The decisive victory emerged from Nebraska, where GOP Sen Deb Fischer fended off a challenge from independent newcomer Dan Osborn. The win followed earlier Republican successes in West Virginia, where Jim Justice claimed retiring Sen Joe Manchin's seat at 12:36 a.m.

In a significant upset, Republican Bernie Moreno, a Colombian-born businessman, defeated three-term Democratic Sen Sherrod Brown in Ohio's hotly contested race, which saw approximately $400 million in campaign spending. Brown became the first incumbent senator to lose reelection this cycle.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz maintained his seat against Democratic challenger Colin Allred, a Dallas-area congressman and former NFL linebacker, while in Florida, Sen Rick Scott successfully defended his position against Democratic opposition.

The election night also marked historic victories. Delaware's Lisa Blunt Rochester and Maryland's Angela Alsobrooks became the first two Black women to serve simultaneously in the Senate, while New Jersey's Andy Kim made history as the first Korean American senator, winning the seat vacated by Bob Menendez following his federal bribery conviction.

According to voter surveys reported by PBS News, economic concerns and immigration topped voters' priorities, with democracy's future also significantly influencing decisions. AP VoteCast, surveying more than 110,000 voters, revealed widespread desire for change as Americans chose between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Attention now turns to the Democratic "blue wall" states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where the party struggles to maintain its remaining Senate presence. House races concentrate in New York and California, with Democrats seeking to reclaim recently lost territory.

The final balance of power remains uncertain as vote counting continues in several key races, including Montana's closely watched Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Jon Tester and Republican Tim Sheehy, a former NAVY Seal.

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Any attempt to explain why to vote for one candidate or another is bound to fail from the start. The scope is too vast to capture in brief, and the discussion too important to be reduced to acronyms or slogans. But for those who believe, as I do, that Donald Trump is the preferred candidate for the US presidency, the task seems easier. After all, Trump was president for four years, which means that instead of prophesying about what might be, we can easily look at what was. So why vote for Trump today?

Because while every American president since 1995 refused to honor Congress's decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, citing fears of Palestinian violence, Trump inaugurated the new embassy, teaching everyone an important lesson about refusing to surrender to threats.

Because when all the learned experts explained that peace between Israel and Arab states was impossible without first solving the Palestinian issue, Trump delivered the Abraham Accords – the most significant step toward lasting peace in the Middle East in decades, and the only one not based on the failed and detestable equation of "land for peace."

Because when Obama, Biden, and their associates eagerly promoted a foreign policy centered on cooperation with Tehran's murderous regime, Trump reinstated sanctions, eliminated Qassem Soleimani, and made it clear to the ayatollahs that terrorism would have severe consequences – an understanding that led to quiet until the Democrats returned to the White House.

While President Joe Biden delivered eloquent speeches and transferred vast sums to Ukraine, he failed in the most crucial mission: arming Ukrainians with the military capabilities to defeat Putin. And Trump? The man whom the media and US intelligence agencies tried to frame as Moscow's agent ended the five-decade disarmament agreement with the Russians and signaled to Putin that any aggression would not be well-received. He also armed President Volodymyr Zelensky's military with Javelin anti-tank missiles, which perhaps explains why Putin, like Hamas and its Iranian supporters, waited until Biden was settled in the White House before invading and starting the war.

Because his economic policies reduced, for the first time in 60 years, the wage gap between America's bottom and top quartiles, explaining why the vast majority of working-class people, including most trade union members traditionally considered enthusiastic Democratic Party supporters, now vote for Trump, and why more than two-thirds of those earning $500,000 or more annually support Harris.

Because Trump is the first president who stood firm against Western appeasement of China, making it clear to Beijing that its flagrant theft of software, industrial secrets, and intellectual property – theft costing the American economy around $600 billion annually – must stop. Trump backed his tough talk with equally tough trade agreements, causing the Chinese to back down briefly, until Biden returned to Washington and nullified all his predecessor's achievements with a stroke of a pen.

