Category: fox-news/politics/elections

‘This man stood up’: Pro-Trump group launches blistering seven-figure ad buy as closing pitch to voters

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FIRST ON FOX: A pro-Trump group has launched a seven-figure ad buy as a closing pitch for the former president after the clip went viral on social media.

On Friday, Building America’s Future (BAF), a conservative nonprofit, released the clip titled "Moments" that it says highlights the "attacks on Donald Trump and his supporters in recent months."

The ad, posted on X by Elon Musk and others, has garnered over 20 million views on X. 

"Think about all they've done to Donald Trump," the ad says. "First it was hoaxes, witch hunts, and impeachments. Then it was FBI raids, courtrooms, and mug shots. Finally, it was bullets in a Pennsylvania field.

JENNIFER LOPEZ CRIES WHILE ENDORSING HARRIS AFTER SHE’S AMBUSHED BY DIDDY QUESTION AS SPECULATION MOUNTS

"And after all that, this man stood up, with blood draining down his face, pumped his fist in the air and told us to ‘Fight. Fight. Fight.’"

The ad then plays a clip from Trump saying. "America's future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, stronger, free-er, greater, and more united than ever before. And we will Make America Great Again."

HARRIS CAMPAIGN DISHES OUT SIX-FIGURE DONATIONS TO GROUPS WHO SUPPORT DEFUNDING POLICE, REPARATIONS

"We know what they think of us," a narrator says before a clip of President Biden speaking.

"The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters," Biden says, echoing his comment that sparked a political firestorm earlier this week. 

"So, if Donald Trump can get through all of that, We can get out to vote," the ad closes.

BAF will begin airing the ad as part of a $1.2 million spend on national television across battleground states as well as paid digital and texting. 

The ‘garbage’ campaign: Why mistakes and distractions could tilt the outcome

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If there’s one image that captures the craziness of this campaign, it’s got to be Donald Trump driving around in a garbage truck.

He put on the orange vest and talked to reporters after a Joe Biden blunder put Kamala Harris on the defensive.

And this was after a Trump rally filled with profane insults, including a comic who mocked Puerto Rico as an island of floating garbage.

And that, in turn, followed the spectacle of the former president cooking up some fries at McDonald’s, where he actually likes to eat.

THE FATAL FLAW IN KAMALA HARRIS’ SPEECH, MARRED BY BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ COMMENT

But all this is unfolding against the backdrop of the ugliest and perhaps most divisive race in American history, with each side accusing the other of being a danger to democracy. 

And the tightness of the polls–assuming they’re not off again–has created an almost apocalyptic sense of drama, with many voters worried about post-election violence if Trump loses.

Trump, after all, has survived two impeachments, the Jan. 6 riot, four criminal indictments, one conviction and two assassination attempts. He has spent the last four years insisting, despite numerous failed lawsuits, that the last election was stolen from him.

Can there be more than 500 voters in the six or seven swing states who don’t have a rock-solid opinion of him, positive or negative?

As for Harris, she was a relatively unpopular vice president thrust into a 100-day sprint when Democrats pressured Biden into stepping aside. She soared through the convention but hid from the media – that’s now changed – yet kept sticking to talking points and didn’t make much news. 

What’s more, Harris would be the first female president–and, of course, woman of color–to win the presidency in a country where some men, especially Black men, are reluctant to take that step. 

BACKLASH BUILDS AGAINST BEZOS AS NON-ENDORSEMENT SPARKS HUGE SURGE IN CANCELLATIONS

I have never witnessed such a chasm in coverage as in 2024, not even when Barack Obama first ran for the White House. The Kamala coverage ranges from glowing to gushing, with minimal scrutiny even when she makes false claims. The Donald coverage is overwhelmingly negative, right down to the Hitler comparisons–which the press has pushed for years, even before John Kelly went on the record with his accusations.

It’s not hard to sense the frustration in the press that the improving economy isn’t helping Harris, especially with the news that inflation has dropped to 2.1 percent. 

The New York Times says voters feel "relatively glum" about the economy, with the "lingering pessimism…The job market has been chugging along, although more slowly, overall growth has been healthy and even inflation is more or less back to normal." 

A Wall Street Journal columnist said yesterday the next president will inherit a "remarkable economy," but that 62 percent of those in its poll rated it "not so good" or "poor."

There is generally a lag in public perception, as when George H.W. Bush found when he talked up economic improvements in 1992 but lost to Bill Clinton.

In this supercharged environment, every mistake counts.

