Some have noticed that Vice President Kamala Harris is attempting to distance herself from President Joe Biden's administration, Breitbart reported. Harris has been reluctant to do so until now, as Election Day quickly approaches.
As the second in command of the administration, Harris has repeatedly conveyed that she has been part of the decision-making process. She has even said that she doesn't disagree with anything Biden has done during his term.
However, she seems to be changing her mind now, just days before voters cast their ballots. NBC News Senior White House Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez noted her change of heart on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports on Monday.
Gutierrez said Harris "has tried to distance herself from the Biden-Harris administration, at least a little bit, in the last several days." Perhaps this points to a new sense of desperation as she willingly humiliates the man who plucked her out of obscurity in the first place.
The powers that be installed Harris as the new nominee after Biden crashed and burned during a debate performance in June. She has been in a difficult position since becoming the Democratic nominee in August.
If Harris wanted to distance herself from the administration she served in for the prior three years, she'd have to admit that it was a failure. If she said she agreed with everything Biden did, she would wear his policies like an albatross around her neck.
The vice president initially chose the latter to avoid making waves. However, as Gutierrez pointed out, that has changed in the campaign's waning days.
While he noted that Harris "will take credit for some of the administration’s successes," it's clear "she has tried to distance herself from the Biden-Harris administration, at least a little bit, in the last several days," Gutierrez predicted. "But, again, she is focused on that must-win state of Michigan today, Andrea," he told the host.
Mitchell agreed and chalked this up as an attempt to fix her previous mistake. "Yeah, after that misstep about two weeks ago when she was asked if she could think of anything that she would do differently, and she said, no, not really — paraphrasing her. So, she’s been trying to create more distance now," Mitchell said.
As Harris begins to lose ground in her campaign, she is increasingly eager to shake off Biden's legacy. This is likely a smart move, considering that according to the New York Times, the president's approval rating hovered between 35% and 40% for his entire term.
With her own prospects looking grim, Harris simply can't afford to be painted with the same brush as Biden. Although believe it's still a close race, Trump appears to blow Harris out of the water in its Electoral College map in a poll published Monday.
More: https://t.co/mw4omqc2Wp pic.twitter.com/CGPpFPUuw4
— RealClearPolitics (@RCPolitics) October 28, 2024
The Harris campaign will have to throw everything it has left if there is any hope to get her over the finish line. If it means humiliating Biden to pick up a few more votes, so be it.
Harris is in serious trouble heading into Election Day, and everybody knows it. Her campaign and her surrogates in the media are doing whatever they can to help her, but it's likely too little too late anyway.
The second columnist resigned from the Washington Post on Sunday following the outlet's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate for the 2024 election while others defended the move.
Michele Norris said the non-endorsement was a “terrible mistake” and an insult to the paper’s longstanding practice of endorsing a candidate--almost always a Democrat.
As a Black female, she is probably taking the news outlet's snub of Kamala Harris personally.
Robert Kagan also resigned, and 18 other Post journalists signed a written dissent of the decision.
They said that it “represents an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love, and for which we have worked a combined 228 years.”
Ruth Marcus and Karen Tumulty also wrote columns expressing their views that the decision damaged the publication’s credibility.
Over 200,000 readers canceled their digital subscriptions to the paper over the decision, but others said that was only helping former President Donald Trump's cause and letting him win.
The cancellations represent 8% of the total number of about 2.5 million, including print subscriptions.
The race is extremely close, with Trump only polling .2% above Harris nationally and .9% in battleground states with only a week until the election, according to RealClearPolitics.
Still, it is a far cry from 2020, when Biden was polling with a 7-point lead nationally.
Biden won the popular vote by 4.4%. But he only won in several swing states by a fraction of a percentage, meaning that if the electorate has moved six or seven points to the right, Trump will have an easy time amassing the 270 electoral votes he needs.
The fact that the Post--or its leader Jeff Bezos--has withheld any endorsement says that maybe the whole "threat to democracy" narrative is nothing more than a political hammer to wield.
