Battleground state Republican denies involvement in porn scandal, dismisses it as ‘tabloid trash’
Warning: Graphic Materials Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson denied involvement in an alleged pornography scandal that surfaced Thursday, vowing to remain in the race to become the Old North State’s next governor. CNN published a report Thursday afternoon alleging Robinson’s previous use of a pornography site, called “Nude Africa,” where he allegedly messaged with fellow users regarding peeping on women in locker rooms as a teenager, describing himself as a “black NAZI” and declaring a fondness for transgender pornography. Just before the report was published, Robinson posted a video to his X account vowing to stay in the race while calling the then-anticipated report “tabloid trash.” “Let me reassure you, the things that you will see in that story, those are not the words of Mark Robinson. You know my words, you know my character, and you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before. Folks, this race right now, our opponents are desperate to shift the focus here from the substantive issues and focus on what you are concerned with to salacious trap, tabloid trash,” he said in the X video. NC GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE MARK ROBINSON FACING CALLS TO DROP OUT AMID RUMORS OF LOOMING BOMBSHELL CNN’s report alleged that Robinson used a pseudonym on the porn site, “minisoldr,” to discuss how he enjoys watching transgender pornography, as well as recounting how he allegedly peeped on women in a locker room as a 14-year-old. “I came to a spot that was a dead end but had two big vent covers over it! It just so happened it overlooked the showers! I sat there for about an hour and watched as several girls came in and showered,” Robinson allegedly wrote on Nude Africa of peeping on women as a teenager. In another post in 2010, CNN reported Robinson allegedly stated, “I’m a Black Nazi!” while discussing Black Republicans. The alleged use of the chat forums played out between 2008 and 2012, according to CNN, well before Robinson entered the political arena in 2019, when he announced his run for lieutenant governor. REPUBLICAN MARK ROBINSON ON HISTORIC LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WIN: ‘THIS PARTY IS OPEN TO EVERYBODY’ Robinson pinned blame on his Democratic opponent, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, for leaking the allegations to the media. “North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be Governor. Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone,” Stein’s campaign told Fox News Digital. In comments to CNN, Robinson again denied the report. “This is not us. These are not our words. And this is not anything that is characteristic of me,” Robinson said. “I’m not going to get into the minutia of how somebody manufactured this, these salacious tabloid lies.” Reports mounted early Thursday that Robinson was allegedly facing pressure from Republican allies to drop out of the race after word spread that he was facing a damning news article related to his alleged use of adult websites in the 2000s. Before the CNN report was published, Robinson’s campaign communications director patently said the reports were false. “Whomever your sources are here, it is complete fiction,” comms director Michael Lonergan told the Carolina Journal earlier Thursday. Fox News Digital reached out to Robinson on Thursday, but did not immediately receive a reply. NRA SUPPORTS GOP CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR WHO WENT VIRAL FOR PRO-GUN SPEECH: ‘I’M THE MAJORITY’ The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) released a statement following CNN’s report, arguing it is the “latest proof that Mark Robinson is unhinged, dangerous, and completely unfit to be governor.” “Now, as many Republicans warn against the damage Robinson would do as governor, it’s clear that the stakes have never been higher and we must keep our foot on the gas to defeat him in November,” DGA deputy communications director Izzi Levy said. North Carolina Republican Rep. Richard Hudson told Fox News that the “the allegations are very concerning,” but that he is not calling on Robinson to drop out of the race, as he needs to “have the opportunity to explain to the people in North Carolina exactly how these allegations aren’t true.” “My hope is that the governor can reassure the people of North Carolina that the allegations aren’t true,” Hudson said. North Carolina outlet The Assembly published a separate and lengthy report on Sept. 3 alleging Robinson routinely visited porn shops, viewing materials in a private booth, according to former employees and customers. Robinson’s alleged visits to adult stores unfolded in the 1990s and 2000s, before his transition into the political sphere, according to the report. Lonergan denied the findings in The Assembly’s report, calling it “complete and total fiction.” “This false and personal attack on my boss is complete fiction,” Lonergan told the outlet. Robinson assumed office as North Carolina lieutenant governor in 2021, becoming the first African American to hold the office. He announced last April he would run for governor. NORTH CAROLINA’S REPUBLICAN LT GOV MARK ROBINSON LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE DEMOCRAT GOV ROY COOPER Robinson went viral in 2018 when he delivered an impassioned speech regarding gun laws during a city council meeting in Greensboro, before he was elected to political office. His speech came in response to local leaders debating whether to cancel a gun show following the Parkland school shooting in Florida that same year. “I’m a law-abiding citizen who’s never shot anybody,” Robinson said at the meeting, which was viewed 200 million times. “Every time we have one of these shootings, nobody wants to put the blame where it goes, which is at the shooter’s feet. You want to put it at my feet. You want to turn around and restrict my right.” He previously worked as a furniture factory employee in North Carolina and is an Army veteran, before climbing the GOP’s political ladder, including earning endorsements from former President Trump and the NRA. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at
A new personalized way to read The Texas Tribune
We’re partnering with aLayer, a research organization, to test a tool that will help Tribune readers customize their reading experience.