JAKE PAUL ENDORSES TRUMP IN FIERY VIDEO TORCHING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION: ‘CAN’T SIT BACK AND WATCH THIS’

Trump, speaking about criminals who cross the border illegally, said "I told women I will be their protector. They [his advisers] said, ‘Sir, please don’t say that.’ Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not." 

That has an unfortunate ring to it, and Harris said yesterday it is "very offensive to women," including on controlling "their own bodies."

All of which brings us back to the last few days. When every hour counts, every distraction is costly. If you’re explaining, you’re losing. If you’re playing defense, you can’t put points on the board.

Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally was marred by racist and misogynist talk, the coverage of which totally overshadowed his speech. What drew the most attention was comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and his ridicule of Puerto Rico. Podcaster Joe Rogan said he heard the joke the day before and told the comic there would be a big backlash. But the Trump camp hadn’t vetted the speakers.

When Harris naturally denounced the "garbage" language, Trump hopped on the sanitation truck emblazoned with his name.

Biden has been hurting his VP’s candidacy with a series of screwups. First he said of Trump, "Lock him up." Then the president blurted out that "the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters." He stumbled before adding that this was about the "demonization of Latinos."

Castigating the other side’s voters is about the worst thing you can do, as Hillary Clinton learned eight years ago. That choked off the favorable coverage of her speech on the Ellipse–itself designed to mirror Trump’s Jan. 6 speech–and was the focus of reporters’ questions the next morning.

Harris distanced herself, saying Biden had clarified his remarks and she would never criticize voters who don’t support her. An NBC reporter asked her about it again yesterday.

Trump’s brief stint at McDonald’s was meant to highlight his contention that Harris never worked at one during college, as she has insisted. It was a brilliant tactic and one her side should have conjured up first. 

National Review writer Noah Rothman says the candidates are just "trolling" each other, presenting voters with "a choice between two gratingly flip campaigns that are consumed with frivolities."

I would differ on the main point. The whole point of a campaign is for voters to size up how the candidates perform under pressure, since no one knows what crises may arise. How they react to attacks, stunts and interviews gives us a sense of their rapid-response abilities that go beyond policy positions–especially in such a razor-thin election.  

Trump rips House Republican who voted to impeach him in message endorsing his rival

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Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is exacting revenge on a House GOP lawmaker who voted to impeach him nearly four years ago.

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., is one of only two House Republicans left in Congress out of the original 10 who defied their party and voted with Democrats after the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

"Newhouse has to go! He wished he didn’t do what he did, but it’s too late," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Tuesday morning, just a week before Election Day.

CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION

Trump also emphasized his support for Newhouse's rival. "Jerrod Sessler is a fantastic Candidate and will be a GREAT Congressman for Washington State’s 4th Congressional District."

"He is running against a Weak and Pathetic RINO named Newhouse, who voted to, for no reason, Impeach me," Trump wrote.

Sessler, a Navy veteran, is challenging Newhouse for Washington's 4th Congressional District. In addition to Trump, he is also backed by the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN'S HELENE RESPONSE: 'ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED'

Newhouse is seeking a sixth term representing what is the reddest district in Washington state, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

He came second to Sessler in the state's primary elections over the summer. Washington's primaries do not operate on a party-based system – instead, the top-two candidates in the race advance to the general election.

Newhouse told the Yakima Herald-Republic last week that he did not believe his vote to impeach Trump would prevent him from working well with the ex-president if he wins the White House again.

FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS 'STARK CHOICE'

"I worked very closely and successfully with President Trump and his first administration and I feel very confident that I can do that again," he said. 

He acknowledged the impeachment vote as "the elephant in the room" but said, "We really don't think that would be a factor."

Newhouse won re-election in 2022 against a Democratic challenger by a rough margin of 68% to 32%.

His campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Trump originally endorsed Sessler and Republican Tiffany Smiley in the district's primary earlier this year in a bid to force Newhouse out. Sessler finished first, while Smiley was eliminated after finishing third.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

‘Pulling an Alvin Bragg’: Left-wing DA’s ‘flimsy’ suit against Elon Musk’s $1M giveaway slammed by expert

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Left-wing Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner filed a lawsuit against tech billionaire Elon Musk over his $1 million giveaway amid the highly anticipated Pennsylvania election – a suit that is being slammed as riddled with legal issues by an expert. 

