Though she has largely remained out of the political limelight in recent years, former first lady Melania Trump is making her voice heard in recent weeks, stepping forward to share her thoughts on an infamous event that took place over two years ago.
Amid Mrs. Trump's promotional activities for her upcoming memoir Melania, she has opened up about the 2022 raid on her Mar-a-Lago home and blasted the FBI for what she says was an unwarranted attack on her rights that ought to serve as a “warning to all Americans,” as Fox News reports.
The search at issue was performed as part of the government's probe of former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents after departing the White House, and at the time it was conducted, it made headlines for the unusual intensity and broad scope of agents' actions.
As the New York Post reported at the time, agents involved in the raid delved deeply into all areas of the property, including Mrs. Trump's wardrobe.
Though the search warrant used by the FBI to conduct the search was focused on presidential records and classified information suspected to be on site, the investigative activities there were expansive, spanning more than nine hours.
Trump attorneys were not permitted inside the structures searched during the operation, leading some to worry that materials may have been planted by authorities while they ventured into what seemed to be every nook and cranny of even the family's private quarters.
Now that she is providing unprecedented insights into her life and experiences before, during and after her time as first lady, Melania Trump is making no secret about her disdain for what occurred at her Florida estate.
“I never imagined my privacy would be invaded by the government here in America,” she began.
Mrs. Trump continued, “The FBI raided my home in Florida and searched through my personal belongings.”
Extrapolating her experience to the wider citizenry, she added, “This is not just my story, it serves as a warning to all Americans, a reminder that our freedom and rights must be respected.”
Notably, Donald Trump is reportedly poised to sue the Department of Justice, hoping to recover upwards of $100 million in damages over the raid, with the former president's attorneys claiming that the search was approved with the “clear intent to engage in political persecution.”
Perhaps due to her intensely private persona, Mrs. Trump's memoir is among the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year.
Reflecting on the creative process she has undertaken, Melania Trump explained, “Writing my memoir has been an amazing journey filled with emotional highs and lows. Each story shaped me into who I am today.”
Adding that the experience has been “incredibly rewarding,” the former -- and potential future -- first lady expressed gratitude for the voluminous reminders of not just her strength, but also the “beauty of sharing [her] truth,” and hers is a life story that millions will surely be eager to read.
Former President Donald Trump's claim that crime has been increasing was incorrectly fact-checked by ABC's David Muir during the debate Tuesday, The Gateway Pundit reported. Department of Justice data proves Trump was correct that crime is up by more than 40%, as ABC proves its bias.
During the presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump said that crime is increasing in the U.S. due to illegal immigration under her watch. "Crime is down all over the world except here. Crime here is up and through the roof," Trump said.
"Despite their fraudulent statements that they made, crime in this country is through the roof. We have a new form of crime. It’s called migrant crime, and it’s happening at levels that nobody thought possible," he added.
Muir jumped in to refute Trump's statement by asserting that "the FBI says overall, violent crime is actually coming down in this country." In reality, the Justice Department's numbers show a massive increase in crime since Trump left office.
According to recently released Department of Justice statistics, 4,558,150 violent crimes were reported in 2020. That number shot up to 6,419,060 in 2023, representing an increase of 40.8% in the years President Joe Biden and Harris have been in office.
Trump released a statement on his Truth Social Thursday with the statistics that proved him right. "MASSIVE NEWS! The Department of Justice just released brand new Crime Data showing I was absolutely and completely right at the Debate," Trump wrote.
"In fact, the Data is even worse than we could have ever imagined. Compared to 2020, Violent Crime is up nearly 40 percent, Rape is up 42 percent, Aggravated Assaults are up 55 percent, Violent Crime with a weapon is up 56 percent, Violent Attacks on strangers are up 61 percent, Car Theft is up 42 percent, and the most serious forms of Violent Crime are up 55 percent," Trump added.
"Our Cities are UNDER SIEGE. And this does not include the Migrant Crime and Migrant Rape spree that has overtaken our Cities in recent months. Kamala Crime is destroying America, and gangs are taking over!" he concluded.
The fact that Muir would even interject is appalling, considering this was supposed to be a candidates' debate. What's worse is that as Fox News pointed out, they did not fact-check Harris once during the evening while challenging Trump five times, including on crime.
