Harris could win the presidency but lose the Senate, giving Republicans a veto over her agenda and judges
The prospect of a President Harris facing down a Republican-controlled Senate is coming into focus as she rises in the 2024 contest, even as GOP hopes of capturing the Senate grow because of improving polling in a pivotal Montana race.
A Republican-controlled chamber could thwart Harris’ nominees to fill out her administration and the courts, along with her legislative agenda. Top Senate Republicans told NBC News she would need their sign-off to secure votes on any judicial nominees, including for the Supreme Court. And some Harris supporters worry that without a united Congress, she would struggle to get much done legislatively.
“I honestly believe she has to have both the House and the Senate in order for her to be able to get anything done. Anything at all,” said Frankie Veltri, a retired 77-year-old voter in Goodyear, Arizona. “And if she doesn’t have one or the other, putting more emphasis on the Senate ... she will never be able to do anything that she said she would do, and then it will be the same old grind. You know, ‘She made all these promises and she didn’t do them.’ I mean, that’s evident with Biden.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a Judiciary Committee member who is running to be Senate GOP leader when Mitch McConnell retires after this year, said Harris would “absolutely” have to negotiate judicial and Supreme Court nominees with his party if Republicans control the Senate — and not assume they would get votes.
Democrats launch new ad push to tie Trump to Mark Robinson following reported porn website comments
Less than 24 hours after CNN published a bombshell report on comments that it said Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, made on a pornographic website, the Democratic National Committee unveiled new advertisements linking him to Trump.
The DNC plans to launch a new digital advertisement and nearly a dozen billboards highlighting how Trump has praised Robinson, who is North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, according to a source familiar with the matter and a news release by DNC regional press secretary Kenny Palmer. NBC News was the first to report the new ad push.
By linking Trump to Robinson, Democrats hope to cut into Trump’s support in the state, which a Democratic presidential candidate has not won since 2008.
North Carolina could prove decisive in a close presidential race, and Vance, Trump’s running mate, said himself that it would be “very hard” for his ticket to win in November if Democrats flip North Carolina.
In effort to shore up blue wall, Harris eyes Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — The battle for one of the closest swing states is intensifying as Harris sweeps into this deep blue college town and state capital today for an evening rally.
This week, several new polls in Wisconsin showed an extremely tight race. Harris fared slightly better than Trump — but all of the polls were within their margins of error. AARP’s survey came in at Harris 49%, Trump 48%. Quinnipiac University and Marist College also showed 1-point Harris edges, 49% to 48% in Quinnipiac’s and 50% and 49% in Marist’s. The fight over Wisconsin — considered a must-win for Harris as part of Democrats’ so-called blue wall — could tilt the election.
The Harris campaign has been ramping up its presence in the state since she took over the top of the Democratic ticket, and her selection of Walz has re-energized staff members in the state, a campaign official told NBC News. His blue-collar roots and strong union background are seen as ways to bolster support from organized labor, which could be crucial in the Midwest, the source said.
But while Harris has enjoyed broad union support and the backing of the United Auto Workers, this week the Teamsters declined to endorse any presidential candidate, the first time since 1996 that the powerful union hasn’t chosen a Democrat. (The Teamsters union released its own internal poll that found nearly 60% of its rank-and-file members preferred Trump over Harris.)
Harris called for action to stop gun violence at schools during a campaign event with Oprah Winfrey last night. Harris surprised her host by also saying, “If somebody breaks in my house, they’re getting shot.”
Trump to hold Miami fundraiser tonight
Trump will attend a Miami fundraiser this evening, a campaign official said. He has no public campaign events on his schedule today.
Trump was in Washington, D.C., yesterday, working to persuade Jewish voters to cast their ballots for him.
Harris hits the campaign trail in Georgia and Wisconsin
Harris will hold a campaign events in Marietta, Georgia, and Madison, Wisconsin, today. She has made frequent stops in the battleground states.
The Biden-Harris ticket flipped the states blue in 2020.