Vance’s campaign blitz puts him at the forefront of the GOP’s midterm push, as insiders praise packed schedule
SWANTON, Ohio — As Republicans rally ahead of a midterm election that will determine whether the GOP maintains control of both chambers of Congress, Vice President JD Vance is taking to the campaign trail once again to speak with voters in New York and Ohio on Monday. Vance’s role in the midterm blitz has been eyed by many top GOP strategists and insiders who say his actions on the trail could offer insight into what a 2028 run might look like for the 42-year-old vice president. “Vice President Vance is constantly on the road,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. “I believe he’s been in just shy of 50 battleground districts and or states this cycle. He’s been a workhorse. I mean you look at Donald J. Trump, who’s out there constantly. He just doesn’t stop. And of course, people don’t maybe notice than the vice president is keeping a schedule himself that is frankly incredibly impressive.” EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE VANCE’S INTIMATE CAPITOL HILL HUDDLE AS REPUBLICANS CONFRONT TOUGH MIDTERM TERRAIN Vance has held 19 rallies since the GOP midterm convention in early September and dozens of events across the country prior to the convention in Dallas. His role in the midterm has fueled further speculation about his potential run for president in 2028. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer explained that his midterm campaign efforts add to his resume, but that his fundraising abilities and his role as finance chair of the Republican National Committee will also be an important advantage that Vance would have in a run for president. SECOND LADY USHA VANCE KEEPS ‘OPEN MIND’ AMID JD VANCE 2028 SPECULATION “I think which makes this vice president unique, though, is that it’s a combination of the policy chops that you just mentioned, but the political chops,” Spicer told Fox News Digital I’ve noted this over and over again that, like, he is the first vice president to ever be the finance chair of the RNC.” “His network of donors is going to be a massive advantage if he runs in ’28,” he added. TRUMP TOLD DONORS ‘WE NEED TO ELECT JD,’ SOURCE CONFIRMS, AS HE WEIGHS VANCE OR RUBIO IN 2028 Vance has repeatedly told reporters that he is focused on his current portfolio of work and has shied away from questions concerning a potential run for the Oval Office. He is, however, the favorite in several prediction markets. President Donald Trump told reporters in late October that he is focused on the midterms before looking at which Republican may run in 2028, saying: “It’s early. We are very early right now. We have to get through the midterms. We’ll see how it goes.” As for the work Vance is doing off the campaign trail, former White House Chief of Staff and former RNC Chairman Reince Priebus compared the responsibilities of former Vice President Kamala Harris to Vance, saying that Vance has had to take charge of more key issues — from leading the anti-fraud task force to negotiating a peace deal in the Middle East. “If you compare it to the portfolio of Kamala Harris, whose first job was to secure the border, it ended up being a complete and total disaster,” Priebus told Fox News Digital. “He’s a trusted administrator of huge problems facing our country. So that is very clear. He’s a little bit of a whiz kid too.” POLL FLASHES WARNING SIGNS FOR REPUBLICANS IN 7 BATTLEGROUND SENATE RACES Pollsters predict that Democrats have an edge in the House as the midterms approach, while the Senate remains “on a knife edge,” according to Priebus. The former RNC chairman noted that traditional red and blue waves are far rarer now that in previous midterm elections, noting a smaller number House seats shift between parties every cycle. THE NINE KEY RACES THAT WILL DECIDE WHO CONTROLS THE SENATE, AND WHERE THEY STAND “There are so few districts in our entire country that are up for grabs,” Priebus said. “At 435 house seats, how many are really in play? Maybe 30? And in those 30, there’s probably only about 5,000 votes in each of those 30 that could go either way. So, that’s why you have ripples, I think, nowadays and not waves. The Senate races are all on a knife edge.” While President Trump is known for hosting a staggering number of rallies, Vance’s increased presence in the midterm blitz has led to his name emerging alongside President Donald Trump as the face of the party, according to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. “I think a lot of people have seen him in the shadows of Donald Trump, not as an individual campaigner,” Meadows told Fox News Digital. “But as someone who would continue the Trump legacy.” THE ONE LINE FROM JD VANCE’S GOP KEYNOTE THAT REVEALS HIS VISION FOR AMERICA “I think for the first time, a broader spectrum of people are seeing JD Vance as the campaigner, and not as a campaigner for him personally,” Meadows said. “And, you know, I point out that most of his dynamic interactions have not been in Iowa or New Hampshire or South Carolina.” GOP members of Congress have also noted the increased presence of the vice president as they fight to maintain the majority in the House. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-TX, told Fox News Digital he traveled with Vance to Texas and noted the impact that the vice president had in the state. “Kamala Harris couldn’t go out and campaign for people because nobody would want to see her,” Gill said. “The American people love Vice President Vance. I mean, at all the rallies I’ve been out with them, they were packed, people were fired up.” The vice president held two rallies ahead of the midterm on Monday, one in Rome, New York and the other in Swanton, Ohio – advocating for GOP congressional candidates and pushing for the Republicans to maintain the majority. “Take your friends, take
