Americans with backgrounds in the military and law enforcement have stepped up to help save hurricane survivors in North Carolina without the assistance of the federal government.

“FEMA’s out of money. They just announced it. … We’ve got money to put everywhere else on the globe — this administration does — but we don’t have the money inside of FEMA, a federal emergency management, to help our citizens here in the United States,” Aaron Negherbon, founder and CEO of Cops Direct, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come as relief efforts continue in North Carolina, a state with widespread devastation from Hurricane Helene.

NORTH CAROLINA GOP FOCUSING ON ‘HAND-TO-HAND POLITICAL COMBAT’ TO RAMP UP GROUND GAME IN BATTLEGROUND STATE

But those efforts have also become a political hot potato as the election nears, with critics widely panning the federal government’s response to the natural disaster.

“They’re offering them $750 to people whose homes have been washed away,” former President Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. “And yet we send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of. They’re offering them $750. They’ve been destroyed. These people have been destroyed.”

The criticism came after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned last week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “does not have the funds to make it through” the hurricane season, prompting a stopgap measure by lawmakers to replenish the agency’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) with $20 billion, according to a report from National Public Radio.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has argued critics of the administration’s response have been pushing “disinformation.”

“There’s a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, in particular to the survivors of Helene,” Harris said. “It’s extraordinarily irresponsible: It’s about him, it’s not about you. And the reality is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them.”

Negherbon said his and other organizations have opted to “step in and aid our fellow Americans when they need help.”

RESIDENTS IN KEY NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICT REVEAL HOW THEY THINK THEIR COUNTY WILL VOTE IN NOVEMBER

“I can tell you that my phones are ringing, and my email is chiming all day long because of the requests from agencies that need our support,” he said. “One jurisdiction, one county, one community is hearing about what Cops Direct is doing, and, all of a sudden, they’re telling the next county over and, therefore, our phone is ringing.”

One way Cops Direct and others have been helping is by flying much needed emergency supplies to residents who have been cut off by the storm with many roads and traditional paths to homes being washed away and inaccessible.

Ross Johnson, owner of TacMed, a company that makes emergency medical supplies for use on the battlefield and for law enforcement, told Fox News Digital he used his skill as a pilot and a vast network of other pilots to help rush supplies to those affected by using helicopters.

“There was no way to get anywhere. So I said, ‘Hey, let’s see what we can do,'” Johnson, a former Army Green Beret who served three tours in Afghanistan, said.

Johnson said FEMA has not been operating in the same areas he has been helping, though he noted that the agency is likely helping in other places.

“I’m not saying they’re not doing anything. I’m sure they have a role. And we know that they’re a big organization that has a response time. … It takes time to move that machine,” he said.

Instead, Johnson said he has focused his efforts on areas where his skill as a pilot can be most beneficial.

“We’re in the mountains,” Johnson said. “Places accessible by helicopter.”

Johnson also noted the people undertaking the effort to assist those in North Carolina are volunteering their time and effort and their own resources in hopes of making a difference for those who have had their lives upended by the natural disaster.

“It really is people that just want to do good. You know, we’re locals. We know the area. These are our neighbors, and we have a way to help them. And that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We’re not Uber Eats. … We aren’t making money on this. We’re just a couple of guys with access to some assets that are the right tool for this job, at least at this point in time.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

On one point, at least, the Kremlin has sided with Bob Woodward against Donald Trump.

Woodward is coming out with a new book, and among its headline-making disclosures is his report on what happened when the pandemic struck, when the death toll was soaring and people could not get home testing kits for Covid-19.

FROM KISSY-FACE SITDOWN ON ‘THE VIEW’ TO A TOUGHER GRILLING ON ‘60 MINUTES,’ KAMALA HARRIS IS MAKING NEWS

President Trump, at that point in 2020, secretly sent Vladimir Putin a number of Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines “for his personal use.”

The Trump campaign said Woodward’s book, an advance copy of which was obtained by CNN, consisted entirely of made-up stories.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed the receipt of the Covid machines.

