Washington Post Will Not Endorse a Presidential Candidate for the First Time Since the 1980s

Good evening and welcome to the Capitol Report on NTD Television. I'm Steve Lance, and coming up, the editor-at-large for The Washington Post, resigning, the paper choosing not to endorse a presidential candidate for the first time in decades. And both presidential candidates in Texas tonight, former President Trump sitting down for the Joe Rogan experience, while Vice President Harris rallying with Beyoncé. All this as we head into the final stretch of the campaign. And do Democrats have a chance in Texas? Take a deep dive into the population shift and how the numbers are shaping up for Trump and Senator Cruz in the Lone Star State. This is Capitol Report, live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital. Here's Steve Lance. The federal government is investigating a hacking maneuver tied to the Chinese Communist Party. The FBI incises saying it targeted commercial telecommunications infrastructure. Unconfirmed reports suggesting that former President Trump and Senator J.D. Vance may be among those targeted. The two agencies say they immediately notified affected companies, rendering technical assistance and sharing information to assist other potential victims. The statement also saying the United States government is collaborating to mitigate the threat and coordinating with industry partners to strengthen cyber defenses. The agencies encourage any organization that believes it might be a victim to contact its local FBI field office or CISA. Earlier this week, Microsoft warned that foreign adversaries, including the CCP, Russia and Iran, are attempting to influence the November U.S. election, and their efforts may escalate as the election nears. Vice President Kamala Harris is getting off the beaten path of her usual swing state visits. She's holding a rally in deep red Texas. And today, national correspondent Jason Blair is on the ground in Houston. Jason, with the election so close, why is the vice president taking time to campaign in the great state of Texas? Yes, Steve, that is an interesting question. Why is she coming out here with the election so close, Republican, reliable, swinging Texas? So basically, the campaign said that they want to highlight the abortion issue coming out here and get some national attention and actually get the message back to some of those swing states and the voters in those states and get some attention on this issue for people really do consider this an important issue coming into the election. And then Harris in the campaign said how they're going to do that is basically highlight Texas strict abortion laws and basically use them as a warning to these swing states saying, hey, you know, this is something that could happen in your state if Donald Trump is elected for a second term. And basically, they're just saying that, you know, a lot of the states have been making their own laws now. And this is really something that could happen in other states as things move on. So real harm has occurred in our country, a real suffering has occurred, people have died. And it is important to highlight this issue because this is among the most critical issues that the American people will address when they vote for who will be the next president of the United States. And yet Harris has talked a lot about how if she were elected, she would bring back federal protections for abortion rights. I do have a clip from her talking about that earlier today before she came out here to Texas. Have a look. And it is my pledge when Congress passes a bill putting back in place reproductive freedom, I will sign it into law. And so while she's here, she's also going to be on the Brene Brown podcast, a very highly watched podcast. And like I said earlier, the campaign is really hoping to generate some buzz and make some viral moments that get back out to these swing state voters and reach them as well. You make some noise in this. Don't know if you're going to be able to hear me. I can hear it's getting louder right now. The campaign has been tapping into a lot of star power lately. Yesterday they were in Atlanta, Georgia with Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama. Are there any special guests expected this evening? Great state of California. We should get started there. Yeah, they definitely have been getting into a lot of star power, bringing out a lot of special guests. Now there have been reports that Beyonce and Willie Nelson are going to be here. The campaign has not explicitly confirmed that. However, going by how things have been going, Beyonce and Willie Nelson are both from Texas and they have been getting special guests in each of the cities by people that actually live there. Like Samuel L. Jackson came out in Atlanta. That's where he's from. Eminem in Detroit came out and introduced Harris. So the odds are pretty good. When Harris was asked about that specifically earlier today, she just said, quote, more will follow. So take that as you will. We'll have to wait and see. But the odds are pretty good. We'll see, if not Beyonce, at least a couple of stars here tonight. Steve. And today's Jason Blair live tracking the Harris campaign. Thank you for that, Jason. And now our Washington correspondent, Luis Martinez, joins us from the data hub to shed some light on why Democrats would spend precious campaign time in a largely Republican state. Texas is Democrats perennial dream for decades now, Democrats have dreamt of flipping the Lone Star State red, and that is because many Democratic strategists believe that demographics are destiny. Now, let's look at the latest polls coming from the state of Texas to see if this perennial dream of Democrats has any ground to stand on. If we look at the presidential race, we see that former President Donald Trump is leading in the race against Vice President Kamala Harris by six points. And if we look at the race for the Senate that right