Muir also challenged Trump on a developing story about Springfield, Ohio, pets being attacked by migrants. The moderator also objected to claims about late-term abortion despite proof that serval states have no limit on gestational age.
The moderator also jumped in while Trump answered a question about his role in stopping the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Trump asserted that he gave then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "10,000 National Guard or soldiers" ahead of the rally, which ultimately turned into unrest, but that "Nancy Pelosi rejected" the offer.
Muir said, "The question was about you as president, not about Former Speaker Pelosi." However, Muir never challenged Harris on the debunked "very fine people" comment Trump never made about neo-Nazis at a 2017 rally in Charlottesville or her other lies.
The mainstream media is corrupt and biased against Trump. This was a disgraceful moment for the supposedly objective media, showing why people increasingly mistrust them.
New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban resigned amid a federal investigation, New York 1 reported. Investigators raided Caban's home and seized his phone in a probe that involves other city officials.
Mayor Eric Adams announced Caban's decision during a news conference Thursday. "A short time ago, I accepted the resignation of Edward Caban," Adams told the press.
"I concluded that this is the best decision at this time. I respect his decision and I wish him well," Adams added.
Caban blamed "news around recent developments has created a distraction for our department, and I am unwilling to let my attention be on anything other than our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD" for his departure. "Which is why – for the good of this city and this department – I have made the difficult decision to resign as Police Commissioner."
Adams announced that retired FBI National Threat Center chief Tom Donlon would take Caban's place. "I thank Commissioner Donlon for stepping in during this critical moment," Adams said.
In a written statement, Donlon said he was "honored and humbled" to take the position. "My goals are clear: continue the historic progress decreasing crime and removing illegal guns from our communities, uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency, and support our dedicated officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe," Donlon said.
"I want to thank outgoing Commissioner Caban for his service to this department throughout his more than 30-year career and I look forward to building on the progress this administration has made keeping New York City the safest big city in America," Donlon added. Adams sang the praises of the outgoing commissioner.
He noted there was a "drop in crime for 13 of the 14 months" Caban served as the city's commissioner. The Democratic mayor also cited statistics such as "18,000 illegal guns" being taken off the streets, record-low robberies in October, and "the lowest number of shootings above ground ever in the history - of recorded history in the city - in August," Adams said.
While the mayor was all compliments for Caban, it still leaves questions about his resignation. Attorneys for Caban insisted that he "is not a target of any investigation being conducted by the Southern District of New York" but "expects to cooperate fully with the government."
Last week, the New York Post reported that federal agents raided Caban's home and others in Adams' orbit. On Sept. 4, the FBI raided the shared townhouse of First Deputy Mayor Sheen Wright and Schools Chancellor David Banks and the home of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks.
Terrance Banks, the brother of David and Phil Banks and a former MTA official, was also involved in the investigation. Former NYPD sergeant James Caban, twin brother of Edward Caban, also was subpoenaed and served a search warrant as a fixer for nightclubs.
There is no official word on what prompted the searches and seizures of phones and other electronics. However, sources close to the investigation say it has something to do with corruption.
Adams has pledged to cooperate with the investigation. "As you’ve heard me say over and over again, as a former law enforcement person, we will always follow the law, and that is what this administration always stood for and will continue to stand for. Whatever information is needed, we will turn over," Adams said last week.
Although Caban's resignation is not an admission of guilt, it is a notable development in the saga. Time will tell whether Caban was self-sacrificing or simply getting a jump on the inevitable conclusion of his career.
The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the voucher program for the state's public school students is unconstitutional, the Daily Caller reported. The 3-2 decision will impact 2,880 families already receiving funding through the Education Scholarship Trust Fund.
The South Carolina state constitution prohibits any kind of "direct benefit" to private schools with taxpayer dollars. The ESTF was created as a workaround to allow families to use public school funding for private schools of their choice.
The program benefitted families with moderate and lower incomes to have a say in their children's education. However, the court ruled that the program indeed violated the state constitution.
This has nullified some 2,880 scholarships already awarded, with students already receiving $1,500 toward this year's tuition. It suddenly leaves families in a tough spot weeks into a new school year, though the justices don't seem concerned.
