Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer didn’t hold back at a Tuesday rally for Kamala Harris as she rebuked former President Trump’s comments from earlier this month, in which he claimed that if the vice president assumes office, “the whole country will be like… Detroit.” 

Trump’s comments are even more poignant considetring Detroit’s reputation as one of the most dangerous cities for violent crime in the nation.

“I know you all saw what he said about this beautiful city. He called Detroit a failure and a mess, proving he ain’t firing on all cylinders,” Whitmer said before Eminem and former President Barack Obama took the stage to court votes for Harris. “He doesn’t have a clue what the hell he was talking about. And you know what I think? He ought to keep Detroit out of his mouth.”

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Last month, during his speech at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said: “The whole country will be like – you want to know the truth? It’ll be like Detroit.”

“Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president,” he said. “A mess.”

In 2018, Detroit had the highest violent crime rate of 2,007.8 incidents per 100,000 people, according to the data from the FBI’s 2018 Uniform Crime Report, making it the only midsize or large city in the U.S. with such a high number. 

That year, the city reported 261 homicides and around 13,500 violent crimes, even though its population is less than 700,000. Meanwhile, local officials claim violent crime is down 8% in 2024, and shootings and carjackings have also decreased. 

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Detroit still faces big problems, like a high unemployment rate and many residents living below the poverty line. 

In 2023, the number of homicides fell to 252, the lowest since 1966, but the city has had a changing population. Detroit had nearly 1.7 million residents in the 1960s, but that number dropped to about 620,376 in 2022. 

But the data can be hard to verify since the Federal Bureau of Investigation quietly updated its 2022 crime data to show an increase in violent crimes, despite previous data showing violent crimes had fallen that year, which was touted as a victory for the Biden-Harris administration. 

Detroit police are currently investigating a double shooting that killed an 18-year-old early Monday afternoon. And just a day after the rally, two men are in critical condition after being shot Wednesday morning near Detroit’s New Center district.

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Both candidates are vying to win the battleground state’s vote with the election just two weeks away. On Friday, Trump also made a Detroit rally stop, promising to put “Detroit first,” “Michigan first,” and “America first.”

Trump told supporters, “Your beautiful place, your beautiful city” was “decimated as if by a foreign army.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Team Trump Michigan communications director Victoria LaCivita said: “Like many Americans, President Trump remembers when Detroit was lauded as the gold standard for auto manufacturing success and revolutionized the industry. Detroit has suffered from globalist policies championed by Kamala Harris that have shipped manufacturing overseas. Detroit’s population has dropped over 60 percent since 1960, maintains the third highest homicide rate in the nation, and a poverty rate for full-time workers three times as high as the rest of Michigan. As President Trump emphasized in his speech, his policies will usher in a new era of economic success and stability for Detroit, helping the city reach its fullest potential.” 

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

Social media erupted on Tuesday after the Democratic candidate running against Sen. Josh Hawley for his Senate seat in Missouri accidentally shot a reporter at a campaign event.

“Great day at the range today with my friend @AdamKinzinger,” Democratic Senate candidate Lucas Kunce posted on X on Tuesday. 

“We got to hang out with some union workers while exercising our freedom. Always have your first aid kit handy. Shrapnel can always fly when you hit a target like today, and you’ve got to be ready to go. We had four first aid kits, so we were able to take care of the situation, and I’m glad Ryan is okay and was able to continue reporting.”

KSHB-TV’s Ryan Gamboa was the only person injured after a bullet fragment struck his arm, and Kunce, a Marine Corps veteran who was shooting an AR-15 at the time, wrapped his wound with gauze, the Kansas City Star reported.

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Social media reactions from conservatives quickly poured in on X, including from Hawley, who posted online saying, “I know the Kunce campaign needed a shot in the arm, but this is taking it a little far…”

“Democrats Lucas Kunce & Adam Kinzinger apparently accidentally shot a reporter at an event today,” Hawley Communications Director Abigail Jackson posted on X. “Are these guys trying to make Tim Walz look competent with a gun?”

