Fox News Digital focus group reacts to Trump on accepting election results
Republicans and independents who participated in Fox News Digital’s debate dial focus group appeared to approve of the way former President Trump responded to a question about whether he would accept the results of the 2024 general election. “If it’s a fair and legal and good election, absolutely,” Trump said during Thursday night’s debate against President Biden. Trump added that he “wasn’t going to run until I saw the horrible job [Biden] did. He’s destroying our country. I would be very happy to be someplace else in a nice location, someplace. And again, no indictments, no political opponent stuff because it’s the only way he thinks he can win.” Biden responded: “You’re a whiner.” WATCH: FOX NEWS DIGITAL FOCUS GROUP REACTS TO BIDEN, TRUMP SPARRING ON COGNITIVE ABILITY, GOLF GAMES “When you lost the first time, you continued to appeal and appeal to courts all across the country,” Biden said. “Not one single court in America said any of your claims had any merit, state or local.” Biden accused Trump of being unable to “stand the loss” and added that “something snapped in you when you lost the last time,” referring to the aftermath of the 2020 election. FIRST 2024 TRUMP-BIDEN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: TOP CLASHES OVER ISSUES FROM THE BORDER TO UKRAINE According to the dial results, Republicans and independents approved of Trump’s comments, while Democratic viewers disapproved. The results appeared to flip when it came Biden’s turn to respond, as Democrat approvals shot up and independent and Republican viewership approval dipped.
Trump supporters speak out about first presidential debate, say Biden ‘can’t continue as president’
After debating President Biden on Thursday night, former President Trump went to Chesapeake, Virginia, in front of a crowd of thousands to host a rally in a state not won by a Republican presidential candidate since 2004. Trump was joined by a potential Trump vice presidential choice, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Thousands of Trump enthusiasts waited in line for several hours in rising temperatures in hopes of catching a glimpse of the former and possible next president of the United States. Many in attendance tuned into Thursday night’s debate and told Fox News Digital they were less than impressed with Biden’s performance. TRUMP, YOUNGKIN MEET FOR FIRST TIME AS GOP EYES WINNING VIRGINIA IN NOVEMBER Anne Sprouse from Virginia Beach watched the debate not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised by how the moderators conducted the event. “I’m gonna give CNN some credit for being honest. I thought they were pretty nice to Trump. I think it went really well,” Sprouse said. “Unfortunately, Biden is not physically able to be the president. I think that his family should take him home. I think he needs to retire, and I think Trump needs to take it back. I think he needs to make everything great again.” Edward Young traveled more than 300 miles south from Brick, New Jersey, to hear the former president speak after his performance on the debate stage. “Biden’s toast. He’s finished. He’s gone,” Young predicted. “Not only can’t he be the candidate, but he can’t continue as president. I predict he’s going to resign by the end of the week.” “They put all these restrictions on Trump, and he looked just fine. They get mad at him. They can’t understand his New York attitude,” he added. Kevin Gaudet of Chesapeake, Virginia, echoed Young’s thoughts about Biden’s performance. MEDIA FIGURES SHOCKED AT BIDEN’S ‘BAD’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE: ‘TOTAL AND COMPLETE DISASTER’ “It was a shame,” Gaudet said. “Our president of the United States [was] basically disgraced on the world stage. Fumbling on every other word that he was saying. Every time he came up with a number, he was picking a new number. I don’t think he knew what he was talking about half the time.” “I think Trump did an excellent job. He kept his cool. He didn’t get upset. He was truly presidential this time versus ’16. He’s had my vote from day one,” he said. Supporters of all ages turned out to Greenbrier Farms, including future voters. Sophia, 12, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was there with her family and watched some of the back and forth between Biden and Trump. One topic in particular caught her attention, and for all the wrong reasons. “I thought it was funny when they started talking about golf,” she said. Sophia then took a more serious tone when the topic switched from drivers and putters to the safety of Americans. “I like to watch politics,” she said. “I like watching it because I want my country to be safe. I feel like Trump will provide a lot more safety because he has actual plans, rather than Joe Biden sleeping. It’s nice to know somebody’s awake and ready to support our country.” The second and final presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET and will be hosted by ABC News. Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
DNC insider claims Biden meeting with Obama, Democratic strategist following debate disaster