Associate Justice D. Garrison Hill downplayed the impact on families in the majority opinion. "The dissent claims our decision ‘pulls the rug out’ from under the feet of the General Assembly and ‘ultimately, the feet of the students the law was designed to serve,'" Hill wrote.
"Our duty is to serve the Constitution, the supreme policy of our land. As such, our obligation is not to allow a rug to cover up well-marked constitutional ground, no matter how inconvenient that ground may prove to be to otherwise arguably salutary policies," Hill claimed.
Chief Justice John W. Kittredge, who wrote the dissenting opinion, disagreed with the argument that the program was unconstitutional. "Under the South Carolina Constitution, the use of public funds for the direct benefit of a private school is impermissible; the use of public funds for the indirect benefit of a private school is entirely permissible," Kittredge pointed out.
"I am firmly convinced the ESTF Act provides an indirect benefit and is facially constitutional," the justice added. What's lost in the argument is the real-world effects of such a ruling.
States like Missouri, Georgia, and Florida already have school voucher programs that help underprivileged citizens find educational alternatives. Tennessee and Ohio similarly faced challenges to their programs, but those who object seldom think of the children impacted.
South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster was one of many to think of the impact this decision would have on students looking for a better education. "The Supreme Court’s decision may have devastating consequences for thousands of low-income families who relied on these scholarships for their child’s enrollment in school last month," McMaster said in a statement following the ruling.
"[W]e will request the Court to expeditiously reconsider this decision — so that the children of low-income families may have the opportunity to attend the school that best suits their needs," he added. Wendy Damron, president of the education advocacy group Palmetto Promise, similarly expressed concern for the students.
"Today, a court overturned a duly passed piece of legislation on the basis of an indefensible misreading of the words of our State Constitution. Prekindergarten students and college students enjoy state programs that allow them to attend private and religious schools," Damron pointed out.
"How is a program for K-12 students any different? It is unconscionable that the Supreme Court would rip away these scholarships from children and families counting on the funds for their education this year," Damron added.
The challenge to this program in the GOP stronghold of South Carolina is surprising, but it's part of a broader trend when it comes to those who say they believe if public schools. If the system works so well, why are they afraid of choice?
The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on the state's presidential ballot despite his dropping out and requesting that his name be removed, Reuters reported. Kennedy, an independent, withdrew from the race last month and later endorsed former President Donald Trump.
A lower court had already ruled that Kennedy should be removed, but the state's high court reversed that decision in a ruling on Monday. Kennedy's name will appear on the ballot alongside Trump and the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, in November.
This could impact Trump's chances as voters who don't like Harris may erroneously choose Kennedy as an alternative. "This is the Democrat machine at work," conservative commentator Benny Johnson said on X, formerly Twitter, echoing the suspicions of many.
🚨Michigan Supreme Court intervenes to thwart RFK Jr. retirement from race, ruling his name must appear on Michigan ballot
This is the Democrat machine at work. pic.twitter.com/4DRSINCxaR
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 9, 2024
This battle over Kennedy's place on the ballot is not unique to Michigan. The Hill reported that as of Tuesday, voters will be able to choose Kennedy in 21 states, including Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin, even though he dropped out of the race.
So far, Kennedy's bid to be removed has been successful in important battleground states like Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, and 12 others. Another 13 states have yet to decide, while just one, Mississippi, didn't include Kennedy in the first place.
Christopher Thrasher, who often works with third-party campaigns as a ballot access consultant, acknowledged that having the former candidate on the ballot is a problem. "If a candidate is on the ballot, someone will vote for them regardless," Thrasher noted.
"The primaries showed as much this year on both sides. How many votes is anyone’s guess at this point," Thrasher added.
This is problematic for Kennedy who dropped out of the race due to concerns that he was siphoning votes from Trump, which would give Democrats a de facto win if people continue to cast votes for him. Kennedy left the Democratic Party over disagreements with their attacks on free speech and the continued funding of the war in Ukraine, among other issues.
While Democrats hope that Kennedy's name will misdirect some voters, the truth is that RFK may be the GOP's secret weapon. According to the Daily Wire, Kennedy is bringing voters concerned about public health on board with Trump.
Trump tapped Kennedy to be part of his transition team with this subject in mind. The former president lauded Kennedy for his "decades of work as an advocate for the health of our families and our children" at an Arizona rally after Kennedy announced his endorsement.