House Dems demand Haley Stevens’ exile as Jeffries reveals deadline on deciding her fate
House Democratic leaders are holding off on deciding whether to punish Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., after she endorsed a Republican in Michigan’s Senate race, drawing calls from fellow Democrats for her removal from the party’s House caucus. Stevens endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., over Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, on Nov. 1 — just two days before Tuesday’s midterm elections. The decision prompted sharp criticism from Democrats, including lawmakers who want Stevens expelled from the House Democratic Caucus, but party leaders are waiting until after the elections to address her future. HALEY STEVENS RIPPED BY FELLOW DEMS FOR REFUSING TO EXPLICITLY BACK EL-SAYED: ‘STAY THE F— OFF TELEVISION’ A senior Democratic aide told Fox News Digital that House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., would likely support House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in his response to Stevens’ endorsement. HALEY STEVENS’ FIANCE HAMMERS EL-SAYED, SAYS HE’LL VOTE FOR ROGERS “Haley Stevens made a terrible decision, blindsided everyone and isolated herself from the House Democratic caucus. We will have a discussion about appropriate next steps upon our return,” Jeffries told POLITICO. Spokespeople for Jeffries and Aguilar did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Stevens, a four-term lawmaker, is leaving Congress at the end of the year after narrowly losing Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed. Since her loss, Stevens has taken a lukewarm approach to supporting El-Sayed’s campaign while also criticizing his approach to Israel and Jewish and Black voters. BLACK VOTERS, JEWISH DEMOCRATS IN MICHIGAN WARY OF VOTING FOR EL-SAYED, SAY ‘HE’S TAKING ADVANTAGE’ That fragile peace ruptured over the weekend when El-Sayed’s campaign publicly asked Stevens to abstain from appearing at any of his events even after she said she would attend church with him and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., in a bid to mobilize Black voters. Stevens apparently blindsided fellow Democrats when she then appeared at another church alongside Rogers and his wife and subsequently endorsed the Republican ahead of Election Day. EL-SAYED’S PAST MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD COMMENTS RAISE RED FLAGS AS HE EYES POWERFUL ROLE Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said during a Sunday appearance on CNN that Stevens had reassured her “multiple times” over the weekend that she would not endorse Rogers. “I don’t know what changed between late Saturday and Sunday morning,” Dingell said during another CNN appearance Monday. And the endorsement also spurred her ouster from the Michigan state Democratic Party. Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel wrote on X that Stevens “is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future” after she backed Rogers. In the House, Democratic officials, such as Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., have already called for Stevens’ removal. “Deplorable and embarrassing. Capitulating to fascism, Islamophobia, racism and the policies hurting everyday Americans makes you unfit to serve with the Democratic caucus,” Ramirez wrote on X. “Shame on Haley Stevens. She must be removed from the caucus.” HALEY STEVENS CONDEMNS HASAN PIKER BUT RALLIES BEHIND EL-SAYED AFTER NARROW PRIMARY LOSS Ramirez did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., echoed Ramirez’s claim and added that Stevens “has no place in our party,” according to POLITICO. Vocal organizations aligned with the Democratic Party, such as the IfNotNow movement, have also formally called on the congresswoman to be removed from the caucus, calling her endorsement a betrayal to the party. “As national organizations representing Jewish, Muslim, and Democratic voters opposed to Donald Trump’s war on Iran, which is responsible for the rising costs of gas and groceries and an affordability crisis that is taking a heavy toll on working families at a time when the future of our democracy is at stake,” the organization said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “We call on House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to expel Congresswoman Stevens from the Democratic Caucus and strip her of her committee assignments.” If Stevens was removed from the caucus, she would no longer be able to attend its weekly meetings in the U.S. Capitol. Democrats could also pursue action against her committee assignments, though the process and authority for doing so would need to be determined under the applicable caucus and House rules. And it appears Stevens’ staff has also shunned her over the endorsement. When Fox News Digital reached out to her office for comment on the backlash from House Democrats, an automated response from her communications director said he is “no longer with the Office of Congresswoman Haley Stevens” as of Nov. 1, the day she backed Rogers.