"As a prosecutor for the city and county of Philadelphia, Krasner has no legal ability to prosecute anyone for alleged violations of federal law. So instead, he is pulling an Alvin Bragg by concocting a flimsy legal theory that Musk somehow is violating Pennsylvania’s lottery law," Cully Stimson, deputy director of the Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center of Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, wrote in a Daily Signal commentary piece published Monday. 

Stimson compared the suit to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charging former President Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, which prosecutors linked during the spring 2024 trial to an election scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election. Trump was found guilty in the case, and has since maintained his innocence as legal experts rallied that the case was an "absolute joke" and "witch hunt" against the 45th president. 

Krasner filed a lawsuit Monday against Musk and his super PAC, the America PAC, for "running an illegal lottery in Philadelphia" and across the state. 

Musk announced earlier this month that voters in battleground states, such as Pennsylvania or Michigan, were eligible for a $1 million a day giveaway after signing the America PAC’s petition backing the Constitution. Musk endorsed Trump in July, and recently joined him on the campaign trail to rally support for his re-election bid, most notably in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. 

PHILADELPHIA DA LARRY KRASNER IMPEACHED BY PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS IN GOP-LED EFFORT: 'CRISIS OF CRIME'

The initiative outlines that it only applies to registered voters in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin and North Carolina, and if they sign the petition. 

"The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I am pledging my support for the First and Second Amendments," the petition reads. 

HERE'S HOW ELON MUSK'S $1M A DAY GIVEAWAY TO BATTLEGROUND VOTERS WORKS

Musk has already announced winners for the giveaway, including one in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. 

"Oct 22 - Nov 5: Each day, one petition signer from either PA, GA, NV, AZ, MI, WI, or NC will earn $1,000,000," the America PAC website reads. 

Stimson wrote that Krasner is "one of George Soros’ bought-and-paid-for district attorneys" who "doesn’t care about the law" and launched the suit to quench his alleged thirst "for media attention."

"Musk isn’t paying individuals to register to vote; he is paying already-registered voters to sign a petition, which is entirely lawful," Stimson explained. 

ELON GOES ON CAMPAIGN BLITZ AGAINST GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS, VOWS TO REVEAL BIZARRE ALLEGED SCHEMES

"​​In his civil complaint against Musk, Krasner asserts that by ‘lulling’ registered voters into giving their personal identifying information such as their postal address, cellphone number, and email address, voters have paid Musk consideration – as when a person gives a dollar to purchase a Mega Millions lottery ticket," he continued. 

In his suit, Krasner cited the 1976 case "Commonwealth v. Lane," which detailed that under Pennsylvania law, a lottery is deemed unlawful under three elements: "(1) a prize to be won; (2) a winner to be determined by chance; and (3) the payment of a consideration by the player." 

Stimson said the first two elements are satisfied when considering the Musk giveaway, but "the third element is nowhere to be found."

"Consideration is the payment of money, which is completely lacking in the Musk proposal. Registered voters didn’t pay money to sign the petition. Their personally identifiable information isn’t, under either the Lane case or state law, ‘consideration,’" Stimson explained. 

PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT DEBATES FUTURE OF IMPEACHMENT TRIAL FOR PHILADELPHIA PROSECUTOR LARRY KRASNER

Stimson, whose background includes extensive investigations into "rogue" prosecutors who have politically benefited from donations made by left-wing billionaire George Soros, added in his commentary piece that it’s a "bit rich of Krasner to sue Musk, since the Philadelphia DA is a two-time violator of state campaign finance laws."

Stimson cited previous research that found Krasner received $1.7 million from Soros-funded groups during his 2017 election, and an additional $1.25 million from the same groups during his 2021 re-election campaign. 

FAR-LEFT PHILADELPHIA DA LARRY KRASNER'S COMPANY OWES $86,000 IN UNPAID TAXES

"In both races, he broke campaign finance laws and got into hot water with Philadelphia’s Board of Ethics."

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 2019 that Krasner settled with the ethics board over accepting more than $11,000 in excess in-kind contributions from the Soros-backed Real Justice PAC. Krasner paid a $4,000 fine and agreed to reimburse the city for the excess in-kind contribution from the PAC, while the Real Justice PAC agreed to pay $8,000 in penalties.

Following his 2021 re-election, Krasner’s campaign and the Real Justice PAC again admitted to breaking campaign finance law. Krasner agreed to pay $10,000 in penalties, while the Real Justice PAC agreed to pay $30,000 in penalties, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that year.

