Page 1664 – Texas Weekly Online

RNC files lawsuit over noncitizen voting rights in Vermont’s largest city

The Republican National Committee launched a lawsuit this week seeking to ensure only citizens can vote in Burlington, Vermont, elections. Residents of Burlington, the Green Mountain State’s largest city, approved the charter change in March 2023 that permits noncitizens to vote in municipal elections. Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott later vetoed state approval of the measure, but was overridden by the legislature. BIDEN’S BORDER CRISIS WREAKING HAVOC ON K-12 SCHOOLS: TOP GOP LAWMAKER The RNC said such elections influence Vermont’s education budget, which contradicts the state constitution’s requirement that only citizens can vote on matters affecting the state. “Americans should decide American elections,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “Democrats’ persistent efforts to enable noncitizen voting dilute the voices of Americans in Vermont and across the country,” he said. In comments to Fox News, an RNC spokesperson added that Democrats’ “persistent efforts” to let noncitizens vote is “alarming.” “Combined with their catastrophic border crisis, noncitizens’ voting prioritizes illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens and jeopardizes our elections,” the spokesperson said. FLASHBACK: PA REPUBLICANS DRAFT BILL DIVERTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SECRETIVE BIDEN DHS FLIGHTS TO DELAWARE While noncitizen suffrage remains illegal in federal-level elections, Burlington is not alone in permitting such. In the Burlington suburb of Winooski, 11 people took advantage of the town’s “all-resident” voting policy, according to NPR. Bordering Washington, D.C., the city of Takoma Park, Maryland, recently celebrated 30 years of being the first municipality in the nation where noncitizens are permitted to vote. A 2023 city statement on the matter said 20% of the approximately 350 noncitizens there cast ballots in the 2017 off-year elections. Takoma Park’s 1992 policy change was notably spearheaded by resident and then-American University law professor Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. It requires identification and proof of residency, according to a city statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Washington, D.C., itself also allows noncitizen voting in municipal races. In February, a New York State appeals court overturned New York City’s noncitizen suffrage provisions, while several states in the heartland banned the practice in the early 1900s. In 2020, Florida and Alabama voters overwhelmingly approved state constitutional amendments by-referendum, declaring only citizens can vote within those states. Politically, Burlington is otherwise best known as the city where high-profile Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., started his political career. The self-described “democratic socialist” served as the city’s mayor from 1981 to 1989. Fox News Digital reached out to the city of Burlington for comment. A person who answered the phone at city hall directed Fox News Digital to a communications official who did not respond.

Dem lawmaker in tears after Republican says its unfair for Asians, Latinos to pay reparations

A California Democrat held back tears earlier this month when a Republican lawmaker said it would be unfair to make Asians and Latinos pay slavery reparations to African-Americans. The exchange happened on June 11 during a meeting of the California Assembly Committee on Judiciary. The lawmakers were discussing SB 1331, a bill that would establish the “Fund for Reparations and Reparative Justice” in the state treasury — the culmination of a monthslong initiative by California Democrats to develop a reparation proposal for descendants of American slaves. “I’m concerned about the proposal to help facilitate distribution of reparations,” Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, a Republican from Santa Margarita, said during the hearing. Sanchez cited economists who analyzed the proposal from California’s reparations task force and found it could cost $800 billion. REPARATIONS IN AMERICA: HOW CITIES FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO WILMINGTON ARE TRYING TO GET IT DONE “That’s two and a half times the size of our entire state budget,” she said. “To pay for that, you’d need a major tax hike unlike anything this state has ever seen before. I recognize and acknowledge the painful part of our history. The pains of the past should not be paid by the people of today.” The Republican lawmaker, who is Hispanic, noted that the majority of California’s population, 55%, is Latino or Asian, including many first- or second-generation immigrants “who had nothing to do with slavery, discrimination, Jim Crow laws.” “It is fundamentally unfair to force these people to pay for this,” she said. San Jose Democratic Assemblyman Ash Kalra responded, denying that reparations would be paid in an $800 billion “balloon payment from the state budget.” BOSTON ACTIVISTS CALL FOR $15 BILLION IN REPARATIONS, SAYS THE CITY MUST ‘FULLY COMMIT TO WRITING CHECKS’ “The reality is that actions are necessary, and that includes reparations. It includes, in some cases, monetary reparations,” said Kalra, who in 2016 became the first Indian American elected to the California Legislature and is chairman of the Judiciary Committee. “I understand that it’s hard to ask those of us currently sitting in the legislature to make those commitments, but no one asked Black families over generations if it was okay to take their wealth, if it was okay to enslave them, if it was okay to—” he said, pausing as he became emotional. “If it was okay to put their children in generations of poverty. This country became a superpower based upon free labor of African descendants over hundreds of years. We need to recognize it.” “It’s not supposed to be easy to actually admit when you’ve caused pain,” Kalra added. CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS PAYOUTS ON HOLD, BUT STATE MOVES TOWARD APOLOGY FOR SLAVERY After debate, the Judiciary Committee voted 9-3 to advance SB 1331 along party lines. The proposal is one of four reparations bills under consideration by the California legislature, according to the Sacramento Observer. In May, the state Senate passed three bills that were part of more than a dozen reparations bills introduced by the California Legislative Black Caucus, ABC7 reported. The bills “issue an apology to Black Californians for the state’s role in instituting slave laws and discriminatory practices since its founding,” the outlet wrote. The bills will now head to the California State Assembly for votes. California introduced a package of reparations bills in January that would give property compensation and cash payouts to the descendants of slaves and other Black Californians. The assembly voted down previous bills on the issue, including one which would have provided homeownership aid and another which would have offered property tax relief for descendants of slaves, according to ABC7. SB 1331 allocates funds for reparations policies signed into law by the governor. Fox News Digital’s Yael Halon contributed to this report.

