Ex-DHS, FBI official demands overhaul of Trump shooting probe after ‘colossal security failure’
FIRST ON FOX: A former senior Homeland Security official and FBI agent is calling for a bipartisan commission to be formed to investigate the assassination attempt on former President Trump, arguing the public has lost trust in the federal agencies. Mark Morgan most recently served as acting head of Customs and Border Protection under the Trump administration and also had a 20-year career with the FBI, including as a former SWAT operator and tactical instructor, and with the FBI’s critical incident response group. He spoke to Fox News Digital Tuesday about the ongoing reviews of Saturday’s assassination attempt. “Here’s the reality that we have to face for those of us who were past and even those that are currently involved in these agencies. … America’s trust in the Department of Justice, the FBI, Congress, it has dropped precipitously the past few years. That’s just the reality,” Morgan said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE U.S. NEWS The assassination attempt has drawn bipartisan scrutiny from Congress over how the gunman was allowed to get so close to Trump and get multiple shots off at the former president. The heads of the House Oversight and Homeland Security committees have demanded briefings from agency heads. In the Senate, both Homeland Security Committee Chairman Gary Peters and ranking member Rand Paul announced they will investigate the matter. President Biden has directed an independent review of the incident, and the FBI is investigating. TRUMP SHOOTER MADE HOME DEPOT VISIT PRIOR TO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: REPORT “So, the challenge is that although we have these investigations that are going to go on, I just don’t think the public trusts these agencies to really come forth with a comprehensive review and then a series of meaningful recommendations with respect to how we need to improve. And I also don’t think America trusts that they’re going to come forward with meaningful accountability for those that were involved in what is clearly a colossal security failure,” Morgan said. The head of the Secret Service this week called the shooting “unacceptable,” while DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called it a “failure” of the agency. But Morgan says if he were one of the agency heads, he would have already resigned. “In my opinion, if I was a Secret Service director, I would have already tendered my resignation and handed it to the president. But, just like the secretary of DHS, their ego won’t let them do the right thing,” Morgan said. Morgan said he would like to see Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who previously chaired the Senate Homeland Security Committee, lead the commission. “He’s got the experience. He led the House Homeland Security committee on the Senate side. He knows DHS, how they operate, knows how the Secret Service operates. And I also think he’s got credibility on both sides of the aisle,” Morgan said. He also said there would need to be experts from multiple administrations as part of the commission. “But let’s do a true bipartisan commission and look at it from A to Z because, right now, we’re going to have congressional committees doing their thing. We’re going to have the DHS IG and Secret Service doing their thing. We’re going to have the FBI doing their investigation in the shooting,” Morgan said. “So, we’re going to have all these different stovepipe things that are happening, really independent of each other. And that’s why I see the commission would bring all those in together. “So, I’m not saying you stop any one of those things. What I say, though, is the commission would act as the umbrella to bring all those things together and to produce a single full and complete comprehensive report regarding just all the circumstances around it,” he said. He also said the commission could look at the Secret Service as a whole, including methodology. “This is a clear indication and justification that needs to happen. And so I don’t think you’re going to get that with these individual entities doing their thing. But the most important thing is, I don’t think the American people are going to have confidence in any of those entities regardless of what they report.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bill banning schools from notifying parents of child’s gender identity
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a new law banning school districts from notifying parents if their child uses different pronouns or identifies as a gender that’s different from what’s on their school record. AB 1955 has won praise from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups who say the ban will help protect transgender and gender-nonconforming students who live in unwelcoming households. Tony Hoang, executive director of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality California, called the legislation “critical” for strengthening protections for LGBTQ+ youth against forced outing policies, “[AB 1955] provides resources for parents and families of LGBTQ+ students to support them as they have conversations on their terms, and creates critical safeguards to prevent retaliation against teachers and school staff who foster a safe and supportive school environment for all students,” Hoang said. But the bill has had plenty of detractors. The conservative group, the California Family Council, said the law violates parents’ rights. “This bill undermines their fundamental role and places boys and girls in potential jeopardy,” Jonathan Keller, the council’s president, said in a statement. “Moms and dads have both a constitutional and divine mandate to guide and protect their kids, and AB 1955 egregiously violates this sacred trust.” NEWSOM ATTACKS DEMOCRACY IN CALIFORNIA, BUT WANTS TO TAKE THAT NATIONAL Elon Musk even weighed in, saying he would move the headquarters of SpaceX and the social media platform X to Texas from California in part because of the new law. “This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas,” Musk wrote in a post on X. Tesla, where Musk is CEO, moved its headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto, California, in 2021. The new law comes after several school districts in California passed policies requiring that parents be notified if a child requests to change their gender identification. That led to pushback by Democratic state officials, who say students have a right to privacy. Newsom spokesperson Brandon Richards said the new California law will “keep children safe while protecting the critical role of parents.” “It protects the child-parent relationship by preventing politicians and school staff from inappropriately intervening in family matters and attempting to control if, when, and how families have deeply personal conversations,” Richards said. AB 1955 also requires the state Department of Education to develop resources for families of LGBTQ+ students in grade 7 through high school. The law will take effect in January.
