House to vote on $460 billion government funding package ahead of Friday shutdown deadline
The House of Representatives is expected to take one step closer to ending a brutal, months-long fight over government funding on Wednesday with a vote on a nearly $460 billion spending package. The 1,050-page bipartisan legislation is a package of six bills dealing with departments and agencies whose funding expires on Friday – Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the Justice and Commerce Departments; Energy and Water Development; the Department of Interior; and Transportation and Housing. Funding tied to Congress’ six remaining bills, which include the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon, expires on March 22. If passed, the House will have made major strides toward ending a divisive chapter fueled by disagreements over how federal funds are spent. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKE SHORT-TERM DEAL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Much of the division has been led by GOP hardliners who have wielded outsize influence as a result of House Republicans’ razor-thin majority. House Freedom Caucus members and their allies have called for their leaders to leverage a government shutdown to force significant spending cuts and conservative policy measures. But many have dismissed these as dead on arrival by Democrats who control the Senate and White House. It’s led to friction within the House GOP, with those hardliners lodging protest votes on procedural measures that have temporarily paralyzed the House floor. A small group of right-wing lawmakers joined all House Democrats last October to boot House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R– Calif., from power, the first time in history a speaker was ousted, The move was precipitated by him working across the aisle to avoid a shutdown. Those disagreements are the same reason House GOP leaders are bypassing traditional mechanisms to rush the bill to the floor under suspension of the rules – meaning the threshold for passage rises from a simple majority to two-thirds. HOUSE PUNTS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINE TO NEXT WEEK AFTER JOHNSON FORCED TO SEEK DEM SUPPORT AGAIN Because Republicans are operating under their slimmest House majority in modern history – just two seats – the decision guarantees that Democratic support will be necessary for passage. Traditionally, any bill being considered for a House-wide vote would have to first go through the House Rules Committee, which sets parameters for amendments and debate. The full House then votes on the rules for debate – usually along partisan lines – before the final vote. Before 2023, a rule vote had not failed in two decades. But GOP hardliners’ weaponization of them has led to House leaders skirting them altogether on must-pass bills. It’s left members of every faction of the House GOP frustrated, though they disagree about the blame. “The House Freedom Caucus is actively undermining the work of Congress. By [forcing] a bipartisan minibus package to be passed under suspension of the rules instead of a simple majority, these people have demonstrated that they have no real solutions… they just crave the spotlight,” a senior House GOP aide told Fox News Digital. GOP HARDLINERS FURIOUS AT JOHNSON FOR PASSING ANOTHER SHORT-TERM SPENDING BILL WITH DEMS: ‘USUAL C–P’ Meanwhile, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said the lack of an amendment process that comes with suspending rules tells voters “their concerns don’t matter.” “Funding a runaway border and endangering our country is the ‘bipartisanship’ claim by those who continue voting to bankrupt our nation,” Perry told Fox News Digital. In comments made to reporters last week, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., suggested GOP leaders were working against their own interests by passing bills under suspension. He called the move “a terrible decision.” “There’s really no ability to block bills that are passed under suspension that the Democrats want passed,” Good said. “I actually had a Democrat member tell me this morning, ‘We like it when you’re in charge because nothing changes, but you guys get all the blame.’” If passed, the bill will have to go through the Senate and get President Biden’s signature to avoid a partial shutdown by the end of this week.