WIDOW OF SLAIN PHILADELPHIA POLICE OFFICER BLAMES PROGRESSIVE POLICIES OF DA LARRY KRASNER FOR HUSBAND'S DEATH

"Krasner has been a disaster as Philadelphia’s district attorney," Stimson wrote. "... Crime has exploded in Philly as a result of Krasner’s pro-criminal, anti-victim, cop-hating policies."

"In the five years before he was elected, an average of 271 homicides occurred per year. Since he was elected in 2017, an average of 368 homicides per year have occurred – an ‘extra’ 97 dead bodies per year."

Fox News Digital reached out to Krasner’s office for a response to Stimson’s arguments, but did not receive a reply. 

Following Musk’s announcement of the giveaway this month, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro set the stage that it would likely come under legal scrutiny. 

"I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race, how the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians. That is deeply concerning," Shapiro said on NBC’s "Meet the Press."

PHILADELPHIA'S FORMER DEMOCRATIC MAYOR SLAMS SOROS-FUNDED DA FOR REFUSING TO CALL MURDER SURGE A 'CRISIS'

He continued, "Look, Musk, obviously has a right to be able to express his views, and he’s made it very, very clear that he supports Donald Trump, and we have a difference of opinion. I don’t deny him that right, but when you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions that folks may want to take a look at."

"You think it might not be legal, yes or no?" host Kristen Welker asked.

Shapiro responded, "I think it’s something that law enforcement can take a look at."

Musk announced the eighth winner of the giveaway on Saturday in Lancaster, home to Pennsylvania’s rolling hills dotted with Amish farms, where he again touted the petition backing the Constitution. 

"We're trying to get attention for this very important petition to support the Constitution. And, it's like, if we, you know – we need the right to free speech; we need the right to bear arms," Musk said at the rally in Lancaster.

"So we're going to be giving out a million dollars every day through Nov. 5," he continued. "And also, all you have to do is sign the petition in support of the First and Second Amendments. That's it. You don't even have to vote. It'd be nice if you voted, but you don't have to. And then just basically sign something you already believe in, and you get a test to win a million dollars every day from now through the election."

‘MAGA’ dress designer forced to remove Trump signs from business, residence when ‘Karen’ called the police

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A dress designer and shop owner in Occoquan, Virginia, is at a loss following a bizarre encounter with a local woman who called the police on his boutique for demonstrating his First Amendment rights by hanging Trump signs out front.

Andre Soriano, an atelier dress designer who is well-known for curating the "Make America Great Again" gown singer-songwriter Joy Villa wore to the 2017 Grammy Awards, received legal notice that he must remove signs in support of former President Trump from his business.

"I actually started a flag war here in Occoquan, Virginia," Soriano told Fox News Digital during a video interview.

JOY VILLA WEARS PRO-TRUMP DOWN TO GRAMMYS: ‘IMPEACHED AND RE-ELECTED’

Soriano said though the first few moments of the encounter were pleasant, almost immediately, he was met with irrationality and backlash about the patriotic decor perched at the front of the store.

"The reason I put my Trump dress outside is, so I don't have to encounter [this]," Soriano said.

Audra Johnson, a political activist and friend of Soriano, recorded the run in and posted it to social media after he texted her for help with the scene.

"I have a video of her hiding in a bush," Johnson told Fox News Digital. "I don’t know what she was doing."

JOY VILLA TURNS HEADS WITH PRO-LIFE OUTFIT AT THE GRAMMYS

The duo said the woman was hysterically crying in the street and that she did call the police. A lone officer removed the woman from the store’s entrance and Johnson said she was taken to a local restaurant to "calm her down".

"As an American citizen, as a First Amendment in our great nation, you can express yourself by putting your signs in your home and expressing who you are as an individual, whether it’s religion, whether it’s politics or anything that you feel, without harming anyone," Soriano said. "That's just the freedom of artistic expression and being free in America, and nowadays, you can't even express that."

Soriano and Johnson live in the residences above the store. After being cited by the city to remove the Trump-supporting signs from the business, they suspended them from their homes, despite having been hung for years prior to the incident.

SINGER JOY VILLA MAKES A POLITICAL FASHION STATEMENT AGAINST PLANNED PARENTHOOD

However, they were cited a second time to remove some, but not all, the signs.

"We’re just trying our hardest to not get fines we can’t pay," Johnson said.

"We follow rules," Soriano said. "We don’t disrespect anyone."

The business owner is appalled by the ordinance as he believes America is the "land of the free, not the land of what people think."

"I'm an American designer," Soriano said. "I am free to express and create whatever I want."

Soriano, originally from the Philippines, said his mother immigrated the family to America when he was a teenager to live the American Dream.

