In the weeks following the nearly back-to-back assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump, the Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation that would boost Secret Service protection to major presidential candidates.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced the Protect Our President Act, which will enhance U.S. Secret Service (USSS) protection for presidential nominees to the same level currently provided for a sitting president. However, a nominee is free to decline this. 

It would additionally extend that presidential-level protection to vice presidential nominees, in this case to Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn.

“Over the course of just 65 days, two deranged individuals have tried to kill President Donald Trump, and one was able to shoot him in the head,” Scott wrote during the bill’s introduction.

RICK SCOTT LEADS EFFORT TO UP SECRET SERVICE PROTECTIONS AFTER 2ND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP

Additionally, the bill would require regular reporting from the Secret Service to leaders of the House and Senate on the status of candidates’ protection. 

The regular reporting would mandate that the agency provide a report of the nominee’s protection every 15 days during a presidential election year.

Such reports would include threat levels, security measures, costs, amount of personnel assigned and any needs that are unmet. 

The report would also include the threat level for each presidential nominee, the security measures being implemented, associated costs, the number of personnel permanently assigned to each protective detail, and any unmet security needs.

In a press release, Sen. John Barrasso, R-WY, said that the bill will “ensure” that all candidates receive proper protection.

“Our nation has witnessed two horrifying assassination attempts on President Trump. We were merely inches away from a catastrophic event that would have changed the course of our history,” he wrote. “This cannot happen again. The Protect Our Presidents Act will ensure all presidential nominees receive the same level of protection provided to the president. This will give law enforcement the resources they need to keep President Trump and all of the candidates safe.”

Fox News Julia Johnson, David Spunt and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken could be held in contempt of Congress after a key House committee advanced the penal measure on Tuesday.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a contempt resolution against the top Biden administration Cabinet secretary, setting it up for a House-wide vote after Congress returns from a six-week recess. A secretary of state has never in history been held in contempt.

“We have a duty of oversight, and no one’s above the law,” McCaul told Fox News Digital Tuesday morning.

HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News Digital, “I’m sure we will,” when asked if there would be a House-wide vote on holding Blinken in contempt when Congress returns in November.

If the House votes to hold Blinken in contempt, he would be automatically referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal charges.

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS BLINKEN OVER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL 

The House GOP majority has already held another Biden official in contempt – Attorney General Merrick Garland. The DOJ declined to prosecute, however. 

House Republicans also voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, though it was quickly dismissed by the Senate.

McCaul has accused Blinken of stonewalling his committee’s probe into President Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

Blinken was absent from the hearing portion due to a full schedule at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, however.

In a letter sent to McCaul over the weekend, Blinken urged McCaul to withdraw his subpoena and efforts to hold him in contempt, saying he was “disappointed” with the Texas Republican.

“As I have made clear, I am willing to testify and have offered several reasonable alternatives to the dates unilaterally demanded by the Committee during which I am carrying out the President’s important foreign policy objectives,” Blinken wrote.

But McCaul dismissed the Biden official’s arguments.

“I gave him any day,” McCaul challenged. “Any day in September, and he refuses.”

“He doesn’t have one day in the whole month of September to show up before Congress? I mean, I’ve been very flexible with him since May to try to get cooperation.”

It comes after McCaul’s committee released an explosive report detailing Biden administration shortfalls that led to the hasty military withdrawal from Kabul following a lightening-fast takeover of the country by the Taliban.

The Republican-led paper opens by hearkening back to President Biden’s urgency to withdraw from the Vietnam War as a senator in the 1970s. That, along with the Afghanistan withdrawal, demonstrates a “pattern of callous foreign policy positions and readiness to abandon strategic partners,” according to the report.

The report also disputed Biden’s assertion that his hands were tied to the Doha agreement former President Trump had made with the Taliban establishing a deadline for U.S. withdrawal for the summer of 2021, and it revealed how state officials had no plan for getting Americans and allies out while there were still troops there to protect them.

Two recent House contempt votes that resulted in criminal charges were those against former Trump administration advisers Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. Both were held in contempt by the previous House Democratic majority for failing to comply with subpoenas from the now-defunct House select committee on Jan. 6.

Biden Cabinet members praised the president for his “exceptionally effective” leadership and believe he is still fit for office after he handed over the reins of a Cabinet meeting to his wife, Jill Biden, just days ago.

Among the 10 Cabinet officials who sent Fox News Digital statements, there was a general agreement of confidence in Biden’s leadership and his ability to continue serving out his term as president.

“President Biden continues to be an exceptionally effective president, and his focus on delivering results—like record job creation, major infrastructure development, and increased domestic manufacturing—is something he demonstrates every time we interact,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told Fox News Digital. 

