Trump’s Georgia problem: ‘Neck and neck’ with VP Harris as candidates fight for battleground states
Former President Trump’s tight race with VP Harris is bringing Georgia – a historically red state-turned-blue – back to the forefront this election cycle as the two candidates are “neck and neck” in the Peach State’s polls. And Trump’s rhetoric could swing the state one way or another, according to experts. In the 2020 presidential election, it was assumed Georgia was reliably Republican, as it had been for more than four decades. However, not only did Trump lose, but the state also saw two Senate losses for Republicans, which decided Senate control. “They’re neck and neck in Georgia,” Tevi Troy, presidential historian and former deputy secretary of Health and Human Services in the George W. Bush administration, told Fox News Digital. “In 2020, we were still operating under the assumption that Georgia was Republican territory as it had been pretty reliable for a long time, and then not only did Trump lose, but then you had those two Senate losses that came right after the election in January that determined the control in the Senate.” GEORGIA ACTIVIST STEALS SHOW AFTER BEING INTRODUCED BY TRUMP AT ATLANTA RALLY: ‘INCREDIBLE’ “I think some of the defeat stems from Trump’s behavior in that period. So, I think he has to be careful about what he says and how he approaches Georgia, because in the neck-and-neck state, if you alienate the state, that could make an impact,” he said. Georgia’s electorate includes a mix of traditional rural voters, who have historically supported Republicans, and a newer demographic of wealthier, educated voters often leaning Democrat, particularly in the Atlanta suburbs. Additionally, Troy noted, Black voters make up a significant portion of the electorate, which has traditionally leaned heavily Democrat. Recent indications suggest Trump is performing somewhat better among Black voters, especially Black men, which could impact the overall voting dynamics if he can reduce the Democrat dominance in this group, he added. TRUMP RALLIES SUPPORTERS IN ATLANTA AS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE HEATS UP Georgia-based radio host Erick Erickson, also a former councilmember in Macron, told Fox News Digital, “Over 30,000 people refused to vote for Trump in Georgia in 2020, and he lost by about 12,000 votes.” “All he’s doing is reminding everyone why they don’t like him,” Erickson said. “And he has no Georgia ground game and will have to rely on Kemp. It’s going to hurt him.” But old tensions resurfaced between Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, and the former president during Trump’s rally in Atlanta over the weekend, when Trump criticized Kemp for refusing to overturn the 2020 election results. The governor responded by suggesting Trump should focus on winning in November and refrain from “petty personal insults, attacking fellow Republicans or dwelling on the past.” HARRIS MOCKED FOR ‘FAKE’ SOUTHERN ACCENT DURING GEORGIA RALLY Meanwhile, Harris also headlined a rally in Atlanta last week when she stood in front of roughly 10,000 attendees – the largest for this cycle for the Democratic Party’s national ticket – which featured a performance by hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion. Fox News Digital’s Landion Mion and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Harris says ‘everybody needs to be woke’ in unearthed clip spreading like wildfire on social media
A clip of Vice President Kamala Harris from 2017 calling on “everybody” to be “woke” resurfaced on social media, sparking critics and conservatives to lambaste the official Democratic nominee as a “Communist functionary” who is “too radical” to serve as president. “We have to stay woke. Like everybody needs to be woke. And you can talk about if you’re the wokest or woker, but just stay more woke than less woke,” then-Sen. Harris said in 2017 during Recode’s annual Code Conference, alongside philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, during the conference. The conference focused on issues such as immigration and the environment, including Harris speaking out against the Trump administration’s drug policies and immigration polices just moments ahead of her call on Americans to be “woke.” “I get upset when we say we’re going to shut our door to refugees who are fleeing such atrocities and have been standing in line for two years to qualify for refugee status, and they arrive here, and we turn them away. Yes, I’m gonna get mad about that. I’m gonna get mad when we have an attorney general who’s trying to resuscitate the war on drugs. And he thinks the greatest evil that mankind has ever seen is marijuana. … Leave grandma’s medical marijuana alone,” Harris said. DOUG EMHOFF’S EX-WIFE RESPONDS AFTER SECOND GENTLEMAN ADMITTED TO AFFAIR WITH NANNY Harris doubled down on her comment in a message posted to X a day later, which read: “We have to stay active. We have to stay woke.” The use of the word “woke” grew in popularity in 2017, when dictionaries such as Oxford and Merriam-Webster added the phrase to their lexicons, defining it as people who are attentive to issues such as social justice. It has since become a catch-all word for left-wing issues and agendas. 