Former President Donald Trump is maintaining his lead nationally, seemingly shrugging off a burst of enthusiasm for Democrats after Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race.

Trump garnered the support of 48% of likely voters compared to 47% who indicated support for Harris, according to the latest results of the New York Times/Siena poll released on Sunday.

The results are essentially identical to the last time the New York Times/Siena poll asked voters for their preference in the aftermath of President Biden dropping out of the race in late July, with that poll also showing Trump with a 48-47 lead.

The poll comes after weeks of increased enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket after Harris took over for Biden, though the New York Times argued that it appears Trump’s support is ‘remarkably resilient’ to the stunning changes to the election landscape.

The poll found that Harris has yet to sell voters on her vision for the country, with 28% of respondents indicating that they felt like they needed to know more about her in order for her to earn their support. In contrast, only 9% indicated similar concerns about Trump.

‘I don’t know what Kamala’s plans are,’ said Dawn Conley, a 48-year-old small-business owner in Knoxville, Tenn., who is leaning toward Trump, told the New York Times.

The poll also found that while Harris has made gains with key demographics to the Democratic coalition after Biden’s decision to drop out, she is still falling short of traditional Democratic strength among groups such as women and Latino voters.

Also working against Harris is the voters’ preference for change, with 60% indicating they would like to see a major change from the policies of Biden. Only 25% of respondents said Harris would represent that kind of change, while 53% believe Trump would.

But the poll’s news wasn’t all bad for Harris, who may hold the critical enthusiasm lead over Trump as November quickly approaches. The poll found that 91% of Democrats were enthusiastic about voting, while 85% of Republicans indicated the same.

The New York Times/Siena poll surveyed 1,695 registered voters between September 3 and September 6 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Elections are coming up, and threat actors are ramping up efforts to manipulate voters and attack political campaigns. Cybersecurity researchers have discovered new network infrastructure set up by Iranian hackers, aimed at targeting U.S. political campaigns. They use phishing emails and links to trick users into installing malicious software, often pretending to be cloud services.

What you need to know

The infrastructure has been discovered by Recorded Future’s Insikt Group, which has been tracking it since June 2024. The cybersecurity company has linked the infrastructure to GreenCharlie, an Iran-nexus cyberthreat group with connections to Mint Sandstorm, Charming Kitten, and APT42.

‘GreenCharlie’s phishing operations are highly targeted, often employing social engineering techniques that exploit current events and political tensions,’ Recorded Future said.

The hackers have set up their systems very carefully, using specific services to create websites for phishing attacks. These fake websites often look like they belong to cloud services, file-sharing platforms or document-viewing tools to trick people into sharing personal information or downloading harmful files.

Some examples of these fake website names include ‘cloud,’ ‘uptimezone,’ ‘doceditor,’ ‘joincloud’ and ‘pageviewer.’ Most of these sites were registered with the .info domain, which is a change from the other domains like .xyz, .icu and .online that hackers used in the past.

It’s not their first rodeo

The threat actors are known for launching highly targeted phishing attacks, where they use sophisticated social engineering tricks to infect users with malware. Some of the malware they use includes POWERSTAR (also known as CharmPower and GorjolEcho) and GORBLE, which was recently identified by Google’s Mandiant as being used in attacks against Israel and the U.S.

‘Iran and its associated cyber-espionage actors have consistently demonstrated both the intent and capability to engage in influence and interference operations targeting U.S. elections and domestic information spaces. These campaigns are likely to continue utilizing hack-and-leak tactics aimed at undermining or supporting political candidates, influencing voter behavior, and fostering discord,’ the cybersecurity company said.

Phishing attacks are more advanced than ever

A phishing email or message is often the start of a cyberattack. Hackers send you a link that is designed to look legitimate, but it’s not. Instead, it delivers malware to your computer, giving hackers access to your system and allowing them to steal your money and data. You can’t blame yourself if you don’t recognize a phishing link.

Earlier this month, I reported on malware called ‘Voldemort,’ which tricks people into clicking malicious links by pretending to be a government agency. This highlights how clever these scammers are in using deceptive techniques to infect your devices.

The best way to protect yourself from clicking malicious links that install malware that may get access to your private information is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. This can also alert you of any phishing emails or ransomware scams. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

4 additional ways to protect yourself from phishing attacks

To protect yourself from phishing attacks that use fake cloud services and other deceptive tactics, here are some specific steps you can take.

Always check the URL of a website before entering any sensitive information. Look for signs of a secure connection, such as ‘https://’ and a padlock symbol in the browser’s address bar. Be cautious of slight misspellings or unusual domain extensions like .info.

Hackers target you based on your publicly available information. That could be anything from your leaked info through a data breach to the information you provided to an e-commerce shop. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

Regularly updating your operating system, browsers and security software is crucial to protect against vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. Updates often include security patches, bug fixes and performance improvements. Enable automatic updates to ensure you don’t miss important patches. Manually check for updates if automatic options aren’t available. Staying current helps maintain device security and functionality.

