Companies prepare next generation of space stations for orbit
NASA is working with at least three companies that are designing space stations to replace the International Space Station before it de-orbits in 2031. “NASA can utilize those resources in our exploration of the heavens, back to the moon and on to Mars. Then we can rent space on a commercial space station to do our research, to prepare our astronauts for longer flights out into the cosmos,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said. “We’ve given them seed money so that they can jump start developing space stations.” The cost to the U.S. government is a factor, but Nelson believes the investment will pay off. NASA ADMINISTRATOR SAYS ‘AT LEAST A TRILLION’ OTHER PLANETS LIKE EARTH COULD EXIST IN UNIVERSE “If you don’t do research, and you don’t do development, R and D, then you are consuming or eating your seed corn, and you don’t have what you need to plant a crop to supply whatever you want for the future. It’s the R and D that has brought us to the level of the degree of sophistication that we enjoy,” Nelson said. Axiom Space is one company that is building a next generation space station. It is creating pods that would first attach to the current International Space Station. The company is sending private astronauts to the International Space Station to prepare for adding the first module, which is expected to be launched in 2026. “Those private astronauts stay on the space station a week or two weeks and do scientific things. NASA gets involved in that when they come to the station, and they have to meet rigorous standards. They have to follow the rules with NASA, and they have to have, as their commander of their private astronaut mission, a former NASA astronaut that we approve,” said Nelson. When the International Space Station is decommissioned, Axiom Station will detach and become a self-sustaining orbital platform. NASA PREPARES FOR INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION RETIREMENT Blue Origin is also building a space station. Its Orbital Reef will be a mixed-use destination for researchers, entrepreneurs and tourists. Nelson expects space tourism to expand as the footprint in space grows larger. “There have been private SpaceX Dragon spacecraft taking private individuals unrelated to NASA into space. Now, naturally, it’s somebody that’s very wealthy that can afford to pay for that. There have been those, and there will be many of those in the future,” Nelson said. Voyager’s Starlab will be sent into orbit as one unit. “It will be the largest, we believe, piece of hardware launched by humanity into space,” said President of International and Space Stations at Voyager Space Jeffrey Manber. Voyager plans to launch in 2028. It will have a ready-to-go laboratory onboard that will be capable of housing more than 400 experiments each year. “That area known as Low Earth Orbit has become commercial. There’s dozens and dozens of companies, there’s going to be privately owned space stations, every week there’s privately launched rockets. It’s a very exciting time,” Manber said. NASA is also using private companies to help build the first lunar space station. Maxar and Northrop Grumman are designing the two modules. SpaceX will launch the Lunar Gateway Station into orbit no sooner than 2025. Operations could begin as soon as 2028. “As the future unfolds, as we venture out, we will send our astronauts, star sailors that will sail on a cosmic sea to far off cosmic shores,” Nelson said. “That’s bound to excite anybody. And I get to do it on a daily basis.”