FLASHBACK: BIDEN’S CABINET DOUBLES DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT FOLLOWING DEBATE 

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo went a step further and called Biden “one of the most accomplished presidents in American history and continues to effectively lead our country with a steady hand.”

“As someone who is actually in the room when the President meets with the cabinet and foreign leaders, I can tell you he is an incisive and extraordinary leader,” Raimondo said.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra – one of Biden’s staunch defenders – said Biden “has done more as president for this country than any other president whom I have worked with since 1992.”

“So yes, not only can he do the job, but he has been doing it,” he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And we are fortunate to have someone who continues to use all of his experience to take us further. If you recall where we were four years ago, the depth of a pandemic, Americans losing their jobs, Americans losing their health care. Today, more Americans are employed than ever before. Today, more Americans have health coverage than ever before. No President in the history of this country has ever placed 700 million vaccines in the arms of Americans to keep them alive and keep them healthy. The result? Our economy is healthy.”

“Is he fit? He’s proving it,” Becerra added. 

Biden’s apparent declining mental acuity first made headlines during the summer before his poor debate performance against former President Trump. Less than a month after the June debate, Biden faced pressure from his Democratic base to drop out of the race and allow VP Kamala Harris to run as the party’s candidate. 

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER PRESIDENT THROWS TO JILL BIDEN TO SPEAK AT CABINET MEETING: ‘ALL YOURS, KID’

“Throughout President Biden’s term, Americans have benefited from his leadership and experience. He led a productive Cabinet meeting on Friday and clearly laid out his expectations for the months ahead,” Adrianne Todman, acting secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, told Fox News Digital.

“President Biden charged us with not only continuing to get the historic levels of funding he secured out the door, but ensuring that those funds are being put to work to help the American people. I look forward to continuing to work with the President, and the entire Administration, to expand affordable housing for all,” she said. 

Biden convened his Cabinet on Friday for the first time since Oct. 2, 2023 – this time with the first lady joining him to speak about the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. 

The president explained Jill Biden’s presence there, saying, “Here and across previous administrations, first ladies have attended these meetings for specific reasons. This is the first time Jill has joined us, and it goes to show how important the issue is, which she is about to speak to.” 

The New York Post reported that Jill Biden, seated at the head of the Cabinet Room’s board table, “read from a binder about maternal health initiatives for four-and-a-half minutes after her husband spoke for just two minutes off the top of the meeting.” 

‘ACCESS GRANTED’: BIDEN’S FREE VACATION AT FRIEND’S CALIFORNIA MANSION DRAWS IRE OF CRITICS

The president traditionally sits at the center of the table with Cabinet members seated in order of the founding of their departments. The last sitting first lady to attend her husband’s Cabinet meeting appears to be Hillary Clinton.

The amount of influence the first lady has over Joe Biden, and therefore his administration, has been a frequent source of controversy, and numerous commentators took to social media to criticize her presence at the meeting.

The New York Post said Jill Biden is “considered by insiders to be the most influential first lady since Edith Wilson, who tightly controlled access to her husband, President Woodrow Wilson, after he suffered a debilitating stroke in October 1919.” 

Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall and Greg Norman contributed to this report.

The building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., is a place many commute to for work. 

There are a large range of jobs at the White House, some of which are not overly political in nature, such as the chef, and others who typically come equipped with a strong government background, like the chief of staff. 

Jobs within a president’s administration change every four to eight years, when a new president is elected into office. 

WORKING IN THE WHITE HOUSE DOES NOT REQUIRE A RESUME FULL OF POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS, EDUCATION 

There are approximately 4,000 political positions to fill in each presidential administration, according to the Center for Presidential Transition. 

Within these jobs, there are certain ones that require Senate confirmation, according to the source, and others that do not.

Examples of jobs that require approval from the Senate include Cabinet secretaries and agency heads, while roles like senior White House aides and advisors do not, per the source. 

BIDENOMICS STRIKES AGAIN: SHOCKING NUMBER OF FULL-TIME JOBS LOST OVER PAST 5 MONTHS 

There is no cohesive list where all open jobs for a president’s administration are listed.

Instead, each presidential administration has an online application through the White House website that can be filled out by prospective candidates. 

Since this is a general application, rather than one for a specific job, there are many opportunities through the application requiring potential candidates to note what area of work they are interested in. 

For example, in addition to uploading a resume, you will also have to choose your desired functions. 

BIDEN WHITE HOUSE BOASTS BIGGEST STAFF SINCE NIXON, HAS 77 PERCENT TURNOVER

As of September 2024, the desired functions listed on WhiteHouse.gov for the Biden-Harris Administration are communications/press, digital media, informative technology, intergovernmental affairs, legal, legislative, management/administration, policy, project management/operations, scheduling and speechwriting. 

