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Why Trump is making last-minute stops ahead of Election Day in two blue-leaning states

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Why Trump is making last-minute stops ahead of Election Day in two blue-leaning states

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During the final week leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5, former President Trump is making two brief detours from campaigning in the crucial seven battleground states that will likely determine if the Republican nominee or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the 2024 election.

On Thursday, which is Halloween, the former president will make a campaign stop in New Mexico, and Saturday he’ll visit Virginia. Both states were once key general election battlegrounds that have leaned blue the past two decades. 

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In fact, you’ve got to look back 20 years – to President George W. Bush’s re-election – to find the last GOP presidential nominee to carry both states. 

So why, with time such a precious commodity for presidential campaigns and the clock quickly ticking toward Election Day, is Trump spending time in New Mexico and Virginia?

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Former President Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, Oct. 27, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Unlike his large rallies on Sunday in New York City and two weeks ago in southern California – deep blue states the Trump campaign has no illusions of flipping – the former president and his team see opportunities in Virginia and New Mexico.

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“As President Trump has said, he will be a president for all Americans, including those in traditionally blue states that Kamala Harris and the Democrats have left behind. Kamala Harris’ dangerously liberal policies have failed Americans across the country – from the Bronx, to Virginia, and New Mexico – which is why President Trump is bringing his America First message and vision for hardworking families right to their front door,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Anna Kelley argued in a statement to Fox News.

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There hasn’t been an abundance of polling in New Mexico, but most recent surveys indicate Harris with an upper single digit lead over Trump, although one survey suggests a tighter contest for the state’s five electoral votes.

“Trump is wasting his time coming to our state as polling shows New Mexicans are set to reject his MAGA extremism and divisive rhetoric yet again,” Democratic Party of New Mexico spokesperson Daniel Garcia claimed in a statement.

And referring to the Oct. 31 stop in Albuquerque by the former president, Garcia took a verbal shot at Trump, saying “a rotund orange mass will be in Albuquerque on Halloween, and we’re not talking about a pumpkin.”

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Trump hasn’t set foot in New Mexico in five years. 

Former President Trump speaks during a campaign event at Historic Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake, Virginia, on June 28, 2024. (Parker Michels-Boyce/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It’s a different story in Virginia, where the former president held a large rally in the southeastern corner of the state in June.

Trump on Saturday holds a rally in Salem, Virginia, in the conservative southwestern corner of the commonwealth.

DEADHEAT BETWEEN HARRIS AND TRUMP WITH ELECTION DAY CLOSING IN

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Polls in the state indicate the Democratic presidential nominee holding anywhere from a lower double-digit lead to a slight lower single digit edge over the former president.

“We have a really good chance to win Virginia – hasn’t been won in decades by a [GOP] presidential candidate,” Trump told Virginia Republicans in a September tele-rally. 

It’s an argument that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia is also making.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2024. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon)

But there may be another contributing factor to Trump’s stop in Virginia.

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Trump on Friday pilloried a federal judge’s ruling that Virginia must restore more than 1,500 people to the state’s voter rolls, with the former president falsely claiming Harris was behind the decision and charging that it amounted to “election interference.”

The state of Virginia on Sunday filed an emergency stay application to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the lower court ruling, which halted the state’s efforts to remove suspected non-citizens from the voter rolls.

Veteran Virginia-based political scientist David Richards of the University of Lynchburg told Fox News that “based on all the polling I am seeing, it is not clear that this rally will help Trump win Virginia.”

“But I think he has bigger ambitions by coming to central Virginia. I think he wants to capitalize on the judicial decision to reinstate voters who have not met the citizenship requirements or had not checked the correct box, and were picked up by a general sweep of registered voters in Virginia,” Richards said. “This plays into his general story about illegal immigrants trying to vote in the election. I think he is seeking a national audience, not necessarily just a Virginia audience, by coming and doing a rally here.”

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Republicans haven’t carried swing state New Hampshire in 24 years. And Trump lost the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state in the general election by more than seven points four years ago, at the hands of President Biden. 

While most recent polls indicated an upper single digit lead for Harris, two new surveys suggested a closer margin-of-error race.

While there are apparently no plans for Trump to visit the state in the closing days, the campaign’s top adviser in New Hampshire is nevertheless confident.

“The polls are tightening and we feel significant momentum on the ground for President Trump,” senior adviser Steve Stepanek told Fox News. 

