Trump takes stunning lead over Harris with surprising group in blue state
Former President Trump has moved into the lead among Jewish voters in deep-blue New York. Trump garnered the support of 50% of likely Jewish voters in New York, according to a Siena Research Institute poll released Tuesday, a slight lead over Vice President Harris who garnered the selection of 49% of respondents. While the lead for Trump is slim, it marks a dramatic change from the former president’s prospects against President Biden, who in June led Trump among likely Jewish voters, 52%-46%, in the state. However, the race has changed dramatically since the last poll, with Biden opting last month to drop out of the race and immediately endorse Harris, who quickly worked to secure the Democrat nomination. DEMOCRAT CALLS OUT LEFT’S ‘STRONG UNDERCURRENT OF ANTISEMITISM’ IN ATTACKS ON POTENTIAL VP PICK SHAPIRO Harris’ journey to the top of the Democrat ticket comes as some supporters of Israel have worried that her support for the Jewish state has started to wane, with some arguing that she has distanced herself from the Biden administration since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. Harris became the first administration official to call for an “immediate cease-fire” to the conflict in March, and she also became the first administration official to warn of “consequences” for Israel if it went ahead with a planned invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah in an interview with ABC News later that month. Harris has also faced questions about her relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, most notably after she appeared to dodge questions about whether the Israeli leader had become an “obstacle to peace.” “I believe that we have got to continue to enforce what we know to be and should be the priorities in terms of what is happening in Gaza,” Harris said in response. “We’ve been very clear that far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. We have been very clear that Israel and the Israeli people and Palestinians are entitled to an equal amount of security and dignity.” VP SHORT-LISTER SHAPIRO ON DEFENSE OVER ISRAEL AFTER DECADES-OLD COLLEGE PAPER SURFACES The poll also comes just before Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was the only Jewish candidate in the running. The move prompted some to speculate that the choice was made as a result of Shapiro’s lack of popularity with members of the Democratic Party, who have taken a more sympathetic approach to Palestinians since the war broke out in Gaza. Nevertheless, Jewish voters have traditionally supported Democrat candidates for decades. According to an analysis by the American Enterprise Institute, Jewish voters have on average supported Democrats over Republicans by a margin of 71% to 26% since 1968. Jewish voters supported Biden over Trump 68% to 30% in 2020, while in 2016 the same group chose Clinton over Trump by a margin of 71% to 26%. But the poll wasn’t all bad news for Harris, who overall solidified her lead over Trump among all likely voters in the state. Harris now leads Trump 53%-39% among likely New York voters, according to the Tuesday poll, a large improvement from the eight- to 10-point lead Biden had in previous versions of the poll. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Siena College Research Institute poll was conducted between July 28 and Aug. 1 and surveyed 1,199 likely voters in New York, 8% of whom were Jewish; the poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points. 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.
Ted Cruz touts endorsement from Kim Ogg, a Houston Democrat, in bid for crossover votes
Ogg is no darling of the left. She lost her Democratic primary in a landslide election this year after a number of intraparty feuds.
Tim Walz reaffirms support for Biden-Harris border agenda after he’s tapped for VP slot
EXCLUSIVE: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is reaffirming his support for the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and the border on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign told Fox News Digital, “Governor Walz supports the bipartisan border deal and the Biden-Harris administration’s executive actions on the border that brought border crossings to the lowest level in 4 years.” Walz has previously signaled his approval of the bipartisan border deal struck earlier this year by Senate negotiators, but the campaign’s comments to Fox News Digital mark the first time he’s taken that stance since being tapped as Harris’ running mate earlier on Tuesday. “Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school. So, let’s get this done, folks! Join us,” Walz, a former teacher, wrote on X. SCATHING REPORT REVEALS BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN RELEASED DOZENS OF MIGRANTS ON TERROR WATCHLIST INTO US Walz’s own handling of the border crisis’ effects on his state are already the subject of GOP scrutiny. He appeared to signal support for “sanctuary” policies in Minnesota during an interview with CBS News in 2018, telling the outlet, “Congress has given federal agencies the authority to enforce immigration laws in Minnesota, and I support their doing so. Congress has not given local law enforcement that same authority. The role of law enforcement is to enforce state and local laws, not federal immigration laws, and I strongly believe that they should not do so.” Republicans have also hammered Walz for enacting policies allowing undocumented migrants to get driver’s licenses and state-funded healthcare plans. The campaign’s promotion of Walz’s support for stricter border policies is a sign that Democrats will take a more active stance on the issue — traditionally a