Dem governor and top Biden surrogate urges president to ‘carefully evaluate’ his path forward
Democratic Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts, a top surrogate for President Biden as he seeks a second term in the White House, is urging the president to “carefully evaluate” his path forward in the wake of his disastrous debate performance last week. Healey, in a statement Friday, didn’t call on the president to end his re-election bid, as other Democrats have done. But her statement was far from a forceful defense of the embattled Democratic Party standard-bearer. “President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years. I am deeply grateful for his leadership. And I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes,” Healey wrote. PRESIDENT BIDEN FACES THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL WEEKEND OF HIS POLITICAL CAREER And the governor of the reliably blue New England state said that “the best way forward right now is a decision for the President to make. 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,” the governor emphasized. BIDEN RAMPS UP SPENDING IN BID TO STEADY HIS FALTERING CAMPAIGN Healey traveled to the nation’s capital on Wednesday to attend a White House meeting with the president. She was one of roughly two-dozen Democratic governors who huddled with the president. Sources with knowledge of the meeting say Biden faced questions about his health, stamina, and political viability going forward. Speaking with reporters following the meeting, Democratic Governors Association chair and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Maryland Gov Wes Moore boosted Biden with supportive comments. But Moore also noted that “we always believe that when you when you love someone, you tell them the truth. And I think we came in, and we were honest about the feedback that we were getting. We were honest about the concerns that we are hearing from people.” WHAT BIDEN SAID ABOUT HIS DEBATE PERFORMANCE Healey did not speak to reporters at the White House after the meeting and Friday’s statement is her first since the gathering with Biden. As first reported by the New York Times, Healey told her fellow governors and the president’s top staff that his political position is “irretrievable” following his dismal debate performance. Biden’s halting delivery and stumbling answers during the debate with Trump sparked widespread panic in the Democratic Party and spurred calls from political pundits, editorial writers and some party donors for Biden to step aside as the party’s 2024 standard-bearer. 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. As he frantically fights to salvage his campaign following last week’s debate, the next couple of days may determine if Biden can survive or fall victim to a rising tide of calls from within his own party to end his re-election bid. The 81-year-old Biden, the oldest president in the nation’s history, will need to show Americans that he still has the stamina and acuity to handle the toughest and most demanding job in the world — and prove to Democrats that he has the energy and fortitude to defeat Trump. At a rally on Friday afternoon in battleground Wisconsin, Biden reiterated that he’s staying in the race. “You probably heard that I had a little debate last week. Can’t say it is my best performance, but ever since then, there’s been a lot of speculation. What’s Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? What’s he going to do? Well, here’s my answer. I am running and gonna win again,” Biden told cheering supporters in Madison, Wisconsin’s capital city. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Biden had post-debate ‘verbal check-in’ with his doctor: White House
President Joe Biden, 81, had a post-debate “verbal check-in” with his physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, despite telling reporters that Biden had not had any recent medical exams earlier this week. “He did have a short verbal check-in in the recent days about his cold, it wasn’t a medical exam or a physical,” Jean-Pierre said. “It was a conversation, and his doctor didn’t think an examination was necessary.” Jean-Pierre added that the doctor’s call was “not unusual” and that Biden has a 24/7 medical unit that travels with him. NEWSOM DOUBLES DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IN MICHIGAN: ‘I BELIEVE IN HIS CHARACTER’ “That is not because of just this president, because it’s all presidents and it is a very different experience than what we understand that the American people experience,” she said. After Biden reportedly told Democratic governors during a private meeting at the White House this week that he doesn’t get enough sleep and has to cut off working after 8 p.m., Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard the Air Force One flight to a Wisconsin rally that Biden “is human” and is taking “a balanced approach.” “He is human, just like we all are,” she said. “But it is a 24/7 job. It is 365 days – that doesn’t change.” TOP 3 THINGS BIDEN HAS TO NAIL IN HIS PRIMETIME INTERVIEW: EXPERTS Jean-Pierre’s comments come just hours before Biden’s pre-recorded ABC interview with former Democratic operative George Stephanopoulos airs. Biden will be vying to dispel age-related health concerns among his base and middle-ground voters. Jean-Pierre was pressed about the president’s health during a press briefing on Wednesday and explicitly told reporters that Biden has not had any medical exams since his last annual physical in February. “Has the president had any medical exams since his last annual physical in February?” CNN’s Min Jung “MJ” Lee asked. BIDEN SEEMINGLY CONTRADICTS WH AFTER PRESS SECRETARY SAYS PRESIDENT DID NOT HAVE MEDICAL EXAM AFTER DEBATE “And got – and we were able to talk to the – to his doctor about that, and that is a no,” Jean-Pierre said. Jean-Pierre reiterated that the 81-year-old president had not received any kind of medical exam. “He hasn’t had any kind of medical exam?” Jung said. “No,” Jean-Pierre replied. Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Democratic congressman warns dissing Kamala as Biden replacement would be ‘kiss of death’ for Democratic Party