“Nobody’s done more. Millions and millions of Americans who want clean air, clean water, and a healthy nation have concerns about toxins in our environment and pesticides in our foods," Trump praised Kennedy.
"That is why today, I’m repeating my pledge to establish a panel of top experts working with Bobby to investigate what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic health problems and childhood diseases, including autoimmune disorders, autism, obesity, infertility, and many more. We want every child in America to grow up and to live a long and healthy life," Trump said.
The 2024 election is littered with obstacles for both candidates, including intentional stumbling blocks like the ballot. Kennedy's name may remain if Democrats can get away with it, but it may not be enough to salvage Harris' campaign.
Former President Donald Trump said that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) threw Vice President Kamala Harris "under the bus" simply to get elected, Fox News reported. Sanders believes Harris is still as left as ever.
On Meet the Press on NBC Sunday, Sanders was asked whether Harris "abandoned her progressive ideals" in her recent swivel to the right. Sanders said he believed it was a political calculation.
"No, I don’t think she’s abandoning her ideals. I think she’s trying to be pragmatic and doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election," he told anchor Kristen Welker.
Trump mocked Harris over this exchange. "Bernie Sanders just said that Kamala only changed her Marxist policy positions for the Election — She’ll change back very quickly!" Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday.
Unfortunately for Harris, Sanders said the quiet part out loud. Harris has been forced to abandon her awful policies, such as "Medicare-for-all" and her crusade against fracking, as she courts voters.
Trump took to Truth Social again Monday to point out the consequences of Sanders' statement. "Bernie Sanders really threw Comrade Kamala Harris under the proverbial 'BUS,'" Trump wrote.
"Essentially said, very clearly, that she is a total phony. Once a Marxist, always a Marxist!" Trump added.
Harris is in a conundrum now that she's been deemed the Democratic presidential nominee by fiat. Her radical policies did not get her anywhere in the 2020 Democratic primary, and now she'll have to shun them to have any hope of winning the general election.
There's no doubt Harris has been trying to cast off the policies she held dear in the past, but her record is undeniable. In 2019, GovTrack ranked Harris as the most liberal U.S. Senator, the New York Post reported.
The website has since retracted that rating, but the facts speak for themselves. Harris once called for mandatory gun confiscation in the form of a buyback, called for decriminalizing illegal immigrants, and sought to ban fracking and plastic straws.
However, her most radical view was that criminals involved in the 2020 riots in Minnesota should be bailed out. A tweet appealing for people to "chip in now" to an organization that posted bail for them is still available on her account on X, formerly Twitter.
If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota. https://t.co/t8LXowKIbw
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 1, 2020
Harris is arguably the most leftwing candidate to run for president. She knows she'll lose if the American people can see that, but even Sanders has to admit that her recent change of heart is all about political posturing.
The battle over whether the state of North Carolina will have to remove independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name from the ballot has now delayed early voting in the state, which was set to begin on September 6.
On that very day, the Court of Appeals ruled that the election board would be required to take Kennedy's name off ballots, overruling the state election board's 3-2 decision against doing so.
The election board appealed the decision to the state Supreme Court, but began the process of printing new absentee ballots and reprogramming voting machines.
It was not clear when the Supreme Court would make a decision on the case.
The election board cited as its reason for not removing Kennedy's name that it had already started printing the ballots, but it waited six days after Kennedy requested the action before making the decision.
The election board has a majority of Democrats, and it is believed that leaving Kennedy's name on the ballot would hurt Republicans more than Democrats.
State attorneys have said it would take two weeks to reprint the ballots so they can be distributed and would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Vendors have been instructed to preserve the original ballots in case the Supreme Court rules against removing Kennedy's name.
More than 136,000 North Carolina voters have requested mail-in ballots so far. They have until October 29 to do so.
Ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
Kennedy suspended his campaign on August 23 and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
He said then that he would remove his name from ballots in swing states where a close vote could be affected by his ballot appearance. In deep blue and red states, he did not bother making the request.
Kennedy also won a battle to get his name off the ballot in Michigan with a similar appeals court ruling.
The deadline to send military ballots overseas in Michigan is September 21, which means there isn't much time to reprint ballots in that state either.