favorite political cudgel of the GOP — this election cycle. VANCE BORDER SPEECH HITS HARRIS IN LATEST BARRAGE OF ATTACKS BETWEEN CAMPAIGNS ON MIGRANT CRISIS The bipartisan border deal was the product of monthslong discussions led by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and James Lankford, R-Okla. Within days of its production, however, the legislation was rejected by a majority of House and Senate Republicans who argued it did not go far enough in cracking down on the migrant crisis. They said it would only serve to codify the Biden administration’s progressive border policies. Walz, like most Democrats at the time, accused Republicans of acting on the wishes of former President Trump – who was publicly opposed to the deal. “Donald Trump sunk the bipartisan border security bill so he could run on the issue. He’d rather play politics for his benefit than secure our border. Kamala Harris will make sure we pass the damn thing,” Walz said last week on CNN. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS The campaign’s Tuesday statement to Fox News Digital suggests Walz is also in favor of Biden’s executive orders on the border, including his June proclamation shutting down migration between ports of entry during periods when the seven-day average encounters in those sectors exceeds 2,500. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), that order was “helping reduce the number of encounters at our Southwest Border by 55%” and that the number of encounters over a seven-day average period ”has decreased to below 1,800 encounters per day.” The southwestern border has seen a historic number of migrant encounters for a significant amount of Biden’s term so far, however. Biden’s order was also panned by some of his most progressive allies, however, including Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Nanette Barragán.
Dem superdelegates celebrate Harris picking Walz for running mate: ‘Couldn’t be happier’
Democratic superdelegates celebrated Vice President Harris naming Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate for the White House. “Like Vice President Harris, Governor @Tim_Walz believes that government works to serve us. Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president. Michelle and I couldn’t be happier for Tim and Gwen, their family, and our country,” former President Obama posted to X, accompanied by his full statement on the pick. Superdelegates, also known as automatic delegates, represent the Democrat establishment, including Democratic National Committee members, all Democrat members of the House and Senate, Democrat governors and all former Democrat presidents, vice presidents, Senate leaders, House speakers, Democrat minority leaders and DNC chairs, according to the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2024 Democratic National Convention. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE Other elected Democrats, including fellow governors who were reportedly under consideration to serve as Harris’ running mate, also took to social media to praise Walz as the choice. ‘MASSIVE GIFT’: CONSERVATIVES REJOICE AFTER HARRIS SELECTS MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ AS RUNNING MATE “Governor Tim Walz is a proven leader who brings to public service the big heart and hard work of a Midwesterner,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who was also in the running to join Harris on the ticket, said in a statement on Tuesday. “His unwavering commitment to improving the lives of working families and to lifting up the most vulnerable is why I’m so excited he will be the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice President. Tim is a friend and fellow Midwestern governor, and I’ve been proud to serve alongside him. Vice President Kamala Harris once again has proven her leadership by choosing someone our party and the nation can be proud of.” MOST AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TIM WALZ, HARRIS’ VP PICK News broke Tuesday morning that Harris was anticipated to announce Walz as her running mate, as opposed to other top contenders such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. “I am proud to announce that I’ve asked @Tim_Walz to be my running mate,” Harris posted to X late Tuesday morning. “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his. It’s great to have him on the team. Now let’s get to work.” As elected officials within the Democratic Party lauded the choice, Republicans also appeared gleeful over the choice as they prepare to battle what they describe as a “radical left” ticket. “Harris Feels the Bern and picks Walz. Thank you, Kamala! Governor Tim Walz is a dream for the radical Left,” Sen. Lindsey Graham posted on X. “It’s not surprising [Harris] picked Tim Walz to be her running mate – he embodies the same disastrous economic, open-borders, and soft-on-crime policies Harris has inflicted on our country the last four years,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., wrote on X. WALZ’S HANDLING OF BLM RIOTS, STRICT COVID RULES UNDER MICROSCOPE AFTER HARRIS VP PICK “Walz is an empty suit who has worked to turn Minnesota into Harris’ home state of California, and solidifies this ticket’s full embrace of a radical, America-last agenda.” “Tim Walz is a perfect choice for Kamala Harris. He let BLM rioters, arsonists, and looters rampage through his state and she encouraged donations to the bail fund for the few who were arrested,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X. Walz’s political career includes serving in the U.S. House from 2007 to 2019 before winning the 2018 election as Minnesota’s governor and again in 2022. Walz is expected to join Harris in Chicago this month at the Democratic National Convention.
