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On Tuesday, voters in various states decided on ballot initiatives that would determine whether to expand and fund environmental and climate-related projects in their states.

In Berkeley, California, voters shot down a ballot measure to impose a tax on buildings 15,000 square feet or larger using natural gas, or appliances such as gas stoves for heat.

At the state level, California voters passed a ballot measure to finance climate projects across the state.

California voters passed Proposition 4, which will create a $10 billion taxpayer-funded bond for climate projects, including improvements to drinking water, wildfire prevention efforts, and protecting coastal areas from rises in sea level.

BIDEN-HARRIS EPA FUNDING ‘RADICAL, LEFT-LEANING’ ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CALLING TO END FOSSIL FUELS: REPORT

Prior to its passing, opponents of the measure warned that there would be financial implications for such projects and that the state should not take a loan-based approach to climate-related mitigation.

On Election Day, voters in Washington rejected an initiative to repeal the state’s climate policy.

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS COVER US EMBASSY IN LONDON WITH ORANGE PAINT AFTER TRUMP’S PROJECTED WIN

Residents voted against Washington Initiative 2117, which would have repealed the state’s Climate Commitment Act, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% below 1990 levels by 2050.

The measure would have repealed the 2021 law and prohibited state agencies from implementing any carbon cap-and-trade system.

Proponents of the bill have heavily criticized the law and claim the current carbon tax has increased energy costs. A group opposing the bill, however, told Fox News Digital that passing the measure would mean “more pollution in our air and water.”

“Washingtonians said loud and clear that they value clean air and clean water — and they don’t want to go backwards,” Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement. “Washingtonians showed that they reject cynicism, and they support action and innovation to protect our kids’ and grandkids’ health. This a victory for clean air, clean energy jobs, and a stronger economy in the Evergreen State.”

Rhode Island passed Question 4 on their ballots for a $53-million bond for land preservation, while Minnesota voters voted in favor of Amendment 1 to earmark funds from the state lottery to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for environmental projects.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, revealed his updated fundraising for Republicans this election cycle on Friday, which puts his all-time total at nearly $415 million, in a final pitch to Senate colleagues just days before the Republican leader election to replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

A source familiar with Cornyn’s political operation told Fox News Digital that the Texas Republican ultimately raked in $33 million in the 2024 election cycle.

The total included $16 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). 

TOP REPUBLICAN PRIVATELY BACKING THUNE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL IN GOP LEADER RACE

“I’m deeply grateful to the thousands of Americans who contributed to our efforts this cycle,” Cornyn said in a statement on the fundraising figures. “Their unprecedented support helped build the resources needed to advance our shared priorities in the Senate. This historic level of engagement reflects the deep commitment of voters who want to see effective, conservative leadership in Washington.”

The massive 2024 haul brings his total money raised in his Senate tenure to roughly $415 million, the source said. 

Cornyn is seeking to succeed McConnell as leader alongside competitors Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. The election will be held via secret ballot on Nov. 13. 

RICK SCOTT SEES RED WAVE AS ‘BEST CASE SCENARIO’ FOR SENATE LEADER BID AS HE LOBBIES TRUMP FOR SUPPORT

Fundraising ability is considered a significant factor in the upcoming Republican leader race, because the winner will become a symbol of the GOP Congress and be relied on to drive resources to key Senate races. This is the role McConnell took on throughout his time, during which he became known as a fundraising juggernaut. 

Over the course of 2024, Cornyn has publicized his fundraising data for both colleagues and donors to see. 

The senator has notably maintained the status of top Senate Republican fundraiser behind McConnell for 15 years, the source further pointed out. 

The Texas Republican created the Cornyn Victory Committee in 2021 to assist Republican campaigns. During the 2021-2022 election cycle, the committee’s fundraising efforts brought in $20 million, which the source noted was more than any of his GOP colleagues other than McConnell and then-NRSC Chair Scott.

CHUCK SCHUMER PREPS FOR RETURN TO SENATE MINORITY AFTER GOP VICTORY

While Cornyn has proven significant ability when it comes to driving resources, Thune has also made a name for himself when it comes to fundraising. 

A source familiar with Thune’s political operation shared with Fox News Digital that he also pulled in $33 million this election cycle, matching Cornyn. 

The source pointed out that Thune either raised money or campaigned in Nevada, Montana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, which were all home to Senate races, in the homestretch of the cycle.

Thune has also raised money through his super PAC, New Heights Action, and 501c4 group New Heights for America, bringing in $22.3 million this cycle. The groups are led by John DeStefano, who is a former senior Trump administration official.