“As for the tests, when the pandemic began, countries did not have enough equipment,” Peskov said. “And many countries then exchanged such gestures of support and sent each other shipments of various equipment they had.” 

In fact, during that spring of 2020, Russia sent the Trump administration 60 tons of medical equipment.

Woodward also quotes the Russian dictator as telling Trump: “I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. They don’t care about me.”

KAMALA 2.0’S CHALLENGE? MAKING MORE NEWS, AND NOT JUST WITH ULTRA-FRIENDLY HOSTS

But Peskov disputed another assertion by Woodward, that Trump has stayed in touch with Putin since he left the White House, with as many as seven calls between them. “As for the calls, that’s a lie,” Peskov said.  

In the book “War,” however, the Washington Post sleuth recounts a scene where Trump tells a top aide to leave the room so “he could have what he said was a private phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Trump officials now say they’re not aware of any such conversations.

The former president granted Woodward 18 taped interviews for his previous book, but they had a falling out after the veteran reporter wrote that Trump was unfit for office – and was sued by his subject for releasing the recordings.

I know Woodward’s work extremely well, and while any journalist can be misled by sources, he does not make things up.

Other parts of the book deal with Joe Biden confronting Putin about the coming invasion of Ukraine, had Kamala Harris warn a skeptical Volodomyr Zelenskyy, and – with officials assuming a 50 percent chance that he might use a tactical nuclear weapon against the Ukrainians, called the Kremlin boss the “epitome of evil.”  

The president repeatedly cursed out Bibi Netanyahu, calling him an SOB and, later, a “f***ing liar” after the Israeli prime minister invaded the crowded area called Rafah despite American pressure.

WHY VANCE EASILY BEAT WALZ IN DEBATE, SOFTENING HIS IMAGE IN THE PROCESS

In the statement from Trump’s spokesman, which sounds like it was dictated by the boss, Woodward is described as “a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Woodward is an angry, little man and is clearly upset because President Trump is successfully suing him because of the unauthorized publishing of recordings he made previously. President Trump gave him absolutely no access for this trash book that either belongs in the bargain bin of the fiction section of a discount bookstore or used as toilet tissue. Woodward is a total sleazebag who has lost it mentally, and he’s slow, lethargic, incompetent and overall a boring person with no personality.”

Why stop there?

Trump, who prides himself on being a counter-puncher, wastes little time before swinging away.

After Harris’ friendly radio interview with Howard Stern, who said it would be insanity to vote for Trump, this post appeared on Truth Social:

“BETA MALE Howard Stern made a fool of himself on his low-rated radio show when he ‘interviewed’ Lyin’ Kamala Harris, and hit her with so many SOFTBALL questions that even she was embarrassed.

“He looked like a real fool, working so hard to make a totally incompetent and ill-equipped person look as good as possible, which wasn’t very good. I dropped Howard a long time ago, like most others, and have since been credited with very good judgment!” 

Donald and Howard were, of course, once New York pals, and Trump attended his wedding. 

Trump also had campaign manager Chris LaCivita take a swipe at Fox News for covering (along with other networks) a government briefing, featuring both Biden and Harris, on Hurricane Milton as the monster storm was heading toward Florida. 

“@FoxNews ⁩just as bad as every other ‘cable news’ network …running literally propaganda and @KamalaHarris ⁩TV ads disguised as a news conference,” Chris LaCivita posted on X. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Of course there’s a political benefit for Harris showing that she and FEMA are working hard to prepare for the Florida storm, just as there is when Ron DeSantis holds a presser on the Category 5 threat.

But with Kamala’s media blitz finally making some news after weeks in which Trump has dominated the campaign coverage, this reflects his determination to insert himself into every story that surfaces, no matter how negative.

Vice President Harris, during a Hurricane Milton update from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Wednesday, covered her mouth and appeared to tell staff she was on a live broadcast after stumbling through a speech to the people of Florida.

President Biden and Harris received a briefing from disaster relief authorities on life-saving preparations for Hurricane Milton. The two also received the latest updates on the forecast and expected impacts for Florida.

