Biden backs Harris, pushes Supreme Court ‘reform’ in ‘pass the torch’ speech about ending 2024 bid
President Biden addressed the nation for the first time on Wednesday since bowing out of the 2024 election, saying he is passing the torch to “a new generation” while again throwing his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris in her campaign to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination. “I decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation. You know, there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There’s also a time and place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now,” Biden said. The speech lasted roughly 11 minutes, with the president sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office while touting his years in political office and decision to bow out. Members of the president’s family were in attendance for the speech, including first lady Jill Biden, daughter Ashley Biden, son Hunter Biden and others. The president said he looks forward to the work before him in his final six months in office, including pushing for Supreme Court reforms. “I’m gonna call for Supreme Court reform, because this is critical to our democracy,” he said. Media reports recently surfaced that Biden is considering supporting legislation that would attempt to impose term limits on Supreme Court justices and a new enforceable ethics code. BIDEN ENDS BID FOR 2ND TERM IN WHITE HOUSE AS HE DROPS OUT OF HIS 2024 REMATCH WITH TRUMP Biden announced his exit from the presidential race on Sunday evening in an X post while self-isolating in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, following a COVID-19 diagnosis last Wednesday. After suffering “mild symptoms” and “general malaise” after his diagnosis, he received a negative diagnosis on Tuesday of this week and returned to the White House. His trip back to the nation’s capital on Tuesday marked the first time Biden was seen in public since suspending his re-election bid on Sunday and the first time since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 17. His speech Wednesday evening included citing American forefathers and political leaders while arguing “democracy is at stake” this election cycle as the Democratic Party squares up against former President Donald Trump. “Thomas Jefferson wrote the immortal words that guide this nation. George Washington showed us presidents are not kings. Abraham Lincoln implored us to reject malice. Franklin Roosevelt, who inspired us to reject fear. I revere this office, but I love my country more,” he said. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president, but in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think is more important than any title. I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our union, it’s not about me. It’s about you.” Members of the Biden family were seen tearing up and hugging the president after he wrapped up his speech. GOP SENATOR DEMANDS CABINET INVOKE 25TH AMENDMENT AGAINST BIDEN AFTER SUSPENDING HIS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN Trump responded to the speech on Truth Social, saying it was “was barely understandable, and sooo bad!” The 46th president had faced mounting pressure from his Democrat allies and legacy media outlets to bow out of the race since June 27, when he delivered a botched debate performance against Trump that was riddled with garbled remarks and where the president lost his train of thought and appeared more subdued than during other recent public events. The debate reignited concern among conservatives and critics that Biden’s mental acuity had slipped, while it marked the beginning of a pressure campaign among Democrats to oust Biden in favor of a candidate they believed is better suited to take on Trump. TRUMP SAYS BIDEN ‘IS NOT FIT TO SERVE’: ‘WHO IS GOING TO BE RUNNING THE COUNTRY FOR THE NEXT 5 MONTHS?’ Dozens of members of Congress began publicly thanking Biden for his work in the White House and decades in public office while calling on him to pass the torch to another candidate. Shortly after his announcement on Sunday afternoon, Biden endorsed Vice President Harris to pick up the mantle and make a run for the party’s nomination. As of Tuesday, Harris had enough delegates to lock up the nomination, which will be certified by the DNC next month. He added in his speech Wednesday that Harris is “tough” and “capable” while touting her as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee. “I’d like to thank our great Vice President Kamala Harris. She’s experienced. She’s tough, she’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people,” he said. 10 DEMOCRATS VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS COULD NAME AS HER 2024 RUNNING MATE Now that the president has dropped out of the election cycle, conservative lawmakers and others have called on Biden to resign from the White House, arguing that if he is unable to run for re-election, he’s unfit to run the nation for the roughly six months left of his tenure. “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement on Sunday. Others have called on Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment while concerns mount over Biden’s health. Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles sent a letter to Harris on Thursday requesting she invoke the 25th Amendment, exclusively telling Fox News Digital that Biden left the race “because he isn’t up for the job of president, and everyone in America knows it.” “I’ve said for over a year that Biden’s ever-declining health has rendered him incapable of leading the nation. With his recent reclusion following a supposed COVID diagnosis, it is now more apparent than ever that he must resign or be forced out. Since Biden has made it clear he will not resign,