now, Senator Ted Cruz holds in the state of Texas. Also, we see Republicans leading in the polls by four points. So why would Democrats have any hopes of flipping Texas red when they are behind in the polls? Both presidential and senatorial race that has to do with demographics and what has happened to the state and in the state of Texas since 2016. Let's look at this next slide. Here we have the share of eligible voters in the state of Texas that are registered to vote. We can see that in 2016, 55.5 of eligible voters in the state of Texas were registered. That increased through 2020 to 2024 to 60 percent of eligible voters in the state of Texas. That's about three million more voters in the state of Texas. And here's where Democrats are hoping that the majority of this three million new registered voters in the state of Texas are going to vote blue. Now, why would Democrats have that hope? Well, it has again to do with demographics where people have been moving to in the state of Texas. Let's look here at the map of the state of Texas. We can see that 70 percent, 70 percent of the population of Texas lives in these four cities in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, heavily urban suburban areas. We know from the polls that those usually favor Democratic candidates. We also know that, for example, the city of Austin, 60 percent of the population has a college degree, another statistic that usually favors Democrats. Now, let's look at the last bit of information that gives Democrats hopes of flipping the state of Texas red, and that is the voting trend since 2016. We can see here that when President, former President Trump beat Secretary Clinton in 2016, Trump had an advantage of nine points. But in 2018, the Republican senatorial candidate who was seeking reelection, Ted Cruz, only edged Beto O'Rourke by three points. And in 2020, Trump only beat Biden by six points. So what does these numbers tell us? They tell us that from 2016 to 2020, Trump has lost support in percentage points in the state of Texas from Republicans vis-a-vis Democrats. And we also know that Ted Cruz underperforms former President Donald Trump when he is alone in the battle. So we go back to the polls. We can see that former President Donald Trump, yes, he's ahead by six points. But Senator Ted Cruz is only ahead by four points. That is within the margin of error. And Congressman Colin Allred will be hoping that Friday night's rally with Vice President Kamala Harris in Houston will help voter turnout. And that is the explanation as to why Democrats have this perennial hope of flipping Texas red. President Biden visiting a Native American tribe in a key swing state today, marking a historical first, but also coming as Democrats are seeking to woo Native American voters. And today's Iris Tao has more from the White House. Fulfilling a promise made nearly two years ago, President Biden on Friday paid his first visit as the president to a Native American tribe. Biden also becomes the first U.S. president to formally apologize for the federal Indian boarding schools. Those schools ran for over a century, separating American Indian children from their parents to assimilate them. Tens of thousands of Native children entered the system, nearly 1,000. Documented Native child deaths, I formally apologize as president of the United States of America for what we did. The White House says President Biden has been wanting to make this trip for a while. The visit to the Gila River Indian community also comes less than two weeks before Election Day. Arizona is a key swing state and over 200,000 voting age Native Americans live in Arizona, which Biden narrowly won in 2020 by just around 10,000 votes. The Harris campaign has ramped up its efforts to court Native American voters. And Vice President Harris visited Gila River land earlier this month. This election is about two very different visions. Former President Trump was also in Arizona on Thursday, though he has yet to visit the Native American communities there. Meanwhile, the Arizona GOP has been trying to make inroads by meeting with the tribal groups there and urging them to vote Republican. Reporting from the White House, Iris Hao, NTD News. Large at The Washington Post, Robert Kagan has resigned. This comes after the paper chose not to endorse any political candidate in this presidential election cycle. In an opinion piece, the paper's publisher and CEO, William Lewis, saying, quote, The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election, nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates. The announcement is a blow to Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The Washington Post has endorsed every Democrat for president since 1976, except in 1988 when it didn't endorse anyone. In a separate article, The Washington Post says its editorial team already drafted an endorsement of Harris, but the paper's owner, Jeff Bezos, decided not to publish it. Kagan has been a vocal critic of former President Trump. He did confirm to Fox News that he resigned due to the paper's decision not to endorse any candidate. And former President Trump and Vice President Harris are campaigning in the deep red state of Texas today. Trump will also head to the swing state of Michigan for a rally. We have reporters on the ground at both candidates events for the latest on the Trump campaign. We're joined by entities, Washington correspondent Jack Bradley. Good evening, Jack. So tell us about Trump's schedule today. Super, super packed. Trump was speaking to supporters in the signal there for our entity. Jack Bradley was not coming in. Well, we'll see if we can get that back and up, back up for you. In the meantime, coming up, what are the national security risks of Chinese made chips that go into your cars, computers and phones and run everything ultimately in our world? We'll talk with the former director of strategy and policy at the State Department and a potential elimination of the federal