Additionally, there is a desired policy areas of interest section, which includes agriculture, arts/humanities, budget, children and family, civil rights and liberties, criminal justice/justice, defense, education, environment, foreign policy, health care, housing, immigration, mental health and more. 

There is also a space to choose the desired department you wish to be a part of.

A question about why you want to work for the administration, your political party affiliation, government experience as well as management experience are also questions listed. 

Individuals who work in a president’s administration often spend many years working in government positions. 

HOW VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS GOT STARTED IN POLITICS 

Dana Perino, for example, worked as the press secretary at the White House under former President George W. Bush, the first female to hold the role in a Republican administration. 

Prior to joining the press office, she spent more than seven years in the Bush administration working at the Justice Department and the Council on Environmental Policy.

With the highly competitive nature of joining a president’s administration, one aspect that could benefit candidates is networking. 

One ideal way to network and gain experience is through internships. Internship opportunities offered at the White House are listed on the White House’s website. 

There is also the White House Fellows Program, which was founded in 1964 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson, per WhiteHouse.gov. The highly-esteemed program gives individuals the opportunity to work full-time, paid, for a year as a fellow to senior White House staff, Cabinet secretaries and other top-ranking government officials, according to the source. 

“The purpose of the White House Fellows program is to provide gifted and highly motivated emerging leaders with some first-hand experience in the process of governing the Nation and a sense of personal involvement in the leadership of society,” the White House states on its website. 

The White House Fellows is a non-partisan program. To apply, applicants must have “a record of remarkable professional achievement early in one’s career” as well as “evidence of leadership skills and the potential for further growth” and “a demonstrated commitment to public service,” per the White House website.

Also, candidates should have the skills they need to “succeed at the highest levels of the Federal government.”

Violent crimes have dramatically increased during the Biden-Harris administration, according to a recent Department of Justice study that appears to refute consistent claims by the Harris campaign – and some in the media – that serious offenses are on a downward trajectory.

Crimes such as rape or sexual assault, aggravated assault, and robbery increased from 2020 to 2023, the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics revealed earlier this month as part of its National Crime Victimization Survey. Across the board, the survey found total instances of reported violent crimes increased from 5.6 per 1,000 individuals aged 12 and over in 2020, when Trump was still in office, to 8.7 per 1,000 in 2023. 

The study found 9.8 instances of violent crime per 1,000 people aged 12 and over in 2022, which marks the highest rate during the 2020-2023 era. 

Crime is once again a top concern this election cycle, with voters often listing crime behind the economy, ongoing inflation woes, immigration and foreign policy on their list of concerns ahead of voting on Nov. 5. 

‘WEAK-ON-CRIME LIBERAL’: TRUMP CAMPAIGN HITS BACK AFTER HARRIS BLAMES HIM FOR ‘VIOLENT CRIME WAVE’

During Trump’s debate against Vice President Harris on Sept. 10, the 45th president stated that crime is on the rise in the U.S., while linking the trend to the influx of illegal migrants who crossed the border since 2021. 

“All over the world crime is down. All over the world except here,” Trump said. “Crime here is up and through the roof. Despite their fraudulent statements that they made. Crime in this country is through the roof. And we have a new form of crime. It’s called migrant crime. And it’s happening at levels that nobody thought possible.” 

ABC News’ David Muir, who co-moderated the debate, interjected that FBI data shows crime is on a downward trajectory. 

2ND AMENDMENT STEPS IN AFTER COPS STEP BACK IN WAKE OF DEFUND MOVEMENT IN CHICAGO

“President Trump, as you know, the FBI says overall violent crime is coming down in this country,” Muir said, before Trump added that the FBI didn’t include data from the “worst cities.”

The FBI released its quarterly crime report for 2024 in June, which found violent crime decreased by 15.2% between January-March 2024 compared to the same time period in 2023. The FBI data, however, does not include crimes that were not reported to the police. 

On the other hand, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is one of the most comprehensive federal surveys, according to some experts, which includes interviewing 230,000 U.S. residents on whether they’ve been the victims of crimes, what the crime entailed and if the crime was reported to police. 

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN SAYS CRIME IS DOWN, BUT INDEPENDENT DATA SHOWS VIOLENT CRIME UP ACROSS 66 CITIES

“When David Muir goes and says the FBI shows that crime is down, that’s not what the FBI is measuring,” Crime Prevention Research Center President John Lott told Fox News Digital in an interview this week. “What the FBI measures is that reported crime went down, and that’s a big difference between total and reported crime. We know most crimes aren’t reported to the police. And the rate that people report crimes to the police depends in part on things like whether they think the guys are going to be arrested or not.”

