Protesters and security forces clash in Senegal over election delay
Parliament voted to push the polls back to December after President Macky Sall announced a postponement last week. Security forces in Senegal have clashed with hundreds of protesters who are opposed to the delay of the presidential election that was supposed to take place on February 25. In Dakar, police fired tear gas on crowds and prevented people from meeting and gathering to protest, according to Al Jazeera’s Nicholas Haque, reporting from the capital on Friday. “There have been running battles between protesters and police and security forces. Most of the demonstrators are quite young, many 18-year-olds. They were barely 12 when President Macky Sall came to power. They want to have a say in this election,” Haque said. Less than three weeks before the polls were meant to take place, parliament voted to push it back to December 15, upholding Sall’s earlier postponement announcement and sealing an extension of his mandate. But the move has provoked fears that one of the remaining healthy democracies in coup-hit West Africa is under threat. In the capital on Friday, some demonstrators waved Senegalese flags, while others shouted slogans like “Macky Sall is a dictator”, the Reuters news agency reported. At Blaise Diagne high school in Dakar, hundreds of pupils left their lessons mid-morning after teachers heeded the call to protest. History and geography teacher Assane Sene said it was just the start of the battle. “If the government is stubborn, we will have to try different approaches,” he told the AFP news agency. A protester throws a stone during clashes with police in Dakar [Guy Peterson/AFP] Sall, who has reached his constitutional limit of two terms, said he delayed the elections due to a dispute over the candidate list that threatened the credibility of the electoral process. The decision has unleashed widespread anger on social media and the opposition has condemned it as a “constitutional coup”. Some critics also accuse Sall of trying to cling to power, while the West African bloc and foreign powers have criticised the move as a break with Senegal’s democratic tradition. ‘Calm spirits’ “Senegal has perhaps never experienced a crisis like the one we are experiencing and we must overcome it,” said Senegal’s Justice Minister Aissata Tall Sall. “We must calm spirits.” In an interview, Tall Sall said the postponement was not the president’s decision, but the parliament’s, and “was done in perfect conformity with the constitution”. After parliament voted, 39 lawmakers in the opposition coalition, Yewwi Askan Wi, and several opposition presidential candidates filed legal challenges against the delay with the Constitutional Court. Tall Sall said the challenges did not fall under the Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction. But she said the fact that opponents were turning to the courts meant that “we are in a functioning democracy.” However, she conceded the postponement had pitched Senegal into unprecedented uncertainty. This is the first time that a presidential election has been postponed since Senegal’s independence from France in 1960. In a statement on Friday, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell expressed concern about the situation in Senegal, urging the nation to “preserve democracy”. “Fundamental freedoms, and in particular those to demonstrate peacefully and express oneself publicly, are fundamental principles of the rule of law that the Senegalese authorities must guarantee,” Borell said, and called on authorities to organise elections “as quickly as possible.” Adblock test (Why?)
‘Serious concerns’: World reacts to Pakistan polls as vote count continues
Countries including the US and UK called for authorities to investigate reported irregularities in Pakistan’s election. Several countries have called for authorities to investigate reported irregularities in Pakistan’s general elections as vote counting is under way. Results started to trickle in nearly 12 hours after polling for national and provincial assemblies ended on Thursday. Independent candidates affiliated with imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), are taking a narrow lead. Polls were marred by violence by armed groups and a widely criticised suspension of mobile phone services that prompted accusations of “political engineering”. The army said about 12 people were killed and 39 wounded nationwide during attacks aimed at disrupting the vote. Here are some global reactions to events so far: United States The US Department of State has said it is looking forward to “timely, complete election results” from Pakistan reflecting the will of its people. “The United States is prepared to work with the next Pakistani government, regardless of political party, to advance our shared interests,” it said in a statement. “We join credible international and local election observers in their assessment that these elections included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly,” it added. “We condemn electoral violence … and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process. Claims of interference or fraud should be fully investigated.” United Kingdom The United Kingdom voiced “serious concerns raised about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections”. In a statement, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said “not all parties” were able to formally contest the election and that “legal processes” were used to prevent some political leaders from participating. He also noted restrictions to internet access, as well as delays and irregularities in reporting. “The UK urges authorities in Pakistan to uphold fundamental human rights including free access to information, and the rule of law,” Cameron said. “The new government must be accountable to the people it serves, and work to represent the interests of all Pakistan’s citizens and communities with equity and justice,” he added. We recognise serious concerns over the fairness and lack of inclusivity of Pakistan’s elections. Authorities must uphold fundamental human rights including free access to information and the rule of law. I applaud all who voted. https://t.co/15U4EcmRjK — David Cameron (@David_Cameron) February 9, 2024 European Union The European Union has praised the continued “commitment to democracy” by the people of Pakistan. Still, the bloc said, “We regret the lack of a level playing field due to the inability of some political actors to contest the elections, restrictions to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression both online and offline, restrictions of access to the internet, as well as allegations of severe interference in the electoral process, including arrests of political activists.” The EU called on authorities to “ensure a timely and full investigation of all reported election irregularities”. Iran “Iran’s FM Spokesman congratulated Pakistan’s government & people on successfully holding their parliamentary elections, saying it shows the solid place of democracy in the country,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry posted on the social media platform X. It added that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani “wished the brotherly, friendly and neighbourly country of Pakistan increasing prosperity”. Adblock test (Why?)