Everything you need to know about Katie Britt, the senator giving the SOTU GOP response
Alabama Sen. Katie Britt has accepted the task of delivering the Republican response to President Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday, saying in a statement she was “truly honored and grateful for the opportunity.” Britt said she plans to put “hardworking parents and families” at the center of her remarks in order to demonstrate their important role within the Republican Party. SEN HAWLEY WANTS BIDEN TO HIKE TARIFFS ON CHINESE ENERGY IMPORTS But who is Katie Britt? At 42, Britt is one of the youngest members of the Senate. She was elected two years ago during the 2022 midterms and, upon her swearing-in, became not only Alabama’s first elected female senator, but also the youngest Republican woman to serve in the upper chamber. She graduated from both the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama School of Law before becoming a practicing attorney. Britt and her husband have two children, Bennett and Ridgeway, whom they raise in Montgomery. HILLARY CLINTON SAYS TO MOVE ON FROM BIDEN’S AGE: ‘LET’S GO AHEAD AND ACCEPT THE REALITY’ THAT HE’S OLD In Britt’s capacity as senator, she serves as ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. “At this decisive moment in our country’s history, it’s time for the next generation to step up and preserve the American Dream for our children and our grandchildren,” she said in a statement responding to her announcement as the rebuttal speaker. “Katie Britt is the absolute best face the GOP could put forward,” said Republican strategist Doug Heye. According to him, she, “as a smart, well-spoken mom of two school-aged kids” is the best person to deliver the party’s vision. Fellow Republican strategist John Feehery echoed this point, noting Britt is “smart, young, attractive,” and a contrast to “White males who usually speak on behalf of the party.” BIDEN’S GOT 3 MAKE OR BREAK TESTS THIS WEEK AND DEMOCRATS ARE COMPLETELY CLUELESS But according to Democratic strategist Max Burns, the choice of Britt as the messenger of the GOP’s response was likely a result of “top-tier Republicans” turning the offer down. He pointed to the lack of progress on Republican priorities in Congress, claiming, “No senior Republican wants the impossible task of trying to sell that ineffectiveness to voters.” He further predicted Britt would spend much of her time criticizing Biden, but not discuss “what Republicans have done – because they’ve done nothing at all.” “Senator Britt may be the current darling of the Washington establishment, but her selection places abortion access and IVF treatment front and center,” said Eric Schultz, former senior adviser to President Barack Obama. SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS EXPECTED TO MOVE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP CLOSER TO GENERAL ELECTION REMATCH “She supports all of the anti-abortion measures and has not taken any issue with the recent IVF ruling in her home state,” he said, referring to the controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling on embryos, which prompted several clinics in the state to abruptly halt in vitro fertilization (IVF). Schultz said the GOP may believe she makes for good optics, “but she gives Democrats a gift by bringing the Party’s most potent vulnerabilities to the table.” Several Democratic senators and Biden have announced guests to the address who are related to both abortion and IVF. Biden will be bringing Kate Cox, who ultimately sought an abortion out of state after suing Texas’s Supreme Court for the right to receive the procedure there. Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said the SOTU rebuttal “is a tough assignment.” Those who deliver it can only hope “to get out of it without becoming a punchline,” he said. As to the choice of Britt, he said, “Britt seems like a rising star within the party, and this speech often goes to people who are perceived that way,” noting past responses given by “Marco Rubio, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Joni Ernst, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Kim Reynolds, [and] Sarah Huckabee Sanders.”
Kentucky Senate passes bipartisan bill to allow a parent to collect child support for pregnancy expenses
The GOP-controlled Kentucky Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to grant a parent the right to collect child support for unborn children. Senate Bill 110, which passed by a bipartisan 36-2 vote, would allow a mother to request child support up to a year after giving birth to retroactively cover pregnancy expenses. The legislation now advances to the House, and Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. Republican state Sen. Whitney Westerfield, the bill’s sponsor, said after the vote that the overwhelming support for the bill shows that lawmakers understand that pregnancy includes an obligation for the other parent to help cover the expenses incurred during the nine months prior to the baby’s birth. “I believe that life begins at conception,” Westerfield said when presenting the proposal to his colleagues. “But even if you don’t, there’s no question that there are obligations and costs involved with having a child before that child is born.” KENTUCKY HOUSE VOTES TO REMOVE GOVERNOR’S CHOICE IN FILLING SENATE VACANCIES The measure establishes a strict cut-off time, requiring a parent to retroactively seek child support for pregnancy expenses up to a year after giving birth and no time after that. “So if there’s not a child support order until the