Vance hits campaign trail as Harris team scrambles to consolidate Dem support
JD Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio newly tapped as former President Trump’s running mate, is hitting the campaign trail on Monday, as Vice President Harris’ team scrambles to consolidate support from Democrats a day after President Biden bowed out of the race. Vance, who Trump a week ago named as his vice presidential pick on the heels of surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, on Monday afternoon. Later Monday evening, Vance is to hold another rally in Radford, Virginia. For the first time since Biden announced he would no longer seek re-election, Harris spoke at the White House Monday morning during an event honoring NCAA college athletes. “Our president, Joe Biden wanted to be here today. He is feeling much better and recovering fast, and he looks forward to getting back on the road,” Harris said at the start of her remarks. “And I wanted to say a few words about our president. Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history.” BIDEN STILL HASN’T BEEN SEEN SINCE BOMBSHELL 2024 ANNOUNCEMENT, AS COVID ISOLATION CONTINUES Harris, who recalled first getting to know Biden through his late son, Beau, championed the president’s “honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big heart and his love, deep love of our country.” She said she is a “firsthand witness that every day our president, Joe Biden, fights for the American people. And we are deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our nation.” Biden, who has been self-isolating in Rehoboth, Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, dropped the bombshell announcement Sunday that he would no longer seek re-election. In a letter shared online, Biden endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee and said he would focus on his duties for the remainder of his term. He still has not been seen publicly since making the announcement. Reuters reported that campaign officials have already made hundreds of calls on Harris’ behalf insisting that delegates name her the Democrats’ presidential nominee during next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat once viewed as a potential rival to Biden, said in an X post Monday that she endorses Harris. Another Democrat, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he too endorses Harris as president and signaled interest in potentially joining her ticket as vice presidential running mate. JD VANCE CALLS ON DEMOCRATS TO INVOKE 25TH AMENDMENT: IF BIDEN ‘CAN’T RUN… HE CAN’T SERVE’ Harris released a statement Sunday after Biden stepped aside. “My intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party – and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump.” CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sources told Reuters that the Trump campaign has been preparing for Harris’ possible entry into the race for weeks, as increasing numbers of Democratic lawmakers and donors called on Biden to step aside following his stumbling and stalled debate performance in Atlanta last month.
Dems test out attack on Trump’s age with Biden now out of race
President Biden’s exit from the 2024 race means former President Trump will be the oldest nominee in U.S. history, a fact not lost on Democrats looking to turn the age question around on Republicans. “This will probably boil down to Donald Trump, who is the oldest nominee in history, against Kamala Harris,” Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said in reaction to the news that Biden was dropping out of the race, according to a report in The Associated Press. Maxwell’s comments come as the race for the White House was thrown into chaos Sunday by Biden’s announcement that he was stepping aside, arguing in a statement posted to social media that he made the decision “in the best interest of my party and the country.” KAMALA HARRIS CONFIRMS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID AFTER BIDEN DROPS OUT Concerns over what was in the best interest of the party and the country mostly focused around Biden’s age and mental acuity, an issue that became even more prominent after the president’s disastrous debate performance at the beginning of the month. Calls for Biden, who would be 82 by inauguration day, to drop out of the race continued to intensify in the weeks after the debate, finally leading to his decision to step aside Sunday. That decision makes Trump, 78, the oldest nominee in history, opening up the new line of attack from Democrats. “Donald Trump is too old to be President,” Democratic Ohio State Rep. Casey Weinstein posted on X in reaction to the news that Trump was now the oldest ever nominee. FORCING PRESIDENT BIDEN OUT OF CAMPAIGN MAY HAVE BEEN MORE ABOUT CONGRESS THAN WHITE HOUSE “The man is nearly 80-years-old and so the question is, can he serve another four years? I’m not sure he can,” former South Carolina state Rep. Bakari Sellers, a Democrat, told CNN. Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden endorsed to top the ticket after dropping out, also plans to attack Trump’s age if she eventually does become the nominee, according to a report from the Telegraph, citing the vice president’s deputy chief of staff. The report also added that Erin Wilson, a West Wing veteran, hinted at a similar strategy, saying in a call with the group “Win With Black Woman” that Harris would make “the issue of age and fitness a liability for Trump.” “Her role as a prosecutor makes her the ultimate contrast to Trump, the convicted felon,” Wilson reportedly said on the call. When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Harris campaign spokesperson James Singer said that the “American people are rightly concerned that the Republican Party has nominated Donald Trump, a 78-year-old convicted criminal,” adding that Trump “has spent decades screwing over working people and now wants to destroy our democracy, ban abortion, and only cares about himself.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Harris ripped for resurfaced claims praising Biden’s fitness amid age concerns: ‘Complicit in a coverup’