In Wisconsin, a hearing will be held next week to determine whether to remove Kennedy's name.
The scandalous story of White House-directed censorship during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, and new revelations from an ongoing lawsuit has brought even more damning details to light.
As Just the News reports, Alex Berenson, a former journalist with the New York Times, submitted an amended complaint in federal court that includes new details secured from X as well as from Congress, evidence he says supports his claims of First Amendment violations by the Biden administration.
It was last week that Berenson updated his filings in a lawsuit targeting President Joe Biden, several current and former administration officials, and two Pfizer executives over their involvement in social media content moderation during the pandemic.
Berenson asserts that based on new email evidence, it is clear that Facebook considered former White House COVID response coordinator Andy Slavitt as something of an “intermediary” with the administration, despite his purported resignation from his prior role.
This stands in contrast to claims made by Slavitt's attorneys suggesting that his engagement with Facebook about alleged misinformation promulgated by Berenson was done as a private citizen.
The new details included in his amended complaint, Berenson says, are strong enough to meet the Supreme Court's high standards in this realm, recently articulated in its denial of a preliminary injunction in the related Murthy v. Missouri case.
Berenson's updated complaint says, “Slavitt was at the center of the conspiracy,” to have the journalist removed from social media platforms, and he “remained close” to then-Biden chief of staff Ron Klain, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and then-FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.
Email messages detail Slavitt's discussions with Metal President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg, both before and after the former departed the White House.
Clegg wrote, “Just got off hour long call with Andy Slavitt,” who was apparently “outraged” by Facebook's decision not to remove a post likening COVID-19 vaccines to asbestos.
According to Berenson's complaint, Slavitt endeavored to convey the impression that he was speaking on behalf of the White House despite having left his official role there.
Berenson now says, “Twitter's closest competitor viewed Slavitt as speaking for the government at the same time he was pressuring Twitter over me,” adding that “Timing is not a problem” as it was in the Murthy case, in that “Twitter took no public action against me before the federal government began pressuring it.”
Berenson's revelations come just days after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that the Biden White House exerted pressure on Facebook to censor COVID-19 posts, as the New York Post explained.
Zuckerberg noted that the Biden team even coerced the removal of material that included “humor and satire,” and Facebook's compliance with those directives is something for which the tech mogul is now sorry.
“I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it. I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today,” but whether this spate of mea culpa will coincide with a win for Berenson, only time will tell.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik filed an ethics complaint Friday against the judge in Trump's hush money case, the Washington Examiner reported. The New York Republican claims that Judge Juan Merchan's daughter reaped financial gains from the case.
This is the second time Stefanik has filed the complaint because Merchan's daughter benefitted from the case against Trump. The first was rejected, but the lawmaker believes that "new information has come to light that merits a fresh look."
Merchan's daughter, Loren Merchan, runs the digital marketing company Authentic Campaigns Inc. It has been exploiting Trump's Manhattan trial to raise money for its clients, which Stefanik believes is a clear ethics violation.
Now it's come to light that Vice President Kamala Harris used the company for her campaign which warrants another examination. "Neither the Appellate Division nor the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics could have known about this material when they issued opinions as to Justice Merchan’s continuing to preside over President Trump’s case," Stefanik wrote in the filing.
Many Democratic candidates hire Authentic Campaigns for their marketing needs. However, Stefanik shared incriminating information in a report to the Federal Election Commission that proved Harris also used the firm despite the obvious conflict.
The Harris campaign paid Authentic Campaigns $468 for web hosting, which Stefanik believes is just the tip of the iceberg. "This indicates that one of the very first things that Harris did upon taking over the Biden campaign infrastructure is to hire this firm, Authentic," Stefanik explained, according to Fox News.
"Loren Merchan, Justice Merchan’s daughter, is its president. Vice President Harris changed web hosting companies from AWS to Authentic immediately after becoming the presumptive Democrat presidential nominee," Stefanik wrote, confirming the recent timing.
"This is merely the beginning of a new contract with a new campaign, regardless of the amount reimbursed. Sure, there’s an immediate benefit, but this is a play at a potential larger benefit for Authentic and Merchan down the road," Stefanik charged in the complaint.