child’s 8, this isn’t going to apply,” Westerfield recently said when the bill was reviewed in a Senate committee. “Even at a year and a day, this doesn’t apply. It’s only for orders that are in place within a year of the child’s birth.” Kentucky is among at least six states where lawmakers have proposed measures similar to a Georgia law allowing child support to be sought for child expenses incurred since conception. Georgia also allows prospective parents to claim its income tax deduction for dependent children before birth, Utah implemented a pregnancy tax break last year and variations of those measures have been proposed in several other states. The Kentucky bill had a major revision before it was passed by the Senate. The original version would have allowed a parent to seek child support at any time after conception, but it was amended to include a time limit for a parent to retroactively take such action. KENTUCKY HOUSE PASSES SCHOOL BUS BEHAVIOR BILL AFTER STUDENT MISCONDUCT PROMPTS BUS DRIVER SICKOUT Supporters of abortion access will watch closely for any attempt by pro-life lawmakers to reshape the bill in a way that “sets the stage for personhood” for a fetus, Kentucky State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates Tamarra Wieder said. Wieder’s concerns come following a recent decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, which ruled that frozen embryos are legally protected children. The pro-life movement has attempted to give embryos and fetuses legal and constitutional protections equivalent to the mothers carrying them. The Kentucky measure still needs to be approved by a House committee and the full House, and any change by the House would send it back to the Senate. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In Gaza, football means life amid Israel’s continuing war
Deir el-Balah, Gaza – For Hamza El Outy, a Real Madrid fan, Champions League football nights have always been special. The 20-year-old medical student grew up following the Spanish club as they reigned over European football in the past decade, winning it five times to extend their record to 14 titles. In November, El Outy and his family moved further west towards the coastline in the war-torn Gaza Strip after miraculously surviving an Israeli rocket attack next to their house in Deir el-Balah, which was largely designated as a safe area in the initial weeks of the war. The date palm-lined city has become a site of relentless air strikes. The attacks, mainly targeting the western part of the city, have caused a great deal of damage and destruction to multiple homes as well as public facilities. (Al Jazeera) “My house is a pile of rubble, where all my football memories lay buried,” El Outy says, holding back his tears. “When I had a home, I would always prepare for the late [Champions League] games with a can of soft drink, crisps and popcorn,” El Outy tells Al Jazeera. The Madridista – as Real Madrid fans are known – still finds a way to follow his favourite team’s exploits in the Spanish La Liga and the Champions League. When the 14-time Champions League winners take on RB Leipzig to book a place in the tournament’s quarterfinals on Wednesday night, El Outy may not be able to follow the game live but he hopes to catch up later on. “I [will] go to my friend’s house to watch the highlights. I can’t miss the game – they [Real Madrid] are a piece of my heart,” he says. Gaza has been facing frequent prolonged communications blackouts since the war began as several mobile communications towers have been destroyed in attacks. On March 7, it will be five months since Israel launched its war on Gaza, following the Hamas attack on southern Israel. More than 31,000 Palestinians, including at least 12,300 children, have been killed in Gaza since October 7. More than 8,000 remain missing, many trapped under the rubble of destruction caused by Israeli air and land attacks, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than half of Gaza’s homes – 360,000 residential units – have been destroyed or damaged, according to the latest data from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Palestinian government. According to OCHA, Israeli forces have carried out “significant destruction” of residential blocks across Gaza. The streets, which were once filled with laughter and revelry, now paint a traumatic picture: women wail over the bodies of their dead children, men search for people buried under the rubble and children desperately look for food. Hamza El Outy watches football highlights on his mobile phone while sitting next to the rubble of his house destroyed by Israeli rockets near Deir el-Balah, Gaza [Abubaker Abed/Al Jazeera] Despite the challenging circumstances, football fans in Gaza carry a love for the game in their hearts. It brings them rare joy and momentary distraction from the bombings and loss of precious lives. Whether it’s on battery-powered radio sets or TV screens, or on their phones despite poor internet connections amid communications blackouts, Gazan Palestinians try their best to keep up with the game they so love. Sondos Abu-Nemer and her mother are big-time football fans. The 15-year-old from Deir el-Balah is a proud owner of an Al Nassr replica shirt that bears the name of Cristiano Ronaldo – her favourite player. “The last time I saw an Al Nassr game was on February 1, against Inter Miami, when Talisca scored a wonderful hat-trick” she exclaims. Abu-Nemer had barely watched a few minutes of the game on a phone before the internet was cut off. “[When] we don’t have an internet connection, we