Harris meeting with anti-Israel ‘Uncommitted’ movement opens speculation about arms embargo
Vice President Kamala Harris sparked concerns that she would consider an arms embargo of Israel by saying she was open to a meeting with leaders of the Uncommitted movement, who told the vice president about their demand for the policy. Harris spoke with co-founders of the National Uncommitted movement before a rally in Detroit Wednesday, hearing stories about people in Michigan who have had family members killed in Gaza, before expressing an openness to meet with the leaders over their calls for an arms embargo, according to a report from the New York Times. The movement, which was inspired by the Listen to Michigan campaign that sprung up in Dearborn, has been protesting the Democratic ticket over the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza, with many vowing not to support Harris unless she meets demands such as negotiating an immediate ceasefire or halting weapons shipments to Israel. COMIC MICHAEL RAPAPORT SAYS HARRIS LOST HIS VOTE OVER ISRAEL: ‘CAN’T SUPPORT PARTY THAT IS FOR THIS BULLS—“ The reported exchange with the leaders of the movement drew immediate backlash from supporters of Israel, who blasted the Democratic nominee for even entertaining the demand. “Stating an openness to an arms embargo is wrong at any time, but saying it in the hours counting down to a massive Iranian attack on Israel, is completely outrageous. The only right answer was ‘No way,’ an answer I have to imagine she wouldn’t have hesitated to deliver on other issues like banning abortion,” Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. Representatives for Harris later rushed to clarify the vice president’s position, arguing that the Democratic nominee “will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself.” “[Harris] has been clear: she will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups,” Phil Gordon, Harris’ National Security Advisor, said in a post on X. “She does not support an arms embargo on Israel. She will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law.” VP KAMALA HARRIS PICKING GOV. TIM WALZ AS RUNNING MATE MET WITH MEDIA SCORN: ‘SUCH A WEIRD CHOICE’ New York Times White House Correspondent Erica L. Green also clarified the outlet’s reporting, noting that the group’s leaders had asked to meet with Harris to discuss their demands. “They said she was open to meeting with them, not that she was open to an arms embargo,” Green said in a post on X. Harris’ campaign would later fire off another statement, arguing that the vice president “has prioritized engaging with Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian community members and others regarding the war in Gaza.” “In this brief engagement, she reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities. The Vice President has been clear: she will always work to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups,” the statement said. “The Vice President is focused on securing the ceasefire and hostage deal currently on the table. As she has said, it is time for this war to end in a way where: Israel is secure, hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination.” Harris’ campaign is forced to walk a fine line in Michigan, a critical swing state that has featured tight margins over the last few elections. Anger over the administration’s policy in Gaza that has bubbled up from Dearborn, a city with the highest per capita Muslim population in the U.S., threatening to complicate the picture further with simultaneous movements that could peel away thousands of votes that would typically go to Democrats in a crucial swing state. But Goldberg said the clarification was not enough, arguing that the campaign’s statement didn’t actually address whether Harris would consider an embargo. “She should be asked point blank, ‘Yes or no, would you ever consider an arms embargo on Israel?’” Goldberg said. “Her clarifying statement issued after the incident notably doesn’t answer that question directly.” The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Reporter’s Notebook: What a ‘yacht rock’ summer looks like on Capitol Hill
A summer breeze has swept across Capitol Hill over the past two weeks. Not the “Summer Breeze” Seals and Crofts sing about, but a political summer breeze which made lawmakers “Run Like the Wind” for the exits. To quote Gino Vannelli, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle declared “I Just Wanna Stop” – and vacated Washington for the summer. BEWARE THE IDES OF JULY: TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, BIDEN ENDS REELECTION CAMPAIGN IN WILD MONTH One is wise to embrace this miniature respite in governance. The fall and winter will be a challenge in Congress. So here’s the “Lowdown.” One can describe much of what unfolds on Capitol Hill in terms of “yacht rock.” Both bodies of Congress usually adjourn for a four- to six-week period between late July and early September. But this year’s congressional summer breeze has been more like a political gale. Lawmakers barely spent any time in session over the past few months. Both the House and Senate took off a week in the middle of July so Republicans could conduct their convention in Milwaukee. That was after an abbreviated week in Washington just after July 4th. Congress was out of session from late June until after the Fourth. The House