White House condemns pro-Hamas agitators in DC: ‘Disgraceful’
The White House condemned the anti-Israel agitators who descended on Washington, D.C., Wednesday in protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. “Identifying with evil terrorist organizations like Hamas, burning the American flag, or forcibly removing the American flag and replacing it with another, is disgraceful,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a comment to Fox News Digital Wednesday evening. “Antisemitism and violence are never acceptable. Period. Every American has the right to peaceful protest. But shamefully, not everyone demonstrated peacefulness today.” ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS STAGE MASSIVE PROTEST IN WASHINGTON, DC, AMID NETANYAHU’S US VISIT Hundreds of pro-Hamas protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday where they were seen lighting American flags on fire, scrawling graffiti outside Union Station and chanting “Allahu Akbar.” ‘CHICKENS FOR KFC’: NETANYAHU RIPS CEASE-FIRE ACTIVISTS IN SPEECH TO CONGRESS AS TLAIB SILENTLY PROTESTS Agitators at Union Station, which is located near the U.S. Capitol, burned an American flag and vandalized a statue with the words “Hamas is coming.” They also removed American flags and replaced them with Palestinian flags instead. Netanyahu delivered an address to Congress on Wednesday amid his nation’s war against Hamas, which has raged since October. Amid his remarks, Netanyahu tore into cease-fire demonstrations that have played out across the U.S. since the war began. HARRIS BOYCOTTS NETANYAHU, SNUBS ISRAELI LEADER’S WARTIME ADDRESS TO GIVE SORORITY SPEECH “I have a message for these protesters. When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” Netanyahu said. REPUBLICANS SLAM HARRIS FOR OPTING OUT OF NETANYAHU ADDRESS IN FAVOR OF SORORITY SPEECH: ‘SHAMEFUL’ “Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming gays for Gaza. They might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC.’ These protesters chant ‘From the river to the sea.’ But many don’t have a clue what river and what sea they’re talking about.” The White House’s condemnation of the agitators comes just ahead of President Biden addressing the nation following him bowing out of the 2024 race amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity.
Have battlegrounds shifted with Harris at top of ticket?
President Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise to the top of the ticket have thrown the state of the race into question and possibly shifted the battleground strategy. Biden was trailing former President Donald Trump nationally in the Real Clear Politics polling average and the seven major swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, but underlying data could reveal what Harris might do to change that. While polls showed Biden holding his own among older, white working-class voters, the president was starting to lose his grasp on Black and Hispanic voters, a key demographic for Democrats. Harris, on the other hand, has recently been outperforming Biden among Black voters, indicating there is room for her to gain ground on Trump in a close election. HARRIS REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM TRUMP WANTS TO ‘BAN’ ABORTION DURING FIRST CAMPAIGN RALLY SINCE BIDEN QUIT RACE According to one Politico/Morning Consult poll conducted last month, Harris held a 67% favorability rating among Black voters, compared to 23% who had an unfavorable view of the vice president. Biden, meanwhile, came in with a 63% favorable rating, compared to 31% who held an unfavorable view of the president. An NBC News poll conducted earlier this month revealed similar results when pitting both Biden and Harris against Trump, with Biden beating Trump 69% to 12% among Black voters, a 57-point lead, while Harris led the former president 78% to 14%, a 64-point advantage. When Biden was still in the race, most of the swing state attention was given to the so-called “Blue Wall” states in the upper Midwest of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. However, Harris’ strength among Black voters could lead the vice president to look south towards Georgia and North Carolina as opportunities to close the gap. DEM VOTERS AT MILWAUKEE RALLY SAY THEY’RE FIRED UP FOR HARRIS: ‘UNITED AND ENERGIZED’ According to 2020 census data, Georgia and North Carolina have a Black population of 31% and 20.5% respectively, far more than the populations of Michigan (13.7%), Pennsylvania (10.9%), and Wisconsin (6.4%). On the other hand, those states in the upper Midwest have a higher share of older White voters, a demographic in which Biden was outperforming Harris. Polling of a matchup between Trump and Harris is so far sparse, especially in battleground states, but there are some early indications that Harris may look south for help. One Landmark Communications poll, which was conducted Tuesday, shows Trump with just a one point lead over Harris in Georgia, a smaller advantage than most of the polling had previously shown the former president enjoyed in a matchup against Biden. While winning both Georgia and North Carolina would likely not be enough to put Harris over the top, her ability to put them in her column would open up several more viable paths to victory. Without them, Harris would likely need to win all of the other five swing states in order to get to 270 electoral votes. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment.