Lott noted that arrest rates have dipped, with 2022 data showing only 20% of reported violent crimes resulted in an arrest in major cities. 

“So, if people don’t think that the criminals are going to be caught and punished, it reduces the returns for some people reporting the crimes to the police to begin with,” he argued. 

PUBLIC SAFETY GROUP FINDS FBI VIOLENT CRIME DATA IS HIGHER THAN INITIALLY REPORTED

An opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal this week argued that the National Crime Victimization Survey is far more reliable than FBI crime data for five reasons: NCVS data is finalized before it’s published, unlike the FBI data that shows partial-year data; the FBI overhauled its reporting system in 2021 that makes year-to-year comparisons more difficult; the NCVS study represents data nationally via its surveys, while the FBI data does not include stats from some massive police departments such as the Los Angeles PD; the ​​FBI “isn’t considered a principal statistical agency” and so it is unable to compensate for missing data from agencies such as the LAPD; and the FBI data only includes crimes that were reported to police, while NCVS data includes surveys from individuals who did not report a crime. 

GUN CRIME EXPERT BLASTS RED STATE ‘CHERRY-PICKING’ BY YALE PROFESSOR IN SENATE HEARING: ‘POLITICAL BIAS’

On Monday, the FBI did publish its crime report for 2023 and found violent crime declined an estimated 3% when compared to 2022. That FBI report is based only on reported crimes, and includes data from more than 85% of law enforcement agencies enrolled in the FBI’s program. 

When asked for comment about NCVS data, the White House pointed to a Politifact article published this month that argued that while both the methodology for the FBI data and the NCVS “have value,” FBI data is typically more reliable. The article argued that while NCVS data may include unreported crimes, it might “also capture events that don’t rise to the level of a crime.”

“As PolitiFact explained when they debunked this lie, ‘the FBI data tends to be more rigorous’ and ‘nongovernmental groups have released data’ that ‘aligns’ with those numbers – whereas ‘the victimization survey excludes murders.’ It would track that apologists for the Trump Administration, which oversaw the biggest murder rate increase in American history, would cherry pick a survey that excludes murders altogether,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said. 

“Here are the facts: every year in office, the Trump Administration and congressional Republicans attempted to defund the police by cutting the COPS program; then, in 2020, murders spiked more than ever. Now, after making an unprecedented federal investment in public safety, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have delivered a record *drop* in the murder rate and the lowest violence crime in 50 years.”  

Lott, who also served as a senior adviser for research and statistics at the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs, authored an op-ed for Real Clear Politics this month and detailed that the DOJ survey found that total violent crimes are 55.4% higher in 2023 than in 2020, the end of Trump’s tenure, while rape crimes increased by 42%, robbery by 63%,and aggravated assault by 55%. The DOJ survey does not include surveys on murder, but that category is almost always reported to police departments, and subsequently to the FBI, he noted, and makes up about 1% of the U.S.’ total violent crimes.

The FBI’s quarterly data found murders dropped by 13% in 2023 compared to 2022, but the rate remains 5% higher than pre-pandemic data from 2019, Lott explained. 

The Associated Press published a fact-check following the presidential debate and determined Trump’s claim that violent crime has been on the rise under the Biden-Harris administration was false, citing the NCVS study outlining that the rate of violent victimizations in 2023 was not statistically different from the rate in 2019. 

“​​The 2023 rate was higher than the 2020 (6.6 per 1,000) and 2021 (7.5 per 1,000) rates but was comparable to 5 years ago in 2019 and consistent with the overall downward trend since 1993 (33.8 per 1,000),” the NCVS study states. 

STUDY DEBUNKS ‘RED STATE MURDER’ CLAIM FROM HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRATS

Lott countered that the AP report failed to “mention whether the rate is statistically different than in 2020 or 2021.” 

“Nor do they mention how large the increases are. Trump’s point was that violent crime had increased during the Biden-Harris administration. The rate in 2022 was statistically significantly higher than in either of those previous years. The violent crime rate in 2022 and 2023 was also significantly higher,” he wrote in his Real Clear Politics op-ed. 

“Total felonious violent crime increased by 19% from 2019 to 2023, and there is only one other time when the increase over four years was larger.”

FLORIDA CRIME TRENDING DOWN WHILE CALIFORNIA SKYROCKETS EXPLAINED BY ONE KEY DIFFERENCE: EXPERT

Lott found that the 55% increase in total violent crime between 2021-2023 was the “largest percentage increase over three years” in the roughly 50 years the NCVS has collected crime data. 