MITCH MCCONNELL SINGS TRUMP CAMPAIGN PRAISES: ‘SHARPER OPERATION THIS TIME’

In the last few months, Thune’s team has highlighted his travel during the Senate recess, particularly his campaigning on the ground with candidates. 

Cornyn’s travel schedule has not been made public in its entirety, but the senator has often opted to take advantage of the reliable fundraising boon that his home state of Texas has been for Republicans. His political operation pointed Fox News Digital to several public events in Michigan, Nevada, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania since August. 

The source said that in October the Texas senator raised $1 million in one day for Senate Republican candidates in Ohio, Montana, Michigan and Wisconsin at events in Dallas and Houston.

Scott spent the 2024 cycle on his own re-election bid in Florida, which proved greatly successful on Tuesday night. The senator handily won his race by a larger margin than predicted.

A trio of Democrat senators who were all elected during the blue-wave 2006 midterm cycle lost their re-election bids this week in a devastating blow to the party as the GOP regains control of the Senate. 

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Montana Sen. Jon Tester have served as Democrat stalwarts since they were sworn in 2007, but they watched their Senate careers end this week as they faced high-stakes challenges from Republicans. 

Fox News projected on Wednesday that the Republican Party flipped the Senate red, holding 53 seats as of Thursday afternoon. 

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey was projected to lose his high-stakes race against Republican challenger Dave McCormick on Thursday afternoon as Pennsylvania officials waded through votes in the razor-thin race. McCormick received 48.95% of the vote to Casey’s 48.49%.

The Casey name has deep roots in Pennsylvania, not only from the longtime Democrat senator but also his father, Bob Casey Sr., who served as the Keystone State’s governor from 1987 to 1995 after years of serving in various other elected roles. 

TRUMP-BACKED PA SENATE CANDIDATE FLIPS LONGTIME DEM SEAT RED IN NAIL-BITER ELECTION

Casey Jr. launched his first Senate campaign in 2005, working to unseat Republican Sen. Rick Santorum and flip the seat blue. Bolstered by his father’s wildly popular legacy and winning platform, Casey Jr. sailed to victory in the 2006 election, holding onto the seat for nearly 18 years.

Trump-endorsed Dave McCormick launched his Senate campaign to unseat Casey this cycle and officially declared victory in the race on Thursday as certain Pennsylvania jurisdictions continued counting votes after experiencing some voting hiccups on Tuesday.

McCormick portrayed Casey as an out-of-touch longtime politician with close ties to the Biden-Harris administration who put D.C. politics ahead of advocating for policies that benefited Pennsylvanians and voters nationwide.

Ohio Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has served in the Senate since 2007 and has been in politics for half a century, was considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents heading into Tuesday night, and he ultimately fell to his GOP challenger as Trump carried Ohio by more than 10 points.

‘TIRELESS CAMPAIGN’: REACTIONS POUR IN AFTER GOP CHALLENGER FLIPS CRUCIAL SENATE SEAT HELD BY LONGTIME DEM

Brown, who lost to Cleveland area businessman Bernie Moreno by about four points, attempted to highlight areas where he disagreed with President Biden but was ultimately weighted down by a voting record that was nearly 100% in line with the president and a climate of opposition to illegal immigration and a difficult economy.

“This is a disappointment but is not a failure,” Brown said in his concession speech. “It will never be wrong to fight for organized labor, it will never be wrong to fight for the freedom of women to make their health care decisions, it surely will never be wrong to fight for civil rights and human rights.”

Three-term Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., lost the 2024 Montana Senate race, but his long-held position is remembered by his ability to hold a blue seat for nearly two decades despite the state’s significant shift to red.

Tester, a dirt farmer from Big Sandy, was first elected to the Senate in 2006, ousting three-term former Republican Sen. Conrad Burns for the Big Sky State seat he would go on to hold for the next 18 years.

Tester’s win notably solidified Montana as a dominantly blue state that year, with two Democrat senators and a Democrat governor. Tester went on to win a second term in 2012 despite being on the ballot with then-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who won Montana’s electoral votes that year.

NAVY SEAL TIM SHEEHY OUSTS 3-TERM SEN JON TESTER IN MONTANA SENATE RACE

The state saw a significant shift red in 2014 when Republican Sen. Steve Daines flipped one of the long-held Democrat Senate seats for Republicans, the first of several seats that would eventually turn to the GOP.

