Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is reportedly requesting that a Georgia appeals court restore six of her original criminal counts against former President Trump and his co-defendants in her 2020 election case, after a judge tossed the charges earlier this year. 

Willis filed a brief to the Georgia Court of Appeals requesting it overturn Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee’s decision to dismiss charges against Trump and allies, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported Wednesday.

GEORGIA JUDGE DISMISSES TWO CRIMINAL COUNTS AGAINST TRUMP IN FANI WILLIS’ 2020 ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE

McAfee, in March, dismissed six of the charges against Trump, saying Willis failed to allege sufficient detail. 

Last month, McAfee also dismissed two other criminal counts against Trump, saying Willis and Georgia prosecutors had no authority to bring the charges, which related to the alleged filing of false documents in federal court. 

McAfee did, however, uphold the racketeering charge in the case, which was brought against all the defendants.

Lead Trump defense counsel in the case, Steve Sadow, told Fox News Digital that Willis’ brief is “simply incorrect on the law.” 

“The trial court’s dismissal order properly decided that the State failed to sufficiently plead the allegations in the dismissed counts under Georgia law,” Sadow said. 

The case was thrown into limbo when it was revealed Willis reportedly had an “improper affair” with Nathan Wade, a prosecutor she hired to help bring the case against Trump. Wade later stepped down.  

FANI WILLIS FACES NOTHING BUT SETBACKS IN CASE AGAINST TRUMP

In June, the Georgia Court of Appeals paused the proceedings until it hears the case to disqualify Willis, yet another major setback for Willis. 

The Georgia Court of Appeals said it would hear Trump’s argument to have Willis disqualified on Dec. 5, a month after the 2024 presidential election. 

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

A Republican congressman released a new advertisement showing him shooting a Chinese spy balloon out of the sky.

Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., is running for a second full term in the House of Representatives, having first won a special election in 2022 to succeed indicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.

The 30-second video clip emphasizes Flood’s record as a China hawk by using comments from the congressman himself, while emphasizing China’s imminent threat with a Chinese flag-covered balloon floating across the screen.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM ONLY VP DEBATE BETWEEN VANCE AND WALZ BEFORE ELECTION

“China is our enemy. Plain and simple. The Chinese Communist Party hacks our computers, buys up land near military bases, and spies on our armed forces, even here in Nebraska,” Flood says in the ad.

“That’s why I’m fighting to keep Chinese technology off our cell towers, stop China from buying Nebraska farmland, and protect Americans from Chinese spying and cyberattacks.”

Toward the end of the video, Flood promises to do “whatever it takes” to defend Nebraska while cocking a pistol and blowing the balloon to smithereens. 

TRUMP IMPERSONATES ELON MUSK TALKING ABOUT ROCKETS: ‘I’M DOING A NEW STAINLESS STEEL HUB’

It’s a callback to when a suspected Chinese spy balloon entered U.S. airspace and subsequently floated across multiple states, at a level low enough to be seen with the naked eye, before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina after several days.

Republicans used the incident as evidence of their criticism that President Biden has not been tough enough on China, arguing that the surveillance device was sent by the Chinese military with little fear of U.S. reprisal.

TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT’S DEBATE ADVICE FOR TRUMP: ‘LET HARRIS SPEAK’

Beijing has denied that the balloon was a spying tool.

It comes after new revelations of a swarm of unidentified drones over a sensitive military site in Virginia caused alarm. 

U.S. officials were stumped in December last year when the unidentified aircraft flew over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for more than two weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

U.S. officials believe the Afghan national accused of plotting an Election Day terror attack was radicalized two years after coming to the U.S. on humanitarian parole as part of Operation Allies Welcome.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi initiated an extension of his lawful parole status in August 2023, Fox News has learned, and cleared another round of screening and vetting at that time, adjudicated through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 

AFGHAN NATIONAL ACCUSED IN TERROR PLOT WAS NOT VETTED FOR SIV STATUS, DESPITE PAST BIDEN ADMIN CLAIMS

He was previously vetted in September 2021 when he was paroled into the U.S. by the Department of Homeland Security as part of Operation Allies Welcome.  

