13 days until midterms, Trump heads to South Carolina as Democrats widen battleground map

Former Obama staffers who host the "Pod Save America" podcast debated Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s handling of a recent question about his family’s alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

While Tommy Vietor and his co-hosts sympathized with El-Sayed over questions they considered "bigoted," Jon Favreau warned that El-Sayed must keep in mind that he is speaking not just to the questioner, but also to voters who may be concerned about the Muslim Brotherhood itself.

Concerns about alleged ties between El-Sayed's family and the Muslim Brotherhood emerged after the Washington Free Beacon reported on social media posts in which El-Sayed's half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, described her family's history with the organization, including her and El-Sayed's mother.

At an October 17 town hall, El-Sayed bristled when an audience member asked whether he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. After disavowing the organization, El-Sayed turned the scrutiny back on the audience member, saying, "You’re asking the question because, implicitly, you assume that I’ll have dual loyalties, right? You assume that I wouldn’t disavow, or that I'll have some higher order allegiance than to the Constitution, correct? Tommy, is that what you imply?"

Favreau criticized Republican attempts to tie El-Sayed to the organization through his family connections, but argued that the GOP was using the issue to sway voters.

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Investor Bill Ackman called the Democratic Party "crazy, radicalized and anti-American" during an interview on Tuesday, arguing that the party is "in a very bad place."

"I think the Democratic Party is in the worst place it's ever been, in the 250-year history of the country," Ackman told Katie Miller, host of the "Katie Miller Podcast." "I think it's become like this crazy, radicalized, you know, anti-American thing. I think it's — and by the way, I think there's some very high-quality Democrats, you know, senators and, sure, some congressmen — but the party itself, I think, is in a very bad place."

Ackman specifically named Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as someone he used to be friendly with but now believes has "compromised" on his values.

"And I think the problem with people who've chosen to be a politician for a career, you either have to get with the party in order to continue, or you get primaries," Ackman said. "You know, actually, Senator Schumer, I had a good relationship with him over the years. I thought he was a good man. But in recent years, I felt he's just trying to keep his job." 

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris is taking aim at President Donald Trump's administration and trying to boost Democrats during the midterms.

"The cost of everything from groceries and gas to housing and childcare is going up because of choices made by Donald Trump's administration. Those choices have consequences. So do elections. The midterms are our chance to elect leaders who will fight for the people," Harris wrote in a post on X. "Over the next week, I will hit the trail in Nevada, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Georgia to campaign for some of those incredible leaders. I'll see you out there."

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's comment request on Wednesday.

Elon Musk urged Texans to vote for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton.

“The fate of Texas and America is at stake. Vote for @KenPaxtonTX today,” Musk wrote in a Tuesday post on X.

Paxton, the Lone Star State's attorney general, is running for U.S. Senate against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who has said that “Elon Musk is trying to buy this Senate seat in Texas.”

The midterm affordability debate is expanding beyond gas and grocery prices to include childcare, housing and the cost of raising a family.

Childcare costs have risen faster than inflation in recent years, with the average cost of full-time care topping $13,000 in 2025, according to Child Care Aware of America.

The issue is becoming a focus in competitive House races, including Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, where Democratic candidate Bob Brooks supports universal prekindergarten and expanded federal childcare assistance.

Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie has backed a more limited approach centered on tax credits for families and employers that provide childcare benefits.

The debate comes as President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance offer different tones on the economy, with Trump promoting a “golden age” while Vance acknowledges that families are still feeling financial pressure.

Democrats are expanding their midterm strategy into traditionally Republican states as they seek to regain control of the Senate.

The Senate Majority PAC is making a $1.2 million television ad buy in Mississippi to support Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

Mississippi has not elected a Democratic senator since 1982, and President Donald Trump carried the state by nearly 23 points in 2024.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to campaign with Colom on Thursday as part of a broader five-state swing that also includes Nevada, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Georgia.

The Democratic push comes as former President Bill Clinton campaigns in Florida for gubernatorial candidate David Jolly and other high-profile Democrats target competitive races across the country.