Schumer coins ‘Trump shutdown,’ slamming GOP amid spending fight
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., placed blame on former President Trump and Republicans for a potential partial government shutdown after the House failed to pass a stopgap spending measure on Wednesday. He filed cloture on Thursday in a procedural move in order to act as quickly as possible once the House passes a continuing resolution (CR), which is a short-term measure that would keep spending levels steady. “By filing today, I am giving the Senate maximum flexibility for preventing a shutdown,” Schumer explained in remarks on the Senate floor. Because he filed the vehicle sooner, a vote on a forthcoming CR could also take place sooner. RICK SCOTT LEADS EFFORT TO UP SECRET SERVICE PROTECTIONS AFTER 2ND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP “Democrats and Americans don’t want a Trump shutdown,” he said, dubbing a potential partial shutdown with the moniker of Trump’s name. “I dare say most Republicans – at least in this chamber – don’t want to see a Trump shutdown. And the American people certainly don’t want their elected representatives in Washington creating a shutdown for the sake of Donald Trump’s claims, when it’s clear he doesn’t even know how the legislative process works.” The New York Democrat made the decision to file the legislative vehicle after the Republican-backed CR brought to the floor by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., failed, 202 to 220, with two members of his party voting “present.” Nine Republicans also voted against the six-month stopgap spending bill, which included a measure to require proof of citizenship in order to vote. Three Democrats voted in favor of it. ‘I’VE NEVER SEEN THIS’: TOP REPUBLICAN DETAILS LEVEL OF SECRET SERVICE ‘LACK OF COOPERATION’ Lawmakers must pass a CR before the beginning of October to avoid a partial government shutdown. While Republicans in both the House and Senate have called for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to be included in a spending bill, Schumer and Democrats have made it clear that they aren’t willing to get on board with a package that includes what they consider a “poison pill.” HARRIS AND TRUMP DEADLOCKED IN PENNSYLVANIA AS FORMER PRESIDENT TRAILS IN OTHER ‘BLUE WALL’ STATES: POLL Trump has sounded off on the spending fight, writing on Truth Social, “If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form.” Schumer slammed the former president in his floor remarks, asking, “How does anyone expect Donald Trump to be a president when he has such little understanding of the legislative process? He’s daring the Congress to shut down.” He further urged that “our Republican colleagues should not blindly follow Donald Trump.” Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., on Wednesday responded to Trump’s post, telling reporters, “the one thing I will tell you is I don’t think it’s to anybody’s political benefit, you know, this far out from an election to have a government shutdown.” In Schumer’s statement following the House’s failed vote and several times during his floor speech, he labeled a potential partial government shutdown as a “Trump shutdown,” foreshadowing how Democrats plan to cast blame on the presidential candidate and Republicans if a shutdown does ultimately take place. GOP SENS CALL ON SCHUMER, DEMS TO TAKE UP BORDER BILLS AS THEY TOUT IMMIGRATION VIGILANCE Republicans have privately expressed concerns that any potential partial shutdown would reflect poorly on the GOP, more so than the Democrats. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., recently told reporters that he didn’t believe Republicans had much leverage in the CR discussion. He also claimed, “I don’t think Chuck Schumer cares one bit if the government gets shut down, so long as Republicans can be blamed for it.” “And if the government gets shut down, Republicans will be blamed for it,” he predicted.