However, despite President-elect Trump winning Montana by about 20 points in 2016, Tester successfully secured a third term in 2018. Tester broke the mold of many Democrats in Washington, D.C.: a rural American farmer who championed protecting the Second Amendment and funding law enforcement.

But as Tester sought a fourth term in the state, he faced an increasingly red electorate.

The Democrat’s standing in the state came to an end this cycle after former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, a Republican, ousted him in one of the most closely watched Senate races of the 2024 cycle.

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

The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it is seeking to wind down two federal criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his second term. 

With two other cases outstanding and the legal jeopardy expected to diminish in the months ahead, here’s a timeline of Trump’s legal troubles after his first departure from the Oval Office. 

Trump was indicted on 37 federal counts in June 2023 on charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Trump’s team initially requested a partial pause in light of the Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. United States, wherein the court held that a former president has substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office, but not for unofficial acts. 

JONATHAN TURLEY: TRUMP’S VICTORY PUTS AN END TO DEMOCRAT ATTACKS ON ONE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT

Judge Aileen Cannon eventually dismissed the case against Trump in July, finding that Smith was improperly appointed to the special counsel role under the Constitution’s Appointments Clause.

The Appointments Clause states, “Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States be appointed by the President subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, although Congress may vest the appointment of inferior officers in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.”

Smith was never confirmed by the Senate.

Smith appealed the decision in August, with the filing reading, “The Attorney General validly appointed the Special Counsel, who is also properly funded.”

Smith filed another indictment in connection to his investigation against Trump in August 2023. He was indicted on four federal charges stemming out of the probe, including conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and argued he should be immune from prosecution from official acts done as president of the United States. 

In July this year, the Supreme Court in its ruling on presidential immunity sent the matter back to a lower court, as the justices did not apply the ruling to whether or not former President Trump is immune from prosecution regarding actions related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

TRUMP SUES CBS NEWS FOR $10 BILLION ALLEGING ‘DECEPTIVE DOCTORING’ OF HARRIS’ ’60 MINUTES’ INTERVIEW

Trump was indicted a second time in August. The new indictment maintained the previous criminal charges but narrowed the allegations after the Supreme Court ruling, clarifying Trump’s role as a current candidate and making clear the allegations regarding his conversations with then-Vice President Mike Pence in his ceremonial role as president of the Senate. 

The 165-page filing submitted by Smith, in which he laid out the case and alleged evidence he would use in an eventual trial against the president-elect, was unsealed in early October. Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered more documents to be open to the public later that month, just weeks before the presidential election. 

Trump’s team moved to dismiss Smith from the case in late October, arguing he was unlawfully appointed. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted Trump in 2023 on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree relating to alleged hush money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Bragg alleged Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”

Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts. 

The president-elect was later found guilty on all counts, making him the first former president of the United States to be convicted of a crime. He appealed the decision.

His sentencing date was initially set for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention where he was set to be formally nominated as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee. Judge Juan Merchan delayed the sentencing to Sept. 18 and once again to Nov. 26, after the presidential election.

Trump’s team requested the case be removed to federal court in October this year, citing the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling and thus arguing he cannot be prosecuted for official acts he performed as president. Merchan is also scheduled to make a decision on Nov. 12 on Trump’s motion to vacate the case.

Trump was indicted in Georgia in August 2023 after a yearslong criminal investigation led by state prosecutors into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.

In early 2023, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee dismissed six of the charges against Trump, saying District Attorney Fani Willis failed to allege sufficient detail. It was then thrown into disarray when it was revealed Willis reportedly had an “improper affair” with Nathan Wade, a prosecutor she hired to help bring the case against Trump. Wade was later removed.

The Georgia Court of Appeals paused the proceeding in June until it heard the case to disqualify Willis. The court also said it would hear Trump’s argument to have Willis disqualified on Dec. 5, a month after the election.

When reached by Fox News Digital for comment on the state of the president-elect’s legal cases on Thursday, the Trump campaign said, “The American people have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again.”

“It is now abundantly clear that Americans want an immediate end to the weaponization of our justice system, so we can, as President Trump said in his historic speech yesterday, unify our country and work together for the betterment of our nation,” campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman, David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

As the political left reflects on the 2024 election results, Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., warned that “vilifying voters of color as white supremacists” will only push them further toward President-elect Trump.

“Popular explanations for the outcome of the election seem to include white supremacy, patriarchy, misogyny…” Torres noted in a post on X. 

“I am going to state the obvious here: vilifying voters of color as white supremacists will not attract them back to the Democratic Party. It will drive them further into Trump’s camp. The purpose of politics is not to repel but to attract. Condescension is the most powerful repellant in politics. Voters viscerally resent condescension and will punish you for it at the ballot box,” he added.