“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X. “Shooting steel targets this close is a recipe for disaster.”

HAWLEY DEMANDS SECRET SERVICE ADDRESS TRUMP GOLF COURSE ‘VULNERABILITIES’ EXPOSED BY WHISTLEBLOWER

“Absolutely mind-blowing insanity from a candidate for a political party that wants to take away your guns because it claims you can’t safely own them,” Federalist CEO and co-founder Sean Davis posted on X.

“You could’ve killed somebody today, you freaking moron,” Davis added. “What kind of a brain dead idiot shoots steel inside 10 yards with a rifle?”

“They were shooting at a metal target a few years away and apparently some shrapnel or ricochet hit a reporter covering the event on the elbow,” Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross posted on X. “‘Great day at the range.'”

“Word of advice: If you don’t want somebody to get hit by shrapnel when you go shooting, it’s probably not the best idea to fire at steel targets 10 feet in front of you with rifles,” digital strategist Greg Price posted on X.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to talk to union workers about our freedoms at the range,” Kunce told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Safety is important to us which is why the range was set up and run by a certified NRA training counselor. But any time you are handling weapons, you need to be prepared. We acted quickly and I’m glad the reporter was okay and able to keep reporting.”

Kunce responded to a post from Hawley that said, “When liberals play with guns, people get hurt,” with a clip of Hawley running through the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“The last time Josh Hawley saw a gun,” Kunce wrote.

The United Kingdom’s Labour Party is pushing back Wednesday on allegations from the Trump campaign that it is providing “illegal foreign assistance” to Kamala Harris. 

Representatives for Trump announced last night they have “filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint against the Harris-Walz Campaign and the Labour Party of the United Kingdom for illegal foreign campaign contributions and interference in our elections.” 

“The far-left Labour Party has inspired Kamala’s dangerously liberal policies and rhetoric. In recent weeks, they have recruited and sent party members to campaign for Kamala in critical battleground states, attempting to influence our election,” Trump-Vance Campaign Co-Manager Susie Wiles said in a statement. 

However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday that any members of his Labour Party that are in the U.S. are acting as volunteers and “what they’ve done in previous elections, is what they’re doing in this election,” according to The Associated Press. 

LABOUR PARTY TO DESCEND ON US TO HELP HARRIS 

“I spent time in New York with President Trump, had dinner with him, and my purpose in doing that was to make sure that between the two of us, we established a good relationship, which we did, and I was very grateful to him for making the time,” Starmer added. “Of course, as prime minister of the United Kingdom, I will work with whoever the American people return as their president in the elections.” 

The filing from Trump’s campaign mentions a now-deleted social media post from Labour Party leader Sofia Patel, who took to LinkedIn to solicit help from current and former members of the party who would be willing to campaign for Harris in the key battleground state of North Carolina. 

Patel indicated in her post that she had already organized “nearly 100 Labour Party staff” to stump across the key battleground states of Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia but had about 10 spots left for anyone willing to head to North Carolina.   

“We will sort your housing,” Patel assured anyone interested.  

DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST JAMES CARVILLE DECLARES HE’S ‘CERTAIN’ HARRIS WILL WIN 

An attorney for the Trump campaign wrote in the filing that “the language of her post supports a reasonable inference that the Labour Party will finance at least travel and facilitate room and board.” 

“Press reports further support a reasonable inference that the Harris campaign is aware of these efforts, and thus has accepted a prohibited foreign national contribution,” he continued. “Moreover, even if the individuals traveling to the United States were ‘volunteers,’ the Labour Party appears to be using party resources, including paid staff time, to coordinate their travel.” 

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: A top official in then-President George W. Bush’s administration, who made history as the nation’s first female Department of Agriculture secretary, is the latest leading Republican to back Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump.

And the endorsement of the vice president by Ann Veneman – shared first with Fox News Digital on Wednesday – comes as the Harris campaign continues its efforts to court Republicans who didn’t support Trump during this year’s GOP nomination race – and as the campaign aims to cut into the former president’s support among rural voters.