At both junctures, officials say no derogatory information was missed – they believe none existed at that time. 

It wasn’t until August 2024 that derogatory information on Tawhedi was identified simultaneously by federal law enforcement partners and DHS’ external recurrent vetting systems. When Tawhedi popped up on the federal law enforcement radar, the recurrent vetting systems had also flagged him, and DHS was already communicating with the FBI at the local level. 

U.S. authorities acted quickly on this derogatory information, and also tipped off French authorities to a relative of Tawhedi – who they say was engaged in discussion about a similar planned attack in France. 

AFGHAN ISIS TERROR PLOT: BIDEN ADMIN AGENCIES POINT FINGERS AS LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS

This past weekend, French authorities arrested a 22-year-old Afghan national, a relative of Tawhedi, on suspicion of planning an ISIS-inspired attack in France. 

The FBI shared this statement with Fox News’ David Spunt, regarding the French arrest: “The recent arrests in France and by the FBI’s Oklahoma City field office demonstrate the importance of partnerships to detect and disrupt potential terrorist attacks. The coordination between the United States and French law enforcement contributed to these outcomes. The FBI’s top priority is preventing acts of terrorism, and we are committed to working with our partners both overseas and in the United States to uncover any plots and protect our communities from violence.”

A former ICE field director is warning that a violent Venezuelan gang is more organized than the infamous MS-13, and is backing former President Donald Trump’s plan to stamp out the gang in Colorado and across the U.S.

John Fabbricatore, who served as an ICE field director and is currently a GOP congressional candidate in Colorado, told Fox News Digital that he would not describe Tren de Aragua as a gang. The organization has popped up throughout the U.S. and has been linked to a number of crimes amid the crisis at the southern border.

“TdA is a true organization. They’re not a gang. They have a better structure than MS-13 ever had. So I think that’s the difference and if we look at TdA, just in the amount of time that TdA have been in the United States and how fast they’ve grown. When you look at that, you need to realize that they’ve grown faster and gotten into certain aspects of crime better than MS-13 did and MS-13 has been here for 25 years,” he said.

NEW REPORT WARNS BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG’S FOOTPRINT WILL REMAIN IN US ‘FOR DECADES’ 

Tren de Aragua is believed to have started in the Tocoron prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua and has since expanded into Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the U.S. There have been numerous crimes in the last year that have been linked to TdA, in states including Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and New York.

This week, an apartment management company in Colorado sounded the alarm on the troubles it has been facing as the group has taken over multiple apartment blocks in Aurora.

Fabbricatore says that the U.S. should look to other countries where TdA has a presence.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘OPERATION AURORA’ TO TARGET ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT GANG MEMBERS IN COLORADO

“TdA has put a foothold and has built up structure and foundation in other South American countries after leaving Venezuela in just a few short years. And when we look at that and we see what they’re already doing in the United States, that’s the worry,” he says.

“And I think enough news organizations are not looking into that to see how fast TDA has grown in such a short amount of time. And that’s why we have to do what we have to do. We have to put them out now. We have to make sure that they don’t grow to get a strong foothold,” he warned.

BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN STREET GANG SPARKS FEAR IN US AMID MIGRANT SURGE: WHAT TO KNOW

Trump said, if elected, the federal government would “send elite squads of ICE, Border Patrol and federal law enforcement officers to hunt down, arrest and deport every last illegal alien gang member until there is not a single one left in this country.” 

Fabbricatore, who was given a shout-out by Trump at the rally, said he thinks those opposing the program are misunderstanding it.

‘I think President Trump’s basic want on this is just to protect the United States, protect United States citizens from the crimes that are being committed against them from foreign born criminal organizations. And if this is something that he’s got to pull out of a hat because no one else is doing anything about it, then it’s something that that needs to be needs to be tried,” he said.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.

A local Democratic Party chair in North Carolina resigned this week after he was arrested for allegedly ripping out and stealing roadside signs supporting former President Donald Trump. 