While Biden attended the meeting from the White House, Harris and others attended virtually.

At one point during the briefing, Harris covered her mouth and appeared to relay a message to someone else.

FLORIDA TROOPER RESCUES DOG TIED TO POLE IN PUDDLE AS MILTON HEADS TOWARD STATE, DESANTIS CALLS OWNER ‘CRUEL’

“It’s a live broadcast,” she could be heard saying.

The moment came nearly 20 minutes after Harris stumbled through a speech to Floridians. She glanced down multiple times, appearing to reference notes or a script.

“To the people of Florida, and in particular, the people of the Tampa region: We urge you to take this storm seriously,” she said. “As has been said before, this is a storm that is expected to be of historic proportions. And many of you, I know are tough… and you’ve ridden out these hurricanes before. This one’s going to be different.

HURRICANE MILTON EVACUATIONS IN FLORIDA: WHAT TO PACK AHEAD OF THE STORM

“We ask you that by every measure understand it’s going to be more dangerous, more deadly and more catastrophic. So please listen to your local officials,” Harris added. “They know what they’re talking about. They know what they’re doing. And if you are told to evacuate, please evacuate immediately. Do not wait until it is too late.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ office for comment on the incident, but has not yet heard back.

Hurricane Milton reached Category 5 storm strength multiple times over the course of the last two days, and made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night in the Tampa, Florida area.

Forecasters warn that Milton could produce devastating storm surges up to 12 to 13 feet.

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks holds a healthy lead over Republican Larry Hogan in Maryland’s 2024 U.S. Senate contest, according to a UMBC poll.

The survey was conducted Sept. 23 to Sept. 28. When asked who they would vote for if the Senate contest “were held today,” 48% of likely Maryland voters picked Prince George’s County Executive Alsobrooks, while just 39% picked former Gov. Hogan, according to the poll.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, has endorsed Alsobrooks’ Senate bid.

MARYLAND DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE SAYS THERE SHOULD BE NO LIMIT ON ABORTION

GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump told Fox News earlier this year that he would like Hogan to win the Senate race. And when asked whether he was endorsing Hogan, Trump replied, “Essentially I would be endorsing him, yeah.” 

But Hogan indicated that he was not interested in the former president’s endorsement, saying during an interview with WTOP, “I didn’t seek it, I didn’t wanna have it, and I have no interest in it.”

Hogan has never voted for Trump and has said that he will not vote for Trump in 2024. In 2016, Hogan wrote in his father Larry Hogan Sr., and in 2020, he wrote in the late President Ronald Reagan.

MARYLAND SENATE RACE: DEMOCRAT ALSOBROOKS LEADS REPUBLICAN HOGAN IN CLOSELY WATCHED CONTEST

Hogan has said that as a senator, he would support legislation to codify Roe v. Wade into law. Roe was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022.

He has also indicated that he would not support confirmation of Supreme Court nominees who cannot earn bipartisan support.

“Today, I made a commitment to Maryland that, as Senator, I will only vote for nominees who can earn support from both sides of the aisle,” the moderate Republican noted in a recent post on X. “If there’s one place that we should not be playing politics, it’s appointments to the Supreme Court and the cabinet. Partisan gamesmanship undermines our most sacred institutions—in the Senate, I won’t be playing along.”

MARYLAND SENATE RACE POLL SHOWS DEMOCRAT ALSOBROOKS LEADING GOP’S HOGAN, DESPITE 1 IN 3 NOT KNOWING WHO SHE IS

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Maryland consistently goes to Democrats during presidential elections. The last Republican to win the state in a presidential contest was George H.W. Bush, who won Maryland in 1988.

The trend appears likely to continue in 2024. 

Asked who they would cast their ballot for if the election “were held today,” 57% of Maryland likely voters chose Harris while just 35% picked Trump, according to the poll.

“There is a 95 percent probability that the survey results have the following percentage point sampling error from the actual population distribution for any given survey question,” the poll notes, listing a +/- 3.3% margin of sampling error for the sample of 863 likely Maryland voters.