rely on the radio for updates and that’s how I heard about Palestine’s performance at the Asian Cup in Qatar.” Palestine reached the tournament’s round-of-16 stage for the first time in their history, sending waves of joy through the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank. Players hailing from Gaza broke down on the pitch as their run ended in a loss against Qatar, but they won over tens of thousands of fans in the host country and back home in Palestine. “No one expected Palestine to go past the first round – we are all so proud of these players,” Abu-Nemer, the young fan, says proudly. In Gaza, football has always been synonymous with life. Before October 7, football would be at the heart of every conversation among friends – young or old – all around the enclave. Cafes dotted along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea that forms Gaza’s coastline would make special arrangements to screen games and hundreds of fans would gather around to watch and cheer. Most of these cafes – Ranoosh, Al-Waha and Flamingo – have been destroyed in the war. Young aspiring footballers would try to imitate their favourite players’ acrobatic celebrations after scoring a goal in a game of street football. The biggest games in club football, such as the El Clasico (Real Madrid vs Barcelona) or English derbies, and the FIFA World Cup, would empty streets as everyone would be glued to their TV screens. This 2020 file photo shows Palestinian football fans watching a Premier League match in Gaza City on a TV screen in a cafe [File Mohammed Salem/Reuters] Whereas one generation grew up in the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi era, the current one reveres the likes of Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Pedri and Lamine Yamal. Barcelona fan Basel Abdul-Jawwad, a nurse at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, is a Frenkie De Jong fan. “I would watch every Barcelona game before the war,” he says. The 23-year-old lives along Salah al-Din Street. The last time Barcelona played in the Champions League, Abdul-Jawwad roared in delight as Robert Lewandowski scored for the Spanish
What went wrong with the British media coverage of the Gaza war?
Over the past five months, a lot has been said and written on the British media’s coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza. Experts, journalists and activists, including myself, have argued in numerous articles and interviews that the British media exhibits certain biases in its coverage of this war, and the broader issue of Israel-Palestine. In a new report, based on the largest statistical analysis of the media coverage of the atrocities committed in Israel on October 7, and Israel’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people in the first month of the war, the Muslim Council of Britain’s Centre of Media Monitoring (CfMM) laid out the empirical evidence for these observations and concerns. Looking at some 180,000 video clips from seven United Kingdom broadcasters and three international broadcasters, as well as about 26,000 news articles from 28 British media websites, CfMM has assessed whether the UK media have reliably informed the public on the conflict and shared the positions of all concerned parties responsibly. In line with the findings of smaller-scale studies conducted thus far, it found that Israeli narratives, voices and grievances were favoured over Palestinian voices, narratives and grievances in the coverage. “Israel’s rights” were insistently emphasised, often resulting in the exclusion and erasure of the rights of the Palestinians. Emotive language was consistently used for Israeli victims of violence, but not as much for the Palestinians. Representatives and supporters of Israel were allowed to dehumanise Palestinians on air, with no considerable pushback from news presenters and talk show hosts. Analysing the coverage under six themes – contextualisation, language, framing, claims, the undermining of Palestinian sources and the misrepresentation of pro-Palestinian protesters – the research found that many news outlets have opted to present news from an Israeli perspective, often with significant lapses in basic fact-checking and verification. Remarkably, the analysis unveiled that Palestinian symbols, such as the Palestinian flag, were overwhelmingly “used to illustrate stories on anti-Semitism”. It also exposed the many Islamophobic aspects of the coverage, such as the framing of pro-Palestine protests and support as inherently dangerous and akin to “a terror threat” often because of the Muslim presence among them. The report revealed that the Islamophobic trope of “Islam being an anti-Semitic religion” was repeatedly presented – by editors, analysts and columnists alike – as the driving force behind the growing opposition to Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. This led to the misrepresentation of the 75-year conflict in Israel-Palestine as a “religious war” between Muslims and Jews, rather than a matter of oppression and occupation. The report determined that pro-Palestinian voices and Palestinian activists have repeatedly been misrepresented by many British media outlets since the beginning of the conflict. It found that the right-wing media has been particularly hostile towards pro-Palestinian voices, “framing them as supporters of terrorism and anti-Semites as well as being hostile to British values”. The analysis also unearthed many instances of misinformation through deliberate omission. The context of decades-long Israeli oppression of Palestinian people