Muharram 2024 Holiday: States where banks will be closed today
Muharram is the first month on the Islamic calendar. Furthermore, the Islamic New Year will begin on July 17.
Centre reconstitutes NITI Aayog: 15 Union Ministers, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chirag Paswan among new members
The four ex-officio members will be Union Ministers Rajnath Singh (Defence), Amit Shah (Home), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Agriculture) and Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance).
GOP rep says he was assaulted by protester at Republican National Convention; CODEPINK slams ‘misogyny’
Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden said on Tuesday that he was assaulted by an anti-war protester at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee — but the protester said she was shoved past by the lawmaker. Van Orden, R-Minn., said in a statement that he was assaulted by a protester, who he identified as coming from the anti-war group CODEPINK, as he was in line to enter the GOP convention. “While standing in line to enter an event at the RNC today, I was assaulted by what appeared to be a member of the pro-Hamas group CODEPINK. A nearby police officer witnessed this assault and I understand they have been arrested,” he said. SCALISE TO FOCUS ON TRUMP’S COMPASSION IN RNC SPEECH, SAYS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT BROUGHT BACK 2017 ‘EMOTIONS’ He said that the incident appeared to be an act of political violence and said “I will never tolerate this.” “Regardless of the severity of the violence, political violence is political violence,” he said. Van Orden raised the recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: TRUMP RALLY SHOOTER IDENTIFIED AS ‘POTENTIAL PERSON OF SUSPICION’ “Republicans have been intimidated and targeted for years including the attempted assassination of President Trump and we will no longer standby and allow lawlessness,” he said. There is no place for political violence in this country and I have repeatedly called for people who choose this path to be prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law.” “Nothing will change until these people are held accountable.” LIVE UPDATES: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION However, CODEPINK denied Van Orden’s version of events, saying that its Palestine campaign organizer was “wrongfully arrested” after Van Orden shoved past her and tried to cut in line. “While peacefully waiting in line to enter the event, Nour, a visibly Palestinian woman, was intentionally bumped into by this bald, white member of Congress while he tried to shove past her,” co-founder Medea Benjamin said. “Despite not reacting to this, Nour was falsely accused of ‘assault’ by a Texas State police officer on the scene and we are told she will be taken to a Milwaukee Police Department. No charges have been filed as of this release. Notably, two other CODEPINK staff members ahead of her in line passed through without any issues, raising concerns of racial profiling.” Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent over 100 law enforcement personnel to Milwaukee to help back security operations at the RNC in MIlwaukie. Benjamin said the incident is a “microcosm of the misogyny” at the RNC that the only Palestinian in line was allegedly assaulted and later arrested. “CODEPINK unequivocally states that no one from our organization assaulted anyone. We attended the RNC to deliver a message of peace and disarmament, adhering strictly to non-violent protest methods,” the statement said.