Democrats to confirm nominees by virtual roll call weeks before DNC in Chicago to avoid legal challenges
The Democratic National Committee announced Wednesday it will hold a virtual roll call vote on the party’s presidential and vice presidential nominees weeks ahead of its convention in Chicago next month to avoid potential legal challenges. It was suggested Republicans could challenge the inclusion of the Democratic nominee on a number of state ballots due to their respective election laws should Democrats delay voting on a nominee until the convention after President Biden dropped out of the race. But the likelihood of such challenges appears to be fading. Candidates will now have until July 27 to declare their candidacies with the convention and until July 30 to show they’ve met the qualifications for nomination. The earliest delegates can begin voting electronically will be Aug. 1, assuming Vice President Harris is the only candidate to declare and meet the required qualifications and delegate support threshold. BIDEN’S CABINET DOUBLES DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT AMID CALLS TO INVOKE 25TH AMENDMENT Although unlikely, if more than one candidate declares and meets those requirements, a period of up to five days will be allowed for each candidate to make the case for nomination to the delegates before voting can begin. Harris announced she’d locked up the nomination within 36 hours of Biden’s exit from the race, noting she’d won commitments of backing from a majority of the nearly 4,000 delegates. “I am proud to have earned the support needed to become our party’s nominee,” she wrote in a social media post just after midnight early Tuesday morning. HARRIS REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM TRUMP WANTS TO ‘BAN’ ABORTION DURING FIRST CAMPAIGN RALLY SINCE BIDEN QUIT RACE “As a party, it’s our obligation to design and implement a fair nomination process for delegates to formally express their preferences through a vote to select an official presidential nominee of the Democratic Party who will go on to top the ballot in November,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. “As extreme Republicans try to chip away at the faith in our institutions, the work of our Rules Committee and the responsibility of our delegates to cast their votes in the days to come proves that our democracy is strong.” Democratic National Convention Committee Chair Minyon Moore echoed Harrison in her own statement, saying she was “confident” the announced process was “secure, democratic and critical to our defense against bad-faith litigation coming from Republicans and dark money groups. “The convention in Chicago will be a critical moment for our party — not only to rally around our nominees and showcase their bold platform for the next four years — but to bring delegates to the table to vote on our party’s platform and conduct a ceremonial state-by-state roll call that has long been a beloved tradition of our party.” The Democratic National Convention will kick off Aug. 19 at the United Center in Chicago and will run through Aug. 22. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Texas town strips funding for monthly art event over drag show
The arts center that organizes the monthly art walk, which draws 20,000 to downtown Lubbock, said the drag show happened at an off-site location and had no association with it.
51 Texas school districts are not complying with state ban on hairstyle discrimination, ACLU says
At least one school district, Tolar ISD in North Texas, told the ACLU it would update its policies to comply with the CROWN Act.
Obama’s inner circle signals 44th president firmly behind Harris despite not saying so publicly
Former President Obama has not yet endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president, though allies in the Obama orbit indicate the 44th president is squarely behind Harris’ campaign. President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race Sunday afternoon in a letter posted to his X account, which was shortly followed by him endorsing Harris for president. Democrats nationwide soon united in their calls for Harris to become the party’s nominee as they square up for another election battle against former President Donald Trump. Though Democratic leaders such as Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, as well as the Clintons and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have offered Harris their endorsements, Obama has remained mum. “Michelle and I just want to express our love and gratitude to Joe and Jill for leading us so ably and courageously during these perilous times — and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on,” Obama wrote in his statement following Biden bowing out, which did not including mentioning Harris. GROWING LIST OF OBAMA ALLIES, FORMER ADVISERS LOOK TO SINK BIDEN RE-ELECTION BID Since leaving the Oval Office, Obama has typically held his endorsement card close to his chest. He endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in June of 2016, while his endorsement of Biden in 2020 was only made days ahead of the DNC. Obama remained coy for a long while during the 2020 election about whom he would endorse, saying he would not back anyone during the primary. As Democratic contenders such as Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the primary race and cleared a path for Biden, however, Obama finally endorsed his former veep in August of that year. Harris was also a contender in the 2020 race, and had long