President Biden is reportedly meeting with Democratic Party leaders in the aftermath of his disastrous first debate appearance. Dougie Kass, fund manager of Seabreeze Capital Partners LP and a Democratic National Committee insider, said a meeting is being arranged between the president and two Democratic heavyweights. “What I am hearing regarding Joe Biden. Ron Klain and Barack Obama are having a sit down with the President today. Jill Biden is insistent that Joe runs,” Kass claimed via social media Friday. “Kamala is furious that she is not being considered as a replacement (Whitmer and Newsom are).” CAN BIDEN BE REPLACED AS THE DEM NOMINEE? HOW THE EXTRAORDINARY MOVE COULD OCCUR Kass added, “Interestingly, my neighbor in East Hampton is hosting the Bidens tomorrow. It will be an important tell if the fundraiser is canceled.” The hedge fund manager’s claim of Democratic leadership meetings comes after Biden’s universally panned debate against former President Trump Thursday night. With a raspy voice and delivering rambling answers, Biden struggled during portions of Thursday night’s debate. He also lost his train of thought several times, raising concerns among his closest allies in politics and in the media. FIRST LADY CONGRATULATES BIDEN LIKE A CHILD AFTER DEBATE: ‘YOU ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS’ Some strategists have suggested the Democratic Party must act quickly to replace Biden before his nomination is made official in August. Vice President Kamala Harris has been largely ruled out as a potential replacement due to her unpopularity with voters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have previously been floated as potential last-minute replacements. During an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump was asked if he believes Biden will be the Democratic nominee. “Yes, I think he will be the nominee,” Trump said.
Trump makes case for return to ‘Remain in Mexico’ to solve historic border crisis
During the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday, former President Trump hailed the success of the “Remain in Mexico” policy — a controversial border program he has touted repeatedly and which many conservatives have called for in a potential second Trump term. Trump repeatedly hammered President Biden on the ongoing crisis at the southern border during the debate and attempted to contrast his record with Biden’s. A core part of his efforts to bring immigration numbers down was the introduction of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), commonly called “Remain in Mexico.” Expanded in 2019 across multiple ports of entry, the program involved an agreement with Mexico to set up tent courts to which migrants could go to apply for asylum and then wait in Mexico as they had their claims heard, rather than being released into the U.S. TRUMP REPEATEDLY HAMMERS BIDEN ON BORDER CRISIS TURNING US INTO ‘RAT’S NEST’: ‘KILLING OUR PEOPLE’ “[Biden] ended ‘Remain in Mexico.’ I ended ‘catch and release.’ I made it ‘catch and release’ in Mexico, not ‘catch and release’ here. We had so many things that we had done, hard negotiations with Mexico, and I got it all for nothing,” Trump said Thursday. Supporters of the program said that, where applied, the policy — where it was implemented — essentially ended “catch and release,” by which migrants are released into the U.S. to await their hearings, which can take years. While only around 70,000 migrants were returned under the program, conservatives have highlighted it as a move that was followed by a drop in encounters that summer and into pre-COVID 2020. The Biden administration shut down the program in 2021, arguing that the policy was ineffective and left migrants in squalor and in danger in Mexico, leading to massive migrant camps set up along the border as people waited for their appointments — an argument also made by immigration advocates. “As [Homeland] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas has said, MPP has endemic flaws, imposes unjustifiable human costs, and pulls resources and personnel away from other priority efforts to secure our border,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement in 2022 as it moved to end the program. Since then, the Biden administration has introduced a number of its own measures to regulate immigration and relieve pressure at the border amid a massive migrant surge that spiked in 2021. At the heart of its policy is an expansion of the CBP One app, allowing migrants to enter legally and schedule an appointment to be paroled into the U.S. Currently, that allows about 1,500 migrants each day. DHS Secretary Mayorkas recently noted that that amounts to 500,000 people a year, and is in addition to other measures put in place to prevent migrants making the journey to the border. BLUE STATE DEPLOYS OFFICIALS TO THE BORDER WITH SURPRISING WARNING FOR MIGRANTS “CBP One is not the only access point to humanitarian relief in the United States. The number of individuals accessing CBP One is in addition to the 30,000 people accessing the Cuban Haitian Nicaraguan Venezuelan program. It is in addition to the individuals accessing the refugee program in the Western Hemisphere, which has grown exponentially to an unprecedented level. It is in addition to the people who are accessing our