Vice President Kamala Harris, who recently became the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for president after President Biden stepped down on Sunday, is facing renewed criticism for dismissing concerns about Biden’s health in recent months. “We have a very bold and vibrant president in Joe Biden,” Harris told “Good Morning America” in February amid concerns about Biden’s health. Also in February, Harris insisted, “Our president is in good shape, in good health, and is ready to lead in our second term.” “It is important we not be seduced into one of the only arguments that that side of the aisle has right now on [Biden’s cognitive decline] in a way that is intended to distract!” Harris said in November 2023. That same month, Harris said, “Age is more than a chronological fact … Not only is he absolutely authoritative in rooms around the globe, but in the Oval Office.” HOW DOES KAMALA HARRIS POLL AGAINST DONALD TRUMP? “Joe Biden is gonna be fine,” the vice president assured the public in September 2023. “I’m ready, if necessary, but it’s not gonna be necessary,” Harris said in March. The clips of Harris defending Biden resurfaced this week after the president announced roughly a month after his widely panned debate performance that he would in fact drop out of the race. “She lied,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X on Sunday. “Kamala is complicit in a coverup.” KAMALA HARRIS’ PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN RAISES NEARLY $50 MILLION SINCE BIDEN ENDORSEMENT “Make no mistake – Kamala Harris wanted the nomination without a primary,” former acting Director of the United States National Intelligence Ric Grenell posted on X. “She lied to the public about Joe’s actual health up until the last minute when a primary would be too late. She knew all along.” Sen. JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, wrote on X that Harris “lied for nearly four years about Biden’s mental capacity–saddling the nation with a president who can’t do the job.” “Kamala Harris lied to Americans for four years that Joe Biden was able to serve, sharp as a tack, fit as a fiddle,” GOP Sen. Tom Cotton posted on X. “Now, she has to answer: if Joe Biden isn’t fit to run for president, do you believe that he’s fit to continue serving as president?” “The cover up of Biden’s condition by Democrats and the media will go down as one of the biggest scandals in American history,” GOP Congressman Darrell Issa posted on X. Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’s office for comment but did not receive a response.
Democrats to meet Wednesday to hammer out timing on Harris presidential nomination
As the tidal wave of Democrats endorsing Vice President Kamal Harris to succeed President Biden as the party’s 2024 presidential nominee continued on Monday, the big question moving forward is when the party will officially nominate her. That answer could come Wednesday afternoon, when the Democratic National Committee’s panel that oversees the process meets to hammer out the timetable for the presidential nomination roll call. In a statement late on Sunday night, the DNC’s Rules Committee highlighted that with Biden ending his re-election bid, it’s now its “responsibility to implement a framework to select a new nominee.” HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING THE PUSH BY DEMOCRATS TO NOMINATE HARRIS TO REPLACE BIDEN And the committee spotlighted that the process “will be open, transparent, fair, and orderly.” The committee announced that its meeting would take place at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and the proceedings would be available to watch on the DNC’s Youtube page. The push to move forward with the virtual nomination of Harris ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which kicks off on Aug. 19 in Chicago, comes because of a ballot-access conflict in Ohio that was eventually corrected. The DNC has previously said the roll call would not take place before Aug. 1, and a source with knowledge of the Rules Committee’s thinking told Fox News that date still stands. Ohio’s presidential nomination deadline for ballot access stood at Aug. 7, nearly two weeks before the start of the Democrats’ convention. In past election cycles, state lawmakers approved temporary fixes to shift the deadline. This year, the legislature didn’t approve the fix – which moved the deadline back until after the Democrats’ convention – until the end of May. But the DNC – as of now – is sticking with its plan to hold the roll call by Aug. 7, in order to prevent any potential litigation by Republicans to upend the Democrats. That’s because it normally takes 90 days after a bill is signed into law in Ohio to take effect, and Gov. Mike DeWine signed the deadline fix at the beginning of June, which means it doesn’t officially kick in until Sept. 1. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Union Budget 2024: Only 51% graduates employable, 4.4% young workforce formally skilled, says Economic Survey
The survey said 65 per cent of India’s fast-growing population is under the age of 35, and many lack the skills needed by a modern economy.