“​​The next largest percentage increase over three years was in 2006 and that was 27%. The percentage increase under Biden is slightly more than twice the largest previous increase. Now, if you want to take it from 2019 for serious violent crime, then what you see is it’s increased by 19% from 2019 to 2023. That’s the second-largest percentage increase in serious violent crime that we’ve ever seen. That’s a huge increase. And those percentage increases are both very statistically significant,” he said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment on the data, but did not immediately receive replies. 

After the NCVS data was published this month, Trump touted it as evidence supporting his debate remark that violent crimes have increased under the Biden-Harris administration. 

“You remember where David Muir tried to correct me that crime is rampant like never before?” Trump said from the campaign trail in California this month. 

“I guess [the DOJ] probably watched the debate and they heard this foolish man, this foolish fool make that statement to me,” Trump added. 

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

A Republican activist who leads the group Early Vote Action has been crisscrossing Pennsylvania since January, working to register new Republican voters and meeting others to encourage them to cast their ballots early.

Fox News Digital followed Scott Presler as he made his near-weekly stop at the massive Green Dragon flea market in Ephrata, outside Lancaster.

The Friday-only market is a popular stop for tourists and locals alike, including the area’s Mennonite and Amish population. Amish, Mennonites and Brethren make up a large portion of the county population, and when they come out to vote, they typically also lean Republican. Both Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump courted the Anabaptist community during their administrations.

“And as you can see, we’re out at fairs, we’re going to farmer’s markets, fraternity houses, American Legions, gun stores, supermarkets, gas stations. Our motto is to meet people where they are,” Presler said.

SCOTT PRESLER ON EARLY VOTING AND THE AMISH VOTE’S IMPACT

“We want to bring our conservative message to the voter and get everybody registered to vote.”

In an interview with Fox News Digital at his second stop of the day, the Solanco Fairgrounds in Quarryville, Presler said Democrats are down 300,000 registered voters in the commonwealth from where they were four years prior.

“Pennsylvania is trending to the right. And at Early Vote Action, we want to deliver Pennsylvania for Donald J. Trump,” he said.

At the Green Dragon, Presler was joined by a family from Charleston, West Virginia, who decided to volunteer to make a difference in Pennsylvania this year after Trump handily won the Mountain State twice.

In addition, Joe Brady from nearby East Earl said he’s been following Presler’s work for months and decided he would answer the call for more Pennsylvania volunteers.

Brady, who has volunteered weekly at Presler’s booth at the Green Dragon, said Early Vote Action averages 20 to 30 new registrants each outing.

SCOTT PRESLER TRAVELS AMERICA CLEANING UP LIBERAL CITIES FAILED BY DEMOCRATIC POLICIES

“In addition to that, [there have been] a lot of great conversations with local residents and even out-of-towners. Everybody’s sentiment seems to be moving in the same direction. Everybody seems very positive about Trump. I think we’re doing good work here. I think we’re really helping move the ball,” Brady said.

One of those locals who stopped by was Denver Mayor Rod Redcay. The chief executive of the smaller of the two Denvers that’s located along I-76 praised Presler’s work and said it has added to the “excitement” in Lancaster County.

Redcay said the 100 Trump signs his group brought to the Denver fair were gone in three hours.

“There’s a lot of passion and motivation for those who are supporting Trump to get out the vote and visit their neighbors and connect with those to talk about the issues,” Redcay said.

“We’re not talking about personality here. We’re talking about issues; what’s important to us, what’s important to our community. And we want safe communities. We want economic development in our community.”

“So, whatever we can do to close the border, we want to get back to an economy wherein we can afford our food again.”

One man who approached Presler had recently been released from prison. 

Presler informed the man that in Pennsylvania, felons who have completed their sentences are eligible to vote, and the man filled out the form and expressed support for the GOP ticket.

As Presler moved south to Quarryville, he noted that Bucks County – while represented in Congress by Republican Brian Fitzpatrick – had long been a Democrat majority.

That changed this month, he said, taking credit for helping move the Philadelphia suburb “from blue to red.”

“Four years ago, there were 15,000 more registered Democrats. Now there are nearly 2,000 more registered Republicans. That’s a shift of 16,004 years to the right and a county outside of Philadelphia. That does not happen,” he said.

Luzerne County, where Democrat nominee Vice President Harris recently rallied, was within a few dozen votes of flipping red as well, he said. One day after Presler’s comments, the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader reported the county is now (+83) voters for the GOP.

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After the Solanco Fairgrounds flea market, it was three hours up to State College ahead of what turned out to be a blowout of visiting Kent State at Beaver Stadium.

Outside one of the largest stadiums in the country, Presler and his group of local volunteers, which included officials from the Centre County GOP, set out to register new voters, including out-of-state-native students who can legally vote in Pennsylvania.