If Bezos truly thought Trump would bring an end to democracy, his paper would have endorsed Harris.
In truth, Harris has promised more policies that threaten democracy than anything Trump has done or said he would do. And Bezos knows it, no matter his own personal leanings in politics.
The campaign trail continues to get tougher for Vice President Kamala Harris as the election draws nearer, a fact put into stark relief by a series of recent heckling incidents at her rallies.
One of the most recent such humiliations came during Harris' Friday appearance in Texas, when a group of pro-Trump attendees interrupted her remarks and caused the VP to go off-script, as the U.S. Sun reports.
Harris made her way to the Lone Star State late last week for a star-studded event that included pop star Beyonce.
However, the rally suffered an unexpected disruption when a group of Trump supporters made their disdain for the Democratic Party nominee plain for all to hear.
The initial interruption reportedly resulted in the removal of a man from the venue, with similar occurrences taking place four more times as Harris attempted to deliver her remarks.
Shouts from hecklers were not the only hiccup related to Harris' Houston extravaganza, with reports emerging after the event of disgruntled attendees expressing anger over the fact that they felt misled about whether Beyonce would be performing at the rally when, in reality, she simply delivered a brief statement, as the Daily Mail noted.
As the New York Post reported, a Harris rally in Wisconsin also encountered a speedbump, when a group of anti-abortion activists made their voices heard while the VP was at the microphone.
The conservative attendees yelled, “Christ is King” and “Jesus is Lord” during Harris' remarks, prompting an angry reaction to nearby rallygoers.
What surprised observers even more was the reaction of Harris herself, who addressed the protestors directly, saying, “You guys re at the wrong rally. I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street.”
Grant Beth, one of the vice president's hecklers later explained his actions and warned, “This is what you are going to get with a Kamala Harris presidency. You are going to get the Kamala Harris that alienates over 50% of the U.S. population that is Christian.”
Harris' rally troubles persisted on Saturday, when she was once again confronted by hecklers during an event in Kalamazoo, Michigan, as the Washington Examiner reports.
This time, the vice president faced interruption from pro-Palestinian demonstrators expressing frustration with the Biden-Harris administration's handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Harris replied to the disruption by stating, “And listen, on the topic of Gaza, we must end that war, and we must end the war and bring the hostages home, but now I am speaking about 2024.”
With a little over one week to go before Election Day, it remains to be seen whether Harris will attempt to limit her speaking appearances to reliably friendly audiences only, or if she will continue encountering this sort of embarrassing, outspoken public resistance to her talking points.
A challenge to Mississippi election law could be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court after a ruling in federal court Friday, NBC News reported. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that counting mail-in ballots received up to five days after Election Day is against federal law.
The three-judge panel said that the state's practice of counting ballots postmarked before Election Day but received up to five days after was a violation of federal law. This ruling will not impact November's presidential election as the judges did not grant an injunction.
However, it does provide an avenue for further lawsuits. "Congress statutorily designated a singular ‘day for the election’ of members of Congress and the appointment of presidential electors," the court's opinion stated.
"Text, precedent, and historical practice confirm this ‘day for the election’ is the day by which ballots must be both cast by voters and received by state officials," it added. That interpretation of the law could spell trouble for states that count late votes.
According to the judge's opinion, as of November 2022, 18 states and the District of Columbia allowed late ballots to be counted. They believe this contradicts the straightforward language of the federal law, which supersedes state law.
"Federal law requires voters to take timely steps to vote by Election Day. And federal law does not permit the State of Mississippi to extend the period for voting by one day, five days, or 100 days," the judges claimed in the ruling.
Of course, such a commonsense reading of the law will not be popular with leftists who push mail-in balloting. University of California, Los Angeles, law professor Rick Hansen said the ruling is "bonkers" in a blog post on Friday.
"Suffice it to say that federal law has left this to the states, and requiring that people vote by election day is not the same as saying their ballots must be received by election day. Every other court to face these cases has rejected this argument" Hansen wrote.
