With early voting kicking off in North Carolina just weeks after Hurricane Helene hit, lawmakers there are optimistic that the storm will have little impact on Americans’ access to the ballot box.

Not only that – a pair of Tar Heel Republican officials told Fox News Digital they believe former President Donald Trump will ultimately win the state.

“I think we’re actually going to see a shocking turnout here,” Rep. Jake Johnson, a member of the state assembly, said on Thursday. “People are really going above and beyond to make sure during this time – especially if they’re frustrated about the way the federal government has handled things.”

Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., whose congressional district was hit hard by Helene, said, “Although we’re very busy right now recovering from the storm, we remember what all our lives were like the day before Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina.”

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

“Families were struggling. Gas prices were climbing. We saw an open border that seemed to go unnoticed or ignored by the Harris and Biden administration. We saw a record amount of fentanyl coming into our country,” Edwards said. 

Helene ravaged the Southeastern U.S. roughly three weeks ago, killing dozens of people across multiple states. 

Northwestern North Carolina was hit particularly hard by the storm and the mudslides it caused, with whole communities believed to have been washed away.

Concerns about voter access after the storm were compounded by North Carolina’s status as a swing state. Trump won there by less than 2% in 2020, and both his and Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaigns are pouring enormous political resources into the state this year.

In a rare show of bipartisanship, however, the Republican-led state legislature worked with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to pass a sweeping elections package to make it easier for people in affected counties to reach a ballot box ahead of Nov. 5.

HURRICANE HELENE: NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS FIGHT FOR THEIR SURVIVAL AS BASIC GOODS BECOME SCARCE

Edwards, who just last week told Fox News Digital that he was concerned about residents not being able to vote, said he now believes “we’re going to see record turnout at the polls.”

The congressman went to an early voting facility himself earlier on Thursday. He spoke with voters he said were “enthused” and “optimistic.”

“I was really excited to see the turnout. We had two lanes of traffic down, two different highways with folks coming in to vote,” Edwards said. “There was a lot of energy.”

He suggested that the enthusiasm would bode well for Trump, after speaking with voters unhappy with the current state of the country beyond the storm.

NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY ‘HUNTING’ FOR MISSING TEACHERS IN ‘DEVASTATING’ AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HELENE

Meanwhile, Johnson said it was the storm recovery itself that would push more people to vote for Trump.

He said the “lack of response” some rural areas of North Carolina saw immediately after the storm could spur people in those areas to vote Republican.

“If you talk to the average person out there, you know, I think they would agree a lot of this was kind of botched from the top-down as far as the federal response,” Johnson said. “I think we’re actually going to be shocked at the level of turnout, how good it’ll be in western North Carolina.”

He and Edwards both also credited the state government’s elections legislation for making it easier for those motivated voters to turn out.

Notably, the White House’s response to the storm has been praised by other Republican officials, like the governors of Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee. 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., a conservative, also had rare praise for President Biden’s handling of the situation.

North Carolina residents shattered the state’s first-day early voting record on Thursday, fueling optimism among officials that the storm will ultimately have little impact on likely voters.

The State Board of Elections said that 353,166 people voted in-person, breaking the same record set in 2020 by roughly 4,500 votes, according to the Charlotte News & Observer.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll shows Harris with a slight two-point lead over Trump in North Carolina. The former president led Harris by the same margin last month.

Vice President Kamala Harris was joined by pop stars Usher and Lizzo at separate rallies in Georgia and Michigan, respectively, on Saturday, as the Democratic presidential nominee continued her push through the key swing states to Election Day.

“We can make a difference in this election, Georgia,” Usher told an enthusiastic crowd in Atlanta on Saturday evening, explaining that he was in his home state for his “Past, Present, and Future” tour, but took a break to speak out for Harris. 

“Normally, I’m up here to entertain, but today for something far more significant for Atlanta and all of Georgia,” he told the audience at the Lakewood Amphitheatre. 

The “Yeah!” singer said that he supports Harris because she “fights for everyone’s rights, for freedom, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from. She has a vision for our country that includes everyone.” 