NEW YORK DEMOCRAT RIPS ‘FAR LEFT’ FOR TRUMP VICTORY: ‘IVORY-TOWERED NONSENSE’

Trump soundly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday to win the 2024 White House contest. 

Torres has suggested that signs of the impending drubbing were clear.

“The signs of a decisive defeat were staring us in the face all along. We were simply in denial about them or willfully blind to them, substituting magical thinking for actual analysis,” he declared in a tweet.

BERNIE SANDERS EXCORIATES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CALLS CAMPAIGN ‘DISASTROUS’ AFTER TRUMP VICTORY

“In recent history, there’s no precedent for an incumbent party winning a presidential election when the percentage of Americans who think the country is on the right track or headed in the right direction is in the 20s. The structural challenge was simply insurmountable,” he added.

Torres, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2021 and won another term in office during the 2024 election, has accused the “far left” of alienating people from the Democratic Party.

“Donald Trump has no greater friend than the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like ‘Defund the Police’ or ‘From the River to the Sea’ or ‘Latinx,’” the congressman opined in a post on X.

REP. RITCHIE TORRES CALLS OUT NY TIMES ‘BIAS’ FOR NOT INTERVIEWING HIM FOR STORY ABOUT HIS ANTI-ISRAEL CRITICS

“There is more to lose than there is to gain politically from pandering to a far left that is more representative of Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok than it is of the real world. The working class is not buying the ivory-towered nonsense that the far left is selling,” he added.

The lawmaker has also suggested that his side of the political aisle should not push the idea that they suffer from a “messaging problem.”

“We should expunge from our vocabulary the words: we have a ‘messaging problem,'” Torres wrote on X. “When over 70% of Americans think we are on the wrong track or headed in the wrong direction, that is not a messaging problem. That is reality problem.

“Inflation and immigration are not ‘messaging problems.’ These are realities that produced discontent widespread enough to hand Donald Trump the presidency. We ignore the real-world messages that these realities send at our own peril,” he warned.

EXCLUSIVE: The tumultuous two years of the 118th Congress are likely to be capped by one more standoff over government spending.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., signaled to Fox News Digital that it was unlikely Republicans will move to kick fiscal 2025 federal funding discussions into the new year.

But he reiterated vows that House Republicans would fight against rolling all 12 annual appropriations bills into one large “omnibus” package, setting up a possible showdown with Senate Democrats.

“The ideal scenario would be we get an agreement for the remainder of the fiscal year,” Scalise said.

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

He cited constraints on national security if Congress were to simply extend fiscal 2024 funding levels.

“When you think about defense funding, it costs us money to have short-term funding bills when you cannot do long-term procurement, to buy the kind of long-range defense systems that we need to compete with China,” Scalise said. “China is not operating on short-term spending bills, neither should we.”

Before recessing in September, House Republicans and Senate Democrats agreed to extend fiscal 2024 funding levels through what’s known as a continuing resolution (CR) to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

That bought congressional negotiators through Dec. 20 to hash out a deal.

At the time, several supporters of President-elect Donald Trump demanded that the CR run into the new year in the hopes a new Republican administration would take the reins, something opposed by senior GOP lawmakers and national security hawks.

HOUSE GOP LEADERS RIP ACTBLUE AFTER DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT HIT WITH SUBPOENA

If Republicans win the House in addition to the Senate and White House, Trump will have a say over how a GOP-controlled Congress handles spending in the fall next year. A number of House races remain undecided days after Tuesday’s general election.

Scalise also cited several other priorities, like the border crisis and extending tax cuts, that will take up much of the beginning of Trump’s term.

As for this year’s negotiations, however, both sides are still far apart.

House Republicans have accused Senate Democrats of slow-walking the process without having passed any of their own spending bills on the floor in a bid to force the GOP to swallow an end-of-year “omnibus” with excess spending and little transparency.

Democrats have in turn criticized House Republicans’ spending bills, several of which passed the House floor, as pushing draconian cuts and conservative policies deemed “non-starters.”

SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE

“We have a lot of conversations to have with our members about the best approach,” Scalise said. “When we had left, we had already passed over 70% of the government funding bills through the House, and the Senate hadn’t passed any.”

“We’re trying to get agreements on the individual bills. That’s why the House did our job … hopefully we can start getting those agreements when we return.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., about whether he anticipates an omnibus, which he has ushered through the Senate nearly every year he’s been majority leader, at the end of this year.