In winning debate coin flip, Biden prioritizes podium position over closing statement

President Biden’s campaign chose to reserve the stage-right podium at Thursday’s debate over the opposing lectern. By doing so, the Democratic nominee gave his Republican opponent, former President Trump, a choice of offering his closing statement first or last. Trump chose to go last in offering a closing statement at the Atlanta debate. Meanwhile, Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was informed he did not qualify for the CNN-hosted debate. That news led to about 50 Kennedy supporters protesting in front of CNN’s New York bureau on 10th Avenue Friday afternoon. “Just watch, he’s going to be president,” one of the lead demonstrators was heard shouting. “RFK, let him speak. CNN, don’t be weak,” others chanted. Kennedy missed the threshold by qualifying in three of four requisite polls, while Kennedy’s representatives told Fox News’ Peter Doocy that the left-leaning network is displaying a double standard. “The Kennedy campaign points out CNN is holding Kennedy to this requirement, but is not requiring Presidents Biden and Trump to meet this requirement by claiming they are each the presumptive nominee of a political party,” Doocy said on “Special Report” Thursday. Fox News has reached out to the Biden and Trump campaigns for further comment, while leaders from both parties underlined the importance of the two men going head-to-head. “Given that there’s only two, and just given the discussion and talk about the preparedness of both candidates, I think people are looking to see Biden perform; looking to see how crazy Trump will be,” former House Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley – who was ousted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., in 2018 – told The Hill. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., conversely argued to CNN that Trump could take the helm of the debate by laying out how the Mideast is “on fire” under Biden. “That’s the thing you are going to see… what was the world like under Trump?” he added. Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden and Trump campaigns but did not immediately receive responses. Fox News’ Grace Taggart contributed to this report.

Trump catches up to Biden in cash dash, but can he spend the money in time?