Lowell Simon, the now former chair of the Moore County Democratic Party, who is also running for North Carolina House in November, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs. 

The Moore County Democratic Party announced in a Facebook post on Monday that 68-year-old Simon had resigned as chair “following recent allegations and arrest related to the theft of political signs.” 

The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy working in the West End area observed Simon removing campaign signs from the roadside along Seven Lakes Drive at approximately 5:25 p.m. Thursday. 

“The deputy, who was responding to an unrelated call at the time, later followed up at Simon’s residence, where the signs were found in his vehicle,” according to the office. “Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.” 

NORTH CAROLINA MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING FEMA WORKERS WITH ASSAULT RIFLE AMID HURRICANE HELENE CLEAN-UP

A warrant for Simon’s arrest was issued Saturday. He was released “under a written promise to appear in court,” according to the sheriff’s office, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30. 

“While we appreciate the hard work and dedication he has shown to the Democratic Party and the community, the Moore County Democratic Party cannot and will not condone the tampering of political signs or any other illegal activity,” the local party wrote on Facebook. “Mr. Simon has offered an apology for his actions, as well as his resignation, both of which have been accepted by the MCDP.”

WRAL, the outlet that interviewed Simon over the phone after his arrest, said the local chair complained that signs he had already placed in support of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein, the state’s current attorney general running against Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, were obstructed by new signs later set up in front of them that read: “Trump low taxes, Kamala high taxes.” 

RETIRED NORTH CAROLINA POLICE OFFICER DELIVERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SUPPLIES, FOOD TO HELENE SURVIVORS

“My worse angels got the better of me and I removed the signs,” Simon said. “I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t do it in the stealth of night or anything. I did it when it was five o’clock in the afternoon.”

“We believe in the importance of freedom of expression and speech, and hope that local law enforcement will continue to enforce such laws that protect those freedoms fairly and without bias across party lines,” the local party added. “As we move forward, our focus will remain on electing Democrats up and down the ballot in this critical election. Together, we are committed to promoting the values of justice, fairness, and freedom that our Party holds dear, and we look forward to building a better future for all in Moore County.”

Last week, Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields, a Republican, also issued a reminder to the public after Simon’s arrest “that the removal or theft of campaign signs is a violation of North Carolina General Statute § 136-32(e), which protects the lawful placement of these signs during election periods.” 

In 2024, voters in multiple states will decide on key ballot initiatives that will shape their climate and environmental policies for the next several years.

Washington residents face a particularly important decision on whether to repeal the state’s major climate policy, the Climate Commitment Act, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% below 1990 levels by 2050.

The measure, dubbed Washington Initiative 2117, would repeal the 2021 law and prohibit state agencies from implementing any carbon cap-and-trade system.

Proponents of the bill have heavily criticized the law and claim the current carbon tax has increased energy costs.

HARRIS DROPS MILLIONS ON PRIVATE JET SPENDING DESPITE CALLING CLIMATE CHANGE AN ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’

Let’s Go Washington, a political action committee (PAC) endorsing the measure, suggested that if the bill passes, voters will save on gas, groceries and on energy bills.

“We are urging all Washington residents to vote yes, pay less on 2117 to finally hold [Gov. Jay] Inslee’s administration accountable for their arrogant and reckless policymaking,” Brian Heywood, Let’s Go Washington founder, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The Climate Commitment Act is a deeply flawed and broken program that’s taken billions of dollars off the backs of everyday Washingtonians while doing nothing to reduce carbon emissions.”

A group opposing the bill, however, tells Fox News Digital that passing the measure would mean “more pollution in our air and water.”

LAWSUIT ACCUSES STATE DEPARTMENT, DOJ OF STONEWALLING FOIA REQUESTS REGARDING CLIMATE OFFICE PERSONNEL

“I-2117 is a deceptive initiative opposed by more than 500 organizations across Washington, including small businesses and major employers, firefighters, doctors and nurses, the majority of federally recognized Tribal Nations in Washington state, because it would threaten our health and devastate investments in transportation,” said Kelsey Nyland, a spokesperson for the No 2117, a coalition campaigning against the measure. “By forcing $5.4 billion in cuts to our state’s transportation funding, it would hurt every corner of our state, putting major road and bridge projects addressing congestion, safety and freight mobility at risk of being delayed or even canceled.”

