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Trump forced to defend Nebraska in contest for single electoral vote

With precious few days remaining in the 2020 campaign, President Trump was forced on Tuesday to travel to Nebraska’s Second District to try to fend off a challenge from Joe Biden, who leads in polls tracking the battle for a single electoral vote.

Jaime Harrison enlists Common in bid to defeat Lindsey Graham in South Carolina

Democrat Jaime Harrison enlisted the help of Grammy Award-winning rapper Common at a Monday rally in Columbia, S.C., as polls continue to show a closer race between Harrison and Sen. Lindsey Graham than many had expected.

FBI arrests five in U.S. accused of trying to coerce political dissenters to return to China

A note left on the door of one victim read, "If you are willing to go back to mainland and spend 10 years in prison, your wife and children will be all right."

Passenger hanging out van window falls and dies after killing bicyclist, Vegas cops say

“There’s no reason behind this that I can tell you why it occurred, other than complete stupidity.”

Charlie Hebdo, whose cartoons sparked terror attacks in France, published a cutting caricature of Turkish President Erdogan amid his feud with Macron

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said French President Emmanuel Macron needed mental treatment after criticizing Islam and proposing regulations on it.

New study suggests COVID-19 immunity is 'waning,' researchers say

Researchers in the United Kingdom say they've observed a "significant" decline in the percentage of the population with COVID-19 antibodies, potentially pointing to "waning immunity."Imperial College London scientists in the study found the prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies declined from six percent of the British population in June to 4.4 percent in September, Reuters reports. They came to the conclusion that there has been a "significant decline in the proportion of the population with detectable antibodies" by sending out finger-prick tests to a randomly selected group of over 365,000 people in England, according to CNN."On the balance of evidence I would say, with what we know for other coronaviruses, it would look as if immunity declines away at the same rate as antibodies decline away, and that this is an indication of waning immunity at the population level," Wendy Barclay, head of Imperial College London's Department of Infectious Disease, said, per Reuters.The researchers were specifically looking for IgG antibodies in the study, and CNN notes that some other research has suggested "that other types of antibodies may persist longer than IgG does."But Imperial College London's Helen Ward told BBC News the study suggests that "immunity is waning quite rapidly." Ward added in a statement, "We don't yet know whether this will leave these people at risk of reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19, but it is essential that everyone continues to follow guidance to reduce the risk to themselves and others." More stories from theweek.com How to make an election crisis 64 things President Trump has said about women Republicans are on the verge of a spectacular upside-down achievement

Pilot killed as Taiwan fighter jet crashes into sea

A Taiwanese pilot was killed Thursday after his fighter jet crashed off the island's eastern coast during routine training, the air force said, in the second fatal air crash in three months.

Jeff Van Drew, congressman who ditched Democrats for Trump, struggling in reelection race

A congressman who switched from the Democratic Party to join Republican ranks is struggling in his ace for reelection.

Trump rushes struggling GOP senator at rally: 'You got one minute, they don't want to hear this'

President hurried Arizona Senator Martha McSally before calling up three politicians from other states - plus Nigel Farage - to address the crowd

Bobulinski Claims Documents Prove Joe Biden ‘Lying’ about Lack of Involvement in Hunter’s Influence Peddling

Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, has accused Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden of "lying" about whether he was directly involved in his son's foreign business dealings."When he states that, that is a blatant lie," Bobulinski said in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson that was aired Tuesday.The former U.S. Navy lieutenant and corporate investor added that he almost walked out of the second presidential debate, which he attended as President Trump's guest, when the former vice president claimed again that he had no knowledge of his son's business dealings and was not involved in them."In that debate, he made a specific statement around questions around this from the president," Bobulinski said. "And I'll be honest with you, I almost stood up and screamed 'liar' and walked out because I was shocked that after four days or five days that they prep for this, that the Biden family is taking that position to the world."Bobulinski was the former CEO of SinoHawk Holdings, which he said was a partnership between the CEFC China Energy conglomerate and the Biden family. He was the recipient of a May 13, 2017 email that discussed a plan to have 10 percent in their related joint venture, Oneida Holdings, “held by H for the big guy?” The "big guy" was Joe Biden, and "H" was Hunter, Bobulinski confirmed.Bobulinski also slammed Democratic efforts to discredit his claims about the Bidens' business dealings by dismissing it as Russian disinformation, singling out for particular criticism Democratic congressman Adam Schiff, who said on television that this "smear" of Biden "comes from the Kremlin.""To have a congressman out there speaking about Russian disinformation or Joe Biden at a public debate referencing Russian disinformation when he knows he sat face to face with me, that I was traveled around the world with his son and his brother, to say that and associate that with my name is absolutely disgusting to me," Bobulinski said.Bobulinski told Carlson that Schiff's baseless disinformation claim motivated him to come forward with what he knew of Biden family corruption.The former business associate of the Bidens also said he was warned by former partner Rob Walker that going public with information about the Bidens would "bury all of us."In a recording of a phone call between Bobulinski and Walker, which Carlson aired, he told Walker that if the elder Biden "doesn't come out on record, I am providing the facts.""Don't say this Tony, you're just gonna bury all of us, man," Walker responds in the recording."Throughout 2015 and 2016 while Joe was still the sitting vice president of the United States, these guys had been doing extensive work around the world," Bobulinski said, adding that "the only qualification they had was the Biden name.""They're able to set up meetings and get people to jump through hoops in an interest to garner favor with the sitting vice president, Joe Biden," he said.The American people "can form their own conclusion" about the Biden family's business dealings, Bobulinski added.

A US embassy staffer drugged and sexually abused at least 23 women and kept the evidence on his iCloud account, prosecutors say

Brian Jeffrey Raymond had more than 400 photos and videos that showed the scope of his abuse, according to prosecutors.

Cause of Southern California fire that forced thousands to evacuate may be 'lashing wire'

The fast-moving Silverado Fire has burned more than 11,000 acres and forced tens of thousands to flee the Irvine area.

Hackers breach Trump campaign website, threaten to release 'evidence' of crimes

The Trump campaign's website was briefly hacked late Tuesday, with the culprits posting a typo-riddled message on the site threatening to release "evidence" of the president's "criminal involvement" in a supposed scheme to sway next week's election. The hackers, whose identity was not immediately known, only managed to crack into the Trump website's "about" page. The rest of the website ...

Tony Chung: Hong Kong activist detained near US embassy charged

Tony Chung was detained as he reportedly planned to claim asylum at the US consulate.

'A big win for justice!': Texas officials scrap rule that would allow social workers to deny LGBTQ, disabled clients

After backlash, Texas officials have reversed a rule that would have allowed social workers to turn away clients who are LGBTQ or have a disability.

Charlie Hebdo sparks Turkish fury with cartoon of Erdogan

Turkey on Tuesday accused French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo of "cultural racism" over a front-page cartoon for its latest edition that mocks President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

'Anonymous' WH official who wrote about officials thwarting Trump reveals himself

Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, revealed himself Wednesday as the author of an anonymous 2018 New York Times op-ed that depicted President Trump as a danger to the nation.

Jeff Bezos may be considering purchase of CNN, according to bankers

Rumours of the purchase stem from investment bankers discussing the potential sale

Michigan man missing after allegedly spending virus relief funds on luxury gifts for girlfriend

A Michigan man looks to be on the run after allegedly conspiring to steal $2.5 million in coronavirus relief funds. Johnny Richardson, 25, and his girlfriend Micahia Taylor, 27, are accused of teaming up with Brandi Hawkins, a contract employee of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, to embezzle the money.