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said if President Biden steps down, not choosing Vice President Kamala Harris as the new nominee would be “the kiss of death” for Democrats. The first presidential debate sparked growing calls for Biden to drop out of the race to allow a new candidate to step in, and several candidates other than the vice president have been floated as potential replacements. Thompson described Harris as being “incredibly strong” and suggested she is the only candidate Democrats can replace Biden with in 2024. “You can’t say Biden has done a good job without saying she’s done a good job,” Thompson told Axios, adding that choosing a candidate other than Harris “would be the kiss of death for the party.” SHADOW CAMPAIGNS: 7 DEMOCRAT CANDIDATES WHO COULD STEP IN IF PRESIDENT BIDEN DROPS OUT OF 2024 RACE Amid calls to replace Biden on the 2024 ticket, many Democrats have voiced support for Harris if a new nominee is chosen. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., recently said he would support Harris if Biden drops out. “We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether it’s in second place or the top of the ticket,” Clyburn told MSNBC during the Biden debate backlash. UNCHARTED TERRITORY: COULD CAMPAIGN FINANCES KEEP BIDEN ON THE BALLOT? “I will support her if he were to step aside,” Clyburn said. “But I’m going to support her going forward and sometime in the future. I want this ticket to continue to be Biden-Harris. And then we will see what happens after the next election.” Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a member of the progressive “Squad,” said Harris is the “obvious” replacement for Biden. “If our president decides this is not a pathway forward for him, we have to move very quickly. There’s not going to be time for a primary. That time is past,” Lee told “Mornings with Zerlina” Wednesday. “The vice president is the obvious choice. She’s sitting right there.” On the short list of other potential Biden replacements are California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Amid speculation over who would be the best fit to replace Biden on the 2024 ticket, a new CNN poll found Harris performed better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup against Trump.
New California firearms tax prompts Second Amendment lawsuit to block ‘modern Jim Crow law’
A consortium of Second Amendment advocacy groups and two residents filed suit seeking to block California’s new 11% excise tax on firearms, parts and ammunition. The case, Jaymes v. Maduros, alleged that the Supreme Court has previously ruled that constitutional rights should not be subject to taxation, and sought to block the tax that went into effect July 1. One of the precedents cited was Murdock v. Pennsylvania, in which the court sided with a Jehovah’s Witness who had been required to purchase a permit to evangelize door-to-door in Westmoreland County. In that regard, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), National Rifle Association (NRA), California Rifle & Pistol Association and the two civilians filed their complaint against California Department of Tax & Fee Administration Director Nicolas Maduros in his official capacity, citing similar protections. WATCH: LAWMAKERS INVOKE HUNTER BIDEN, SECOND AMENDMENT WHILE OFFERING VARYING DEFENSES ON GUN LAWS FPC President Brandon Combs called California’s tax a “modern Jim Crow law” that targets people who are disliked by those in power, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Thankfully, the Constitution forbids California’s political warfare scheme. FPC and our allies are committed to restoring the right to keep and bear arms in California and throughout the United States,” Combs said in a statement. The complaint, filed in state court in San Diego, alleges that California seeks to “destroy the exercise of a Constitutional right by singling it out for special taxation.” The plaintiffs further argue that, if allowed to stand, the levy means that California can tax behavior associated with any other Constitutional rights at 50% or 100% if the government doesn’t favor them. OBAMA JUDGE’S RULING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS OWNING GUNS HELPS THE LEFT BLUR THE LINES OF CITIZENSHIP: RUBIO The filing also cites the recent New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case, which targeted the Empire State’s requirements for concealed-carry permitting. Bruen “guarantee[s] the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation,” the plaintiffs said. In a statement, the NRA said that although the tax is formally levied on gun dealers, the amount is passed down to the consumer. Randy Kozuch, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, said the Virginia-based association has a long history of defending the right to bear arms and challenging laws that abridge it. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “California’s firearms excise tax is a blatant and egregious attack on the rights of Californians and a calculated maneuver to dismantle the Second Amendment,” Kozuch said. A Newsom spokesman, however, disagreed with the allegations. “This is a modest investment in gun violence prevention programs that are proven to work,” Daniel Villaseñor told the Los Angeles Times, calling the Golden State “No. 1 for gun safety.”