income tax could be on the ballot. This comes as former President Trump floated that idea at a New York City barbershop. We'll hear from voters to find out what they think about that possibility when we come back. That more will return. Election Day is right around the corner. Have you voted yet? This is your chance to speak, to enact the change you would like to see. And that's why we're here to keep you informed every step of the way. So stick with NTD for the most detailed analysis on all of the issues that matter most to you. And be sure to tune into our election night coverage. And don't forget to vote. Sano. Conflict is raging across the world and millions of children's lives are being devastated by war, hunger, disease and poverty. We urgently need your help to reach children in crisis. Please call or go online to give just $10 a month, only 33 cents a day. We need 1,000 new monthly donors this month to help children in crisis around the world and right here at home. You can help us provide food, essentials and lifesaving medical care to children in the most need. In the darkest times, children suffer the most. You can help by calling right now and giving just $10 a month. All we need are 1,000 monthly donors. 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Whether you're redecorating a single room or furnishing an entire home, we have the styles you'll love. Plus, enjoy fast, complimentary delivery. Visit us now for exclusive discounts and let us help make your dream home a reality for less than you ever imagined at the Mathis Design Studio. And welcome back to NTV's Capital Report, what are the national and economic security risks of semiconductors and legacy chips that are made in China and how would tariffs work to counter the threat of the CCP? Joining me now is Rick Schweitzer, technology advisor and former director of strategy and policy for the State Department and former senior political advisor at the Pentagon. Rick Schweitzer, thank you so much for joining. Oh, thanks for having me. Really appreciate having me in the studio. It's great to have you in the studio, Rick. So I want to get your thoughts. The Biden administration proposing to block imports of vehicles with certain components of countries of concern, specifically China and Russia. Talk to us about the national security implications of these semiconductors. I mean, semiconductors is a huge national security challenge for the United States, to be quite fair. And the autos is one specific area where the administration has chosen to focus. It's an important area. You know, they should be lauded for trying to take this on. We have ignored at our peril the importance of where chips are made for quite some time. If you look at what we're trying to achieve with the CHIPS Act, for instance, the CHIPS Act was based upon some some work that I myself and others have done previously that sort of dispelled the notion that the U.S. was a fundamental leader in semiconductors. Right. And branded U.S. firms sell a lot of chips. But many of them were what we call fabless chips, right? They design chips. They don't really make chips. Right. And so the countries that make chips are largely today Taiwan, Korea and the PRC. Taiwan makes all high end chips. You know, there's this sort of node factor that folks talk about. What that really means is the lower the number on the node, a nanometer, say five nanometers is pretty much close to the cutting edge today. And so they're moving towards two and even one point five nanometer chips in the future. But the most powerful chips today are made at that five nanometer node. You have to make zero of those. Right. And we lost that leadership. Intel lost that leadership almost a decade ago to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation. Then additionally, these things we call legacy chips, which are critically important. So think about everything that's in the studio and everything that's in the computer or laptop or cell phone of the people watching this right now. Right. Those are loaded with legacy chips. So the world made about one point three trillion chips last year. The vast majority of those chips are legacy chips. And China has been investing and subsidizing its way into control of legacy chip production. There are certain segments of legacy chips today where China is already 70 percent of global production. And those legacy chips go into everything. Right. And so you start thinking about autonomous vehicles. And this is partly what this is trying to get at. In addition to the software piece, although it's a very narrow piece for future cars and doesn't speak about all the technology we use today, every day today, but stick with it with the chips in the cars. They're important because these cars have increased autonomy. Right. You can literally tell the cars to stop. You can tell them to run into people, but potentially. Right. And, you know, folks would say, well, that's kind of crazy. Right. Right. Like, why would anyone want to do that? Superpower shouldn't run their national defense based upon some sort of notion that, oh, the other guy wouldn't do that because we wouldn't. So when you have these massive numbers of chips in the hundreds of billions now coming from China that are deeply embedded in all of these critical products, it opens up new vectors of risk. Rick, do you think that the greater threat lies in the supply chain issue or the technology aspect? That the technology and the ability of China to reproduce the capacity to manufacture the chips at the highest end is sort of a game over. But additionally, the supply chain and the legacy chips that go in there are similarly very, very complex and provide, you know, risk vectors for national security, for economic security that are not well recognized within the policy community. You have some folks talking about it, but clearly it has not inculcated into their sort of calculus to the point that they actually are willing to take