Covid vaccine 'likely to be imperfect' and may not prevent infection, head of UK task force warns

The first Covid-19 vaccines are "likely to be imperfect" and "might not work for everyone", the chairman of the UK Vaccine Taskforce has said. Kate Bingham said no vaccine in the history of medicine "has been as eagerly anticipated" and that vaccination is "widely regarded as the only true exit strategy from the pandemic". However, she warned against over-optimism and highlighted that a vaccine might not work for everyone, or for very long. "We do not know that we will ever have a vaccine at all," she wrote in The Lancet. "It is important to guard against complacency and over-optimism. "The first generation of vaccines is likely to be imperfect, and we should be prepared that they might not prevent infection but rather reduce symptoms, and, even then, might not work for everyone or for long." The vaccine taskforce was created by Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK Government's chief scientific adviser. It was set up under the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in May, and Ms Bingham reports directly to the Prime Minister.

Landlord’s threat to raise rent if Biden wins is ‘voter intimidation,’ Colorado AG says

“IF the current President is re-elected, WE WILL NOT RAISE THE RENT FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS,” the landlord told tenants.

Walmart CEO urges Congress to pass another stimulus bill, assisting those who 'really need help' and boosting holiday sales by billions of dollars

Another round of stimulus checks could boost online holiday sales by billions of dollars, according to Adobe analysis released on Wednesday.

'One step closer': Virginia judge rules Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond can be removed pending possible appeal

An attorney for the plaintiffs says his clients will appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. Four other statues have already come down.

Climate change: China's forest carbon uptake 'underestimated'

Scientists put new numbers of Chinese trees' ability to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Venezuela's Maduro says Amuay refinery was hit by a 'terrorist attack'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday said the country's Amuay oil refinery was victim of a terrorist attack on Tuesday that involved a "powerful weapon", but said the country had gasoline reserves equivalent to 20 days of consumption. An explosion hit a distillation unit at the 645,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) plant on Tuesday, people familiar with the matter said, though there were no reports of injuries. "Yesterday, the Amuay refinery - one of the most important refineries in Venezuela and Latin America - was attacked with a long, powerful weapon," Maduro said at a press conference, adding that the government was seeking to determine what kind of weapon was involved.

Judge rejects Trump request to be replaced in columnist's defamation lawsuit

A federal judge on Tuesday denied President Trump's request that he be replaced as the defendant in a defamation lawsuit alleging he raped a woman in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s.

Blame Game Begins After Trump’s Nebraska Rally Sh*tshow

President Donald Trump went to Omaha, Nebraska Tuesday night hoping to boost his chances of winning the area’s competitive electoral college vote.But he left a logistical mess in his wake at Eppley Airfield as scores of people were left trying to get back to their vehicles via buses from the large-scale event in the midst of a raging pandemic.Trump’s rallies during the pandemic have already worried health experts because, even when they’re outdoors, the large events feature little in the way of social distancing and lax mask-wearing from the audience. But the logistical issues in Omaha likely only compound the existing anxieties over holding such big events and gathering so many people together at a time when health experts are still sounding the alarm over the deadly coronavirus.No Lockdown, No Problem, Says Nebraska GOP Guv as Cases RiseThe Omaha World-Herald reported there were hundreds left stranded for “up to three hours in freezing temperatures,” as they attempted to leave the event via chartered buses.A spokesperson for the Omaha Police Department said in an email that “buses loaded and hauled approximately 25,000 people to the event site over a 10 hour period of time,” from 10 a.m. Tuesday until the start of the event. But estimates about how many people headed to the airfield have varied, and the spokesperson noted the numbers were preliminary.Officer Michael Pecha, a public information officer with the Omaha Police Department, said that six people were taken to area hospitals with a variety of medical conditions. “Those needing medical attention were contacted by medics over the duration of the event, not just at the end,” he said in the email. > Thousands of people left out in the cold and stranded in Omaha, Nebraska after a Trump rally. I’m told the shuttles aren’t operating & there aren’t enough busses. Police didn’t seem to know what to do. Some walked. I saw at least one woman getting medical attention. pic.twitter.com/oIkmixaZt0> > — Jeff Paul (@Jeff_Paul) October 28, 2020Those in the crowd “flooded to the waiting buses” around the time the rally ended at about 9 p.m., according to the Omaha Police Department. As a result, a large number of people decided to walk to their cars, OPD said, even though the closest parking lot was about 2.5 miles away.Those on foot snarled traffic “and delayed bus trips considerably,” Pecha said in the email, noting that law enforcement worked to help as best they could. “Many people underestimated the distance from the event back to the parking lot on foot. The last person was loaded into a bus from the rally site at about 11:50 p.m.,” Pecha said.Derek Oden, executive director of the Douglas County Republican Party, said in an email that the rally “had 3 times the expected number” of attendees. He raved about “an amazing atmosphere; tailgating, positive, flags, vendors everywhere” but, post-event, he said the “real problem was the 40 shuttle buses (cap. 54/each) were getting trapped in the unload parking lot and unable to make returns quickly.”“A lot of police driving back and forth along the hike and stopping for folks having trouble with the hike,” Oden said in the email. “Overall, it was a lot of fun.”A spokesperson for the Trump campaign responded to the aftermath of the event in an email saying, “President Trump loves his supporters and was thrilled to visit Omaha last night,” while also touting that “despite the cold, tens of thousands of people showed up for his rally.”Samantha Zager, the Trump campaign’s deputy national press secretary, blamed “local road closures and resulting congestion” for the delays but added that “at the guest departure location, we had tents, heaters, generators, hot cocoa, and handwarmers available for guests.”“We always strive to provide the best guest experience at our events and we care about their safety,” Zager said.On the campaign trail, the scene was criticized by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who said that “hundreds of people including older Americans and children” had been “stranded” following the event.“It’s an image that captured President Trump’s whole approach to this crisis,” Biden said, referring to the pandemic.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Chicago sisters accused of stabbing store security guard 27 times after he asked them to wear a mask