Union boss stuns with major Republican endorsement as election nears
The leader of one of the nation’s oldest and largest unions stunned political observers by issuing a surprise endorsement for a Senate Republican stalwart over the weekend. Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien, who famously nearly came to blows with now-Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin during a Senate hearing before ultimately becoming acquaintances, issued a ringing endorsement of Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., signaling a major break from national union sentiment that has tended to favor Democrats. “Just voted in the State of Florida for the first time, and very proud to have cast a ballot for Sen. Ashley Moody,” O’Brien, whose 123-year-old union is about 1.3 million-strong, announced Sunday. 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM FLORIDA SENATE PRIMARY: GOP SEN ASHLEY MOODY WILL FACE DSA’S NIXON “Sen. Moody has been extremely helpful working with the Teamsters to protect workers’ pensions, defend good-paying jobs, and support well-funded union apprenticeship programs.” “The Teamsters look forward to working with Sen. Moody in her role on the Senate HELP Committee to pass the Faster Labor Contracts Act and get this critical legislation signed into law to protect American workers,” he added. FRUSTRATED BLUE-COLLAR UNION BOSSES RIP SOCIALIST POLITICIANS, WARN OF LABOR EXODUS FROM DEM PARTY O’Brien, a self-described “lifelong Democrat,” previously spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, but emphasized at the time that the Democratic Party had snubbed his request to speak at its convention. “If the far-left want to criticize me and attack me, that’s OK. If the far-right wants to do the same, that’s great. I represent 1.3 million hardworking men and women,” O’Brien said at the time. Fox News Digital reached out to the Teamsters as well as Moody’s campaign for comment. Moody, a former state attorney general, said in a statement that she was proud to have O’Brien’s endorsement: “I’ll always fight to protect hardworking Americans, strengthen good-paying jobs, and ensure resources are available to train our next generation. It’s been great to deliver for Florida’s working families,” she said. After O’Brien endorsed Moody, the lawmaker’s Democratic opponent responded by posting a photo she once took with O’Brien and writing that “Ashley Moody never walked the line with you.” AOC BACKS FLORIDA DEM ANGIE NIXON FOR US SENATE: ‘I’M PROUD TO ENDORSE HER’ “But ok brother. Shout out to all the rank and file Teamsters that are voting for me. I will always stand with you,” Democratic nominee Angie Nixon, a state lawmaker from Jacksonville whose platform is considered DSA-aligned, wrote on X. O’Brien also caught heat for voting in Florida, which appeared to signal a move from his hometown of Boston. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Be union leader — move to a famously anti-union state — vote for a famously anti-union candidate — Brag about it — really cool stuff man,” a top commenter on O’Brien’s post said. Other critics characterized O’Brien as a “scab”, union jargon for someone who crosses a strike picket line to return to work for the company with which they are at odds. The Teamsters leader’s announcement marked a noteworthy development with polls set to open nationwide in a matter of hours.