SCRANTON, Pa. — Former President Trump is once again taking aim at President Biden and Vice President Harris over the federal government’s response to back-to-back destructive hurricanes that have targeted the Southeast.

“The worst hurricane response since Katrina,” the former president said as he pointed to the much-maligned initial federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which was heavily criticized for being slow and ineffective.

Trump, at a campaign event in battleground Pennsylvania, spoke as an extremely powerful and dangerous Hurricane Milton was hours away from slamming into Florida, and as the death toll rises and more than 100,000 people remain without power or running water nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene tore a path of destruction through the southeastern United States.

BIDEN CANCELS OVERSEAS TRIP AS MILTON BEARS DOWN ON FLORIDA

With less than four weeks to go until Election Day in November, Trump and Harris are locked in a bitter margin-of-error showdown in the race to succeed Biden in the White House, and with two of the hardest-hit states from Helene – North Carolina and Georgia – among the seven key battlegrounds that will likely determine the outcome of the 2024 election, the politics of federal disaster relief are again front and center on the campaign trail.

EYE OF THE STORM: BACK-TO-BACK HURRICANES IMPACT HARRIS-TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Trump for nearly two weeks has repeatedly attacked Biden and Harris and accused them of being incompetent.

“She’s just led the worst rescue operation in history in North Carolina,” Trump said as he lobbed another political bomb at the vice president. “The worst ever, they say.”

And the former president once again made false claims that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) diverted money intended for disaster relief and spent it on undocumented migrants in the U.S. as he turned up the volume on his inflammatory rhetoric over the combustible issue of illegal immigration.

“You know where they gave the money to: illegal immigrants coming,” Trump said as the crowd of MAGA supporters loudly booed.

CLICK HERE FOR UP-TO-DATE FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE STORMS

A couple of hours earlier, as the president and vice president received their latest briefing from FEMA and other federal agencies on storm preparations in Florida and relief efforts across the Southeast, Biden said that “we have made available an unprecedented number of assets to deal with this crisis, and we’re going to continue to do so until the job is done.”

And the president had a message for his predecessor in the White House.

“Over the last few weeks, there has been a reckless, irresponsible and relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies that are disturbing people. It’s undermining confidence in the incredible rescue and recovery work that has already been taken and will continue to be taken, and it’s harmful to those who need help the most. There is simply no place for this to happen.”

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS WEATHER UPDATES ON HURRICANE MILTON

And pointing to the Republican presidential nominee, he said “former President Trump has led this onslaught of lies. Assertions have been made that property is being confiscated. That’s simply not true.”

Biden said rhetoric from Trump and other Republicans was “beyond ridiculous” and that “it’s got to stop.”

“In moments like this, there are no red or blue states. There’s one United States of America where neighbors are helping neighbors. Volunteers and first responders are risking everything, including their own lives, to help their fellow Americans; state, local and federal officials are standing side by side,” the president said.

Harris, who in July replaced Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, had a similar message during an interview Wednesday on the Weather Channel.

“This is not a time for us to just point fingers at each other as Americans,” Harris said. “Anybody who considers themselves to be a leader should really be in the business right now of giving people a sense of confidence that we’re all working together and that we have the resources and the ability to work together on their behalf, on behalf of the people of our country. And that’s what I’m focused on.”

Earlier this week, Harris and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida traded fire over whether he ignored hurricane-related calls from her.

But when it comes to the federal response, DeSantis, along with other Republican governors in the storm-affected region, had no complaints about the federal assistance.

The governor reiterated those comments Tuesday morning in an interview on “Fox and Friends.”

“Every request that we’ve made – I’ve been in contact with the president, I’ve been in contact with the FEMA director. All of our requests have been answered,” DeSantis said.

Fox News’ Matthew Reidy and Matteo Cina contributed to this report.

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

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, rallied supporters in Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday, the same day early voting began in the battleground state. 