Thanks to a tidal wave of fundraising following his conviction in the first criminal trial of a former or current president, Donald Trump has all but erased President Biden’s once massive fundraising advantage in their 2024 election rematch. In May, for a second straight month, the former president and the Republican National Committee significantly outraised Biden and the Democratic National Committee. And the president’s formidable cash-on-hand advantage over Trump has seemingly evaporated. The Biden campaign’s months-long lead in the cash dash allowed his team to drown out Trump on the airwaves and to build an impressive ground game operation in comparison to the Trump campaign’s much more frugal foundations. But Trump’s fundraising boost since clinching the GOP nomination in early March, and his surge since being convicted of 34 felony counts in his New York City trial, now allow him to match Biden in the ad wars and to potentially build a sizable ground operation. BIDEN HAS A MASSIVE MAY FUNDRAISING HAUL, BUT COMES UP FAR SHORT OF TRUMP While Biden’s campaign has spent upwards of $65 million to carpet the airwaves with ads in support of president’s re-election, according to AdImpact, a leading national ad tracking firm, the Trump campaign has yet to launch a general election ad buy. But Biden’s ad wars advantage may soon be challenged. Make America Great Again (MAGA) Inc., a top super PAC supporting the former president, announced a $100 million ad blitz this summer. The group’s announcement came immediately after it landed a staggering $50 million contribution from conservative banking heir Timothy Mellon. When it comes to the ground game battle, the Biden campaign on Thursday announced that it had reached 200 campaign offices and 1,000 staffers in the key battleground states that will decide the 2024 election rematch. BLOOMBERG, CONSERVATIVE BANKING HEIR MELLON, SHELL OUT MILLIONS TO BOOST BIDEN, TRUMP “With just over four months until the election, Donald Trump couldn’t match our battleground infrastructure if he tried,” Biden campaign battleground states director Dan Kanninen said in a statement. Kanninen argued that “while Trump’s team is desperately trying to spin their lack of infrastructure as ‘strategic,’ the bottom line is that Donald Trump cannot buy back the time he has lost — and invisible campaigns don’t win.” Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller pushed back, as he pointed to polls in the key battleground states that indicate Trump with a slight edge. “What Biden could use is 1,000 more votes in states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, because he’s losing to President Trump in all of them!” Miller claimed. Trump’s campaign says that it and the RNC have offices in the key swing states, but declines to give specific numbers. The campaign reiterates that its paid staff and volunteer operation are “expanding daily.” But Trump’s campaign for a couple of months has emphasized that it is building a “leaner” operation than it had in 2020 when the then-White House incumbent ran for re-election. It is planning an operation with fewer offices and staff, and to a degree outsourcing, as it relies on allied groups to beef up its ground game. “There will definitely need to be some catching up to do for Trump to try to match the infrastructure that Biden has built,” Greg Moore, a regional director for the conservative advocacy powerhouse Americans For Prosperity, told Fox News. But Moore, a longtime veteran of the group’s formidable grassroots outreach and ground game efforts, said “there’s still a fantastic opportunity for the Trump team to be able to start to grow that infrastructure and focus on building out a true, authentic, grassroots strategy.” Pointing to the Trump campaign, Moore argued that “there’s no question there’s a ton of energy in the supporters. The level of enthusiasm among Trump’s supporters is higher than the level of enthusiasm among Biden’s supporters, which means while the staff gain might lean toward Biden, actually recruiting authentic volunteers is an area where Trump should have an advantage.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Dem AGs slapped with lawsuit over ‘threats’ to shut down sexual assault advocacy group for at-home rape kits