The incident occurred at a shoe store in Chicago.

Megyn Kelly slams Sunny Hostin over SCOTUS comments: ‘More intentionally dishonest than stupid’

Megyn Kelly is no stranger to controversy and being called out on social media, but this week she was the one taking the offensive against Sunny Hostin for what she believes to be “intentionally dishonest” rhetoric. Hostin, who serves as a co-host and political analyst on The View, slammed the Republican Party on Tuesday for stealing seats from the Democrats and pushing through right-wing judges in their place. “We all know the Republican Party has been packing the Supreme Court for decades,” Hostin said.

Man arrested with two weapons at pro-Trump rally attended by South Dakota governor

Governor Noem’s security says she was ‘not in harm’s way’ during incident

James Comey's wife tried to convince him not to make his surprise October announcement about Hillary Clinton's emails in 2016

Patricia Comey tried to stop her husband from announcing the FBI would reopen its Hillary Clinton email investigation, days before the 2016 election.

84-year-old Ohio man assaulted for having Biden campaign sign in his yard

A neighbor told a deputy that the 84-year-old man had been punched and kicked days after the suspect confronted the man for a Biden sign in his yard.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe told to pack bag for prison over new charge

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been summoned to court in Iran and told to pack a bag for prison, as her family called on the British government to urgently change its strategy in securing her release. Richard Ratcliffe, Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, said she had been told to face an Iranian judge in court next Monday to face a new charge brought against her and that she would be returned to the country's notorious Evin prison. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who holds dual British and Iranian nationality, was detained in Iran in 2016 while visiting her family and convicted on dubious spying charges, as part of an apparent attempt by Iran to use her as a hostage in negotiations with Britain. “Yesterday Nazanin was suddenly told that she will be facing Judge Salavati in Court on Monday November 2. She was told to pack a bag for prison and bring it with her when the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] pick her up, since that is where she will be going after court,” Mr Ratcliffe said in a statement on Wednesday. She had been due to attend a trial in September to face new charges against her, but that hearing was postponed. Mr Ratcliffe added that he recently discussed her case with Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, who is said to have reassured him that diplomatic efforts to free his wife were “ongoing.”

Mother’s body decayed for years in home she shared with her adult children, TN cops say

Police found her skeleton buried under a pile of clothes on a bed

Trump: 'Seven days from now, we’re going to win Nebraska'

“Seven days from now, we’re going to win Nebraska,” President Trump said in Omaha, the largest city in the state which resides in the 2nd District, and added, “You know we have to win both Nebraskas, you’re two, you’re cut.”

