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At 9/11 commemoration, wife of FDNY chief criticizes ‘flippant’ Biden remark, ‘outrageous’ plea deal

At 9/11 commemoration, wife of FDNY chief criticizes ‘flippant’ Biden remark, ‘outrageous’ plea deal

The widow of New York City Fire Department Assistant Chief Gerard A. Barbara, killed on 9/11, had sharp words for the Biden administration during a commemoration ceremony at Ground Zero in Manhattan on Wednesday. “It is outrageous that our government would ever entertain the thought of granting the terrorists a plea deal,” Barbara’s wife, identified as Joanne by the 9/11 Memorial and Museum’s website, said. “If not for the outcry of the 9/11 community, who knows what might have transpired. It has been 23 years and the families deserve justice and accountability.” She continued, “The elected officials here today show their respect and reverence to the families on September 11th. Or in our president’s words, ‘do 9/11.’ Quite a flippant remark, but please remember that the September 11th families live it every day, not just on the anniversary. In conclusion, may God bless those battling post-September 11th illnesses. Our first responders and the military here and abroad. May God bless America and never forget.” Barbara was referring to President Biden’s remark from Tuesday, in which he told reporters about his plans to attend the 9/11 ceremony in New York City on Wednesday. Biden had already left Ground Zero prior to Barbara’s remarks.  A White House spokesman referred to Biden’s statement released today, saying “we continue to disrupt terrorist networks wherever we find them.”  9/11 SURVIVOR RECOUNTS HAUNTING ESCAPE FROM 81ST FLOOR OF WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWER Along with the commemoration event at Ground Zero, Biden’s plans for the day include visits to the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, “to honor the victims and their families.” “As I do so, I will also reflect on the incredible selflessness and courage of the American people. And as we commemorate this day, we should all reflect on what binds us together as one: the greatest privilege on Earth, the pride and privilege of being an American,” Biden said in the statement.  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, US EXPERIENCES THE WORST TERRORIST ATTACK IN AMERICAN HISTORY The White House spokesman suggested Fox News Digital reach out to the Department of Defense for a previous statement from Secretary Lloyd Austin, but the department did not immediately respond to a request.  Austin revoked the controversial terrorist plea deal agreement on Aug. 2, according to the New York Post.  “We do not bend to terror,” Austin said during a speech at the Pentagon on Wednesday. “And in uncertain times, our compass remains our Constitution.” Gerard A. Barbara was 53 and acting as the incident commander of Tower #2 at the World Trade Center when he died following the attack. He had been with the FDNY for 31 years, according to his biography written by his wife on the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation website.  The couple was married for 30 years and had two children together.  “Jerry was a devoted dad, my husband and my best friend,” Joanne wrote. “My husband had more to his life than just the fire department. He loved to be with his family. His children were his pride. He was so proud of their achievements. He worked and studied hard to give them a better life.”

House GOP plan to avert government shutdown on life support as Johnson delays vote

House GOP plan to avert government shutdown on life support as Johnson delays vote

Speaker Mike Johnson was forced to delay a House-wide vote on his plan to avert a partial government shutdown on Wednesday after a slew of GOP defections put the bill on life support within days of its rollout. Johnson told reporters there would be “no vote today” on the measure, a short-term extension of this year’s government funding called a continuing resolution (CR), combined with a measure to mandate a proof of citizenship requirement in the voter registration process. House leaders originally planned to hold the vote late on Wednesday afternoon, though as of earlier in the morning, at least eight Republican lawmakers signaled opposition. This story is breaking and will be updated…

Focus group reacts to Trump claim that migrants are ‘eating the dogs’ in Ohio town

Focus group reacts to Trump claim that migrants are ‘eating the dogs’ in Ohio town