Delh-NCR Weather Update: IMD issues yellow alert for light to moderate rain till this day; check full forecast
On Monday, the Safdarjung base station saw a minimum temperature of 29.2 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, and the maximum temperature on was 36.6 degrees Celsius, which is also two notches above normal.
INS Brahmaputra severely damaged in fire, sailor missing
An inquiry has been ordered by the Indian Navy to investigate the accident.
White House, family offer conflicting accounts if Biden’s health influenced decision to drop out
Days ahead of officially dropping out of the 2024 race, President Biden declared in a media interview that a medical diagnosis from a doctor would likely sway him to reconsider running for a second term. “If I had some medical condition that emerged,” Biden said, when asked in a BET interview this month if there was a reason that would make him reconsider running in 2024. “If doctors came to me and said, ‘You got this problem, that problem.’” Following weeks of adamant declarations from Biden and his campaign that he was staying in the race, the president dropped out on Sunday afternoon, and shortly after endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. “My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden posted on X Sunday afternoon announcing his support for Harris. TRUMP CALLS FOR NEXT PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TO BE HELD ON FOX NEWS “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” he continued. Biden is self-isolating in his home Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after a COVID-19 diagnosis last week. He said he would address the nation with more information about his departure “later this week.” “Our president, Joe Biden wanted to be here today. He is feeling much better and recovering fast, and he looks forward to getting back on the road,” Harris said Monday in her first public remarks since Biden’s departure from the race. For years, Biden’s health has been of concern to conservatives, including former White House doctor Ronny Jackson, before the concerns snowballed following Biden’s disastrous debate against former President Trump last month. The debate performance – which included Biden stumbling over his words, trailing off on his thoughts and answering questions in a much more subdued manner than during previous public events – opened the floodgates to legacy media outlets and Democratic allies calling on Biden to drop out over concerns about his mental fitness and age. WHAT COMES NEXT FOR DEMOCRATS AFTER BIDEN’S CAMPAIGN SUSPENSION? Biden and the administration have hit back that Biden’s mental fitness is sound and that he does not have dementia, Parkinson’s or other diseases. Biden’s brother, however, said following Sunday’s announcement that the president’s health “absolutely” played a role in his decision not to seek re-election just weeks ahead of the Democratic National Convention. “I’m incredibly proud of my brother. Selfishly, I will have him back to enjoy whatever time we have left. He is a genuine hero. Country over self. Sounds corny in our cynical political environment, but he nor I are cynical. The goal remains the same, defeat Trump and continue the work that Joe has done. My hope is that our party rallies around this heroic act,” Frank Biden told CBS News on Sunday. READ IT: BIDEN DROPS OUT OF 2024 RACE WITH LETTER “In my humble opinion, absolutely,” he said when asked if his brother’s health played a role in him bowing out. Following Frank Biden’s comment, a source close to the Biden family told CBS that the president’s brother is an alcoholic and his claims were “completely untrue.” “Frank Biden suffers from alcoholism and hasn’t spoken to his brother, the president, in weeks. What he said about President Biden’s health being a factor in his decision is completely untrue,” the source told the outlet. White House spokesman Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital when asked about the president’s health that it did not play a role in his decision to drop out of the race. “No. Health was not a factor,” Bates said Monday morning. ‘PROUD OF OUR PRESIDENT’: DEMS HEAP PRAISE ON BIDEN FOR DECISION TO END 2024 CAMPAIGN Concerns surrounding Biden’s mental acuity stretch back to the 2020 election, when White House doctor under the Obama and Trump administrations, Ronny Jackson, sounded the alarm that he didn’t believe Biden was mentally fit for office. “As a citizen, not as a candidate running for Congress, but as a citizen of this country, I’ve watched Joe Biden on the campaign trail and I am concerned and convinced that he does not have the mental capacity, the cognitive ability, to serve as our commander in chief and our head of state,” Jackson, who is now a Republican congressman representing Texas, said in 2020. The concerns have mounted since, most notably in February of this year when Special Counsel Robert Hur published his report investigating the president’s handling of classified documents after his departure as vice president in the Obama administration. The report stated Hur would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, calling Biden “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” BIDEN ENDS BID FOR 2ND TERM IN WHITE HOUSE AS HE DROPS OUT OF 2024 REMATCH WITH TRUMP His mental fitness again came under scrutiny when the Wall Street Journal published a piece earlier this year based on dozens of interviews with lawmakers and administration officials who characterized Biden as losing his mental edge and showing his age in meetings. The White House slammed the article as a partisan hit piece. In addition to concerns over Biden’s mental acuity, he previously suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988 that nearly claimed his life. “If he did survive, there was a chance that the part of his brain that governed his speech would be damaged,” newly-released book “American Woman,” authored by New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers, reported of the 1988 health scare. OBAMA AGAIN STEPPING INTO ROLE AS JOE’S CLOSER AHEAD OF TRUMP V BIDEN REMATCH Amid mounting concerns over his mental fitness, Biden was mocked and criticized on social
