally Dem leaders in key Michigan voting bloc ditch Harris, endorse Trump…Read more ‘BOLD VISION’: ‘Bold vision’: Historic Bush Cabinet secretary makes key endorsement in 2024 presidential race…Read more CLOWING AROUND: Elon Musk blasts Tim Walz after Democrat trains fire on the Trump-backing tycoon…Read more ‘UNHINGED AND UNSTABLE’: Harris accuses Trump of seeking ‘unchecked power,’ being ‘unhinged and unstable’…Read more ‘MIND BLOWING INSANITY’: Dem Senate candidate ripped after bullet fragment hits local reporter at gun range…Read more ‘INSULT TO INJURY’: North Carolina environmental rules are ‘insult to injury’ for Helene recovery efforts, lawmaker says…Read more COUNTRY POLLS, TAKE ME HOME: West Virginia’s early in-person voting begins…Read more BIG RIG SUIT: Trucking groups, farmers file opening brief in lawsuit against EPA: ‘unworkable mandate’…Read more ‘A MESS’: Gov. Whitmer defends ‘this beautiful city’ of Detroit after Trump blasts Michigan’s urban ‘mess’…Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
‘Smacks of blatant vote buying’: Legal experts call Harris proposals for Black men ‘unconstitutional’
Vice President Kamala Harris released her “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men” this week, but some of her proposals could be considered unconstitutional, according to top legal analysts. Harris unveiled the five-point plan last week, which includes providing 1 million forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for “Black entrepreneurs and others who have historically faced barriers to starting a new business.” Another proposal includes funding and capital for vocational training “to help expand pathways for Black men to get good-paying jobs.” Programs that distribute resources based on economic disadvantage and race have lost challenges in court. One example of this involves a nonprofit that provided small business grants to exclusively Black female business owners. Another example includes a federal disaster relief program that gave preference to minority and female farmers. FLASHBACK: KAMALA HARRIS HAS REPEATEDLY PUSHED ‘EQUITY’ VS. EQUALITY MESSAGE AS VP “A Harris administration would face a significant constitutional challenge in granting these loans on the basis of race,” George Washington law professor Jonathan Turley said. “It is unconstitutional because eligibility for the money would be determined by race,” added Fox News legal analyst Gregory Jarrett. “Harris’ proposal smacks of blatant vote-buying.” Dan Fee is an attorney, political consultant and president of the Philadelphia-based Echo Group, a crisis and communications firm that’s represented high profile clients like former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J. Fee challenged these takes, insisting that it would “stun” him if policies such as those Harris rolled out for Black men were not widely vetted before they were proposed. “If you want to attack the problem of poverty at its source, this is a smart policy,” he said. In addition to the economics-focused policies for Black men, Harris’ five-point policy plan proposes legalizing marijuana at the federal level and establishes a “National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black Men” to study health challenges that “disproportionately impact” Black men. The latter effort — tailoring and providing services based on race — has been investigated by the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services due to discrimination concerns. BUSINESS GRANT FOR BLACK WOMEN SLAMMED AS ‘RACIALLY EXCLUSIONARY’ IN FEDERAL COURT RULING Biden administration proposals providing economic relief based on racial and gender identity groups have also faced challenges in court. For example, a federal judge earlier this year blocked an Agriculture Department disaster aid program that gave preferences to minority and female farmers, ruling it discriminated against White male farmers. Another federal program that sought to provide economic relief to restaurant owners following the COVID-19 pandemic and provided preference on the basis of gender and race met a similar fate. Jarrett called the agriculture program “clearly discriminatory against white farmers,” and argued that Harris “surely knows” her proposals will meet the same fate. “But her immediate interest appears to be pandering for minority votes,” he said. Turley also pointed out that even if this policy is neutral on its face, it can still be struck down in court. “It can still be challenged ‘as applied,’” he said. “That means that while the program is stated neutrally, it is beng used in a racially discriminatory fashion.” UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA HIT WITH CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT, ACCUSED OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WHITES This, Turley said, means that even with qualifiers in Harris’ proposals, which may cast a wide net of anticipated beneficiaries, it can still face legal challenges. “The addition of these qualifying terms is meant to prevent a facial challenge, but that does not, however, prevent an as applied challenge.” Harris and her campaign have struggled to appeal to men — and especially Black men — with one prominent Democrat strategist calling Harris’ struggle with men “a big problem” for her, according to The Hill. Meanwhile, the Black vote has also seemingly been a struggle for Harris, who has received less support from that portion of the electorate than Biden did at the same point during his 2020 campaign for the presidency, The Washington Post reported this week. The Democratic National Committee launched a bus tour earlier this week seeking to shore up support among this electorate heading into the final days of the election. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
