New poll reveals where the 2024 presidential race stands in three critical swing states

A new poll in a trio of warm weather battlegrounds confirms the tossup nature of the presidential race.

A new Marist Institute for Public Opinion poll shows a narrow 50-49 percent lead for Harris in Georgia, a state Joe Biden carried.

In North Carolina, a state Trump carried twice and where Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson is embroiled in a scandal, the two candidates are tied at 49 percent.

And in Arizona, a state Joe Biden won in 2020, Trump leads Harris 50-49 among likely voters. The poll showed ‘preserving democracy’ was the top issue for voters in the state, followed by inflation at 26 percent, a departure from many surveys where economic issues are preeminent. Immigration follows at 21 percent.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

The White House defended Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky touring a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, telling Republicans to drop the outrage.

‘This came from Ukrainian. Not us,’ press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of the visit.

Zelensky toured the factory with Gov. Josh Shapiro, a top Harris surrogate. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has called on Zelensky to fire his ambassador to the U.S. for arranging the trip.

‘The Ukrainians asked to visit the facility, which employs American workers, as you know, for manufacturing critical supplies that the Ukrainian military is using every day on the front line of freedom because of its centrality of their to their country's continued existence,’ Jean-Pierre said.

She pointed out Zelensky visited Utah in July and Republicans expressed on outrage.

‘President Zelensky traveled to Utah and held an event with the Republican governor, a very similar event, and Republican officials were there at that event in Utah, and there wasn't a single demand, not one, not one single demand for an investigation.

‘This was business as usual for a Ukrainian request during wartime, during wartime. And so I would encourage, we would encourage the House Republicans to drop this. These kind of political stuff, they need to drop this,’ she noted.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell came to the White House press room to urge Americans in the path of Hurricane Helene not to underestimate the storm's impact.

Criswell had just come from the Oval Office where she had been briefing President Joe Biden on the storm, which is approaching the US coastline and could hit Florida as a Category 4 storm with wind speeds of up to 130mph on Thursday evening.

‘Take the storm seriously. People in Hurricane Helena's path, you need to listen to your local officials if they tell you to evacuate,’ Criswell said.

She plans travel to Florida on Friday to assess damage. Helene is expected to strike near Tallahassee.

But rain fallout from the storms could lead to flash flooding up the coast into Georgia and South Carolina.

‘The water is what kills people,’ Criswell warned, telling people to heed warnings from local officials about the rainfall.

She noted all the federal resources already on the ground and said: ‘At the Biden-Harris administration we are ready for this event.’

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

President Joe Biden avoided New York City Mayor Eric Adams at a reception in New York City on Wednesday night for the leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly.

‘I can confirm to you that the President did not see the mayor,’ White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of the reception at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Otherwise she wouldn’t comment on the mayor, who faces five federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.

‘I’m not going to comment on an ongoing matter,’ she said of the Justice Department’s investigation into Adams.

She also wouldn’t bite when asked about Adams’ claim he was being targeted by the Biden administration because of his criticism of the president’s handling of illegal migrants. Donald Trump has made a similar charge of being a victim of a political vendetta.

‘We have been always very clear, the president was clear, even when he was running in 2020 that he was going to make sure that DOJ is independent, and the DOJ is handling this case independently. I'm not going to go beyond that,’ Jean-Pierre said.

Retired General Stanley McChrystal announced Thursday morning he had voted for Kamala Harris for president, citing the strength of her character.

'Character is the ultimate measure of leadership for those who seek the highest office in our land,' he wrote.

McChrystal, who was fired by President Barack Obama as the top Afghanistan war commander, said that he believed that Harris had the character necessary to serve as president.

'Ms. Harris has the strength, the temperament and, importantly, the values to serve as commander in chief. When she sits down with world leaders like President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, representing the United States on the global stage, I have no doubt that she is working in our national interest, not her own,' he wrote.

McChrystal was relieved of duty in Afghanistan in 2010 after a Rolling Stone profile featured comments he made criticizing Obama, his commander in chief.

McChrystal, now retired, works for McChrystal Group, a consulting firm that he founded.

He also endorsed Joe Biden for president in 2020, despite a history of comments critical of Biden when he was vice president.

'I don’t think we need a genius, I don’t think we need a magician, we just need an honest person who is willing to listen,' he said.

Republicans have launched an investigation into the Justice Department for its decision to release a letter written by the man charged with the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

Ryan Routh's note offers a $150,000 reward to whoever can finish the task.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland Wednesday asking for an explanation.

'During your tenure as attorney general, the department has generally refused to release details about so-called 'manifestos' written by the perpetrators of high-profile crimes,' he writes.

'Yet, earlier this week, in a public court filing, the department released a letter in which the man who sought to assassinate President Donald J. Trump in Florida on September 15, 2024, offered a $150,000 bounty on President Trump.'

The fiery progressive took to X to slam Blinken over his 'lie' that Israel is not withholding aid to Gaza amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The State Department said in May that Israel is not "prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance within the meaning of Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act.'