If an agreement is not reached by Dec. 20, the country could face a partial government shutdown just weeks before the new presidential administration.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is running to lead the Senate Republican campaign arm in the next election cycle, sharing the announcement exclusively with Fox News Digital.

On Friday, Scott launched his bid to lead the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) for the 2026 midterm cycle, after speculation last month that he planned to do so.

“Let’s do this! I’m running for NRSC Chair because two years of a Republican agenda is good, but four years of success under Donald J. Trump is even better,” he told Fox News Digital in a statement.

TOP REPUBLICAN PRIVATELY BACKING THUNE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL IN GOP LEADER RACE

“That means the entire four years of his presidency will create low inflation, secure borders and safe streets, leading to a generation of American prosperity! With Donald J. Trump in the White House and Republicans leading the U.S. Senate, we will protect our majority in 2026 and create opportunities for all Americans.” 

The South Carolina senator ran for president in the 2024 Republican primary before dropping out and endorsing Trump. He was also considered a contender to be Trump’s running mate before Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, was chosen. 

RICK SCOTT SEES RED WAVE AS ‘BEST CASE SCENARIO’ FOR SENATE LEADER BID AS HE LOBBIES TRUMP FOR SUPPORT

Scott additionally rolled out three high-profile endorsements to go with his campaign announcement.

Current NRSC Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont., who just successfully led the campaign arm in helping Republicans take back the majority, has thrown his support behind Scott. 

“We took back the U.S. Senate in 2024, and there is no one I trust more to protect the majority in 2026 than Tim Scott,” Daines said in a statement. 

CHUCK SCHUMER PREPS FOR RETURN TO SENATE MINORITY AFTER GOP VICTORY

The South Carolina Republican was also endorsed by Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo.

“Tim’s inspiring message, record of fundraising and vision for the party makes him the perfect partner for President Trump,” Barrasso said. “Together, they will protect and grow the Republican majority. There’s nobody better than Tim Scott.”

“Protecting the majority and growing the party starts with a vision and the resources to compete anywhere. That is why I’m confident in Tim leading the NRSC into 2026,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in his own statement backing Scott. 

ELECTION NIGHT WINNERS AND LOSERS: 2024 EDITION

The election will be held on Nov. 13 and decided via a secret ballot along with other Senate GOP leadership races. 

Scott’s bid for the top NRSC role comes on the heels of the Republican Party and Trump seeing significant gains across the country with minorities in the 2024 elections. 

As one of only four Black senators in the 118th Congress and the only Black Republican senator, Scott has made a variety of efforts to reach minority voters on behalf of the GOP. 

In the last three months, he held a Black financial literacy event in North Carolina, an event on Black Opportunity Zones in Wisconsin, a Black pastor event in Michigan and school choice events in Wisconsin, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Chicago. 

He also joined fellow Black Republican representatives Burgess Owens, R-Utah; Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; John James, R-Mich.; and Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, earlier in the year to launch a weekly video series dedicated to the voices of Black members of the GOP. The series was called “America’s Starting Five.” 

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

Vice President Harris suffered a massive loss to President-elect Donald Trump this week, losing her campaign as Trump swept battleground and traditionally Republican states alike that catapulted him past the needed 270 electoral college votes. 

Harris’ truncated campaign cycle, which only launched toward the end of July after President Biden dropped out of the race and passed the torch to his VP, was marked by a handful of gaffes and missteps that haunted her efforts to court voters and became political fodder for Trump and his campaign. 

Fox News Digital examined Harris’ roughly 100-day campaign and compiled the vice president’s biggest campaign mistakes that likely cost her support at the ballot box. 

In what was arguably Harris’ biggest campaign misstep, the vice president declared early in October while appearing on “The View” that she could not think of an example of where she differed with President Biden on a policy decision or political position across the administration. 

“If anything, would you have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years?” 

“There is not a thing that comes to mind,” Harris answered.

Harris’ comment stands in stark contrast to how voters were feeling: They were unhappy with the current administration’s leadership.  

Preliminary data from the Fox News Voter Analysis, a survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide, found that the majority of voters headed into the polls believing the country was headed in the wrong direction. 

Voters ahead of casting their ballots reported that the country was on the wrong track (70%, up from 60% who felt that way four years ago) and seeking something different. Most wanted a change in how the country is run, with roughly a quarter seeking complete and total upheaval.

“Kamala Harris is more of the same,” Vice President-elect JD Vance posted to X last month about Harris’ comment on “The View.” “She admits it herself.”