ditched town early last month, lopping off one week of its schedule. In fact, the House has only convened for a handful of weeks since May 24. Yacht rock impresario Rupert Holmes would characterize this as an “Escape.” Do you really need more of a reason to blend a piña colada? Expect Congress to accomplish much the rest of the year? Well, that yacht – has sailed. We’re deep into the throes of what is going to be a brutal campaign season for the presidency, control of the House and the Senate. All lawmakers are required to do the rest of the year is figure out a way to avoid a government shutdown in late September. Is Congress capable of much else? Well, doubtful. But in the words of the Doobie Brothers, “What a Fool Believes.” A cryptocurrency bill? Maybe in the lame duck session, but doubtful. A tax bill – involving credits for parents? Same. How about legislation offered by GOP vice presidential nominee and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, to bolster rail safety after the Norfolk Southern crash in East Palestine, Ohio, early last year? Few are on board with that. Democrats don’t want to award Vance a legislative victory just before the election. And Republicans aren’t willing to help Brown. He faces one of the most competitive Senate contests in the country against GOP challenger Bernie Moreno. A farm bill? Hey. Wrong genre. This is about yacht rock. Talk to John Cougar Mellencamp or Neil Young about that one. Lawmakers won’t necessarily don their captain hats and recline on the foredeck, catching rays and sipping a mai tai over the next few weeks. Democrats set their GPS for Chicago and their convention in two weeks. There are robust campaigns as Democrats try to cling to control in the Senate and stand a good chance of flipping the House. Democrats are especially enthused about their chances now that President Biden effectively ceded the Democratic nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris. Why did it take so long for Biden to defer to Harris – or anyone else? The Eagles would croon, “I Can’t Tell You Why.” But since it’s “Just the Two of Us,” Democrats were freaked out about bleeding seats down ballot. “You’re Out to Lose,” as Pablo Cruise might sing, had Democrats stuck with the incumbent. Republicans contend that 14 million voters cast ballots for Biden in the Democratic primaries earlier this year. They could even assert that Raydio was right when they penned, “You Can’t Change That.” Biden was “Still the One” for several weeks after the debate debacle in Atlanta in late June. But once Biden stepped aside, Democrats quickly courted voters who may have abandoned them. “Baby Come Back,” by Player may have been the Democrats’ theme song as they attempted to woo people who considered sitting things out this fall. But some pols will welcome the early respite from Capitol Hill. Most House and Senate incumbents lack competitive races this fall. They might not find themselves in “Margaritaville.” But who can blame them if they skip out of the 100-degree heat of Washington for a Caribbean destination? Former President Trump certainly has a contingent of ultra-loyalists who are happy to campaign on his behalf – or at least want to be seen as advocating for him. They may want to score a potential Cabinet post. Or at least duck the ire of the former president, so they attempt to appeal to his good graces. And many Democrats are now supercharged that Biden won’t be on the ballot. They will likely do all they can for Harris. So these lawmakers face a busy August and early September. But other lawmakers will coast. In fact, they may secretively “Steal Away” – in the words of Robbie Dupree. Perhaps you will find some of these politicians sipping chardonnay or a dry martini on a yacht somewhere as the sun sets across the water. You’d be lucky to catch them. Of course, you can always leave a message on their “Answering Machine.” Not that anyone uses an answering machine anymore. Yacht rock might not capture all that’s going on in politics right now. One can understand the need to just check out of the political environment this month, especially after the drama involving Biden and the attempted assassination of Trump. Yacht rock is for summer. But when it comes to elections and governing, that is the season of classic rock. “There must be some way out of here, said the joker to the thief,” declared both Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix in “All Along the Watchtower.” But Congress will be back in due time in early September. Tens of millions of people will cast their ballots. And
Harris’ role in Afghanistan withdrawal a mystery despite being ‘last person in the room’ with Biden