Stepanek emphasized “what those polls are not showing and what we are working on very hard is a large group of Trump supporters that are not registered to vote.”

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Pointing to the state’s same day voter registration, he said “we are pushing these people with phone calls, mail, digital, and door knocking to come out on Election Day and register to vote and to vote for President Trump.”

But Democrats in the state, thanks to their vastly larger get-out-the-vote ground game, remain confident that New Hampshire will stay blue in the presidential election.

“The New Hampshire Democratic coordinated campaign is using our enthusiasm and infrastructure advantage to mobilize Granite Staters of all political affiliations around the stakes of this election,” state Democratic Party communications director Ty McEachern told Fox News.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

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Ted Cruz endorses Texas state Rep Steve Toth in GOP primary challenge to Dan Crenshaw

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Ted Cruz endorses Texas state Rep Steve Toth in GOP primary challenge to Dan Crenshaw

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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has endorsed Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw in the Lone Star State’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary.

“I am proud to endorse @SteveTothTX for Congress in Texas’s 2nd Congressional District. Steve faithfully served the people of Texas in the Texas House of Representatives, championing our Texas values of liberty, limited government, and constitutional governance,” Cruz said in a post on X.

“Steve is an unwavering fighter for school choice, fiscal responsibility, and the next generation of Americans. Washington needs bold leadership and representatives who will stand up for Texans at every turn,” Cruz continued.

Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw speaks during a showcase hosted by TerraFlow in Houston Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

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“Steve has the experience, the courage, and the conviction to do just that. I’m honored to support his campaign and urge voters in Texas’s 2nd Congressional District to join me in electing Steve Toth to Congress,” he added.

While President Donald Trump has not made an endorsement in the race, he previously backed Toth for Texas state House in 2022 and 2024.

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Texas House incumbent Rep. Steve Toth gives a brief statement before the start of a gubernatorial debate held at Grace Woodlands Church and put on by the True Texas Project on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 in Spring, Texas. (Michael Wyke/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

“State Representative Steve Toth is doing a fantastic job representing Texas State House District 15. A Small Business Owner and an Ordained Minister, Steve is fighting tirelessly to Secure our Elections, Grow the Economy, Eliminate Needless Regulations, Strengthen the Border, Support our Great Military/Veterans, and Protect and Defend our under siege Second Amendment. Steve Toth has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote in a 2024 Truth Social post.

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The last day of early voting for Texas’ March 3 primary contests is Friday, according to the Texas Secretary of State website.

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, arrives for the cloture vote on the government funding bill in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Crenshaw has served in Congress since early 2019.

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Nancy Guthrie neighbors’ Ring camera captures vehicles on possible route from crime scene

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Nancy Guthrie neighbors’ Ring camera captures vehicles on possible route from crime scene

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EXCLUSIVE: TUCSON, Ariz. — A resident in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood has a street-facing Ring camera that caught 12 cars passing by on the morning of Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction.

The recordings took place between midnight and 6 a.m. on Feb. 1, and some of the activity occurred near the 2:30 a.m. mark, which is around the time authorities said the 84-year-old Guthrie’s pacemaker device last synced with her iPhone.

The homeowners, Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas, told Fox News Digital that police had not canvassed their neighborhood in the 25 days since Guthrie is believed to have been taken from her bed in a home invasion kidnapping. The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been alerted to the video. It was not immediately clear whether the video is of any use to the investigation or whether the vehicle had ever been on Guthrie’s street.

Guthrie is the mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, a Tucson native.

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Left: A still image from Ring camera video shows a vehicle passing a home near Nancy Guthrie’s on Feb. 1, the morning she is believed to have been abducted. Right: Nancy in an undated family photo. (Courtesy of Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas, Courtesy of NBC)

The Stratigouleas house is on a back road that leads out of Guthrie’s neighborhood, avoiding major intersections. And they live about 2.5 miles away from the crime scene, which is outside the 2-mile radius of neighbors who received a Ring alert asking for video taken from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2.

Their house is roughly a seven-minute drive from Guthrie’s address, according to Google Maps. One of their videos was recorded at around 2:36 a.m. on Feb. 1, which is roughly eight minutes after Guthrie’s pacemaker last synced with her iPhone, according to the sheriff’s timeline.