Voters across party lines in Fox News’ focus group reacted to a moment in Tuesday night’s presidential debate when former President Trump declared that Haitian migrants are “eating the dogs” in an Ohio town – despite pushback from local officials on the claim. “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.” When Trump made the claim, approval from all groups – Republicans, independents and Democrats – dipped, with the strongest dips coming from independents and Republicans, while Democratic approval remained low. FOCUS GROUP REACTS TO TRUMP SAYING HE WANTED TO SEND A ‘MAGA HAT’ FOR COPYING HIS POLICIES The claim was based on a number of online reports that had gone viral in recent days. Springfield has seen a significant increase in the number of Haitian migrants arriving in the town, sparking complaints from a number of local residents. Among those claims are a number of unsubstantiated reports that migrants have eaten ducks or pets. One claim appears to be based on an incident in Canton, Ohio, where a woman had allegedly eaten a cat – but there was no indication she was Haitian. In response to a query from Fox News Digital, local officials pushed back against the claims surfacing online. “In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” the city said. TRUMP FACT CHECKS HARRIS ON CHARLOTTESVILLE RIOT ACCUSATION: ‘DEBUNKED’ But a number of Republicans have continued to push the claims, including pointing to a report of a police call that claimed migrants had stolen geese. At the debate, Trump’s approval rose again from Republicans and independents after the exchange as he started to talk more broadly about the border crisis, accusing Harris of “destroying this country” and warning that the U.S. “doesn’t have a chance of success” if she is elected. But it dropped again among Democrats and independents, and rose slightly among Republicans, when Trump was challenged on his claim by the moderators and stood by it. “The people on television are saying, ‘My dog was taken and used for food,’” he said.

Trump-Harris debate: Body language expert weighs in on high-stakes face-off: ‘Fell into the trap’

Trump-Harris debate: Body language expert weighs in on high-stakes face-off: ‘Fell into the trap’

Vice President Kamala Harris successfully baited former President Trump on several occasions at Tuesday’s ABC Presidential debate, making him see red and knocking him off course, according to body language expert Susan Constantine. Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the first time Trump and Harris shared the debate stage, with commentators opining that it was a good night for Harris while Trump has had better performances.  That was, in part, due to how Harris sparked reactions from Trump, who became more frustrated and angry as the night wore on. IN THE TRUMP-HARRIS FACEOFF THERE WAS A CLEAR WINNER BUT DON’T BELIEVE THIS ELECTION IS OVER Constantine tells Fox News Digital that Harris knew Trump’s weak points, such as questioning crowd sizes at his rallies, and when she brought them up, he defiantly responded — to his detriment.  “He fell for every one of her games; they were all tactics,” Constantine says. “So when she would poke the bear, he would growl back and she would keep poking the bear and especially when it came to, of course, the crowds.” Harris said that people at Trump’s rallies often leave early out of exhaustion and boredom. Trump responded by saying that his rallies have record-breaking crowds, whereas Harris buses people to her rallies and pays them to be there. “She knew every single one of his weak points, and he would defend it instead of answering the question and just staying on task. He was spending most of his time hitting her back with the ball and also defending himself, which was not a good approach,” Constantine says. “You could see that Trump was getting really, really upset about it. At one point, he dropped his shoulders, dropped his head, and he sunk. And then you see the upper lip [move upward] very quickly. It was a micro-expression of leakage, of hatred and disgust and scorn … he was really angry at her for saying that.” HARRIS TELLS TRUMP HE’S ‘NOT RUNNING AGAINST JOE BIDEN’ DURING DEBATE Constantine says Trump was angry for a reason, noting that Harris made a lot of derogatory remarks, and thus he was unable to regain control of the debate after being goaded by Harris, whose smiles were reflective of her knowing she had cornered the former president.  “You would see his anger, his voice inflection, his breast eyebrows pursed or his tightened lips. He was angry. In fact, you could hear a lot in his voice,” she explains. “His lips were pressed most of the time. He was suppressing a lot of his own feelings towards her, which was anger. All that did was fuel for Harris because she knew she got him. That’s why you kept seeing the smiles. And every time she got him … she rewarded herself with a great big perma-smile.” Constantine says that Harris’ smiles were often not genuine and were abnormally long. Harris also did this to prod Trump and smiled as a fallback plan when she didn’t agree with things Trump said, according to Constantine. BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT’S BRUTAL TAKE ON BIDEN’S DEBATE AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE A DEAD MAN WALKING’ “Real smiles don’t last beyond the very longest four seconds. When a person holds that smile and does it throughout, that’s condescending, and what she’s doing is she is also dismissing what Trump is saying and [that] is covered with the perma-smile. That is inauthentic,” Constantine explains. “If she wants to diminish what Trump is saying, she smiles all the way through or even laughs at that in itself.” Constantine says that there was a clear distinction between the two candidates: Trump with a more serious tone, Harris appearing happier.   In the beginning, Harris would kick her head back often and almost leave her head tilting up, which Constantine describes as a “superiority stance.” She raised her nose up and crossed her arms evaluating.  “It was condescending and also smug. Not a good move,” Constantine says. Constantine says Harris was very illustrative with her hand movements and looked straight into the camera, knowing exactly how to frame her gestures. “She spoke to the American people. She played the card musically perfect in a lot of ways. So I think that she had gotten a lot of coaching.” Constantine says Harris went out of sync when she was tripped up about a question about whether she supports any restrictions on a woman’s right to an abortion. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DOUG SCHOEN “She evaded that question because she couldn’t really answer,” she explains. “So that’s when her eyes go down she starts to do the ‘bobblehead.’ And that was a cluster of deception.” Additionally, Constantine praised Harris for her pre-debate handshake, noting that the vice president moved into Trump’s space to engage with him. “She paused for a minute. She was almost slightly hesitant, but then she went for it… So I’m going to give her a point for that one,” Constantine says. “Overall … it was certainly a boxing match. They were completely on opposite sides, of course. There was no love there on [the] Trump side, and then I think that Harris used that to her advantage and Donald Trump fell into the trap.”