"I would be very surprised if any court changed the rules for Mississippi at this late date, and even more surprised if such an order would survive Supreme Court review," he added. Nevertheless, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley called it a "MASSIVE ELECTION INTEGRITY VICTORY."
While the fight in Mississippi may reach the Supreme Court, others are challenging vote-by-mail over fairness and security concerns. The Hill reported that problems with the mail system continue to plague the balloting process.
Election officials believe these persistent issues could have a significant impact on the upcoming election. The postal service countered by claiming that election mail "routinely outperforms" other types of mail.
According to the Postal Service, 99.89% of ballots had a turnaround time of seven days in 2020 and then increased to 99.93% in 2022. However, that might not be adequate closer to Election Day, especially since 32 states require ballots to be received by that important date.
Mississippi becomes one of at least 10 states that require ballots received within five days of Election Day while many others allow up to seven days. This could be a significant issue as at least 43% of people voted by mail in 2020 and 31% in 2022.
Elections should be conducted in person, on paper, and on Election Day, with a process for absentee voting with cause. This is the only way to ensure free and fair elections, and it negates arguments over how many days such ballots should be counted.
Hillary Clinton said former President Donald Trump's rally this weekend in Madison Square Garden in New York City is akin to a 1939 Nazi rally at the venue, Fox News reported. The twice-failed Democratic presidential candidate said this while speaking about a new book and shilling for Vice President Kamala Harris.
While hawking her book "Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty," Clinton spoke with Kaitlan Collins on Thursday. Clinton defaulted to parroting the Democrats' failed strategy to compare Trump to Hitler to defend Harris, who is no doubt furious that she's losing despite everyone's best efforts to prop her up.
The former secretary of state said that Trump's rally Sunday, which is sure to fuel more momentum in his favor, was like the one held at there in 1939. Clinton also agreed with Trump's former chief of staff, John Kelly, who called the former president a "fascist" in the most boring of all October surprise revelations.
In a desperate last-ditch effort to garner votes for the disastrous candidacy of an unpopular and unlikeable vice president, Clinton returned to a time before World War II to slam Trump. Because the Nazi Party once held a rally at Madison Square Garden, Clinton linked Trump to the vile movement.
"One other thing that you'll see next week, Kaitlan, is Trump actually reenacting the Madison Square Garden rally in 1939. I write about this in my book," she said, shamelessly self-promoting.
"President Franklin Roosevelt was appalled that neo-Nazis, fascists in America were lining up to essentially pledge their support for the kind of government that they were seeing in Germany. So I don't think we can ignore it," Clinton warned.
"Now, it may be a leap for some people and a lot of others may think, 'I don't want to go there. I don't want to say that,'" she claimed as everyone on her side had gleefully gotten on board with that messaging.
"But please open your eyes to the danger that this man poses to our country, because I think it is clear and present for anybody paying attention," Clinton added. Of course, this was the same message they've been using about Trump for nearly a decade, and he has proven it false with four years of stellar leadership from the White House.
Clinton can't take all the blame for bringing up this tiresome line. Just before delivering her remarks about the rally, Clinton spoke about Kelly's recent charges about Trump when Collins asked about the latest smear against Trump in the final days of the presidential campaign.
"I think that's a fair question, Kaitlan. And I can't wholly answer it," Clinton said.
"But I think number one, you have a duty when you're running for president. You know, I tried to sound the alarm about him back in 2016 but it was really an uphill climb, because people could not literally imagine that he posed a danger or that his character was so lacking when it came to the responsibility of being president," Clinton went on.
"But now there's just too much evidence about what he wants to do, what he is saying he wants to do. So number one, I think that someone running for president, like Vice President Harris, really has a duty to sound the alarm," Clinton claimed.
Surrogates for Harris are trying their best to launch any attack that might help their floundering candidate. Unfortunately, it's all been tried before, and none of it will make anyone vote for Harris, arguably the Democrats' worst presidential candidate ever.