“As our nation stands at a critical juncture, the upcoming presidential election presents a stark contrast in leadership and values, particularly for rural communities and agriculture,” Veneman said in a statement.

Veneman, who grew up on a peach farm in California and also made history as the first female U.S. secretary of Agriculture – in President George H.W. Bush’s administration – and the first woman to serve as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, argued that “Donald Trump’s current tariff proposal is dangerous for rural America. It would raise prices on essential goods, harm farmers by undermining key trade relationships, and increase costs for consumers.”

THIS TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN GOES ON A BATTLEGROUND STATES BLITZ WITH KAMALA HARRIS 

And pointing to proposals by Harris and her running mate – Minnesota Gov. Tim  Walz – Veneman emphasized that “their plan for rural communities is a bold vision for the future that invests in economic growth, critical infrastructure, and greater access to care for families.  Together, they offer the leadership we need to help agriculture and rural America thrive.”

Walz last week highlighted the Harris campaign’s plans to improve the lives of rural voters, which include proposals to recruit 10,000 new healthcare professionals in rural and tribal areas through scholarships, loan forgiveness and new grant programs. 

The Harris campaign aims to put a dent in Trump’s strong support in rural communities. The former president carried rural voters by a nearly two-to-one margin in the 2020 election, according to a Fox News voter analysis. 

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION

Veneman, with her endorsement, also becomes the latest high-ranking member of former President George W. Bush’s administration to back Harris. At the top of that list is former Vice President Dick Cheney.

And Veneman’s endorsement comes two days after Harris campaigned in three key battleground states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin – with Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

The younger Cheney, once a rising conservative star in the GOP, in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory, has vowed to do everything she can to prevent the former president from returning to power.

While Trump retains vast sway over the GOP, even a small sliver of Republicans supporting Harris could make a consequential impact in what will likely be a race within the margins in the key swing states.

The Harris campaign is courting such voters with on-the-ground events and through paid media efforts.

At a campaign event last week in Pennsylvania where Harris was joined by leading anti-Trump Republicans – including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan – the vice president was introduced by lifelong Pennsylvania Republicans Bob and Kristina Lange.

The Langes, who own a family farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, have also starred in a Harris campaign commercial. The Langes say they’ve seen a barrage of hateful and derogatory messages following their appearance in the Harris ad.

But in a Fox News Digital interview last week, they noted that their Republican friends say “that they’re on the same page that we are. They’re approaching us and telling us ‘We’re behind you.’ They’re thanking us for what we’re doing. They’re thanking us for being brave because many people are afraid to speak out against Trump because of revenge and other things like that.”

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

Wealthy business magnate Elon Musk and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are trading jabs as Election Day 2024 draws near, with Walz accusing Musk of “skippin’ like a dips—” and Musk most recently comparing Walz to the clown face emoji.

On the campaign trail in Wisconsin on Tuesday, Walz facetiously referred to Musk as former President Donald Trump’s “running mate.”

The billionaire business tycoon has endorsed Trump and is campaigning for him.

“Elon’s on that stage, jumpin’ around, skippin’ like a dips— … ” Walz said.

TIM WALZ SLAMS ELON MUSK AS A ‘DIPS—’ DURING RALLY WITH OBAMA IN WISCONSIN

Musk poured millions of dollars into the America PAC, which is awarding $1 million each day to one person who has signed a petition expressing support for the First and Second Amendments. 

“Every day, from now through Nov 5, @America PAC will be giving away $1M to someone in swing states who signed our petition to support free speech & the right to bear arms! We want to make sure that everyone in swing states hears about this and I suspect this will ensure they do,” Musk recently tweeted.

Trump has said that as president he would establish a “government efficiency commission,” and that Musk has agreed to helm the task force.

ELON MUSK GIVES $75M TO PRO-TRUMP SUPER PAC, HITS ROAD IN PENNSYLVANIA

“That guy is literally the richest man in the world, spending millions of dollars to help Donald Trump buy an election,” Walz said. “Donald Trump has already promised that he would put Elon in charge of government regulations that oversee the businesses that Elon runs.”