Focus group reacts to Trump, Harris faceoff over Project 2025

Focus group reacts to Trump, Harris faceoff over Project 2025

A focus group reacting live to the presidential debate appeared to have strong opinions about the controversial conservative plan, Project 2025. Project 2025 was launched by the Heritage Foundation as part of their Presidential Transition Project for the 2024 cycle. The project has become a talking point for Democrats, who have attempted to smear it as radical and tie it to former President Donald Trump. During the presidential debate on Tuesday, Democrats and independent support for Vice President Kamala Harris shot up as she railed against Project 2025.  “On this debate tonight, you’re gonna hear from the same old tied playbook. A bunch of lies, grievances, and name-calling. What you’re gonna hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected again,” Harris said. “I believe very strongly that the American people want a president who understands the importance of bringing us together.” TRUMP REACTS TO ABC NEWS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE PERFORMANCE, SAYS WHETHER HE’D OPEN TO A SECOND WITH HARRIS Trump, however, denied any involvement with the group. “As you know, and as she knows better than anyone, I have nothing to do with Project 2025. That’s out there. I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it purposely. I’m not going to read it,” Trump said during Tuesday’s debate.  TOP 5 MOMENTS DURING TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ‘I’M TALKING NOW’ As he spoke about the controversial group, he gained support among Republicans but saw a dramatic shift downward from both independents and Democrats.  “This was a group of people that got together. They came up with some ideas, I guess some good, some bad. But it makes no difference,” he added. “Everybody knows I’m an open book. Everybody knows what I’m going to do.” All three voting blocs, however, shot up in support for Trump when he said he was going to “cut taxes very substantially and create a great economy like I did before.” Independents showed dissatisfaction with Trump while he talked about the coronavirus pandemic, but both Democrats and Republicans were consistently more supportive of the former president as he discussed the pandemic and the economy.