DOJ appeals to Supreme Court to reverse block on segregating 20K California ballots
The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to temporarily block lower-court rulings that denied its request to segregate more than 20,000 California mail-in ballots cast by people it says are likely not U.S. citizens. The DOJ argues the limited injunction would preserve the ballots while their eligibility is investigated, without canceling any votes. California and the federal government dispute whether the ballots are unlawful. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the request, with Judge Patrick Bumatay dissenting. The case remains under review, and the DOJ is seeking relief while the dispute proceeds. This is a breaking news report. Check back here for updates. Fox News’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.
Mamdani, Hasan Piker among radical left-wing voices erupting over Haley Stevens’ endorsement switch
Prominent Democrats and left-wing voices nationwide exploded with fury after Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in the final stretch of that state’s U.S. Senate race in Michigan over the weekend. In her video posted to social media on Sunday after attending church service with Rogers, Stevens noted how El-Sayed told her to “stay away” from his campaign and slammed him for embracing radical steamer Hasan Piker — who was among those criticizing the endorsement stunt. “Working class people’s lives are on the ballot on Tuesday—their healthcare, their rent, their bills,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in an X post. “Haley Stevens just betrayed them by endorsing the very Republican she said she wanted to run against.” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said on X shortly after the endorsement: “Congresswoman Stevens is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future.” EL SAYED’S LEFT-WING ALLIES ATTACK ‘EVIL’ STEVENS AFTER BOMBSHELL ROGERS ENDORSEMENT Stevens, who will leave Congress in January, lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed earlier this year. She was widely viewed as the moderate, establishment candidate compared to the more progressive, left-wing policies of her opponent. On Sunday, Stevens abandoned the party in the final hours of the Senate campaign as Democrats seek to win back control of the upper chamber. “This is a despicable betrayal from Rep. Stevens,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on X. “Senate Democrats are united in our support for Abdul El-Sayed, because we know he will fight for the economic interests of working families in Michigan, unlike Mike Rogers, who is a tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors.” DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS ENDORSES GOP SENATE NOMINEE MIKE ROGERS AT DETROIT CHURCH “Haley Stevens made a terrible decision, blindsided everyone and isolated herself from the House Democratic caucus,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “We will have a discussion about appropriate next steps upon our return.” Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., called Stevens “clearly disturbed,” and said she “has thrown her constituents under the bus” on several key midterm issues. HALEY STEVENS RIPPED BY FELLOW DEMS FOR REFUSING TO EXPLICITLY BACK EL-SAYED: ‘STAY THE F— OFF TELEVISION’ “Too many people live off their 15 minutes of fame,” Pocan continued. “In this case, she threw away an entire career because she couldn’t get over a loss and needed attention. Pathetic. Sad. Clearly she has some serious issues. But no one will take her seriously ever again.” Outside of her own colleagues condemning her endorsement, Stevens also saw an immediate staff exodus after she posted the video. After the endorsement, a visibly upset El-Sayed demanded the media focus their questions on political issues, rather than Stevens’ stunt. EL-SAYED’S HASAN PIKER PROBLEM FOLLOWS HIM TO DEM CONVENTION AS JEWISH VOTERS BREAK RANKS “I’m going to ask that when we take questions, you keep your questions focused on the issues that Michiganders really care about. Now that might not drive clicks for you. I get it. I understand your business, right? But they’re the issues that Michiganders are paying attention to,” he said. FORMER RIVAL DODGES FULL-THROATED EL-SAYED ENDORSEMENT AFTER BITTER SENATE PRIMARY Stevens drew an official condemnation from the Democratic Party at a national level, too. “Haley Stevens’ disappointing decision to endorse Mike Rogers, a Trump ally who would join Republican efforts to sell out working families, is a betrayal of the values of the Democratic Party,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Ken Martin said in a statement on behalf of the organization. “At a moment when Democrats are united in fighting for Michigan families and standing up to Trump’s agenda, we reject these efforts to sow division within our party. We will not allow last-minute political stunts to derail our momentum and we will triple down on our efforts to elect Abdul El-Sayed on Tuesday.” The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), chaired by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., lashed out at Stevens’ decision, too. MICHIGAN SENATE RIVALS CLASH OVER MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD ALLEGATIONS AS ROGERS DOUBLES DOWN ON EL-SAYED “The stakes of this election could not be higher: Mike Rogers is a rubber stamp for Donald Trump, and together they plan to continue sowing chaos and