Far fewer newspapers are endorsing Harris than backed Clinton or Biden
U.S. newspaper endorsements for the Democratic presidential candidate have dipped by more than 60% this year since 2016 after VP Kamala Harris became the party’s frontrunner, according to a rough estimate by Fox News Digital. In 2016, more than 240 newspapers endorsed Hillary Clinton, while only 20 endorsed Trump. In 2020, 14 newspapers endorsed Trump, and 120 endorsed Biden. This year, nearly 80 newspapers endorsed Harris, and fewer than 10 endorsed Trump. LOS ANGELES TIMES COMES OUT AGAINST POPULAR ANTI-CRIME BALLOT INITIATIVE Notable endorsements for Harris include the Winston-Salem Chronicle, New York Times, Boston Globe, The New Yorker, Denver Post, The Las Vegas Sun, Los Angeles Sentinel, Seattle Times, The Star-Ledger, Tennessee Tribune, Scientific American and San Antonio Express. Endorsements for Trump include the New York Post, The Washington Times and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The plummeting Democratic endorsements come as the Los Angeles Times editorial board, which endorsed Barack Obama in 2008, Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, decided not to endorse a presidential candidate this year, according to a new report Tuesday. An LA Times spokesperson declined to comment to Fox News Digital on the report, saying, “We do not comment on internal discussions or decisions about editorials or endorsements.” THIS TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN GOES ON A BATTLEGROUND STATES BLITZ WITH KAMALA HARRIS The LA editorial board issued presidential endorsements from the 1880s through 1972, only returning to the practice to endorse Obama in 2008. Since then, it has exclusively endorsed Democratic presidential candidates. The LA Times released its statewide and nationwide endorsements last week, including Democratic candidates for the U.S. House and Senate. Newspapers have traditionally endorsed candidates in elections since the 19th century, when papers were more closely tied to political parties. Over time, newspapers shifted to become more independent of the party apparatus, and editorial boards for the newspapers took over endorsements, with the ideological lean of the board often an indicator of the endorsement outcome. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Several newspapers that historically endorsed Republican candidates either endorsed Biden or declined to endorse any candidate in 2020. The Arizona Republic, which had endorsed Republicans for decades, was one of the few that endorsed Biden. Some publications that had never endorsed a presidential candidate before, like USA Today, broke with tradition in 2020 to also endorse Biden. Fox News Digital’s Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
‘It’s huge’: Top Georgia election official makes explosive prediction about early voting turnout
Georgia’s top election official believes that half of the state’s voters will have already cast ballots by Election Day. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger spoke with Fox News Digital late Tuesday afternoon, by which point more than one in four state residents had voted. “It’s huge. Almost every day has been a record breaker,” he told Fox News Digital. “If you look at the kind of turnout we’re having day after day… we’ll probably be at almost 4 million of early voting by the time we finish next Friday.” “I think it is a testament that voters trust our systems here in Georgia,” he said. GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 2 million people had voted early in-person or absentee in Georgia. Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump’s campaigns have spent enormous time and resources in Georgia, a state the ex-president lost by less than 1% in 2020. Early voting there runs from Oct. 15 through Nov. 1. Raffensperger’s interview also came roughly an hour before the Georgia Supreme Court ruled against Republicans’ bid to reinstate a slate of new ballot security measures ahead of Election Day. The six rules included requirements for all machine-tabulated ballots to receive a hand count by county officials to ensure the totals matched, and a provision that only ballots deposited in drop boxes with video surveillance would be counted. GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE Supporters of the bill, which included Republican Party officials, argued they were necessary guardrails to ensure voter confidence. Democrats blasted the rules as an effort to sow doubt and confusion in what’s expected to be a close election in Georgia. Raffensperger, however, was among several GOP state and county officials who also opposed the rules. “I think right now it really would cause major challenges because all the poll workers have been trained with the systems we have in place, which was really following state law,” Raffensperger told Fox News Digital. ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS He pointed to the Purcell principle, a precedent established by the Supreme Court that states the courts cannot change election rules too close to an election. “Well, we’re two and a half weeks away from Election Day. So when you think about how close we are to Election Day, it’s just too much, too late,” he said. The Georgia Supreme Court is expected to hear the Republican National Committee’s appeal in the suit but rejected its request for an expedited decision, meaning the prior ruling that deemed the measures “illegal, unconstitutional, and void” will remain in place through Election Day on Nov. 5.