Wes Moore, considered a rising star among Democratic governors, endorses Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris racked up a key endorsement on Monday morning from Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., who is considered a rising star within the Democratic Party. “I had lengthy conversations with both the President and the Vice President yesterday, and I offered my full support for Kamala Harris’ candidacy to both of them directly,” Moore said in a statement. “Vice President Harris has the experience, record, vision, and wisdom to unify the country.” “President Biden selected her to serve by his side because he knew she could lead the nation. She will have the unique ability to energize the Democratic Party base and mobilize a unique coalition, and we must rally around her and elect her to serve as the next President of the United States.” KAMALA HARRIS SPENT MONTHS SHOOTING DOWN CONCERNS OVER BIDEN’S MENTAL COMPETENCY President Biden announced his decision to suspend his re-election campaign on Sunday amid mounting pressure from Democrats for him to do so. He subsequently endorsed Harris as his successor, and she quickly accepted the opportunity. “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said in a statement announcing her hope to be the Democratic nominee. KAMALA HARRIS CONFIRMS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID AFTER BIDEN DROPS OUT While some lawmakers and prominent Democrats followed Biden’s lead and endorsed Harris, there were many who held off. Several Democrats issued statements on Biden’s decision without even mentioning Harris. However, on Monday morning, backers for Harris began pouring in. ‘PROUD OF OUR PRESIDENT’: DEMS HEAP PRAISE ON BIDEN FOR DECISION TO END 2024 CAMPAIGN Moore, who was elected governor in 2022, was speculated as a potential contender for the Democratic nomination with Biden’s withdrawal, but he put any discussions to rest with his choice to support Harris. He is now likely to be considered as a running mate for her, given his popularity. After Biden stepped aside, Harris’s campaign said it pulled in nearly $50 million in donations. “Since the President endorsed Vice President Harris yesterday afternoon, everyday Americans have given $49.6 million in grassroots donations to her campaign,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Another who could be considered as a vice presidential nominee for Harris is Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., who also endorsed her. He was asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday whether he would consider it, and he confirmed he would “listen” and did not shut the door. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Secret Service director opens testimony with frank admission: ‘We failed’ – but won’t resign
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle opened her testimony to Congress with a frank admission that her agency “failed” in its mission to protect former President Trump. Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, facing a grilling from Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike. Several GOP lawmakers have called on her to resign, though she has so far refused. “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13, we failed,” Cheatle said in her opening statement. “As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency. We are fully cooperating with ongoing investigations. We must learn what happened, and I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13th does not happen again.” Despite saying that she takes full responsibility for what happened, Cheatle has said she will not resign, stating during the hearing that she believes she is currently the best person to lead the Secret Service right now. TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW GUNMAN EVADED SECURITY Cheatle made clear that none of her testimony should be understood as a criticism of local law enforcement or other security partners the Secret Service worked with at former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., opened his questioning by asking whether a Secret Service agent had been on the roof the shooter used at any point on the day of the rally. TOP REPUBLICAN WARNS OF ‘RUDE AWAKENING’ IF ‘STONEWALLING’ CONTINUES AS SECRET SERVICE FACES HEARING Cheatle skirted the question, however, saying she could not offer specific details due to ongoing investigations. Comer then pressed about whether the building was within the security perimeter around Trump’s rally, to which Cheatle said it was not. Cheatle later confirmed to Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., ranking member of the committee, that shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified as a suspicious individual before Trump was taken onto the stage. He pressed Cheatle on why Trump was allowed on the stage despite the risk, and the official stated that while Crooks had been identified as suspicious, he had not yet been determined to be a threat. TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS’ PARENTS REGISTERED PENNSYLVANIA PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS: RECORDS Cheatle will spend several hours fending off questions from lawmakers throughout Monday’s hearing. Comer set the tone for the day with his own opening remarks, in which he called on the director to resign. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “It is my firm belief, Director Cheatle, that you should resign. However, in complete defiance, Director Cheatle has maintained she will not tender her resignation,” Comer said in his remarks. “Therefore, she will answer questions today from members of this committee seeking to provide clarity to the American people about how these events were allowed to transpire.”