Musk is mocking Walz in posts on X.

“You’re gonna lose, @Tim_Walz,” Musk tweeted along with the clown emoji when responding to a clip of Walz’s remarks. “Saving the American people from the torture of hearing you speak for 4 years was worth it,” he added, concluding the post with the tears of joy emoji.

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Musk also shared a meme mocking Walz, and commented, “It’s as if the [clown face] emoji came to life.”

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick slammed his opponent in the highly-anticipated race, Sen. Bob Casey, for “retaliating against McDonald’s” after former President Donald Trump visited a location of the fast-food company in the Keystone State while on the campaign trail. 

A trio of Senate Democrats, Casey, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, issued a letter Monday to the CEO of McDonald’s, slamming the company for reported price gouging, just one day after Trump worked the fryer at a franchise of the fast-food chain during a campaign event Feasterville, Pennsylvania. 

The trio’s letter accused the business of inflating prices on consumers to grow profits, sparking McCormick to slam Casey for using “vindictive pressure tactics, simply because he doesn’t like Donald Trump.”

“After President Trump’s wildly popular visit to the local Feasterville McDonald’s franchise, Bob Casey has stooped to a new low by retaliating against McDonald’s. This is just the latest in a string of anti-business attacks by Casey on Pennsylvania small businesses and employees. Casey is a liberal, partisan, career politician who knows his family dynasty is coming to an end, so he resorts to a vindictive pressure tactic, simply because he doesn’t like Donald Trump,” McCormick told Fox News Digital. 

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The senators’ letter, which did not cite Trump, was sent one day after Trump’s visit to a McDonald’s in Casey’s home state of Pennsylvania on Sunday. 

“While McDonald’s is not the only fast food restaurant that has increased prices significantly in recent years, its dominant market position as the largest fast food chain in the United States has an outsize impact on American consumers,” the trio of senators wrote in their letter. “While working families are trying to make ends meet, McDonald’s and its corporate counterparts have continued to grow their profits.”

TRUMP MAKES FRIES AT PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALDS: ‘I’VE NOW WORKED FOR 15 MINUTES MORE THAN KAMALA’

The letter called on the McDonald’s CEO to address questions such as how the company makes pricing decisions on individual menu items, if McDonald’s provides guidelines to franchisees regarding pricing decisions and if McDonald’s executives received bonuses or other incentive-based compensation between 2020 and 2024. 

McDonald’s hit back that the letter “demonstrates a lack of understanding of our franchise business model.” 

“McDonald’s and our franchisees are committed to keeping prices affordable – from the everyday prices on our menu boards, to our popular $5 Meal Deal and other offers available locally or on the App. This letter demonstrates a lack of understanding of our franchise business model and contains contortions of facts and many inaccuracies. Take the components of the $5 Meal Deal with McChicken, for example – which would have cost 15% more in 2020 than they do today. That’s the opposite of price gouging. We will respond to the letter, and in the meantime, continue to show up for our customers and our communities,” McDonald’s told Fox News Digital in a comment Tuesday. 

Casey pinning blame for inflation and economic woes on price gouging has been a common theme of his highly-anticipated re-election campaign, which shifted from a lean Democrat race to a toss-up by Cook Political Report in a last-minute update this week. Pennsylvania is viewed as the top battleground state this election cycle that will likely determine the outcome of the federal election, with political eyes also locked on the Senate race that pits Casey against McCormick.

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“The corporations say your prices are up only because their costs are up,” Casey declared at the DNC over the summer. “They are selling you a lie. It’s in the bag with the diapers. Prices are up because these corporations are scheming to drive them up.”

The McCormick campaign has hit back that the argument is hogwash, saying that prices have increased for consumers due to the federal government’s “wasteful” spending that was “rubber-stamped” by Democrats such as Casey. 