Majority of Californians support restoring felony theft penalties ahead of public vote
A new statewide poll in California found that nearly three-quarters of Golden State residents support making changes to “Prop 47” – the 2014 public referendum that reduced penalties for larceny, forgery and drug offenses. Critics have blamed the current policy – which includes the provision deeming shoplifting under $950 a misdemeanor – for the crime wave gripping urban areas of the state. In the poll, conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, 71% of likely voters say they will vote “yes” on “Prop 36” – the ballot initiative that seeks to make such revisions. The highest support came from residents of the Inland Empire east of San Diego and bordering Arizona – at 79% – with the lowest coming from the Bay Area at 64%. KAMALA HARRIS PLAYED ‘CRITICAL ROLE’ IN CALIFORNIA CRIME LAW Sixty-three percent of Democrats and 85% of Republicans support Prop 36, according to the poll, which met Fox News’ polling standards. Prop 36 will allow felony charges for certain types of drug possession and thefts under $950, if the defendant has two such prior convictions, according to the California Department of State. It will also apply more serious penalties for fentanyl dealers. The department said approving Prop 36 could also lead to millions of dollars in “state criminal justice costs,” according to its “Fiscal Impact” section. Prime supporters include Crime Victims United and the California District Attorney’s Association, while opponents include Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton, according to CDOS. CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS ‘PLAYING DIRTY TRICKS’ TO KEEP PROP 47 REFORM OFF BALLOT, GOP LEADER SAYS The poll surveyed more than 1,000 likely voters and was conducted from Aug. 29 to Sept. 9. Prop 36 was originally introduced in part by two Democrats, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, in July, according to reports. “Californians want safer, stronger communities, and we’re delivering exactly that with this commonsense approach,” McGuire said in a statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “These are a methodical set of measures that will crack down on retail theft and hold offenders accountable for hardcore drug crimes, without enacting the Draconian policies of the ‘80s and ‘90s that devastated communities of color and cost taxpayers billions of dollars.” Fox News Digital also reached out to California Republicans for comment. The PPIC’s survey director told the Sacramento Bee that of the 10 ballot initiatives primed for November, Prop 36 is getting the most attention: “Proposition 36 on crime sentences currently leads in support, interest, and importance among the 10 state propositions,” Mark Baldassare said.
Secret Service, DHS sued over first Trump assassination attempt
A conservative legal watchdog group is heading to court to get the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to explain how gunman Thomas Crooks had been able to “fire a relatively simple shot that came within an inch of killing President Trump and struck fellow Americans.” In a lawsuit filed Thursday, America First Legal alleges that the Secret Service and DHS illegally concealed government records related to the attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The organization claims it submitted multiple public records requests about the incident but still has not received any documents. “On July 13, the American people watched in horror as a lunatic attempted to assassinate former President, and current candidate for President, Donald Trump,” Gene Hamilton, AFL senior counsel said in a statement. WATCH ON FOX NATION: THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATIONS OF DONALD TRUMP “Today, there is widespread and bipartisan acknowledgment that there were catastrophic failures that tragic day and in the weeks and months ahead of it. We are committed to obtaining these records so that the American people can see for themselves exactly what senior DHS leadership was prioritizing in its mission, and why more resources were not devoted to the protection of President Donald J. Trump,” Hamilton said. AFL requested documents pertaining to the Secret Service’s staffing shortages, hiring and employment standards and all communications to or from Secretary Alejnadro Mayorkas and two senior DHS official Kristie Canegello and Jonathan Davidson. According to AFL, the Secret Service said it would not process their expedited public records’ requests, because there was “no threat to the life or safety of anyone” and that there was no urgency to grant their request. NEW WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS ON FIRST TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ‘HIGHLY DAMAGING’ TO SECRET SERVICE: HAWLEY Lawmakers on Capitol Hill – both Republican and Democratic – have also been trying to obtain documents from government agencies related to the events that unfolded that day and what security lapses may have occurred. “Politicians on both sides of the aisle and the American people both agree that USSS and senior officials at DHS are failing to provide well-deserved and well-needed transparency,” AFL said in its news release. Sen. Richard Blumenthal recently told reporters on Capitol Hill that he is “reaching the point of total outrage,” because the DHS response has been “totally lacking.” “In fact, I think it’s tantamount to stonewalling in many respects,” the Connecticut Democrat said. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., also recently told Fox News Digital that the Secret Service had refused to release documents about Crooks’ autopsy report, saying, “We don’t have any of the trajectory reports.” “So, where’d the bullets go? We don’t even know how they handled the crime scene,” he said. “We haven’t been able to interview the sniper who took out Crooks,” Johnson said. Crooks is the would-be assassin that, during the July 13 rally in Pennsylvania, opened fire, grazing the former president’s ear, killing a rally attendee and critically injuring two others. TRUMP BLAMES BIDEN-HARRIS ‘RHETORIC’ FOR LATEST ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, SAYS HE WILL ‘SAVE THE COUNTRY’ In light of the second attempted assassination of former President Trump’s life at his golf course in Florida last week, AFL said in it statement: “There is no denying that President Trump currently faces genuine threats, and AFL’s requests would help to ensure that USSS and DHS leadership are suffcieintly trained and staffed to ensure the safety of President Trump.” “The American people and Congress need total transparency,” the group said.
