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Harris now backing away from several far-left stances she once promoted

Harris now backing away from several far-left stances she once promoted

Vice President Harris, in the week since she launched a new bid for the presidency following President Biden’s departure from the race, is now backing away from several far-left stances she once promoted.  To garner attention during her primary run for president years ago, Harris catered to the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. She discontinued that campaign in December 2019, and just months later, in the summer of 2020, aligned more with the new radical ideals pushed by Democrats following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis and the Black Lives Matter anti-police protests and riots that rocked the U.S. afterward.  In resurfaced clips that began airing in ads by Republican David McCormick’s campaign for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, Harris is seen on camera opposing fracking, stating she would “think about” abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), describing hiring more police officers as “wrongheaded thinking” and weighing the proposal of permitting felons to vote. Harris is also seen saying she was in favor of a “mandatory buyback program” for guns and said private health insurance should be eliminated, according to a summary of the ads’ content by the New York Times.  On fracking, which is particularly important to the economy in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state during the 2024 race, the Harris campaign reversed course on Friday. An official with Harris’ re-election campaign told The Hill that she will not seek to ban fracking if she is elected president.  That contrasts with what Harris told CNN while campaigning for the 2020 presidential nomination.  “There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking,” Harris said at the time. HARRIS CLAIMS BIDEN FIT TO CONTINUE IN OFFICE, DESPITE MORE THAN 80 DOCUMENTED ENCOUNTERS IN PAST YEAR Former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump told rallygoers in Minnesota on Saturday how Harris had opposed fracking. “Oh, that’s going to do well in Pennsylvania, isn’t it?” Trump said.  “Remember, Pennsylvania, I said it. She wants no fracking. She’s on tape. The beautiful thing about modern technology is when you say something, you’re screwed if it’s bad.” A Harris campaign official told the Times that Harris staffers plan to paint Republicans who drudge up Harris’ past statements espousing left-wing ideas as exaggerated claims or lies about Harris’ record. The campaign also plans to paint Harris as a candidate with deep ties to law enforcement by highlighting her record as a local prosecutor and state attorney general in California, according to the newspaper.  NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR ROY COOPER WITHDRAWS FROM CONSIDERATION TO BE KAMALA HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE At a November 2018 confirmation hearing, then-Sen. Harris asked Ronald Vitiello, Trump’s nominee to lead ICE, if he was “aware of the perception” of parallels between ICE and the KKK. Harris campaign officials, meanwhile, told the Times this week that she now supports the Biden administration’s budget requests for increased funding for border enforcement, is no longer in opposition to a single-payer health insurance program and supports Biden’s call to ban assault weapons – but is now against any requirement for private gun owners to sell those weapons to the federal government.  Regarding health insurance, that means Harris is no longer promoting Medicare-for-All.  “Kamala Harris spent 20 years as a tough-as-nails prosecutor who sent violent criminals to prison,” Brian Fallon, a Harris campaign spokesman, told the Times. “Her years spent in law enforcement and her record in the Biden-Harris administration defy Trump’s attempts to define her through lies.” The Trump campaign on Monday highlighted how Harris said in 2019 that she was “open to conversation” about expanding the Supreme Court. But the Harris campaign released a statement this week endorsing Biden’s Supreme Court reform proposal for term limits and ethics guidelines for justices. That proposal does not include adding additional justices to the nation’s highest court.   CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Regarding video of Harris espousing far-left views, “the archive is deep,” Brad Todd, a Republican strategist and ad maker working with McCormick and other campaigns, told the Times. “We will run out of time before we run out of video clips of Kamala Harris saying wacky California liberal things. I’m just not sure that the rest of this campaign includes much besides that.”

Obama strategist shouts out one candidate for Harris running mate

Obama strategist shouts out one candidate for Harris running mate

A former Obama strategist has given a shout-out to a current Midwestern governor for his “aggressive campaign” to join the ticket of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. David Axelrod, the chief strategist for former President Obama’s presidential campaigns, praised Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a post on social media as reports indicate that Walz is on Harris’ short list to be her vice president. “Whether he makes it or not, there’s no doubt MN Gov. @Tim_Walz is running the most aggressive campaign for VP in the field,” Axelrod posted along with a glowing Politico report detailing Walz’s “Midwest grit.” While much of the veepstakes conversation has centered on four names – Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper – Walz is included on the broader list along with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. AS HARRIS VEEPSTAKES HEATS UP, UNIONS VOICE SUPPORT FOR SHAPIRO Prior to taking the governor’s office in 2019, Walz served for 12 years in Congress. Before running for Congress, he served for over two decades in the Army National Guard and worked as a social studies teacher. Walz recently made media headlines for branding former President Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, as “just weird” during an MSNBC interview last week. THE WEIRD CAMPAIGN: THE STUNNING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HARRIS AND VANCE COVERAGE Harris and other Democrats have since used the “weird” label to describe their opponents and their policies. Trump’s team countered the Democrat’s “weird” campaign on Sunday when Trump spokesman Steven Cheung posted video of Walz calling Trump and Vance “weird” as he stumped for Harris. Chueng accused the likely Democratic nominee and her backers of themselves being out of line for “trying to gaslight everyone into thinking the shooting was staged,” a reference to the assassination attempt at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump endorses 2 GOP candidates in same key Arizona House primary