The Republican vice presidential nominee’s message Wednesday underscored the Trump campaign’s “America First” agenda, insisting to rallygoers that putting Americans first is the essence of why politicians exist in the first place. 

“This country ought to work for the American people and the American people first,” Vance said. “We can have compassion for people … by all means, we ought to be compassionate. But you know who our leaders owe compassion to most and above all? It’s American citizens. We ought to focus on our own people and put their interests first.”

ARIZONA BEGINS IN-PERSON AND ABSENTEE VOTING, HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Vance pointed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) administration of funds to migrants for housing and relocation purposes. The roughly $1.7 billion was approved by members on both sides of the aisle in Congress and allowed a slice of FEMA’s funding to go to helping states and localities deal with the ongoing migrant crisis.

Simultaneously, FEMA’s disaster relief fund, which is entirely separate from the program helping migrants, has continued to receive funding to the tune of nearly $244 billion, ProPublica reported.  

“Disaster relief ought to go to prepare and to respond to a disaster when it strikes American territory. Our government has got to focus on our citizens, put their interests first, take care of American citizens when a disaster hits,” Vance said. “Unfortunately, under Kamala Harris’s leadership, you’ve got FEMA, which is doing resettlement and relocation for illegal immigration.

“FEMA should take care of American citizens when a disaster strikes. That’s all it should be doing. And when Donald Trump and I are back in office, that’s all it’s going to do.”

SWING STATE GOP CHAIR SLAMS BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN FOR BEING OUT OF TOUCH ON KEY ISSUE: ‘ABANDONED THIS COUNTRY’

At Wednesday’s rally, held at Tucson Speedway, Vance was joined by his wife, Usha, former national security adviser under Trump, Robert O’Brien, RNC Chair Michael Whatley and Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda.

Vance implored people to get out and vote early if they have to, despite past criticisms from both him and Trump about early voting. Vance hearkened back to 2020, when, according to Vance, people who were going to vote for Trump on Election Day could not because of unforeseen circumstances.

NEW POLL REVEALS WHICH VOTER GROUP ARE FUELING TRUMP TO A NARROW EDGE OVER HARRIS IN BATTLEGROUND  

“I don’t like election season. I like Election Day. But we are where we are, my friends,” Vance said. “We’ve got an election season, and if the Democrats are taking advantage of it, we’ve got to do the exact same thing. So whether you’re voting on Election Day, or voting by mail or voting early, get out there and make your voice heard.

“I talked to a lot of people who planned to vote for Donald Trump in 2020, and 95 out of 100 of them actually went out and voted for Donald Trump. But you talk to the five who didn’t vote for Donald Trump, and it’s not because they changed their mind, it’s because … their kid got sick, so they had to go pick him up from school, or they worked late that night and weren’t able to make it to the polls before they closed. The best way to make sure your voice is counted is to make sure it’s counted early.”

A majority of states have already begun early voting by mail and in person.

Montana has seen the largest percentage of registered voters request absentee ballots. Biden won Arizona in 2020, but Trump won the state in 2016.    

Following Wednesday’s rally, Vance headed to the Mesa, outside Phoenix, for a town hall hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference. 

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Vice President Harris, the Democrat presidential nominee, will be in Phoenix on Friday. Former President Trump, the Republican nominee, will be in Prescott Valley on Sunday.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, was also campaigning in Arizona on Wednesday with stops in Chandler, which is outside Phoenix, and Tucson.

As the second major hurricane this month barrels toward the U.S. – this one promising to be even more devastating than the last – concerns are growing over how the government will help pay for what could become millions of dollars worth of damage.

Is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) running out of money? Will Congress approve disaster relief?

A Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report from August states that FEMA has $7 billion that can be directed to help with recovery from Hurricanes Milton and Helene.

FEMA has a stash of money that was dedicated to recovery from older natural disasters dating back to “Superstorm Sandy,” which spun through the Northeast in 2012. But Fox is told the IG report “gives an incomplete picture” of how much money is available. FEMA disputes that all the money is recoverable, signaling that only about $4.5 billion is not obligated and could potentially be reprogrammed.