making life unaffordable for families while prioritizing their billionaire donors at the expense of Michigan families,” the DSCC statement said, adding the group will “reject any efforts to divide Democrats ahead of Tuesday’s crucial election.” DEMOCRAT RIPS HASAN PIKER AS ‘HACK WHO THRIVES ON HATE’ OVER HIS WARNING TO AMERICAN JEWS ABOUT ISRAEL Piker, who was at the center of some of the reason Stevens’ broke from El-Sayed, simply wrote: “i [sic] condemn haley stevens.” Piker has caused major controversy in the Michigan race due to his proximity to El-Sayed. Since his primary win, the progressive candidate has sought to distance himself from the streamer. “This is the single most unproductive, selfish thing a Democratic candidate has done all cycle and likely many cycles before that,” Pod Save America co-host and speechwriter to President Barack Obama said on X. “Having misjudged candidates in the past myself, I hope everyone who tried to recruit, support, and defend Haley can now admit what a mistake it was.” HALEY STEVENS URGES EL-SAYED TO DITCH HASAN PIKER AFFILIATION AFTER MICHIGAN PRIMARY Fellow PodSaveAmerica cohost Jon Lovett called Stevens a “sleaze.” “Not to downplay Haley Stevens’ vermin-like betrayal of her party and her constituents and her nation… But given her track record as a clownish loser, do we really believe any who will now follow her weren’t already going to vote for the Fascist?” podcaster and former television sports personality Keith Olbermann said in an X post. Stevens, who was narrowly defeated by El-Sayed in Michigan’s Aug. 4, 2026 primary election, crossed partisan lines after saying for months that she would support El-Sayed. It all devolved after Stevens expressed concern last week over an ad aired in El-Sayed’s favor that was widely viewed as antisemitic. She said she would appear at a weekend
Judge tosses case against ex-FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about Hunter Biden investigation
A federal judge tossed criminal charges against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden investigation Monday, delivering a blistering rebuke of the prosecution and accusing the Trump administration’s Justice Department of weaponizing the justice system. U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui dismissed the criminal complaint against former FBI officials Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides from the bench, sharply criticizing the government’s handling of the prosecution. “What has transpired here cannot be described as anything other than weaponization,” Faruqui said, describing the case as a “rush job” directed by President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel. The case stemmed from allegations that the officials lied to Congress about their knowledge of Hunter Biden’s laptop and the bureau’s handling of investigations involving him ahead of the 2020 presidential election. EX-FBI OFFICIALS ARRESTED IN HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP PROBE AS TESTIMONY COMES UNDER SCRUTINY The ruling capped a series of hearings in which Faruqui questioned the government’s decision to pursue the case through a criminal complaint rather than a grand jury indictment and blasted prosecutors for attempting to add another charge without first securing judicial approval. Republicans have long accused the FBI of improperly handling information about Hunter Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election, alleging that political bias influenced the bureau’s decisions. Prosecutors alleged that Floris and Benavides made false statements during congressional interviews in 2023 about what they knew and did that were contradicted by internal FBI communications and witness accounts. During a preliminary hearing last week, Faruqui blasted prosecutors for filing an unsigned, unsworn criminal complaint seeking to add obstruction charges without first obtaining judicial approval. Faruqui struck the revised complaint from the record, forcing prosecutors to proceed on their original allegations that the former officials lied to Congress. FBI CO-DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW BAILEY RESIGNS AFTER YEAR IN ROLE The judge questioned why prosecutors had bypassed standard procedures, while defense attorneys pointed out that the revised complaint also softened the government’s original allegations about the officials’ involvement in Hunter Biden investigations. Faruqui, who was appointed a U.S. magistrate judge in 2020, has previously sharply criticized federal prosecutors handling cases under the Trump administration. He apologized to the suspect accused of plotting an assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. JUDGE WHO APOLOGIZED TO ACCUSED WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN LIGHTS UP DOJ IN HUNTER BIDEN FBI CASE “To me, it’s extremely disturbing that he was put in five-point restraints, a person with no criminal history. It’s troubling,” said Faruqui, referring to suspect Cole Allen’s jail treatment in May. “I never heard of one Jan. 6 defendant who was put in five-point restraints or in a safe cell. If the only way to keep him safe is the most punitive thing, that’s a problem.” Faruqui also previously clashed with federal prosecutors in Washington over Trump administration law-enforcement surge cases, accusing U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office of overreaching by bringing some matters in federal court that he said belonged in local court. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and FBI for comment. Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