Armed man in ski mask arrested while approaching Republican National Convention perimeter in Milwaukee
A man armed with an AK-47 pistol and wearing a ski mask was arrested on Monday just blocks from Fiserv Forum where the Republican National Convention is being held in Milwaukee, a federal law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News. Homeland Security Investigators and Capitol Police were conducting surveillance near the RNC perimeter when they noticed a suspicious man approaching. He was wearing a ski mask and carrying a tactical bag, Fox News’ source confirmed. Inside the bag, police found the gun and a full magazine. His intentions were unclear. Milwaukee Police confirmed the incident to Fox News, saying a 21-year-old man was arrested around 1 p.m. on Monday on the 1200 block of N. 11th Street. Police said the man does not have a concealed weapon license in Wisconsin or any other state. Charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, police said. Fox News reached out to the Secret Service about the incident and was referred to Milwaukee Police. Fox News also reached out to Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security, but has not yet heard back.
Biden discloses what would make him drop out of 2024 race
President Biden was asked Tuesday in an interview with Black Entertainment Television (BET) what, if anything, would drive him to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, as a growing number of Democrats call for him to step aside in the race. “If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, the doctors came and said you’ve got this problem, that problem,” Biden told BET’s Ed Gordon. “But I made a serious mistake in the whole debate and, look, when I originally ran, you might remember it, I said I was gonna be a transitional candidate. I thought that I would be able to move from this, to pass it on to somebody else. But I didn’t anticipate things getting so, so, so divided.” “Quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom. And I think I’ve demonstrated that I know how to get things done for the country, in spite of the fact we were told we couldn’t get it done. But there’s more to do, and I’m reluctant to walk away from that,” he added. The comments from Biden’s interview with BET were provided in a preview clip that aired Tuesday evening on CBS Evening News. The full interview, which was recorded in Las Vegas, Nevada, is slated to air Wednesday on BET at 10 p.m. ET. BIDEN AIMS TO SHORE UP BLACK VOTER SUPPORT AS TRUMP TRIES TO MAKE INROADS In the preview of the interview, Biden was also asked how he’s “sure” he will be able to restore Roe v. Wade, which was overturned by the Supreme Court in the summer of 2022. “The Supreme Court did it. Trump appointed the Supreme Court for the express purpose of doing it,” he said. “There’s gonna probably be two more appointments for the court. There’s probably two people gonna resign, I mean retire. Just imagine the court if he has two more appointments what that means forever.” Titled “Black America Votes: The Biden Interview,” BET Media Group said the conversation affords the president an opportunity to “speak directly to Black America” and will “focus on the essential issues impacting our community and discuss why we should continue to support his candidacy amidst growing public concerns and calls for him to withdraw.” The interview marks Biden’s third scheduled sit-down interview with a television network since his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27, which resulted in several Democrats calling for Biden to step aside in the 2024 race for the White House. The interview comes as Biden seeks to maintain his support from Black voters as the once solid foundational bloc of the Democratic Party begins to waver. In addition to the interview with BET, Biden delivered remarks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday. He’s also expected to meet with Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman Rep. Steven Horsford for an economic summit, where he will speak to Black voters and meet with Black members of congress to discuss his vision for a second term. FOCUS GROUP HOST SHOCKED AFTER HALF OF BLACK VOTERS SAY THEY ARE VOTING TRUMP: ‘I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING’ The extensive tour focusing on the Black community comes at the same time former President Trump is courting solidly blue areas of the country, seeking to capitalize on Biden’s perceived weakness. Trump’s decision to target minority voters in places like New York, where Republicans have not carried the state in decades, reflects the Trump campaign’s belief that Biden is showing weakness with key Democratic constituencies. Despite holding a solid majority of Black voters, the Biden campaign has seen a notable drop in enthusiasm in key swing states since 2020. “Our campaign believes that Black voters deserve to hear from Team Biden-Harris, and they deserve to have their vote earned, not assumed,” the Biden campaign previously said about Black voter engagement. “That’s exactly what we are doing through historic investments in Black media and outreach, creative engagement efforts, culturally competent content and innovative organizing initiatives. No campaign has valued Black voters like we have, including through investing earlier and with more money than ever before talking to Black voters.” A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released last month found that support for Biden among Black voters has dropped roughly 20 percentage points in both Michigan and Pennsylvania since the last election. In Michigan, the poll found Trump has 15% of Black voters, compared to Biden at 54% of the support from Black voters. Trump received just 9% of the Black vote in Michigan in the 2020 election. Many pollsters expect Trump to experience a bump in support across all demographics following the assassination attempt that nearly took his life last weekend. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, Hanna Panreck, and Caroline McKee contributed to this report.