Harris leaning into ‘pro-Hamas,’ ‘progressive’ wings of Democrat Party with Walz VP pick: GOP strategist
Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate two weeks out from the Democratic National Convention comes as a bit of a “shock,” and GOP strategists suggest it could hurt her in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, where Gov. Josh Shapiro was purported to have been the favored choice. “Kamala Harris did not pick Josh Shapiro because antisemitic progressives did not like that he is Jewish,” Mike Berg, spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee told Fox News Digital in a statement. “It was Harris’ first major decision as the nominee, and she caved to the pro-Hamas contingency within the Democratic Party.” Berg continued that Walz “reinforces” Harris’ “biggest weaknesses: crime and immigration.” MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ, UP FOR HARRIS VP, CRITICIZED FOR ‘REMARKABLE LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ DURING COVID, RIOTS “Kamala Harris helped bankroll the 2020 riots in Minnesota when she promoted the Minnesota Freedom Fund. Walz let Minnesota burn. Kamala Harris supported decriminalizing illegal immigration and abolishing ICE — Walz supported making Minnesota a sanctuary state,” he said. Earlier this week, a decades-old article resurfaced in which Shapiro wrote of being an Israeli army volunteer and disparaged the Palestinian people. The Philadelphia Inquirer uncovered the essay that he wrote for the Campus Times, the student newspaper of the University of Rochester, from which Shapiro graduated in 1995. In the article, Shapiro stressed his view that “Palestinians will not peacefully coexist,” because “they do not have the capabilities to establish their own homelands and make it successful even with the aid of Israel and the United States.” HARRIS’ TOP VP OPTIONS ALL HAVE DRAWBACKS THAT COULD TAKE THEM OUT OF CONTENTION Strategists are speculating that Harris may have been primed to pick Shapiro up until the resurfaced op-ed, which could have distanced some of the party’s more progressive base who believe an Israeli ceasefire will put an end to Palestinian casualties. “That’s 100% of the reason she was willing to sacrifice essentially locking up Pennsylvania for her campaign, dramatically helping them hold the Senate seat in Pennsylvania, and there are three congressional swing seats in Pennsylvania that Shapiro all won overwhelmingly in 2022,” a House Republican strategist told Fox News Digital in an interview. “All of that would have been taken off the map for Republicans. But because he was pro-Israel, it was effectively disqualifying for her, and she caved to the far left, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party,” the strategist said. Walz will now join Harris on a multi-state campaign tour in key battleground states over the next few days, as Harris attempts to rebrand herself as a moderate candidate and distance herself from her past progressive positions. TRUMP CAMP SAYS HARRIS-WALZ ‘DANGEROUSLY LIBERAL’ TICKET IS ‘EVERY AMERICAN’S NIGHTMARE’ Nate Benefield, senior vice president at the Commonwealth Foundation, told Fox News Digital, “This move really seems like it was more focused on solidifying the progressive base of the Democratic Party.” “I don’t know that the VP choice really makes a dramatic difference nationwide, but, a couple of points in Pennsylvania, may be the margin,” Benefield said. “I think this does indicate that their decision was less about the swing states but energizing the progressive base.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Meanwhile, when it comes to Harris attempting to appear more moderate with the launch of Republicans for Harris this week, Benefield said, “There’s a long track record there of these progressive ideas that really don’t appeal to voters in in Pennsylvania and Michigan, Wisconsin and other swing states.” Walz, 60, is a former U.S. Army National Guard member and a former teacher who has raised his profile in recent weeks as an effective advocate for Harris. He grew up in a small town in Nebraska, and was also a football coach and union member at a high school in Minnesota before getting into politics. Recently, he attacked former President Trump and his running mate JD Vance as “weird,” a viral insult the Harris campaign has embraced. A former member of Congress from a Republican-leaning district, Walz has proven appeal with rural, white voters, though he has also championed progressive policies as governor, such as free school meals and expanded paid worker leave. While Minnesota is a solidly Democratic state, it is close to Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial battlegrounds. Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken, Andrew Mark Miller and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
New York county passes face mask ban