California voters will also see a climate initiative on their ballots this fall. 

If passed, Proposition 4 would create a $10 billion taxpayer-funded bond to finance climate projects in the state. Some of these include improving drinking water across the state, wildfire prevention efforts, and protecting coastal areas from sea level rise.

Opponents of the ballot measure call it too pricey, suggesting that there would be financial implications to passing it.

“Prop 4 is a Democrat political wishlist disguised as so-called ‘climate action,’ saddling taxpayers with nearly $20 billion in Wall Street debt. Rather than funding lasting infrastructure, it funnels money into pet projects like pop-up tents for farmers’ markets and zoo exhibits – far from the meaningful solutions Californians need,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Don’t be fooled by claims of progress; Prop 4 won’t address any of the major issues facing our state, but will leave taxpayers bearing the cost of yet another massive loan.”

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) also said the state should not take a loan-based approach to climate-related mitigation.

“Clean water and fire mitigation are important priorities that should be funded in the budget, first, not last. Proposition 4 instead borrows $10 billion, which has to be repaid with interest. This is the most expensive way to pay for anything. Prop. 4 also funds billions of dollars of vague grants and programs, and these should never be paid for with borrowed money,” a spokesperson for HJTA told Fox. 

Other states will vote on environmental initiatives this cycle. Question 4 on Rhode Island’s ballot will decide on a $53-million bond for land preservation in the state, while Amendment 1 in Minnesota seeks to earmark funds from the state lottery to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) for environmental projects.

The future of climate and environmental policy will also weigh heavily on the presidential race, pitting Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Trump.

A Pew Research poll found that 62% of Harris supporters believe climate change is a very important issue, compared to only 11% of Trump supporters who see it as a top issue.

The Texas Senate debate between longtime Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred was not without its share of name-calling and fiery exchanges in the state’s first and only debate before the November election.

Abortion, immigration and transgender issues brought out the most contention between the two candidates.

While Cruz sought to destroy any attempt of Allred being portrayed as a moderate candidate by continually bringing up his voting record throughout the hour-long debate on Tuesday night, Allred painted Cruz as an “extremist” who opposes exceptions to abortions, like in instances of rape.

‘BOYS PLAYING GIRLS’ SPORTS’ AD LANDS TEXAS DEM IN HOT WATER WITH LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ON EVE OF PIVOTAL DEBATE

“You’re not pro-life,” Allred said to Cruz. “It’s not pro-life to deny women care so long that they can’t have children anymore. It’s not pro-life to force a victim of rape to carry their rapist’s baby.”

Cruz, during his opening statement, said, “In Texas, we overwhelmingly support that parents should be notified and have to consent before their child gets an abortion.” 

“In Texas, we overwhelmingly agree that late-term abortions in the eighth and ninth months, that’s too extreme, and I’ll tell you, in Texas, we overwhelmingly agree that taxpayer money shouldn’t pay for abortions,” he added.

At one point during the squabble over abortion, one of the hosts, WFAA’s Jason Whitely, repeatedly probed Cruz but did not do the same to Allred.

“Why is this an issue you won’t address, about saying whether you support or oppose exceptions like rape or incest?” Whitely asked Cruz.

“Why do you keep asking me that?” Cruz shot back. “But yet I’ve asked Congressman Allred twice about his voting record and the fact that he voted to strike down Texas’ parental notification law and parental consent law. You haven’t asked him about that.”

Cruz said during the debate he supports abortion being left up to each state.

TEXAS DEM’S SENATE AD FEATURES BORDER WALL HE ONCE BLASTED AS ‘RACIST’

When it came to border security, Allred contended that Cruz voted against the bipartisan White House deal – which Republicans tanked, arguing it didn’t actually address border security – earlier this year. 