Vice President Harris reportedly to give closing argument next week on National Mall in DC
Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly planning to deliver her closing presidential campaign argument in an address next Tuesday. And according to reporting from the Washington Post, that address will take place on the National Mall in the nation’s capital. The publication pinned their reporting on people familiar with the planning of the speech and a permit application that they obtained. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE SHOW The address would take place with one week until Election Day on November 5, with Harris and former President Trump locked in a margin-of-error battle in the race to succeed President Biden in the White House. According to the people familiar with the plans, Harris is expected to use the speech to contrast herself with Trump, portraying the former president as a threat to democracy. The Washington Post also reported that organizers requested space close to where Trump gave his Jan. 6 speech. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
New battleground state polls show glaring gender gap in Harris-Trump showdown: ‘Who shows up’
A new poll points to a massive gender gap in two crucial battlegrounds that are among the seven states that will likely determine if Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Trump wins the 2024 election. Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, edges Trump 49%-46% among all likely voters in Michigan, according to a Quinnipiac University survey released on Wednesday. According to the poll, Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent candidate Cornel West each received 1% support. But the survey points to a massive divide among the sexes, with women backing Harris by a 20-point margin and Trump, the Republican Party nominee, up by 16 points among men. In Wisconsin, the poll indicates Harris and Trump deadlocked at 48%, with all listed third-party candidates each receiving less than 1% support. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN Harris tops Trump by 18 points among women in Wisconsin, with the former president leading the sitting vice president by 21 points among men. The news surveys are the latest to illustrate an extremely wide gender divide in the White House race. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE SHOW “It’s the battle of the sexes and it’s no game. There is a glaring gap in Michigan and Wisconsin between the number of women supporting Harris and the number of men supporting Trump,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy highlighted. Malloy added that in two weeks “on November 5th, it will all come down to who shows up.” Both polls point to some positive movement for Harris. Trump was up by 2 points in Wisconsin in Quinnipiac’s previous survey, conducted earlier this month. Now the two major party nominees are tied. In Michigan, Harris’ 3-point edge is a switch from earlier this month, when Quinnipiac indicated Trump up by 3 points. Michigan and Wisconsin, along with Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada, had razor-thin margins that decided President Biden’s 2020 White House victory over Trump. And the seven states are likely to determine if Trump or Harris wins this year. Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are also the three Rust Belt states that make up the Democrats’ so-called “Blue Wall.” The party reliably won all three states for a quarter-century before Trump narrowly captured them in the 2016 election to win the White House. Four years later, in 2020, Biden carried all three states by razor-thin margins to put them back in the Democrats’ column and defeat Trump. Both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, as well as their running mates, have made repeated stops in the three states this summer and autumn. Wisconsin and Michigan are also home to crucial Senate races that are among a handful that will determine if the GOP wins back the chamber’s majority. In Michigan, the new poll indicates Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin leads former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, 52%-44%, in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. And in Wisconsin, incumbent Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin narrowly edges Republican challenger Eric Hovde 49%-48%. The Quinnipiac University surveys were conducted Oct. 17-21, with overall sampling errors of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Laredo ends boil-water notice after 11 days, turns attention to illegal connections and old pipes
The South Texas city has hired a consulting firm for $200,000 to provide an interim director for the utility amid a restructuring of the department.