2024 SHOWDOWN: TRUMP CAMPAIGN REJOICES AFTER HARRIS LEANS IN ON KEY ISSUE HAUNTING HER VICE PRESIDENCY Seven years after Harris joined the 2017 conference, critics on social media are lambasting the presumptive Democratic nominee over the clip, including conservative author James Lindsay describing Harris as a “Communist functionary.” “Kamala is a low-level Communist functionary, and I’m tired of being told we have to pretend she’s not,” he wrote. KAMALA HARRIS SUPPORTED ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ IN 2020 RADIO INTERVIEW, BEFORE BIDEN CAMPAIGN SAID OTHERWISE Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment on the clip and criticism, but did not immediately receive a reply. The clip comes after President Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race late last month, which was shortly followed by him endorsing his vice president to pursue winning the White House in his place. Harris officially clinched her party’s 2024 presidential nomination on Friday, earning more than a majority of votes from convention delegates, the DNC reported. Harris now has fewer than 100 days ahead of Nov. 5 to court voters ahead of facing off against former President Donald Trump at the polls. As Harris builds up her campaign, critics have unearthed a bevy of news articles and video clips of the presumptive Democratic nominee, such as her voicing support to the defund the police movement in 2020, and her praise of a pastor who blamed the U.S. for the 9/11 attacks. Harris is anticipated to announce her running mate in the race this week, who will head with her to Chicago later this month for the Democratic National Convention. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Biden, Dems race to beat Trump’s record on confirmed judges as election looms
President Biden and Democrats are looking to beat former President Trump’s judicial record and confirm more than the 234 federal judges that his predecessor managed to appoint, even with severely limited time to do so by the end of his term. “Since Democrats took back the White House and the Senate majority in January 2021, we have been committed to advancing highly qualified nominations to lifetime appointments across the federal judiciary who are reflective of the lived experiences of America. The seven nominees we voted on today are no different. The Committee will continue to restore balance to the federal courts,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in a statement last week after seven nominees were advanced out of committee. So far, Democrats have succeeded in confirming 205 of Biden’s judicial nominees, matching the 205 judges Trump confirmed at that point in his term. ‘DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING’: DURBIN CALLS ON AUSTIN TO REINSTATE CONTROVERSIAL PLEA DEALS FOR 9/11 TERRORISTS “If Democrats lose the White House, there will be a lot of pressure on Senator Schumer to confirm as many judicial nominees as possible to help cement President Biden’s legacy on this issue,” said Ron Bonjean, a former spokesman for former Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., and former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference. “Without much legislative success, especially over the last two years, this will be especially important to Biden to showcase an accomplishment,” Bonjean, who also ran communications for the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, added. “This could be much more of a standard operating procedure if Washington continues to remain gridlocked in the future.” PHILADELPHIA MAYOR’S SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO SPARKS SPECULATION OF LEAKED KAMALA HARRIS RUNNING MATE Mike Davis, the former chief counsel for nominations to former Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, noted that Trump’s “transformation of the Supreme Court to the first constitutionalist majority in 90 years, along with the appointment of a near-record number of critically important lower-court judges,” was his “biggest and most consequential accomplishment.” He predicted that “President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will exceed that number with their appointments of radical judges, and a President Kamala Harris will appoint radical leftists to take control of the Supreme Court.” VP CONTENDER MARK KELLY DODGES QUESTIONS ON KAMALA HARRIS’ POLICY FLIP-FLOPS According to Carrie Severino, the president of the Judicial Crisis Network, “I’m sure Biden’s going to do everything he can to get as many judges confirmed as possible, in part just because he’s desperately trying to salvage his legacy overall.” She pointed out that Biden hasn’t been able to rack up the same number of circuit and Supreme Court nominations as Trump, despite his efforts. “It’s clear both just, quantitatively in terms of