WATCH: Ring video shows vehicles on outskirts of Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood morning of abduction

Danielle Stratigouleas said the number of cars passing that night was not unusual, but she and a friend found it “odd” that no one from law enforcement had visited her neighborhood.

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NANCY GUTHRIE SUSPECT’S DIGITAL ‘BLACKOUT’ MAY BE KEY TO CASE, SAYS EXPERT WHO PROBED KOHBERGER PHONE

A map details the neighborhood surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s home on Camino Escalante in Tucson, Arizona, and a secondary route through the Catalina Foothills down Camino Real leading to East River Road. (Fox News)

A Ring camera image taken from video shows a vehicle driving south on Camino Real at 2:36 a.m. on Feb. 1, the morning Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from a home nearby in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson, Arizona. (Courtesy of Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas)

The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been alerted to the video. It was not immediately clear whether it is of any use to the investigation. 

Retired NYPD detective and national security expert Pat Brosnan reviewed the video with his team. He tells Fox News Digital they believe the vehicle seen at 2:36 a.m. is a Kia Soul, based on its slanted roof, window design and rear-quarter glass. He also noted the vertical brake lights.

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The rewards are still outstanding, and anyone with information they think may be relevant is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The route itself had been flagged to Fox News Digital by another neighbor — who said she also saw a suspicious man walking in the area on Feb. 2, around the corner from what appeared to be an abandoned car. The young mother asked not to be named due to concerns for her children’s safety amid the unsolved kidnapping investigation.

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WATCH: Path out of Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood avoids major intersections

She described him as about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, Hispanic, with a close-trimmed beard and wearing a silver bracelet. He was smoking a cigarette near the intersection of Camino Juan Paisano and Piedra Seca, which is between Camino Real and Guthrie’s home.

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The Pima County Sheriff’s Department did not return multiple phone calls and emails about the man or the vehicle, a dark red Honda SUV that the neighbor said was moved after three days.

A neighbor of Nancy Guthrie’s spotted this dark red Honda near Camino Real on Feb. 2, the day after Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction nearby. She told Fox News Digital that it remained in place for a couple of days after deputies examined it. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

A neighbor of Nancy Guthrie’s spotted this dark red Honda near Camino Real on Feb. 2, the day after Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction nearby. She told Fox News Digital it remained in place for about three days before it was moved. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

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Another unidentified man was spotted in mid-January, according to neighbor Aldine Meister.

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“He didn’t have your typical walking gear on, and he had his hat pulled really far over his eyes,” she told Fox News Digital.

She said she saw the man walking in the neighborhood, near an intersection leading to Guthrie’s home — and hadn’t encountered him before or after. 

Deputies examine a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie’s mailbox on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.  (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

“He was kind of younger, and he just didn’t look like he was going out for a walk,” she added. 

She mentioned it to her husband but did not report it to investigators until after Guthrie’s disappearance.

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FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.  (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

Danielle Stratigouleas told Fox News Digital that she did see deputies searching what locals call a wash, a common terrain feature in the region, near her office, which is on Skyline Drive, another main road that borders Guthrie’s development. 

North Campbell, which was extensively searched by authorities and volunteers, connects to both main arteries. Camino Real connects only to East River Road.

“I think it sounds smart, and if they even sort of knew the area or actually cased the area beforehand, that road behind Camino Real called Camino Escuela would be an even better idea,” she told Fox News Digital. “There’s never anybody on it, and never a police car to be seen.”

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Fox News Digital approached five other homes with street-facing cameras on Camino Real. Three of the homeowners said they had not been visited by law enforcement, either. No one answered the door at the other two.

None said they had any notable video from Feb. 1.

Campbell also runs past the University of Arizona and is a much busier road, she said.

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An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old. (Courtesy of NBC)

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“It’s always buzzing even on a Saturday night,” she added. “Camino La Brinca and Camino Piedra Seca also lead to Camino Real, and they’re a good way to get from Camino Zorella.”

The residents said they’re hoping more people outside the radius will check their cameras and submit anything that could help the FBI.

Guthrie is believed to have been forcibly abducted from her home on North Camino Escalante, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

In more than three weeks, police have not publicly identified any suspects, persons of interest or vehicles connected to the case. They briefly detained but later released several people and have towed multiple vehicles, including those belonging to family members and the detainees.

No one has been charged with a crime as of Thursday morning, however.