But the lawmaker isn't convinced.

A report by ProPublica alleges that the agency is 'deliberately impeding shipments' of some of the humanitarian assistance.

The head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) accused Blinken of lying.

'Secretary Blinken may have committed a crime with his lies,' said Nihad Awad.

'The American people deserve honest and upright leaders to represent their values and protect their interests.'

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., broke his silence on NYC Mayor Eric Adams being indicted by a federal grand jury:

The indictment of a sitting mayor is a serious and sober moment for New York City. Like every other New Yorker and American, Eric Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence. That principle is central to the administration of justice in the United States of America. 

A jury of the Mayor’s peers will now evaluate the charges in the indictment and ultimately render a determination. In the meantime, I pray for the well-being of our great City.

By Jon Michael Raasch, U.S. Political Reporter for DailyMail.com

Shocking details about Donald Trump's deadly July 13 Butler, Pennsylvania, rally are emerging.

Law enforcement witnesses, many who were present at the rally during the shooting, are detailing grisly aspects that unfolded during the messy day during a public hearing.

That includes the exact moment shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was taken out by a counter sniper, just seconds after he shot the former president.

The officials expressed remorse over the death and carnage that ensued that day, and the lapses in preparation and communication with the U.S. Secret Service that led up to it.

In addition, the long-awaited results of a series of tests conducted during Crooks' autopsy are finally being released.

By Jon Michael Raasch, U.S. Political Reporter for DailyMail.com

During a hearing on the Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump shooting on Thursday, lawmakers released a new video from the tragic event.

A law enforcement officer can be seen in the clip trying to see what was happening on the roof from where Thomas Matthew Crooks was shooting.

An officer then jumps down, seems to get injured and runs away.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was disbarred in Washington on Thursday, months after he lost his law license in New York for pursuing false claims that then-President Donald Trump made about his 2020 presidential election loss. The brief ruling from Washington D.C.'s appeals court said Giuliani did not respond to an order to explain why he should not be disbarred in Washington after he lost his law license in New York last summer. Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, called it the decision 'an absolute travesty and a total miscarriage of justice.'

Members of the legal community who want to protect the integrity of our justice system should immediately speak out against this partisan, politically motivated decision.

By Jon Michael Raasch, U.S. Political Reporter for DailyMail.com

Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump Chairman Mike Kelly opened the hearing Thursday by talking about his expectations from the witnesses.

He said they were on the ground and could offer valuable insights apart from what several Secret Service members have already testified.

'These men are the first individuals who helped provide security at the July 13 rather to testify before Congress, they are here to give their accounts of what they saw and experienced, both at the ground and the planning process leading up to the gaming and planning process.'

Kelly said he looks forward to hearing from the county medical examiner's testimony to put to bed some theories about shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold separate meetings at the White House on Thursday with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

But one meeting is not on his agenda: Donald Trump.

Zelensky will be trying to sell the White House on his peace plan. Additionally Biden is expected to announce $8 billion in additional military aid for the war-torn country.

The Ukrainian president will also travel to Capitol Hill to meet with top lawmakers as he continues to rally aid for his country’s fight against Russia.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson won’t be there. Johnson called on Zelensky to fire his ambassador because of a tour the Ukrainian president took of a munitions factory in Pennsylvania. The speaker said it was ‘designed to help Democrats and is clearly election interference.’

Harris has pledged to continue sending military aid to Ukraine if she’s elected president. Trump, however, has been more critical of Zelensky, raising questions about what he will do if he returns to the White House.

The first public hearing of the task force probing both assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump's life is set to kick off today.

They plan to grill a handful of local law enforcement officials about the security failures that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, to take a clear shot at Trump.

Lawmakers have invited the following witnesses:

• Mr. Edward Lenz: Sergeant, Adams Township Police Department, Commander, Butler County Emergency Services Unit  
• Mr. Drew Blasko: Patrolman, Butler Township Police Department 
• Mr. John D. Herold: Lieutenant, Pennsylvania State Police  
• Mr. Patrick Sullivan: Former United States Secret Service Agent  
• Dr. Ariel Goldschmidt: Medical Examiner, Allegheny County, Pa.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers are frustrated that the FBI is withholding information about the attempts on Trump's life.

Melania Trump gave a blunt assessment of Kamala Harris during her first interview in two years.

The former first lady referenced high prices at grocery stores and said families are struggling across the country.

'Well, how I see it is the record speaks for itself. The country is suffering. People are not able to buy usual necessities for their families.'

Melania Trump said she believed God was watching over her husband Donald Trump during the two attempts on his life and blamed Democrats' for creating a 'toxic' political atmosphere the led to the two assassination attempts.

'Is it really shocking that all this outrageous violence goes against my husband?,' the former first lady said in an interview with Fox News to promote her forthcoming memoir.

'Especially that we hear the leaders from the opposition party and mainstream media branding him as threat to democracy, calling him vile names. They only fueling a toxic atmosphere and all of these people that they wanted to harm - this needs to stop this needs to stop. The country needs to unite and I encourage everybody to read my letter that I wrote on July 14th, again. Because that cannot continue.'