Nearly all McDonald’s locations in the U.S. are individually owned franchises, including the one in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, Trump visited on Sunday. 

“I’ve now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala at McDonald’s,” Trump said through the drive-thru window as he handed out orders. 

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“I love McDonald’s, I love jobs, I like to see good jobs. And I think it’s inappropriate when somebody puts down all over the place that you work. Think that was a big part of her resume and that you worked at McDonald’s,” he added. 

The McDonald’s that Trump visited is owned by Derek Giacomantonio, who told Fox Digital on Sunday that the franchise opens “our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community.”  

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“As a small, independent business owner, it is a fundamental value of my organization that we proudly open our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community. That’s why I accepted former President Trump’s request to observe the transformative working experience that 1 in 8 Americans have had: a job at McDonald’s,” Giacomantonio said. 

“As a former crew member, I can attest this job is more than burgers and fries, but a meaningful pathway to opportunity. Local Pennsylvania franchisees like me are proud to provide more than 25,000 jobs across the state and I’m honored to showcase my restaurant and the incredible impact of the franchise business model here today,” Giacomantonio continued. 

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Trump’s visit to the McDonald’s has spurred outrage from Democrats, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who accused Trump of “laughing at” American workers by visiting the McDonald’s. 

“You’ve got Donald Trump putting on a little McDonald’s costume, because he thinks that’s what people do,” Ocasio-Cortez said during a “Get Out the Early Vote” union event in Pennsylvania. “They’re not trying to empathize with us. They are making fun of us.”

Trump supporters have championed the McDonald’s visit as iconic, posting memes and photos of the former president in support of his re-election. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the trio of senators and Casey’s campaign regarding the letter but did not receive replies. 

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

Some Arab leaders in southeast Michigan have heard enough from Vice President Kamala Harris and are now encouraging their community to throw their support behind former President Donald Trump.

“Just look where we’re at right now and look where we were before,” Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi told reporters during an online call Monday.

Bazzi’s comments represent a growing sentiment among some Arab leaders in Michigan, where there has been increasingly negative sentiment around the Biden administration’s handling of the conflicts in the Middle East.

In Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit with the largest per capita Muslim population in the United States, a movement bubbled up earlier this year to “Abandon Biden” during the state’s Democratic primary. While President Biden was still able to secure the nomination, leaders of the campaign against him hailed its success, noting that over 100,000 people failed to support the president and arguing they would continue to use their influence as the general election drew near.

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The Democrats’ disconnect with many Arabs and Muslims in Dearborn has failed to improve since, even after Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and Harris’ quick ascent to the top of the ticket, leaving Democrats with a possible large hole in their typical coalition of support in a state that could make or break their chances at winning this year’s election.

However, questions remained whether members of a community who have traditionally voted Democrat for so long and where Trump was deeply unpopular could suddenly turn around and support his latest bid for the White House, something Bazzi is now encouraging them to do.

“I can tell you, a lot of people are actually swaying to voting for Trump because they really don’t like what going on,” Bazzi said. “They think their future doesn’t look bright with the administration and the way they’re heading.”

Bazzi was joined on the call by Hamtramck, Michigan, Mayor Amer Ghalib, who leads the nation’s only Muslim-run city and made waves last month by announcing his endorsement of Trump.

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“The current administration has done nothing, and the war is expanding to other countries, and it could be a regional war and maybe even World War Three,” Ghalib said. “President Trump keeps saying that he will end the chaos in the Middle East, and I talked to him personally, I told him ‘your strength is that no wars happened during your term, so we want it to stay that way.’”

While Ghalib acknowledged that some of Trump’s past rhetoric offended those in the community, his outreach since has made a difference. That outreach has worked, the mayor argued, noting that there is a “portion of the community that’s considering supporting Trump, and historically, those people used to vote Democrat.”

One of those people is Dearborn’s Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center founder and Imam Husham Al-Hussainy, who told reporters on the call that he is now leaning towards support for Trump.

“I lean towards Mr. Trump because I found him closer to the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran. Because I support peace, no war,” he said, adding that the country “deserves to have a strong leader where he can bring peace in this world.”