Top 3 things President Biden has to nail in his primetime interview: Experts
As President Biden, 81, seeks to address mounting concerns about his mental acuity during his ABC primetime interview Friday night, he will have to convey to his Democratic base and middle-of-the-road voters that he is fit to remain the commander-in-chief another four years. Here are the top three things President Biden has to nail in his highly anticipated interview with George Stephanopoulos, according to political strategists. Biden will undoubtedly have to “speak forcefully” and clearly to start dispelling concerns that he is unfit to continue on as president. The purpose of the interview, first and foremost, will be to show voters that Biden’s poor debate performance against former President Trump was “a moment in time” and “not a symptom of how he is,” according to Democratic strategist Mustafa Rashed. WH AIDES, CAMPAIGN STAFF REPORTEDLY ‘MISERABLE’ AS PRESSURE BUILDS ON BIDEN TO DROP OUT “It’s not even going to be about the issues,” Rashed – president and CEO of the Philadelphia-based Bellevue Strategies government firm – told Fox News Digital in an interview. “This is squarely a referendum on the president and his ability to do the job.” The “little things” will go a long way, Rashed continued, adding that Biden will have to meet “a very high bar” and speak clearly since he faced criticism for his raspy voice during the debate. “They may be guised through policy questions, because that’s how you get someone to talk about subjects that they are very well versed on, but the subject quality of the answers is what we’re going to be watching is how he answers, not necessarily what but how he answers,” Rashed said. “Middle ground voters are the ones that have questions,” Rashed continued. “It’s not Republicans, they already know how they feel about this president. He’s trying to win independent voters and shore up Democrats to believe that he’s best person for the job.” HOLLYWOOD MEGADONOR CALLS ON DEMS TO ‘STOP GIVING’ MONEY UNTIL BIDEN DROPS OUT A handful of Democratic lawmakers have already called on President Biden to retire, while several others have expressed concerns about the president’s age. Regaining their trust ahead of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) convention is crucial. “There’s possible revolt within the Democratic Party, and he’s got to make sure they say, ‘Okay, well, we’re going to keep him on board, we are better off having this guy as our standard bearer than the chaos of throwing it open and having an unclear procedure about what comes next,’” presidential historian Tevi Troy told Fox News Digital. Keeping Biden on the ticket would be better for the DNC versus “having an unvetted candidate take over, or the other alternative is an unpopular Kamala Harris,” Troy, who served in senior leadership in HHS in the George W. Bush administration, said. “It’s not so easy to replace him, so you’ve got to reassure the Democratic base. And then the third thing is you’ve got to reassure the larger voting public,” he said. “You’ve got to get that kind of middle of the road voter who says, you know, ‘I don’t like Trump, but I want somebody who is going to be able to stand up to Putin or Xi without falling asleep or wilting.’” BIDEN REPLACEMENT? WHITMER DENIES ‘DRAFT GRETCH’ CAMPAIGN, BUT HER STAR IS RISING As everyday Americans feel the impact of inflation in their wallets, President Biden must articulate his plans to bolster the economy, especially among swing-state voters. “Our common ground poll we do every quarter, and consistently, the number one issue, and overwhelmingly, is inflation and the economy,” Nathan Benefield, senior vice president of the Pennsylvania-based think tank Commonwealth Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “When you get down to the numbers, wages in the last three years have not kept up with with prices, and so Pennsylvania families are literally poorer than they were three years ago,” Benefield said. “That’s that’s weighing on them. I think the President needs to address that and acknowledge that cost, and acknowledge the government’s role in that and talk about the solutions to inflation from from that perspective, rather than shifting the blame or ignoring that problem entirely.” CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FOX NEWS POLITICS NEWSLETTER Benefield suggested that people are experiencing inflation everywhere, in grocery stores with higher prices for food products, when dining out less due to increased costs, at the gas pump, and notably in housing, where interest rates and prices have risen. “And so you really have kind of seen [inflation] across the board,” he said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump tests out new nickname for Kamala Harris amid speculation she’ll replace Biden