JOY VILLA: WHY I CHOOSE LIFE OVER ABORTION - THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY THAT BEGAN FOR ME AT 20

"I love America," Soriano said.

The fashion designer said he was once employed by stars, including Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus and Courtney Love, but was blacklisted when he designed the infamous "MAGA" dress from 2017.

"That's when our lives changed," he said. "We had death threats."

"There are a lot of celebrities in Hollywood that are very divisive, and they didn't really like President Trump," Soriano said.

The creative director added that he lost his friends, clients and potential business opportunities in California.

Johnson was also blacklisted as a stage and film actress when she was photographed marching at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a sign that read "Trump is your president."

"We’re in an industry where we can’t just say what we want or how we feel," Johnson said.

"We don't fit the mold."

Liz Cheney blasts Trump as ‘depraved,’ ‘unstable,’ claims pro-life and pro-choice women rallying behind Harris

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Former Rep. Liz Cheney, who is backing Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, blasted former President Donald Trump as "unstable," "depraved," and "cruel" during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

Cheney also suggested that former Trump administration figures who have been speaking out against Trump, like former White House chief of staff John Kelly, "know" that Trump "has no conscience," and is "erratic," "chaotic," and "cruel."

The former congresswoman, who identifies as pro-life, also claimed that since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, some states put laws in place that prevent women from obtaining "life-saving care." She asserted that there have been situations in which physicians are unsure whether the care a woman requires has been criminalized under state law.

TRUMP LAMBASTES LIZ CHENEY AS ‘CRAZED WARHAWK’ AS SHE CAMPAIGNS FOR KAMALA HARRIS

Cheney said that there are pro-life and pro-choice women rallying behind Harris so that they never find themselves in a scenario "where either their own life is at risk, where they can't have babies in the future."

She also appeared on CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday morning to share similar thoughts, including the view that Trump lacks a conscience.

Cheney said that she thinks Donald Trump has ushered "violence … into our politics in a way that we haven't seen before."

When CBS News' Margaret Brennan asked Cheney how she set aside her pro-life views and chose to vote for Harris, Cheney responded, "I don't think it's about putting convictions aside. I think it's about looking at the reality on the ground of what's happened since Roe was overturned."

LIZ CHENEY PREDICTS ‘MILLIONS OF REPUBLICANS’ WILL VOTE FOR HARRIS: ‘VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE’

Cheney was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Later that year, she was ousted from her role as House Republican Conference Chair.

She was one of the House Republicans who served on the House Select Committee that probed the Jan. 6 episode.

While Cheney is a vociferous Trump critic, Trump is also an outspoken Cheney critic.

HARRIS AND TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN CHENEY TEAM UP IN BATTLEGROUND BLITZ

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Trump has referred to Cheney as "Muslim-hating warmonger Liz Cheney," "Crazed Warhawk Liz Cheney," and he has called her "a low IQ War Hawk."

Playing the Hitler card: Will Trump backers dismiss John Kelly’s attack?

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Earlier this year, there was some media chatter about when the Biden campaign would go "full Hitler."

What that meant was, if they started talking about Donald Trump and the Nazi leader so early, what ammunition would they have left for October?

VIDEO SHOWS DEM-ALIGNED INDIVIDUAL FIDGETING WITH MONTANA BALLOT BOX

Well, it’s late October, and the Hitler assault has begun.

It’s not like no one has heard this before. Trump’s detractors across the media landscape have periodically compared him to Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. Magazines have depicted him with a little mustache. He’s been dismissed as an aspiring dictator who would blow up American democracy, with few of the guardrails that constrained him in his first term.

But now we have John Kelly, his second chief of staff, denouncing his ex-boss in a series of three on-the-record interviews with the New York Times, which were recorded and posted on the paper’s site.

Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who lost a son in Afghanistan, said he was going public because he was disturbed by Trump’s attacks on "the enemy within," which, as the former president told me in our weekend interview, included Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi. And Kelly was equally concerned that he might use the military against Americans.

Kelly says in the Times audio that Trump meets his definition of a fascist. And in the context of wanting his generals (such as Kelly and Pentagon chief Jim Mattis) to be personally loyal to him, "He commented more than once that, ‘You know, Hitler did some good things, too.’" 

KAMALA HARRIS’ CLOSING MESSAGE IS UNCLEAR, DONALD TRUMP DOMINATES MEDIA BY GOING OFF SCRIPT

Kelly says he told the president "you should never say that" and explained some of the history of Nazi Germany. (Hitler’s generals tried to kill him more than once.)