That still means that some money is potentially available and could be returned to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) for “immediate needs.” The DRF deals with the immediate preparation and aftermath of natural disasters. That includes providing food and shelter for people, rescuing people, providing immediate money to people, transportation, et al. 

CATEGORY 3 MILTON BEARS DOWN ON FLORIDA

Fox is told that Congress would have to vote to “reprogram” the older money. Moreover, reprogrammed older disaster relief money can only go back into the DRF. It cannot be applied to a larger “supplemental” spending bill to help recover from these storms. The price tag there will likely be upwards of $1 billion. 

It will be up to Congress to decide if it wants to reprogram some of that money to address immediate needs in the DRF once that pot of money starts to bleed dry after these two major storms. 

Under the individual assistance program, the agency often quickly approves $750 for each household for food, clothes and everyday essentials. 

Disaster survivors are also eligible to receive up to $42,500 in financial housing assistance. That can be used to repair homes or pay up to 18 months of rent. Applications for this program tend to take longer for FEMA to process. Other programs offer tens of thousands of dollars to help disaster survivors rebuild through the Small Business Administration, FEMA and other federal programs. 

Meanwhile, lawmakers freed up roughly $20 billion in immediate funding for FEMA in last month’s short-term federal funding bill. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., predicted Helene’s devastation would be “one of the most expensive” the U.S. has seen.

Initial estimates place private insured losses from Helene at around $11 billion. Milton, now rated a Category 3 hurricane, is expected to wreak even more havoc.

HURRICANE MILTON: PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM LOOTING

Congress is not expected to return early from a pre-election recess to deal with the problem.

“The thing about these hurricanes and disasters of this magnitude is that it takes a while to calculate the actual damages, and the states are going to need some time to do that,” Johnson said on Fox News.

But Fox is increasingly hearing from a number of conservatives who are ready to respond to the financial needs of Hurricanes Milton and Helene. They are happy to spend the money, but they are increasingly itchy about wanting spending cuts to offset the cost of the storm. Some of those requests may be for programs that address Democrat priorities.

But a senior House Republican source disagrees that the offsets will ever come.

“That isn’t going to happen. That never happens,” the source said. “This will just go on the credit card.”

While the idea of cutting elsewhere to produce offsets makes sense, it may be politically impossible.

“Tell me where you can get the votes to do it?” asked the source, who declined to be identified.

Moreover, the federal government is already into fiscal 2025 and there is no agreed-upon top-line spending number. 

In addition, fiscal hawks tried to make similar cuts after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, but they failed.

“And it’s not going to work now,” the GOP source said.

Johnson said he was “alarmed and disappointed” by Biden officials’ comments immediately after the storm suggesting FEMA was too low on funds to deal with Helene’s wrath. 

Biden suggested this week he may want Congress to return for an emergency session to pass a supplemental disaster aid bill.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said “we are meeting the immediate needs” of the hurricane this week, but “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”

Criticism over FEMA’s response has prompted some conservatives to accuse the Biden administration of diverting disaster aid funds toward supporting illegal immigrants at the border through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which was allocated roughly $650 million in the last fiscal year.

Both the White House and Department of Homeland Security have vigorously denied any link between disaster aid and the SSP, beyond both being administered by FEMA, and have said claims of any disaster relief dollars being used to support migrant housing services are false.

Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report. 

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s happening…

–Biden and Netanyahu speak after report US president called Israeli counterpart a ‘bad f—ing guy’

–Conservatives dismiss Biden parole limits on 500K migrants: ‘Optics-driven smokescreen’

-Trump to hold rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden ahead of Election Day

Former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have sat down for at least 71 interviews since the Harris-Walz ticket was formed, compared to at least 34 non-scripted interviews for the Democratic presidential ticket thus far.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joined “Fox News Sunday” for an interview on Sunday, where he was pressed on past falsehoods, such as his claim he was present for the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989, and he also taped interviews on Monday with Jimmy Kimmel and the “Smartless” podcast.