Former President Trump is rolling out new nicknames for Vice President Kamala Harris as part of a new focus on the VP, just as she is being touted as a potential replacement for President Biden on the 2024 ticket after Biden suffered a disastrous debate performance. Trump regularly coins nicknames for his political opponents, from Low Energy Jeb [Bush] to “Crooked Hillary” [Clinton]. For Biden, he has called him “Slow Joe,” “Sleepy Joe” and “Crooked Joe,” among others. Now, after a debate performance from Biden that has sparked panic among some Democrats and media figures and seen him slump in the polls, Trump turned his attention this week to Harris. BIDEN TELLS WHITE HOUSE AUDIENCE HE’S ‘NOT GOING ANYWHERE’ DURING FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION As vice president, Harris would succeed Biden if he resigned from office, and she would also be a top contender for the 2024 Democratic nomination if Biden announced that he does not intend to serve a second term. Trump, in a Truth Social post, accused Biden of having “choked like a dog” during the debate and offered his “congratulations” to the vice president as he dubbed her “Laffin’ Kamala Harris.” “Also, respects to our potentially new Democrat Challenger, Laffin’ Kamala Harris,” he said. “She did poorly in the Democrat Nominating process, starting out at Number Two, and ending up defeated and dropping out, even before getting to Iowa, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a ‘highly talented’ politician!” WH AIDES, CAMPAIGN STAFF REPORTEDLY ‘MISERABLE’ AS PRESSURE BUILDS ON BIDEN TO DROP OUT A day earlier, the Trump campaign had put out a statement slamming Democrats and the media for an alleged cover-up to hide Biden’s alleged mental acuity. “Every one of them has lied about Joe Biden’s cognitive state and supported his disastrous policies over the past four years, especially Cackling Copilot Kamala Harris,” the statement said. A national poll released Tuesday by CNN suggests Harris performs slightly better than Biden in a matchup with Trump. HOLLYWOOD MEGADONOR CALLS ON DEMS TO ‘STOP GIVING’ MONEY UNTIL BIDEN DROPS OUT “Harris’ slightly stronger showing against Trump rests at least in part on broader support from women (50% of female voters back Harris over Trump vs. 44% for Biden against Trump) and independents (43% Harris vs. 34% Biden),” the poll notes in a release. Biden, who at age 81 is the oldest president in the nation’s history, is facing the roughest stretch of his bid for a second term in the White House. Biden’s campaign has repeatedly insisted that the president has no intention of dropping out of the race. On Thursday, he told supporters that he is not leaving the race. A supporter called out at an Independence Day event, saying, “Keep up the fight. We need you!” Biden responded, “You got me, man. I’m not going anywhere.” Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.
Kamala Harris spent months shooting down concerns over Biden’s mental competency ahead of the debate
In the months leading up to President Biden’s devastating debate performance, Vice President Kamala Harris made several efforts to affirm and defend his mental acuity, according to a new Fox News Digital analysis. Questions posed to Harris over Biden’s mental competency were raised frequently beginning in the fall of 2023, as the president made recurring comments at public events that sparked concerns over his fitness ahead of the election year. The president is 81. Harris suggested that “what’s on his birth certificate in terms of his age” is not “the measure of the man,” when asked about Biden’s age in a November 2023 Sirius XM interview. “Let’s not get distracted. Let’s look at whether we have a president that’s actually produced, and followed through on his commitments and especially on long-standing issues that needed to be addressed,” Harris said. “Joe Biden has done that. That’s the measure of the man. Not what’s on his birth certificate in terms of his age.” CALIFORNIA DELEGATE SAYS BLACK WOMEN WILL ‘BLOW THE PARTY UP’ IF DEMS PICK A ‘WHITE MAN OVER KAMALA HARRIS’ After several gaffes in 2023 – including Biden falling at the Air Force Academy commencement ceremony in June, referring to the Grand Canyon as one of the “nine” wonders of the world in August and claiming he was at Ground Zero the day after 9/11 in September despite records showing he was in Washington, D.C., that day – Harris was again asked about whether the president’s age is a concern. “I would say that age is more than a chronological fact,” Harris said in an interview for the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit in November 2023, adding that he is “absolutely authoritative” during his meetings. CAMPAIGN CRISIS: DEMS WHO HAVE CALLED FOR BIDEN TO DROP OUT OR RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT HIS HEALTH The vice president, who is being floated as the leading replacement for Biden should he be replaced as the nominee, said in January that “we’ve got to get beyond” the question of the president’s age. “So this whole issue that they are raising about his age is, again, because they’ve got nothing to run on,” Harris said during a one-on-one with Katie Couric during her podcast, “Next Question with Katie Couric,” on iHeartRadio. “And I just think that we’ve got to get beyond this, because I think ultimately, what the American people deserve is that their leaders perform by way of solutions and uplifting the condition of their lives.” Harris, 59, was later asked by ABC News about concerns over Biden’s fitness for office. “I’ll tell you, the reality of it is, and I’ve spent a lot of time with Biden, be it in the Oval Office, in the Situation Room and other places – he is extraordinarily smart. He has the ability to see around the corner in terms of what might be the challenges we face as a nation or globally,” Harris told the outlet in January. When special counsel Robert Hur described Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” in a report investigating his handling of classified documents, Harris ran to Biden’s defense, calling it false. “So, the way that the president’s demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and clearly politically motivated, gratuitous,” Harris said of the report at a Gathering of Community Violence Intervention Leaders in February. Additionally, just minutes after the June 27 debate concluded, Harris appeared on CNN to defend the president’s performance that was already causing a frenzy within the Democratic Party. When pressed on concerns over Biden’s debate performance in the post-debate interview, the vice president attempted to turn the table on former President Trump and said the president had a “slow start,” but that the debate should not be compared to Biden’s three and a half years of “performance” as president. “Last night, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump had their first debate, and earlier today the president said himself it was not his best performance,” Harris told voters in Las Vegas after the debate. “This race will not be decided by one night in June.” Fox News Digital reached out to Harris for comment but did not hear back at press time.