Trump endorses 2 GOP candidates in same key Arizona House primary

Former president and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump endorsed two Republicans in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.  Trump gave his support to two out of six candidates in the House primary election, urging supporters to vote for Abraham Hamadeh or Blake Masters to replace outgoing Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko. “Blake Masters is a very successful businessman, and an incredibly strong supporter of our Movement to Make America Great Again – He is smart and tough!” Trump told his supporters via a Truth Social post on Sunday. “Likewise, Abe Hamadeh, a Veteran, former prosecutor, and fearless fighter for Election Integrity, has been with me all the way!” CRUCIAL SOUTHWESTERN BATTLEGROUND HOLDS SENATE, HOUSE PRIMARIES TODAY Trump continued, “In Congress, we need a true Warrior who will work tirelessly with us to Grow our Economy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Border, End Migrant Crime, Support our Great Military/Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.” Other Republican candidates running for the 8th Congressional District seat include former Rep. Trent Franks, Arizona state House Speaker Ben Toma, state Rep. Anthony Kern and local PTA member Patrick Briody. The highly conservative district will very likely go to whichever Republican candidate wins the primary. The nominee will be facing biosecurity worker Greg Whitten, who is running unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination in the district. HAVE BATTLEGROUNDS SHIFTED WITH HARRIS AT TOP OF TICKET? “They will both be spectacular, and I’m pleased to announce that both Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh have my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District — THEY WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump concluded. Democrats are aiming to unseat two vulnerable Republican incumbents in Arizona districts that President Biden carried four years ago. In the 1st Congressional District, which includes parts of northeast Phoenix and surrounding suburbs, seven-term GOP incumbent Rep. David Schweikert is the front-runner in a field of primary rivals that includes businessman Robert Backie and former FBI agent and corporate investigator Kim George. In the southeastern part of the state, Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani is running for a second term in a district that includes much of suburban Tucson. He’s facing off on Tuesday in a GOP primary that includes challenger Kathleen Winn, who came in third in the 2022 nomination race. If Ciscomani wins the primary as expected, he’ll face off in November against Democrat Kisten Engel in a rematch of their extremely close 2022 election showdown. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Biden gives 4-word answer on when he’ll campaign for Harris

Biden gives 4-word answer on when he’ll campaign for Harris

President Biden has told Fox News “well, I did today” when asked early Tuesday morning when he is going to go out and campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.  Biden made the remark after returning from a trip to Austin, Texas, on Monday, during which he gave a speech outlining his wish for Congress to impose “bold” rules on the Supreme Court, including term limits and a new code of conduct, and to draft a new constitutional amendment that limits presidential immunity.  “When are you going to go out and campaign for the vice president?” Fox News asked Biden as departed the Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House.  “Well, I did today,” Biden responded.  BIDEN CALLS TRUMP IMMUNITY DECISION A ‘DANGEROUS PRECEDENT’ IN SPEECH OUTLINING RADICAL SCOTUS CHANGES  The president also told Fox News that “we’re talking” when asked for his thoughts on Harris’ potential running mates, and who she should pick.  When Biden made his announcement to drop out of the presidential race on July 21, he said he wanted to offer his “full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”  Biden said Monday at the LBJ Presidential Library at an event in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act that “in recent years, extreme opinions that the Supreme Court has handed down have undermined the longest civil rights principles and protections.”  BIDEN ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS AFTER BOWING OUT OF 2024 RACE  Biden named a number of recent cases, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Trump v. United States, which he said “most shockingly” established some presidential immunity and called it a “dangerous precedent.”  “This court is being used to weaponize an extreme and unchecked agenda,” Biden said and called the immunity decision “a total affront to the basic expectations we have for those who wield the power of this,” the president said.  “My fellow Americans, based on all my experience, I’m certain we need these reforms. We need these reforms to restore trust in the courts, preserve the system of checks and balances that are vital to our democracy,” he added.  Fox News’ Sarah Tobianski, Brianna Herlihy and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