Wearing masks in public as a way to hide one’s identity will soon be illegal in one suburban New York county. Lawmakers in Nassau County approved a bill on Monday criminalizing the wearing of face masks in public places, with exemptions for people who cover their faces for health reasons or religious or cultural purposes. Supporters of the bill in the Republican-controlled Long Island county say it would prevent violent protesters from hiding their identity. The bill was introduced by Republican District 10 legislator Mazi Pilip, who told Fox News Digital over the phone Tuesday that lawmakers heard residents “loud and clear” when they expressed their desire to feel safe in their communities. “Nassau County yesterday took the lead,” Pilip said, referencing how Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has been talking about a similar statewide ban since May, but has yet to take action. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MULLS ARREST POWER FOR CAMPUS COPS AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS DISRUPTED SCHOOL: REPORT “I respect the freedom of speech,” said Pilip, who ran for Congress in a special election earlier this year but lost to Rep. Tom Suozzi. “I think we encourage people to come, to rally, to express their concern. That’s the beautiful thing about our country. However, there is no way we will support people who [are] hiding their faces and basically attacking or spreading hate speech and encouraging others to do so. We are not going to allow that.” Mask wearing became the norm during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but was also observed more recently during anti-Israel demonstrations. Legislator Howard Kopel said the measure was introduced in response to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” since the Oct. 7 start of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. New York Civil Liberties Union Nassau County regional director Susan Gottehrer defended the use of masks during protests. “Masks protect people who express political opinions that are unpopular,” Gottehrer said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. “Making anonymous protest illegal chills political action and is ripe for selective enforcement, leading to doxxing, surveillance, and retaliation against protesters.” FORMER NEW YORK GOV. ANDREW CUOMO CRITICIZES ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS FOR SUPPORTING HAMAS IN NEW TV AD Monday’s vote by the Nassau County Legislature was along party lines, with 12 in agreement and seven legislators abstaining, FOX 5 New York reported. Democratic Legislator Arnold Drucker said before the vote that the bill “overstepped and could be detrimental to First Amendment rights.” County Executive Bruce Blakeman disagreed. “Unless someone has a medical condition or a religious imperative, people should not be allowed to cover their face in a manner that hides their identity when in public,” Blakeman said in a statement reported by FOX 5. After Blakeman signs the bill, which he is expected to, wearing a mask in public will be a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone wearing a face covering to hide their identity in public. When it comes to determining whether someone is wearing it for criminal, medical or religious purposes, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said officers would know the difference. He was also previously quoted in Newsday saying, “We are not going to just arrest someone for wearing a mask. We are going to go up to the person and talk to them and find out.” Dozens of public speakers for and against the bill packed legislative chambers Monday. One woman was arrested for being disruptive, PIX 11 reported. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has also supported the concept of banning masks, saying in June that he supports using such a measure to curb crime. “I’m a strong supporter of the decision of stopping masks on our subway system, masks in protests, and masks in other areas where it’s not… health-related,” Adams said. “Masks are not new and covering your face while you do terrible things is not new,” he added. “There were these guys that used to ride around with hoods in the deep south. So, cowards cover their faces.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former Minnesota GOP governor sums up Tim Walz VP pick: ‘Bernie Sanders in hunting gear’
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, said the choice of current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate shows Democrats are doubling down on a “democrat-socialist agenda.” Pawlenty, a former GOP presidential candidate who was governor of Minnesota from 2003-2011, told FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul Walz is “philosophically and politically” aligned with Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, but brings “a different style and different geography” to the 2024 Democratic ticket. “She has sort of the San Francisco, California, vibe. He’s going to have sort of the Bernie Sanders in hunting gear vibe,” said Pawlenty. “So, it’s the same product, just in different wrappers.” Harris announced her selection of Walz to be the Democratic nominee for vice president in a social media post that praised his progressive record. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his,” Harris said. “He worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments. He cut taxes for working families. He passed a law to provide paid family and medical leave to Minnesotan families. He made Minnesota the first state in the country to pass a law providing constitutional abortion protections after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and as an avid hunter, he passed a bill requiring universal background checks for gun purchases.” MOST AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TIM WALZ, HARRIS’ VP PICK Walz’s record is a delight to progressives but also fodder for Republicans eager to define Harris and her running mate as too liberal and too extreme. Pawlenty said the Trump campaign is likely to go after Walz for his slow response to the 2020 George Floyd riots in Minneapolis, during which a police station was torched. He also noted that Walz presided over the largest spending increases in state history and a scandal