VP finalist Marco Rubio arrives at RNC with praise for Trump following selection of JD Vance as running mate
MILWAUKEE— Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a finalist in former President Donald Trump’s search for a vice presidential running mate, arrived at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday with praise for the GOP nominee despite him ultimately picking Ohio Sen. JD Vance to join him on the ticket. Fox News Digital caught up with Rubio outside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee where he reacted to Trump’s triumphant first public appearance in the convention hall since surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday. “I’ve never seen so much energy and enthusiasm behind any candidate in American history, in my time alive,” Rubio said, predicting we would see more of that high energy and enthusiasm in the remaining days of the convention. TRUMP ANNOUNCES OHIO SEN JD VANCE AS HIS 2024 RUNNING MATE Rubio predicted Trump’s highly anticipated Thursday speech would unify Americans around his “core message” that’s “always been the same.” “There’s nothing scandalous about it. He wants to put America, and Americans, above anything else. And, if our president is not going to do that, then who is?” he said. “I think that is the one thing that we actually should be unified over, and I hope, and I believe, that is the one thing we’ll take away from Thursday night.” Trump announced Vance as his running mate in a Monday post on Truth Social while the convention was in the process of officially nominating him as the Republican candidate. TRUMP VP PICK JD VANCE: WHAT ARE HIS VIEWS ON TAXES, DEFICITS, ENTITLEMENTS “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote. Vance was warmly welcomed while appearing on the convention floor during his nomination process later in the day, where he stood alongside members of the Ohio delegation. Ahead of his selection announcement, Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum were both informed they would not be picked, according to multiple sources. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “JD Vance is a fantastic choice. Americans will soon see this is an incredibly intelligent and talented man who is completely committed to making America great again. Vote for #TrumpVance2024 so we can unite our people and save our country!” Rubio wrote in a post on X following Trump’s announcement. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
How Democratic concern about Biden went quiet for a few days
Whatever happened to efforts by congressional Democrats to try to get President Biden to stand down in his re-election bid? Well, they’re still alive. And now that some time has passed after the attempted assassination of former President Trump, expect efforts to persuade Mr. Biden to drop out of the race to resume. That’s because it hasn’t quashed feelings that former President Trump and Republicans are going to clean the Democrats’ collective clock at the polls unless something changes. CONGRESSIONAL BYPASS: MANY DEMOCRATS ELUSIVE ON BIDEN ISSUE Late British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan said that “events” were the most important factor in politics. There was an “event” over the weekend: the shooting. In a weird way, that “event” bought President Biden more time. And Democrats don’t have time if they want to extract the president from the race. There were 19 Democrats who demanded that Mr. Biden step aside as of Saturday afternoon. President Biden took virtual meetings with the House Progressive Caucus and the “New Dems” Coalition. Thirteen of the 19 who called for the President to bow it were members of the new Dems. FOX is told they expected a trickle of additional Democrats to call for Mr. Biden to step out of the race. The number was likely to grow this week. In fact, word that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) made a pilgrimage to meet with Mr. Biden in Rehoboth, Del., and express concerns Democrats had with the president didn’t filter out until 6:05 pm ET Saturday. Trump was shot at 6:11 pm et. So, this “event” temporarily froze efforts to dump President Biden from the ticket. CONGRESS TO ‘LOWER THE BOOM’ ON SECRET SERVICE “He’s dug in,” said one senior House Democrat to FOX of the president. “We can’t have this circular firing squad.” In fact, the “event” of the Trump shooting highlighted the recent fractures in the party over Mr. Biden – while it actually brought Republicans closer together. One senior House Democratic source told FOX that in recent years, “unity” was the Democrats’ calling card. But the president’s poor debate in late June challenged that alliance. “That armor has been exposed,” said one House Democrat. “And now Republicans are using their unity against us.” SENATE WOULD NEED TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY TO EXPEL SEN. BOB MENENDEZ That’s why Democrats are freaking out. Again. FOX is told that Democrats know that the former President Trump’s survival and iconic photo after the shooting bolstered his standing with voters. Democrats were already down on their chances after the debate. Now they are even more worried. So expect the conversation to ramp up again about President Biden’s viability on the ticket. It started today with a letter from some Congressional Democrats asking the DNC to delay the virtual roll call on August 7. The shooting muted the debate about Mr. Biden being the Democratic standard-bearer this fall. “Events” like a political assassination will do that. But in truth, the Democrats’ worry never really went away.
