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In her bid to win over Florida, Vice President Kamala Harris took her campaign to The Villages on Saturday, a Republican and Donald Trump stronghold, where videos of crowds of golf carts lined up for a Harris event have gone viral on social media.
Last Sunday, President Joe Biden exited the presidential race after mounting pressure to end his reelection campaign over his lackluster debate performance against Trump and concerns surrounding his age. Shortly after dropping out, Biden endorsed Harris for the Oval Office.
On Saturday, as part of Harris’ “Weekend of Action” campaign, the vice president campaigned in The Villages, a sprawling retirement community in central Florida that typically supports Trump, her Republican opponent. Trump previously won Florida, a coveted state with 30 Electoral College votes, in 2016 and 2020.
Democratic candidate Barbie Harden Hall, who is running to represent the district, posted videos on X, formerly Twitter, of Harris supporters, writing: “HUNDREDS OF GOLF CARTS! And I don’t even know how many supporters throughout the route! The Villages, Florida is FIRED UP for @KamalaHarris.”
Hall’s videos showing caravans of golf carts, the main form of transportation in the community, decked out in American flags as they entered the rally have since gone viral, with several Harris supporters resharing them.
Jon Cooper, a Democratic fundraiser, reposted Hall’s video reaching over 5 million views, as of Sunday afternoon. “Trust me when I say it’s a SUPER-RED community that’s usually a real hotbed of Trump support. The fact that there are over 200 golf carts at this rally for @KamalaHarris today is INCREDIBLE!” he wrote.
Hall’s video has received over 41,000 views, while a similar video on the X account @Harris_wins, has been viewed over 3.6 million times.
Newsweek reached out to Harris’ campaign to verify details of the rally in an email on Sunday.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Jaime Harrison said on MSNBC’s The Weekend on Sunday, “The Villages is a ruby red—there were 500 golf cart seniors riding around, and probably voted for Donald Trump, previously, supporting Kamala Harris. This is an energy on the ground I have not seen since Barack Obama in 2008.”
Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment via email on Sunday.
The Florida Democratic Party supported Harris’ campaign trip and wrote in a press release on Sunday that she has “energized the entire Democratic base” within the past week, adding, “Nearly 10,000 new Floridian volunteers—many from traditionally conservative places like The Villages—have stepped up to fight back against Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and the extremism of the Republican Party.”
As Biden only left the race a week ago, there are limited polls on a potential Harris-Trump match up in the state.
A Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll of voters across nine states, most of them swing states, conducted between July 22 and 24, found Trump leading Harris in Florida by an additional percentage point, 8, than by her predecessor Biden. The poll surveyed 6,927 voters and it’s not clear how many were from Florida.
Update 7/28/24, 4:20 p.m. ET: This article’s headline was updated.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
DADE CITY, Fla. – Looking for a winter wonderland that isn’t too far from home? Snowcat Ridge in Dade City officially opens for the season on Friday.
Despite the state’s tropical landscape, Snowcat Ridge brings a unique alpine snow park and gives visitors a chance to experience snow and winter activities without leaving Florida.
The park’s centerpiece is a massive 60-foot-tall snow tubing hill with runs extending up to 400 feet, where families can zoom down on tubes while surrounded by snow.
READ: Top destinations people dream of traveling to for the holidays
“So this year, what we really wanted to do was focus on what people said they enjoy most—the Christmas aspects of the park. So I said, ‘okay, let’s really do the Christmas thing,’” said Winston McDaniel with Snowcat Ridge.
Guests can also build snowmen, create snow angels and engage in snowball play inside the park’s 10,000-square-foot Arctic Igloo. The facility also has cutting edge snow-making technology to maintain snowy conditions.
There’s also a cozy lodge for guests to grab hot chocolate and winter treats.
“It’s just about really doubling down on what it means to spend family time here at Christmas,” said McDaniel.
MORE: After 112 years, ‘Operation Santa’ still accepting letters
In the evening, the slopes at Snowcat Ridge transform into a colorful LED light display, illuminating the snow and creating an unforgettable atmosphere for guests.
For more information on the park and its hours of operation, visit snowcatridge.com.
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A Florida man has been arrested and charged in connection with a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange in an effort to “reboot” the US government, according to the FBI.
Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, from Coral Springs, Florida, was charged with attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building involved in interstate commerce.
The FBI began investigating Yener in February after receiving a tip that he was storing materials related to bomb-making in a storage unit. Agents searched the area after obtaining a search warrant. They found “bomb-making sketches, numerous watches with timers electronic circuit boards and other electronics that can be utilised to build bombs.
According to the FBI, Yener had also been conducting online searches about bomb-making since 2017.
In March, Yener admitted to authorities during questioning that he had knowledge of making “rockets” and “bombs” and had previously tried to join a “domestic extremist group.” He also revealed that in 2015, he had considered travelling to Iraq to join ISIS but ultimately decided against it because he doubted the group’s ability to meet its objectives.
Yener allegedly told undercover FBI agents that he planned to detonate the bomb during the week before Thanksgiving, targeting the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan. Court documents state that his goal was to “reboot” the US government.
“There is one place that would be hella easy… the stock exchange, that would be a great hit. Tons of people would support it. They would see it and think dude, this guy makes sense, they are [profanity] robbing us. So that’s perfect,” he told the agent.
“I feel like Bin Laden,” he told the undercover agent.
Weeks before his arrest, Yener had modified two-way radios to function as remote triggers for explosives. He also planned to wear a disguise while planting the device, according to court filings.
Yener appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon, where it was decided he would remain in custody while awaiting trial.
(With inputs from agencies)
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