Because Trump understands there's no more acute problem, or greater existential threat, than millions of illegal immigrants crossing the border unchecked. Just last week, for instance, one of them, benefiting from Biden and Harris's reckless and permissive immigration policy, randomly shot a Jew walking to synagogue on Saturday. The US must secure not only its security future, endangered when thousands of unscreened violent migrants roam its cities freely, but also its economic future, which is at risk if illegal immigrants continue to pose an enormous burden on taxpayers – in New York alone, they cost the city $5 billion, forcing the city to reduce welfare services for US-born poor – and continue taking jobs that traditionally supported minorities and lower classes.

Because Trump was the first to expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to define Jews as a protected minority, giving the federal government broader power to fight rising antisemitism, especially on campuses. Instead of applauding the president for this necessary step, US media portrayed the legislation as an attack on free speech and continued, without any factual basis, to accuse Trump of antisemitism.

The idea: Common sense and freedom of choice

One could go on and on, but the bottom line is clear: Donald Trump may be an unconventional and unusual candidate, and sometimes he makes statements that even his most ardent supporters would prefer to forget, but he was a measured, responsible, and excellent president. Instead of accepting as gospel the educated lies of the elites – for instance, that anyone who wants should be allowed to enter the US, or that wars can never be won and therefore aren't worth trying – he promoted different, necessary ideas that history has already proven absolutely correct.

After years of elite rule, during which giant corporations, media conglomerates, intelligence agencies, and politicians became one inseparable entity serving only its own interests and no one else's, while taking more and more basic liberties from other citizens, Trump came demanding change. The movement he leads is a return – irritating, disruptive, but absolutely necessary – to American founding principles, foremost among them the understanding that democracy's owners aren't just in Hollywood, Silicon Valley, or Wall Street, but all of us, the unglittering majority who, like any normal person, care first about their own interests. The deranged American press calls such an approach "racism" or "misogyny" or "transphobia" or "xenophobia." The more accurate definition is common sense and freedom of choice, a basic idea that Donald Trump apparently understands better than anyone else.

Liel Leibovitz is a senior editor at Tablet Magazine and a popular podcast host. The author of several books, he writes for Israel Hayom, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications.

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Americans who haven't participated in early voting will go to the polls today to decide whether the US remains a functioning liberal democracy that stands by its allies, including Israel – or abandons them. This is the choice between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Voting for Harris is the best way to ensure that the US-Israeli alliance endures through challenging times. Contrary to popular opinion, shared even within the Israeli government, a Trump victory could lead to the abandonment of the alliance with Israel. The notion that Trump would be "good for Israel" is one of the greatest illusions of conservative Jewish politics in recent years.

Unlike Trump, Harris promises loyalty to the rule of law and the US Constitution, and the continuation of America's global role since World War II, the Cold War, and the post-9/11 era. This role now includes unwavering support for Israel's survival and well-being. Harris has shown courage in her consistent support for Israel's right to self-defense, even when this position became unpopular within her party's left wing.

Addressing Republicans who have grown weary of Trump's authoritarianism, increasing boorishness, threats of violence, and tolerance of antisemitism, racism, and sexism among his supporters, Harris has built a broad coalition – while Trump has only escalated his appeals to his angry, grudge-holding base. Harris has promised to listen to those who disagree with her, while Trump drops dark hints about "the enemy within," namely the Democratic Party.

Separatist Right and Personality Cult

The anti-Zionist Left criticizing Israel has not taken over the Democratic Party. Conversely, the separatist Right, in the form of Trump's personality cult, sets the tone in the Republican Party. As Jacob Heilbrunn recently reminded us in his book "America Last" – isolationism, enthusiasm for foreign dictators, and contempt for involvement in international politics have long existed as a current within the Republican Party.

As Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently pointed out in Foreign Affairs magazine, a small group of "revisionist forces" including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea seeks to change the principles of the international system. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and Iran's threats against Israel are part of this effort.

Despite these threats, Trump has expressed bizarre admiration for Putin, who declared war on Ukraine and reportedly ordered assassinations of Russians opposing his rule. Trump's strange enthusiasm for Putin and his fundamental isolationist beliefs will work against an American or joint American-Israeli strike on Iran.