Kamala Harris spent months shooting down concerns over Biden’s mental competency
In the months leading up to President Biden’s devastating debate performance last month and his subsequent decision to suspend his re-election campaign on Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris made several efforts to affirm and defend his mental acuity, according to a new Fox News Digital analysis. Questions posed to Harris over Biden’s mental competency were raised frequently beginning in the fall of 2023, as the president made recurring comments at public events that sparked concerns over his fitness ahead of the election year. The president is 81 years old and would have been 86 by the end of a second term. Harris suggested that “what’s on his birth certificate in terms of his age” is not “the measure of the man,” when asked about Biden’s age in a November 2023 Sirius XM interview. “Let’s not get distracted. Let’s look at whether we have a president that’s actually produced, and followed through on his commitments and especially on long-standing issues that needed to be addressed,” Harris said. “Joe Biden has done that. That’s the measure of the man. Not what’s on his birth certificate in terms of his age.” CALIFORNIA DELEGATE SAYS BLACK WOMEN WILL ‘BLOW THE PARTY UP’ IF DEMS PICK A ‘WHITE MAN OVER KAMALA HARRIS’ Biden announced on X Sunday that he would be suspending his campaign for re-election after several weeks of mounting pressure from party members. Afterward, he made a separate post endorsing Harris as his successor and asking for donations. Harris was quick to accept his endorsement and announce her intent to win the Democratic nomination in a statement. “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said. “We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.” CAMPAIGN CRISIS: DEMS WHO HAVE CALLED FOR BIDEN TO DROP OUT OR RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT HIS HEALTH After several gaffes in 2023 – including Biden falling at the Air Force Academy commencement ceremony in June, referring to the Grand Canyon as one of the “nine” wonders of the world in August and claiming he was at Ground Zero the day after 9/11 in September despite records showing he was in Washington, D.C., that day – Harris was asked about whether the president’s age is a concern. “I would say that age is more than a chronological fact,” Harris said in an interview for the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit in November 2023, adding that he is “absolutely authoritative” during his meetings. The vice president additionally said in January that “we’ve got to get beyond” the question of the president’s age. “So this whole issue that they are raising about his age is, again, because they’ve got nothing to run on,” Harris said during a one-on-one with Katie Couric during her podcast, “Next Question with Katie Couric,” on iHeartRadio. “And I just think that we’ve got to get beyond this, because I think ultimately, what the American people deserve is that their leaders perform by way of solutions and uplifting the condition of their lives.” Harris, 59, was later asked by ABC News about concerns over Biden’s fitness for office. “I’ll tell you, the reality of it is, and I’ve spent a lot of time with Biden, be it in the Oval Office, in the Situation Room and other places – he is extraordinarily smart. He has the ability to see around the corner in terms of what might be the challenges we face as a nation or globally,” Harris told the outlet in January. When special counsel Robert Hur described Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” in a report investigating his handling of classified documents, Harris ran to Biden’s defense, calling it false. “So, the way that the president’s demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and clearly politically motivated, gratuitous,” Harris said of the report at a Gathering of Community Violence Intervention Leaders in February. Just minutes after the June 27 debate concluded, Harris appeared on CNN to defend the president’s performance that was already causing a frenzy within the Democratic Party. When pressed on concerns over Biden’s debate performance in the post-debate interview, the vice president attempted to turn the table on former President Trump and said the president had a “slow start,” but that the debate should not be compared to Biden’s three and a half years of “performance” as president. “Last night, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump had their first debate, and earlier today the president said himself it was not his best performance,” Harris told voters in Las Vegas after the debate. “This race will not be decided by one night in June.” Fox News Digital reached out to Harris for comment but did not hear back at press time.
