California Rep. Eric Swalwell is vowing to aggressively push back on federal immigration officers if elected governor. The Democrat says he would use the office to make federal agents ineligible for state jobs and take away their driver's licenses if they refuse to unmask while on duties. He hasn't specified how he'd advance those policies. Swalwell is among a crowded field jostling to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom who terms out after this year. Swalwell says he has a proven record of fighting Trump. Mail-in ballots begin going out next month ahead of the June 2 primary.
By JULIE CARR SMYTH and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press
Democrats are starting to treat Vice President JD Vance, not Donald Trump, as their number one focus among Republican leaders. That was evident Saturday night, when Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear visited Vance's home county in Ohio for a Democratic fundraiser. Beshear spoke about Vance's memoir and said "Hillbilly Elegy" leans on "tired stereotypes" about Appalachia. Other Democrats have also sharpened their criticism of Vance, calling the vice president an extremist or a phony. Democratic strategists say the goal is to undercut Vance before he can consolidate support as Trump's heir apparent for the White House in 2028.
By LINLEY SANDERS and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX Associated Press
Many U.S. adults are skeptical about President-elect Donald Trump's ability to bring down costs. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows only about 2 in 10 Americans are "extremely" or "very" confident the Republican will be able to make progress on lowering the cost of groceries, housing or health care this year. The poll shows about 2 in 10 Americans are "moderately" confident. Faith in Trump's ability to create jobs is a little higher: About 3 in 10 Americans are "extremely" or "very" confident he'll make progress on this in 2025.
Donald Trump has made his opposition to transgender rights central to his closing argument before Election Day. He has used demeaning language and misrepresentations to paint a tiny slice of the U.S. population as a threat to national identity. The Republican nominee's campaign and aligned political action committees have spent tens of millions of dollars on advertising that attacks Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for previous statements supporting transgender rights. Harris is pushing back, noting that she has supported federal policies that were in place when Trump was president. LGBTQ advocates argue that Trump's rhetoric encourages hostility toward transgender people and fosters misunderstandings about who they are.
From Iranian hacking to Russian influence campaigns, the 2024 presidential campaign is encountering a spate of efforts by foreign adversaries to weaken faith in the outcome and potentially alter the results. The Biden administration has moved aggressively in recent weeks to call out the operations in hopes of alerting Americans to remain vigilant to wide-ranging, often hidden, foreign efforts to influence their positions on hot-button positions and the candidates. The latest development came Wednesday when U.S. officials disclosed Iran's unsuccessful attempt to shop information stolen from the Trump campaign to his political adversary.
The Democratic National Convention is kicking off just four weeks after President Joe Biden shuttered his campaign and made way Vice President Kamala Harris to ascend to the top of Democrats' ticket. Biden is expected to take the stage Monday night. Harris is expected to be on hand to watch Biden's remarks, although she doesn't take the stage until Thursday. Tens of thousands of protesters are also expected in Chicago to show their angst over the Israel-Hamas war and other issues. Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, opens a tour of the country in his own counterprogramming to Democrats' big week.