Employ strong, unique passwords for each account to prevent unauthorized access. Create passwords with a mix of letters, numbers and symbols, and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. Consider using a password manager to securely store and generate complex passwords. It will help you to create unique and difficult-to-crack passwords that a hacker could never guess. Get more details about my best expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2024 here.

Kurt’s key takeaway

U.S. elections not only matter to Americans but also to the rest of the world, which is one reason foreign adversaries are attempting to manipulate the campaigns. Hackers are working hard to infect people’s devices to conduct espionage, spread misinformation and cause financial losses. The best thing you can do is stay alert, avoid clicking any links you don’t trust and invest in antivirus software. Hackers are changing their methods, so it’s important to take advantage of the available tools to protect yourself.

Do you verify the authenticity of a website or email before clicking on links or providing personal information? Let us know by writing us at

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to

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Elton John is speaking out about what he thinks of former President Trump nicknaming North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un ‘Little Rocket Man’ after one of the singer’s hit songs.

The ‘Tiny Dancer’ singer told Variety in an interview at the Toronto Film Festival last week that he thought Trump’s nickname for the dictator was ‘hilarious’ and made him laugh.

‘I laughed, I thought that was brilliant,’ John said. ‘I just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald.’ … Donald’s always been a fan of mine, and he’s been to my concerts many, many times. So, I mean, I’ve always been friendly toward him, and I thank him for his support. When he did that, I just thought it was hilarious. It made me laugh.’

In 2017, Trump and Kim traded threats of destruction as North Korea carried out a slew of high-profile weapons tests aimed at acquiring an ability to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland. Trump said he would rain ‘fire and fury’ on North Korea and derided Kim as ‘Little Rocket Man,’ while Kim questioned Trump’s sanity and said he would ‘tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.’

Their relationship seemed to thaw in 2019 when Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a dictator of North Korea. The former president has since described their relationship as friendly.

‘I got along with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Remember I walked over […] the first person to ever walk over from this country,’ the former president said to a crowd during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last week.

John also weighed in on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, telling Variety that he won’t use his stage to tell concertgoers who to vote for this fall.

‘I don’t go on stage and say to people, ‘You must vote for the Republicans, you must vote for the Democrats.’ It’s none of my business how they vote. They come to see me, and I’m so grateful they have,’ John said. ‘What I want by saying that last night … there is a danger, as Dick Cheney said the other day. America is in a very volatile position. And it’s a country I love, and I’ve always loved, and I’m so thankful that it made me who I am.’

‘I just want people to vote for things that are just, things that are important to people: the right to choose, the right to be who you are, and not let anybody else tell you who to be. And that goes all the way up to the Supreme Court,’ the ‘Your Song’ singer continued.

A foreign minister who served under former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro called on the Biden administration to condemn his country’s ban on social media platform X, saying the U.S. has a ‘responsibility’ to speak up.

 Ernesto Araújo, who served as foreign minister under Bolsonaro from 2019 to 2021, said the U.S. has a ‘responsibility to be the reference point for democracy, for rule of law, for freedom in the hemisphere.’ But the White House has been silent for too long, he said, and it’s hesitation to advocate for free speech predates the ban on X, he said.

‘The Biden administration is not living up to that – have not lived up to that for a long time – and about what is happening in Brazil, because the banning of X is not something out of the blue,’ Araújo told Fox News Digital. ‘It’s one more step, after many steps, of curtailing basic rights and destroying the rule of law, destroying democracy in Brazil, something perpetrated by the Supreme Court, by a good portion of the political class, and the administration never did anything.’

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes last week banned X after the company failed to appoint a legal representative in the country, leading to the ‘immediate, complete and total suspension of X’s operations’ in Brazil. 

The ban will remain in place ‘until all court orders . . . are complied with, fines are duly paid and a new legal representative for the company is appointed in the country,’ according to The Guardian. 

X, under outspoken owner Elon Musk, has refused to comply following Moraes’s order to ban several accounts related to individuals involved in an alleged attempted coup last year. The powerful judge alleged that these accounts have spread misinformation and represent a threat. 

Musk accused the judge, an ally of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of attacking free speech and said the order violates the Brazilian constitution. He further alleged in a post on X that the judge had targeted his platform ‘for political reasons.’ 

The White House has remained silent on the issue, and it declined a Fox News Digital request for comment. The U.S. State Department has also not issued any comments regarding the decision. 

‘I think the U.S. has this kind of international responsibility in the world – in the hemisphere, for sure,’ Araújo said. ‘It should be an ally of those who are trying to protect freedom and not those who are destroying freedom.’

‘So I see a lot of sympathy from the Biden administration, from the Democratic Party, for the wrong people in Latin America,’ he added. ‘It’s not a question of right or left, it’s a question of those who just claim to be for democracy.’ 