Vice President Kamala Harris’ influence on the botched withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan remains unclear publicly despite her previously confirming she was the “last person in the room” with President Biden before he made the decision. According to a new Washington Post report, officials say Harris did not push for policy change but did raise some important questions during interagency meetings in early 2021 before what resulted in a chaotic 17-day evacuation from Kabul and a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 Afghan civilians at Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate,. The vice president, now the Democratic presidential nominee, acted “like a district attorney” while asking questions during the deliberations but did not provide much insight into what she was thinking, one senior military official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Post. “She never gave a sense for where she was on it,” the official told the newspaper. KAMALA HARRIS SHUTS DOWN ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS DURING CAMPAIGN SPEECH IN MICHIGAN: ‘I’M SPEAKING’ Despite that account, another former military official who participated in the administration’s deliberations at the time told the Post he does not remember Harris “playing any role of significance” during meetings of the National Security Council that Biden led in 2021. The official did admit that the vice president could have counseled Biden outside those briefings. In a statement to the Post, a Harris aide said the vice president asked, “probing questions” during deliberations in which she was fully involved before the withdrawal and “strongly supported President Biden’s decision to end America’s longest war.” “We’re not going to get into the Vice President’s private counsel to the President,” the aide added. Positioning herself as a vice president who is closely involved in the administration’s key matters, Harris confirmed to CNN in 2021 that she was the “last person in the room” with Biden before his decision to withdraw U.S. troops and effectively end more than 20 years of war in Afghanistan. While campaigning for president in 2019, Harris said she wanted to “ensure that the country is on a path to stability, that we protect the gains that have been made for Afghan women and others,” according to the Post. HARRIS AND WALZ MADE UNPRECEDENTED ABORTION CLINIC VISIT PRIOR TO PRESIDENTIAL TICKET TEAM-UP When Biden’s presidency began in 2021, Afghan official Nader Nadery, who served as an adviser to then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, said he hoped Harris would help persuade Biden to keep some U.S. troops in the country until the Taliban could agree to a peace deal. With the Taliban’s seizure of power came the erosion of women’s rights, and Nadery questioned whether Harris had tried to convince Biden to change direction. “I hoped that President Biden listened to her and other voices who advocated for Afghan women,” he reportedly said of the withdrawal. Republicans and former President Trump have criticized Biden’s handling of the withdrawal, especially after Biden’s stunning omission of the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate during the June presidential debate in Atlanta, where he claimed to be the “only president this century” and in “this decade” who did not have “any troops dying anywhere in the world.” Attendees of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month heard from the families of those service members, who condemned how Biden never publicly said the names of their loved ones. Now, as the Democratic ticket pivots to Harris and her newly selected running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, criticism of the vice president on the Afghanistan withdrawal has not gained similar traction. Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ campaign and the vice president’s office for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
Harris becomes betting market favorite for first time after Walz pick
Vice President Kamala Harris has moved into the betting lead for the first time since being elevated to the top of the ticket. Harris has a 50.7% chance to be elected president, while former President Donald Trump sits at a 47.9% chance to win the election, according to the Real Clear Politics betting average on Thursday. Thursday marked the first time Harris has been the betting favorite to win the election, while it’s also the first time the Democratic ticket has been favored over Trump since May 1st, when President Biden was still in the race. On that day, Biden held a narrow 42.3% to 42.2% advantage in the Real Clear Politics betting average. KAMALA HARRIS AND HER NEWLY NAMED RUNNING MATE KICK OFF A BATTLEGROUND STATE SWING Since that day, Trump continued to put distance between himself and Biden, peaking as a 66.2% favorite on July 15. But Trump’s lead steadily declined in the weeks after Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and endorse Harris, who quickly went on to lock up the Democratic nomination. Trump’s odds tumble culminated Thursday, just days after Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to join her on the ticket, a move the Harris campaign believes will help her solidify support in critical Midwestern swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE Harris was either leading or tied with Trump on Thursday in all the major betting markets tracked by Real Clear Politics, with her biggest lead coming on the popular platform Predictit, a New Zealand-based prediction market that offers “shares” of political outcomes. Harris shares were selling for 57 cents on the platform as of Thursday morning, while Trump shares were selling for 46 cents, an 11-cent lead for the vice president. Shares on the platform are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, meaning the price of a share essentially represents the percentage chance of a particular outcome. The shift in the betting favorite comes as Harris has also overtaken Trump in many national polls, becoming the leader on the Real Clear Politics polling average for the first time on Monday. That lead represents the first time the presumed Democratic ticket has had the advantage since September 11 of last year, when Biden a 44.5% to 44.3% advantage. Neither the Trump nor Harris campaigns immediately responded to Fox News Digital requests for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Rising costs and stagnant state funds pushed this West Texas school district to the financial brink