Trump, 54, sat down with Fox News' Ainsley Earhardt in New York for a recorded interview, excepts of which aired on Fox and Friends on Thursday morning.

In the wide-ranging interview, which was her first in two years, she discussed the 2024 presidential race, her life in the White House, and how being a model prepared her to be first lady of the United States.

It included behind-the-scenes photos, including some never-before seen pictures of Barron Trump.

Melania Trump gave a glowing endorsement of her husband Donald when Fox News asked her why he wants to be in the White House for the second time.

‘All he wants to do, as he says, is Make America Great Again. He wants to make this country prosperous and safe for everybody. He wants to make the American dream possible again’.

Melania Trump told Fox News what she was doing when the Secret Service scrambled to stop a gunman who was plotting to take down her husband on his New York golf course.

I was in New York City, actually. And I saw it on television. I called again. And he was okay because the Secret Service was great. The guys that were with him, they were fantastic.

I think both of the events were really miracles.

Vice President Kamala Harris repeated her claim that she worked at McDonald's on Wednesday, despite former President Donald Trump repeatedly accusing her of lying about it.

Harris was asked about her job at McDonalds during an MSNBC interview with correspondent Stephanie Ruhle, who asked her if she wanted to ask her about a 'little job.'

'There's no such thing as a little job,' Harris protested.

Ruhle referred to an old McDonald's television jingle during her question by asking Harris if she had ever served 'two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions...'

'...and a sesame seed bun,' Harris laughed as she completed the jingle.

'I have,' Harris asserted. 'But It was not a small job, like, I did the fries. I mean, you know, I did.'

Vice President Kamala Harris gave a long pause during her interview on MSNBC when she faced a question over how she would pay for her economic plans.

The moment came early in the interview where Harris batted away slow-pitch questions such as 'can we trust you?'

Interviewer Stephanie Ruhle asked Harris, who was giving her first network TV interview since securing her party's nomination, how she would pay for her economic plans.

'If you can't raise corporate taxes or if GOP takes control of the Senate, where do you get the money to do that,' her interviewer asked, after Harris outlined some of her plans like a $6,000 credit for young couples or subsidies for new small business ventures.

Republicans stand a decent chance of taking the chamber from the narrow Democratic majority, with a Montana Democratic-held seat growing increasingly vulnerable.

‘But we’re going to have to raise corporate taxes,’ Harris told her after a pause.

'And we're going to have to raise – we're going to have to make sure that the biggest corporations and billionaires pay their fair share. That's just it,' Harris said.

Melania Trump said the FBI classified documents raid on Mar-a-Lago made her ‘angry’ and called it an ‘invasion of privacy’.

In her first interview in two years, the former first lady said she told her house manager to leave her stuff scattered after agents came in and rummaged through the rooms of the palatial Florida estate.

‘I saw unpleasant stuff nobody wants to see it. Nobody should be putting up with that kind of stuff, some person -- I don't know even know who or how many people they went through my stuff.’

Federal agents also raided Barron's bedroom during the search which led to federal charges against her husband.

President Joe Biden joined a host of allies in calling for an immediate temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, warning the escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah is 'intolerable' and could plunge the Middle East into chaos.

In a joint statement, the 12-strong bloc called for a 21-day ceasefire 'to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement', as well as a ceasefire in Gaza.

The call was supported by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who said flatly: 'Hell is breaking loose.'

But their hopes of salvaging a peaceful solution were seemingly dismissed by Israel, with IDF chief Herzi Halevi last night visiting soldiers close to the border to tell them they must prepare for a ground invasion of Lebanon.

Halevi declared: 'We are attacking all day, both to prepare the ground for the possibility of your entry [into Lebanon], but also to continue striking Hezbollah.

'Hezbollah today expanded its [range] of fire. Later today, it will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves,' he said, before adding: 'your boots... will enter enemy territory.'

Halevi's bleak declaration came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah was being hit 'with blows it never imagined' and vowed to ensure the thousands of Israelis evacuated from the northern border would soon be able to return to their homes and jobs.

Former first lady Melania Trump revealed she 'ran to the TV' in panic after hearing of an attempt on her husband's life - and said the fact he survived was a 'miracle' - as she appeared on-screen for the first time in more than two years.

The wife of former US President Donald Trump, 54, sat down for an exclusive interview on Fox News's 'Fox & Friends' to promote her upcoming memoir.

'I ran to the TV and I [rewound] it and I watched it', she said when asked about the moment she found out about the assassination attempt on her husband in July, which was broadcast on live television while he spoke at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

'I didn't really see [it] live, but maybe, you know, three minutes, a few minutes later,' she said, adding that 'nobody really knew yet. Because when you see him on the floor, and you don't know, you don't know what really happened.'

The former first lady also recounted her reaction to the second attempt on her husband's life earlier this month, when eagle-eyed Secret Service agents spotted a gunman pointing an AK-47 at the former president while he played at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.