FIRST ON FOX: Two Democratic state attorneys general are being sued on claims that they are violating the First Amendment with “threats” to shut down an organization that seeks to expand aid for survivors of sexual assault with a government-alternative “self-administered DNA collection” kit. Leda Health Corporation says it is working to “end the cycle of sexual violence” – developing an Early Evidence Kit (EEK) that allows victims to “receive time-sensitive DNA after sexual assault” through a self-collection of evidence, rather than getting a traditional rape kit at the hospital. CEO Madison Campbell filed a lawsuit against New York AG Letitia James and Pennsylvania AG Michelle Henry after the two penned letters in opposition to the at-home alternative kit. Alex Little, the attorney representing Campbell, emphasized that the lawsuit “focused on threats that those attorneys general made to shut down the company and penalize Miss Campbell for statements they had made about sexual assault and sexual assault victims” while speaking with Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview. “Ultimately, this lawsuit is about a disagreement about what we should tell survivors of sexual assault. The attorneys general here, as we lay out in the complaint, want those survivors to only receive a very narrow message,” Little told Fox News Digital. “The reality is, we think that victims deserve a broader spectrum of opinions and information. And Leda is part of the process for giving them that information.” FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS BIDEN TITE IX RULE IN 4 STATES: ‘ABUSE OF POWER’ The lawsuit, filed Monday, claims that defendants James and Henry “threatened, coerced, and intimidated Leda Health to stop its business in Pennsylvania and New York.” “The lawsuit includes the letters and the sort of threats from both attorneys general, one from Pennsylvania, asking Leda to shut down within seven days or face a lawsuit,” Little said in an interview. “Those threats were tied directly to Leda continuing to send this message to victims that there are alternatives to traditional rape kits.” Little said the First Amendment rights of Leda Health and its CEO are being infringed upon in the attempt by the Democratic attorneys general to interfere in the company’s messaging. The suit also stated that the defendants believe “Leda Health and Ms. Campbell cannot tell women who experience sexual assault about alternatives to government-endorsed services (such as traditional forensic exams conducted in hospitals or at law enforcement facilities) because it might discourage victims from seeking these services. Doing so is a ‘deceptive practice,’ the pair claim, even when all the information that Leda Health provides is true.” The lawsuit states that in Henry’s letter, she called the EEK, which presents an alternative to government services, a “deceptive practice.” Little said that “both attorneys general think that leaders shouldn’t be telling people they can do this, and that somehow doing so is deceiving them about things like admissibility, what might happen in court.” “I think what’s so important about this lawsuit is reminding public officials, like attorneys general that if you’re going to use this extreme power you have, you have to do so in a way that respects individual and corporations’ First Amendment rights,” Little said. “The reality is, in this country, victims of sexual assault face a very difficult time and are not being well served. Leda is founded to help that, to change that. And if folks are going to stand in the way, we certainly need to find all legal avenues to make sure that those obstacles are removed.” When asked about the lawsuit, Letitia James’ office sent Fox News Digital a copy of the 2019 cease-and-desist letter to Leda Health regarding their kits, where the attorney general’s office said the advertisements for the EEK kits were “reckless.” Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Henry for comment.

Trump spotlighting shock slaying of mom allegedly killed by illegal immigrant evokes effective 2016 strategy

Former President Donald Trump’s phone call to the mother of a Maryland woman allegedly slain by an illegal immigrant reflects similar outreach to “angel families” during the 2016 election, an effective strategy that personalized the border issue and kept it front and center in his campaign. In a Thursday call with Patty Morin – the mother of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant who entered the country as a “gotaway” last year – Trump expressed support for the Morin family during a conversation that lasted roughly 20 minutes. Patty Morin said in a press release offered by her attorney that she was “deeply touched by President Trump’s kindness and concern.” “He was genuine and truly wanted to know how our family was coping,” she added. “He asked about Rachel and showed honest compassion for her untimely death. His words brought comfort to me during this very difficult time.” ILLEGALS CHARGED WITH MURDER, RAPE AND KIDNAPPING IN A WEEK OF SHOCKING CRIMES ACROSS THE US That call was one of several that Trump has made to families battling similar issues, where he has lent hope and compassion to those who have lost family members or other loved ones in recent years due to heinous acts committed by individuals who had come to the U.S. illegally. In February, Trump reached out to the parents of Laken Riley – the Georgia nursing student who had been brutally murdered, allegedly by an illegal migrant – and described them as “incredible people” who were “devastated” over the untimely death of their daughter. “A beautiful 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia was barbarically attacked. She was on a morning run … she was a beautiful young woman,” the former president said during a visit to the southern border. “I spoke to her parents yesterday, they are incredible people. They are devastated beyond belief. She was so beautiful in so many ways.” During his campaign for president in 2016, amid multiple high-profile deaths of Americans at the hands of illegal immigrants, Trump made an effort to bring the issue into national focus. The fatal shooting of Kate Steinle in July 2015 sparked a national debate about illegal immigration and so-called “sanctuary cities.” The 32-year-old was shot and killed by Jose Ines Garcia Zarate when she was walking with her father and a family friend on Pier 14 in San Francisco. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECTED IN RACHEL MORIN MURDER ENTERED US AS GOTAWAY AFTER BEING RELEASED 3 TIMES: ICE Garcia Zarate, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who would later be acquitted of the murder, had been deported five times and was wanted for a sixth deportation when Steinle was shot. Trump later referred to the not-guilty verdict in the Steinle murder trial as “disgraceful” and insisted there is “no wonder” why Americans are “so angry with Illegal Immigration.” At an April 2016 campaign rally, Trump welcomed to the stage several “angel families” – a term to describe relatives of victims killed by illegal immigrants in the U.S. – to share their thoughts on the issue and display photos of the loved ones they had lost. At one point, Trump handed the microphone to Jamiel Shaw, whose son had been murdered by an illegal immigrant who had been released from jail the day before on prior gun charges. Highlighting the fact that his son had been killed by an “illegal alien on his third gun charge,” Shaw said at the time, “We demand Americans first.” Trump referred to Shaw as a “great guy” at the rally and insisted that people like him “all have a very similar story to tell” in that “people that shouldn’t have been here, people that should have never been allowed to come over the border” had taken their family from them. Due to his support for the families, as well as his vow to “stop” the killings of innocent Americans by illegal immigrants, Trump earned the support of Shaw and many others like him ahead of the 2016 election.