the objective things like, Supreme Court versus district court for appellate court nominations, Trump actually had better nominations to fill or better vacancies to fill,” she said. DEMS HIT AS ‘HYPOCRITICAL’ FOR FAILURE TO CRITICIZE BIDEN FOR SIMILAR OIL DEAL SLAMMED AS BAILOUT UNDER TRUMP Both Trump and Biden have significantly outpaced previous presidents when it comes to judicial appointments. Trump notably appointed nearly the same number of appellate judges as former President Obama in only half the time. In a statement celebrating his 200th appointment in May, Biden said, “Judges matter. These men and women have the power to uphold basic rights or to roll them back.” He previewed his goal of continuing to see his nominations advanced in what little time left the Senate had. “Going forward, I will continue my solemn responsibility of nominating individuals who have excelled in their professional careers, who reflect the communities they serve, and who apply the law impartially and without favoritism,” he said. However, this may be a difficult task as the Senate is in recess for all of August and all of October ahead of the November general elections. When the lawmakers are in session, they will have to juggle the nominations with important pieces of legislation such as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the annual appropriations bills.
Fox News Politics: It’s Who You Know
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening… -Report reveals 100 migrants on terror watchlist released under Biden… -Harris hours away from VP announcement… -Trump shares call with Zuckerberg after assassination attempt… Vice President Kamala Harris is placing her experience as a “top cop” front and center as she looks to “prosecute” her GOP opponent and press her case for why she should win the presidency in November – but the legal career she’s leaning on is “devoid” of achievement, critics say, and she owes much of her success to networking. Her nearly three-decade rise up the ranks has included numerous bumps along the way – including failing her bar exam on the first try in 1989. Civil rights attorney Leo Terrell, who passed the California bar the same year on his first try, described Harris as a “political opportunist” who was in “the right position, the right place” at the right time. By making calculated moves, she was able to leap from district attorney to attorney general to senator to vice president – and perhaps beyond. “Networking,” Terrell said, is what catapulted Harris’ career. “Let’s face it, she got to her position not on academic achievement. She got to her position as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, U.S. senator and vice president, because of networking.”…Read more ‘HAPPENS EVERY YEAR’: Close to 60K arrests at border in July, lowest rate of Biden’s presidency …Read more ‘SHUT IT DOWN’: Biden migrant flight program faces pressure to permanently disband after fraud revelations …Read more ‘OPEN-BORDERS AGENDA’: Scathing report reveals nearly 100 migrants on terror watchlist released into US by Biden-Harris admin …Read more ENERGY WARS: Dems hit as ‘hypocritical’ for failure to criticize Biden oil purchase after attacking Trump …Read more HEIGHTENED SECURITY: House GOP bill would add major hurdle to appointing new Secret Service director …Read more ‘DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING’: Dick Durbin asks Defense Sec. Austin to reinstate plea deals for 9/11 masterminds …Read more ‘NEWHOUSE HAS TO GO’: Trump endorses second Republican in Washington race …Read more PROS AND CONS: Democrats divided over who Kamala Harris should select as her VP …Read more TAILING KAMALA HARRIS: Trump VP nominee Vance to tail Kamala Harris and her running mate this week on campaign trail …Read more KAMALA’S CONSEQUENTIAL DECISION: In race against Trump, Harris hours away from consequential announcement …Read more ‘CONTINUE TO BE PUPPETS’: Trump campaign rips major union that rejected his tips pledge in Harris endorsement …Read more ‘COMPLETE LOCKSTEP’: Vulnerable Dem senator in key swing state ripped for resurfaced ties to Harris …Read more REPUBLICANS FOR HARRIS: As Harris tries to rebrand herself, campaign launches ‘Republicans for Harris’ …Read more ‘SQUAD’ ASSIST: Here are the far-left Dems rushing to support Cori Bush before primary …Read more ‘SERIOUS LOOPHOLE’: Democrat site helping Harris raise millions is thrust under microscope …Read more ‘GREAT FRIEND TO ME’: Second gentleman’s ex-wife responds to confession he had affair during marriage …Read more ‘HE ACTUALLY APOLOGIZED’: Trump details call with Mark Zuckerberg after assassination attempt …Read more MOVING FORWARD: Butler Farm Show begins at site of Trump rally shooting …Read more ‘ZERO-FAIL MISSION’: What does it take to join the U.S. Secret Service? …Read more CLOSE TIES: Gov. Josh Shapiro cozies up with trans lobbying group to target Christian counselors …Read more TRUMP VS SOCIAL MEDIA: Trump blocked by 5 social media sites over the years, remains permanently barred from one …Read more Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Tester to skip DNC in Chicago as he looks to hold onto Senate seat in red Montana