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“We can make a difference in this election, Georgia,” he added. “Let’s vote for a future, ladies and gentlemen.” 

Lizzo spoke earlier at a Harris get-out-the-vote rally in the singer’s hometown of Detroit, calling Michigan the “swing state of all swing states, so every last vote here counts.”

She added, “If you ask me if America is ready for its first woman president, I only have one thing to say: “It’s about damn time!” referencing her 2022 song. 

HARRIS SAYS PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS ARE ‘AT THE WRONG RALLY’ HOURS BEFORE CATHOLIC CHARITY DINNER SNUB

Harris has made use of several musicians during her abbreviated campaign, including Megan Thee Stallion, Bon Iver, John Legend, Lil Jon, and Patti LaBelle, who have performed at rallies and August’s Democratic National Convention. 

“So Atlanta, we have 17 days left — 17 days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime. And look, let’s have some real talk. It’s going to be a tight race until the very end. And we are the underdog and we are running as the underdog,” Harris said. “But make no mistake, we will win. We will win. Yes we will. We will win. Yes we will. We? Also. And we will win. And we will win because we understand what is at stake.”

She was also endorsed by pop superstar Taylor Swift on the night of Harris and Trump’s only debate last month. 

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During her speech, Harris urged the state, which has broken records for early voting, to continue the trend, noting that if 100-year-old Jimmy Carter can vote, they can too. 

Former President Trump, who rallied in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, has also been pulling in star power with support from musicians such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Kid Rock, DaBaby, Jason Aldean, and Kanye West, as well as actor Dennis Quaid.

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to agree with an anti-Israel protester who accused the Jewish state of genocide during a campaign stop.

A video of the exchange during a campaign stop Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee showed the moment Harris was interrupted by a keffiyeh-wearing protester.

“I know what you’re speaking of. I want a cease-fire. I want the hostage deal done. I want the war to end,” Harris said.

“But what about the genocide? What about the genocide though?” the interrupting protester yelled.

KAMALA HARRIS APPLAUDS STUDENT WHO ACCUSED ISRAEL OF ‘ETHNIC GENOCIDE,’ FOR SPEAKING ‘YOUR TRUTH’

Harris replied, “I respect your right to speak, but I’m speaking right now,” prompting an eruption of cheers.

The man was removed from the crowd and continued to yell.

“How about the billions of dollars to Israel?” he shouted. “What about the 19,000 children dead, and you won’t call it a genocide?”

After the protester was escorted away, Harris addressed the audience and seemed to lend credence to his claim about Israel.

TWO WEEKS OUT, THE STATE OF THE RACE

“Listen, what he’s talking about, it’s real,” she said. “That’s not the subject that I came to discuss today, but it’s real, and I respect his voice.”

The vice president has never previously accused Israel of genocide during the Israel-Hamas war. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

Harris has previously appeared to agree with students who accused the Jewish state of genocide.

In 2021, Harris nodded while a student accused Israel of ethnic genocide and then responded by saying the student’s “truth should not be suppressed.” 

The student, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, had raised questions about the money the U.S. is providing Israel and Saudi Arabia and accused the Jewish State of genocide.

Harris said she “was glad” the student brought up such concerns and said her opinion should be heard in a democracy.

“And again, this is about the fact that your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth, should not be suppressed, and it must be heard, right? And one of the things we’re fighting for in a democracy, right?” Harris said.

Fox News Digital’s Jon Brown contributed to this report.

Former President Trump echoed Ronald Reagan on Saturday during a spirited battleground outdoor rally at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, asking, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”

Trump blasted the Biden-Harris administration right off the bat, calling the current White House a “nightmare of inflation, invasion, and humiliation.”

The Republican presidential nominee also commented on his attendance at the Catholic Charities’ Al Smith Dinner on Friday night, where Vice President Kamala Harris was noticeably absent.

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Trump recalled, “she’s the only one in years, decades that didn’t show up. She didn’t show up.” 