concrete action. You know, again, if Taiwan and Korea and the United States are not making legacy chips because it's not profitable, then what you find is that the PRC is more than happy to subsidize those and really drive competitors out of business. And then this is how you get to the same position that we got with solar. We got here with solar and we're looking at EVs or battery, new energy batteries, all these other, you know, I could go on and on and on, right? Steel, shipbuilding, you know, the list is long and distinguished. It's scary when you actually lay it all out. It's very, it's very scary. And, you know, active pharmaceutical ingredients that go into our drugs, that's 90 percent. Right. So if you get to a world where all we have left are the really powerful chips at the very highest end, sure, our AI companies like OpenAI have an edge, but all of us live in a world where it's the legacy chips that actually, you know, drive the critical digital infrastructure that is in control of our lives. Right. If the Internet stopped working tomorrow, if you couldn't access your banking information, you wouldn't be able to buy food. Right. Like you don't have cash at home. If the bank can't identify who you are, how are they going to make sure that you can get into your cashier ATM? I mean, these sound dystopian, but perhaps they're not. Right. If you read the doctrine coming out of the party schools and you read some of the things that the PLA has written in their doctrine before, you start to look at war by other means, you know, war without fighting, asymmetric attacks. And these sorts of things become kind of pretty quite scary, actually, particularly if the goal is, say, we just want to make sure the United States can't intervene in Taiwan. Right. There are lots of ways with particularly as this dependency grows, quite literally at this point with the dependency on legacy chips, China could do what the United States has done to others and say, we're just not going to ship legacy chips into the United States or allow any third country to ship them into the United States in their products. And then much of the U.S. war machine would find it very difficult to produce the kinds of things that go boom. Oh, and you had to mention this about 10 days before an election. But if you're looking at comprehensive response, you want to say, well, you know, significant tariffs on the products that come in because the U.S. is the most valuable market, the most profitable market in the world. And the only way we have easily available, it's not the most strategic policy, but it is the most effective policy that's being articulated by either administration, would be to put very high tariffs that would incentivize folks to build those things here. I would go another step further and I would say these chips have national security implications and you can give them away, but we aren't going to plug your chips into our national defense network. We're not going to plug your chips into our autonomous vehicles. We're not going to plug your chips into our grid because that provides you with the ability through hardware trojans and other sort of nefarious tools to degrade or even cease the function of these critical national security elements within our society, which would have profound and just incredible national security implications. Imagine a world where someone, most of the chips embedded across your infrastructure are potentially faulty. And so this is this is where a really comprehensive, strategic, systemic policy like the tariffs come into play. And, you know, just just quickly to say, you know, this notion that tariffs cause inflation is sort of true in a theoretical sense. So so the problem is that that economists, Nobel Prize economists will say, well, you know, everyone knows tariffs are going to cause inflation. First of all, most of the inflation is driven in things that we don't trade food, housing and energy. Those are not traded with China. So, A. But B, they know that that their models are based upon very simple models of a few tariffs in one or two countries. But but they they also if you pin them down and talk to them, they will admit, which is that the multivariate analysis, regression analysis of all the different working components, right, of what China is doing and how it's impacting U.S. firms, driving firms out of business, putting people out of work, not only just driving up unemployment, what it's really done is it's driven of underemployment and it's driven workers out of the workforce. And so although unemployment looks good today, the reality is that workforce participation is at all time lows. Right. And the reason why it's at all time lows is you've driven people used to have jobs that they could pay for their families, send their kids to college, have a vacation, have and build things that had really feel good about into really low value service jobs. And this is a function of folks saying, well, tariffs drive up inflation. Well, if you look at what any economic policy, whether it be a free trade policy or reciprocal fair trade policy or a mercantilist, you know, sort of Chinese predatory policy, all of those policies are only effective in that they provide utility and prosperity to the citizens underneath those policies. Rick Switzer, a driving force behind the bipartisan CHIPS Act, really appreciate you sounding the alarm on these very important issues. I think. A potential elimination of federal income tax is making headlines. This comes after former President Trump floated the idea in a New York City barbershop during a segment on Fox and. In the old days, 1890, 1880, we had so much money they had to set up committees, blue ribbon committees, how to spend our wealth. We had no idea how to spend it with so much money. Then we went to the income tax system and the rest is sort of history. While citing fiscal practices from the late 1800s, Trump proposed replacing revenue from income tax with tariffs on