“In fact, he does worse than nothing when the toughest border security bill in a generation came up in the United States Senate, $20 billion for border security,” Allred said. “And you know, listen, this is not this is a pattern for him. He’s never there for us when we need him.”

“He’s voted against the border wall, not once, not twice, but three times, every single time there’s a serious measure in the House to secure the border,” Cruz responded. “Colin Allred is Kamala Harris. Their records are the same.”

During another part of the debate, Allred recounted his experience during the Jan. 6 riot, and said, “You’re a threat to democracy.”

TEXAS DEM ALLRED SAYS HE OPPOSES ‘BOYS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS’ DESPITE PAST OF ALLOWING IT, FIGHTING PARENTAL RIGHTS

Regarding the issue of trans women competing in women’s sports and sharing facilities – topics Cruz has targeted in several attack ads – Allred firmly reiterated that he does not support any of the “ridiculous things he’s talking about.”

To escape the hot seat, Allred redirected the issue back to abortion.

“But what he wants you thinking about is kids in bathrooms, so you’re not thinking about women in hospitals, because it’s indefensible,” Allred said. 

Cruz, the two-term Republican who has held the seat for the last 12 years, kept pinning his main point on Allred at every turn: “He said not a word about his own record.”

In October 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law restricting transgender student athletes from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity.

Texas is one of 23 states with laws in place to prevent transgender inclusion in women’s sports. In June 2023, Allred co-sponsored a bill that would require public schools to permit biological male student athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams.

The Texas Senate race is a likely GOP win, according to the latest Fox News Power Rankings. The most recent Real Clear Politics polling average shows Cruz with a four-point lead in the race.

Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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

The Senate Democrat campaign arm announced a new effort to reach Black voters on Wednesday as Vice President Kamala Harris, who leads the ticket, is struggling to match President Biden’s margin with the demographic. 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is advertising in local Black media outlets across seven states with pivotal Senate races, including Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Maryland, Texas and Florida. 

The ads will focus on emphasizing the importance of participating in the upcoming elections, as fears of declining enthusiasm among Black voters are returning. 

‘A LOT OF TRUMP SIGNS’: RESIDENTS IN BLUE STRONGHOLD MILWAUKEE BREAK DOWN 2024 ELECTION

“Our vote. Our power. Make your voice heard, make your plan to vote. IWillVote.com,” the ad said. 

It is running, starting on Wednesday, in publications such as the Florida Star, the Baltimore Times/Annapolis Times, the Michigan Chronicle, the Call & Post in Ohio, the West Philly Journal, Houston Style Magazine, Dallas Weekly and the Milwaukee Community Journal. 

“Black voters have the power to shape the outcome of the 2024 election and will play a critical role in defending Democrats’ Senate majority that is fighting for the values, priorities and issues that matter most for Black Americans. This campaign will build on Senate Democrats’ efforts to meet Black voters wherever they are and ensure that every voter has the information they need to make their plan to vote and make their voice heard in the 2024 Senate election,” DSCC Deputy Executive Director Jessica Knight Henry said in a statement.

The Democrats’ effort to shore up Black voter turnout and support in crucial Senate races comes as recent polling indicates former President Donald Trump is making gains with Black men, who are traditionally some of the Democratic Party’s most reliable supporters.

‘I WAS MUCH BETTER OFF’: THESE VOTERS BACK TRUMP IN TOP BATTLEGROUND COUNTY

It also comes as Harris’ campaign faces a disparity between Biden’s 2020 vote share of the demographic and hers. 

In a recent poll, 76% of Black voters said they would support Harris if the election were held that day, per the New York Times and Siena College. While over three-quarters of the group indicated they would back Harris, the number was shy of the 90% of Black voters who chose Biden in 2020, when the president defeated then-President Trump. 

Amid this concern, Harris’ campaign unveiled this week its “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men.” 

Her plan includes fully forgivable loans for Black entrepreneurs, a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and legalizing recreational marijuana, among other measures. 