The general also said that Trump referred to soldiers as "losers" and "suckers" and could not understand their sacrifice. If this and other passages sound familiar, it’s because it’s been previously reported in the Atlantic and elsewhere, rather obviously with Kelly as a background source.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung fired back, saying the former official was offering "debunked stories," had "beclowned" himself and was suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.

My question is this: Are John Kelly’s comments going to change the mind of any Trump voters?

They may dismiss the comments as old news. Or say Trump didn’t really mean it, he was just letting off steam. Or question Kelly’s motivation in going public in the final stretch of the campaign.

CBS NEWS GAVE A 'PATHETIC RESPONSE' TO DECEITFUL EDITING ACCUSATIONS: HOWARD KURTZ

It’s not that I’m defending the comments as reported by Kelly, who’s free to say what he wants. I have absolutely nothing good to say about Hitler or the Nazis. I don’t agree with everything Trump says, just as I don’t agree with everything Kamala Harris says.

But how many Trump voters, having lived through nine years of media attacks on the 45th president, having watched the violence of Jan. 6, are going to abandon him now? The answer, in my view, is very few. 

Still, it gave the vice president an opening, since yesterday’s bombshell was detonated by a man who was the highest-ranking staffer in the Trump White House. She read a statement to reporters in Washington without taking questions:

"It is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler, the man who is responsible for the deaths of 6 million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Americans. All of this is further evidence for the American people of who Donald Trump really is," Harris said.

I once had a candid chat with Kelly at a White House media party, and when I looked up 10 other reporters had surrounded us, straining to hear what the man who kept a low profile with the press had to say. At the time, the former Homeland Security secretary was being touted as the guy who’d bring military discipline to a chaotic White House after Reince Priebus was let go.

Now the "full Hitler" moment has arrived. Whether it has much impact on a candidate who has survived two impeachments, the fallout after Jan. 6 and two assassination attempts is, at the very least, in doubt.

Trump foe Mitt Romney resists endorsing Harris

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Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney won't endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president despite his outspoken criticisms of former President Trump. 

"I’ve made it very clear that I don’t want Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States," Romney said Tuesday at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, The New York Times reported.  

"I want to continue to have a voice in the Republican Party following this election. I think there’s a good chance that the Republican Party is going to need to be rebuilt or reoriented," he later added during the political forum. 

Romney announced last year that he would not seek re-election as a senator representing the Beehive State, and will leave office in January. The Republican has long criticized Trump, and indicated in June that he was unlikely to support the 45th president's re-election. 

'TRAITOR' LIZ CHENEY WALLOPED BY WYOMING VOTERS FOR HARRIS ENDORSEMENT, BREAK WITH GOP

"With President Trump, it’s a matter of personal character," Romney told CNN at the time. "I draw a line and say when someone has been actually found to have been sexually assaulted, that’s something I just won’t cross over in the person I wouldn't want to have as president of the United States." Romney's comments referred to a federal jury’s decision in New York City last year, which ruled Trump was not liable for the rape of E. Jean Carroll, though the former president was liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

KAMALA HARRIS TEAMS UP WITH LIZ CHENEY IN BIRTHPLACE OF REPUBLICAN PARTY

Romney has also slammed Trump for Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of the then-president breached the U.S. Capitol, arguing Trump incited an insurrection due to his "injured pride" over the 2020 election. Romney subsequently was one of seven Republican members of the Senate who voted to impeach Trump over Jan. 6. 

NIKKI HALEY DEFENDS TRUMP SUPPORT AFTER BEING CALLED OUT BY LIZ CHENEY: 'THIS IS ABOUT AMERICA'

Romney was also the only Republican who voted to impeach Trump in 2020 over abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges. Trump was acquitted in both impeachment cases, and is the only president in history who was impeached twice and acquitted twice. 

Trump has also hit back at Romney, saying in 2020 that the Utah senator "can't stand the fact that he ran one of the worst campaigns in the history of the presidency," referring to his 2012 bid for the White House, and calling him a "disgrace" that same year for voting to impeach. 

While Romney has previously broken with the GOP on other key issues, he indicated Tuesday that he will not offer his endorsement to Harris despite other Republicans recently throwing their support behind the vice president. Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney officially endorsed Harris last week and joined her on the campaign trail in Wisconsin, while former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake also endorsed Harris. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Romney's office for additional comment on the matter, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.    