Asked if it's safe to hold rally amid surging COVID-19 infections, White House spokesperson notes Pence has 'the best doctors'

White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley really missed the point of this question.On Wednesday, CNN's Alisyn Camerota questioned Gidley on Vice President Mike Pence's upcoming rally in Wisconsin, where COVID-19 is spreading rampantly. "Hospitals in Wisconsin are near capacity," Camerota noted, asking if that gave Gidley or Pence "any pause about going there and holding a big rally."The implication of Camerota's question was the safety of rallygoers, who would likely pack in to see Pence and potentially spread the coronavirus even more. But Gidley didn't catch that, saying "the vice president has the best doctors in the world around him," and they've "come to the conclusion it's fine for him to be out on the campaign trail."> CNN's @AlisynCamerota: "Hospitals in WI are near capacity. Does that give you any pause about going there and holding a big rally?"> > Trump 2020 Press Sec. Hogan Gidley: "No, it doesn't … the VP has the best doctors in the world around him." pic.twitter.com/aBRe6IYgCF> > -- The Recount (@therecount) October 28, 2020Joe Walsh, the Republican who challenged President Trump in this year's presidential primary, had an R-rated interpretation of what Gidley meant. > .@JHoganGidley, translated: "Fuck all the people coming to our rally. We don't care about THEIR health. The Vice President will be safe. That's all that matters." https://t.co/emudll3NfK> > -- Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) October 28, 2020More stories from theweek.com How to make an election crisis 64 things President Trump has said about women Republicans are on the verge of a spectacular upside-down achievement

Body of missing hip-hop artist found in trunk after Miami car crash

Robert Deupree Avery Coltrain was arrested and charged with illegal transport of human remains and second-degree murder in the death of Brian Trotter.

Five US states at high risk of election-related violence from militias, report claims

Researchers tracked 80 militias since the beginning of the summer

After 11 days, Georgia's 2nd-largest, most diverse county has had a 238% increase in early voting compared with 2016

A visit to several polling places this week showed some of the reasons people gave for voting early during the dramatic rise in turnout.

Facebook throttled Hunter Biden article after being warned by FBI of 'hack and leak' operations, Mark Zuckerberg says

Zuckerberg told Congress that Facebook throttled a New York Post article after being warned by law enforcement about 'hack and leak' operations.

Nevada dad accused of throwing newborn baby off balcony during argument

Clarence Martin, Jr. allegedly suffered from “mental issues.” A newborn was allegedly thrown from the second-floor balcony by her father on Saturday around 4 a.m. in  Las Vegas. Clarence Martin, Jr. was arguing with the infant’s mother, Nicole Poole, when he snatched her away to the balcony of their apartment and didn’t return with her moments later, according to People.

Hurricane Zeta makes landfall in Louisiana as Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Hurricane Zeta, which has been increasing in intensity and speed all day, is making landfall in southeast Louisiana as a Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds, according to the 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Zeta, which is traveling at a brisk 24 mph, is almost a Category 3 hurricane, which is considered a major hurricane. A Category 3 hurricane has ...

Tourist, 12, and guide lose limbs in shark attack at Sharm El-Sheikh

A young Ukrainian tourist lost an arm and an Egyptian tour guide lost a leg in a rare shark attack over the weekend off Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, officials said on Tuesday. The attack took place on Sunday when two tourists - a mother and her son - and their tour guide were snorkelling in Ras Mohammed national park, the Environment Ministry said. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital and an initial investigation showed that the attack involved a 2m-long (6-foot) Oceanic Whitetip shark. The ministry did not release details of the injuries, but a statement by Ukraine's State Agency for the Development of Tourism said that the 12-year-old boy was in intensive care, and that surgery had failed to save his arm. An Egyptian health official said that the family's guide had lost a leg, and the mother suffered light injuries. The health official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media. Officials have closed the area of Ras Mohammed National Park where the attack took place. Shark attacks have been rare in the Red Sea coastal region of Egypt in recent years. But in 2010, a spate of shark attacks killed one European tourist and maimed several others off Sharm el-Sheikh. Sharm el-Sheikh resort at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula is one of Egypt's major tourist destinations that offers European tourists a warm and quick escape from frigid winter temperatures on the continent. Divers are drawn by the steep drop-offs of coral reefs just offshore that offer a rich and colourful sea life. Authorities have in recent years sought to revive the vital tourism sector battered by years of instability and, more recently, the coronavirus pandemic.