29 vulnerable Dems vote with Republicans on bill cracking down on illegal immigrants
Nearly 30 vulnerable House Democrats voted for a bill Wednesday to deport illegal immigrants who commit sex crimes, signaling a shift in the party’s focus on the migrant crisis as the November elections draw near. The Republican-led bill passed 266 to 158, with 51 Democrats voting with GOP lawmakers. Democratic critics of the bill have accused it of unfairly targeting illegal immigrants and “weaponizing” the issue of domestic violence. In total, 158 Democrats voted against the bill. But out of the 31 left-wing lawmakers running for re-election in competitive seats, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, only Reps. Darren Soto, D-Fla., and Val Hoyle, D-Ore., voted against the bill. Twenty-nine vulnerable Democrats, however, crossed the aisle on the measure. EX-BORDER CHIEF WARNS OF ‘SIGNIFICANT THREAT’ AS MIGRANT NUMBERS SKYROCKET: ‘ENTIRE SECTORS’ MISSING AGENTS Fox News Digital reached out to Hoyle and Soto’s offices about their opposition to the bill but did not immediately receive a response. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, voted “no” on Wednesday night, but his office told Fox News Digital that it was in error: “Rep. Landsman intended to vote yes on H.R.7909 and has already submitted a statement to the Congressional Record affirming as such,” his office said. Both Hoyle and Soto are in seats classified as “likely Democrat” but could be vulnerable to an upset. Soto’s seat is rated eight points in favor of Democrats, and Hoyle’s is four. Landsman is closest to a toss-up, being rated “D+2.” However, the significant number of vulnerable Democrats who supported the bill is a hallmark of the larger shift in focus the party has experienced on border security. GERMANY CLAMPS DOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AS COUNTRY FORCED TO RETHINK POLICIES AMID VOTER ANGER Moderate Democrats and those in danger of losing their seats have raced to call for bipartisan measures to tackle the migrant crisis, which has reached states and cities well beyond the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to deporting migrants convicted of sex crimes, the legislation would also deem illegal immigrants who admit to domestic violence or sex-related charges — or are convicted of them — to be inadmissible to the U.S. It was led by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., herself a survivor of rape. It’s part of a wider legislative push by the House GOP to spotlight issues stemming from the border crisis. TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE RAMPS UP PRESSURE TO OBTAIN ‘IMPORTANT’ DOCS ON HARRIS’ ROLE IN BORDER CRISIS Among the Democrats who spoke out against the bill is Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. “Here we are again, debating another partisan bill that fearmongers about immigrants, instead of working together to fix the immigration system,” Jayapal said during debate on the bill. “I probably shouldn’t be too surprised. Scapegoating immigrants and attempting to weaponize the crime of domestic violence is appearing to be a time-honored tradition for Republicans.”
Judge allows Texas State Fair’s gun ban to stand for now
Texas AG Ken Paxton says the fair’s gun ban violates state law, which bars most government bodies from prohibiting weapons.