“And [Harris] ended up doing a tape that was pathetic,” said Trump. “And it was an insult to Catholics, frankly, because she was actually sort of knocking them or knocking religion that she had the other event the other day where she said, you’re in the wrong location when they started talking about a certain subject right here in the which basically was a knock on Christianity and a knock on religion, because she doesn’t know what the hell she’s saying.”

Trump was joined by a slate of speakers during Saturday night’s rally, including former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown.

“I want to say I know the media is going to call me crazy, me and Trump crazy for having me speak here,” Brown said. “But I want to make this clear. We are not. They are.”

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The crowd was both large and optimistic, with many children present at the rally dressed up as the former president and local steelworkers wearing hard hats. 

Trump opened his nearly two-hour stump with a tribute to his late friend and PGA golf legend Arnold Palmer.

“But there was nobody that had his magic. He was a thriller. He was unbelievable. He, he knew how to win and he knew how to,, just do whatever it was that electrified a crowd,” Trump said. “If I had him here right now with me, this crowd would be going absolutely crazy. They’d say, Trump, get off this stage. We want Arnold Palmer to speak.”

Trump said he was good friends with and named one of the villas on his Doral, Florida, property after Palmer, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and died in 2016.

Trump focused much of his energy and attention on the Keystone State, especially on manufacturing jobs.

“For most of American history, Pennsylvania was the commercial and industrial powerhouse of the United States. But year after year, globalist radical left politicians and incompetents like Kamala Harris have waged a war on your Commonwealth,” Trump said.

“They’ve annihilated your steel mills, decimated your coal jobs, assaulted your oil and gas jobs, and sold off your manufacturing jobs to China and foreign nations all over the world. Under the Trump administration, we are going to take back what is ours,” he said.

Pennsylvania rank-and-file steelworkers with the Mon Valley Works union were welcomed onstage by Trump, who offered him a commemorative hard hat. 

“The president saved the steel industry with tariffs, you saved it with tariffs,” said a steelworker. “And you’re my hero, and you’re the greatest president ever. We love you. So steelworkers for Trump and the rank-and-file Mon Valley Works wanted to endorse you.”

Trump plans on introducing a “Built in America” policy should he win in November, which would bring more manufacturing jobs back to Pennsylvania and the country at-large.

“So if we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole damn thing, right? And starting on day one of my new administration, I will end Kamala Harris’s war on Pennsylvania energy. Because, you know, she’s going to ban you know, she’s going to ban fracking, right? 100%,” Trump said.

“You know, she was against fracking, against all this stuff. And then all of a sudden, about a year and a half ago, when she was getting killed in the polls, she said, I like fracking very much,” he added.

According to a late September Fox News Poll, 60% of Pennsylvanians who are registered voters support fracking.

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“Pennsylvania, if you want to end this disaster, you must get out and vote,” Trump said. “You have to go and vote. Get everybody you can.”

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

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is warning fellow Democrats not to dismiss Elon Musk’s support for former President Trump in the Keystone State.

Nineteen Electoral College votes are at stake in Pennsylvania on Nov. 5 and the state is rated a toss up by Fox News’ Power Rankings. 

With both Trump and Vice President Harris fiercely competing there, and the winner likely to take the White House, the plain-dressed and plainspoken Fetterman told the New York Post in an interview that “Musk is a concern.” 

“Not even just that he has endorsed [Trump], but the fact that now he’s becoming an active participant and showing up and doing rallies and things like that,” Fetterman said, explaining that the enormously successful Tesla and SpaceX CEO is an attractive figure for the kinds of voters Harris needs to win.

“I mean, [Musk] is incredibly successful, and, you know, I think some people would see him as, like, a Tony Stark,” said Fetterman, referencing the popular Marvel Comics character. “Democrats, you know, kind of make light of it, or they make fun of him jumping up and down and things like that. And I would just say that they are doing that at our peril.”