Trump challenges Biden to second presidential debate — but there’s a catch
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. BIDEN TELLS WHITE HOUSE AUDIENCE HE’S ‘NOT GOING ANYWHERE’ DURING FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION “It would also, under great pressure, prove his ‘competence,’ or lack thereof. Likewise it would be yet another test for me. What a great evening it would be, just the two of us, one on one, in a good, old fashioned Debate, the way they used to be. ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE!!!” A spokesperson for Biden’s campaign did not immediately respond Fox News Digital’s request for comment. BIDEN FACES THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL WEEKEND OF HIS PRESIDENTIAL REMATCH WITH TRUMP Trump’s eagerness to take on Biden again comes as no surprise, as the Democratic president is widely regarded to have lost in their first encounter of the 2024 race. The 81-year-old incumbent’s halting delivery and stumbling answers during the CNN Presidential Debate in Atlanta on June 27 sparked widespread panic among Democrats and spurred calls from pundits, editorial writers and some party donors for Biden to step aside in favor of a younger, more able standard-bearer. Biden so far has stubbornly resisted the calls to step aside. During remarks at a White House celebration for the Fourth of July, he told the audience, “I’m not going anywhere.” BIDEN RAMPS UP SPENDING IN BID TO STEADY HIS FALTERING CAMPAIGN White House chief of staff Jeff Zients reportedly held an all-staff meeting Wednesday to urge team members to tune out the “noise” and focus on the task of governing. Even as Zients acknowledged that the days since the Atlanta matchup between Biden and Trump have been challenging, the chief of staff stressed to White House aides the accomplishments and the track record of the Democratic administration and said governing will only become more crucial once the campaign season heats up, particularly after the Fourth of July holiday. ABC News is scheduled to host the second debate between Biden and Trump on Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET. The network has not yet announced the moderators for that debate. Fox News Digital’s Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, Paul Steinahuser and Kendall Tietz contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
House Dem says Biden should follow in George Washington’s footsteps and ‘step aside’ for new leaders
A New England Democrat has said that President Biden should “step aside” and do as former President Washington did to make way for new leaders. Rep. Seth Moulton, D–Mass., joined the growing list of liberals calling for Biden to end his re-election bid after the recent presidential debate in Atlanta. Concerns over Biden’s cognitive health following his performance at the debate sparked growing calls among Democrats for the president to drop out of the race. “President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washington’s footsteps, and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” Moulton told WBUR Thursday. Moulton was referring to when President Washington voluntarily stepped down from the role in 1797 after eight years, setting the precedent that a president should only serve two terms in office. BIDEN ‘SHARP AND FOCUSED’ BUT ALSO ‘CONFUSED AND FORGETFUL,’ AP REPORTS IN RIDICULED HEADLINE The congressman joins at least two other Democratic representatives in officially calling for the president to step down as the nominee. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, was the first House Democrat to call on the president to bow out of the race on Tuesday. LONGTIME BIDEN FRIENDS SAY PRESIDENT DIDN’T REMEMBER THEIR NAMES IN SOCIAL SETTINGS: REPORT “I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so,” Doggett said. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., said that while he will support Biden in his re-election bid, he thinks the president should get out of the race. “I’m going to support [Biden], but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere … What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility of keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race,” the Arizona Democrat said. While more Democrats call on Biden to pass the torch to another candidate, the president said during a 4th of July celebration Thursday that he is “not going anywhere.”