Biden falsely claims he’s never spoken to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell as president
President Biden on Thursday falsely claimed he had never spoken to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell as president, despite having a meeting with him at the White House two years ago. Biden, during a speech to the Economic Club of Washington, said, “Unlike my predecessor, I respect the Federal Reserve’s independence as they pursued a mandate to bring inflation down.” “And that independence has served the country well. And by the way, I’ve never once spoken to the chairman of the Fed since I became president,” Biden added. “We’ll also do enormous damage to our economy if that independence is ever lost.” However, in May 2022, Biden met with Powell in the Oval Office in what Bloomberg described in a report as his “third in-person session with Powell” since becoming president. FEDERAL RESERVE CUTS RATES FOR FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS AHEAD OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION “My plan is to address inflation. That starts with a simple proposition: respect the Fed, respect the Fed’s independence, which I have done and will continue to do,” Biden said at the time. “The president underscored to Chair Powell in the meeting what he has underscored consistently including today – that he respects the independence of the Federal Reserve,” then-White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said after the meeting, according to Reuters. IRAN TRIED TO INFLUENCE ELECTION BY SENDING STOLEN MATERIAL FROM TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO BIDEN’S CAMP, FBI SAYS Before that, in November 2021, Biden also introduced Powell during a news conference to announce his nominees for chair and vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. During his time as president, Trump once called Powell “clueless” in a tweet, writing, “We should easily be reaping big Rewards & Gains, but the Fed is holding us back. We will Win!”
Shadowy group propped up by Democrat money accused of ‘dirty tricks’ meddling against GOP in key races
A shadowy group has been recruiting unsuspecting candidates to act as potential spoilers in competitive House races in the latest attempt from far-left groups to tip Republican races. For the past year, a group known as the Patriots Run Project has recruited Trump supporters to run as independent candidates in key swing districts where they could siphon votes from Republicans in races that will help determine which party controls the House next year, an Associated Press review found. In addition to two races in Iowa, the group recruited candidates in Nebraska, Montana, Virginia and Minnesota. All six recruits described themselves as retired, disabled or both. The group’s operation provides few clues about its management, financing or motivation. But interviews, text messages, emails, business filings and other documents reviewed by the AP show that a significant sum has been spent — and some of it traces back to Democratic consulting firms. “At that time, I was thinking, ‘Well, it would be nice to be in Congress and get to work with President Trump,’” Joe Wiederien, 54, reflected in an interview outside the Veterans Affairs hospital in Des Moines, where he was seeking treatment for a leaking incision on his head from previous brain surgery. “It looks like it’s a dirty trick now.” WISCONSIN KICKS OFF ELECTION SEASON WITH FIRST WIDELY AVAILABLE ABSENTEE BALLOTS A fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump, Wiederien was registered as a Republican until months earlier. A debilitating stroke had left him unable to drive. He had never run for office. For a time, he couldn’t vote because of a felony conviction. But he arrived last month at the Iowa Capitol with well over the 1,726 petition signatures needed to qualify for the ballot as a conservative alternative to first-term Republican Rep. Zach Nunn. After filing the paperwork, he flashed a thumbs-up across the room at an operative he knew only as “Johnny.” Thomas Bowman, 71 and disabled after a kidney transplant, said he believes he likely was recruited to run against Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota to split the conservative vote and help Craig win reelection in the suburban Minneapolis district. But the self-described constitutional conservative expressed gratitude for free help getting signatures. TRUMP MAKES A BOLD PREDICTION ABOUT THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION “They got me on the ballot,” Bowman said. “If I had to do that all by myself, I couldn’t do it.” Patriots Run Project’s actions have resulted in an FEC complaint from the conservative group Americans for Public Trust, which alleges that Patriots Run Project’s “major purpose” was “influencing federal elections” and the organization thus violated campaign finance law by failing to register as a political committee. That would force the group to file reports that would likely reveal who is managing and financing the operation, as well as the motivation behind it. The only concrete identifying detail listed on the group’s website is a mailbox inside a UPS store in Washington, D.C. “It’s clear this shady scheme connected to Democrats is a threat to democracy, yet every single Democrat candidate benefiting from the plot refuses to condemn it,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital. “If they truly mean what they say, they can’t remain silent.” Patriots Run Project operated a series of pro-Trump pages and ran ads that used apocalyptic rhetoric to attack establishment politicians in both parties while urging conservatives to run in November. “We need American Patriots like YOU to stand for freedom with President Trump and take back control from the globalist elites by running for office,” one such ad states. Once recruited, they communicated with a handful of operatives through text messages, emails and phone calls. In-person contact was limited. Patriots Run Project advised them about what forms to fill out and how to file required paperwork. In at least three races, petition signatures to qualify for the ballot were circulated by a Nevada company that works closely with the Democratic consulting firm Sole Strategies, according to documents, including text messages and a draft contract, as well as the firm’s co-founder. In Iowa, a different Democratic firm conducted a poll testing attacks on Nunn, while presenting Wiederien as the true conservative. A spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Democrats’ campaign arm, said the organization had no knowledge of or involvement in the effort. House Majority PAC, the Democrats’ big spending congressional super PAC, was also not involved, a spokesman said. Democrats are no strangers to boosting extreme candidates. During the midterms, the Left funded ads for fringe Republican candidates, hoping they would be easier to defeat in a general election. Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Rich Edson contributed to this report.
