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Biden stumbles through event, refers to former Rep. Giffords in past tense: ‘nothing wrong with me’

Biden stumbles through event, refers to former Rep. Giffords in past tense: ‘nothing wrong with me’

President Biden sparked confusion during a mumbling saga, remarking that there was ‘nothing wrong’ with him as he discussed Sen. Mark Kelly’s wife in the past tense. “I’m Joe Biden, I’m Jill Biden’s husband. And God, thank you for the introduction to the Gila Indian River community here… the Gila… nothing wrong with me. The Gila River Indian community for welcoming me today,” he said while visiting the Indian Reserve on Friday. “You know, I say this with all sincerity, this, to me, is the most consequential thing I’ve ever had the opportunity to do in my whole career as President of the United States,” he said. “It’s an honor, a genuine honor, to be in this special place on this special day.” BIDEN UNDER FIRE ONLINE AGAIN FOR TWICE CONFUSING LIVING EUROPEAN LEADERS WITH DEAD PREDECESSORS IN ONE WEEK  Biden offered Sen. Mark Kelly, D-AZ, a shoutout, and then referred to Kelly’s wife, former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ, in the past tense. “It is an honor, a genuine honor to be in this special place on this special day,” he added. “Thank you to Senator Mark Kelly, a great friend who also was married to an incredible woman [Giffords] who was my friend.” While the former Arizona politician was one of the victims in a 2011 mass shooting that took place in Tucson, she survived the tragic event that claimed six lives. BIDEN MOCKED FOR ADMITTING ‘WE CAN’T BE TRUSTED’ IN LATEST GAFFE: ‘AGREED, JOE’ Following the assassination attempt, she chose to resign from her position. The 54-year-old is still alive and is married to Sen. Kelly since 2007. WATCH: Biden’s gaffes include mixing up world leaders with dead people. In Feb. 2024, the president claimed he spoke with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl – who actually died four years earlier. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended President Biden’s gaffe with Chancellor Kohl, telling the press that it “happens to all of us, and it is common.”  “As it relates to the names and what he was trying to say, many people, elected officials, many people, you know, they can misspeak sometimes, right?” she said.  “And so this happens. You know, it happens to all of us and it is common,” Jean-Pierre argued. “But I do want to make sure we don’t forget what the overall arching kind of theme, what he is trying to say about our leadership on the global stage.”  Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

GOP lawmakers, leaders react to Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran: ‘America stands with Israel’

GOP lawmakers, leaders react to Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran: ‘America stands with Israel’

Republican lawmakers and leaders voiced support for Israel after the Jewish nation launched a retaliatory strike against Iran after the Islamic Republic unleashed a barrage of missiles earlier this month. “America stands with Israel,” former Vice President Mike Pence wrote in an X post. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., echoed Pence’s sentiment, saying Israel is “our great ally.” ISRAEL BEGINS RETALIATORY STRIKES AGAINST IRAN FOLLOWING MISSILE BARRAGE TARGETING ISRAELIS “America continues to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our great ally Israel in the face of terror,” he wrote. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., wrote, “The United States stands with Israel.” Other lawmakers took to social media to share that they were rooting for the Israeli military as it “defends itself against the evil Iranian regime.” “God Bless Israel as it seeks to defend itself against the evil Iranian regime for these vicious attacks over the past year and decades prior, only emboldened by the weak Biden-Harris admin that allegedly leaked their plans,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., wrote.  “The U.S. must stand with Israel today and always.” “Iran is on the ‘find out’ side of the equation right now. I stand with Israel,” former state Rep. Tim Whelan, R-Mass., wrote. “May almighty God keep the IAF and IDF safe.” The GOP’s reaction came after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Friday it was “conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran.“ “The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since Oct. 7 — on seven fronts — including direct attacks from Iranian soil,” the IDF said in a statement. “Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. We will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel.” Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Russia is supplying Houthis with satellite data to attack ships in the Red Sea: report

Russia is supplying Houthis with satellite data to attack ships in the Red Sea: report

Russia has been aiding the Houthis’ assault on Western shipping lanes in the Red Sea by providing them targeting data.  As the Houthis ramped up their strikes on the U.S. and other nations’ postures in the region after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Russians offered satellite data allowing them to expand their strikes, take out multimillion-dollar U.S. drones and hit ships sailing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, through which 12% of global trade passes, according to a Wall Street Journal report.  Each munition used to intercept a Houthi strike costs the U.S. upwards of between $1 million and $4 million.  The data passed through Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).  The satellite data would represent direct Russian involvement in attacks on the U.S. In response to the report, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Fox News Digital: “I am focused on U.S./U.K. providing satellite data to [Kyiv] regime to commit terrorist attacks against civilians.” SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN SQUASH DECADES OF HOSTILITY WITH UNPRECEDENTED JOINT MILITARY DRILLS While the U.S. has tried to avoid direct involvement in the war by withholding long-range capabilities of U.S. weapons for Ukraine, it has provided classified intelligence to Kyiv’s war efforts.  The news comes at the same time North Korea is sending at least 3,000 troops to fight alongside the Russians — as the conflicts in both the Middle East and Ukraine expand in global involvement.  The U.S. has long been involved in diplomatic efforts to prevent Russia from arming the Houthis, a group Washington redesignated as a terrorist organization in January.  LLOYD AUSTIN WARNS AGAINST ISOLATIONISM AND INSISTS UKRAINE ABSOLUTELY CAN WIN WAR AGAINST RUSSIA The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until there is a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon.  In addition to destroying goods destined for the West, the regular Houthi attacks drive up insurance costs, as premiums for some shot up tenfold. They also force some ships to travel the long way, down around the Horn of Africa, which can add $1 million in fuel costs for a round trip.  Since Oct. 7, 2023, Houthis have targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, seizing one, sinking two and killing four sailors. Oil tanker traffic has now nearly halved through Bab al-Mandab, the strait that separates the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean, from October 2023 to August of this year, according to Windward, a maritime-intelligence company. The rebel group shot down one of the U.S.’ MQ-9 Reaper drones, valued at $30 million a piece, in October and two in September.  In recent months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has strengthened ties with Iran, despite a historic friendship with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  Putin has criticized the U.S. and Israel over the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon and said the region risks all-out war.  The U.S. has been urging Russia not to provide antiship or antiair missiles to the Houthis which could threaten U.S. military postures in the region.  Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer the U.S. traded for WNBA player Brittney Griner in a prisoner exchange, is attempting to broker a $10 million small arms deal with the Houthis, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s not clear whether the deal is sanctioned by the Kremlin.  Tankers carrying Russian oil have been the subject of Houthi attacks, but they are operating through shell companies meant to hide their Russian origin and evade Western oil sanctions.