While a few Harris supporters jeered Presler as his crew walked among the tailgaters, many chanted “Trump!” and sought out selfies.

“Centre County is 1,100 voters away from flipping. The Democrats are working tirelessly to keep that county blue. But I’ll tell you, we are going to be at every single Penn State University game, including on Nov. 2nd, three days before Election Day. We are leaving no community unturned going into November, and that includes young people,” he said.

Another one of Presler’s volunteers in State College was Bobby Jeffries of Dauphin County, who said he’d already launched a 2026 State House bid against a moderate GOP lawmaker to seek, in his words, to have its representation match the county’s conservative lean, sans Harrisburg.

“I recently registered a voter. She was born in 1965. She’s never voted. She said, ‘Scott, I’m voting this year because I can’t afford anything. Life is unaffordable,’” Presler later added.

While Centre County’s environs and politics away from the university match its deep-red neighbors in Cameron, Clinton, Elk and Blair, throngs of students in State College have been enough to keep the county reliably Democrat for decades.

“If young people want to be able to afford a home, vote Trump. If young people want peace, not war, vote Trump. If young people don’t want the government getting involved in your life, like during COVID, vote Trump.”

While Democrats have made inroads in the collar counties around Philadelphia, Presler said flipping Bucks, the likelihood of flipping Luzerne, and his group’s work in Beaver, Lehigh and Centre show that “meeting voters where they are” offers the opportunity to make a difference come Election Day.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

Johnny Cash will be saying “Hello Out There” to myriad tourists visiting the U.S. Capitol from now on – after congressional leaders got together to unveil a statue of the legendary musician.

Both Republican and Democratic leaders joined members of Cash’s family for the ceremony, which attracted hundreds of other attendees on Tuesday.

The statue is the latest to be unveiled in the halls of Congress and the first of a professional musician – something House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., noted in his opening remarks.

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

“Johnny Cash is the perfect person to be honored in that way. He was a man who embodies the American spirit in a way that few could. He was an everyday man. He loved to fish, and he suffered the pain of loss. He was the son of southern farmers and of the Great Depression,” Johnson said. “Americans related to Johnny Cash.”

He acknowledged that some people may wonder why Cash was being honored in the way of historic trailblazers, past presidents and dignitaries.

“The answer is pretty simple. It’s because America is about more than laws and politics,” Johnson said. “Johnny Cash gave a voice to the struggles of the people who were downtrodden and marginalized and who were too often forgotten.”

“When we forgot about the factory line worker, there was Johnny Cash singing about that fellow who built the car one piece at a time. When we had forgotten about our troops, there was Johnny Cash, the man in black, remembering the 100,000 who died for that [flag]. When we forgot about the Native American, there was Johnny Cash, reminding us of the petrified but justified Apache tears.”

MCCARTHY’S ‘FINAL STRUGGLES’ THREATEN TO HAUNT JOHNSON’S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FIGHT

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., noted in his own remarks that music has long been a part of American culture.

“From the very beginning, in the DNA of this great country, artistic creativity has been recognized as incredibly important to our growth, our culture and to the American experiment,” Jeffries said. “Throughout his life, he created a catalog of profoundly powerful works that cannot be ascribed to a single genre. At different times, he was country, blues, rock and roll and gospel.”

“At all times, Johnny Cash was uniquely American. He was a trailblazing, transformational and trend-setting figure.”

SHUTDOWN FEARS MOVE HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO PROTECT MILITARY PAYCHECKS

Cash’s relatives participated in the ceremony as well – Adm. Carey Cash, a chaplain and the musician’s great-nephew, delivered the opening prayer.

The statue shows Cash with a guitar on his back and a Bible in hand. His is one of three statues at the Capitol holding the Bible, another being Billy Graham’s.

Each state selects two statues to be represented in the halls of the U.S. Capitol.

Arkansas’ state legislature voted in 2019 to replace statues of two lesser-known figures with Cash and civil rights activist Daisy Bates. The latter statue debuted earlier this year.

The Cash statue was created by Little Rock artist Kevin Kresse.

It’s a nod to Cash’s own roots, growing up in Dyess, Arkansas, on a cotton farm before going on to become one of the best-selling musical artists in history.

Former President Trump on Tuesday is vowing to “launch a historic buildup of American manufacturing muscle and might” through an economic and tax deal he says he will be offering to “every major company and manufacturer on Earth.” 

Trump, speaking during a campaign event in Savannah, Georgia, said his plan for the U.S. economy – which is centered around a “15% Made in America” corporate tax rate – will “create millions and millions of jobs, massively raise wages for American workers, and make the United States into a manufacturing powerhouse like it used to be many years ago.” 