Texas adopts guidance for how doctors should interpret abortion ban

The guidance lays out what the Texas Medical Board will consider when investigating allegations of illegal abortions.

‘I haven’t decided’: Mainstream Senate Dems hesitate on attending Netanyahu’s address to Congress

Senate Democrats appear to be hesitating on whether they will attend remarks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next month to a joint session of Congress. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital. Asked whether he had specific reservations, he reiterated, “I haven’t made up my mind yet.” GOP PLOTS MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR AD SPEND IN SWING STATES WITH SENATE MAJORITY IN SIGHT Last month, bipartisan congressional leaders signed an invitation to Netanyahu to speak to lawmakers as Israel continues to fight terrorist group Hamas in war-torn Gaza. In the letter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote, “To build on our enduring relationship and to highlight America’s solidarity with Israel, we invite you to share the Israeli government’s vision for defending democracy, combatting terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region.” While Schumer has been critical of Netanyahu specifically, he signed onto the invitation, justifying his choice to do so by explaining, “America’s relationship with Israel is ironclad and transcends one person or prime minister.” DEMOCRATS EYE TAKE DOWN OF FEDERAL PROVISION COULD AFFECT ABORTION BY MAIL “We’ll have to see what it conflicts with,” Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said of his potential attendance at the address, which is slated for July 24. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., told Fox News Digital, “I haven’t decided.” The same sentiment was echoed by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, who said he also had yet to determine whether he will attend the Israeli prime minister’s address. MIKE PENCE’S GROUP URGES GOP TO OPPOSE MEASURE INCLUDING WOMEN IN FUTURE DRAFT Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats in the upper chamber, claimed, “I haven’t even thought of it,” declining to answer whether he had reservations about going to the address by Netanyahu. Vocal progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who are also members of the Democratic caucus, have each already revealed that they won’t be going to the address. Sanders, a prominent critic of Israel’s actions in the war, released a statement after the invitation was extended, saying, “It is a very sad day for our country that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited – by leaders from both parties – to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress.” TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS VIRGINIA’S REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY TO TAKE ON TIM KAINE Warren reportedly shared with the Hill her plan not to attend, saying, “Benjamin Netanyahu has created a humanitarian disaster.” While there is a group of rank-and-file Democrats in the Senate who have yet to make a decision, there were also several who confirmed, without hesitation, that they would be at Netanyahu’s remarks next month. “Yes,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., when asked whether she would attend. VA DEM TIM KAINE WARNS AGAINST TAKING ELECTION FOR GRANTED AS TRUMP EYES BLUE STATE Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., was similarly quick to confirm her planned attendance. The vulnerable incumbent Democrat is currently up for re-election in the swing state of Nevada. Notably, Rosen is only the third Jewish woman to serve as senator in U.S. history. She is also co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force For Combating Antisemitism. Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Bob Casey, D-Penn., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who face their own competitive elections in November, are also planning to attend the Netanyahu remarks. Schumer’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital when asked for his response to potential Democratic absences.