Dems shielded Biden from primary battle but face chaos as clock ticks down to convention
Just months after party leadership shielded President Biden from any kind of significant primary challenge, Democrats are suddenly turning on their presumptive nominee and seeking to swap him out mere weeks before his nomination for re-election becomes official. Biden’s devastating debate performance last week triggered a seismic shift in the party’s public outlook regarding the president’s ability to run for a second term. Many who had previously professed nothing but loyalty to the 46th president are now calling for him to step aside and allow Vice President Kamala Harris or another promising Democrat to take his place. But the president doesn’t appear ready to exit, saying at a Wisconsin rally on Friday, “I am running and going to win again.” The contentiousness could have been avoided, however, if party leadership had allowed a vigorous challenge to Biden’s candidacy and chose not to upend primary precedent to favor the incumbent. TRUMP CHALLENGES BIDEN TO SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE — BUT THERE’S A CATCH The Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee voted earlier this year to adopt Biden’s own proposal to have South Carolina, a strong state that helped catapult Biden toward the nomination in 2020, vote first on the Democrats’ nominating calendar in 2024. Under his proposal, New Hampshire and Nevada, where he was weaker in 2020, would hold primaries a few days later. New Hampshire rejected the new rules in the 2024 primary, and Biden’s name did not appear on the primary ballot. But he still won by a wide margin due to voters who wrote in his name. Biden also delayed committing to a debate with his presumptive rival for the presidency for months. Biden said it “depends” on the former president’s “behavior” whether he agreed to a debate when asked by reporters in March about a faceoff with Trump. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN WARNS DISSING KAMALA AS BIDEN REPLACEMENT WOULD BE ‘KISS OF DEATH’ FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY After Super Tuesday, Trump invited Biden to debate “anytime, anywhere, anyplace.” But the Biden campaign dismissed those calls as Trump being “thirsty for attention.” “I know Donald Trump’s thirsty for attention and struggling to expand his appeal beyond the MAGA base, and that’s a conversation we’ll have at the appropriate time in this cycle,” a Biden campaign spokesperson said at the time. Although Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week set off alarm bells about the president’s cognitive decline, concerns about the president’s mental fitness lingered long before the debate. “The administration was above conspiratorial chitchat that entertained seriously scenarios in which the president was suffering from a shocking decline most Americans were not seeing,” Olivia Nuzzi wrote in a recent New York Magazine story. “If the president was being portrayed that way, it was by his political enemies on the right, who promoted through what the press office termed ‘cheap fakes’ a caricature of an addled creature unfit to serve. They would not dignify those people, or people doing the bidding of those people, with a response.” Now, just 45 days away from the Democratic National Convention, Biden’s campaign is scrambling to help his supporters maintain their confidence in the president and dispel calls for him to step aside, even as key fundraisers have halted campaign donations. BIDEN RAMPS UP CAMPAIGN SPENDING AHEAD OF MAKE OR BREAK INTERVIEW Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey publicly urged President Biden to “listen to the American people” and consider whether he is the best person for the party to put forward as it again tries to defeat Trump in November. “President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years,” Healey said in a statement distributed by her political committee Friday. “I am deeply grateful for his leadership. And I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump. Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump.” At an Independence Day event Thursday, Biden seemed defiant, telling a crowd at the White House he’s “not going anywhere.”
Defiant Biden declares he’s ‘staying in the race’ ahead of pivotal interview