It's unlikely that someone who attacks Liz Cheney, one of hundreds of Republican politicians and advisers who switched sides, calling her a "war hawk," would order the US military to strike Iran's nuclear program, especially when such a strike would harm Russia's ally. When forced to choose between good relations with Russia and good relations with Israel – it's entirely conceivable that Trump would prefer Russia.

An American Brand of Fascism

America's power to influence world affairs and stand in defense of Israel doesn't stem solely from its military superiority. It also relies on alliances – primarily NATO. During his first term, experienced conservative officials prevented him from destroying NATO. If Trump decides to implement his threats to weaken the Western alliance – if elected again, these barriers will no longer be there. Instead, Trump will surround himself with sycophants and ideologues who share his "America First" impulses. During the first half of his term, and certainly following his efforts to disrupt the certification of election results, it became evident that Trump indeed represents a unique American brand of fascism. He treats the legal system as a tool for self-benefit. He has no understanding or appreciation for the system of checks and balances in the US.

Conversely, the Harris administration will continue the important efforts undertaken by President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin to restore and deepen American alliances, including with Israel. Despite friction, the Biden-Harris administration has stood by Israel in the complex and tragic year since October 7.

Kamala Harris has emerged as a center-left politician, with different emphases than Biden, but one whose support for Israel is unwavering. Choosing her will provide the best guarantee for four more years of uncompromising support for Israel, and for preserving the values and institutions of liberal democracy in the US.

Jeffrey Herf is professor emeritus at the University of Maryland. His latest book, "Three Faces of Antisemitism: Right, Left, and Islamist," was published this year.

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Donald Trump's presidential campaign is banking on winning over disaffected young men, though getting this traditionally low-turnout demographic to the polls presents a significant challenge, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Election analysts and researchers note that young men vote at significantly lower rates compared to other demographic groups. This cohort shows higher levels of political disengagement than older generations and their female counterparts, while expressing growing skepticism toward traditional institutions.

"I've had to ask a couple of my friends to come out and vote," says Joompit Nakhapakorn, 23, a consultant in Milwaukee who attended Trump's rally there on Friday. "They're like, 'Do I have to vote? Is it a good use of my time?'"

Just updated the early voting results, now the % are even.

What are these 20%-ers?

This is so exhausting.

Congrats on 70M+ early voters. That's great.

It was 41/40/19… pic.twitter.com/cmlM8cra64

— doug (@mylifeIMO) November 2, 2024

 While youth voting saw an uptick in the 2020 presidential election, the numbers remained well below older voter participation. Census Bureau surveys show that just over half of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in 2020, with men in this age group voting at lower rates than women. In contrast, approximately three-quarters of Americans aged 65 to 74 cast ballots that year.

Trump's campaign has deliberately targeted young male voters through appearances at a Philadelphia sneaker convention, an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New Jersey, and on Joe Rogan's podcast. The strategy received a boost on Thursday with an endorsement from Jake Paul, a social media influencer and boxer with 20 million YouTube subscribers.

Luke Meihack, 25, a physical education teacher from Milwaukee's suburbs, represents the demographic Trump hopes to capture. "It's mostly guys. Guys are more big into Trump," he says. "He's a guy that speaks in a way that demands respect, and that appeals to a lot of guys."

The Trump campaign's masculine messaging strategy carries risks, potentially alienating female voters who already heavily favor Kamala Harris. At a recent Madison Square Garden rally, the event featured UFC Chief Executive Dana White and former wrestler Hulk Hogan, who entered carrying an American flag while tearing his shirt off. Some Trump supporters expressed concern about the rally's tone. "It was too bro-tastic!" says conservative broadcaster Megyn Kelly, warning that the spectacle could alienate women. "We don't need to rally the base or guys anymore."

Harris's campaign has countered with its own high-profile endorsements, including basketball star LeBron James. According to polling from Democratic-aligned Blueprint, James represents the most influential celebrity political endorsement among young men.