Dems hesitate on attending Netanyahu speech to Congress as party splinters on Israel

Biden’s secret weapon in previous national debates may again be a factor during showdown with Trump

Amid the circulation of videos on social media in recent weeks which appear to show President Biden’s mental acuity dwindling and a recent Wall Street Journal report adding fuel to the speculation, low expectations for his performance ahead of the debate next week against former President Trump could buck his chance of victory. And Trump may be helping Biden set expectations low by dinging him on his age and acuity in recent interviews. Trump has called for Biden to be drug tested prior to taking the debate stage, saying that if he does well it will be due to performance enhancements. “If he’s standing, they’ll say it was a brilliant performance,” Trump said at the National Rifle Association (NRA) Convention last month in Dallas. However, “low expectations” will be used to Biden’s advantage, according to one expert. WHITE HOUSE ‘CHEAP FAKES’ RESPONSE TO BIDEN VIDEOS PART OF PUSH FOR SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP: EXPERT “I’d be wary of assuming that Biden’s going to have a bad performance, or of talking down his potential performance because he has surpassed expectations at the 2020 debate, at the State of the Union address, and at the press conference where they were talking about his mental acuity,” presidential historian and author Tevi Troy told Fox News Digital. “That doesn’t mean he’s always all there, and I fully recognize that he is not the person he was in 2012 when he debated very effectively against Paul Ryan,” added Troy, who served as a senior HHS official in the President George W. Bush administration. “But when you lower the expectations of your opponent’s performance, it’s easy for the opponent to exceed those expectations strategically. It’s something to worry about.” Thursday’s presidential debate will be the first between the GOP and Democratic frontrunners, since neither Trump nor Biden participated in party primary debates – a first in several decades. Troy, also a senior researcher at the Bipartisan Policy Center think tank, believes the real problem for Biden next week “is it’s easy to run against Trump when Trump’s in office, but now Biden’s in office and people are still unhappy with one situation.” “They’re unhappy with the illegal immigration, they’re unhappy with inflation, and they’re unhappy with the sense that Biden doesn’t have it and doesn’t know what’s going on or isn’t on top of his game. So, the ‘memory campaign’ is a bit of a hard thing to pull off in this circumstance,” he said. KARINE JEAN-PIERRE DOUBLES DOWN ON ‘CHEAP FAKE’ BIDEN VIDEOS: ‘SO MUCH MISINFORMATION’ Meanwhile, a GOP strategist told Fox News Digital “the bar is so low” for Biden, “so him making it through a sentence is seen as a success in the eyes of the Democrat party.” “After the State of the Union, everyone was saying it was a great success for him, simply because he made it through with a few notable stumbles. He had a couple, but I think voters can’t forget, and they have to truly understand, like, what Joe Biden is actually saying. His union address was one of the most divisive speeches I’ve seen,” the source said. “What voters really need to focus on are his policy positions,” the source continued. “The platform that he ran on in 2020 that he’s going to unify the country. And I think a lot of voters can get behind that. But we have seen the exact opposite during his entire time as president. And I think Donald Trump can make a really good case about that. And on top of that, just being able to stumble him up a couple times.” BIDEN’S ‘PERPETUAL STATE OF CONFUSION’ ON DISPLAY IN NORMANDY AMID RISING COGNITIVE QUESTIONS Meanwhile, the White House is working to discredit videos of the president online, terming them “cheap fakes,” which are edited out of context, slowed or sped up. “The discredited right-wing critics of President Biden who spread other debunked lies, including that the 2020 election was stolen, are clearly threatened by the wide range of nonpartisan fact-checkers that have pulled back the curtain on the cheap fake smears they’re forced to rely on – since the last thing they want to discuss is Joe Biden’s agenda to cut taxes for working families and keep bringing violent crime to historic lows,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital this week. The president’s mental acuity has become the center of political discourse this month after a bombshell Washington Journal report, which the White House dismissed, revealed that many lawmakers on Capitol Hill had questions about Biden’s mental acuity after many said his aging was apparent in private meetings. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP HITS 51% SUPPORT IN ARIZONA, UP FROM 49% IN MARCH As of Thursday, President Biden is the frontrunner in a hypothetical matchup against former President Trump for the first time since October, as positive views of the economy inch up — hitting their highest level thus far in the Biden presidency, according to a new Fox News national survey. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Since May, there has been a 3-point change in the presidential race. Trump was ahead by one point last month, while Biden is up by two points today: 50%-48%. That’s well within the margin of error. Biden’s current 50% support is his best this election cycle; he hasn’t been ahead of Trump since October 2023 and that was by just 1 point (49%-48%). Fox News Digital’s Dana Blanton contributed to this report.

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