The Tarheel State has widely been considered a bellwether for the presidential election.
Trump won North Carolina in 2020, when he became the fourth Republican ever to carry the state without winning the presidency. He also won it in 2016, beating former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
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The FOX News Decision Desk can now confidently project West Virginia for Trump, as the former president clinches yet another commanding victory in this steadfastly red state. pic.twitter.com/gxVMvHIeT8
With Democrat Senator Joe Manchin opting not to seek reelection, the race left a critical seat open in a state that has shifted dramatically to the right in recent years. This Senate seat was a major target for Republicans, who view West Virginia as a strong pickup opportunity as they aim to regain control of the U.S. Senate.
The Republican Frontrunner: Jim Justice
Governor Jim Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Jim Justice, who has served as West Virginia’s governor since 2017, was widely seen as the frontrunner in the race to replace Joe Manchin. Initially elected as a Democrat, Justice switched to the Republican Party in 2017 during a rally with then-President Donald Trump, a move that aligned him with the state’s increasingly conservative electorate. Since then, Justice has solidified his position as one of the most prominent and popular figures in West Virginia politics, with consistently high approval ratings and strong support from rural voters.
Babydog and I are heading to Pennsylvania Thursday, October 17th, to campaign for President Trump! We'd love to see you there. Secure your ticket here. >>https://t.co/D6k2RsuSQEpic.twitter.com/kEPgKntsRl
Justice’s campaign for the Senate centered on his track record as governor, during which he has focused on job creation, economic development, and coal industry revitalization—key issues in a state that has been economically dependent on coal mining for generations. He also made a point of emphasizing his ties to former President Trump, who remains extremely popular in West Virginia.
The Democrat: Glenn Elliott
Attorney and Wheeling city councilman Glenn Elliott is hoping to succeed Joe Manchin. Elliott has emphasized his work as a city councilman in Wheeling, where he has focused on economic development, affordable housing, and revitalizing downtown areas. His campaign has argued that the state needs new leadership to address its economic challenges and improve the quality of life for working-class families.
Endorsements
Here are five key endorsements for Jim Justice in the 2024 West Virginia Senate race:
Donald Trump: The former president endorsed Jim Justice early in his campaign, cementing Justice’s status as the frontrunner in a state that overwhelmingly supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020.
“Big Jim will be a Great UNITED STATES SENATOR, and has my Complete & Total Endorsement. HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!” Trump wrote.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Senator Blackburn endorsed Justice, praising his leadership and effectiveness as West Virginia’s governor, reinforcing his national Republican support.
“Governor Jim Justice is a proven effective leader, and I am honored to endorse him for Senate in West Virginia,” said Senator Blackburn. “He has shown himself to make decisions that are best for the people of West Virginia with honor, integrity, and patriotism. I am confident that Governor Justice is the best person to protect West Virginia values and the principles our country was founded upon. Now more than ever we need true conservative leaders to take back the Senate Majority and reverse the damage caused by the Biden Administration.
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According to The New York Times’ chief political analyst and pollster Nate Cohn silent Trump supporters could skew poll results once again, leaving prognosticators scratching their skulls in the finals hours before Election Day.
The Times reported in Arizona, Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris by four points, and in Michigan, he has a one-point advantage. Harris, on the other hand, is beating Trump by one in Georgia, and three in Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
On Sunday, the Times and Siena College released their final poll from the seven battleground states, and the results were inconclusive.
In his write-up of the results, Cohn submitted that they don’t “point toward a relatively clear favorite” for a few reasons, even if Harris was perhaps slightly more pleased by its finding.
“On average, Ms. Harris fared modestly better than our last round of surveys of the same states, but her gains were concentrated in states where she was previously struggling,” he wrote. “Meanwhile, the so-called Blue Wall (Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania) does not look quite as formidable of an obstacle to Mr. Trump as it once did. As a result, Ms Harris’s position in the Electoral College isn’t necessarily improved.”