“Here is the deal that I will be offering to every major company and manufacturer on Earth — I will give you the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs, the lowest regulatory burden. And free access to the best and biggest market on the planet,” Trump said. “But only if you make your product here in America. It all goes away if you don’t make your product here. And hire American workers for the job. If you don’t make your product here, then you will have to pay a tariff, a very substantial tariff.” 

TRUMP GIFTS PENNSYLVANIA MOM OF THREE WITH $100 AT GROCERY STORE CHECKOUT: ‘COMPLETE SURPRISE’ 

Trump argued that “with the vision I’m outlining today, not only will we stop our businesses from leaving for foreign lands, but under my leadership, we are going to take other countries’ jobs. 

“We’re going to take their factories,” Trump continued. “We’re going to bring thousands and thousands of businesses and trillions of dollars in wealth back to the good old USA.” 

“Under my plan, American workers will no longer be worried about losing your jobs to foreign nations. Instead, foreign nations will be worried about losing their jobs to America and to bring them back,” he declared. 

“And we will take in hundreds of billions of dollars into our treasury and use that money to benefit the American citizens, and it will not cause inflation, by the way,” Trump said.

The current U.S. corporate tax rate is at 21%. Lowering the corporate tax rate to 15% for all businesses would lower tax revenue by $460 billion per a dynamic analysis by the Tax Foundation, to $673 billion, according to the Tax Foundation’s static analysis. The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that tax revenue would be $595 billion lower over a decade under the policy. 

EARLY MAIL-IN VOTING DATA SIGNALS GOOD NEWS FOR REPUBLICANS, TRUMP: EXPERT 

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed raising the corporate tax rate to 28% from the current 21%, after she had previously supported a 35% corporate tax rate during her short-lived presidential campaign in the 2020 cycle. The Harris campaign has described this as a “fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people and ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.” 

The CRFB’s analysis found that increasing the corporate tax rate to 28% would raise tax revenue by $1 trillion from fiscal 2026 to fiscal 2035. The Tax Foundation’s analysis also projected that it would raise taxes by $1 trillion, while the Penn Wharton Budget Model estimated it would raise $1.2 trillion in revenue in that period. 

Trump ripped Harris during his speech in Savannah on Tuesday, calling her the “tax queen.” 

“They love her in other countries because she forces everybody out of our country into their hands. The tax queen is demanding a 33% tax hike on all domestic production,” he said. “Now, you know you can hate companies and all that, but they still fuel growth and they fuel jobs, they fuel everything.” 

Trump also announced Tuesday that “we will set up special zones of federal land with ultra-low taxes and regulations for American producers” which will be “ideal spots for relocating entire industries that we’ve taken in from other countries. 

He added that he will “appoint a manufacturing ambassador whose sole task… will be to go around the world and convince major manufacturers to pack up and move back to America, where they want to be.” 

FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report. 

Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly planning on a visit to the southern border in Arizona, as immigration remains a top election issue and her campaign attempts to present her as tough on border security — but critics say any border visit is just a “political stunt.”

Multiple outlets reported that Harris’ campaign is considering a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday, although details have not been decided. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Should Harris visit the border, it would be her first since she visited El Paso, Texas in 2021 as she faced pressure over the then-escalating crisis at the southern border and her role overseeing root causes of migration — which led her to being dubbed the “border czar.”

VIDEO RESURFACES OF HARRIS CHANTING ‘DOWN WITH DEPORTATION’ AT 2018 PARADE WITH DISGRACED ACTOR 

It comes as a number of polls show she trails former President Donald Trump significantly on the issue of illegal immigration and border security, in the wake of a massive migrant crisis which shattered records as millions flooded to the border each year under the Biden administration’s watch.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 46% preferred Trump on immigration over the 36% who preferred Harris.

Republicans tied the surge to the “open borders” policies of the administration and the rolling back of Trump-era policies, including wall construction and the Remain-in-Mexico policy. The Biden administration says it needs more funding and reforms from Congress, and has pointed to a sharp drop in encounters since President Biden signed an executive order in June putting limits on asylum entries.

They have also pointed to both Harris’ role in the administration as it oversaw the enormous migrant crisis, and also her past policy positions as a senator and a presidential candidate in 2019. Fox News Digital reported Monday on video of her chanting “down, down with deportation” at a parade in 2018.

HARRIS SHIFTS KEY POSITIONS ON BORDER, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AS CAMPAIGN PROMISES ‘PRAGMATIC’ APPROACH

Harris also has repeatedly called for various forms of amnesty for illegal immigration, including the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) by executive order. She also said she would use parole authority to create a “parole in place” program to put those illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. She still backs an “earned pathway to citizenship” for illegal immigration by Congress. She had also backed cuts to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

However, since becoming a presidential candidate this summer, her campaign confirmed to Fox earlier this month that she changed her positions on a number of immigration and border-security policies, including decriminalizing illegal crossings and closing immigration detention centers.