“This will be the nail in Kamala Harris’s coffin,” The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis predicted last month. 

“It reminds me of John Kerry’s ‘I voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it’ comment about Iraq war funding when he was fighting charges of being a spineless flip-flopper,” he added. “That single comment ended his campaign.”

Harris was accused a handful of times of unveiling a “new accent” while speaking to different voters across the country, including critics comparing her to a cartoon character at one point and a preacher at another campaign event. 

Harris traveled to the Church of Christian Compassion in Philadelphia last month, where she spoke to the predominantly Black congregants and telling them that in just nine days, voters will “have the power to decide the fate of our nation for generations to come.”

HARRIS RIPPED FOR ‘WORD SALAD’ AFTER HECKLER INTERRUPTION DURING CAMPAIGN SPEECH: ‘THE GIBBERISH NEVER ENDS’

Harris cited the Book of Psalms in her remarks, including saying, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the mornin’. The path may seem hard, the work may seem heavy, but joy cometh in the mornin’ and church morning is on its way.” 

Critics on social media pounced on clips of Harris quoting Psalms, saying she debuted a new “pastor” accent, comparing her inflection to the late Rev. Martin Luther King’s oratory.

HARRIS MOCKED FOR UNVEILING ‘NEW ACCENT’ AT PHILADELPHIA EVENT: ‘EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WOMAN IS FAKE’

While speaking before union workers during a Detroit Labor Day rally, she was criticized for using an accent that was compared to “Foghorn Leghorn.”

“Since when does the vice president have what sounds like a Southern accent?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in September after her Detroit speech that was compared to the cartoon character. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jean-Pierre replied.

“Well, she was talking about unions in Detroit using one tone of voice, she used the same line in Pittsburgh, and it sounded like she at least had some kind of Southern drawl,” Doocy pressed.

“I mean, do you hear the question that you’re – I mean, do you think Americans seriously think that this is an important question?” Jean-Pierre pushed back. “You know what they care about? They care about the economy, they care about lowering costs, they care about health care. That’s what they want to hear … democracy and freedom … I’m not going to even entertain some question about … it’s just … hearing it sounds so ridiculous. The question – I’m talking about the question – is just insane.”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a native of Chicago, has also repeatedly been accused of employing different accents across her decades in the public eye, most notably for using a southern drawl.

Harris was also slammed for rambling “word salads” during repeated public events, which the Trump campaign and critics frequently mocked. 

“We need to guard that spirit. We have to guard that spirit. Let it always inspire us. Let it always be the source of our optimism, which is that spirit that is uniquely American. Let that then inspire us by helping us to be inspired to solve the problems that so many face, including our small business owners,” Harris said, for example, in September while speaking to the Economic Club of Pittsburgh. 

“I grew up understanding the children of the community are the children of the community, and we should all have a vested interest in ensuring that children can go grow up with the resources that they need to achieve their God-given potential,” she said at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 47th annual Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., in September. 

In another “word salad” misstep just days ahead of the election, Harris said, “We are here because we are fighting for a democracy. Fighting for a democracy. And understand the difference here, understand the difference here, moving forward, moving forward, understand the difference here.”

Harris carried out her 107-day campaign without holding a single press conference, and she avoided sit-down media interviews for the first 38 days of her campaign before finally joining CNN for an interview. 

Trump held at least six news conferences in which he took questions from the media since the beginning of August. Harris held none, but did have a few informal press gaggles throughout the campaign.

107 DAYS: KAMALA HARRIS HAS YET TO DO FORMAL PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE EMERGING AS DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

The Harris-Walz campaign increased their media presence in the final weeks of the campaign, including Harris joining a CNN town hall and interviews with NBC News, Telemundo and CBS, in addition to several podcasts and local news stations. She also sat down with Fox News’ Bret Baier last month, which Baier described as a “contentious” interview. 

Harris repeatedly leaned on celebrities during the campaign, including touting their star status for flash rallies. 

Harris held a rally last month in red Texas where she was joined by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jessica Alba and Willie Nelson. Harris’ rally included an estimated 30,000 people as word spread that Beyoncé was slated to appear at the rally. The pop star officially endorsed Harris during her appearance but did not perform any songs.

TEXAS POLITICOS LAUNCH FULL-COURT PRESS AGAINST HARRIS AHEAD OF HER BORDER STATE CAMPAIGN RALLY: ‘APOLOGIZE’

Ahead of the rally, media outlets such as MSNBC reported Beyoncé would not only appear but would also likely perform at the rally. Beyoncé did not perform, sparking the Trump campaign to argue that Harris “lied” about Beyoncé’s appearance at the rally in order to “build a crowd.”