FETTERMAN ADMITS ELON MUSK ‘ATTRACTIVE TO A DEMOGRAPHIC’ DEMOCRATS ‘NEED’ TO WIN PENNSYLVANIA

Musk, the world’s richest man, has described himself as a centrist and voted for Democrats in the past. He has since stated in various social media posts that the Democratic Party has drifted too leftward, embracing what he calls the “woke mind virus.” 

He appeared at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, alongside Trump earlier this month, where he told a crowd of Trump supporters that this is the “most important election of our lifetime.”

Musk also posted on X that he would be speaking at a series of town hall events in the battleground state through the weekend.

Additionally, the billionaire has put his money where his mouth is, donating $75 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, which focuses on voter turnout. 

TRUMP SUPPORTER ELON MUSK OFFERS MASSIVE HOURLY PAY TO THOSE WORKING TO INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT

Fetterman, who at times has clashed with the progresive wing of his party, told the Post that while he is not in a panic over 2024, the election in Pennsylvania is “going to be ridiculously close.” 

“Trump has a connection that’s undeniable. And anyone that spends any time across Pennsylvania can see that kind of devotion and that’s why it’s going to be very close,” Fetterman said, “Pennsylvania picks the president.”

Fetterman had stood solidly behind President Biden while other Democrats sought to drive the president out of the 2024 race after his widely-panned debate performance against Trump in June. He maintains that Biden would be competitive with Trump had he not withdrawn.

“I’d like to remind everybody that Biden is the only person that’s ever beaten Trump,” Fetterman said,

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He described the effort to put Biden out to pasture as “a total blowtorch.” 

“You had the Democratic side, you have the ongoing, right wing media, and then the celebrities got involved in it as well, too. And then the New York Times became the, ‘he’s got to go’ outlet throughout all that as well.”

Fetterman emphasized that he fully supports Harris now and believes she can win Pennsylvania.

“Harris could not have run a better campaign than she has so far right now,” he told the Post.

Fox News Digital’s Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.

A small village near Cincinnati, Ohio, is struggling with an influx of Mauritanian illegal immigrants, with officials warning that they are facing an economic shortfall as a result and that the quality of life is being affected.

“If you look at 2021, 2022, the United States had seen a huge influx of immigrants from Mauritania. Somehow, a good number of them have landed in Lockland,” Lockland Village Administrator Dough Wehmeyer told Fox News Digital.

A Washington Post analysis in June found that over 15,000 residents from Mauritania came to the U.S. last year, a 2,800% increase over 2022, when just 543 arrived. Lockland, a village in the southwest of Ohio of about 3,500 people, has seen what it says is a large number of arrivals. The Post reported that there were 2,700 who settled in Ohio in 2023, with about half going to nearby Cincinatti.

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Wehmeyer said that at least two of the nearby apartment complexes are over-occupied. Apartments should house four people apiece, and authorities are finding up to 12 people in each unit.

“You have an apartment building that’s . . . say, 80 units at four people per unit. That’s about 320 people. When you double or maybe even triple that population, the building systems aren’t designed to handle that.”

“So when you use the utilities, that’s backing up. We have instances where people are going in to take a shower and feces is running out of the drains, filling the bathtubs as it comes from a floor above. That’s compounded probably by the cooking methods that they use, which is a heavy grease-laden process.”

He also noted that a building designed to have 320 people in it, but that may have significantly more, also comes with the risk of not having enough exits, and he said there have been issues with people getting out of buildings during fires.

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He also noted the financial strain it has put on the small community. Illegal immigrants claiming asylum may not work right away, and it can be months before they are qualified for work permits if they claim asylum.

“So, most of the immigrants living in Lockland are unable to work. And if they are unable to work, they’re unable to pay taxes,” he said. “And they have essentially displaced the taxpaying residents of these 200 apartment units and filled them with non-tax-paying residents. We’re losing about $125,000 to 150,000 in revenue because of that.”

He says the village has requested help from congressional offices, and has met with a few, as well as state representatives and the governor’s office. He says that Lockland is looking for financial assistance to recoup the financial losses the village is facing, but believes progress is being made.