Republicans have pushed back against the push to reframe her positions. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., dismissed the visit to the border as a “political stunt.”

“She is not going when it was at its height, She’s going to probably get a totally cleaned up photo op. And my guess is…she’s going to probably get the same treatment some others get,” he said. “They’re going to clean up the desert, clean everything up so it looks clean for her, instead of as bad as it is environmentally, as well as a danger for the people coming across.”

“This isn’t even being cynical. It’s just being a realist. I mean, she’s going down there so she can get some pictures taken over at the border looking like she knows what’s going on,” he said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

A Harris campaign adviser told Fox this month that her positions have been “shaped by three years of effective governance as part of the Biden-Harris administration.”

The campaign says now that she is “continuing to ensure sufficient resources to enforce our laws and prioritize detention and removal for individuals who pose threats to public safety and national security, as well as ensure compliance with immigration proceedings and decisions, including removal.”

She has also repeatedly supported a bipartisan border security bill that would increase funding for the border while also placing a limit on asylum entries into the U.S. — and has hammered former President Trump for torpedoing the bill amid conservative claims that it would only make the crisis worse. She has also emphasized her record as a prosecutor targeting members of transnational criminal organizations.

“As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that [Trump] killed, and I will sign it into law. I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system. We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border,” she said at the Democratic National Convention.

But Republicans and immigration hawks have pushed back against the framing by the Harris campaign, arguing that while there may be a short-term drop in apprehensions, the way to solve the border crisis is to change strategy.

Fox Digital asked Biggs what he hopes Harris learns on any trip to the border.

“That they could stop this almost immediately by reinstating Title 42, reinstating Remain-in-Mexico. They need to stop the CBP One app because in the last 15 months, 815,000 roughly, they brought in. They need to stop the Cuba, Haiti Nicaragua, Venezuela (CHNV) program. There are things they could do now, almost immediately shut us down. And I want her to understand that. And I don’t think she’s going to understand that.”

RJ Hauman, President of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) and visiting adviser at The Heritage Foundation, was also dismissive of the visit, asking: “What is Kamala Harris planning to do, oversee the installation of ballot drop boxes? Shake hands with illegal aliens as they cross?”

“Her entire campaign is built on gaslighting the American people — that she doesn’t believe what she actually believes, that she didn’t do what she actually did. The immigration issue is a shining example of this,” he said. “Until she goes door to door apologizing to angel families, or heads back to Washington and hands Biden a pen, the American people won’t be fooled by this final stretch nonsense.”

Democrat-defector Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., said he won’t endorse Vice President Harris in the presidential election after she revealed her support for doing away with the filibuster to pass abortion laws. 

Harris, a former senator herself, told Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) on Tuesday, “I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe.” 

DEMS LOOK TO FORCE VOTES ON EMERGENCY ABORTION AS ABORTION PILL DEATHS MAKE HEADLINES

Manchin told Fox News, “I’m not endorsing her,” stressing the importance of the legislative threshold. 

“I’ve been very, very, very clear on how strongly I believe that when you go down that slippery path, you don’t just do it for one issue,” he explained. 

JOHN CORNYN FLEXES FUNDRAISING CHOPS AS BATTLE TO SUCCEED MITCH MCCONNELL RAMPS UP

Manchin has devoted his last several years to protecting the filibuster, which prevents most measures from proceeding to a vote if they cannot clear a procedural hurdle with 60 votes. He has previously described it as crucial to democracy and said if Democrats successfully did away with it, it would be “the saddest day in the history of the United States of America.” 

ENIGMATIC VOTER GROUP COULD SPLIT TICKET FOR TRUMP, DEM SENATE CANDIDATE IN ARIZONA

The West Virginia senator and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., both of whom decided not to seek re-election, were largely credited with preventing Democrats from taking down the filibuster with their slim majority in 2021. Both senators subsequently left the Democrat Party and registered as independents, despite still caucusing with Democrats in the Senate. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, Manchin said, “This threshold stabilizes our democracy, promotes bipartisan cooperation and protects our nation from partisan whiplash and dysfunction. I have always said: ‘if you can’t change your mind, you can’t change anything’ and I am hopeful that the Vice President remains open to doing just that.”

Manchin further specified to Fox News that he wouldn’t be backing former President Trump in the election either. “I’m not endorsing anyone,” he said. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., avoided getting involved during the Democrat leadership press conference, telling reporters “it’s something our caucus will discuss in the next session of congress.”

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