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Exterior view of the front entrance of Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

The FBI and Google teamed up to recover doorbell camera footage even though her Nest device is physically unaccounted for, and she did not have a cloud subscription. 

FBI Director Kash Patel released still images and video on Feb. 10.

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The video shows a masked individual with gloves on, prowling on her front porch. 

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These two images were released by the FBI, recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. It’s unclear whether they show the same person. (FBI)

According to two sources with knowledge of the investigation, one of the doorbell images was taken on a different date than the others. It shows an individual who may be the same masked intruder at Guthrie’s doorstep, without an Ozark Trail backpack or holstered pistol.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has called the timeline surrounding the images speculation. 

Savannah Guthrie is asking anyone with information in the case to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI or contact her directly.

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Travis County DA faces renewed ‘soft on crime’ criticism after career criminal charged with murder

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Travis County DA faces renewed ‘soft on crime’ criticism after career criminal charged with murder

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A Texas-based career criminal with a lengthy rap sheet is behind bars in Travis County after he was charged with murdering a father of five outside a 7-Eleven in Austin, reviving scrutiny of Travis County District Attorney José Garza and what critics call his controversial prosecutorial record and “soft on crime” approach.

Caleb Anthony Jenkins, described by police as a career criminal, was charged with murder in connection with a shooting last year that left a 25-year-old father dead outside a 7-Eleven. According to Austin police, Jenkins allegedly shot the victim and drove off.

But critics argue the killing may have been preventable. Garza’s office previously dismissed or declined to prosecute three separate gun charges against Jenkins in incidents dating back to 2022. He was also arrested in 2023 on a domestic violence charge and failed to appear in court, as Fox News reported. Most recently, he was re-arrested and released after his bond was raised.

Taken together, the developments have intensified public criticism of Garza, the Democratic district attorney backed by liberal mega-donor George Soros,

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District Attorney Jose Garza in Austin, Texas. (Spencer Selvidge for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Garza, who was elected Travis County DA without prior experience as a prosecutor, has faced criticism from police advocacy groups and victims’ families since taking office. They have accused him of deliberately slow-walking certain cases and embracing lenient sentencing policies.

The criticism has sparked national attention in years past. In 2023, the family of 25-year-old Doug Cantor, who was shot and killed in the 2021 Sixth Street mass shooting in downtown Austin, criticized Garza for slow-walking the trial of the gunman.

Family members told Fox News Digital in an interview at the time that they believed Garza had put the case on the “back burner.”

“It’s very clear that his focus and attention is not on this case,” Nick Kantor told Fox News Digital in an interview reflecting on the two-year anniversary of his brother’s death — and the way Garza, who has been widely criticized for soft-on-crime policies, has handled the case.

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Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza poses in front of the Austin skyline in a portrait from the county website. Garza has faced criticism for accusations that he aggressively prosecutes police officers accused of wrongdoing while going easy on career criminals. (Travis County DA Website)

“He’s doing things that are clearly causing distress on the trial and on the overall outcome of the case and for getting justice for my brother,” Kantor said. 

Other victims’ families cited similar behavior from Garza’s office in interviews with Fox News Digital. 

While overall reported crime in Travis County has declined, opponents argue dismissal rates have been “political,” and could further endanger public safety.

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It “appears that Garza has now become more of an advocate for the criminal than he has for the victim,” Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officer’s Association, previously told Fox News Digital.

“The prosecution is acting more like defense attorneys than they are prosecutors,” Farris said in an interview roughly one year after Garza took office. “Whatever his skewed view of what criminal justice reform is, it isn’t working. It sure isn’t working for the victims.” 

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George Soros delivers a speech at the 2022 World Economic Forum in Davos. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

“It used to be that they got the victims’ buy-in before offering plea bargains. Now it doesn’t appear he’s even doing that, because they’re not even communicating with them, and that’s what’s leading to the revictimization of these families.” 

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Current and former local law enforcement officers have criticized Garza’s actions and his alleged “war on cops,” after the Soros-backed district attorney campaigned on indicting police officers and “reimagining” policing in Austin.

Soros contributed $652,000 to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC in the months leading up to the 2020 Travis County DA election, according to campaign finance records.

That same PAC spent almost $1 million on digital and mail advertisements to help Garza’s campaign, as Fox News reported.

The Travis County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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