Meanwhile, Ghalib had a message for those in his community thinking about voting for a third party or sitting out, arguing that nothing could be worse than keeping Democrats in power.

“Some people are trying to vote for a third party because they predict that President Trump may do the same thing or even worse,” he said. “What could be worse than what’s going on now? There’s nothing worse.”

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

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is celebrating after the Georgia Supreme Court rejected Republicans’ effort to reinstate a new slate of ballot security rules before Election Day.

“Donald Trump and his MAGA ‘pit bulls’ in Georgia have tried to create chaos in our elections and sow doubt in the result, but again and again, Democrats have stood strong to protect the votes of all Georgians,” a joint statement from Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson Charles Lutvak, DNC rapid response director Alex Floyd, and Georgia Democrats communications director Dave Hoffman said on Tuesday night.

The “pit bulls” remark was in reference to the three members of Georgia’s State Elections Board (SEB) who passed the rules change in a 3-2 vote last month. Former President Trump praised all three by name during a rally in Georgia in August, calling them “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory.”

GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE

The Democrats’ statement to Fox News Digital continued, “After more than 1 million Georgians have already voted, today’s ruling means millions more will be able to do so knowing that Trump won’t be able to interfere with the election results when he loses again.”

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The statement came hours after the state Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) request for an expedited appeal of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox’s decision calling the SEB’s new measures “illegal, unconstitutional, and void.”

The appeal is expected to move forward on a regular timeline, but it would ensure the new SEB rules do not take effect until after Election Day.

Among the most controversial rules were a requirement for ballots at each precinct to be hand counted by three separate county officials to ensure the total matched the machine-tabulated number, as well as a provision directing county boards to certify election results only after “a reasonable inquiry” into their accuracy, among others.

GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE

Democrats wrote in an amicus brief ahead of the state high court ruling Tuesday, “The Hand Count Rule would have disrupted election administration across Georgia and brought further disorder on November 5 and beyond — imposing concrete and irreparable harm without any countervailing benefit, given Georgia’s established rigorous ballot counting and tabulating procedures.”

The SEB measures struck down by Cox also included heightened ID requirements for people delivering absentee ballots to drop boxes, and a rule requiring video surveillance of drop boxes for votes cast there to be counted.

Supporters of the rules, which included state and county Republican Party officials, said they were necessary guardrails to ensure voter confidence in this year’s elections.

‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS

But Democrats argued they were intended to sow chaos and doubt throughout the election process.

Republican opponents of the rules, which include Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and multiple county officials, said they would be unworkable to implement this close to an election and would fuel delays.

Meanwhile, nearly 2 million Georgia voters have already cast their pre-Election Day ballots – more than one in four people. 

President Biden won Georgia by less than 1% in 2020, making it a critical battleground for both parties.

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

Plaintiffs in a major case challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) new heavy-duty vehicle emissions standards filed their opening brief in litigation, Fox News Digital has learned.

The new rules, finalized in March, stipulate that 40% of work trucks and 25% of semis would have to be zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) by 2032, among other restrictions.

The American Petroleum Institute (API), a group representing 600 entities that produce and distribute the majority of U.S. energy and a prominent plaintiff in one of the suits, saw the court consolidate its filing with those from half a dozen other similar lawsuits brought by corn growers, trucking interests and a consortium of 25 states led by Nebraska.

“Americans overwhelmingly oppose the government telling them what to buy and drive, but this administration’s relentless pursuit of vehicle mandates does just that,” Ryan Meyers, vice president and general counsel for API, said.

EPA SUED OVER ‘CAPRICIOUS’ BIG-RIG EMISSIONS STANDARDS CRITICS CLAIM COULD CRIPPLE CORN INDUSTRY

“EPA’s misguided effort to force electrification of America’s trucking industry is contrary to law and threatens to disrupt the nation’s supply chain, leaving consumers in the crosshairs,” he added.”