“I don’t know how they found our small village. We like it. We think it’s a great place to live, but the quality of life here is definitely being affected by this problem,” he said.

Lockland’s struggles echo those in other towns and cities across the country where there have been a significant influx of migrants. Towns like Springfield, Ohio, and Charleroi, Pennsylvania, have seen a significant increase in the number of migrants from Haiti. Meanwhile, cities like Chicago and New York have been vocal in the strain that influxes of hundreds of thousands of migrants from across the border have had on their cities.

Meanwhile, immigration has become a top issue for voters ahead of the 2024 election, with many polls showing former President Donald Trump with a strong lead over Vice President Kamala Harris on handling the issue.

The Republican candidate in Wisconsin, businessman Eric Hovde, took several opportunities during the only Senate debate between himself and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., on Friday night to call her out for refusing to disclose her partner’s finances, calling it a conflict of interest. 

“Her partner on Wall Street, a Wall Street executive, is investing in Big Tech and Big Pharma,” he claimed. 

Baldwin’s longtime partner, Maria Brisbane, is a private wealth adviser under Morgan Stanley and caters to clients with “ultra-high net worth,” per the Brisbane group’s website.

JUDGE ORDERS MORE JACK SMITH TRUMP INVESTIGATION DOCS TO BE MADE PUBLIC AHEAD OF ELECTION

However, Brisbane’s clients are unknown due to confidentiality outlined in Morgan Stanley’s code of conduct, as well as the fact that she and Baldwin are not married. 

Brisbane and Baldwin have dated since 2018 and share a home in Washington, D.C. Senators are not required to disclose the finances of partners, only spouses. 

During questions on healthcare policy, childcare policy and ethics, Hovde brought attention to Baldwin’s “Wall Street partner.”

HARD-LINE GOP EFFORT TO DECENTRALIZE SENATE LEADER AUTHORITY DASHED BY MCCONNELL ALLY

“I’m not taking special interest money like Senator Baldwin,” he said. “In fact, her partner is making money off of it. And doesn’t even disclose the profit she’s making.”

While the investments Brisbane is making are unknown, her previous roles have involved work with biotechnology companies and funds. 

Baldwin’s partner was previously manager of a biotechnology mutual fund, according to a progress report from 2017 for the Cancer Research & Treatment Fund (CR&T). 

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Additionally, Brisbane listed on her firm’s previous archived website under Merrill Private Wealth Management that she “manages custom-tailored equity portfolios that place emphasis on large-growth stocks – with an effort to enhance performance through small biotechnology and technology companies.”

Hovde specifically pointed to Baldwin’s committee roles that he said were potentially at odds with her partner’s work on behalf of wealthy clients.

Baldwin is on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 

“They don’t disclose those investments and how much they’re profiting from it,” Hovde said of Baldwin and Brisbane. “That’s fundamentally wrong. And you should disclose what investments your partner is making.”

HARRIS BARNSTORMS WISCONSIN IN 1-DAY SWING STATE TOUR TARGETING YOUNG VOTERS

The senator was not compelled by her opponent’s argument to disclose Brisbane’s finances, telling him he “should stay out of my personal life.”

At another point, Baldwin criticized Hovde for targeting her partner and said she was interested instead in his “professional life.” 

In attendance at the swing state debate was Senate Republican conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who stumped on behalf of Hovde. He claimed Baldwin was “rattled,” and his Democrat colleague “would have been much happier in Manhattan with Maria tonight than here in Madison, Wisconsin.”

In less than three weeks, the two will face off in a tight Wisconsin Senate race, which is considered a “toss up” by top political handicapper the Cook Political Report. 

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Vice President Harris will campaign in several “blue wall” suburban battleground states next week when she will be joined by former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, a one-time rising conservative star in the GOP who, in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol, has vowed to do everything she can to prevent Trump from returning to power.

Harris and Cheney will team up for a series of “moderated conversations” targeting suburban voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to several reports citing the Harris campaign team.  The events will be moderated by longtime Republican strategist Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, and conservative radio host and writer Charlie Sykes, per The Hill. 