Recent data from Harvard University's Institute of Politics shows Harris leading Trump by 20 points among registered voters under 30. Among 18- to 29-year-old men who say they will definitely vote, Harris leads 55% to 38%. However, Trump holds an 11-point advantage among less certain male voters in the same age group.

"If you have a traditional electorate, Harris will win young men, likely by double digits," says John Della Volpe, the Institute of Politics polling director. "If Trump expands the electorate in similar ways that he did in 2016, it could be a different story."

He estimated that Trump could do 5 to 7 points better among young men than he did in 2020 – if they show up. "These young men are telling us they are disaffected from politics," he said. "They're incredibly skeptical, among the most skeptical among us. So encouraging them to participate in an institution they don't trust is hard."

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Former President Donald Trump remains the favorite to win the presidential election, but Vice President Kamala Harris has seen her betting odds improve significantly over the past 48 hours, according to multiple betting markets, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The history of election betting markets in 50 seconds: pic.twitter.com/ZuUpqxU5jV

— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) November 3, 2024

Harris had reached her longest odds since entering the presidential race in July when, on Wednesday, she stood at +180, while Trump was positioned as a -210 favorite at BetOnline. By Friday, the odds had shifted considerably, with Trump's position softening to -173 and Harris improving to +148. These odds mean bettors must wager $173 to win $100 on Trump, while a $100 bet on Harris would yield $148 in winnings.

The Presidental election betting market is now even:

50%-50% pic.twitter.com/4MZJbqnfXl

— Evan (@StockMKTNewz) November 3, 2024

 BetOnline, an offshore sportsbook operating outside US regulations, attributed the movement to a strong surge of Harris support, with wagers favoring her by a 4-to-1 margin over the past two days. After initially adjusting Trump's odds from -190 to -180 on Thursday, the book recorded a $41,914 bet on Trump, briefly pushing his odds to -185.

However, substantial support for Harris, including wagers of $35,000 at +165 and $20,000 at +160, prompted further adjustments. "Kamala continues to gain some momentum," BetOnline.ag brand manager Dave Mason posted on X.

Similar movements were observed at BetMGM's Ontario, Canada location, where analyst John Ewing reported Trump's odds shifting from -225 on Wednesday to -185 by Friday, with Harris moving from +175 to +140.

The trend is also reflected in aggregated data from electionbettingodds.com, which compiles odds from multiple betting platforms. Trump's implied probability of victory has decreased from 61.2 percent on Monday to 56.5 percent by Friday, while Harris's chances have improved from 38.3 percent to 43 percent.

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A significant number of Jewish voters in the United States are reconsidering their traditional party allegiances in light of rising antisemitism, with more Democratic-leaning Jewish voters indicating plans to switch parties than their Republican counterparts, according to a new survey by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).

The survey, conducted between August 12 and September 3, 2024, reveals that among Jewish adults who say antisemitism will influence their voting decisions – roughly 43% of respondents – about 7.3% who typically vote Democratic plan to vote Republican, while 3.9% of traditional Republican voters intend to switch to the Democratic party.

The study, which surveyed 1,075 Jewish adults, also found that some voters are adopting split-ticket voting strategies. Approximately 4.3% of respondents plan to vote Democratic for president while choosing Republican candidates for other positions, and 2.5% intend to do the opposite.

The findings come against a backdrop of increasing concern about antisemitism in the United States. The survey found that 61% of American Jews feel less safe compared to before October 7, representing approximately 3.54 million Jewish adults. Among those who experienced antisemitic incidents, 72% reported feeling less secure.

Notably, the survey also revealed that 3.4% of all Jewish adults plan to vote for third-party candidates, expressing dissatisfaction with both major parties' handling of antisemitism concerns.

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Elon Musk joined a chorus of public outcry over the euthanasia of Peanut, a social media star squirrel seized by New York authorities, according to News18 reporting.

The squirrel, who gained widespread popularity across social platforms, was taken into custody and euthanized after state officials raided his caretaker's home on Wednesday.