President Biden on Friday declared he is “staying in the race” ahead of what is seen as a pivotal prime time interview after a disastrous presidential debate performance last week that has sparked calls from some Democrats for him to step aside. Biden, in a speech in Madison, Wis., referenced the debate in which he struggled and appeared to lose his train of thought multiple times. It has fueled questions about his mental acuity and led to calls for him to be replaced on the 2024 Democratic ticket. Biden said that he couldn’t say “it’s my best performance” and acknowledged there had been questions since then. BIDEN FACES THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL WEEKEND OF HIS PRESIDENTIAL REMATCH WITH TRUMP “There’s been a lot of speculation: What’s Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out? What’s he going to do?” Biden told the crowd. “Well, here’s my answer: I am running and going to win again.” He later said some people are trying to “push” him out of the race. “Let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race,” Biden said. He then appeared to suffer another stumble, in which he said he would beat Trump in 2020, although he added that he’s going to beat him again in 2024. BIDEN RAMPS UP SPENDING IN BID TO STEADY HIS FALTERING CAMPAIGN “I’ll beat Donald Trump. I will beat him again in 2020. By the way, we’re going to do it again in 2024,” he said. The remarks came hours before the airing of a primetime Friday night interview on ABC News. The interview, being conducted by anchor George Stephanopoulos, will now be airing at 8 p.m. ET and vowed that “a transcript of the unedited interview will be made available the same day.” According to a press release, the first clip will air on Friday’s “World News Tonight” and the full interview will be aired again on Sunday’s installment of “This Week.” A growing number of Democrats and liberal media figures have called for Biden to step aside, although others have backed him. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey urged Biden on Friday to “listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.” WHAT BIDEN SAID ABOUT HIS DEBATE PERFORMANCE This week, three House Democrats publicly called on Biden to step aside from his re-election bid, while more than a dozen Democratic members of Congress and governors publicly raised serious concerns about whether Biden could continue as the party’s standard-bearer. However, the White House and the Biden campaign have repeatedly dismissed questions about his health. “Does President Biden, at 81 years old, have Alzheimer’s, any form of dementia or degenerative illness that cause these sorts of lapses? And it’s a yes or no question,” a reporter asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday afternoon. “Are you ready for it? It’s a no. And I hope you’re asking the other guy the same exact question,” Jean-Pierre responded, referring to former President Trump. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Capitol Police investigating after pro-Israel House Dem says DC office was vandalized
U.S. Capitol Police have launched an investigation after a House Democrat said his office was vandalized on the Fourth of July. Rep. Brad Scheider, D-Ill., one of the most staunchly pro-Israel lawmakers in the House Democratic Caucus, posted a photo on X showing printouts depicting Israeli hostages being held by Hamas strewn across the hallway in the Cannon House Office Building. “My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway,” Schneider, who is Jewish, wrote Friday. “This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day. Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy.” IDF SPOKESMAN SAYS GOAL OF COMPLETELY DESTROYING HAMAS IS UNATTAINABLE IN BLOW TO NETANYAHU Schneider also pointed out that dozens of anti-Israel protesters showed up at his family’s home last weekend “banging drums, blowing horns and screaming antisemitic chants” at around 2:30 a.m. “These actions don’t advance peace,” he wrote on X. “Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists enabling them to continue to hold hostage not only those they kidnapped from Israel, but all civilians in Gaza as well.” GAZA MILITANTS FIRE ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL AS TANK ADVANCES INTENSIFY IN NORTH AND SOUTH “We are aware and investigating,” U.S. Capitol Police said of the matter. “To protect the investigation, we cannot provide any more information at this time.” Pro-Israel Democrats have faced intense backlash from progressives within their own party due to their support for Israel. Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel and the Israeli government’s response, including the invasion of Gaza, have revealed prominent fractures on the left, with a growing chorus of progressives attacking more traditional Democrats for wanting to uphold ties with Israel’s conservative government. ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL APOLOGIZES AFTER PRINTING QUOTE FROM STUDENT ‘HAPPY’ ABOUT OCT. 7 IN YEARBOOK In February, a protester defaced the Brooklyn office of another Jewish House Democrat, Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., with what appeared to be red paint, according to the New York Post. A month earlier, protesters attempted to forcibly break into the district office of Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., while staffers were inside blockading the doors, according to Jewish Insider. Pro-cease-fire protesters also clashed with police in November last year in a tense demonstration outside Democratic National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill while elected Democrat leaders were inside. Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report
Fox News Politics: Biden-Trump Rematch?