Harris and Cheney will speak to voters in Chester County, Philadelphia, and Oakland County, Detroit, as well as Waukesha County, Milwaukee. The latter will take place the day before early in-person voting begins in the Badger State.

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The Harris campaign is seeking to appeal to disaffected Republican voters who are skeptical of supporting former President Trump in November.

The news comes just weeks after Cheney stumped for Harris in Ripon, Wisconsin, with the former Republican congresswoman becoming the Democratic nominee’s most prominent conservative surrogate.

Cheney, the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, once rose within the ranks of House Republican leadership. 

But she was the most high-profile of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Trump in early 2021 on a charge of inciting the deadly January 6th riot at the Capitol, which was waged by some Trump supporters who aimed to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s Electoral College victory in the 2020 election.

TRUMP UPS HIS ANTE IN THE 2024 FUNDRAISING FIGHT WITH HARRIS

The conservative lawmaker and defense hawk immediately came under verbal attack from Trump and his allies and was eventually ousted from her No. 3 House GOP leadership position.

Cheney, who has been vocal in emphasizing the importance of defending the nation’s democratic process and of putting country before party, was one of only two Republicans who served on a special select committee organized by House Democrats that investigated the riot at the Capitol.

In 2022, she lost the GOP congressional primary in Wyoming to Harriet Hageman, a candidate backed by Trump.

At a speaking event in early September at Duke University in swing state North Carolina, Cheney announced that she would vote for Harris in the presidential election. Cheney’s father also endorsed Harris.

Cheney earlier this month warned that “our republic faces a threat unlike any we have faced before: a former president who attempted to stay in power by unraveling the foundations of our republic.”

She argued that Trump “can never be trusted with power again” and emphasized that “in this election, putting patriotism ahead of partisanship is not an aspiration, it is our duty.”

“What January 6 shows us is there is not an ounce, not an ounce, of compassion in Donald Trump. He is petty. He is vindictive. He is cruel. And Donald Trump is not fit to lead this good and great nation,” Cheney said.

Harris is also backed by more than 200 alumni who served in both Bush administrations or worked for the late Sen. John McCain and Sen. Mitt Romney, the 2008 and 2012 GOP presidential nominees, respectively. She is also supported by more than 100 Republican former national security officials and other prominent Republicans.

The Trump campaign has fired back at Republican support of Harris.

“It’s quite pathetic to see former ‘Republicans’ of the past dug up out of irrelevance to have one last moment in the sun by campaigning for another four years of unlimited illegal immigration, rising prices, and endless wars under Kamala Harris,” Trump campaign Pennsylvania spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News.

“Fortunately, as with any other theatrical prop, they’re all going to be tossed aside the moment they stop being useful for Democrats — which will be November 5th, when President Trump is re-elected by Pennsylvanians.”

EXCLUSIVE: Montana’s U.S. Senate race has one of the most “intense” ground games of the 2024 cycle with the chamber majority hanging in the balance, according to the chairman of the Republican campaign arm. 

Sen. Steve Daines is spearheading Republican efforts to take control of the Senate as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), with a heightened emphasis on ousting a three-term Democrat in red state Montana.

Daines exclusively told Fox News Digital the Montana Senate race pitting Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy against three-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester features one of the strongest ground game efforts from the GOP he has witnessed in the state.

“I’ve watched a lot of Montana Senate races, House races, governor races over the years. This is the most intense ground game operation and the most far-reaching that I’ve seen in many election cycles,” Daines told Fox News Digital. “It’s a door-to-door type of persuasion, as well as a lot of phoning, a lot of digital. So, it’s a really strong ground game, knowing that I think well-run ground games win elections.”

COLLEGE ATHLETES ARE BEING OFFERED THOUSANDS TO ENDORSE MONTANA SENATOR’S RE-ELECTION BID THROUGH NIL DEALS

The New York Times recently reported that Sheehy is leading Tester by eight percentage points, but Daines emphasized that while the Republican candidate remains ahead in several polls, they are going to continue energizing their get-out-the-vote efforts until Election Day.