foreign goods, a CNBC analysis suggesting Trump's economic overhaul could mean lower taxes for more than 90 million Americans. As of now, the former president is planning to cut taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security benefits. He also says he would consider tax exemptions for public service workers. So how do Americans feel about Trump's idea of zero income tax? And today, Sam Wong was out on the National Mall right here in D.C. to hear from the folks. Trump versus Harris, who do you think has a better economic plan? Obviously, Trump cutting out taxes, increasing our housing, creating new jobs. There's a lot of different things that he's provided Trump because he's done it before and he proved he could do it. Harris and absolutely Harris, because Trump doesn't have a plan. He has a concept of a plan. Trump. I think most Americans agree. I think over 60 percent of Americans now say the economy was better during Trump. Kamala Harris. Her budget proposals will not only be less of a burden on the deficit, but also spur continued economic growth. Trump, obviously. Gas was a dollar something. Food. I mean, anyone who isn't noticing the inflation in food is very, very rich. I think Kamala Harris has a better economic plan. You got to look at the whole gamut. You just can't look at an economic plan and everything else is backwards. It doesn't balance out. What do you think about the idea of complete elimination of federal income tax? So this idea recently was proposed by Trump on Fox News. You actually think it's a pretty good idea because for the majority of our country's history, we did not have a federal income tax yet. We had the strongest army in the world, strongest military in the world. There's no way. I have to see actually what they're what they plan on doing with it. I don't put much merit in it. It sounds good with no federal income tax, but we're going to pay another way. I'm a huge supporter of it. The federal government has gotten too big. And so we could cut away income taxes or put more money in the pockets of regular people, which would actually drive the economy even further. They were already at almost 100 percent debt to GDP ratio. And President Trump, if elected, would just exacerbate that issue. And it would be disastrous for every single American. Studying American history more, you start to understand, oh, America was made for the people, not to make the government rich. The U.S. government's the biggest corporation in the world. And coming up, Republican leaders urging Vice President Harris to tone down her rhetoric against former President Trump. What Speaker Johnson and Senator McConnell are saying about Harris's fascist comment. And what points are the candidates driving home in their final arguments? We'll hear from Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Theron Bond. That and more when we return. Did you know indoor air quality can be five to even 100 times worse than outdoors? Meet the air doctor. It's your answer for clean air and the only hospital grade air purifier equipped with advanced ultra HEPA filters proven to improve your indoor air quality and overall health. Air doctor circulates and triple filters the air in your room up to five times per hour. Say goodbye to pollen, smoke, mold spores, pet dander, even viruses, because the ultra HEPA filter removes virtually 100 percent of dangerous contaminants down to 0.003 microns. That's a hundred times smaller filtration than ordinary HEPA purifiers. This would have been in your lungs. Finally, get relief from allergies and asthma and reduce airborne disease. It's pulling the pollutants out. It's even pulling the toxic chemicals that are cleaning products leave behind. Call or go to try air doctor 40 dot com now. Get 40 percent off our best selling air purifier. Call 1-800-876-0163. Call now. The Kindness is Cool Video Awards are back for their second year. Record and nominate acts of kindness, both big and small, from individuals, families and communities. Submit your videos on Ganjingworld.com with the hashtag kindness is cool. Win a ten thousand dollar grand prize and be featured on a New York Times Square billboard. Visit ganjingworld.com and start sharing today. Kindness is cool. There's a whirlwind of emotion and activity going on in this painting. And this chaos all around and threat from below. The wolves surrounding her and they are anything but unmoved, they're moving all the time and we sense that. But this little girl remains unmoved. She's in quite a perilous situation, but she's completely strong and serene and she's actually meditating. It was very, very well liked because no matter what culture or what sort of walk of life you're from, I think people, they see it and they immediately understand what that energy, what that message is. And they they're drawn to it because everybody kind of needs a little bit of that in their own life of, you know, the steadfast calmness and something to hold on to. It's definitely an inner peace in the midst of something very chaotic and for a lot of people right now, the whole world is very, very chaotic. So I guess that's another reason why so many people are very drawn to this. And welcome back to the Capitol Report, I'm Steve Lance. Israel appears to have launched a strike on Iran, semi state run Iranian news agencies are reporting that several explosions were heard west of the Iranian capital terrain. Images on social media appear to show those explosions in the nation's capital. GOP leaders today urging Vice President Harris to tone down rhetoric against former President Trump, this comes after Harris denounced her rival as a, quote, fascist during a CNN town hall on Wednesday in a joint statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell saying that that narrative could invite political violence before the election, especially given two assassination attempts on former President Trump have already taken place. Harris's comment came amid allegations