President @realDonaldTrump will save the squirrels

RIP P'Nut pic.twitter.com/yoIBV0Okpd

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024

Mark Longo, who operates an animal sanctuary, had cared for Peanut for seven years after reportedly finding the orphaned squirrel when its mother was struck by a vehicle in New York City. The animal had accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers across Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms.

"President Donald Trump will save the squirrels. RIP P'Nut," Musk wrote on X, sharing an image of Peanut perched on Longo's back. The Tesla CEO also posted an edited image depicting Peanut in Star Wars character garb, writing "If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine – Obi PNut Kenobi."

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Chemung County Department of Health released a joint statement explaining their actions: "On Oct 30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized."

The raid, which followed anonymous complaints, resulted in authorities taking both Peanut and a raccoon named Fred from Longo's residence near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City.

The government should not be allowed to barge into your house and kill your pet! That's messed up.

Even if it is illegal to have a pet squirrel (which it shouldn't be), why kill PNut instead of simply releasing him into the forest!? https://t.co/2m9Gi5QpUT

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 3, 2024

A post on Peanut's Instagram account, which boasts over 500,000 followers, expressed grief over the loss: "You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called DEC, there's a special place in hell for you... THANK YOU for breaking apart a family and crushing any hopes of our nonprofit to survive."

Longo and his wife, Daniela, established P'Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in April 2023, currently home to approximately 300 animals including horses, goats, and alpacas. Longo mentioned he was in the process of securing educational animal certification for Peanut when the seizure occurred.

Musk, a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, questioned the authorities' actions: "The government should not be allowed to barge into your house and kill your pet! That's messed up. Even if it is illegal to have a pet squirrel (which it shouldn't be), why kill PNut instead of simply releasing him into the forest!?"

The incident sparked widespread criticism on social media platforms, with users demanding "justice for Peanut."

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It was not Kamala Harris. Because Newsom, San Francisco's former mayor, had his eye on the governor's mansion, Harris faced no major Democratic competition when she ran for the U.S. Senate in 2016. 

That seat became open when then-Sen. Barbara Boxer announced she would not run for re-election. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villariagosa wanted to run for Boxer's seat, but former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown warned him off. Yes, that would be the same Willie Brown whom Harris had dated. Thus, 2016 was a win-win for the California Democrat establishment. Newsom won the governor's office, and Harris could use the Senate as a platform to preach her progressive ideas.

By 2019, Harris was running for the White House. But her candidacy failed to generate steam. She dropped out of the race before she could be humiliated in the 2020 Iowa caucuses, the election season's first vote, and before California primary voters could reject her. Harris, you see, did not have the heft to win a presidential primary in her own ultra-liberal home state. 

But she always had luck in her corner. In 2020, front-runner Joe Biden had said he would pick a female running mate. Yes, like every other politician in America, Harris carried some baggage. Throughout her career, Harris was notorious for high staff turnover in her ranks. Biden apparently didn't care. 

Did she improve? In 2021, former Harris communications director Gil Duran wrote in the San Francisco Examiner,"The only people suffering more than Harris are her staff members, some of whom have already quit their plum positions amid reports of a toxic work environment." If you've been watching CNN of late, you may see Harris as she wants you to see her: a former hard-nosed prosecutor who started out as a data-driven, do-your-homework, moderate Democrat. 

I laugh out loud. Tough? Prepared? Moderate? Um, no. Those aren't terms that people who knew Harris would have used to describe her during her time as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general. 

When she was DA, Harris' focus was on progressive politics – not seeking the death penalty, even for cop killers, and not seeking the toughest sentences for repeat offenders. I remember a district attorney who talked inordinately about the crimes she would not prosecute. When Harris ran for president in 2019, she actually told the ACLU she supported spending tax dollars on transgender surgeries and treatments – including for detained migrants and inmates. Since Biden unceremoniously ended his re-election campaign in July and handed his party's nod to his vice president, Harris has boasted that she was the only border-state prosecutor in the race. But that doesn't mean she was good at it. 