Vice President Kamala Harris has stooped to calling former President Donald Trump "unstable" and agreeing he's a "fascist" rather than making a compelling case for her policies, Breitbart reported. Harris made this and many other unhinged assertions during a town hall appearance on CNN Wednesday.
The former prosecutor appeared with Anderson Cooper to give her closing arguments less than two weeks before Election Day. Harris should have been at her best to seal the deal for undecided voters and confirm her base that she's a winner.
Instead, she left the stage looking foolish, unprepared, and desperate. She attacked Trump in one of many moments that are sure to come back and haunt her, like when Cooper asked whether Harris believed "Donald Trump is a fascist" and she answered in the affirmative.
“Yes, I do. Yes, I do, and I also believe that the people who know him best on this subject should be trusted again," Harris replied.
The past four years under President Joe Biden and the vice president have been a disaster. There was the botched withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, followed by the war in Ukraine and another in Gaza, not to mention Americans now paying 20% more for necessities.
In addition, Harris can't even make the case for any new policy proposals since she is already effectively in office. She's cornered, and all she has to fall back on now is the same Trump-is-Hitler narrative the left has relied on for almost a decade.
Earlier Wednesday, Harris made a public statement seemingly affirming alleged revelations that Trump admired Hitler. Cooper asked her about that statement at the event's start, and Harris used a page from Biden's tired old playbook, though she shied away from using the dictator's name in her screed.
"I do believe that Donald Trump is unstable, increasingly unstable, and unfit to serve. And I don't necessarily think that everyone has heard what you and I have heard repeatedly, which is the people who know Donald Trump best...have all called him unfit and dangerous," Harris claimed.
Harris began her short presidential campaign with the notion that she was about "joy," Fox News reported. Now, she has swiveled to mudslinging and hyperbolic attacks on Trump.
Daniell Alvarez, senior campaign adviser for the Trump campaign, believes this will be Harris' undoing. "Kamala Harris is focused on Donald Trump, and President Donald J. Trump is focused on the American people," Alvarez said on Fox & Friends Thursday.
"Our closing argument is so different than theirs. They are throwing everything they can at the wall to see what sticks because Kamala Harris is floundering," Alvarez added.
One of the greatest political moments of the last 50 years came in 2016 when Hillary Clinton lost to Trump. She had spent a lifetime clawing to the top of the political food chain so she could run for president, and her hopes were dashed by the candidate nobody thought could win.
However, that moment will pale in comparison to what's about to happen on Election Day when Trump crushes Harris. Her campaign reeks of desperation because they have no way to stop the approaching political earthquake, and we're here for it.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into the intelligence breach that revealed Israel's plot to attack Iran in retaliation for its Oct. 1 offensive, the Jewish News Syndicate reported. The agencies have not found the source of the leak.
The FBI, along with the Department of Defense and other intelligence agencies, is investigating how this privileged information was released to the public. There's a suspicion that the purpose was to "disrupt" Israel's counterattack and reveal the intelligence-gathering methods of the U.S. and its Middle Eastern ally.
One theory was that the leak involved an insider, perhaps the Iranian-born chief of staff of the assistant secretary of defense for special operations, Ariane Tabatabai. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder denied the allegation Tuesday.
"It’s important to let the investigation run its course. To my knowledge, this official is not a subject of interest, and the department remains fully committed to supporting the investigation," Ryder said at a news conference.
As CNN reported, Israel had been planning a counterstrike after Iran's missile blitz on Oct. 1. On Friday, documents were leaked on Telegram that purported to show Israel's plan of attack to answer for the barrage of ballistics.
The documents purportedly include information gathered by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. They were to be shared only with authorized personnel in the U.S. and other "Five Eyes" nations, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Not only did they reveal tactical information, but one of the documents even confirmed that Israel has nuclear capabilities. This fact has been something Jerusalem has refused to disclose thus far and may have far-reaching implications.
Of course, a counterstrike was surely something Iran would have anticipated. However, the leak itself raises serious questions about the security of key information, especially since Iran already hacked U.S. intelligence agencies in August.