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 says he’s ‘not going anywhere’ – White House staff ‘miserable’: report – President to participate in crucial post-debate interview Former President Trump on Thursday challenged President Biden to another debate, this time with no moderators. In a Truth Social post, Trump requested a “no holds barred” and “all on” discussion with Biden about the future of the country. “Let Joe explain why he wants Open Borders, with millions of people, and many violent criminals from parts unknown, pouring into our once great Nation, or why he wants Men Playing in Women’s Sports, or demand ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLES within five years, or why he allowed INFLATION TO RUN RAMPANT, destroying the people of our Country, and so much more,” he wrote. …Read more SO WHICH IS IT?: Biden seemingly contradicts own press secretary about seeing a doc after the debate …Read more ‘WE NEED YOU!’: Biden tells White House audience he’s ‘not going anywhere’ during Fourth of July party …Read more ‘WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S’: White House staff ‘miserable’ amid pressure on Biden: report …Read more ‘NOT AN ABERRATION’: Everyone’s known for years Biden has mental lapses: anonymous Dem senator …Read more CA$H DUMP: Biden campaign launches $50M paid media blitz despite mounting pressure to drop out …Read more ‘KISS OF DEATH’: Democratic Rep warns dissing Kamala as Biden replacement would do grave hard to the party …Read more BY GEORGE: ABC’s Stephanopoulos lands crucial Biden interview, putting spotlight on his partisan past …Read more FOUNDING FATHER KNOWS BEST: Biden should follow in George Washington’s footsteps and ‘step aside’ says House Dem …Read more ‘OLD FRIEND’: Underdog Dem using Dave Chappelle show to gain edge in pivotal swing state …Read more BIDEN’S BIGGEST TEST: President faces the most consequential weekend of his presidential rematch with Trump …Read more MOUSE TRAP: Abigail Disney says she’ll withhold donations unless Biden drops out …Read more WHAT WOULD GRETCHEN DO?: How would a President Whitmer handle border crisis, immigration? …Read more NO ‘LAFFIN’ MATTER?: Trump tests out new nickname for Kamala Harris amid speculation she’ll replace Biden …Read more ‘GOT TO GET BEYOND THIS’: Harris spent months shooting down concerns over Biden’s mental competency …Read more ‘SQUARELY’ ON BIDEN: Top 3 things Biden has to nail in primetime ABC interview: Experts …Read more ‘FEEDING IT’: Harvard slammed for ‘smoke and mirrors’ antisemitism response: ‘They actually make things worse’ …Read more ‘MODERN JIM CROW’: New California firearms tax prompts 2nd Amendment lawsuit …Read more HAWKEYE HORROR: Honduran illegal immigrant charged with assaulting 12-year-old girl …Read more ‘REALLY GOOD TIME’: New Yorker article calls on Dems to use 25th Amendment to remove Biden …Read more LABOUR LANDSLIDE: Keir Starmer the new UK prime minister after massive election win …Read more FREEDOM ISN’T FREE: Father of Marine killed in action turns grief into appreciation …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.
Fetterman emerges as fierce Biden defender, comparing post-stroke debate to Biden blunder
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., quickly became perhaps the most vocal and decisive advocate for President Biden’s remaining at the top of the Democrats’ ticket following his poor performance at the first presidential debate against former President Trump last month. “I refuse to join the Democratic vultures on Biden’s shoulder after the debate. No one knows more than me that a rough debate is not the sum total of the person and their record,” the Pennsylvania senator wrote on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after the debate ended and reports of panic among Democrats had emerged. AT-RISK DEMS STEER CLEAR OF BIDEN DEBATE DRAMA AHEAD OF CLOSE SENATE ELECTIONS “Morning-after thermonuclear beat downs from my race from the debate and polling geniuses like 538 predicted l’d lose by 2. And what happened? The only seat to flip and won by a historic margin (+5). Chill the f— out,” he wrote, referencing his election in 2022 against Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz. After suffering a stroke during his campaign, Fetterman took tough criticism for his debate performance against his opponent, particularly because of his communication and auditory issues on full display. UNDERDOG DEM USING DAVE CHAPPELLE SHOW TO GAIN EDGE IN PIVOTAL SWING STATE But, as he pointed out, he won the race, flipping a formerly red Senate seat. Biden, 81 years old, has not had a stroke. In the days since Biden’s lacking debate showing, Fetterman has continued to advocate for the president, unprompted. In response to the New York Times’ editorial board calling on Biden to drop out, the junior Pennsylvania senator said “f— that.” TAMMY BALDWIN WILL STICK TO STATE TOUR INSTEAD OF JOINING BIDEN DURING WISCONSIN VISIT The Pennsylvania Democrats’ fierce defense of Biden after the debate comes as he has become something of a renegade in his party, particularly on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the subsequent