To the contrary, as she worked her way up the political ladder, Harris supported decreasing funding for ICE and ending ICE detainers for local law enforcement. Harris has criticized Donald Trump for doing "nothing to fix our broken immigration system" after she, Biden's "point person on immigration," and Biden did nothing to fix that sorry structure. So it should be no surprise that after Biden put the border in his vice president's portfolio, she visited the border once, under pressure.If Harris wins this election, where will she stand on the border? Probably on both sides. Expect her to talk tough on enforcement, but pick a team that doesn't see illegal immigration as a problem deserving of more than lip service. 

When Biden chose Harris to be a running mate, cynics and wags looked at her as his insurance policy. Sure, Biden's verbal stumbles were concerning, and, yes, the commander-in-chief had blustered past the 80-year mark. Before the June debate in which Biden fumbled and stumbled, party biggies thought Biden was a better bet than Harris, who just turned 60. Now, some of the folks who pushed for Harris are wondering if they made a mistake.

Originally published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal

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According to recordings obtained by The Daily Beast, Jeffrey Epstein claimed intimate knowledge of Trump's behavior, including allegations about his treatment of women. The recordings, made by author Michael Wolff in August 2017, capture Epstein speaking at length about his relationship with Trump two years before his death in a jail cell. "I was Donald's closest friend for 10 years," Epstein told Wolff in the tapes. According to Epstein's recorded account, he and Trump frequently socialized together in New York and Atlantic City.

BREAKING: In a new leaked tape, Jeffrey Epstein says he was Donald Trump's "closest friend" for 10 years.

Epstein also revealed that the first time Donald Trump slept with Melania was on his "Lolita Express" private jet.pic.twitter.com/8jCZgLEwsb

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) November 3, 2024

 The tapes were made public by Wolff, who interviewed Epstein for his bestseller "Fire and Fury." Wolff says he possesses up to 100 hours of recordings from his conversations with Epstein, who was found dead in his prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Among the most striking claims, Epstein alleged that Trump and his now-wife Melania first became intimate aboard Epstein's private plane, known as the "Lolita Express." "The first time he slept with her was on my plane," Epstein claimed in the recording.

Epstein described what he claimed was an elaborate plan by Trump to pursue relationships with his friends' spouses. In the tapes, Epstein alleged that Trump would invite male associates to his Trump Tower office for conversations about their intimate lives, including offering encounters with beauty pageant contestants. Epstein claimed their wives were secretly listening on speakerphone, which was unknown to these men. Trump would then allegedly use the recorded conversations to pursue relationships with the wives by revealing their husbands' expressed interest in other women.

That's funny because there's a whole ass presidential candidate pictured with both Diddy and Epstein and it isn't Kamala Harris https://t.co/l3jTdILsql pic.twitter.com/56o1vdk7nM

— I Smoked You Garbage Trump Supporters (@BlackKnight10k) November 1, 2024

 He described specific incidents, including allegations about Trump's behavior in what Epstein called "the Egyptian Room" in an Atlantic City casino. "He came out afterward and said, 'It was great, it was great. The only thing I really like to do is f--- the wives of my best friends. That is just the best,'" Epstein claimed on the recording. "He's a horrible human being. He does nasty things to his best friends, best friends' wives, anyone who he first tries to gain their trust and uses it to do bad things to them," Epstein said.

The Trump campaign forcefully rejected the recordings' contents. A spokesperson said that Wolff is "a disgraced writer who routinely fabricates lies in order to sell fiction books because he clearly has no morals or ethics. He waited until days before the election to make outlandish false smears all in an effort to engage in blatant election interference on behalf of Kamala Harris. He's a failed journalist that is resorting to lying for attention." Campaign sources added that it was "widely known" that Trump had "kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago" when he learned about the sex-trafficking allegations.

The relationship between Trump and Epstein has been previously documented through photographs, flight logs, and Trump's own past comments. In 2002, Trump told New York Magazine of Epstein: "I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."