Bloomberg reportedly funding new ad campaign for Biden in Texas as NBC moves it to 'toss up'

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is reportedly funding last-minute ad campaigns in two states where Democrats see "opportunities to expand the map," including Texas.Through his Super PAC, Bloomberg is funding television ad campaigns in Texas and Ohio expected to cost about $15 million, The New York Times reports. Aide Howard Wolfson explained to the Times that the former mayor conducted polling to find President Trump's potential vulnerabilities and decided on Texas and Ohio for this last-minute push. Bloomberg has already said he will spend $100 million to support Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Florida."We believe that Florida will go down to the wire, and we were looking for additional opportunities to expand the map,” Wolfson told the Times. "Texas and Ohio present the best opportunities to do that, in our view."The Times notes that a poll it published this week showed Trump with a lead of only four percentage points over Biden in Texas, and Wolfson told the Times that Bloomberg's polling suggests the race is even closer.Meanwhile, NBC News on Tuesday morning released its latest battleground map, and Texas has been moved from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up." Ohio is also still in the "Toss Up" category.> With one week to go, here's the NBC Political Unit's battleground map:> > Biden 279, Trump 125, Toss Up 134 https://t.co/WZdU7kRyRk pic.twitter.com/draICS3Vqb> > — Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) October 27, 2020The NBC map shows Biden with 279 electoral votes, and NBC News' Mark Murray writes that while that math is "not impossible" for Trump, it is "daunting."More stories from theweek.com How to make an election crisis 64 things President Trump has said about women Republicans are on the verge of a spectacular upside-down achievement

Woman injured in police shooting says cops let boyfriend die

A woman who was shot by police last week in suburban Chicago said Tuesday that officers did nothing more than cover her boyfriend with a blanket after he was shot and left him on the ground to die. Tafara Williams, 20, spoke to reporters during a Zoom call from her hospital bed as she described the Oct. 20 shooting in Waukegan that killed 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette. "They allowed him to die,” Williams said.

Egypt says freedom of expression 'stops' when Muslims offended

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday freedom of expression should stop if it offends more than 1.5 billion people, following the display of images in France of the Prophet Mohammad that Muslims see as blasphemous. Sisi also said he firmly rejects any form of violence or terrorism from anyone in the name of defending religion, religious symbols or icons. The Grand Imam of Egypt's al-Azhar university, one of the world's most eminent seats of Sunni Muslim learning, also called on the international community to criminalise "anti-Muslim" actions.