In Pennsylvania, which was viewed as the state that would likely determine the outcome of the overall election, Harris held a bevy of events on her final day on the campaign trail. She was joined at rallies in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia by celebrities such as Cedric the Entertainer, Katy Perry, Andra Day, DJ Cassidy, Fat Joe and Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga. 

“The other thing that makes me nervous, in 2016 we had a big star-studded event right on the edge of the election, and we lost the state,” liberal political analyst Van Jones said on CNN ahead of the election, referring to Harris’ Pennsylvania rallies. 

Harris’ steady support from celebrities comes as voters reported that the economy and jobs were their most important issues heading into the election as inflation since 2021 has throttled Americans’ pocketbooks. 

After Biden’s exit from the race – as concerns mounted over his mental acuity and age – Harris simultaneously launched her campaign as well as her search for a running mate, combing through a list of high-profile Democrats and lesser-known allies before choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Democrats ultimately rallied behind Walz, but another choice, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, was viewed by many as the better candidate to get the Democratic Party across the finish line victoriously.

‘SHOULD HAVE BEEN JOSH SHAPIRO’: HARRIS’ VP CONTENDERS PASSED OVER FOR WALZ DODGE MASSIVE CAMPAIGN LOSS

“As a founding member of She Shoulda Picked Shapiro, I think it’s relatively clear now that she made a mistake,” statistician Nate Silver told the New York Times ahead of Election Day. 

“Pennsylvania seems to be lagging a little behind the other blue-wall states. Meanwhile, Walz was mediocre in the debate, and he’s been mediocre and nervous in his public appearances.”

Harris-Walz surrogate Lindy Li told Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich from Howard University, where Harris held her election night party, that Shapiro would likely have aided the Harris campaign’s efforts to notch a massive victory. 

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“One of the things that are top of mind is the choice of Tim Walz as vice presidential candidate,” Li said. “A lot of people are saying tonight that it should have been Josh Shapiro. Frankly, people have been saying that for months.”

Considering Pennsylvania’s battleground-state status, the popular first-term governor was viewed as a potential key for the Harris campaign to reach the coveted 270 electoral votes to lock up the election. Shapiro, who is Jewish, was also touted as a potential bridge for the Harris campaign to court Jewish voters amid backlash over her previous comments defending anti-Israel protesters who rocked college campuses last year during the war in Israel.

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Pennsylvania ultimately voted for Trump and moved him across the finish line.

Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood and David Rutz contributed to this report.

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

Something suddenly struck me as I tracked all the finger-pointing and blame-shifting over Kamala Harris losing badly to Donald Trump.

As we watched her 107-day campaign, most of the coverage was absolutely glowing, as she was depicted as an inspiring trailblazer who would unify the country.

DEPRESSED MEDIA REACT TO TRUMP VICTORY: HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY HAVE HAPPENED?

But about five minutes after Donald Trump was declared president-elect, a very different portrait emerged.

Harris had run an awful campaign, making all sorts of missteps and blunders. She hadn’t done this, that and the other thing. She wasn’t up to the challenge. She couldn’t meet the moment.

Now they tell us?

Doesn’t this suggest that the journalists, commentators and analysts were covering for her? That they knew the vice president was faltering, flubbing and failing, and weren’t being straight about it?

Well, here’s what that brings to mind.

For most of his term, President Biden was portrayed as a competent chief executive, maybe lacking pizazz, but more than capable of getting things done, whether you liked his policies or not.

Some age-related stories surfaced earlier this year, but both White House officials and those covering Biden assured readers and viewers that he was, in one phrase,

“sharp as a tack.”

THE ‘GARBAGE’ CAMPAIGN: WHY MISTAKES AND DISTRACTIONS COULD TILT THE OUTCOME

And then came the debate. Boom! The country saw the president struggling to form coherent sentences against Trump, and he would soon be pressured out of the race.

At that point, many media figures said sure, they had seen Biden’s mental acuity decline, and yes, he had often been hidden from them, but wasn’t it obvious? A few said White House officials had told them as long as two years earlier that there was no way Biden was capable of running for reelection. But of course that was off the record.

In short, even as the president was looking confused or turning the wrong way, much of the press covered for him.

And you wonder why the media’s credibility ratings are in the toilet.

In the case of Harris, just as in the case of Biden, many journalists obscured the harsh reality of their problems until it was no longer in their interest to do so.