KAMALA HARRIS ACCUSED OF PLAGIARIZING IN 2009 BOOK ABOUT BEING ‘SMART ON CRIME’

“Kamala Harris and Senate Democrats are struggling with Black voters because Black voters don’t like paying insanely high prices at the grocery store, mass illegal immigration, and having their taxpayer funds used to pay for gender transition surgery for murderers,” National Republican Senate Committee Communications Director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Top Democrat Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., recently admitted his concern about Black voters supporting Republicans, saying on CNN’s “State of the Union,” “I am concerned about Black men staying home or voting for Trump.” 

Former President Barack Obama also expressed worry in Pennsylvania, telling people at a pre-campaign stop, “I’m speaking to men directly — part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.” 

TRUMP ALLY TIM SCOTT MULLS BID FOR TOP ROLE AT SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM

Harris answered questions about her support with Black men in a recent interview, explaining, “One, that’s not my experience,” and, “Two, Election Day has not arrived yet.”

“Black men are no different from anybody else,” she said on the Black-focused entertainment show “The Shade Room.” 

“They expect that you have to earn their vote. And that’s why I’m out here.”

Harris also did an audio town hall this week on iHeartRadio with “Breakfast Club” radio show co-host Charlamagne Tha God, who is particularly popular with Black listeners. 

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

WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. – As she ramps up her efforts to court disgruntled Republicans in her battle with former President Donald Trump for the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a two-pronged approach on Wednesday.

The Democratic presidential nominee will team up in battleground Pennsylvania with more than 100 anti-Trump Republicans, including one of the most vocal and visible, former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger.

Following her campaign event at the historic park where George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 – a turning point moment in the American Revolutionary War – the vice president will sit down with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier for an interview that will run on “Special Report” at 6 p.m. ET.

With less than three weeks until Election Day, Harris and Trump are locked in a margin-of-error race in the key swing states.

HARRIS RAMPS UP OUTREACH TO BLACK MEN AS TRUMP MAKES GAINS

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

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

Kinzinger, who flew missions as a pilot in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and later served a dozen years as a conservative member of Congress, had a prominent speaking role at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, when Harris gave her nomination acceptance speech.

Kinzinger was one of only two Republicans who served on a special select committee organized by House Democrats that investigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to prevent the Congressional certification of the 2020 election.

The other was former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the one-time rising conservative star among House Republicans who became a leading GOP crusader against Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Biden. 

Cheney formally endorsed Harris as the two teamed up at a campaign event in swing state Wisconsin two weeks ago.

The Harris campaign highlighted that the vice president on Wednesday will also be joined at her event in Bucks County – a key swing county north of Philadelphia – by former Republican Reps. Barbara Comstack of Virginia, Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania, Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, Denver Riggleman of Virginia, Chris Shays of Connecticut, David Trott of Michigan, as well as former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and former aides who served in the Trump administration.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW 

As she did at her event with Cheney, Harris is expected to spotlight the importance of patriotism and upholding the Constitution in a bipartisan call for putting country above party in this election.

“Anyone who recklessly tramples on our democratic values as Donald Trump has, anyone who has actively and violently obstructed the will of the people and the peaceful transfer of power as Donald Trump has … must never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States,” Harris emphasized two weeks ago as she stood on the podium with Cheney.

Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, has also endorsed Harris.

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.

HARRIS TEAMS UP WITH CHENEY AT BIRTHPLACE OF THE GOP

Following Wednesday’s event, the vice president is expected to sit with Baier for approximately 25–30 minutes at around 5 p.m. ET, about an hour before “Special Report” airs live.

“We are going to run it uninterrupted, unedited, all the way,” Baier said on the eve of the interview.

The vice president’s first formal interview on Fox News will give her a chance to speak directly to viewers across the ideological spectrum who normally do not watch the rival cable news networks CNN and MSNBC.

“Special Report” is regularly among the most-watched programs on cable news, and the show’s “Common Ground” segment features political leaders from across the aisle discussing the issues of the day with the goal of finding compromise.