protests and encampments on college campuses. While Fetterman has apparently been more than willing to defend Biden’s status on the Democratic ticket and his debate performance, other Democratic lawmakers have been much more measured in their responses, frequently only sounding off on the situation when asked directly by reporters. Others, specifically those running for re-election in November, have even held off on saying whether Biden should be the nominee, avoiding questions on the subject. PRESSURE MOUNTS ON BATTLEGROUND STATE DEMS AFTER BIDEN DEBATE DISASTER Despite his campaign and the president himself assuring the public that he isn’t leaving the race, some members of the party have continued to express doubt and concern. Most recently, a top ally of Biden, Gov. Maura Healey, D-Mass., urged the president to “carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.” Her statement came after Biden had already assured a group of Democratic governors that he was seeing the race through in a meeting on Wednesday. Biden’s campaign noted that the president has received support from several other Democrats, including Govs. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., and Wes Moore, D-Md., among others. Fetterman’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Several groups seek protest permits at Dem Convention, as parallels drawn to violent 1968 confab
At least eight advocacy groups have filed permit applications to demonstrate in the vicinity of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, while some organizations have sued the city for access to protest. As unrest within the Democratic Party leads to conjecture of a situation similar to the infamous 1968 convention in the Windy City, Chicago agencies have remained largely tight-lipped about who has applied for permits and will be able to demonstrate. Fox News Digital reached out to three city agencies in charge of permitting, the Parks District, Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the city Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. A representative for CDOT said that, under municipal code, permits are reviewed by multiple departments to screen for potential conflicts, safety issues and availability of necessary city resources. STATE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS RALLY BEHIND BIDEN AFTER DEBATE, AS PARTY CHAIR SUGGEST GOP PULLS TRUMP “When a permit is denied, the applicant is given an alternative route that allows the parade to proceed while accounting for police resources, security, safety, and other additional factors. Each application that is submitted is evaluated based on the specific details of the proposed routes and any events happening concurrently in the city,” the representative said. The representative said the city of Chicago has no comment on specific permits or applicants for the convention, citing ongoing litigation. CDOT also was the only agency to respond thus far to Freedom of Information Act requests from the city’s NBC affiliate seeking similar information, according to the outlet. Groups that applied for CDOT permits included the Israeli American Council, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the Students for a Democratic Society at University of Illinois-Chicago, according to WMAQ’s findings. NV DEMS SUE TO KEEP RFK JR, GREEN PARTY FROM BALLOT Without specifying further, the outlet reported that “objection” was written on some of the applications. Fox News Digital reached out to several of the applicant organizations but did not receive responses by press time. In May, nine organizations joined the ACLU in suing the city over a permit denial relating to abortion rights and LGBTQ issues, according to CBS News. At the time, CDOT said the protest would cause substantial and unnecessary traffic disruptions outside the bounds of what police and the city can handle. A member of Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws – one of the groups cited in applications obtained by WMAQ – told CBS that the city’s response was reminiscent of that of then-Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1968. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Chicago law enforcement, however, has sought to reassure the public that a repeat of then-Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey’s nomination being marred by the so-called “Battle of Michigan Avenue” will be prevented. “This will not be 1968,” Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said in June. “[O]ur officers are being trained in the best way possible to respond to any level of civil unrest.” Mayor Brandon Johnson harked back to his history of community organizing and has highlighted the importance of civil protest. Johnson said his vision for the DNC is to have a “safe, energetic and vibrant convention.” “I’m confident that we will be able to deliver that,” he said in public remarks. “As far as applications are concerned, there are parameters in which we are working … that individuals who wish to demonstrate – we’re asking those individuals work within those parameters.” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Heckman contributed to this report.