Cohn also warned that nonresponse bias from Republicans may be continuing to skew the results, just as they did in 2016 and 2020:
It’s hard to measure nonresponse bias — after all, we couldn’t reach these demographically similar voters — but one measure I track from time to time is the proportion of Democrats or Republicans who respond to a survey, after considering other factors.
Across these final polls, white Democrats were 16 percent likelier to respond than white Republicans. That’s a larger disparity than our earlier polls this year, and it’s not much better than our final polls in 2020 — even with the pandemic over.
“It raises the possibility that the polls could underestimate Mr. Trump yet again,” he concluded.
Governor Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber make a subway safety announcement at the NYCT Rail Control Center (RCC) on Wednesday, Mar 6, 2024.
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
Gov. Kathy Hochul called New Yorkers who vote for Republican House candidates “anti-American” and “anti-women” over the weekend, triggering immediate rage from people across both sides of the political aisle.
“If you’re voting for these Republicans in New York, you are voting for someone who supports Donald Trump and you’re anti-women, you’re anti-abortion, and basically, you’re anti-American,” Hochul said on MSNBC.
Watch:
“You just trashed American values and what our country is all about — over and over.”
First, they called us “Deplorables.” Then, they called us “Nazis.” Then, Joe Biden called us “garbage.” Then, they said no “strong intelligent” women support Trump.
Now Kamala Harris’ top surrogate Kathy Hochul – the Worst and most unpopular Governor in America – calls voters… pic.twitter.com/mChLNyusKG
Republicans immediately blasted the governor over her latest insults and even Democrat strategists said demonizing a large segment of voters as anti-American was not helpful to their candidates.
“This is about as helpful as a severe migraine. It’s never a good thing to identify a large segment of voters as un-American,” said New York ex-Democratic Rep. Max Rose, who is aiding Democrats in House races.
“Kathy Hochul doesn’t represent a majority of Democrats — anywhere,” said Rose, who served one-term representing Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn.
State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox fumed, “She’s smearing at least one half of American voters and all Trump voters.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-Hudson Valley) told The Post, “Governor Hochul has once again disgraced herself and the state of New York by calling supporters of some of the most bipartisan members of Congress ‘anti-American.’
“It’s shameful and wrong and shows exactly how much of a partisan hack Kathy Hochul really is. She must be voted out in November of 2026, but only after Republicans hold the House thanks to our New York GOP delegation.”
Republicans said the statement is so offensive and outrageous that it appears as if Hochul is angling for a future job in a Kamala Harris Administration because it is sure to hurt a re-election bid in 2026.
A Siena College poll released last month showed that only 36% of New Yorkers gave Hochul a favorable rating, while 51% viewed her unfavorably.
Daniel X. O'Neil from USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tensions are running high…
On Friday, Conservative radio host and political pundit Hugh Hewitt stormed off a Washington Post live event after an argument over former President Trump’s rhetoric on election integrity ahead of Election Day.
“Is it me or does it seem like Donald Trump is laying the ground work for contesting the election,” Post host Jonathan Capehart asked Ruth Marcus, who was appearing with Hewitt as part of the live event. “By claiming that cheating was taking place, but suing Bucks County [Pennsylvania] for alleged irregularities … ”
Marcus replied Trump has been “laying the ground work” to contest the election for months, setting Hewitt off.
“Jonathan, I’ve gotta speak up,” he tried to interject.
“Let Ruth finish, Hugh,” Capehart shot back.
“Well, I’ve just got to say, we’re news people, even though it’s the opinion section,” Hewitt said after Marcus finished. “It’s got to be reported. Bucks County was reversed by the court and instructed to open up extra days because they violated the law and told people to go home. So, that lawsuit was brought by the Republican National Committee, and it was successful. The Supreme Court ruled that Glenn Youngkin was successful,” he added, referring to the GOP Virginia governor’s efforts to purge some 1,600 people from the voter rolls.
“We are news people, even though we have opinions, and we have to report the whole story if we bring up part of the story. So, yes, he’s upset about Bucks County, but he was right and he won in court. That’s the story,” Hewitt said.
After a brief pause, Capehart told Hewitt, “I don’t appreciate being lectured about reporting when, Hugh, many times you come here saying lots of things that aren’t based in fact.”