Stefanik believes that this fact "dictates that a judge must recuse from a case where a relative up to and including the sixth degree has a financial interest in the outcome of the case," and this standard applies to the Merchans. "Ms. Merchan is related to Justice Merchan in the first degree. Authentic has a newly active financial relationship with Vice President Harris’s campaign," Stefanik said.
Not long after Stefanik's filing, Merchan ruled to postpone Trump's sentencing until after the election. Stefanik released a statement to X, formerly Twitter, to celebrate the development.
She called it an "incredible win" in the fight against the "illegal lawfare against" Trump. "While the Democrat nominee didn’t earn a single primary vote, Americans have stood by President Trump through unfounded leftist attacks, unfair treatment from liberal stenographers in the mainstream media, and a nearly fatal assassination attempt," Stefanic wrote.
"American voters are smart and know President Trump is the only candidate who can and will save America," she added. Although Merchan has yet to recuse himself, at least he has taken off the table any threat of Trump's imprisonment before the election.
My statement on Acting Justice Merchan delaying President Trump's sentencing following the reopening of my ethics complaint:
"The same day I filed an official ethics complaint shedding new light on Acting Justice Merchan’s egregious conflict of interest, refusing to recuse…
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) September 6, 2024
In their zeal to get Trump, the left has forgotten that the law works both ways. Trump's enemies have tried and failed to take him down, and they've ruined their own credibility in the process.
Top pollster Frank Luntz sees signs that the "honeymoon period is officially over" for Vice President Kamala Harris, the UK Daily Mail reported. The influential GOP pollster believes the boost Democrats received after Harris was named the Democratic nominee has all but dried up as the candidates head into their first debate.
A nonpartisan online poll showed Harris hitting her peak in voter enthusiasm after the Democratic National Convention. Now, a YouGov poll has her and former President Donald Trump locked in a statistical tie at around 60% of voters who reported being "very enthusiastic" or "extremely enthusiastic."
As Luntz pointed out, "Quite a sharp drop in Democratic voter enthusiasm in this month’s YouGov poll. (It was 70% last month.) The honeymoon period is officially over," Luntz posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
Quite a sharp drop in Democratic voter enthusiasm in this month’s YouGov poll. (It was 70% last month.)
The honeymoon period is officially over. https://t.co/fVXiQgdfXv
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) September 4, 2024
Democrats were in a slump among their voters when President Joe Biden sought reelection. Since he stepped aside and left Harris as the presumptive nominee, her star has steadily risen, giving Democrats hope.
However, the height of enthusiasm seems to have come and gone following the DNC. Now, CNN reported, Harris has settled into a statistical tie with Trump in six key battleground states.
The closest race is in Pennsylvania, where Harris and Trump are locked in a dead heat at 47% among likely voters. In Georgia and Nevada, Harris and Trump received 47% and 48% support, respectively.
Wisconsin is polling 50% for Harris and 44% for Trump while Arizona is at 44% for Harris and 49% for Trump. Finally, likely voters in Michigan are 48% for Harris and 43% for Trump.
These states are vital for Harris to have a path to victory, and they are ones that President Joe Biden won in 2020. Notably, 15% of likely voters reported not having committed to either candidate, perhaps pointing to the importance of the upcoming debate in winning over voters.
On Sept. 10, the two candidates will face off in Philadelphia for the first time, and the pollster is certain this will convince or turn away voters depending on how the candidates do. According to The Hill, Luntz warned that next week's debate "is everything" to the candidates.
"When the voter sees side by side the two candidates and they listen to what they say, not just the answers, it’s the body language. Is there contempt? Does someone fold their arms? Do they look at the individual when they’re speaking? Do they seem presidential in their approach?" Luntz said Monday on CNN.
He noted that there are different criteria for each candidate. "For Trump, can he keep quiet? Can he actually listen to a response, or does he have to respond to everything," Luntz added.
"For Harris, does she seem open-minded? Does she seem willing to take in information not just project? Each of them has different goals for that debate, but each one, in the end, has to prove that they’re ready, not just for that moment, but voters are thinking ‘who do I want to represent me two years from now, three or four years from now?" Luntz said.
Voters often pay more attention in the weeks leading up to Election Day. As that's beginning to happen, Harris is losing more support which could spell major trouble for her come November.