Trump slams Heritage Foundation’s transition plan, claims parts are ‘ridiculous’ and ‘abysmal’
Former President Trump attempted to distance himself from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 Friday, claiming he had nothing to do with it and that parts of it are “absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” Trump disavowed the effort in a post on Truth Social, saying he didn’t know who was behind the initiative that offers recommendations on how a future Republican president can begin to enact conservative changes upon entering office. “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it,” Trump wrote. “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.” Portrayed as a blueprint for a future Republican administration to restructure many parts of the U.S. government, Project 2025, also known as the Presidential Transition Project, launched in April 2023 and is not associated with Trump’s campaign. HERITAGE RECOMMENDS DOJ, FBI OVERHAUL FOR NEXT GOP PRESIDENT TO END ‘RADICAL LIBERAL AGENDA’ “As we’ve been saying for more than two years now, Project 2025 does not speak for any candidate or campaign,” a Project 2025 spokesperson told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s remarks. “We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy and personnel recommendations for the next conservative president. “But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement.” Trump’s decision to distance himself from Project 2025 came one day after Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts faced criticism from Democrats for his comments about a “second American Revolution” on former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s radio program. “[W]e are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be,” Roberts said, adding that the “radical left” is “apoplectic” because “our side is winning.” From overhauling the Justice Department and FBI to tackling issues like abortion and immigration, the effort led by the nation’s top conservative think tank is organized into specific chapters for different agencies. Some of the chapters contained in Project 2025 were penned with the help of former Trump administration officials. For instance, the chapter on the Department of Homeland Security was written by a team led by former assistant acting DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, who argues the agency has become “bloated, bureaucratic, expensive and [has] lost sight of its mission priorities.” Project 2025 has been used by the Biden campaign and other Democrats to target Trump’s candidacy in the 2024 race for the White House. Ahead of last week’s debate, the Biden campaign projected a QR code in different places around Atlanta that led to a campaign page tying Project 2025 to Trump. The Biden campaign described the effort as “the plan by Donald Trump’s MAGA Republican allies to give Trump more power over your daily life, gut democratic checks and balances, and consolidate power in the Oval Office if he wins.” CONSERVATIVE ORG PREPARES AGGRESSIVE PLAN FOR DHS OVERHAUL IF REPUBLICANS WIN WHITE HOUSE IN 2024 “Trump’s campaign advisors and close allies wrote it – and are doing everything they can to elect him so he can execute their playbook immediately,” the webpage stated. Among many other claims, the Biden campaign said Project 2025 “Terminates the Constitution,” “Takes Away Reproductive Freedom Nationwide” and “Consolidates Power in the Oval Office.” Project 2025 accused the Biden campaign of “obsessing” over the effort in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “Rather than obsessing over Project 2025, the Biden campaign should be addressing the 25th Amendment,” the spokesperson said. Other Democrats have also slammed proposals outlined in Project 2025, including Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., who said the plan favoring America-first ideals is “un-American.” “It’s really un-American,” Dean said during an appearance on “MSNBC Reports” last month. “If you take a look at it, what we pride ourselves on, agencies that support elected officials and government officials who are legislating for a president acting as executive.” Dean also insisted Project 2025 organizers want to “replace civil servants.” Despite the proposals outlined in Project 2025, Trump has outlined his own plans to restructure the government if he wins a second term, including staging the largest deportation operation in U.S. history and imposing tariffs on potentially all imports. Trump’s campaign has previously warned outside allies not to presume to speak for the former president and suggested their transition-in-waiting efforts were unhelpful. Project 2025 includes several former senior Trump administration officials, including Paul Dans, the director of the project who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under Trump; Russ Vought, who wrote one of the chapters and served as director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump; and John McEntee, a senior adviser for the project who previously served as director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office in the Trump administration. Fox News’ Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump asks Florida court to pause classified documents case after Supreme Court immunity decision