“I won’t come back, Jonathan, I’m done,” Hewitt said, ripping his earpiece out and standing up.
“I’m done. This is the most unfair election ad I’ve ever been a part of,” Hewitt continued, his face no longer visible on the screen. “You guys are working, that’s fine, I’m done.”
Watch:
The host was eventually forced to end the event early, saying, “Everybody if you’ve been watching … you know these conversations can be interesting, contentious.”
“You just saw Hugh Hewitt leave which is lamentable, unfortunate. It is what it is. Thank you very much for joining us,” he continued and urged viewers to subscribe to the Post.
After the incident, Hewitt announced his resignation from the Washington Post.
“I have in fact quit the Post but I was only writing a column for them every six weeks or so,” Hewitt told Fox News Digital, adding he’d recently offered to write another pro-Trump column for the paper ahead of the election. He informed editorial page editor David Shipley on Friday morning.
Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Liz is stoking the fire…
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) denounced former President Trump for his recent comments labeling her a “war hawk” asserting that his language is akin to a death threat, equating his rhetoric to that of a dictator.
“This is how dictators destroy free nations,” Cheney, who has been a vocal critic of the former president, said Friday in a post on social platform X. “They threaten those who speak against them with death.”
“We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant,” she added.
Her response comes a day after Trump criticized her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, for endorsingVice President Harris during a fireside chat with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in Arizona.
“And I don’t blame him for sticking with his daughter, but his daughter is a very dumb individual, very dumb,” Trump said Thursday.
“She’s a radical war hawk,” he continued, echoing comments he’s made before. “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine-barrel shooting at her, okay. Let’s see how she feels about it. you know, when the guns are trained on her face.”
Cheney, the former No. 3 House Republican, said in early September that she would be voting for Harris.
Cheney’s claims Trump’s comment equates to death threats come as threats of political violence have reached an all-time high in this country.
Earlier this week, Florida law enforcement officers apprehended a teenager for threatening voters with a machete.
Caleb James Williams, 18, was arrested after two women called the Neptune Beach Police Department when he allegedly brandished the weapon against them at an early voting polling station.
A Pennsylvania woman was also arrested earlier this week after allegedly making threats against former President Donald Trump before a scheduled rally at Penn State University.
Paul J. Gavenonis, 74, a registered Democrat and resident of Spring Township, reportedly made alarming comments while purchasing a parking pass at the university’s transportation office. According to witnesses, Gavenonis, who identifies as transgender, expressed hostility toward Trump, stating, “I hate Donald Trump. I’d like to shoot that guy,” while making a gesture that resembled cocking a gun.
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Former President Trump is suing CBS News for $10 billion in damages.
Trump’s attorneys said the complaint comes due to “CBS’ partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public.”
Trump’s legal team also argued the edits were done in an effort to “attempt to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party as the heated 2024 Presidential Election — which President Trump is leading — approaches its conclusion.”
“President Trump brings this action to redress the immense harm caused to him, to his campaign, and to tens of millions of citizens in Texas and across America by CBS’s deceptive broadcasting conduct,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit comes after Trump’s attorneys wrote letters to CBS News demanding the network release the full transcript of the “60 Minutes” interview with Harris after it aired two different answers to the same question. Trump attorneys asked CBS to preserve all documents and communications related to the interview pending a potential legal battle.
The lawsuit filed Thursday specifically references the exchange Harris had with “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker. In a preview clip that aired on “Face the Nation,” Harris was asked why it seemed like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to the U.S.
“Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region,” Harris responded in the “Face the Nation” clip.
“We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end,” Harris said in the primetime special.
Critics have accused CBS News of editing Harris’ “word salad” answer to shield the vice president from further backlash.
Trump lawyers argue that news organizations “are responsible for accurately representing the truth of events, not distorting an interview to try and falsely make their preferred candidate appear coherent and decisive, which Kamala most certainly is not.”