made by former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. Kelly used the same words to describe the former president in an interview with The New York Times. And as the presidential candidates make their final statements, do Americans have a clear sense of where each stands? Joining us are Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Aaron Bond. Brian Robinson, Theron Bond, thank you both so much for joining. Thank you. So Vice President Kamala Harris was joined by former President Barack Obama as well as Bruce Springsteen yesterday in Georgia. Let me play a clip and get your reaction. Someone who suggests we should terminate the Constitution of the United States of America should never again stand behind the seal of the president of the United. Now, Brian, I want to get your reaction. Former President Trump has clarified that he does not want to do this, but he also paints a picture of his opponents as doing such. Do you think the rhetoric is going a little too far here? Well, I think we passed the rhetoric has gone too far a long time ago. And of course, now we're calling him a Nazi, which is never a good place for our politics to be. If you're calling somebody a Nazi, you're usually losing. And throughout American history, I'm old enough to remember when George W. Bush was called a Nazi. And that really hasn't aged all that well. I think this is an issue where voters are focused intently on the economy and the crisis at the border slash immigration. That's where the candidates need to be addressing their concerns. This attack rhetoric, I don't think it's moving people at the margins. And at the end of the day, where we are right now, a few days out from the election is it's about winning and it's about winning only. And I think talking about those issues that move voters is the way to do it. And Theron, with regard to the vice president, a lot of folks right now saying that she sort of shifted her initial disposition and strategy, concentrating now more on criticizing former President Trump instead of focusing on her own policies. Do you think that this focus, this new focus is a strength or should she revert back to policy oriented campaigning? I think if she has something strong to go on before she got this far into the criticism that, yes, she would have something to fall back on, but she doesn't. Her policies still leave a lot to be desired. There are still so many questions that are yet unanswered. And so her continuing to criticize former President Donald Trump about things we already know aren't helpful. Tell us something new. She needs to tell us something new about her. Give us the process by which she's going to enact some of these policies. Give us some clarity. Give us the step by step picture and allow us to understand the American people why we should cast our vote for her. But simply telling us he's the bad guy and painting herself as the good person is not necessarily driving people to the polls. Let me play another clip here. This is one of former President Trump at a rally yesterday in Arizona. Just days ago, a young U.S. Marine Corps veteran named. Nicholas Quest from right here in Arizona, you know about it, was driving through Mexico for a beach weekend, just a weekend with his friends, a really good, a good guy, good kid. When he was viciously gunned down on the highway and murdered by members of a Mexican cartel. Brian, you know, by all accounts right now, many experts, if you will, are saying that the you know, the people's decision has been made right now, it's really going to be up to enthusiasm. Trump's been focusing on this issue of the border top issue for many Americans. It is, on the other hand, do you think that this messaging might not be working for some of the folks that he might have a chance of swaying? You know, I think it is because if you look at the groups that Kamala Harris needs to sway, she is falling flat. We saw her go from zero to 60 really quick coming out of the convention. She had a really good debate performance and then she stalled out. This immigration issue and the crime that is is bringing is one of the top issues for Americans right behind the economy here in Georgia, where I live, Lake and Riley, who was on a job outside of the campus of the University of Georgia earlier this year, was raped and murdered by a criminal, illegal alien that had not been deported after being arrested the first time. This is something that is very real to American voters. We have a right to know who is coming here. And this is a major issue. And one reason why those groups that Kamala Harris needs, the persuadables, are going with Donald Trump, actually. You're talking about black men. You're talking about Gen Z voters. And in places like Arizona and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, the college educated voters in Atlanta, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, they are not going to Kamala Harris at the level that they need to. And this is one, just one of those reasons. There and how does the vice president separate herself from some of those examples that Brian just laid out? And what what do you think that her messaging should be in these final days when it comes to illegal immigration and the border? I think she has to be honest with the American people about where she went wrong and exactly where her involvement was in the process. And that's something that she hasn't been exactly clear about. She's kind of tap dance around the issue each and every time she's been asked. And still, despite us being so close to Election Day, she doesn't have a thorough answer about what she's going to do about immigration going forward. In fact, she just recently said, you know, there's a process in that migrants need to follow it. But how conducive is that process for it to be legally done correctly all the way from the border, through immigration, through gaining citizenship? Brian, lastly, Trump's campaign has received quite a bit of