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Walz in 2010 said plan to curb Social Security, increase retirement age was ‘very similar’ to his approach
Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, said in 2010 that his plan for Social Security was “very similar” to one that would increase the retirement age and adjust the cap on withholdings. The Harris campaign is pushing back after Fox News Digital reviewed the unearthed clip from a debate Walz participated in during his 2010 re-election campaign for Congress. The debate was on Oct. 12, 2010, and was held at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Walz, the Democratic candidate and incumbent, faced off against Independent candidate Steve Wilson and Republican Randy Demmer. HARRIS VP PICK TIM WALZ’S TOP FIVE ‘WEIRD’ MOMENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT Wilson laid out his plan first, which discussed gradually increasing the retirement age. Walz answered after, saying his approach would be “very similar.” Harris for President spokesperson Joseph Costello, though, told Fox News Digital that Walz “does not support raising the retirement age, and in fact, Walz has repeatedly voted to protect Social Security and against GOP efforts to raise the retirement age.” During the 2010 debate, the three candidates were asked, “In regard to the federal budget deficit: what would you do about Social Security and Medicare with regard to the deficit?” WALZ BACKED ‘SANCTUARY’ POLICIES, SERVICES FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AS GOVERNOR: ‘WIN FOR OPEN BORDERS’ Wilson, the independent candidate, answered first. “Social Security is one that we can fix, and we just have to all put on our thinking of what we’re going to have shared sacrifice… There are three different groups of people that are affected by Social Security: one, the group that are paying in; second, the ones that are ready to retire; and third, the ones that are receiving benefits,” Wilson said. Wilson said those paying into the program currently have caps on the amounts taken out of their paychecks. “If we would allow that to go a little higher, then we could bring more revenue in,” he said. Wilson then said the retirement age should be raised. “If we look at the second group, those who are retiring, if we adjusted that retirement age a little bit and give people enough warning – remember shared sacrifice, not just you getting affected, everybody,” Wilson said. Wilson then said the individuals getting benefits from Social Security should have the Cost of Living and Adjustments (COLA) amounts adjusted. On Wilson’s website, he further explained his position, which stated: “The age of retirement would gradually start to increase within three years of the deployment of the safety net. It would continue to be indexed to life expectancy over the longer term.” When it was Walz’s turn, he endorsed Wilson’s plan. “Social Security is absolutely critical. It is the greatest anti-poverty program the world’s ever seen,” he said. KAMALA HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE TIM WALZ PICTURED IN 1995 NEBRASKA MUGSHOT AFTER DUI ARREST “Social Security, as Steve Wilson said, who has very good ideas on Social Security, he’s thought about it – he’s being honest about it – he’s laid out a plan that I think is very similar to the approach that I would take in working with them on that,” Walz said. Walz, during that debate, advocated against any “partial privatization” of Social Security. He also said his family was personally affected by Social Security after his father died when he was in high school. “Social Security Survivor Benefits that were there to make sure that we had the bootstraps that we could pull ourselves up by,” he said. “They were loaned to us by Social Security. It’s a smart program.” A source familiar with Walz’s views at the time told Fox News Digital that “Walz does not support raising the retirement age now, and that is not what he suggested in this 14-year-old, misrepresented exchange.” The source said that after winning his race in 2010, Walz went on to oppose plans to raise the retirement age. In 2012, he voted against raising the age to 68; in 2012, he voted against raising the age to 70; and in 2014, he again voted against raising the retirement age to 70. When asked for comment, the Harris campaign stressed that Walz does not support raising the retirement age, and, while serving in Congress, voted against efforts to raise the retirement age. “For nearly two decades, as a governor and congressman, Walz has been a strong defender of Social Security,” Costello said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Like the Biden-Harris Administration, he supports shoring up Social Security by having the super-wealthy pay their fair share.” Costello added: “When he was a teenager, it kept his family afloat after his dad, a veteran, passed away from lung cancer.”