had a friendship with Obama prior to her 2020 run, sparking media speculation that the 44th president could throw his support behind Harris instead of his VP. OBAMA ALLIES, ADVISERS HELPED LEAD THE CHARGE AMONG DEMS LOOKING TO SINK BIDEN AHEAD OF OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Harris was among the first elected Democrats in the nation to endorse Obama’s first run for president in the 2008 election, snubbing Hillary Clinton in favor of the then-Illinois senator. “I’m told that I was the first elected person in California to endorse [Obama] when he decided to run for president,” Harris said back in 2019 while she was campaigning for president. “I will remind you, and it is important to know, that early in those days Joe Biden was running against him.” Harris was in attendance when Obama announced his candidacy for president in 2007, after first meeting him 2004 when he was an Illinois state senator running for the U.S. Senate, the Washington Examiner previously reported. “Barack Obama will be a president who finally ends the era of fear that has been used to divide and demoralize our country,” Harris said during California’s Democratic convention in 2008. As Harris built her political career from San Francisco district attorney to California attorney general and then senator, Harris was even dubbed “the female Obama” by some political analysts. EX-OBAMA ADVISER SAYS BIDEN CAN’T BEAT ‘FATHER TIME’ AND IS ‘NOT WINNING THIS RACE’ Fast forward to Harris’ 2020 campaign for the presidency, those in Obama’s orbit rallied around Harris’ campaign while the 44th president kept quiet. Public relations executive Michael Kempner and his wife held a fundraiser for Harris in the Hamptons that cycle, after they raised millions for Obama during his 2012 re-election campaign, Politico reported at the time. Eugene Duffy, who served as national finance committee member for Obama in 2008, helped fundraise for Harris that cycle, as did Obama donor and supporter, Jeff Shell, the former CEO of NBCUniversal. Though Obama is again remaining coy with his endorsement in 2024 cycle, powerful advisers and allies in his orbit have joined Harris’ campaign. Harris tapped Obama’s former attorney general Eric Holder to lead the vetting process of Harris’ potential running mates, while the campaign also reportedly contacted longtime Obama adviser David Plouffe for a leadership position on the team. Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, who worked as Obama’s 2012 deputy campaign manager and Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign chair, was announced as Harris’ campaign manager. OBAMA SILENT OVER REPORTS HE’S WORKING ‘BEHIND THE SCENES’ TO FORCE BIDEN OUT OF THE 2024 RACE Ahead of Biden dropping out of the race on Sunday afternoon, Obama allies notably helped lead the charge in calling for Biden to exit the race in favor of a candidate they believed was more suitable to take on Trump. Obama’s former chief campaign strategist David Axelrod declared earlier this month that Biden is “not winning this race.” Actor George Clooney called on Biden to drop out of the race in a bombshell op-ed that was published just weeks after the Hollywood star co-hosted Biden, alongside Obama, for a ritzy campaign event in Los Angeles. Clooney has long had a personal friendship with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, including vacationing with the first couple in previous years. OBAMA AGAIN STEPPING INTO ROLE AS JOE’S CLOSER AHEAD OF TRUMP V BIDEN REMATCH Another ally in Obama’s orbit, Jon Favreau, who served as former director of speech writing for Obama, also called on Biden to drop out of the race this month, saying he attended the fundraiser in L.A. with Clooney and Obama and witnessed firsthand Biden’s state of mental acuity. Favreau, alongside former Obama advisers Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor — known collectively as the “Obama Bros” when they worked in the White House — also dedicated the majority of a podcast episode of “Pod Save America” this month to trashing Biden. The “Obama Bros” and other former advisers in Obama’s orbit have since taken to social media to celebrate Harris’ run. As momentum builds behind Harris’ candidacy, with the DNC anticipated to certify her as the nominee on Aug. 1, Obama’s statement Sunday follows his history
Fox News Politics: ‘Useful Idiots’ for Iran
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Here’s what’s happening… – Biden’s Cabinet circles around the President as he faces calls to resign… – Harris skips Netanyahu speech to address Indiana sorority… – New ad might serve as blueprint for campaigning against Kamala Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tore into Gaza cease-fire demonstrations across the U.S. and accused Iran of funding those protests during an impassioned address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. “I have a message for these protesters. When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” Netanyahu said. “Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming gays for Gaza. They might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC.’ These protesters chant ‘From the river to the sea.’ But many don’t have a clue what river and what sea they’re talking about.”