safe mobility offices in Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, those safe mobility offices are expanding,” he said. The administration has also pointed to various instances of cooperation with Mexico, including its agreement to accept tens of thousands of illegal immigrants back each month, and efforts with countries including Mexico to counter human smuggling. On Thursday, Biden touted cooperation with Mexico on stopping fentanyl crossing into the U.S. “We’re coming down very hard in every country in Asia in terms of precursors to fentanyl, and Mexico is working with us to make sure they don’t have the technology to be able to put it together,” he said. Yet reports of significant backlogs at the border remain, with advocates pointing to efforts by the administration to block asylum for those crossing illegally as inhumane, and arguing that more needs to be done to allow more migrants in. “With increasing wait times and uncertainty about appointment allocation, many asylum seekers are forced to make perilous decisions to cross into the United States without appointments, putting their lives at risk and potentially being ineligible for asylum because of the Asylum Ban,” a recent report by Amnesty International said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS The organization argues that the app poses technological barriers and other limitations, with what it sees as limited appointments being handed out at random. “The CBP One application turns the legal right to asylum into a lottery system based on chance.” said Paul O’Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA. “Asylum seekers may never be provided with safety and protection in the United States simply because they may never receive an appointment.” Within that lens, a return to “Remain in Mexico” would make the situation worse for asylum seekers, particularly if a Republican administration shut down the parole appointments through CBP One. But supporters argue that it is allowing migrants in which creates more demand, and that the key to ending the backlog beyond the border is ending the pull factors. Any return to “Remain in Mexico” would also face a significant hurdle in securing cooperation from Mexico. While the Trump administration got the Mexican government to cooperate in 2019, the Mexican foreign ministry has since said it won’t cooperate with any reintroduction of MPP.
State Dem leaders rally behind Biden after debate; one party chair urges GOP to replace Trump
The governor of President Biden’s home state led several other Democratic state officials in maintaining they will stick with their party’s incumbent after a debate performance that roiled the political scene. Delaware Gov. John Carney told Fox News Digital he still supports Biden’s bid to remain in the White House. “I endorsed President Biden’s re-election campaign last year and continue to stand behind him,” Carney said. “We need to make sure President Biden can finish the job he started.” Fox News Digital reached out to every Democratic governor and several state-level Democrats for their take after Biden received friendly post-debate fire from fellow liberals and media allies. ECONOMY, BORDER, ABORTION DIVIDE BIDEN’S HOMETOWN AS SCRANTON LOOKS BACK ON NATIVE SON’S TENURE Several governors did not respond to requests for comment, but those who did indicated Biden remains their man. In West Virginia, State Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin said Biden is a winner and Trump is a criminal. “As Democrats, we believe in the democratic process. President Biden is our nominee because of his winning performance in the presidential primaries,” he said. “Donald Trump is a convicted felon who paid hush money to cover up an affair with a porn star and who helped incite a riot as part of a plot to overturn the results of a free and fair election,” added Pushkin, also a state lawmaker. Instead of claiming Democrats should replace Biden, the GOP should turn inward, Pushkin added. “If Republican leaders had an ounce of integrity and cared about our democracy, they should be looking to replace Donald Trump on the ticket,” he said. In neighboring Pennsylvania, state Sen. Sharif Street, the commonwealth’s Democratic Party chair, said he will proudly continue to support Biden. BIDEN CLAIMS TO SEE THE ECONOMY THROUGH THE EYES OF SCRANTON, NOT WALL STREET “He’s created more jobs this year than Donald Trump has in his entire time in office,” said Street, whose father, John Street, was a popular Philadelphia mayor. “President Biden has had an outstanding tenure, appointing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and protecting a women’s right to choose. Additionally, he has invested in our communities by passing the CHIPS Act and the infrastructure bill,” Street said. Street added Trump is a “convicted felon” and that the debate showed him to be a “compulsive liar” and “total lunatic.” “[He’s] bad for America,” Street said. “I’m proud to support President Biden and look forward to the next four years.” Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office pointed to an interview on CNN, where he appeared as a Biden campaign surrogate. The governor, whose state narrowly went to Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, did not mince words about remaining behind his party’s nominee. “Here’s the bottom line: Joe Biden had a bad debate night, but Donald Trump was a bad president,” Shapiro said. “I think what the American people have to do now is make a decision: Do we want to go back to a dark time that Donald Trump promises, where we have less freedom, where the middle class gets screwed, where there are fewer opportunities in our community?” BIDEN’S HOMETOWN SPEAKS OUT ON BIDENOMICS Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz concurred with Shapiro during a Fox News interview when asked if Biden should remain the nominee. “[He] had a bad night last night,” he said. “I hate these debates. I’ve been through dozens of them myself, but they’re performative,” Walz told “America’s Newsroom.” “I’ve had the job under President Trump and under President Biden, and the difference couldn’t be more stark than the ability to be able to deliver what governors need.” Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said “last night was not a good night” for Biden but added Trump instead “spewed wild conspiracy theories from the debate stage.” “President Biden has a vision for America where women have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies, where we tackle high housing costs, where every family can afford child care, and where we show compassion and love for one another rather than hate,” Polis said. While North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper did not respond to a request for comment, he later lauded and introduced Biden at a Raleigh campaign rally Friday afternoon. Reached for comment on whether they will continue supporting Biden, an official with the North Carolina Democratic Party responded simply, “Yes.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office directed Fox News Digital to post-debate remarks in which the Democrat pledged to “never turn my back on President Biden.” “I don’t know a Democrat in my party that would do so. And especially after tonight, we have his back,” he said. Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly told Fox News Digital she’s proud to continue supporting him. “While I have never been shy about standing up to Washington when it’s wrong for Kansas, the president’s record of delivering bipartisan results speaks for itself,” she said. “His efforts will continue to allow Kansas to recruit new manufacturing businesses, rebuild our infrastructure, and stand up for our fundamental freedoms. He is a decent man of strong character.”
‘Bad night’: House Dems tread carefully after Biden debate performance
Democrat lawmakers came to the defense of President Biden’s re-election bid after serious concerns were raised over Thursday night’s debate performance. Biden’s physical and mental appearance was noticed just minutes into the debate as he stumbled over words with a raspy voice and appeared to at times lose his train of thought — with one well-connected Democrat source telling Fox that “everyone is freaking out” and that Biden “needs to go.” Despite the backlash, Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill rallied behind the president when asked by Fox News Digital if Biden should remain on the 2024 ticket as the Democratic nominee. One Democrat said that Biden “absolutely” had a bad night, but that he should still represent the party on the general election ballot. TRUMP SAYS BIDEN ‘WILL BE THE NOMINEE’ AMID DEM PANIC OVER DEBATE PERFORMANCE “Did Joe Biden have a bad night, in my opinion? Yes, he absolutely did. And he needs to get out and talk to the American people and answer the question that needs to be,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. “But I know it’s focused. And staying with Joe Biden because he is the right guy at the right time.” Rep. Robert Garcia, R-Calif., suggested that Biden was acting a certain way because he “was not feeling well.” “Look, I get that President Biden had a sore throat, but apparently was not feeling well. At the end of the day, we’ve seen the president in action for years,” Garcia said. “We know what he’s like. And I think 20 minutes of a debate, half an hour of a debate where he did obviously have some sort of… throat challenge or perhaps was sick, I don’t think it’s gonna matter at the end of the day.” FOX NEWS DIGITAL FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS SHIFT WHOM THEY ARE VOTING FOR AFTER DEBATE “I will take the honest old guy over the dishonest old guy any day of the week,” Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., told Fox News Digital. Another Democrat, Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., said Biden “started off very slowly, but he picked up the pace.” “He was on message. He made compelling reasons and points why his administration has had to correct the mess that was the Trump administration,” Carson said. “And I think he’s shown that he’s fit for leadership. He supports law enforcement. He supports our troops. He supports economic development and growth. And he’s proven that. Look at the record.” Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., also told Fox News Digital that Biden should “absolutely” be representing the Democratic Party on the 2024 ticket.