Meyers called the mandates “unworkable” and reiterated his call for them to be rescinded.

At the same time, several entities intervened in support of the EPA, including the American Lung Association, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, District of Columbia and Appalachian Mountain Club, according to the filing.

While the EPA has strenuously argued the new restrictions do not constitute a forthcoming “ban” on conventional big rigs, an official with the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) previously said that the aim is clearly to “phase out” diesel and bio-diesel power.

EPA SUED BY CONSUMER, MANUFACTURING, AGRICULTURAL COALITIONS OVER BIDEN’S NEW VEHICLE EMISSIONS RULES

“Americans will pay dearly because of [them],” AFPM general counsel Rich Moskowitz told Fox News Digital in June.

In the new filing, plaintiffs argue that U.S. industry relies on heavy-duty vehicles that are primarily diesel powered and that “hardly any” electric big rigs are on the road right now.

“That market reality bears no resemblance to the [Biden] administration’s ambitious goal that ‘100 percent of all new … heavy-duty vehicles sold in 2040 be zero-emission vehicles” so the Administration has turned to mandates to reshape the nation’s heavy-duty fleet.”

The plaintiffs argued there is no law that permits the feds – including EPA – to mandate electric vehicles and that the agency has gone forward with its restrictions without any congressional authorization.

They went on to cite a case in which the Supreme Court sided with the State of West Virginia against the EPA in ruling the agency didn’t have the authority to regulate power plant emissions in terms of provisions from former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan.

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A spokesperson for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) also offered comment at the time of the suit’s original filing, saying the EPA is trying to “impose a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing climate change by prioritizing electric vehicles over other climate remedies like corn ethanol.”

Then-NCGA President Harold Wolle, a farmer from Minnesota, argued that it might take decades to standardize electric vehicles on-the-road. 

In the interim, corn-based ethanol also offers a lower-carbon fuel option and “saves consumers money at the pump while benefiting America’s rural economies,” he said.

When reached, an EPA spokesperson said the agency declined to offer formal comment or additional information, citing pending litigation.

Two swing districts in New York appear to be split, as GOP first-term incumbents fight to hold their House seats. 

Republican Rep. Nick LaLota holds a three-point lead over Democrat challenger, former CNN anchor John Avlon, in New York’s 1st Congressional District, which includes most of Suffolk County on eastern Long Island. LaLota has 47% support, while Avlon has 44%, according to a new Newsday/Siena College poll. 

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, the first-term Republican representing New York’s 4th Congressional District encompassing central and southern Nassau County on Long Island, is behind by 12 percentage points. The poll found 53% of likely voters in the district support Democrat challenger, former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen, while 41% support D’Esposito, who previously served on Hempstead Town Council. 

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Their race is a rematch from 2022, when D’Esposito edged a slim victory over Gillen by four points. 

The majority of voters in the 1st Congressional District, which includes the Hamptons and rural farmland, supported former President Donald Trump in 2020 and 2016, and Avlon has faced questions over the extent of his residency in the district. The race moved from leaning Republican to likely Republican, according to the Fox News Power Ranking.

According to the Newsday/Siena College poll, Vice President Kamala Harris is ahead of Trump by one percentage point in LaLota’s district. In D’Esposito’s district, the poll shows Harris ahead of Trump, 54-42%. 

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat who has represented New York since 2009, is leading in both districts. The poll also showed that 55% of likely voters in New York’s 1st District and 49% of likely voters in New York’s 4th District view Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as unfavorable. Hochul is not up for re-election until 2026. 

Eleven districts within a 90-mile drive of Manhattan are expected to be among the country’s most closely contested House races on Election Day and could decide which party controls the U.S. House. 

The nearly contiguous circle starts in the Long Island suburbs, cuts through Connecticut and New York’s Hudson River Valley, then carves through eastern Pennsylvania before curling back into New Jersey. Trump struggled in the area outside of New York City in 2020, but Republicans picked up wins there in the 2022 midterm elections.

Fox News’ Remy Numa and The Associated Press contributed to this report.