Haley Stevens’ endorsement stunt backfires with El-Sayed setting single-day fundraising record
Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign says it raised more than $2.4 million in a single day, setting a fundraising record in the final stretch of the Michigan race. The Democratic candidate’s campaign said Sunday’s haul came from more than 65,000 donors, who gave an average of $36.74. Nearly 29,600 people contributed to the campaign for the first time. The fundraising surge came on the heels of Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., endorsing Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday after months of turmoil following her primary loss to the more progressive candidate. DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS ENDORSES GOP SENATE NOMINEE MIKE ROGERS “As Michiganders head to the polls, the momentum behind Abdul’s campaign has never been stronger,” campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak said in a statement following the final-hour cash haul. Stevens, who was considered the more moderate establishment candidate in her primary against El-Sayed earlier this year, said she remains “a very proud Democrat” who loves Michigan. She insisted, however, in the video message posted to social media over the weekend that she could not support El-Sayed, citing his backing from radical left-wing political streamer Hasan Piker. “Hey Michigan, as you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away and he’s right. And that’s why I’m endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today,” Stevens said in a video posted on X. The endorsement of the Trump-backed Republican candidate drew swift criticism from Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “a despicable betrayal” and said his caucus in the upper chamber remains united behind El-Sayed. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel also condemned Stevens’ decision, saying she had “abandoned everything she claims to care about.” El-Sayed brushed off the endorsement Sunday, telling reporters he does not think about Stevens or Rogers and was focused on voters and policy. He also has attempted in recent months to distance himself from Piker amid the streamer’s rising national recognition and increased scrutiny on his controversial statements — including antisemitic sentiments and claiming that “America deserved 9/11.”
Steve Hilton rallies at ‘symbol of 16 years of Democrat failure’ in closing days of California race
Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton rallied Sunday in Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles neighborhood devastated by the January 2025 wildfires, blaming Democratic leadership for the destruction and slow recovery just days before voters will choose the state’s next governor. “I’m so sorry. And it’s so sad about what happened because it could and should have been avoided,” Hilton told supporters and residents. “This place is a symbol of 16 years of Democrat failure.” The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres and destroyed roughly 6,800 structures, many of them homes. Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, the blaze displaced tens of thousands of residents and devastated large sections of the community, leaving a massive rebuilding effort in its wake. JURY DEADLOCKS IN FEDERAL TRIAL OF MAN ACCUSED OF STARTING DEADLY PALISADES FIRE IN LOS ANGELES Hilton argued that the disaster and its aftermath reflected broader failures of California’s Democratic leadership, from wildfire prevention and emergency response to rebuilding efforts. “These are not random, disconnected events,” Hilton said. “These are what has gone wrong in the state of California over 16 years of one-party rule.” Democrats have held California’s governorship for the past 16 years. Hilton faces Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, in Tuesday’s election to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. Hilton, a former Fox News commentator who previously advised British Prime Minister David Cameron, has made criticism of the state’s Democratic leadership a central theme of his campaign. STEVE HILTON LAUNCHES AD MOCKING XAVIER BECERRA’S ’36 YEARS’ AS A CAREER POLITICIAN IN CALIFORNIA GOV RACE At the rally, he accused state and local officials of failing to adequately prepare for the fires and help residents rebuild, blaming what he called a combination of “incompetence, ideology and corruption.” He also criticized environmental and land-management policies, arguing that inadequate brush clearance contributed to the destruction. “The ideology that for years and years and years not just failed to clear the brush that could have prevented these fires here and in Altadena … but deliberately chose not to do that,” Hilton said. Hilton pledged to appoint a recovery CEO to oversee rebuilding efforts if elected, arguing that residents had waited too long for their communities to recover. “I spent the time, I’ve listened, and I can tell you right now, when I’m governor, I will appoint a recovery CEO to finally get things done, to finally get what you deserve,” Hilton said. He closed by urging voters to reject the idea that California must remain under Democratic control. “This is not a blue state. It is not a red state. It’s the Golden State,” Hilton said. “And we are going to fight with everything we’ve got.”