“Due to CBS’ actions, the public could not distinguish which Kamala they saw in the Interview: the candidate or the actual puppet of a behind-the-scenes editor,” the lawsuit states, noting that Whitaker’s question “was of the utmost public significance — U.S. foreign policy on the matter of the Israel/Gaza war — at a time of immense importance, mere weeks before the most critical presidential election in American history.”
Trump is demanding a jury trial and at least $10 billion in damages for CBS’ alleged “ongoing false, misleading, and deceptive acts; the attorneys’ fees and costs associated with this action; and such other relief as the court deems just and proper.”
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Former Governor Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ) told CNN anchor Jim Acosta that former President Donald Trump’s new rant about women made her want to “smack him across the face!”
The previous night, Trump described himself during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin as a “protector” of women who would defend them “whether the women like it or not” if he regains the White House this November.
On Thursday’s edition of CNN Newsroom With Jim Acosta, Whitman blasted Trump and said those remarks made her ball up her fists and get violent urges:
JIM ACOSTA: Harris at 19 points. She is leading Donald Trump among women. That is above where Biden was against the president at that time in 2020. Your thoughts, Governor Whitman?
GOV. CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN: Well, frankly, that comment of his, “whether they like it or not,” is just infuriating! And I think there are a lot of women who are still somewhat hesitant. Those women who are on the fence to whom that will be extremely offensive, and it will sway the vote.
And I don’t know why we’re still talking about the trash thing of the fact that Joe Biden mentioned that when Donald Trump has been denigrating people, men, women, minorities.
They’re calling them trash, calling them vermin, you know, poisoning our blood. We have to stop talking about the things he’s talking about and say, look at the things that he’s done and how his language is affecting the way we look at this election, the undermining of the public’s confidence in the electoral system. It’s all part of this package.
And I do agree that his base loves this, but there are still amazing to me number of people who haven’t quite made up their mind. And it’s comments like he’s going to take care of women whether they like it or not.
That just makes you clench your fists. It makes me clench my fist. I wanna smack him across the face!
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Thursday told his more than 20 million subscribers that he supports former President Trump in the 2024 election.
“Democrats have been in power for 12 of the last 16 years, so if we aren’t happy about the current political state, economic state, environmental state, then who is to blame?” Paul said in an 18 minute video posted to YouTube.
“Do I think Donald Trump is a perfect human being? No. I don’t think anybody on this planet is a perfect human being, myself included,” the influencer said. “Don’t judge people off of a character that the media has portrayed them to be, because Democrats control 90% of the U.S. media.”
Paul argued that Trump is a better candidate on the issues than Harris, who he noted has been in office for the past four years. He said the media has mischaracterized Trump’s position on abortion, asking, “what rights as a woman were taken away from you” in Trump’s first term in office.
“If you really cared about women and their opportunities, and their lives, I think it would be better to have a president that doesn’t want biological men competing in women’s sports,” said Paul.
“As a future father, you will find me dead before I send my daughter to a school where men can go into her bathroom and where men can compete against her in sports. It’s bull—- that is taking away women’s rights.”
On Wednesday, Donald Trump arrived to his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin in a garbage truck and matching vest after President Joe Biden called Trump supporters “garbage.”
He criticized Biden, Democrats, and most especially his opponent Vice-president Kamala Harris for “running a campaign of hate, vitriol and retribution.”
“This week Kamala has been comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history and now speaking on a call for her campaign last night crooked Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters, he called them ‘garbage,” he said.
Joe Biden calls millions of Americans “garbage.” The next day Trump gets picked up in Green Bay, Wisconsin by a garbage truck.
“My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans, it’s true. You can’t be president if you hate the American people, which I believe they do, and Kamala Harris is not fit to be president of the United States,” he said.
Trump went on to emphasize himself as a unity candidate, uniting people of every race, creed and economic status.
“Kamala and Joe call all of us, and them, even them, ‘garbage.’ I call you the heart and soul of America. You are the heart and soul, you built our country, you built it,” he said. “And by the way I want to thank all our sanitation workers all across America because they work hard, they really do work hard and they do an incredible job, and they don’t get the credit they deserve.”