“We have a lot of eyeballs. We have Democrats, independents and Republicans,” Baier said. “We have the biggest cable news audience. And this is probably going to get a lot more eyeballs. I think tough but fair is what I pitched it as. And I think that’s what they’re going to see.”

Harris largely avoided interviews after replacing President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket in mid-July. Her first formal sit-down interview with CNN did not happen until late August. However, she has ramped up her media appearances in recent weeks, including interviews with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” ABC’s “The View,” late night talk show host Stephen Colbert, radio personality Howard Stern and numerous podcasts. Most of those encounters were perceived as friendly interviews.

The interview with Baier on Fox News, however, may feed the perception that the vice president in the closing stretch of the campaign is open to facing tough questions.

“She knows there are going to be hard questions. She can handle those,” seasoned Democratic strategist and communicator Chris Moyer told Fox News. “Going through that process and handling that, you’re kind of going behind enemy lines a little bit.”

Harris will be the first Democratic presidential nominee in eight years to sit for an interview on Fox News, when Hillary Clinton spoke with Chris Wallace in 2016.

However, leading Harris surrogates – including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg – have made high-profile appearances on Fox News this summer and autumn.

Additionally, Democratic vice presidential nominee, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday” the past two weekends.

The Harris sitdown with Baier comes the same day that Fox News ran a townhall with Trump, with the former president fielding questions on issues such as abortion and child care from an all-female audience.

The program, recorded on Tuesday in battleground Georgia, ran Wednesday morning on “The Faulkner Focus.”

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

Democrats in the two-county Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania said they are confident in their ground game ahead of what could be another narrow election result in the perennial bellwether region.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Bethlehem, a pragmatic Northampton County lawmaker who has served the region for decades, and Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, leader of Lehigh County’s largest city, spoke to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

Former President Trump won Northampton County in 2016, and lost it in 2020. Lehigh County – typically bluer due to Allentown’s influence – hosts a reliably conservative voting bloc in its rural, Pennsylvania German exurbs.

Tuerk, whose “Band City USA” is also Pennsylvania’s third largest, said he’s heard directly from residents that they largely support Vice President Kamala Harris.

Speaking from a conference of global mayors in Mexico City, Tuerk said dignitaries are coming up to him with interest in Allentown and the way the national election may turn based on the result in his city.

POPULAR PA DEMOCRATIC MAYOR WARNS TRUMP IS ‘OUT-MESSAGING’ HARRIS: I GET MORE FROM STEPHEN COLBERT

“I happen to be from the swingiest district in the commonwealth… What I’m telling everybody is: Allentonians, broadly speaking, are supportive of Kamala Harris,” he said.

“I know this because I’m actually knocking on doors. I go out every Saturday and sometimes Sunday and canvass for the campaign and talk to not just Democrats, but independents and Republicans.”

Tuerk noted Allentown is now a majority-Latino city, and just like the patchwork of Pennsylvania Dutch, Polish, English and Syrian Americans in town, they, too, are not a “monolith.”

But, Latinos in Allentown are mostly concerned about the same things: commodity prices, housing and job opportunities.

“There’s a lot of people who are concerned about the rhetoric that former President Trump uses,” he said, adding that Republicans in the city often voice the same concerns as Democrats in that regard.

“[They’ll] tell me they just can’t vote for the guy [but] they’re not switching their party.”

“But they’re frustrated by the way that Donald Trump talks about our country. They’re frustrated by the way that he talks about people who are in need. So they’re looking for decency. And I think that’s been a pretty recurrent theme about the things that people are concerned with. But it’s primarily the economic issues and things related to housing.”

Allentown, known for hosting America’s oldest community band – the Allentown Band, predating the Boston Pops – was once home to Mack Trucks’ headquarters, and Max Hess’ famed department store on Hamilton Street from 1897 to 1995 – where people as far as the Midwest would flock for holiday shopping and its world-famous strawberry pie under the slogan “You’ll find the best of everything at Hess’.”