Poll flashes warning signs for Republicans in 7 battleground Senate races
Republicans are trailing Democrats in seven key Senate battlegrounds, including longtime GOP strongholds Texas and Kansas, according to a poll released Sunday, just days before the midterm elections. The New York Times/Siena poll found Democratic candidates leading in five states currently represented by Republican senators — Alaska, Kansas, Maine, Ohio and Texas — while the race in Iowa is virtually tied. In Michigan, the only Democratic-held Senate seat surveyed, the party’s candidate holds a double-digit lead. Don Levy, executive director of the Siena Research Institute, said the results suggest Democrats could capture control of the Senate, though he cautioned that several races remain within the poll’s margin of error. SENATE CONTROL IS A COIN FLIP — AND DEMOCRATS’ PATH RUNS THROUGH TRUMP COUNTRY “While a blue wave and Democratic control of the Senate is, according to our polls, a distinct possibility, with so many races within the poll’s total margin of error, a Senate majority for either party remains possible,” Levy said. The findings are particularly striking in Texas, which has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, and Kansas, where Democrats have not won a Senate race since 1932. In Texas, Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico leads Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton 50% to 43% among likely voters. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton leads Republican Sen. Roger Marshall 49% to 44%. The poll also found former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown leading Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio, 49% to 44%, while Democrat Troy Jackson leads Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, 51% to 45%. In Alaska, former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola leads Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan 48% to 46%. Iowa is even closer, with Democrat Josh Turek edging Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson 48% to 47%. In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed holds the largest lead of the seven Senate races surveyed, leading Republican Mike Rogers 53% to 42%. The poll also found signs of broader dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and Republicans’ handling of the economy. Just 38% of likely voters across the seven states approve of Trump’s job performance, according to the Times, despite Trump carrying five of those states by double-digit margins in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats hold a nine-point advantage over Republicans on which party voters trust more to address the cost of living, with Democratic Senate candidates leading on the issue in all seven states. The poll also found Democratic candidates leading among independent voters in every state surveyed. VETERAN DEM OPERATIVE SAYS SUBPAR GOP CANDIDATES POISED TO HAND OVER SENATE MAJORITY Democratic candidates improved their standing in six of the seven states compared with Times/Siena polls conducted in September. Alaska was the lone exception. Still, the poll offered some encouraging signs for Republicans. Voters who made their decisions within the past month favored Republican candidates by nine points, and several races remain within the margin of error. The Times also noted that polling underestimated Collins in 2020, when she trailed in every survey before winning re-election comfortably. Democrats must defend their existing Senate seats and flip at least four Republican-held seats to capture control of the chamber. The surveys of likely voters were conducted from Oct. 23 through Nov. 1, with state-level margins of sampling error ranging from plus or minus 3.4 percentage points in Texas to 5 percentage points in Alaska.