Questions over Vindman’s military records evolve into campaign finance probe for super PAC ties

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A Virginia congressional candidate whose brother was a star witness in the first then-President Donald Trump impeachment is facing allegations of campaign finance violations and misrepresenting his military record.

The campaign staff of Eugene Vindman, a Democratic candidate in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, referred press inquiries about the candidate’s military record to VoteVets, a political action committee (PAC) that supports progressive military veterans running for office. VoteVets has endorsed Vindman, a former Army infantry officer and Army lawyer.

Two watchdog groups – the Functional Government Initiative and the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust – allege in separate complaints to the Federal Election Commission that this is illegal coordination between the campaign and the super PAC. The FEC complaints allege VoteVets PAC provided a service to the Vindman campaign by managing its press inquiries.

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"The law is quite clear that providing a service to a campaign is an in-kind contribution. Communication is something a campaign usually pays for, not having a super PAC make statements," Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), told Fox News Digital.

Eugene Vindman is the brother of Col. Alexander Vindman, a former National Security Council member who testified in the 2019 House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This led to Trump’s first House Democrat-led impeachment.

Eugene Vindman is running against Republican Derrick Anderson, a former Army Green Beret.

FACT is basing its complaint on a documented email exchange between a Washington Free Beacon reporter, Vindman’s campaign manager and Travis Tazelaar, the political director VoteVets PAC.

"We have seen campaigns push the limits with super PACs, but this is not just pushing the limits. It’s an explicit in-kind contribution," Arnold said.

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Last month, Vindman's campaign manager Jeremy Levinson said in the email to a Washington Free Beacon reporter, "I am looping in VoteVets who is going to be providing comments on our behalf to your initial inquiry."

The campaign manager added, "All future questions on this matter or any matters can be directed to him."

To say "or any matters" is problematic, Arnold said.

"The traditional timeline for an FEC investigation is long. We hope they can expedite this case given the circumstances," Arnold said. "The Vindman campaign referred the press to VoteVets on this and any other issues."

In this case, Tazelaar responded to the Free Beacon’s media inquiry with a statement on Vindman's behalf.

A Vindman campaign spokesperson was dismissive of the FEC complaints.

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"The bottom line is that we worked with the coordinated side of the VoteVets organization on the response to the Free Beacon outreach," a Vindman campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The FEC rules are clear that this interaction does not violate its rules and would not constitute an in-kind contribution."

Similarly, David Mitrani, the general counsel to VoteVets, said there was no FEC violation.

"The claims made in Functional Government Initiative’s complaint is simply false," Mitrani told Fox News Digital in a statement. "VoteVets’ activities are in full compliance with campaign finance laws."

The statement only addressed one complaint. In a follow-up email, a VoteVets spokesperson said the statement was intended to address complaints from both the Functional Government Initiative and the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust.

The six-member Federal Election Commission is equally made up of Republicans and Democrats and rulings often end in tie votes.

Federal law on coordinated communication, or 11 CFR 109.21(h); 11 C.F.R. 106.1(c)(1), covers when campaign work "is paid for, in whole or in part, by a person other than that candidate, authorized committee, or political party committee." The law also prohibits an outside "vendor," within 120 days of the election from developing "media strategy, including the selection or purchasing of advertising slots," developing "the content of a public communication," and "producing a public communication."

The controversy over campaign finance laws stems from the questions over Vindman’s military record.

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Vindman’s GOP opponent Derrick Anderson said Vindman "should answer all these legitimate questions about inflating his military resume."

"I respect that he served in the military, but voters deserve answers – not another D.C. politician that hides from them," Anderson told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Right now, Vindman won’t even debate me on TV because he’s not willing to answer questions about the simple fact that he’s not being straight with voters about his resume."

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Vindman had previously said he "fought for our nation in combat," however a 2019 Daily Mail article said Vindman "has not seen combat." In mid-August, the Washington Free Beacon reported that when it contacted the Vindman campaign, campaign chief Levinson copied VoteVets Tazelaar and referred "all future questions" to the PAC.

In its response to the Beacon, the VoteVets spokesperson reportedly said, "There was no front line in Iraq — and the Vindman family was grateful that Eugene was able to return home unscathed while so many other of our brothers and sisters in arms did not."

Balance of power: Five races that could decide control of the House in November

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As the presidential race heats up with less than three months until Election Day, candidates in smaller-scale races across the country are also sprinting to the November finish line.

Those include the 435 races that will decide control of the House of Representatives next year.