The order has not gone over well in Brazil, with the country heavily divided over the resulting ban. Many users have jumped ship to other platforms – mainly rivals Bluesky and Threads. 

The Brazilian user base for X is one-fifth and one-sixth that of Instagram and TikTok, respectively, but the platform has served as a major nexus for news agencies and political and thought leaders, giving it an outsized influence. 

Izabela Patriota, the director of development of the Ladies of Liberty Alliance and head of its Brazil section, told FOX Business that protests would materialize on Saturday, which coincides with Brazil’s Independence Day celebrations. 

While many Brazilians have found alternative social media outlets, former officials and allies of Bolsonaro argue that the ban sets the stage for further bans. Patriota fears that the courts could eventually take similar actions against the other platforms and services should the justices determine they also posed a threat. Musk also owns Starlink, a satellite internet service which has been targeted by de Moraes.

‘Where X is just another platform, and so many Brazilians are already migrating to different platforms, Starlink is providing access to many, many, many communities in the Amazon areas that they wouldn’t have without Starlink,’ Patriota said. 

Araújo also worried about the international trajectory for his country, noting that Brazil has continued to build ties with ‘the territorial block of China, Russia, Iran.’ 

‘It’s basically, playing a game,’ Araújo said. ‘Lula wants to play this game . . . he’s really, for everything that matters, is allying Brazil with the enemies of freedom, with the enemies of the United States.’

‘I think it’s in the hands of some people in the State Department or Democratic Party who think that Lula is their friend who also – I don’t know if it’s for specific interest or they’re just not smart enough to know what’s happening – who think that Lula is the good guy, and the Right is the bad guys in Brazil.’ 

The White House did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment by time of publication. 

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has flipped on another policy — banning plastic straws.

Harris’ campaign has abandoned the vice president’s previous position from the 2020 Democratic primary in which she stated unequivocally that plastic straws should be banned due to environmental considerations.

‘She doesn’t support banning plastic straws,’ a campaign official told Axios on Wednesday.

Harris was asked whether she would support a ban on ‘single use plastics’ during a CNN town hall marathon in 2019, and specifically whether she would ban plastic straws.

‘I think we should, yes,’ Harris responded. 

‘Look, I’m going to be honest… It’s really difficult to drink out of a paper straw,’ she joked. ‘So we kinda have to perfect that a little bit more.’

The campaign emphasized that the policy change does not lower the priority of environmental reforms for the vice president.

‘She cast the tie-breaking vote on the most consequential legislation to combat climate change and create clean energy jobs in history, and as President, she is going to be focused on expanding on that progress,’ the campaign told Axios.

It’s the latest in a long series of position flips the Harris campaign has undertaken as the vice president seeks to succeed President Biden in the November election.

Harris has been accused by voters, political pundits and the Trump campaign of flip-flopping on key policies since emerging as the Democratic Party’s nominee after President Biden dropped out of the race last month. 

On fracking, for example, Harris’ campaign announced last month that the vice president did not support a ban on the oil extraction technique that enjoys broad support in battleground states like Pennsylvania.

That position, however, is the opposite of her remarks as a primary candidate during a 2019 CNN town hall event, when Harris said there is ‘no question I’m in favor of banning fracking.’

Harris has also distanced herself from ‘Medicare for All’ and semiautomatic rifle buyback programs, after publicly touting both programs during her failed primary campaign during the 2020 cycle. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Former President Donald Trump claims that the upcoming presidential debate will not allow for adjustments to the nominees’ height behind the podium.

Trump made the comment in a Saturday post on his proprietary social media platform Truth Social.

‘No boxes or artificial lifts will be allowed to stand on [sic] during my upcoming debate with Comrade Kamala Harris,’ Trump wrote. ‘We had this out previously with former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg when he was in a debate, and he was not allowed a ‘lift.’

‘It would be a form of cheating, and the Democrats cheat enough,’ the former president added. ”You are who you are,’ it was determined!’

It is not immediately clear if Trump was relaying the outcome of discussions with ABC ahead of the debate or was speculating.

The post references Trump’s past feud with the former New York City mayor, who the former president taunted as ‘Mini Mike Bloomberg’ during his 2020 Democratic nomination bid.

Trump repeatedly claimed Bloomberg requested to stand on a box behind his podium during his Democratic primary debate — but this claim was never substantiated that the former mayor ever made such a request.

‘The president is lying,’ a spokesperson for Bloomberg’s 2020 campaign fired back at the time. ‘He is a pathological liar who lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity, and his spray-on tan.’

Harris clarified her own height during an interview with ‘Today’ host Katie Couric earlier this year, correcting the interviewer when she claimed the vice president is 5’2′.

‘I am 5’4′ and a quarter — sometimes 5’4′ and a half,’ Harris told Couric. ‘And with heels — which I always wear — I’m 5’7’ and a half, thank you very much.’

Trump’ own height has been variously reported as 6’2′ and 6’3′.