"If it is true that Israeli tactical plans to respond to Iran’s attack on October 1 have been leaked, it is a serious breach," Mick Mulroy, retired CIA officer and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said. When investigators pinpoint the source of the leak, they will determine the seriousness of the breach.
According to Fox News, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that his office was investigating where the leak originated. "We're not exactly sure how these documents found their way into the public domain," Kirby told reporters.
"I know the Department of Defense is investigating this. I'm just not able to answer your question whether it was a leak or a hack," Kirby added.
"At this point, we'll let the investigation pursue its logical course. We're deeply concerned, and the president remains deeply concerned about any leakage of classified information into the public domain," Kirby said of President Joe Biden.
"That is not supposed to happen. And it's unacceptable when it does. I'll let the Israelis speak to if, what, how and when they decide to take additional military action in response to Iran's Oct. 1 attack," Kirby said. "That's really for them to speak to."
A breach like this should never happen, especially regarding sensitive information shared between the U.S. and its allies. Israel will have to defend itself against Iran's aggression, but this leak has compromised that ability and possibly other future actions.
Republicans have taken the lead in two key races for the U.S. House of Representatives, Breitbart reported. These congressional districts are among 18 "toss-up" races that could decide which party controls the lower chamber.
Most of the attention in the 2024 election has been geared toward worrying about who will be the next president. Meanwhile, some congressional races are shaping up to be just as consequential for the country.
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill have teamed up to identify the ones that will most likely define the 119th House of Representatives. New polling data shows that among them is a race in Alaska and another in California, both of which seem to be leaning Republican.
The Last Frontier's only congressional district could go to Republican Nick Begich over incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola by nearly five points. Meanwhile, Republican Scott Baugh has a 3% lead over Democrat Dave Min to replace Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) in California’s 47th Congressional District.
Internal polling from Cygnal has revealed that only 44.5% of voters support Rep. Mary Peltolta, the incumbent, while Republican Nick Begich receives 49.1%. The poll was posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, showing the possibilities.
AK-1 POLL: Begich (R) internal by Cygnal
RCV- Round 1
🔴 Begich: 49.1%
🔵 Peltola: 44.5%
🟡 Howe: 4.0%
🔵 Hafner: 2.4%
——
Round 2
🔴 Begich: 49.6%
🔵 Peltola: 45.5%
🟡 Howe: 4.8%
——
Round 3
🔴 Begich: 52.1%
🔵 Peltola: 47.9%#71 (2.1/3.0) | 10/14-16 | 400 LV | ±4.9… pic.twitter.com/pvhlzPK7od
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) October 21, 2024
Republicans are similarly making a surprisingly positive showing in The Golden State as well. A WPA Intelligence poll conducted last week shows that Baugh had 43% of the votes compared to Min’s 40%.
While this is within the poll's ± 4.9% margin of error, it's a promising sign for a district with a Democratic incumbent in a deep-blue state. It also reflects a five-point decrease for Min from a WPA Intelligence poll conducted in September.
Peterson believes this is a rejection of Democratic policies. "Orange County voters are rallying behind Scott Baugh to lower taxes and fix the economy, stop the violent crime wave and secure the border," Peterson said.
"Extreme Sacramento Democrat politician Dave Min has made Orange County more dangerous and more expensive, and it’s clear voters are ready for change,” he went on. Perhaps their disillusionment will carry over to the general election as the nation faces the same issues under Democratic leadership.
Democrats will have difficulty convincing voters to cast their ballots for more of the same. People are fed up with the current administration and its party, and it's likely that will drive them to the GOP in droves.
It's easy to tell when Republicans do something really effective--Democrats respond to it as if they are trying to murder someone.
This explains Democrat vice presidential nominee Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's response to Republican nominee former President Donald Trump's appearance at a McDonald's restaurant on Sunday, where he proceeded to "work" there, learning to use the fryer and serving customers.