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Trump to stage Mar-a-Lago press conference in ‘stark contrast’ with Harris as she avoids media
Former President Trump is holding a general news conference at Mar-a-Lago Thursday afternoon with members of the press – a move that the campaign says presents a “stark contrast” with Vice President Kamala Harris, who has avoided the media since being tapped as the Democratic presidential nominee. “I will be doing a General News Conference at 2:00 P.M. at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach. Thank you!” Trump posted to his Truth Social Thursday morning. A Trump campaign source told Fox News Digital that the former president and Republican presidential nominee is holding off-the-record meetings with major members of the press Thursday. 18 DAYS: KAMALA HARRIS HAS NOT HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE EMERGING AS PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE “President Trump wanted to address them while they were already in Palm Beach because he’s the most transparent candidate in history,” the Trump campaign source told Fox News Digital. “Meanwhile, it’s been 18 days since Kamala Harris was installed as the Democrat Nominee, and she has yet to answer a single question from the media,” the source continued. “A stark contrast!” Harris has gone 18 days without holding a formal press conference. The vice president became the de facto nominee after President Biden endorsed her on July 21 when he suspended his re-election campaign. The Democratic National Committee held a virtual roll call vote, and she was offically named the Democratic presidential nominee. Since then, Harris has been on the campaign trail, spoken at various events, and given informal remarks to reporters at various points, but has not done a formal press conference or a wide-ranging interview. She also failed to appear at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, where Trump made headlines last week with a heated question-and-answer session, although she could make a future appearance with the group. This week, she made headlines by picking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, but the two have still not been questioned formally in interviews or press conferences. It’s gotten the attention of GOP vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, who has implored the media to do better on the issue and get Harris to answer questions. JD VANCE ROASTS HARRIS ON WISCONSIN TARMAC FOR AVOIDING PRESS, CALLS AIR FORCE 2 HIS ‘FUTURE PLANE’ During a Wednesday press conference in Detroit, Vance urged reporters to “show a little bit of self-awareness” and pushed Harris to “do the job of a presidential candidate” by speaking to them. “Until she does, you guys have got to stop giving her a honeymoon and pretending that she is something she isn’t,” he said. Vance on Wednesday also attempted to confront Harris over not answering reporters’ questions while both of their planes were on the tarmac of a Wisconsin airport on Wednesday. Vance told a press gaggle at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport that he was trying to get a better look at Air Force Two because it’s “going to be my plane in a few months.” The Republican told reporters that he worried Harris’ press gaggle “might get a little lonely” because Harris doesn’t answer their questions. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Hey, guys. How are you?” Vance asked the group as he walked toward them. “I just wanted to check out my future plane, but I also wanted to go say hello to the vice president and ask her why Kamala Harris refuses… why does she refuse to answer questions from the media?” “And I also thought that the press gaggle following her might get a little lonely,” he added. “I, at least, have enough respect for you all, and for the American people you report to, to come and talk to you and to answer some questions. And so I thought her reporters might actually benefit from that as well.” Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Walz doesn’t move needle with rural voters, data shows
Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to tap Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate may not help the Democratic ticket capture rural voters. A Fox News Voter Analysis of the 2020 and 2022 elections shows that Walz performs similarly to President Biden among highly sought after rural voters, with Biden earning the votes of 38% of that demographic in Minnesota in the 2020 presidential election, while Walz hauled in 37% of those voters during his successful 2022 bid for re-election. Democrats will look to improve upon those numbers, with Harris and Walz hitting the ground running in the days after the Minnesota governor was added to the ticket, setting up events in crucial Midwestern swing states and looking to sell the electorate on Walz’s blue-collar bona fides. WHERE DOES TIM WALZ STAND ON ISRAEL? The campaign has made it a point to highlight his Midwestern roots and everyman persona, introducing him as “Coach Walz” during rallies in a nod to his time as a teacher and high school football coach. Harris will lean on Walz in the critical Midwestern swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin, where the Minnesota governor can point to his regional ties. “Hello, Eau Claire. Isn’t it good to have a candidate who can pronounce the name,” Walz said during a rally in rural Wisconsin on Wednesday. WALZ WAITED UNTIL LEGISLATIVE SESSION WRAPPED TO DEMAND RESIGNATION FROM DEM LAWMAKER ACCUSED OF BURGLARY But whether the Minnesota governor can help capture groups Democrats have struggled with remains a question, with the Fox News voter analysis showing that Walz also performed similarly to Biden among White voters without a college degree. During Biden’s White House bid in 2020, the president captured 45% of such voters in Minnesota, while Walz hauled in 44% during his 2022 re-election campaign in the same state. Nevertheless, Biden’s 2020 performance was enough to put him over the top in all the so-called “Blue Wall” states, with the president carrying Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin in addition to his victory in Minnesota, a feat the Harris campaign will be looking to repeat in 2024. Fox News’ voter analysis was conducted in partnership with The Associated Press and captures a picture of the American electorate as they vote. The analysis overcomes the shortcomings of traditional exit polling by tapping surveys conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and voting results from The Associated Press, capturing the entire electorate, including early voters and those who voted by mail. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.