praise in recent weeks for effectively softening his image from previous election years, if you will. How has nontraditional media contributed to this? And with his upcoming appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast and visits to like he did at McDonald's, do you think that this is actually working, reaching and resonating with new voters and maybe appealing to them to give him another look? Far beyond what I could have imagined just a year ago, they are reaching folks who don't necessarily tune in to mainstream news, don't necessarily watch political news, but they get something that's got a little bit of entertainment slash politics. And and they're willing to get you're able to get these people who aren't necessarily tuned in all of the time. People feel a more strong connection to them in a 45 minute talk with that includes some jokes, some laughter, maybe some personal anecdotes than they do in a 14 minute, 60 minutes interview that's solely about issues. And there and lastly to you, Vice President Harris, obviously coming into this race extremely late, raising the question or the reality that many Americans don't know her. So in recent weeks, she has picked up her presence in the media doing more interviews. Do you think that the American people have gotten to know her enough yet? And will she have enough time to introduce herself to the American people? I think she's had plenty of time. I think the best thing she could do now is just clarify everyone's burning questions. But I applaud her for doing more interviews, getting more into the media. But she waited far too late. There were too many things happening on social media and other forms of non-traditional media that were telling the story for her. She should have been out in front of it. She should have been clear from the very beginning. And I think if she had done that, it would show in all the polls and it would certainly show on Election Day, which right now we would be looking at a different race had she been a little bit more transparent with the American public. Brian Robinson, Theron Bond, really appreciate both of you joining us. Thank you. Coming up, more than 35 million ballots already cast will take you to Arizona and North Carolina, two states under scrutiny after 2020. See what it's like on the ground this year. That and more when we return. Will radical lies determine your child's future or will timeless truths fathom the good equips children with wisdom against the world? Our homeschool curriculum teaches high schoolers to think critically. We provide primary texts, original content, reasoning tools and mentoring videos to help them transform America. Teach your children to navigate the world's woke confusion. Teach them to fathom the good. You know, these kids grow so fast, cherish every little moment you get with them. Tyler, he's 10 and little Darryl, he's 12. Being a single dad, it is hard, really hard. I've been there since day one. I know how it is, you know, not to have nothing. I don't really get paid much. There's been times I've been hungry, made sure they ate. There ain't a thing I wouldn't do for them. Millions of our neighbors are facing hunger. Rising food prices are making it tougher to put food on the table. Call or go online right now to join Feeding America with your gift of just 19 dollars a month, only 63 cents a day. Together, thanks to a nationwide network of food banks, dedicated volunteers and the monthly support of people like you. We can fill plates with nutritious food for families across America. At least now I know I got to help if I need it. One in five children face hunger in America and food costs are rising. We are getting closer to the day when no one in America faces hunger, but we can't do it without you. Call or go online now. Visit HelpFeedingAmerica.org and give 19 dollars a month, just 63 cents a day. Ninety eight percent of donations go directly to help millions of people facing hunger from coast to coast and in your own community. And when you use your credit card, you'll receive this exclusive canvas grocery bag to show you're a part of a movement working together to ensure that everyone has the food and resources we all need to thrive. If you're hungry, you know, if they got it, they'll feed you. People just got to realize, you know, places like this do exist that will help you. Please call now or make your monthly donation at HelpFeedingAmerica.org and your gift can double in impact. I never graduated from high school. I realized I wanted to go back to school because I didn't want to work these backbreaking jobs the rest of my life. With the help of my father and having my son, that was all the motivation that I needed to come back to school. I felt accomplished, made me feel that I could take on whatever challenges life throws at you. Find free adult education classes near you at FinishYourDiploma.org. And welcome back to the Capitol Report, I'm Steve Lance. In North Carolina, the state elections director reporting on early voting statistics, nearly 30 percent of registered voters have so far cast their ballots in that battleground state. And to these David Lamb reports. Carolina Elections Board Director Karen Brinson-Bell says that as of close of business Thursday, more than two point three million voters have cast ballots in the battleground state. That's a 30 percent turnout statewide. But millions of registered North Carolinians have not yet made their voices heard in 2024. We encourage all voters to make a plan to cast their ballot between now and Election Day, November 5th. Of the ballots cast, about 32 percent were from Democratic voters and 34 percent from Republican voters. But millions more have not yet cast their ballots. Residents of the 25 counties impacted by Hurricane Helene can request an absentee by mail ballots and drop it off at any early voting site or elections office in the state. I'd also like to acknowledge that the fact that things are going smoothly is also