"I feel sort of bullish for Republicans right now," veteran GOP strategist Doug Heye told Fox News Digital. "This [presidential] race, especially in the swing states, is going to be so close that, to me, mitigates some of the ‘If Trump wins, Republicans keep the House, if Harris wins, Democrats take it back’ – that mitigates it for me to some extent."

Democratic strategist Joel Rubin, on the other hand, was confident in his party’s redistricting wins and renewed political enthusiasm since Vice President Kamala Harris took over the mantle from President Biden last month.

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"These 35, 40 swing districts, I think about 18 to 20 are Biden wins in red seats. So the map looks promising," Rubin said. "And the thing that’s distinct now from a month ago, obviously, is Democratic enthusiasm . . . I do think Democrats can take back the House with these kinds of numbers and these kinds of structural gains."

And with ever-shrinking margins in the House in recent years, it’s likely control of the House will come down to just several key races, five of which Fox News Digital highlighted below:

Freshman Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is running against former Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones in the New York suburbs just north of the Big Apple. His district is among several that Biden won in 2020, and Democrats see an opening to win it back.

Both Jones and Lawler have sought to paint each other as radicals, each tying his rival to the most unpopular policy stances in their respective parties. 

Lawler, for his part, has been ranked among the most bipartisan lawmakers in the 118th Congress.

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Jones, meanwhile, has reshaped himself closer to the center, going so far as to endorse the primary opponent of a former progressive anti-Israel colleague, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, which earned him ire from that faction of House Democrats.

"I think that’s a really important one, that’s a potential pickup for Democrats against a moderate, well-regarded Republican – but in a district that had been blue, and there are . . . seats that Democrats lost in New York that we should not have lost two years ago – and that was the difference between minority and the majority," Rubin said.

Heye said, "I’m betting on Lawler, he’s a good fit for that district. And I think there are still some divisions on the Democratic side."

Both Republicans and Democrats are looking at a portion of the Washington, D.C., suburbs in Virginia as a chance for victory in a district that Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., is vacating to run for governor.

The Democrat running is Eugene Vindman, the brother of Alexander Vindman, whose congressional testimony sparked the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

On the GOP side is Derrick Anderson, an attorney and former Special Forces Green Beret.

Spanberger won in 2017 by defeating a Tea Party Republican, and the GOP is eyeing a chance to take the seat back.

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"If I were designing, like, a prototype Democrat to run in a swing district, Spanberger is who I would design – perfect for that district, but she’s not running again. So that makes it harder for Democrats, and I know outside groups are putting money into [that race]," said Heye.

Rubin defended Vindman, pointing out both he and Spanberger were relevant to the national security space between his military experience and her time in the FBI.

"I think this is one where he can build off the Spanberger brand," he said.

Another competitive seat will be the one being vacated by Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., at the end of this year. 

The central Michigan district has grown more conservative in recent years, according to Bridge Michigan, though Biden eked out a 2% victory there over Trump in 2020.

That race is between Democratic State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet and former Trump administration appointee Paul Junge.

Heye said of the open seat there and in Virginia, "What I’ve been hearing for a while now… is that the open seats have become a liability for Democrats with their math in taking back the House."

Maryland’s 6th congressional district could be Republicans’ best pickup opportunity in an otherwise majority-blue state, with Democratic Rep. David Trone leaving at the end of this year.

April Delaney, whose husband John Delaney held the Seat from 2013 to 2017, is running on the Democratic side against Republican former state delegate Neil Parrott.

The district leans blue, but a Washington Post story on the race pointed out that it also has 141,000 unaffiliated voters who could decide the outcome.

Rubin noted he was supportive of Delaney’s bid but conceded that having popular former governor Larry Hogan on the ballot for Senate could inspire more middle-of-the-road people to vote Republican in state congressional races.

Heye said he was also growing confident about Republicans’ chances in Alaska, where its lone congressional seat will be decided using ranked-choice voting.

"In Alaska, [Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola] could win, but to do so, she’s going to have to massively over-perform," the GOP strategist said. "If we’re talking two weeks ago, I would say Republicans are split, ranked-choice voting, the Democrats win. That framework doesn’t exist anymore."

The general election was meant to be a three-way race between Peltola, Republican Nick Begich, and Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. 

Republicans have consolidated in recent days, however, with House GOP leadership getting behind Begich and Dahlstrom dropping out of the race.

Peltola, a moderate Democrat, is generally well-liked in the state, which voted for Trump by roughly 10 points over Biden in 2020. Those dynamics now make for what’s expected to be a close race.