Fox News Politics: No More Room
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening… – Biden’s “disaster” debate – SCOTUS decides Jan. 6 case – NASA’s ‘stranded’ astronaut crisis averted Migrants sleeping on the floors of Boston’s Logan International Airport will soon be banned from doing so and Massachusetts officials are telling migrants currently at the southern border that its shelter system is out of space. More than 100 migrants have been using the facility as a shelter — lining the floors of Boston’s main air hub with makeshift beds and air mattresses — but they will be prohibited from doing so from July 9 and instead be offered free tax-payer-funded accommodation at a former minimum-security dorm-like facility in Norfolk, Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday. ‘PULL’ FACTOR: Mayorkas moves to shield hundreds of thousands from deportation back to troubled Caribbean nation …Read more ‘IT’S NOT STORY TIME’: Rep. Nancy Mace rips civil rights activist for defining ‘woman’ as ‘a person who says she is’ …Read more CONTROVERSIAL LAWS: U.S. Supreme Court upholds controversial anti-camping laws used against homeless people in Oregon city …Read more ‘ROUGH DEBATE’: Fetterman urges Dems to ‘chill the f–k out’ about Biden, says he’s proof ‘rough debate’ isn’t dealbreaker …Read more SURPRISING DISSENT: Supreme Court decides Jan. 6 rioter ‘obstruction’ case that could carry significant implications for Trump …Read more BUREAUCRATS’ WORST NIGHTMARE: Supreme Court sides with fishermen in landmark case deciding fate of the administrative state …Read more CHANGING MINDS: Fox News Digital focus group members shift who they are voting for after debate …Read more ‘TIME TO GO, JOE’: Biden’s ‘disaster’ debate performance sparks media meltdown, calls for him to withdraw from 2024 race …Read more ‘BIGGEST LIE’: Trump, Biden spar over golf handicaps as they convince voters they are not too old for the presidency …Read more ‘HE WILL LOSE’: ABC’s ‘The View’ erupts with calls for Biden to step aside after debate: ‘Maybe he needs to go’ …Read more ‘WE’RE ALL HEARTBROKEN’: California firefighter dies at San Diego beach after disappearing during swim …Read more ‘MANIPULATED, GROOMED’: Ohio mom lashes out at social worker who ‘groomed,’ raped 13-year-old son …Read more WHEN’S HOMECOMING?: Boeing says NASA’s ‘stranded’ astronaut crisis averted, reveals why homecoming is delayed …Read more HISTORIC INDICTMENT: Ex-Uvalde school police chief, officer indicted over response to elementary mass shooting: reports …Read more PORN STAR ARRESTED: Porn star Austin Wolf arrested following FBI investigation …Read more ‘SAD DAY’: Former Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy’s indictment is a ‘sad day,’ mayor says …Read more GLOBAL THREAT: ISIS remains global threat a decade after declaring caliphate, U.S. military official says …Read more ‘LIES’: Bolivia’s president denounces self-coup accusations as ‘lies’ as supporters rally …Read more DEADLY STORM: 1 confirmed dead after severe rain causes roof collapse at India’s New Delhi airport …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.