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is skipping the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this month when the party will rally around Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, opting to stay in Montana ahead of a tight race to keep his Senate seat. A spokesperson for the longtime Montana Democrat told Fox News Digital that Tester “plans to spend his August farming and meeting face to face with Montanans.” Harris, who formally became the Democratic nominee for president last week, has yet to receive Tester’s endorsement. ‘DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING’: DURBIN CALLS ON AUSTIN TO REINSTATE CONTROVERSIAL PLEA DEALS FOR 9/11 TERRORISTS When asked about a potential endorsement last week, he told Fox News’ Kelly Phares, “We’re working on my race right now, focused totally on that.” “We’re going to win. And we’ll deal with the presidential race when we have time to do that,” he said. DEMS HIT AS ‘HYPOCRITICAL’ FOR FAILURE TO CRITICIZE BIDEN FOR SIMILAR OIL DEAL SLAMMED AS BAILOUT UNDER TRUMP Tester’s decision not to attend the DNC comes after Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who is in a similarly vulnerable position in his race, revealed he wouldn’t be going to the convention in a recent interview. “I’m not going to the convention. I often skip conventions,” he told CNN. Both Tester and Brown’s races are rated as “Toss Ups” by non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report. Races for Senate in Nevada and Michigan are also in the category. PHILADELPHIA MAYOR’S SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO SPARKS SPECULATION OF LEAKED KAMALA HARRIS RUNNING MATE The two incumbent Democrats also each officially called on President Biden to step aside last month, contributing to the pressure that ultimately pushed him to end his campaign. Fellow vulnerable Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, did not provide comment to Fox News Digital when asked if they would attend the DNC. VP CONTENDER MARK KELLY DODGES QUESTIONS ON KAMALA HARRIS’ POLICY FLIP-FLOPS The apparent lack of interest or enthusiasm to attend the DNC is in stark contrast with their Republican opponents and the Republican National Convention, which took place last month. Republican candidates, including former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, running in Montana, retired Army Captain Sam Brown, running in Nevada, veteran Dave McCormick, running in Pennsylvania, former Rep. Mike Rogers, running in Michigan, and businessman Eric Hovde, running in Wisconsin, all attended the RNC. Each man also delivered remarks at the convention. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub
Mike Johnson mounts 20-state blitz to keep House red as GOP braces for Harris VP reveal
EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is embarking on a 20-state tour this month to campaign for House Republicans and GOP candidates across the country, Fox News Digital has learned, in a bid to keep hold of his majority in November. Johnson will be visiting key districts in Wisconsin, Arizona, Ohio, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, Connecticut and other states to meet with candidates and fundraise. Republicans have been rushing to recalibrate after President Biden dropped out of the White House race just two weeks ago, effectively anointing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Harris is now set to embark on her own battleground state blitz beginning with Pennsylvania on Tuesday and including Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. She’s expected to reveal her chosen running mate sometime before Tuesday’s event in Philadelphia. KAMALA HARRIS’ TREATMENT OF STAFF UNDER SCRUTINY AS REPORTS OF POOR OFFICE CULTURE RESURFACE “House Republicans are on offense to grow our majority from coast to coast. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris wrecked our economy, opened our border, and invited chaos and wars around the world,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “I look forward to meeting with Americans across our country and contrasting Harris’ disastrous and radical record with common sense, pro-growth, and America First policies that Republicans will reinstate when we grow the majority, flip the Senate, and win the White House.” The 2024 election cycle is in its final sprint with roughly three months left until Election Day. Johnson has proven to be a potent fundraiser for the House GOP, bringing in more than $18.5 million for his conference’s campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), since he became speaker in October. The speaker is using part of his August tour to bolster his frontline lawmakers, with a stop planned this week in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District with Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va. HARRIS NOW BACKING AWAY FROM