"This guy spent decades stiffing workers pay, cut overtime benefits for millions of people, and opposed any effort to raise the minimum wage," Walz posted on X. "You know who has actually worked at McDonald's, joined workers on picket lines, and fights for working people? @KamalaHarris."
This guy spent decades stiffing workers pay, cut overtime benefits for millions of people, and opposed any effort to raise the minimum wage.
You know who has actually worked at McDonald's, joined workers on picket lines, and fights for working people? @KamalaHarris. https://t.co/QzFMVLiuaj
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) October 20, 2024
Bitter much?
Never mind that there's no record of Harris ever working at a McDonald's. Walz and the Democrats are mad--stark raving mad, in fact--because Trump is stealing their "everyman" status even though he's a billionaire, and people are believing it.
One man who went through the drive-thru at the McDonalds said, “Thank you, Mr. President. You made it possible for ordinary people like us to meet you. Thank you so much for everything you are doing. We pray for you, and you are the type of person we want to be the president.”
The customer’s wife added: “Thank you for taking the bullet for us.”
Of course, several Trump supporters knew the appearance was gold, and they posted the video on social media where of course it went viral.
This drove the left even more nuts, because there's nothing so maddening as seeing the guy you think is a "threat to democracy" being liked by the public who they've just spent the last eight years being told to hate--if they know what's good for them.
Seems like maybe just a touch over half of the voting public doesn't know what's good for them, and is ready to vote Trump into office, if polls are correct.
It's still close, so hopefully Trump voters don't get overconfident and stay home.
Trump definitely has the momentum going into the last two weeks before election day, however.
That's why Walz is so irate over Trump's McDonald's appearance, but his ire is not likely to help his ticket's prospects because no one likes a complainer.
Though Democrats have slammed former President Donald Trump for highlighting a rise in crime during the Biden-Harris administration, the recent experiences of one New England town are proving particularly instructive in countering the left's narrative.
As Fox News reports, conditions in Burlington, Vermont, have deteriorated significantly in recent years, a fact which locals attribute to homelessness, drug addiction, and rising rates of crime that remain unaddressed by federal policies.
Local residents of Burlington spoke with Fox News Digital last week, detailing their frustrations with the homelessness and drug use that have both gripped their hometown.
Many noted the unease with which they now approach the city's downtown area, with some expressing fears for their physical safety.
The influx of fentanyl, and the addictions it has spawned, have prompted a rise in crime that has left community members shaken and seeking solutions.
According to one young man from Burlington, “It's really good during the day, but during the night, like people have said, it's really dangerous” due to the desperation drug use and addiction causes in affected individuals.
With drugs such as fentanyl and “tranq” becoming more prevalent, Vermont has marked a 500% increase in overdose deaths over the last decade, with first responders strapped for the resources necessary to properly respond to the volume of assistance needed.
Nancy, an elderly resident of Burlington, admitted, “I don't walk at night,” and when pressed for a reason, she stated, “Cause it's dangerous.
“People get beat up at nighttime,” she observed, adding that her neighbor was assaulted in such brutal fashion that the attackers also tried to destroy the individual's wheelchair.
A local entrepreneur placed blame on what she characterized as misplaced priorities among those in power, telling Fox News that emphasis is being put on all the wrong things.
“There seems to be a lot of focus in this town and by the government on helping people who are addicted. There seems to be a lack of respect for people who are doing business, you know, who are trying to run a store,” said the woman.
After having slashed law enforcement budgets in recent years, the city is reportedly now attempting to hire additional police officers to address growing concerns.
Burlington's story is perhaps illustrative of Donald Trump's recent claims that, despite Democrats' claims to the contrary, violent crime has been on the rise during Biden's time in office, even though ABC's David Muir attempted to fact-check the former president on that argument during his September debate with Kamala Harris.
Interestingly, the FBI itself recently had to revise its own figures -- cited by Muir against Trump -- to show an overall growth in criminal offenses for the year 2022, as the New York Post noted, and though the agency attempted to keep the changes as quiet as possible, they serve as concrete validation of the troubling phenomenon with which Burlington residents are all too familiar.