over COVID-19 pandemic relief fraud. “Rising crime, big high-profile fraud causes within state government under his watch, with a legislative auditor, nonpartisan, saying, ‘You’re not taking it seriously,’” said Pawlenty. “The target audience for a lot of this is going to be persuadable voters in swing states.” ‘MASSIVE GIFT’: CONSERVATIVES REJOICE AFTER HARRIS SELECTS MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ AS RUNNING MATE Pawlenty was vetted as a potential candidate for vice president by both 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, the governor of Massachusetts at the time. Pawlenty acknowledged Walz is a “good campaigner” and predicted he will bring new energy to the Harris campaign over the next 90 days before the election. “On a personal level, he’s energetic, he’s friendly, he’s folksy. He’s interested in issues. He likes to campaign. He can talk like most politicians — I used to say, tug dogs off a meat wagon,” Pawlenty said. “Their problem isn’t going to be, you know, campaign style or skills or energy. It’s going to be, is America ready for a doubling down on this democrat-socialist agenda? Trump’s got his own problems, by the way,” he added. “I think this ticket, the Harris-Walz ticket, would be pretty beatable if the Republicans had a better candidate. You know, they’re going to be able to take advantage of the fact there’s a bunch of Republicans and independents who don’t like Trump.” Pawlenty clarified that he does not support the Harris-Walz ticket and said he has voted for former President Trump in the past and may do so again. “I think the Trump campaign is going to make it very clear that this just isn’t some, you know, moderate, centrist person,” he said of Walz. “They’re going to characterize it as a radical ticket. And I don’t know how well that will sell in places like Pennsylvania.”
Paris Olympics 2024: Social media celebrates as Vinesh Phogat becomes 1st Indian woman wrestler to enter into finals
As Vinesh celebrated, fans took to social media, expressing their appreciation over what they just witnessed. Fans are ecstatic over Vinesh’s win and qualification to the finals.
‘His record is a joke’: Vance tears into Harris VP pick Walz at Philadelphia counter-rally
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, reacted to the “interesting tag team” of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., on Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after her much-anticipated pick was made public. “If we remember the rioting in the summer of 2020, Tim Walz was the guy who let rioters burn down Minneapolis,” he recalled of the riots which began in Minnesota in response to the death of George Floyd during his arrest in Minneapolis. “And then Kamala Harris was the one who bailed the rioters out of jail,” he added.” So there’s an interesting team in that sense.” BIDEN, DEMS RACE TO BEAT TRUMP’S RECORD ON CONFIRMED JUDGES AS ELECTION LOOMS Harris has been heavily criticized by Republicans for promoting the Minnesota Freedom Fund during the summer of 2020 amid the riots. It was reported that donations to the fund were primarily used to bail out people convicted of violent crimes, rather than the protesters it was purported to be helping. TESTER TO SKIP DNC IN CHICAGO AS HE LOOKS TO HOLD ONTO SENATE SEAT IN RED MONTANA During a campaign event in South Philadelphia on Tuesday, Vance explained to supporters why he didn’t provide a lot of initial reaction to Harris’ running mate selection initially. “The reason I didn’t say a whole lot about Tim Walz is because the Democrats have showed a willingness to pull a little switcheroo on us,” he said, referencing President Biden’s decision to drop out of the race last month after pressure mounted from top Democrats on him to do so. “So I don’t even know if we’re actually going to get Tim Walz out of this campaign. And I think that a lot of us are asking ourselves, ‘Well, it’s not going to be official until the Democrats actually nominate him, I guess, at their convention next week,’” he laughed. He also claimed, “Tim Walz, his record is a joke. He’s been one of the most far-left radicals in the entire United States government at any level.” “I think what it says is that Kamala Harris is running as a San Francisco liberal. She has governed as a San Francisco Liberal, and she’s chosen a running mate who will be a San Francisco-style liberal,” Vance said. The Ohio senator was met by a warm crowd at the Tuesday event, who at one point began chanting “JD! JD! JD!” He invited multiple Pennsylvania voters to speak to the crowd, saying, “I think it’s important to put a human face on the disaster that has been Kamala Harris and to remind the American people this is why we need President Donald J. Trump, because normal people benefit when he’s the President of the United States.” The speakers focused on the fentanyl crisis and how it has affected their lives and the lives of others in the Philadelphia area. ‘DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING’: DURBIN CALLS ON AUSTIN TO REINSTATE CONTROVERSIAL PLEA DEALS FOR 9/11 TERRORISTS “These are not racially profiled drugs,” said Geraldine Briggs, a young Black woman from Philadelphia. “The rehabilitation centers prove that this crisis knows no demographic, income, family history. It affects millions nationwide.” “Democrats claim to have cleaned up the streets in Philadelphia, but it has not worked,” she said. According to Vance, Harris’ selected running mate, Walz, “wants to make the fentanyl crisis that we just heard about so much worse because he refuses to do his job