GOP lawmaker warns Cuban blackouts are an admonition against a Kamala Harris presidency
A top Republican lawmaker issued a warning Wednesday against the dangers of socialist policies creeping into the federal government as the Cuban people continue to suffer under a widespread blackout. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., the only Cuban-born lawmaker in Congress, said the tragedy facing the island is directly attributable to the 65 years of leftist, authoritarian rule under the Castro brothers and now President Miguel Diaz-Canel. “We’ve got six days now when the entire island of Cuba has been blacked-out,” Gimenez said, further describing how the government at times has initiated 20-hour regional blackouts to conserve power. “But at least they had some electricity [then]. Now the entire island is blacked-out. This is all due to the incompetence of the system: the socialist-communist system that the Cubans have had…” CUBAN REGIME’S REPORTED RETURN TO MEDDLING IN US ELECTIONS A ‘BADGE OF HONOR’ FOR TARGETED CRITICS Gimenez said the entire situation is a warning against electing Vice President Kamala Harris and lawmakers with socialist tendencies and those who self-identify as such. “Bernie Sanders, AOC, and now Kamala Harris is [sic] to the left of Bernie Sanders: I’ve always said they’re all socialists,” he said, further suggesting Sanders and others’ use of the term “democratic socialist” is a distinction without a difference. “They’re trying to bring this kind of government, this style of living, to the United States. And that’s why I’m vehemently against it. Cuba’s a great example. Nicaragua is also a great example, and so is Venezuela … of what these regimes do.” “You see Bernie Sanders always apologizing for what’s happening in Cuba. Same thing with AOC, and not so much with Kamala Harris. She’s being a little bit smarter than that. But since she is to the left of Bernie Sanders, you can tell she’s sympathetic to these regimes.” “That’s the kind of system they want to bring to the United States of America.” BIDEN’S MOVE TO LIFT FINANCIAL RESTRICTIONS ON NOTORIOUS DICTATORSHIP TRIGGERS BACKLASH Cuba completely lost power Friday after its electrical grid collapsed upon the failure of the Antonio Guiteras Power Plant. Compounding that situation, Hurricane Oscar, a Category 1 storm, made landfall over the weekend in Guantanamo state. By Monday, some power had been restored chiefly to Havana, the capital. Cuba’s state utility reported only 200 of the roughly 3,000 megawatts of electricity needed to power the country was being generated as of Monday, according to the Miami Herald. Gimenez said that Cuban citizens have been warned not to demonstrate against the government during this crisis, adding that dissidents are regularly jailed for public expression. “That’s to instill fear in the Cuban people so that they don’t rise up against this dictatorship. That’s what communist-socialist governments do. They’re totally incompetent. This communist-socialist government doesn’t work, hasn’t worked, and will never work.” Gimenez warned that in instances such as the current blackout and the continued suppression of free speech and protest against the government, everyone is treated the same: “They’re all miserable — go talk to the people in Cuba and see if they would rather have a socialist system where they want freedom like we have here in the United States.” While Cuba may not have free and fair elections, Gimenez said Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans are indeed “voting with their feet” and emigrating from their suppressive nations to the U.S. in droves. Such is true in Miami, he said. In a Tuesday recording, he stood on an upper floor of the outdoor Brickell City Centre mall over top of Route 41 and gestured to show how Miami grew from a veritable trading post to a vibrant metropolis in the years since Cuban migration began following the Castros’ coup. “I think the answer is very obvious, since they’re are already voting … with their feet.” “Part of the reason we have so many immigrants coming here is because of these failed systems. And these folks are trying to bring those failed systems and policies here in the United States.” The Cuban-American vote is key in local and statewide elections in Florida. More than 1 million reside in Miami-Dade County alone. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP They also tend to trend conservative, as evidenced by journalist-turned-politician Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s, R-Fla., 2020 upset of former Clinton HHS Secretary Donna Shalala in the Kendall and Little Havana area. Looking ahead, Gimenez said the next administration must put “maximum pressure” on Diaz-Canel’s regime, adding that humanitarian assistance alone never makes it to the people and only enriches the government. “The only thing that they understand is force. They don’t understand you being nice to them. You can’t be,” he said. If Cuba was to become a democratic government with an alliance with the U.S., it would deal a blow to America’s other rivals China and Russia — denying them safe harbor, literally, in a geopolitically key area just 90 miles off of Key West. “But foremost, [it would] give [Cubans] the freedom they deserve.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign, Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders for comment. Fox News Digital’s Matteo Cina contributed to this report.