SEVERAL FAR-LEFT STANCES SHE ONCE PROMOTED He’s also planning visits in blue states where a handful of swing seats in California, New York, New Jersey were critical to the GOP wrestling control of the House from Democrats in November 2021. This week, Johnson will also be in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District for the opening of a new NRCC battle station, a program rolled out earlier this year to give campaigns in key districts more on-the-ground resources. There, Republicans hope to unseat moderate Democrat Rep. Jared Golden. It comes as Democrats are enjoying a new surge of enthusiasm over Harris after 81-year-old Biden ducked out of the race. The former California senator’s campaign announced it raised a record-breaking $310 million in July alone, with $200 million coming in the first week following Biden stepping aside. But Johnson and other Republicans have continued to project confidence, insisting that Harris is an equal owner of the Biden administration’s progressive agenda. TOP JEWISH GROUP FEARS A HARRIS PRESIDENCY WOULD BE ‘FAR WORSE’ AMID RISING ANTISEMITISM The speaker told Fox News Digital at the Republican National Convention (RNC) last month, days before Biden’s announcement, that it did not matter who was at the top of Democrats’ ticket. “As President Trump has said, he was, they had sort of prepared in the mindset that they would run against Biden, but it doesn’t matter. I mean, if they put Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, she’s the co-owner of all the policies. It’s not any better,” Johnson said in Milwaukee. “It doesn’t matter who they run. Anybody that they would put in that place. This election is not about personalities — it’s about policies and what it means to people.”
Vulnerable Democrats distance from Harris amid crucial red-state Senate races
Two vulnerable Senate Democrats won’t yet commit to campaigning with presumptive Democrat nominee Vice President Harris as they face re-election in states won by former President Trump last cycle. Harris became the likely 2024 nominee after President Biden dropped out of the race in late July. While most of the Democrat Party is rallying behind Harris, Democrats in predominantly red states appear more hesitant to jump on board with the new-look ticket. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, running in one of the Democrats’ most vulnerable Senate races of the 2024 cycle, avoided saying whether he would campaign with Harris. “I’ve got my own schedule,” Brown told CNN when asked about campaigning with likely nominee Harris. “She’s got her own schedule. I will focus on my race. My strategy is perhaps different from hers.” SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WARNS TRUMP TO FOCUS ON HARRIS ‘DANGEROUS LIBERAL’ RECORD, NOT HERITAGE “My job is to fight for Ohio workers. You can talk about the presidential race. That’s your job … I know that what will matter is people vote for me because I stand up for workers and will continue to fight for workers.” BLACK PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS SAY KAMALA HARRIS ISN’T BLACK IN VIRAL CNN CLIP: ‘TO ME, NO’ Brown also suggested that he might not attend the upcoming Democratic National Convention, where Harris is expected to become the party’s official nominee. “I often skip conventions,” Brown told the outlet. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mt., who was reportedly directly involved in recruiting Harris to the Senate in 2015 as then-chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, similarly said that he is focusing on his race in Montana. “We’re working on my race right now – focused totally on that. Believe it or not, I am, and we’re going to win,” Tester told the Washington Examiner. “We’ll deal with the presidential race when we have time to do that. I’m also dealing with the defense bill that’s pretty damn important.” Tester, who is yet to endorse Harris for the Democrat nomination, has said that he would support an open nomination process to select a new nominee. “We run our own race,” Tester said when asked if Harris could impact the Montana Senate race. “I develop my own enthusiasm.” Sen. Jackie Rosen, D-Nev., is also running to protect her seat. Asked by Fox News Digital if she will be campaigning with Harris this cycle, the senator’s campaign did not respond. “Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown both voted with Kamala Harris 100% of the time, so they own her record whether or not they want to campaign with her,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Maggie Abboud told Fox News Digital in a statement. “A vote for Harris, Brown, and Tester is a vote to decriminalize border crossings, defund the police, and ban fracking.” Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Presidential campaigns ‘invisible’ in critical swing state of Michigan: report