As Harris veepstakes heats up, unions voice support for Shapiro

As Harris veepstakes heats up, unions voice support for Shapiro

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is gaining support among union leaders – including teachers unions – despite his past support for school vouchers. Meantime, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is fending off criticism he is not pro-union enough, voicing new support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. More than 50 local labor leaders threw their support behind Shapiro this weekend, including two of Pennsylvania’s largest teachers’ unions: the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Both opposed Shapiro’s stance on school vouchers but have thanked him for increasing education funding. “Governor Shapiro knows better than anyone that we don’t have to agree on every single issue to continue to get stuff done. Recent history has taught us that even amongst our brothers and sisters in labor, we are not always aligned in our politics – that’s why it is more crucial than ever that we elevate elected officials whose leadership can unite our Democratic coalition,” the letter states. AFT President Randi Weingarten has vocally opposed school choice, generating headlines last year for remarking that “privatizing or voucherizing schools is about undermining democracy.”  ‘WHITE DUDES FOR HARRIS’ EVENT MEANT TO DRUM UP SUPPORT FOR VP DRAWS BACKLASH Shapiro endorsed school vouchers during his 2022 campaign and has voiced support for them as governor, but he recently abandoned the initiative amid a budget impasse with the divided state legislature. The plans would have publicly funded scholarships, allowing students in low-performing public schools to attend a private school of their choice.  Weingarten has not weighed in on the veepstakes, but a source close to Weingarten told Fox News the two are personally friendly, and Weingarten also expects the debate over school vouchers to remain a state issue as the DNC education platform opposes school choice.    Weingarten told Fox after Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the AFT conference in Houston on Thursday, “I’ve had endless requests to weigh in on the VP candidates this week, particularly Josh Shapiro. I have not weighed in, and I certainly don’t intend to publicly.” A network of more than two dozen public education advocacy groups pushed Harris to eliminate Shapiro from consideration last week over his support for school vouchers, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.   “We respectfully ask you not select Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who has supported education policies mirroring Project 2025,” the letter states.   Weingarten has not commented on the letter, but Shapiro’s endorsement from her Pennsylvania chapter followed. HARRIS CLAIMS BIDEN FIT TO CONTINUE IN OFFICE, DESPITE MORE THAN 80 DOCUMENTED ENCOUNTERS IN PAST YEAR A source close to Weingarten emphasized that the Pennsylvania chapter’s endorsement should not be viewed as Weingarten’s support for one VP candidate over another. Kelly, meanwhile, said that he would vote in favor of the PRO Act, following criticism that he was one of only three Senate holdouts in the Democratic caucus to withhold his co-sponsorship. The measure would make it easier for workers to form and join unions. John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union, told ABC News last week, “Why would the Democrats even consider a senator for the vice presidency if the senator doesn’t support the PRO Act?” Similarly, former AFL-CIO organizing director Richard Bensinger said on X, “Only 3 Democrats refused to sign on to the Pro Act, one of whom was Mark Kelly. The right to organize unions is the most important thing to labor so that’s a hard no.” Following that outcry, Kelly insisted in interviews he has always been supportive of the legislation and intends to vote in support of it. Below is the letter endorsing Shapiro from 50 PA labor leaders, provided to FOX by an affiliated group. MEDIA RAMPED UP EFFORT TO TIE TRUMP TO PROJECT 2025 FOLLOWING BIDEN DEBATE DISASTER, HARRIS EMBRACES ATTACK A Message to our Democratic Brothers and Sisters, Pennsylvania is home to over half a million union workers who play a critical role not just in our workplaces, but in our neighborhoods and our communities. Organized labor built the Pennsylvania and the United States we know and love today – at its heart, being part of a union means belonging to a community that values the rights and dignity of everyday people. At this moment in history, the role of unions is more critical than ever, and we take seriously the commitment of our elected officials to support and promote the union way of life. No one has been more steadfast in their commitment to working people than Governor Josh Shapiro. Governor Shapiro’s leadership has not only safeguarded our rights but also fostered a climate of economic security and opportunity. From expanding apprenticeship programs, to investing in workforce development, to defending against attacks on collective bargaining, Governor Shapiro’s initiatives have been instrumental in enhancing the livelihoods of working Pennsylvanians. His words illustrate a deep understanding of the challenges faced by our members, and his actions demonstrate a commitment to creating an inclusive Commonwealth where every worker has the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to thrive. As we continue to navigate unprecedented and challenging times, it is reassuring to have leaders like Governor Shapiro who are unwavering in their commitment to the needs and concerns of working families – his dedication to upholding the principles of fairness, equality, and justice in the workplace has set a commendable example for leaders across the nation. As the only Governor in the nation with a divided legislature, Governor Shapiro knows better than anyone that we don’t have to agree on every single issue to continue to get stuff done. Recent history has taught us that even amongst our brothers and sisters in labor, we are not always aligned in our politics – that’s why it is more crucial than ever that we elevate elected officials whose leadership can unite our democratic coalition and remind us that, above all else, we share a vision for a fairer, stronger, more inclusive Commonwealth and country. Governor Shapiro shows up