…Read more BUGGING OUT: Anti-Israel agitators released maggots in Netanyahu’s hotel …Read more ‘GREATEST ALLY’: Netanyahu addresses Congress, to meet Biden as Israelis ponder relationship …Read more BRING THEM HOME: Families of Americans held by Hamas pin hopes on Netanyahu speech …Read more VP SNUB: Harris skipping out on Netanyahu speech to address Indiana sorority …Read more ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS: Agitators descend on DC ahead of Israeli PM Netanyahu’s address to Congress …Read more DON’T BRUSH OFF BIBI: Top Jewish GOP group criticizes Harris for ‘snubbing’ Netanyahu’s speech to Congress …Read more ‘SHAMEFUL’: Republicans blast VP Harris for ‘inexcusable’ decision to skip Netanyahu’s address to Congress …Read more ‘SCANDAL’: White House credibility under spotlight after Biden drops out of race …Read more SHIFTING VIEWS: Harris’ mixed record on Israel enters spotlight during Netanyahu visit …Read more FALLING IN LINE: Biden’s Cabinet doubles down on support for president amid calls to invoke 25th Amendment …Read more ‘GRAVE THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’: Biden’s reported support for SCOTUS term limits poses ‘grave threat to democracy’: experts …Read more ‘100%’ ODDS: GOP senator scoffs at WH talking point on Hunter Biden pardon chances …Read more ‘HUNT’ING FOR PARDON?: Hunter Biden faces questions ahead of president’s primetime address …Read more RALLY CRY: Crowd chants ‘lock him up’ during first Harris rally …Read more ‘LOST SIGHT’: Trump rally law enforcement spotted, then lost gunman before shooting: bodycam …Read more NEW DETAILS: FBI director Wray’s 5 revelations about Trump shooters’ stash of explosives, weapons …Read more CHILLING SEARCH HISTORY: FBI director reveals Trump shooter’s Google search the day he registered for Butler rally …Read more SOMETHING TO SAY: Top Dem says Butler officials told him ‘we need to talk’ more about Secret Service failures …Read more NO FORGIVENESS: GOP bill would punish antisemitic student protesters …Read more ‘WORKED SO HARD’: Rep. Waters was ‘angry at first’ over Biden drop-out, was told he was staying in …Read more ‘SHE’S GOING TO FIGHT’: Harris voters want abortion rights federalized, ‘free’ public education …Read more ‘NEW FRIEND’: Vulnerable Dem senator hit with blistering ad tying him to VP Harris on key issue …Read more ‘NOTHING TO CHANCE’: Trump campaign ‘well-positioned to prosecute the case’ against Kamala Harris, but leaves ‘nothing to chance’ …Read more ‘MOST LIBERAL NOMINEE EVER’: ‘Brilliant’ new ad praised by conservatives as blueprint on how to beat Kamala Harris …Read more ‘FIRED UP’: VP Harris draws energetic crowd in first rally as presumptive Democrat nominee …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
KJP speaks for first time from White House since Biden dropped out of presidential race: ‘Very personal’
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre held a press briefing for the first time since President Biden announced he would not be pursuing a second term and emphasized that his decision was not due to his health. After sharing their condolences to the family and friends of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who passed away over the weekend, as well as condemning the killing of Sonya Massey, who was fatally shot by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy in her home, Jean-Pierre addressed Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race. Reading from a letter Biden issued on Sunday, Jean-Pierre said, “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” WHITE HOUSE COMMS SHOP’S CREDIBILITY QUESTIONED AFTER BIDEN BOWS OUT: ‘SCANDAL’ Jean-Pierre defended the president and denied any notion of him resigning from his current post and proceeded to highlight his accomplishments during his term. “We believe and any suggestion of that note is ridiculous. I just laid out what the president has been able to do in almost four years, and it’s been successful,” Jean-Pierre stated. “He’s been able to do more again than any president has been able to do in two terms. He’s been able to do that more in one term, and he wants to finish the job that he started and delivering more historic results for the American people.” HUNTER BIDEN FACES QUESTIONS AHEAD OF PRESIDENT’S PRIMETIME ADDRESS: ‘IT’S ALL GOOD, MAN’ When asked why Biden stepped down and if it was related to his health, Jean-Pierre dodged the question again and deferred to the president’s address on Wednesday evening. “Again, the president’s going to speak to this directly to the American people tonight in prime time. I know many of you all will be watching it. There are specials going on tonight. He will, I promise you, he will speak to this directly to all of you tonight,” she said. “But in his letter, he talked about the country. He talked about the party. He talked about the moment that we’re in right now. It is not about his health. I can say no, that’s not the reason. But hear him out tonight.” BIDEN WILL ADDRESS NATION FROM OVAL OFFICE ON DECISION TO EXIT 2024 RACE When asked if Biden felt bullied to leave the race, Jean-Pierre again deferred to Biden’s Wednesday evening speech and said that his decision to step down was not an easy one to make. “It’s obviously a historic moment, but a decision like this is very personal. It’s not easy to make. And I think there are very rare politicians who could look at the situation and make a decision. And I think it speaks to how honorable this president is, how selfless this president is, that he was able to make this decision and say, it is not about me, it is about the American people,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is about the country and making, again, a personal, difficult decision. And so I think that speaks for itself, I really do.”
Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail with a new opponent in a transformed 2024 race
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former President Trump is back on the campaign trail Wednesday – with a stop in the crucial swing state of North Carolina. But the Republican presidential nominee – in his first rally since President Biden’s blockbuster announcement Sunday that he was suspending his re-election bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer – is facing a dramatically altered 2024 race. The president’s immediate backing of Harris ignited a surge of endorsements by Democratic governors, senators, House members and other party leaders in supporting Harris and by Monday night the vice president announced that she’d locked up her party’s nomination by landing commitments of backing from a majority of the nearly 4,000 delegates to next month’s Democratic National Convention. IT’S A MARGIN OF ERROR RACE BETWEEN TRUMP AND HARRIS But Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley says even though Trump’s now facing a new opponent at the top of the Democrats’ ticket, the GOP’s strategy “does not change…at all.” “We have been running our race, and we are going to continue to run our race,” Whatley, a former North Carolina GOP chair whom Trump installed as RNC chair in March after clinching the Republican nomination, emphasized in a Fox News interview. WHAT’S NEXT FOR HARRIS NOW THAT SHE’S SEEMINGLY LOCKED UP THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION? Whatley, speaking at the rally site at Charlotte’s Bojangles Coliseum, spotlighted that Trump and the RNC will relentlessly tie Harris to Biden’s polices on border security, fighting inflation, crime, and other top issues in the 2024 election. “The Democrats not only have a messenger problem, they have a message problem. And Kamala Harris is doubling down on every single one of Joe Biden’s failed policies. It’s the Biden-Harris administration, the Biden-Harris campaign. And she is picking up that mantle,” he argued. The RNC chair emphasized that Trump “has absolutely united the Republican Party in a way we haven’t had in generations. Now it’s time to unite the country around that vision of making America great again.” Trump narrowly won North Carolina in his 2020 election defeat to Biden, and Democrats see an opportunity to flip the state this November. The trip by Trump to North Carolina – which he narrowly carried in his 2020 re-election defeat to Biden -is the second in two months. The last time Trump was in North Carolina, he was watching NASCAR in Concord over Memorial Day weekend. The state is one of seven crucial battlegrounds that decided the 2020 contest and is likely to once again heavily influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. “We continue to focus on the Blue Wall states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania — and the Sun Belt states of North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, where the Vice President’s advantages with young voters, Black voters, and Latino voters will be important to our multiple pathways to 270 electoral votes,” a memo from the Harris campaign spotlighted hours before Trump arrived in North Carolina. Whatley said Trump, in his speech in North Carolina, needs to “continue his conversation with every American family, talking to every single American voter about his vision for a better America. He is going to be the one who is going to restore our southern border, restore our economy, restore our standing in the world, and really be the one around that vision.” But expect Trump to also take aim at Harris, as he’s amped up his verbal attacks on the vice president since Sunday in posts on this Truth Social platform. Among other things, the former president called her “Dumb as a Rock” and “a totally failed and insignificant Vice President.” Harris is also turning up the volume. In a tease of her argument against Trump, Harris is pointing to her law enforcement resume as she spotlights Trump’s legal controversies. “As many of you know, before I was elected as vice president, before I was elected as United States senator, I was the elected attorney general of California. Before that, I was a courtroom prosecutor. In those roles I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” Harris said on Monday in a line she repeated the next day. “Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type,” she emphasized as she pointed to Trump’s multiple lawsuits and criminal cases, many of which are ongoing. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.