“It’s a very aggressive, active time with just a little over 2½ weeks until the election focused on voter turnout and ground game operations, as well as continuing to have the sufficient resources,” Daines said. “Get the message out to those few undecided voters that are left, whether it’s through television, radio, digital mail. So, we’re not letting up. You keep working hard all the way until Election Day.”

The Montana race figures to be the most expensive Senate race on a per-vote basis, which Daines attributes to its high stakes.

“This is what secures the majority for the Republicans and takes the gavel out of Chuck Schumer’s hands,” he told Fox. “And that’s why there’s so much focused attention on this race.”

In early September, two political forecasters shifted the Montana race from a toss-up to “leans Republican,” along with AARP and the NYT surveys showing the Republican leading the race against the three-term Democrat.

A visit to Bozeman by former President Trump in August, who endorsed Sheehy earlier this year, contributed to the recent polling shift in the Republican candidate’s favor, according to the chairman.

KEY SENATOR REPORTEDLY BEHIND HARRIS’ RISE IN POWER WITHHOLDS HIS ENDORSEMENT FOR PRESIDENT

The electorate in Montana has shifted toward the GOP over the years, and Tester remains the only Democrat to hold a statewide office in the state.

“I think what’s happened is Montana, in terms of their voting and their thinking, has moved a bit more. But the biggest problem for the Democrats is they’ve moved so far left. This is not the same Democrat Party that I grew up with here in Montana,” Daines said of the red wave in the state.

Daines also highlighted the national implications of the Big Sky Senate race.

“This race is bigger than Montana, because this race indeed will decide the future of the United States Supreme Court, the future of the circuit courts,” Daines said. “There’s also the Trump tax cuts that expire in ’25, which would be a massive tax increase for Montana’s small businesses. 

“Jon Tester voted against that tax bill. I voted for it. Tim Sheehy would vote for that. So, there’s just a lot at stake, not only for Montana but for the nation. And, so, we here in Montana will probably be able to flip the majority control of the U.S. Senate with Tim Sheehy’s victory. And that has significant implications, not only for the great state of Montana, but for our great country.” 

There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs this cycle, and Democrats are protecting 23 of them. The Senate majority stands at 51-50 with Democrats in the majority, meaning just a one seat flip could shift the majority to the Republican Party.

Former President Trump is making an unusual campaign stop this weekend in battleground Pennsylvania.

The Republican presidential nominee will be behind the counter working the fry cooker at a McDonald’s restaurant in the Philadelphia area.

“A friend of mine owns a McDonald’s someplace,” Trump said Friday in an extended interview on “Fox and Friends” when asked about his weekend plans for manning the fry station at the fast-food institution. 

“Oh, I’m going. I’m going to do everything.”

CRUNCH TIME: HARRIS TEAMING UP WITH OBAMAS NEXT WEEK ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL

With 2½ weeks to go until Election Day, Trump remains locked in a tight presidential race with Vice President Kamala Harris. 

And Trump continues to claim Harris never worked at McDonald’s.

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As Harris campaigns to succeed President Biden in the White House, she has spotlighted her middle-class upbringing and her time working at McDonald’s while studying for her undergraduate degree in the 1980s, contrasting Trump’s wealthy upbringing.

“I have” [worked at McDonald’s], Harris said in an MSNBC interview last month.

“Part of the reason I even talk about having worked at McDonald’s is because there are people who work at McDonald’s in our country who are trying to raise a family,” she added. “I worked there as a student.

“I think part of the difference between me and my opponent includes our perspective on the needs of the American people and what our responsibility, then, is to meet those needs.”

But Trump claims she’s not telling the truth.

“I’m going because she lied,” Trump said in his “Fox and Friends” interview.

“You don’t think she ever worked in McDonald’s?” co-host Brian Kilmeade asked.

“I know she didn’t. We checked it out,” Trump said. “They said she never worked here.”

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