Former President Donald Trump has requested a partial pause in the classified documents case brought against him after a U.S. Supreme Court decision this week found that presidents have substantial immunity for official acts that occurred while they were in office. Lawyers for Trump asked a Florida court to pause all proceedings in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith — except those that deal with Smith’s gag order request — until the judge can apply the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling to the facts of the case. “Consistent with President Trump’s pending motion to dismiss based on Presidential immunity, the Supreme Court explained in Trump that it would ‘eviscerate the immunity we have recognized’ if a prosecutor could “do indirectly what he cannot do directly — invite the jury to examine acts for which a President is immune from prosecution to nonetheless prove his liability on any charge,” the Friday court filing states. It adds: “Thus, ‘even when an indictment alleges only unofficial conduct,’ which is not the case here, prosecutors cannot ‘[u]se evidence’ of official acts. Based on this reasoning, like the trial court in the Trump case, Your Honor must undertake the ‘necessarily factbound analysis’ regarding whether alleged conduct ‘is official or unofficial.’” TRUMP IMMUNITY CASE: SUPREME COURT RULES EX-PRESIDENTS HAVE SUBSTANTIAL PROTECTION FROM PROSECUTION Trump referred to the filing as “a really bad day for Deranged Jack Smith, the wacko prosecutor used for Crooked Joe Biden’s attack on his Political Opponent,” in a Friday post on Truth Social. “Today, as in the past, the Supreme Court gave the Deranged One a high level SPANKING! His ‘real’ bosses, Andrew Weissmann and Lisa Monaco, not to mention Merrick Garland, whose once great reputation has been shattered by these Thugs, and his constant defense of Crooked Joe, must be furious at him,” Trump wrote. “Garland ought to call an end to this never ending HOAX, and let people focus on bringing back Greatness to America!” The high court on Monday in the case Trump v. United States ruled that a former president has substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office, but not for unofficial acts. SCOTUS WEIGHS MONUMENTAL CONSTITUTIONAL FIGHT OVER TRUMP IMMUNITY CLAIM In a 6-3 decision, the Court sent the matter back to a lower court, as the justices did not apply the ruling to whether or not former President Trump is immune from prosecution regarding actions related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The case considered by the court was separate from the classified documents case, although Smith is involved in both prosecutions. “The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. Last month, Trump’s lawyers presented arguments over the legality of Smith’s appointment as special counsel and the limited gag order that prosecutors have requested to bar Trump from making comments that they say could endanger the safety of FBI agents and other law enforcement officials involved in the case. JUSTICE ALITO QUESTIONS WHETHER PRESIDENTS WILL HAVE TO FEAR ‘BITTER POLITICAL OPPONENT’ THROWING THEM IN JAIL Trump’s lawyers have said any speech restrictions would infringe on the former president’s free speech rights. Cannon initially rejected the prosecution’s request on technical grounds, saying Smith’s team had not sufficiently conferred with defense lawyers before seeking the restrictions. Prosecutors subsequently renewed the request. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon heard hours of arguments on June 24 from lawyers for both sides, with Trump attorney Emil Bove asserting that the Justice Department risked creating a “shadow government” through the appointment of special counsels to prosecute select criminal cases. Cannon did not make a decision on Friday and is expected to issue a written order on the matter in the coming days. Trump faces charges stemming from Smith’s investigation into his possession of classified materials. He pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony counts from Smith’s probe, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements. Trump was also charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment from the investigation, an additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
At-risk Dems steer clear of Biden debate drama ahead of close Senate elections