Shock number: Trump has higher approval rating in deep blue state than its governor
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s favorability among likely New York voters has cratered, and former President Trump is viewed more favorably by voters in the historically blue state in a new poll. Siena College released a poll Thursday showing that just 34% of voters in the Empire State view Hochul favorably, with 54% viewing her poorly. When asked about their views on Trump, 39% of likely New York voters told pollsters they view the 45th president favorably, and 57% view him poorly, a figure slightly higher than voters’ assessment of Hochul. ”It is also worth noting that Hochul’s favorability rating, 20 points underwater, is worse than Trump’s, 18 points underwater,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in the poll’s press release. “To repeat, Kathy Hochul has a lower net favorability rating in New York than Donald Trump.” The poll found that Hochul’s favorability rating dropped from last month’s findings of 39% favorability to 50% disapproval among voters. FORMER AIDE TO NEW YORK GOV. HOCHUL, WHO IS ACCUSED OF BEING CHINESE SPY, WENT ON A TOUR OF THE WHITE HOUSE “While Hochul’s favorability rating has never been outstanding — she’s never been viewed favorably by 50% of voters in a state where 49% of the voters are Democrats — it has now hit an all-time low, 34-54%,” Greenberg said. “Her job approval rating, 39-56%, is also a record low.” Trump traveled to his home state Wednesday, where he joined thousands of supporters on Long Island at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. He vowed to the crowd he would “win New York” and “save” the longtime blue state. FORMER AIDE TO DEMOCRATIC NY GOVERNOR ARRESTED IN FEDERAL CASE “The reason I’m here,” Trump told the crowd, is because “we are going to win New York. “That’s the first time in many, many years that a Republican can honestly say it, and we’re going to do it.” A Republican presidential candidate has not claimed victory in the Empire State since Ronald Reagan in 1984. “We have to do it. We do it, and the election nationwide is over. We take over the White House, and we fix up our country,” he said. HOUSE REPUBLICANS PRESS GOV. HOCHUL ON ALLEGED CHINA COMMUNIST PARTY AGENT’S INFLUENCE IN NEW YORK “I say to the people of New York: With crime at record levels, with terrorists and criminals pouring in and with inflation eating your hearts out, vote for Donald Trump. What the hell do you have to lose?” Trump told the crowd. Trump has previously said he has a good shot at winning the traditionally liberal state, including in May as he faced trial in New York City on 34 counts of falsifying business records. “I think we have a chance to win in New York. It hasn’t been done in, you know, many, many decades as a Republican,” Trump told “Fox & Friends” in May. “I think we have a very good chance.” Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, Trump has also campaigned on winning the Garden State, another historically blue jurisdiction. “We’re going to win New Jersey,” Trump told a massive crowd this spring in Wildwood, sparking exuberant cheers from supporters. The Siena survey found that, in New York, Vice President Kamala Harris still has a lead over Trump, though it appears to not be as “deep blue” compared to previous presidential elections. “New York remains solidly ‘blue’ but perhaps not as deep blue as it has been in the last several presidential cycles. In the six presidential elections this century, Democrats have carried New York by at least 18 points, and at least 22 points in five of the six. President Biden won here by 23 points in 2020,” Greenberg said. “With less than seven weeks till Election Day, Harris leads Trump head-to-head by 13 points, little changed from 14 points last month, and by 12 points in a multi-candidate race, unchanged from August.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.