Lindsey Graham Is Being Boosted by a Tea Party Group That Has Always Hated Him

It’s no secret that Sen. Lindsey Graham is in the fight of his political life in the closing days of his campaign to win reelection to the U.S. Senate.“I’m getting overwhelmed,” Graham begged on-air with Fox News’ Sean Hannity last month, as his Democratic rival Jaime Harrison brought in a record-shattering $57 million in donations to unseat him. “Help me—they’re killing me money-wise. Help me.”But with ersatz ally President Donald Trump nowhere to be seen, a group that once despised Graham—and whose most prominent members have spent months propping up bizarre conspiracy theories, posting wildly racist content on social media, and undermining confidence public health guidelines in the midst of the pandemic—are coming to the rescue.The question is, does Graham want their help?“This is not a time for us to be squabbling over differences of opinion,” Pressley Stutts, chair of the Greenville Tea Party, said at an event on Wednesday afternoon, before introducing nearly a dozen grassroots conservative leaders “to stand tall” with Graham.“Sen. Graham is in the race of his life,” said Stutts, introducing conservative activists who lambasted Harrison—or “Harris,” as several of them called him—for being a “Marxist-Leninist” who would impose socialism on South Carolina.Sam Manley, a conservative podcaster, put the stakes of the race directly: “If you ever vote your way into socialism, you’ll have to shoot your way out.”This ringing endorsement for Graham’s re-election—which included Michael LaPierre, who tried to primary Graham this year—amounts to a cease-fire between the Palmetto State’s most well-known elected official and a coterie of some of his most dedicated trolls. During the Tea Party wave in 2010, Graham—once seen as one of the most mainstream members of the Republican Party—became one of the movement’s most loathed “RINOs,” or Republicans In Name Only. Leaders of the state’s Tea Party chapters attempted to recruit then-Gov. Mark Sanford to primary Graham after he voted to confirm Justice Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, and one speaker at a Greenville Tea Party rally that year made accused Graham of “trying to sell out your own countrymen” to avoid being outed.For his part, Graham once relished his battles with the state’s most conservative activists, calling the inter-party skirmishes “more fun than any time I’ve been in politics,” but with polls showing Graham in a statistical dead heat with Harrison, the senator is scrambling to resolve those well-documented problems with voters who have largely moved from the Tea Party to Team MAGA—even though the group’s brand of politics couldn’t be less in sync with Graham’s own.Stutts, the group’s chair, is a longtime critic of vaccinations, and has publicly discouraged people from wearing face masks during the coronavirus pandemic and spread the conspiracy theory that billionaire Bill Gates is working to reduce the human population.Why Hasn’t Trump Come to Lindsey Graham’s Rescue?Stutts has even claimed in an April interview that a potential vaccine for COVID-19 could possibly “contain a microchip” for the government to track its citizens.“Even if it doesn’t contain a microchip, I could foresee the day, because right now you have to show your ID or your passport and here in South Carolina, we have to get that real ID just to fly commercially,” Stutts said on a conservative YouTube vlog at the time. “And I can see the point where they're going to say, okay, show me your vaccination papers next.”At one Greenville Tea Party event in 2018, Stutts even hosted a talk with Jennifer Smith, who described herself as a “naturopath,” who referenced the baseless theory that vaccines cause autism and said that she did not get her newborn son vaccinated for Hepatitus B because he was “not a promiscuous homosexual” or an IV drug user.Among the group’s other featured speakers at recent events include John Guandolo, the leader of a Dallas-based anti-Muslim group who was forced last year to pay $600,000 in a civil lawsuit for assaulting a county sheriff after the man confronted him about passing around hate literature at a meeting of the National Sheriffs’ Association.The group has also held protests against social distancing rules in South Carolina, which Graham has said are critical to stopping the spread of the virus, despite rising rates of infection in the state.“Tired of putting up with an onerous and inept government?” the group posted on Facebook in September. “Join us September 15th and let your voice be heard, too. Our legislators need to know that we've had enough! Show up. Stand up. Speak up! It's your family that has been negatively affected… ThugArmy mount up!!”Greenville Tea Party members and business partners have made even more extreme claims. Dan Harvell, a taxpayer advocate who spoke at Wednesday’s event and said that he was supporting Graham for the sake of “the traditional American values that we will have for our children,” has posted memes claiming that Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president, slept her way to becoming San Francisco’s district attorney, and has called former first lady Michelle Obama a “race-baiter.”The Graham campaign did not respond to a request for comment about whether he disavowed the support of the Greenville Tea Party and its members, and neither did the group. But state Democrats called the dynamic of Graham playing along with a group he once despised the latest in a long arc of allowances the senator has made under Trump.“This is yet another demonstration of the extreme lengths Sen. Graham is going to in order to save his flailing campaign,” said Manuel Bonder, coordinated campaign spokesperson for the South Carolina Democratic Party. “Instead of scrambling to consolidate his support amongst fringe conspiracy theorists who know he is a hypocrite, Sen. Graham should focus on leading South Carolina through this crisis and delivering the relief working families and businesses desperately need.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.