Battleground Democrats leave Biden high and dry after ‘disastrous’ debate performance
Democrats under threat of losing their seats to Republicans appear to be leaving President Biden high and dry after what’s been widely viewed as a “disastrous” performance in Thursday’s presidential debate. Fox News Digital asked multiple Democratic senators, House members and candidates facing tough races for their reaction to the debate and whether they agreed with the assessment by others in their party that Biden should step aside as a presidential candidate. Not one stepped up to defend him. REPUBLICANS DECLARE BIDEN ‘UNFIT FOR OFFICE’ FOLLOWING ‘DISASTROUS’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE The names most notably absent from jumping to Biden’s defense were senators Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Jon Tester, D-Mont., Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, all of whom have been quick to praise the president in the more recent past. Tester, for example, previously described Biden as “absolutely 100% with it,” and said, “He’s fine. He’s doing a good job. I think folks are making a bigger deal out of it than it is.” Republicans have been going after him by running those very words in ads across the state. Baldwin’s campaign distanced itself from Biden following the debate, telling one news outlet Friday, “Tammy Baldwin is running her own race for the people of Wisconsin.” BIDEN RIPPED FOR ‘OLD’ APPEARANCE, ‘WEAK’ VOICE DURING FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ‘DEEPLY ALARMING’ “Senate Democrats have been telling Americans Joe Biden is still sharp. Jon Tester even went so far as to say Biden is ‘absolutely 100% with it.’ It is clear they were lying, and voters will remember that in November,” National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital. Reps. Ruben Gallego, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Arizona; Colin Allred, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas; Elissa Slotkin, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan; and Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maryland, also failed to defend Biden when asked about the debate. Some House Democrats facing tough races, such as Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, have taken a similar approach. The National Republican Congressional Committee on Friday posted a video on social media of Kaptur being trailed in the airport by a GOP operative asking if Biden was “fit to be president.” BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT’S BRUTAL TAKE ON BIDEN’S DEBATE AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE A DEAD MAN WALKING’ “Joe Biden is president,” Kaptur said, refusing to give a direct answer. When pressed by the operative, Kaptur simply said, “Are you fit to be president?” Kaptur’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes won a tight race in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District in 2022, and Cook Political Report ranks her race in 2024 as a “Democrat Toss Up.” Fox News Digital reached out to her office and did not receive a response. In Washington state, Dem. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is facing a tough reelection campaign that the Cook Political Report ranks as a “Democrat Toss Up.” Her office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, who also could be facing a tough re-election fight this year, did, however, admit what the others wouldn’t. “Biden struggled, but he’s an honest person who cares deeply about the country, and Trump, on the other hand, is a con man and only cares about himself,” Landsman told Fox News Digital. “I’m not sure what happens next. I’m clear about my job, which is to serve the 700,000 people we represent, working to make life better for children and families by getting costs down, strengthening our democracy, restoring freedoms and helping to solve the big problems we face so families don’t have to worry as much as they do now.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Battleground Democrats leave Biden high and dry after ‘disastrous’ debate performance
Democrats under threat of losing their seats to Republicans appear to be leaving President Biden high and dry after what’s been widely viewed as a “disastrous” performance in Thursday’s presidential debate. Fox News Digital asked multiple Democratic senators, House members and candidates facing tough races for their reaction to the debate and whether they agreed with the assessment by others in their party that Biden should step aside as a presidential candidate. Not one stepped up to defend him. REPUBLICANS DECLARE BIDEN ‘UNFIT FOR OFFICE’ FOLLOWING ‘DISASTROUS’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE The names most notably absent from jumping to Biden’s defense were senators Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Jon Tester, D-Mont., Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, all of whom have been quick to praise the president in the more recent past. Tester, for example, previously described Biden as “absolutely 100% with it,” and said, “He’s fine. He’s doing a good job. I think folks are making a bigger deal out of it than it is.” Republicans have been going after him by running those very words in ads across the state. Baldwin’s campaign distanced itself from Biden following the debate, telling one news outlet Friday, “Tammy Baldwin is running her own race for the people of Wisconsin.” BIDEN RIPPED FOR ‘OLD’ APPEARANCE, ‘WEAK’ VOICE DURING FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ‘DEEPLY ALARMING’ “Senate Democrats have been telling Americans Joe Biden is still sharp. Jon Tester even went so far as to say Biden is ‘absolutely 100% with it.’ It is clear they were lying, and voters will remember that in November,” National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital. Reps. Ruben Gallego, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Arizona; Colin Allred, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas; Elissa Slotkin, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan; and Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maryland, also failed to defend Biden when asked about the debate. Some House Democrats facing tough races, such as Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, have taken a similar approach. The National Republican Congressional Committee on Friday posted a video on social media of Kaptur being trailed in the airport by a GOP operative asking if Biden was “fit to be president.” BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT’S BRUTAL TAKE ON BIDEN’S DEBATE AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE A DEAD MAN WALKING’ “Joe Biden is president,” Kaptur said, refusing to give a direct answer. When pressed by the operative, Kaptur simply said, “Are you fit to be president?” Kaptur’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes won a tight race in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District in 2022, and Cook Political Report ranks her race in 2024 as a “Democrat Toss Up.” Fox News Digital reached out to her office and did not receive a response. In Washington state, Dem. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is facing a tough reelection campaign that the Cook Political Report ranks as a “Democrat Toss Up.” Her office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, who also could be facing a tough re-election fight this year, did, however, admit what the others wouldn’t. “Biden struggled, but he’s an honest person who cares deeply about the country, and Trump, on the other hand, is a con man and only cares about himself,” Landsman told Fox News Digital. “I’m not sure what happens next. I’m clear about my job, which is to serve the 700,000 people we represent, working to make life better for children and families by getting costs down, strengthening our democracy, restoring freedoms and helping to solve the big problems we face so families don’t have to worry as much as they do now.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Biden’s abortion comments at debate fail to resonate with independent voters: focus group
President Biden and former President Donald Trump traded jabs over the issue of abortion and their views on Roe v. Wade at Thursday night’s presidential debate, with independent voters who were part of a Fox News Digital focus group favoring the former president’s remarks on the subject. Asked whether he supports “any legal limits on how late a woman should be able to terminate a pregnancy,” Biden said, “I support Roe v. Wade, which has three trimesters. First time is between a woman and a doctor. Second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. The third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the woman and the state. “The idea that the politicians, that the founders wanted the politicians to be the ones making decisions about a woman’s health is ridiculous. No politician is making that decision. A doctor should be making those decisions. That’s how it should be run. That’s what you’re gonna do, and if I’m elected, I’m gonna restore Roe v. Wade.” During Biden’s remarks, approval from independent voters in the focus group consistently ranked around 30% or lower and never reached 35% approval. TRUMP VOWS HE ‘WILL NOT BLOCK’ ABORTION PILLS OR MEDICATION IF ELECTED, SAYS HE BELIEVES IN ‘EXCEPTIONS’ Responding to Biden, Trump said, “So that means he can take the life of the baby in the ninth month and even after birth, because some states — Democrat-run — take it after birth.” “So he’s willing to, as we say, rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month and kill the baby,” Trump added. “Nobody wants that to happen.” Independent voter response to Trump’s comments on Biden’s positioning on abortion soared to higher than 75% approval. Biden interjected to deny Trump’s claim, saying it was “simply not true” and that Roe v. Wade “does not provide for that.” “That’s not the circumstance. Only when the woman’s life is in danger, if she’s going to die — that’s the only circumstance in which that can happen,” Biden said. “But we are not for late-term abortion, period.” Amid the president’s interjection of Trump’s comments, approval from independent voters for what Biden had to say quickly started to trickle down. CNN HOST ABRUPTLY ENDS INTERVIEW WITH PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST AFTER CLASH OVER SCOTUS DECISION Refutting Biden’s claim and garnering further support from independent voters who were part of the focus group, Trump said, “Under Roe v. Wade, you have late-term abortion. You can do whatever you want, depending on the state. … We don’t think that’s a good thing. We think it’s a radical thing.” “For 51 years, that was the law,” Biden fired back. “Constitutional scholarship said it was the right way to go. Fifty-one years, and it was taken away because this guy put very conservative members on the Supreme Court. He takes credit for taking it away.” Upon his speaking again, real-time independent voter approval of Biden’s remarks dropped significantly. “What’s he going to do? What’s he going to do, in fact, if — if the MAGA Republicans — he gets elected and the MAGA Republicans control of the Congress and they pass a universal ban on abortion, period, across the board, at six weeks, or seven, or eight or 10 weeks, something very, very conservative. Is he going to sign that bill? I’ll veto it. He’ll sign it,” Biden said. Trump also said during the debate that he “will not block” abortion pills or abortion medication should he be elected president. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, effectively ending recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and giving individual states the power to allow, limit or ban the practice altogether.