and occupation of Palestinian territory was absent from most of the coverage. The coverage was framed in a way that implied the conflict started on October 7. The report showed how some reportage on the ongoing war failed to even mention that the West Bank is Palestinian territory occupied by Israel, and that, according to international law, Gaza has also been effectively under Israeli occupation prior to October 7 – despite the absence of a military presence on the ground since 2005. There were also many instances of apparent “mistakes” and misinformation being given a pass on British TV screens, as long as they reaffirmed Israeli narratives. In one instance, a defence analyst claimed on TV that “the West Bank is occupied by Palestinians”. Despite such a claim not having any basis in international law, or any current or historic reality on the ground, the presenter did not correct him or seek clarification. Misleading use of imagery in some newspapers is another failure identified in the analysis. For instance, distressing images depicting the flames and extensive destruction caused by Israeli air strikes on Gaza were paired with headlines referencing the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7. In one case, a horrifying image of frightened, injured Palestinian children in Gaza was juxtaposed with a headline about “mutilated babies in Israel”. Using misleading imagery, omitting facts, allowing guests to spread misinformation without challenge and sharing unverified information as fact are examples of irresponsible and unethical journalism. And such acts could have grave consequences. Misinformation and disinformation breeds hate speech, which can result in harm being inflicted on innocent individuals. Misrepresentation of the current conflict as a “religious war” between Jews and Muslims, coupled with the dehumanisation of Palestinians and vilification of their supporters around the world as terrorists or “terrorist-adjacent” has exacerbated anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiments. As a result, hate directed towards British Muslims has manifested itself on the streets and screens across the UK. According to Tell Mama, the leading hate crime monitoring agency on measuring anti-Muslim hate in the UK, between October 2023 and February 2024, there were more than 2,000 anti-Muslim hate cases in the UK – a shocking 335 percent increase compared with the same period in the previous year. Research conducted by UK NGOs More in Common and the Together Coalition since the beginning of the war in Gaza, published on March 3, highlighted the prevalence of anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. Among those who responded to the survey, 21 percent – one in five – said they have a “very negative” or “somewhat negative” view of Muslims. Media’s false labelling of pro-Palestinian protesters as “terror threats”, “pro-Hamas”, “extremists” and “opposing to British values” undoubtedly contributed to this unprecedented rise in anti-Muslim hate and prejudice in the country. Indeed, anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments many British Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims are currently faced with in their schools, universities and places of work could – at least in part – be tied to the predominantly one-sided coverage of the
Spanish prosecutors accuse Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti of tax fraud
Prosecutors have called for a prison sentence of four years and nine months for the manager for failing to declare earnings of 1 million euros. Spanish prosecutors have called for Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to be jailed for four years and nine months for allegedly failing to declare earnings to the tax office. Prosecutors said in a statement Wednesday that they are accusing Ancelotti of two accounts of tax fraud worth 1 million euros ($1,1m). The Madrid state prosecutor’s office has accused the 64-year-old Italian of having deprived Spain’s treasury of the earnings from image rights that he did not declare in 2014 and 2015. They have accused him of allegedly setting up a “confusing” system of shell companies to hide his extra earnings. A Spanish court in July ordered Ancelotti to stand trial over the affair but no date has been set. Ancelotti coached Madrid from 2013 to 2015 before rejoining the club in 2021. Ancelotti is one of football’s most successful coaches. He is the only coach to have won the Champions League four times, twice with Madrid and twice with AC Milan, and the only coach to have won domestic league titles in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. Spain has cracked down on top football players who have not paid their due. Former Madrid coach Jose Mourinho received a one-year suspended sentence after reaching a guilty plea for tax fraud in 2019. Star players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have also been found guilty of tax fraud in Spain. Adblock test (Why?)
Madras HC dismisses petition against Udhayanidhi Stalin over ‘Sanatana’ remarks
Justice Anita Sumanth disposed of the petitions filed by two Hindu Munnani functionaries and another person, which questioned the authority of the three DMK leaders holding official posts when they had participated in an ‘anti-Sanatana Dharma meeting’
Sandeshkhali case: Calcutta HC directs Bengal govt to hand over Sheikh Shahjahan to CBI by 4:15 pm
The Bengal government earlier refused to hand over custody of Shahjahan to the CBI despite a Calcutta High Court order Tuesday to the police’s criminal investigation department, or CID.
Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupt Adam Schiff’s victory speech, demand cease-fire in Gaza
Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted Rep. Adam Schiff’s, D-Calif, victory speech on Tuesday after he secured the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat. The seat was held for more than 30 years by former Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., until her death last year, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint Democrat Sen. Laphonza Butler to fill the vacancy. As Schiff attempted to introduce his family at his watch party following his victory, demonstrators chanted “cease-fire now” and “Free Palestine,” and the chants grew louder as the lawmaker’s remarks were drowned out. At least one person was escorted away from the stage amid the protest. EX-MLB STAR IN STATISTICAL TIE WITH SCHIFF IN CALIFORNIA SENATE RACE, SAYS VOTERS ARE ‘MAD’ AT DEMOCRATS Schiff addressed the protest following the disruption. “We are so lucky to live in a democracy where we all have the right to protest,” he said. “We want to make sure we keep this kind of democracy.” The California Democrat told reporters Tuesday that he supported the Biden administration’s call for a cease-fire in Gaza on the condition of the release of Israeli hostages. “My position is the same as the administration, which is there needs to be a deal to release the hostages and have a pause in the fighting,” Schiff said. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS FROM FOX NEWS This comes five months after Hamas terrorists launched an attack against Israel, leading to military retaliation by Israeli forces. Hamas took more than 200 hostages during the attack on Oct. 7. More than 31,000 people have been killed in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas since Oct. 7, including more than 30,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis. Schiff will face Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey in the general election in November. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
RNC social media blitz targets Biden’s low approval rating, age concerns ahead of SOTU: ‘Numbers don’t lie’
FIRST ON FOX: The Republican National Committee (RNC) is highlighting polling that shows America’s low approval rating of President Biden on key issues ahead of his upcoming State of the Union address. In a social media blitz Wednesday, shared first with Fox News Digital, the GOP committee released a video compilation of reports showing most voters do not approve of Biden’s handling of both the presidency and issues such as the economy, inflation, and foreign policy. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said that given the recent polling and the current state of the nation under Biden, “this will be his last State of the Union address.” “The numbers don’t lie – Americans know that the state of the union is weaker because of Joe Biden,” McDaniel said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. ‘STATE OF MESS’: AHEAD OF STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, AMERICANS SAY COUNTRY IN ‘SAD STATE’ “Biden and Democrats are underwater on key issues that Americans care about the most, from the economy, to crime, from the open border to protecting our standing on the world stage,” McDaniel continued. “Voters do not want Biden to ‘finish the job,’ which is why this will be his last State of the Union address.” FOX NEWS POLL: MAJORITIES SAY BIDEN HAS MOSTLY FAILED ON TOP ISSUES The Biden campaign took aim at a recent poll from the New York Times/Sienna College that showed Trump leading Biden, saying that “polling continues to be at odds with how Americans vote, and consistently overestimates Donald Trump while underestimating President Biden.” “Trump and the party he leads are weak, cash-strapped, and deeply divided,” the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign communications director Michael Tyler recently said. “Our campaign is ignoring the noise and running a strong campaign to win — just like we did in 2020.” The RNC also noted growing concerns over the president’s fitness, pointing to surveys that show elevated concerns over Biden’s age. A recent ABC/Ipsos poll found about 86% of American adults do not think Biden has the “mental sharpness” to serve as president. Another recent survey, from Quinnipiac University, backed these concerns, reporting that 67% of likely voters believe Biden, 81, is too old and not physically capable of completing another four-year term as president. Despite multiple polls showing Biden underwater and setting off alarm bells when it comes to age, several Biden allies and his campaign have embraced his age and tried to use it as a dig at Trump. “He’s about as old as I am, but he can’t remember his wife’s name,” Biden joked during a recent interview. As part of a ‘don’t let Biden finish the job’ series, the committee also released several gifs slamming Biden on the border, crime, allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports, the economy, and rising costs. The blitz comes just one day before Biden is scheduled to deliver the annual SOTU address to Congress. The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.