a testament to the voters and campaigners who have shown civility and a recognition that every eligible voter deserves a peaceful opportunity to exercise their right to vote. Brinson-Bell also talked about the tremendous turnout from counties in the western part of the state, which have higher numbers than in 2020. The Elections Board said the state set a record 350,000 ballots on the first day of early voting in October. Early voting in North Carolina ends on November 2nd. David Lam, NTD News. Across the nation, more than 35 million ballots already being cast. That's according to the University of Florida's election lab. It's the 17th day of early voting in that swing state of Arizona, and Republicans are currently leading in early returns. NTD's Christina Corona is on the ground and spoke with several voters in Maricopa County. We're here in Tempe, Arizona, at a polling station at the Arizona State University campus where hundreds of votes are being cast daily. According to Uplift Campaigns, over one million ballots have been returned in Arizona, with Republicans leading by more than 84,000 votes. I feel it's important to vote early this season because this is a really impactful election. I think it's really important because if you don't vote on time, I mean, one, you don't count in our election, right? It's really important to get your voice heard. And then also this possibility of, you know, there could be natural disasters. In 2020, the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center became a focal point for voters protesting alleged election fraud against Trump. To ensure the safety of election workers and secure processing of ballots, the county installed permanent barbed wire fencing around the building and implemented controlled access points. But this year, officials say there will be a First Amendment zone outside the fenced area where protesters can legally gather and express themselves. We asked voters which policies are most important to them. I'm currently looking forward to Trump's closed borders policy because there's just an influx of migrants that are just coming into this country, not effectively or as organized as they should be coming in. I really believe in a woman's right to choose. A lot of people say that, you know, people are using it as birth control. But I think that in today's day. We have a very unusual dynamic, and I think that we need to put the power in people's hands. If you want to vote early, you still have a chance. There are currently 12 locations across the county for early in-person voting that ends on October 29th. Reporting from Tempe, Arizona, Christina Corona, NTD News. And as the election approaches, which policies or issues would voters like to see on the ballot and which presidential candidate is a better fit to deliver what voters may want? NTD's Sam Wong was out in the National Mall to speak with the people. What we got? OK, one policy, one issue you would like to put on the ballot, what would that be? Well, on the ballot, let's reduce inflation index. I want to protect our right to have guns, to be able to arm ourself. That's important. The cost of petroleum has to come down because that dictates how your inflation is. Immigration won't be the one issue right now because of the illegals that are coming in. It would be good for them to follow the process that's already established. Let's see. Let's start with abortion. Let's start with immigration. On the liberal side, we've all got to live here and I want us to live happily, all of us. How about something like the country coming together? I think if we can come together and and not have so much division, I think we'd be better off. I would prefer that we don't have any ballot issues. Generally, the ballot issues that are citizen generated are simply coming from special interest groups that generally can't get their policy directed through the state legislature. There's so many that you can put on the policy. It gets over, you know, overruled by things that aren't that important. So that way it shadows everything that is important. Which candidate do you think is going to be better at carrying your agenda to terms? Trump, because he's pro-gun. He doesn't want to take our rights away. Trump every day. You can see as soon as the Trump gets influenced into the market, we get to see a whole Wall Street just rising above. Harris, no doubt. As opposed to, you know, just insulting people, I think she actually thinks things through. Better candidate right now would be Mr. Trump, because right now he already has a policy in place. He had it back in his presidency already. Harris, because that's exactly what her agenda is, is to try to appeal to people, all different kinds of people. I also am going to be voting for Trump. I feel like his policies are amazing and he's has track record. I would say Kamala Harris can do that. Hopefully we can get more independent on our fuel in our country and do our own thing. I'm waiting to the closing arguments. I'm waiting to make my decision when I walk in there, because I generally vote on election day. I don't really vote during the general elections. And I'll make up my mind when I go in there. And Israel has just confirmed that it is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran. Iranian state TV reporting blasts in several areas, including Tehran. The attack is much anticipated. Israel pledging to strike back after a strike back on Iran after October 1st when Iran fired missiles into Israel. The Israeli defense forces said Iran has been relentlessly attacking Israel on seven fronts, including direct attacks from Iranian soil. Israel added that its defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. And that is all we have for you this evening on the Capitol Report. For around the clock original coverage, visit us at entity.com slash live and download our entity mobile app from Washington, D.C. I'm Steve Lance. Have a great weekend. See you back here on Monday.