In 1982, Billy Joel famously sang about “living here in Allentown,” as Bethlehem Steel was “closing all the factories down” across the river in the Christmas City, and the area was beginning to stare down a long economic downturn.

Since that time, the area has gone through dramatic change – as smoke from “iron and coke; chromium steel” has been replaced by the bright lights of a casino and the “SteelStacks” entertainment complex built amid its hulking, defunct namesake.

HARRIS PLAYS MASHUP OF TRUMP’S ‘ENEMY WITHIN’ COMMENTS AT ERIE RALLY, AFTER CROWD CHANTS ‘LOCK HIM UP’

Not far from Boscola’s office, Harris-Walz signs were scattered along Church Street in Bethlehem’s 18th-century “Moravian” district, while Trump-Vance signs began poking out among their opponents’ placards along Nazareth Pike on the way out of town.

“We are a bellwether county and I feel like not a day goes by when a surrogate, a family member or a candidate themselves is not in the Lehigh Valley stumping for the election,” Boscola said.

“Every race from the presidential down through a local state House seat, the election is everywhere. The Democrats’ ground game is always solid. We have canvassers, phone banks and non-stop text messaging to get out the vote.”

Issues in her district, which includes Northampton County’s Slate Belt plus the entirety of Bethlehem – split between the two counties by Monocacy Creek – include property taxes, the economy, immigration and abortion, she said.

Businesses continue to struggle to find employees, Boscola said, and constituents also bring up the criminal element that is identified with the illegal immigration crisis.

The lawmaker, one of the longest-serving in the Valley, said political messaging about government aid for illegal immigrants is resonating among working-class residents.

On the abortion front, Boscola said she has heard from people who take both sides of the issue while not being “extreme on either side.”

“They believe that people should have choice, but have reservations about on-demand, third-term abortions. They are looking for balance,” she said.

Boscola added she has a bill before the state Senate that would allow registered Independents to cast votes in primaries. If passed, she predicted, Independents would promptly become the fastest-growing party in the area.

“The extremes on either side do not work in the Lehigh Valley,” she said, echoing moderate Easton Democratic Mayor Sal Panto’s remarks to Fox News Digital in a separate interview.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“It boils down to an individual, not a ticket, per se. Look at our elected officials over the decades, like our mayors and county executives, they are moderates,” the senator said.

In Lehigh County, Allentown has had a spate of moderate-to-liberal Democratic mayors, including Tuerk, Ray O’Connell and Ed Pawlowski – the latter of whom is currently serving time in federal prison for a pay-to-play scheme.

At the turn of the century, Republican Bill Heydt led the city and was seen as just as popular as his Democratic contemporaries.

While Bethlehem Democratic Mayor J. William Reynolds ultimately did not respond to interview requests, that city last had a Republican mayor in the 1990s, when Kenneth Smith led the city through the collapse of Bethlehem Steel Corp.

The Lehigh Valley’s prior congressman, Republican Charlie Dent, was a moderate who notably eschewed support for Trump – earning him frequent criticism in return.

“Moderates win in the Lehigh Valley because that is who we are at our core,” Boscola said.

“About 20% of Northampton County’s electorate are Independents and party dogma does not persuade them.”

In both counties’ rural northern and suburban southern ends, however, Republicans often hold majorities on township boards.

Such countervailing dynamics demonstrate why races are often so tight in the Valley.

In response to Tuerk’s comments, Trump’s Pennsylvania campaign spokesman Kush Desai said Democrats “can delude themselves into believing that huge swaths of Republicans are voting for another four years of unlimited illegal immigration, rising prices, and war with Kamala Harris all they want, but the reality is that Pennsylvanians – whether they be Democrats, Republicans or independents – want a return to the peace, prosperity and stability of the Trump administration.”

Fox News Digital separately interviewed Lehigh Valley Republicans, whose ground game strategies and sentiments will be the subject of a separate piece.

The Lehigh and Northampton County Democratic Committees did not respond to interview requests.

Fox News Digital’s Matteo Cina contributed to this report.