After weeks of avoiding interviews, Vice President Kamala Harris has stepped up her appearances in recent weeks. She, along with Walz, sat for an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired in full on Monday night, and she did friendly interviews with ABC’s “The View” and Howard Stern on Tuesday. She was also interviewed by Democratic Party supporter and comedian Stephen Colbert Tuesday night. On Wednesday as Hurricane Milton closed in on Florida, Harris spoke with CNN and The Weather Channel for separate interviews…Read more

‘PROSECUTOR 101’: Kamala Harris’ failure at ‘prosecutor 101’ basics led to hundreds of drug convictions being tossed out…Read more

BRIT BROTHER: Biden-Harris admin ‘taking advice from foreign governments’ on policing speech, lawmaker charges…Read more

‘DOESN’T REALLY MATTER’: Another Trump vs Harris debate? Voters in key Georgia county say ‘no thanks’…Read more

NUMBERS DON’T LIE: Trump has 9-point lead on most important issue to voters: poll…Read more

HEAD TO HEAD: Michigan Senate candidates clash on national security, immigration and abortion…Read more

BALLOT BOX BATTLE: Election board in crucial swing state sued over dispute on who will monitor election results…Read more

‘FEARMONGERING’: Walz repeats Georgia abortion death falsehood decried by doctors as ‘fearmongering’…Read more

‘HARASSING’: Colorado Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit against Christian baker who refused to bake trans cake…Read more

FEMA SPREAD THIN: FEMA reports it has under 10% of front-line staff available ahead of Hurricane Milton…Read more

ELECTION INTEGRITY: Virginia voter roll removal process violates federal law, groups allege — state fires back…Read more

ABANDONED THIS COUNTRY: Swing state GOP chair slams Biden-Harris admin for being out of touch on key issue: ‘Abandoned this country’…Read more

IN THE THOUSANDS: Over 5,700 children in 5-year period had gender surgeries, most from 5 liberal states…Read more

POLLS OPEN IN COPPER STATE: Arizona begins in-person and absentee voting, here’s what you need to know…Read more

JUST PEACHY: Georgia Dems chair reveals message to undecided GOP voters as Harris works to build broad base…Read more

A YEAR IN CAPTIVITY: As Gaza war drags past 1 year mark, hope fades for a deal to bring hostages home soon…Read more

ENEMY OF MY ENEMY: North Korean troops now fighting for Russia in Ukraine, Seoul says…Read more

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Vice President Kamala Harris is facing growing pressure from within her own party to lift the Biden administration’s pause on liquified natural gas (LNG) exports amid growing fears that the moratorium could cost the Democratic Party presidential nominee the crucial battleground of Pennsylvania — a natural gas powerhouse.

Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes are considered critical to winning the White House. Its reputation as a slightly left-leaning swing state, which former President Donald Trump carried by a razor-thin margin of just 0.7% in 2016, is complicated somewhat by its status as a major producer of fossil fuels.

“It’s obvious that the pathway to the presidency goes through Pennsylvania,” Amanda Eversole, the chief operating officer of the American Petroleum Institute, told Fox News Digital.

FOX NEWS MEDIA PROPOSES TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN PENNSYLVANIA

The chorus of Democrats now criticizing the moratorium is something of an about-face from January, when the Biden administration first ordered its temporary halt on new LNG exports, citing a need to better evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of such projects. 

Now, nine months later and less than a month away from Election Day, Harris is under pressure from some Democrat lawmakers and industry leaders to lift the pause completely.

Critics of the pause argue that removing or delaying U.S. LNG supplies from the market deprives European buyers of a cleaner, lower-emission form of energy — forcing some countries to turn to Russian gas or coal instead. 

It could also affect U.S. relationships, American energy leadership and investments in massive domestic projects in the years ahead.

Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the U.S., behind Texas. Its gas reserves are contained behind shale rock and must be extracted by fracking — a technology viewed as controversial at best by many on the left and one that Harris has only recently endorsed.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: THE BIGGEST SURPRISES COME AFTER OCTOBER

The fossil fuel industry supports more than 423,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, and contributes more than $75 billion to its economy, according to estimates from PwC. Therefore, the future of the LNG industry carries outsize importance to most voters, industry group leaders and former DOE officials told Fox News in a series of interviews.