On the tapes, Epstein offered a mixed assessment of Trump's character, calling him "charming" and "always fun" while also describing him as "functionally illiterate" and claiming he was "incapable" of reading a balance sheet. "He's charming. In a devious way, he's charming," Epstein said. "To some extent, it's a typical tragedy where he believes his own bulls---. He has delusions of grandiosity, then he takes it on board."

The recordings emerged days before the election and followed recent allegations by former Miss Switzerland Beatrice Keul, who claimed Trump groped her in 1992. Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by 28 women, but has denied all allegations made against him.

The release of these tapes adds to the complex history between two former friends whose paths diverged dramatically – one toward infamy, prison, and suicide; the other toward power, the Oval Office, and his own criminal conviction for paying hush money to a porn star.

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The most striking feature across New York and New Jersey is the conspicuous absence of presidential election buzz. A careful search reveals only scattered campaign posters in homes, mostly for local or congressional races. This vacuum exists primarily because these traditionally Democratic strongholds receive minimal campaign investment, though it may also reflect broader public discomfort with both parties' and candidates' increasingly extreme positions.

On one side stands Donald Trump, addressing his base with unvarnished rhetoric and hard-to-digest statements, while his supporters' actions target entire communities, as evidenced at the New York rally. His opponent, Kamala Harris, though less extreme, projects significantly less gravitas than Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton, and appears notably less experienced. For politically unaffiliated Americans, both candidates present a challenging choice. Despite high early voting turnout, many average American voters appear poised to cast their ballots reluctantly.

Helen, a Jewish resident of New York, expresses nostalgia for an era of constructive political debate. "I'm concerned because the common ground between candidates and their supposed fringe supporters seems to have vanished, and this division is sweeping up the general public," she observes. This sentiment echoes with citizens of the Middle East's sole democracy.

The election dominates media coverage, particularly in sports broadcasting. During timeouts in NBA (basketball), NFL (football), and NHL (hockey) games, campaign ads flood the airwaves – predominantly Trump's – promising to restore American greatness through traditional values: family, military and diplomatic power, and economic strength.

Following a Brooklyn Nets victory over the Chicago Bulls, I spoke with LaHel and Silas from New York. LaHel expresses concern about Trump's potential victory. "We can't permit chaos," he states. "Even though I don't support Kamala, I won't back someone who promotes instability. Our nation needs security." His partner Silas takes a firmer stance: She backs Harris. Vishal, an American of Indian descent, laments the loss of substantive political discourse: "I'd prefer focusing on real issues like the economy, education, and immigration, as my parents did, but meaningful dialogue has vanished, even in news studios."

Harris' campaign strategy centers on Trump. The Democratic nominee maintains an aggressive schedule, visiting three states daily. Thursday and Friday saw her in Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona; Saturday took her to Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Each speech follows a pattern: Two sentences of optimism before pivoting to "Trump wants to do..."

A television network analysis shows the word "Trump" appears approximately 15 times per speech. CNN investigated targeted messaging – advertisements tailored to specific demographics. Their findings revealed somewhat contradictory messages about the Gaza war sent to Jewish voters in Pennsylvania versus Arab-Muslim voters in Michigan.

In official statements regarding Israel, Harris carefully balances support for Israel under attack with expressed concern for Palestinians in Gaza. Meanwhile, Trump courts Muslim and Arab support. During a visit to Dearborn, Michigan, widely recognized as America's Arab immigrant capital, he addressed Lebanese Arab concerns and discussed Gaza ceasefire prospects.

Israel's consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, maintains diplomatic caution regarding potential election outcomes, declining to make predictions. He characterizes this as among America's closest presidential races, particularly within the past five decades. "We will collaborate with any elected administration. The election reflects American democratic choice, and as an ally, we'll continue working with our greatest friend, guided by shared values."

As demonstrated through the relations with the Biden administration, achieving war objectives presents significant challenges and may grow more complex under a Harris presidency influenced by Obama-era diplomatic approaches. Yet the unpredictable Trump, surrounded by advocates of isolationist foreign policy, remains equally difficult to forecast.

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