Trump takes midterm campaign blitz to historic stage for grand finale before Election Day
President Donald Trump is set to deliver his closing midterm campaign message Monday at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., capping a weekslong campaign blitz that has taken him across more than 20 states as Republicans fight to maintain control of Congress in Tuesday’s elections. Trump is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. ET and participate in nine tele-rallies throughout the day, following in-person campaign stops in Iowa and Kansas on Sunday. The president has made 30 in-person political appearances since August, including more than 27 rallies in October, with a longtime adviser who has joined him on the road offering a behind-the-scenes look at the travel, logistics and memorable moments along the way. LEAVITT SAYS TRUMP IS DEFYING MIDTERM HEADWINDS AS HE BARNSTORMS COUNTRY Alex Bruesewitz, a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign who has accompanied him on roughly 10 to 15 trips in recent weeks, told Fox News Digital that organizing rallies for a sitting president presents challenges far different from those of a traditional campaign. “It’s actually much different than the campaign,” Bruesewitz said. “When you’re doing an event moving the current president of the United States, the logistics that go into it are nuts.” The operation requires extensive coordination among White House staff, Republican operatives, campaign aides and advance teams, with the White House Office of Political Affairs, Office of Public Liaison and Republican National Committee all playing roles, according to Bruesewitz. “President Trump will continue crisscrossing the country with unmatched energy and enthusiasm to deliver a simple message: with Republicans in control of Congress, Americans can expect safer streets, lower taxes, secure borders, and energy dominance,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital. TRUMP TOUTS ‘GOLDEN AGE’ AT OHIO RALLY, URGES VOTERS TO DELIVER GOP MIDTERM WINS The demanding schedule has also produced some memorable moments aboard Air Force One. Bruesewitz recalled one particularly exhausting West Coast trip that left him sleeping aboard the presidential aircraft at 4 a.m. “I had a picture of me sleeping on the Air Force One at 4 a.m. [that] ended up somehow in the group chat of all the congressional first spouses,” he recalled. The photograph drew messages from lawmakers’ wives surprised by how exhausted he appeared. TRUMP WON THIS RELIABLY RED STATE BY DOUBLE DIGITS. NOW A DEADLOCKED RACE IS BRINGING HIM BACK Despite the long hours, Bruesewitz described an atmosphere reminiscent of Trump’s 2024 campaign, with staffers moving from one event to the next and the president maintaining a packed schedule. And while the president remains focused on official business and preparing his remarks during flights to campaign stops, Bruesewitz said the mood aboard Air Force One shifts considerably on the way home. On return flights, staffers unwind with music and football, including a recent Green Bay Packers game that Bruesewitz, a devoted fan of the team, watched aboard the presidential aircraft. PRESIDENT TALKS ‘TRUMP OCEAN,’ TRADES JOKES WITH TENNESSEE CROWD AS KID ROCK KICKS OFF SPRAWLING RALLY The campaign stops have also featured appearances by high-profile celebrities, including boxing legends Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield and rapper Nicki Minaj. Bruesewitz recalled escorting Tyson to his seat after the boxing legend arrived at an event in New York, drawing excited reactions from attendees who recognized him. SKY-HIGH GAS PRICES AREN’T SHAKING TRUMP’S MAGA FAITHFUL IN OIL COUNTRY AS SUPPORTERS WARN OF BIGGER THREAT But one of Bruesewitz’s favorite moments came during a recent stop in Port Huron, Michigan, where Minaj joined Trump for an appearance that drew a packed arena despite competing with a Detroit Lions football game. Bruesewitz said the stop was particularly memorable because many attendees were seeing Trump in person for the first time. “You could see and sense the enthusiasm of the attendees in the crowd,” he said. “They were excited about Nicki going, but they were also just so pumped to be able to see the president in person.” TRUMP’S MAGA FAITHFUL SEND WARNING TO REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM ELECTIONS The final stretch also brought a late shift in Trump’s campaign schedule, with in-person stops in Kansas and Iowa reinstated for Sunday after initially being scrapped in favor of tele-rallies aimed at reaching voters across nearly 20 states. After weeks of travel, packed arenas and a demanding schedule aboard Air Force One, Trump’s campaign operation is set to close Monday with an appearance at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a rapid-fire series of tele-rallies as Republicans make their final appeal to voters ahead of Election Day.