Several incumbent Democrats who are fighting to win re-election in November have been reluctant to sound off on President Biden’s debate performance against former President Trump last month or whether he should be the Democratic nominee. The campaigns for Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Penn., did not provide comment on the debate or any concerns they have to Fox News Digital in time for publication. In a statement, a spokesperson for Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., told Fox News Digital, “There is a clear choice for voters this November between an administration focused on lowering costs, growing the middle class and restoring reproductive freedom and Trump’s MAGA agenda that would ban abortion and devastate hardworking Nevada families.” UNDERDOG DEM USING DAVE CHAPPELLE SHOW TO GAIN EDGE IN PIVOTAL SWING STATE “Senator Rosen is focused on her own re-election campaign and continuing her track record as one of the most bipartisan, independent and effective Senators,” the statement continued, without mentioning Biden. The campaign did not address Fox News Digital’s questions on Biden’s debate showing or his status on the Democratic ticket. “Considering she has voted with Joe Biden on 100% of his disastrous Bidenomics policies, it is hardly surprising that Jacky Rosen refuses to call for him to step down as leader of her party, regardless of how impaired he appears to be,” said Kristy Wilkinson, a spokesperson for Sam Brown, the Republican Senate candidate in Nevada and a former U.S. Army captain. TAMMY BALDWIN WILL STICK TO STATE TOUR INSTEAD OF JOINING BIDEN DURING WISCONSIN VISIT A spokesperson for Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., referred Fox News Digital to a comment she gave to a local outlet, the Capital Times, in which she claimed she is still supportive of Biden but is “running her own race for the people of Wisconsin.” “Sen. Baldwin’s silence speaks volumes. After voting with him 95.5% of the time, we can only assume Sen. Baldwin still thinks President Biden is fit for the job—a fact that says as much about her judgment as her rubber stamp support for the failed inflation-and-open-borders Biden agenda,” said Ben Voelkel, spokesperson for Wisconsin Republican Senate frontrunner Eric Hovde, in a statement. Tester, whose race is rated as a “Toss Up” by non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report, alongside those of Rosen and Brown, didn’t comment on the debate or Biden’s status on the ticket to a local Montana outlet either. The Wisconsin and Pennsylvania races are considered “Lean Democratic.” However, a Tester spokesperson reportedly told the Montana Free Press, “Sen. Tester has always worked with President Trump when it was good for Montana and stands up to President Biden when it doesn’t work for Montana. He’ll do whatever it takes to defend Montana regardless of who is in the White House,” while avoiding questions about Biden’s performance and likely position as the Democratic nominee. PRESSURE MOUNTS ON BATTLEGROUND STATE DEMS AFTER BIDEN DEBATE DISASTER A spokesperson for the Republican Senate candidate in Montana, Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, pointed Fox News Digital to posts on X criticizing Tester. In the posts, Sheehy slammed Tester for previous assurances of Biden’s ability and his failure to “hold him accountable.” In Ohio, Brown told reporters following the debate that he was focused on his own race and not on the presidency. “Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance made it clear that he is unfit to lead, and it is pathetic that Sherrod Brown will not admit the truth,” Moreno said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Brown votes with Biden nearly 100% of the time and helped create the border invasion, dismal economy and chaos on the global stage that has occurred under this administration. Biden and Brown are forever politicians with over 100 years in office combined, and Ohioans will send them into retirement in November.” GOP SENATE CANDIDATE TIES OPPONENT TO BIDEN DEBATE: BOB CASEY KNEW When Casey was prompted by reporters following the debate, he said, “He had a bad night and debate, but I think people know what’s at stake.” But the senator did not elaborate. In a video shared to X by Casey opponent Dave McCormick’s campaign, the senator did not answer a question on whether Biden was still fit to be president. In a statement to Fox News Digital, McCormick said, “Bob Casey, you’re really not worried about Biden’s ‘bad’ debate performance? The Pennsylvanians I’ve heard from sure are. Our troops deserve a Commander-in-Chief with the strength and acuity to lead in a crisis. Yet, here is Casey going back to his tired, old routine: protecting Biden and lying to Pennsylvanians.” As both Biden and the vulnerable senators fight for re-election in critical swing states, the president has seen a drop in post-debate polls from the New York Times and Siena College and the Wall Street Journal. Among registered voters in the former survey, Trump won 49%-41%. With the same group in the latter, Trump similarly defeated the president 48%-42%. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.