and actually make it easier for American citizens and not illegal aliens to live a good life.” The Republican senator further pinned the Biden administration’s record to Harris, citing, “We have got a war in Europe. We have got a war in the Middle East that threatens to spiral out of control. We’ve got chaos in the world financial markets. Everything that Kamala Harris touches has been a disaster, and we have got to kick her out of the United States government, not give her a promotion.” Vance’s Philadelphia trip comes hours before Harris holds her own event in the city with Walz, their first together as a Democratic ticket. Former President Trump’s running mate is also tailing the Harris campaign on a several-day battleground state tour. The Harris campaign did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Top House committee demands internal docs on Harris’ role in border crisis: ‘Abject failure’
FIRST ON FOX: Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are investigating Vice President Kamala Harris’ role in dealing with the crisis at the southern border — demanding that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) turn over any internal communications with her office on illegal immigration. “The mass illegal migration under the Biden-Harris Administration has contributed to murders, sexual assaults, and serious bodily injuries committed against numerous Americans at the hands of illegal aliens,” Chairman James Comer said in a letter to acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller, obtained first by Fox News Digital. “The Committee requests documents and communications to understand Vice President Harris’s role in the worst border crisis in American history.” SCATHING REPORT REVEALS BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN RELEASED DOZENS OF MIGRANTS ON TERROR WATCHLIST INTO US In 2021, as numbers started rising dramatically at the southern border, President Biden told reporters that Harris was now in charge of tackling root causes, such as climate change, poverty and violence, which the administration believed to be driving migrants north. “There’s about five other major things she’s handling, but I’ve asked her, the VP, today — because she’s the most qualified person to do it — to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that help — are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border,” he said. It quickly led to Harris being dubbed by media outlets and Republicans as the “border czar.” The White House rejected that title, but it has stuck with her ever since and made her a figurehead along with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the crisis. Now as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, Republicans have zeroed in on her handling of the border crisis, under which there have been record encounters at the southern border. They claim that those numbers are a direct result of the rolling back of Trump-era border protections and the implementation of what they call “open border” policies. VANCE BORDER SPEECH HITS HARRIS IN LATEST BARRAGE OF ATTACKS BETWEEN CAMPAIGNS ON MIGRANT CRISIS The letter to Miller called Harris’ record “abysmal” and noted prior comments suggesting immigration enforcement should be reworked, and her history of calling for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. “The Committee seeks to understand whether Vice President Harris has ‘done anything’ to address the worst border crisis in American history,” the letter says. The committee is seeking “All documents and communications between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Executive Office of the Vice President related to the southwest border or illegal immigration.” CBP and Harris’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The Biden administration has pushed back against that narrative, pointing to a sharp drop in numbers since President Biden signed an executive order placing limits on asylum claims in June. The White House has pointed to a more than 50% decrease in encounters, and a more than 70% increase in removals, as well as a return of more than 50,000 people to over 100 countries. Meanwhile, in terms of the root causes push by Harris, a project to rally private-sector investment in the region via a call to action has seen more than $5.2 billion committed since May 2021 from over 50 companies and organizations. The number of encounters from those three countries has since fallen from over 700,000 in FY 21 to over 330,000 this fiscal year so far, although it is not clear to what extent it is connected to her efforts. The administration has accused Republicans of failing to provide additional funding and immigration reform. That fight has spilled over into the campaigns, where the Trump and Harris campaigns have battled over the narrative at the border. Harris criticized former President Trump at a rally in Atlanta last week, saying he “has been talking a big game about securing our border, but he does not walk the walk.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS She charged that the former president “tanked the bipartisan deal because he thought it would help him win an election” and pledged that “as the president I will bring back the border security bill that Donald Trump killed.” Days later, Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, attacked Harris during a visit to the border. “It’s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes, just how bad the policies of the Kamala Harris administration have been when it comes to the southern border,” Vance said in Cochise County, Arizona.