Communities across rural Michigan that could play a pivotal role in determining the next president have not shown much visible enthusiasm just three months before voters head to the polls. “I’m actually seeing a lot less campaign signs and advertisements,” Brandy Jones, a Michigan resident, said in a Los Angeles Times report discussing the seemingly “invisible” campaigns. “Usually this time during an election year, we’re being bombarded with it, and I’d be over it and irritated. This year it’s just nothing.” According to the report, large stretches of rural roads and small towns in Michigan show little sign that a presidential election is around the corner, lacking the usual indicators of enthusiasm such as campaign signs, flags bearing the name of candidates or campaign advertising. TRUMP RUNNING MATE JD VANCE TO TAIL HARRIS ON TRAIL THIS WEEK One Los Angeles Times reporter “who drove hundreds of miles across a broad swath of the state” reported seeing only 16 presidential campaign signs across mostly rural streets and country roads. Experts in the state told the outlet that the lack of visible campaign enthusiasm is much different in the state than it was in the lead-up to the 2016 and 2020 elections, where the same areas were filled with pro-Trump yard signs and flags. “I am beginning to see just a few here and there in the last couple weeks, but it has been noticeably different than 2016 or 2020,” Thomas Ivacko, the retired executive director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, told the Los Angeles Times. In one 42-mile stretch of back roads in Ingham and Livingston counties, located east of Lansing, only one flag supporting former President Trump and no flags bearing the names of President Biden or Vice President Harris were visible. One local, who said she plans to vote for Trump, told the outlet the election is “just not as big this time around.” “People know who they’re voting for, and they are sick of the games,” the local, Joan Saunders, told the Los Angeles Times. HARRIS LAPS TRUMP IN CASH DASH THANKS TO FUNDRAISING SURGE But the Trump campaign remains confident in the enthusiasm of the voters it will likely need to win the election, pointing to a growing operation in Michigan that has resulted in multiple new offices spread across the state and thousands of volunteers stepping up to help the former president. In Michigan and other key swing states, the campaign hopes to have over 100,000 volunteers and attorneys, a small army of supporters that could only be made possible by voter enthusiasm. The campaign is also banking on running against the current administration’s record, a message it believes will resonate with voters in Michigan. “Dangerously liberal Kamala Harris is responsible for every struggle Michiganders have faced over the last three and a half years,” Team Trump Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita told Fox News Digital. “Her policies led to skyrocketing inflation, inability to afford gas and groceries, violent crime at the hands of illegal immigrants, and a California-elitist obsession with electric vehicles.” The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Both campaigns will likely continue to spend significant time pitching their case and mobilizing supporters in the state, which figures to once again feature a close race that could ultimately decide who wins the election. Trump rode a wave of enthusiasm to break the famed “Blue Wall” and take Michigan by less than a half of a percentage point in 2016, the first time the state had voted for a Republican candidate since 1988. But Trump would lose the state four years later to Biden in another close race, besting Trump by just under three percentage points. This year’s race promises to be close again with the Real Clear Politics polling average showing Harris with a two-point lead as of Monday. But LaCivita remains optimistic, arguing that Michiganders will push back against the Biden administration’s record. “Nothing has been worse for Michiganders than the Biden-Harris agenda, which is why voters are going to overwhelmingly support Donald J. Trump in November,” LaCivita said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Supreme Court rejects Missouri effort to block sentencing, gag order against Trump in New York case
The Supreme Court denied a motion to step in and rule on a lawsuit brought by the state of Missouri that attempted to temporarily block legal proceedings in the case of New York vs. former President Trump. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have granted the state’s request to file a bill of complaint, but would not grant the other relief the state was seeking. The claim was filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who is a Republican seeking a full term in the seat this fall. “It’s disappointing that the Supreme Court refused to exercise its constitutional responsibility to resolve state v. state disputes,” Bailey said in a post on X. “I will continue to prosecute our lawsuit against @KamalaHarris @JoeBiden’s DOJ for coordinating the illicit prosecutions against President Trump.” Trump was convicted by a New York jury in May of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records.