Trump Jr. wants ‘veto power over the RINOs,’ praises Vance to keep MAGA movement going ‘for generations’
EXCLUSIVE: Milwaukee, Wis.— Donald Trump Jr. does not want a role in his father’s administration if the former president is re-elected in November, but he does want “veto power over the RINOs” – an acronym to describe establishment-leaning “Republicans in name only” – and to be able to “stop the bad guys” from getting into positions of power, he told Fox News Digital. Trump Jr. said he is also excited that Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance, his father’s newly named running mate, potentially can “keep this movement going for generations to come.” Trump Jr. spoke exclusively with Fox News Digital on Tuesday afternoon. Trump’s eldest son is set to appear on “Hannity” on Tuesday night. DONALD TRUMP JR. REACTS TO FATHER’S SHOOTING IN NEW INTERVIEW: ‘THAT’S ACTUALLY A MAN WHO’S BEEN TESTED’ Trump Jr. championed Vance on his father’s ticket because Vance is “an incredible America First patriot.” “I think he is someone who truly believes in that mission — he is not a Washington D.C. neocon warmonger, and I think that is so critical,” he told Fox News Digital. “I love having a young, articulate, energetic guy as someone who can help also keep this movement going for generations to come — I think that is so fundamental and so important.” Trump Jr. said he trusts Vance as “a business guy, a politician, and as someone who is probably one of the most articulate fighters against the insanity over on the other side.” “He does a better job in hostile media territory than most of our best guys do,” he said. “I think it is just so critical for the movement going forward and I think he’s going to do a great job as vice president.” Trump Jr. did not have a formal role in his father’s first administration, unlike his sister, Ivanka Trump, who served as a senior adviser. When asked if he plans to have a role in a potential second Trump administration, Trump told Fox News Digital: “No.” EXCLUSIVE: VANCE, HARRIS DISCUSS DEBATE IN ‘BRIEF AND RESPECTFUL’ FIRST PHONE CONVERSATION SINCE VP NOD “I don’t want a role in an administration — I don’t want to do that,” he said. “The only role I want is to put our people in other positions of power. I just want to stop the bad guys from ever getting in those positions of power. That’s the only thing I want.” He added: “I want to veto the RINOs. I want to have a veto power over the RINOs. That’s all I’m asking for.” Trump Jr. said he is “excited” for a potential second Trump administration. “I’m excited to this. This time, we go in, we actually know what we’re doing. We know who the snakes are. We know how to deal with the bad guys,” he said. “I think we can get up and running so quickly, and I think everyone else understands that too — which is why, I think, they have so aggressively tried prosecuting my father and going after him and attacking him and trying to bankrupt him. And if that doesn’t work, they try to jail him.” CLASSIFIED DOCS CASE DISMISSAL MEANS ‘GREATEST’ LEGAL ‘THREAT’ TO TRUMP IS ‘GONE’: EXPERTS When asked about the dismissal of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s classified records case against President Trump; the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity — which was a positive for the former president; the delay in his sentencing in New York v. Trump; and the pause in the Georgia election case, Trump Jr. told Fox News Digital: “We can’t stop winning.” He said he thinks Democrats “fear” Trump’s knowledge of Washington and experience from his first term. “They fear that he comes in with knowledge and that experience, and that he can be an even more effective leader than he was the first time around — and I thought he was pretty darn effective,” he said. SCALISE TO FOCUS ON TRUMP’S COMPASSION IN RNC SPEECH, SAYS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT BROUGHT BACK 2017 ‘EMOTIONS’ When asked to reflect on the assassination attempt against his father at a rally in Butler, Pa. on Saturday, Trump Jr. said his father “is doing great.” “He’s vibrant, obviously a very heavy and somber moment, but when I walk around the floor here, I see unity like I’ve never seen before,” he said. “I see great people that understand the gravity of the situation, but also understand what’s going on and what’s happening in our country and they are really ready to be involved and to bring that back.”