We’re getting a major dose of this because of all the sniping between the Harris and Biden camps.

TRUMP CAMP CONFIDENT BASED ON EARLY VOTING, WHILE BLACK LEADERS SAY HARRIS IS STRUGGLING

“Democrats are directing their rage over losing the presidential race at Joe Biden, who they blame for setting up Kamala Harris for failure by not dropping out sooner,” Politico reports.

“They say his advancing age, questions over his mental acuity and deep unpopularity put Democrats at a sharp disadvantage. They are livid that they were forced to embrace a candidate who voters had made clear they did not want — and then stayed in the race long after it was clear he couldn’t win.”

On the same site, columnist Jonathan Martin says “the Biden sympathizers want to pin her loss on, well, her. And the Harris defenders believe Biden’s undeniably at fault for creating the forbidding political environment she proved unable to overcome.

“How can Harris’s defenders grumble about being dragged down by Biden when she could not find one substantive policy issue on which to break from the unpopular incumbent?”

What’s more, “where was the daring? There was no full-throated attempt at defensive politics and reassuring the country she’d govern from the center and reject extremists in both parties…If the other side assails you as a liberal without any clear and sustained response, well, voters will believe the attacks. Given the scale of difficulty she faced — and, yes, how bad that initial, internal polling was — why not take some risks?”

Now there were some suggestions, including from me, that Harris was being too cautious and sticking to talking points. I argued from the day she passed over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro that Tim Walz would do nothing for the ticket; now many pundits are simply stating that as fact. 

One exception to the wait-till-it’s-over approach is this mid-October piece in Axios:

“Many senior Biden aides remain wounded by the president being pushed out of his reelection bid and are still adjusting to being in a supportive role on the campaign trail…Some on the Harris team say that top White House aides aren’t sufficiently coordinating Biden’s messaging and schedule to align with what’s best for the vice president’s campaign.”

The media have plenty to answer for in the wake of this election, including how they underestimated Trump’s chances and appeal to voters, and failed to grasp why Harris’ party seemed out of touch to many in the working class. 

But painting a rosy scenario when things were actually dark for Harris – even if there’s nothing she could have done to stop the Trump juggernaut – ranks right up there.

Mike Davis, a staunch ally of President-elect Donald Trump, had some harsh words for New York Attorney General Letitia James during an appearance on “The Benny Show” podcast on Thursday. 

“Let me just say this to Big Tish James, the New York Attorney General … I dare you to continue your lawfare against President Trump in his second term,” the founder of the Article III Project said. “Because listen here sweetheart, we’re not messing around this time. And we will put your fat a– in prison for conspiracy against rights and I promise you that.” 

Davis warned James to “think long and hard before you want to violate President Trump’s constitutional rights or any other American’s constitutional rights.” 

“It’s not going to happen again,” Davis said. 

NBA COACH DOC RIVERS SAYS ‘WE HAVE TO SUPPORT TRUMP’ AFTER BASHING HIM THROUGHOUT ELECTION CYCLE

James ordered Trump to pay a $454 million bond payment earlier this year as part of a civil fraud case brought against the former commander-in-chief. The New York AG accused Trump of overinflating the value of his assets to get better loans. 

Trump later appealed the ruling. His attorneys called New York Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling “draconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional.”

After Trump’s electoral victory on Tuesday, James and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to fight back against any potential “revenge or retribution” that may be coming their way now that President-elect Trump will be returning to the White House.

In his interview with Johnson, Davis also took shots at Fulton County Attorney General Fani Willis, who brought charges against Trump for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. 

“[Fani Willis] is going to get disqualified from this case. This case will go to another district attorney in Georgia and no one in their right mind would bring this case again because it is not a crime to object to a presidential election,” Davis said. 

Willis, a Democrat, won her bid for re-election on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Courtney Kramer. 

CONSERVATIVE POLITICOS SHARE REACTIONS TO PROTEST RESPONSE AFTER TRUMP WIN: ‘IT’S STRANGELY QUIET’

Willis made headlines just a month into her tenure, announcing in February 2021 that she was investigating whether Trump and others broke any laws while trying to overturn his narrow loss in the state to Biden. 

The case is largely on hold while Trump and other defendants appeal a judge’s ruling allowing Willis to continue prosecuting the case. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of James and Willis seeking a response to Davis’ comments. 

A former Supreme Court clerk and Senate aide, Davis has been suggested as a possible candidate for White House Counsel in the forthcoming Trump administration. 

Davis has dismissed these rumors, writing on X: “No, thank you. I want to serve as Viceroy.”