In fact, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate delegation, Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, were among the first lawmakers to criticize the LNG pause following Biden’s announcement earlier this year. Their counterparts in the House have also followed suit as they seek reelection in competitive districts.

Meanwhile, Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate hoping to flip Casey’s seat this fall, has lambasted the Democrat incumbent for failing to do enough to protect energy interests in the state. A spokesperson for Casey’s office pointed Fox News to the senator’s earlier letters and remarks opposing the LNG pause.

A recent poll published by API this month found that 85% of voters in Pennsylvania wanted to hear more from both Harris and Trump about their energy polices.

To date, Harris has declined to comment on whether she will lift the LNG pause, and neither the campaign nor the White House responded to Fox News’ requests for comment.

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If Harris does intend to break with Biden or push for an end to the pause and unleash more production, API’s Eversole said Harris needs to make that clear — and fast.

“If she, in fact, is going to be different from the Biden administration,” Eversole said, “then specifically how?”

Rhetoric, she said, is not enough. Especially when private investors in the U.S. have also backed out of some projects in recent months, citing regulatory uncertainty.

“We need to get shovels in the ground,” Eversole said. “We need to be able to build more infrastructure, can move safely, move our product, and we need to be able to make long-lived investments.”

SCRANTON, Pa. — With less than four weeks until Election Day in November, new polls in three crucial battleground states indicate former President Trump is making gains, but he remains in a toss-up race with Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to surveys from Quinnipiac University, Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, holds a 49% to 46% advantage over Trump, the Republican standard-bearer, in Pennsylvania.

But the former president edges the vice president 50% to 47% in Michigan and 48% to 46% in Wisconsin.

Harris’ three-point edge in Pennsylvania is down from a six-point lead in Quinnipiac’s previous survey from a month ago.

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The results in Michigan, where Trump’s up by three points, are a switch from last month, when Quinnipiac’s survey indicated Harris leading by five points.

And in Wisconsin, where the new poll gives the former president a two-point edge, it’s a slight change from September, when the vice president held a one-point edge.

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“That was then, this is now. The Harris post-debate starburst dims to a glow as Harris enters the last weeks slipping slightly in the Rust Belt,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said.

Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, along with Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada, had razor-thin margins that decided President Biden’s 2020 White House victory over Trump. And the seven states are likely to determine if Trump or Harris wins the 2024 presidential election.

Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are also the three Rust Belt states that make up the Democrats’ so-called “Blue Wall.”

The party reliably won all three states for a quarter-century before Trump narrowly captured them in the 2016 election to win the White House.

Four years later, in 2020, Biden carried all three states by razor-thin margins to put them back in the Democrats’ column and defeat Trump.

Both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, as well as their running mates, have made repeated stops in the three states this summer.

Trump is holding campaign events Wednesday in Scranton and Reading, Pennsylvania. And Harris returns to Pennsylvania early next week for a stop in Erie.

Both candidates have also campaigned in Michigan and Wisconsin over the past few days. 

All three states are also holding crucial Senate elections that will likely determine if the GOP wins back the chamber’s majority.

In Pennsylvania, the Quinnipiac University poll indicates Democratic Sen. Bob Casey leads Republican challenger Dave McCormick 51% to 43%.

According to the survey, in the race to succeed Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin and former Rep. Mike Rogers are deadlocked at 48%.

And in Wisconsin, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin edges Republican challenger Eric Hovde 50% to 46%, the poll indicates.

The Quinnipiac University polls were conducted Oct. 3-7, with 1,412 likely voters in Pennsylvania, 1,007 likely voters in Michigan and 1,073 likely voters in Wisconsin questioned. 

The sampling error in Pennsylvania is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. In Michigan, it’s plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. And, in Wisconsin, it’s plus or minus 3 percentage points.

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