Chair Jordan demands answers from dozens of major companies tied to shadowy ‘collusive’ ad group
One of the most powerful committees in Congress has sent a letter to dozens of major corporations in the United States demanding answers on their involvement in an advertising alliance that Republicans say is potentially trying to silence conservative voices in media and news. “The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight into the adequacy and enforcement of U.S. antitrust laws,” the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee wrote in a letter to Adidas, one of more than 40 companies it reached out to in total, seeking answers about collusion concerns. “Through its oversight, the Committee has learned that collusive activity is occurring within the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), of which your company is a member. In particular, the Committee has uncovered evidence of coordinated action by GARM and its member companies, including boycotts of disfavored social media platforms, podcasts, and news outlets.” Along with Adidas, the letter was sent to a variety of other companies, including American Express, Bayer, BP, Carhartt, Chanel, CVS and General Motors, asking them to preserve documents related to their involvement with GARM. SEVEN FEDERAL AGENCIES HAVE PUSHED TECH GIANTS TO CENSOR AMERICANS, MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER SAYS GARM describes itself on its website as a “cross-industry initiative established in 2019 by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) to help the industry address the challenge of illegal or harmful content on digital media platforms and its monetization via advertising.” The website adds that GARM is “apolitical” and “voluntary.” Republicans aren’t so sure and suggest in their letters to the major corporations that GARM “has deviated far from its original intent, and has collectively used its immense market power to demonetize voices and viewpoints the group disagrees with.” WALL STREET JOURNAL KNOCKS SUPREME COURT FOR GIVING BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ‘LICENSE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP’ The committee previously released an extensive report outlining how it believes “large corporations, advertising agencies, and industry associations participated in boycotts and other coordinated action to demonetize platforms, podcasts, news outlets, and other content deemed disfavored by GARM and its members.” The committee wrote, “For an organization reliant on speech and persuasion in advertising, GARM appears to have anti-democratic views of fundamental American freedoms. In discussing his views on freedom of speech, GARM’s leader and co-founder, Rob Rakowitz, has expressed frustration with an ‘extreme global interpretation of the US Constitution’ and complained about using “‘principles for governance’ and applying them as literal law from 230 years ago (made by white men exclusively).” With this worldview, GARM pushed what it called ‘uncommon collaboration’ to “rise above individual commercial interest.” The report claims that GARM facilitated advertising crackdowns on Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Spotify, political candidates and news outlets, including Fox News, The Daily Wire and Breitbart News. Musk has gone as far as to suggest taking legal action against GARM while referring to it as an “advertising boycott racket.” Fox News Digital reached out to GARM for comment but did not immediately receive a response. In a statement to the New York Post, a World Federation of Advertisers spokesperson called the Republican charges “unfounded.” “GARM is not involved in operational steps relative to monetization eligibility, content ratings, platform assessments or media investment decisions,” the statement said.