Preview: Jordan vs Qatar – AFC Asian Cup 2023 final
Who: Jordan vs QatarWhat: AFC Asian Cup 2023 finalWhen: Saturday, February 10, 2024, 6pm (15:00 GMT)Where: Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar After nearly a month of high-octane football, featuring several surprises and upsets, the AFC Asian Cup is set to conclude with an all-Arab final, as hosts Qatar look to defend their title against giant-killers Jordan. Qatar entered the tournament as the reigning champions, but they were not counted among the outright favourites to lift the trophy owing to their poor record against higher-ranked sides in the build-up to the event. But Tintin Marquez Lopez‘s side have exceeded expectations with an all-round performance and by reaching the final for a second straight time. Enjoying the support of a partisan crowd, Qatar have scored in every game on their way to the final. “I’m very proud to be a part of this squad – a month ago no one expected us to reach the final, no one thought we could deliver these performances,” Qatar skipper Hassan Al-Haydos told reporters on Friday. “Working together with the coach, technical staff and the Qatar Football Association, we were able to reach this level because of the squad’s unity.” [Al Jazeera] ‘Jordan will respond to the critics’ While Qatar will carry the weight of expectations, Jordan will play with nothing to lose in their maiden AFC Asian Cup final. The surprise package of the tournament, Jordan finished third in their group and scraped through to the knockouts, where they suddenly elevated their game to eliminate heavyweights Iraq and South Korea. That was a triumph for their Moroccan coach Hussein Ammouta, who was heavily criticised when they finished 2023 without a win in seven games, which included six losses. “I’m very satisfied with our achievement because it was a personal challenge,” Ammouta said. “When a team loses the coach is blamed and when they win they say it’s because of team morale. We prepare with all aspects in mind – physical, mental, tactical and psychological. “I hope we’ll be ready when the first whistle blows and we’ll respond to the critics, 99 percent of the time I don’t listen to them since I don’t find anything useful.” A positive mood all around the 🇯🇴 Jordan camp ahead of their date with destiny tomorrow! #AsianCupFinal | #AsianCup2023 | #JORvQAT pic.twitter.com/rL5DIFMejt — #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) February 9, 2024 Jordan’s players to watch Mousa Al-TamariWith three goals and an assist, Al-Tamari has been Jordan’s standout performer. The only player in the Jordanian squad who plies his trade in Europe – with Montpellier SC in France – Al-Tamari’s direct play and dribbling speed make him a threat to any defence. Yazan Al-ArabAl-Arab been a colossal figure for Jordan in the heart of their defence, forming a solid centre-back partnership with Abdallah Nasib. Powerfully built and standing at 1.86 metres (six feet three inches), Al-Arab is a towering presence in both boxes. Yazan Al-NaimatAl-Naimat has a knack for finding space between defenders and more often than not, times his run to perfection. Having scored in the group match against South Korea, the 24-year-old went up another level when he scored in the last 16 and semifinals. We are ready to the final 💪 #AsianCup2023 #الاردن_قطر pic.twitter.com/sDqfibChwc — Mousa Al Tamari (@TamariMousa) February 9, 2024 Qatar’s players to watch Akram AfifAfif has been in exceptional form, bagging five goals and three assists. His pace, skill and vision have created havoc for the opposition defenders throughout the tournament. Hasan Al-HaydosAl-Haydos has played the skipper’s role to perfection with his technical prowess, exceptional vision and strong leadership qualities. The 33-year-old can score too, as stunningly seen in the group stage match against China, with further goals against Palestine and Uzbekistan. Almoez AliUnlike 2019, Ali has not been firing in the goals at this tournament but there is no disputing the vital role he plays in the squad. The forward’s work rate is second to none, as he is equally adept in leading attacks and falling back to defend. Akram Afif has scored or assisted 19 of the last 29 goals for Qatar in the #AsianCup 🇶🇦 ⚽️ 6🅰️ 13 — Wael Jabir (@waeljabir) February 7, 2024 Form guide Jordan began their group stage by beating Malaysia 4-0 and then held South Korea to a 2-2 draw. They lost 1-0 to Bahrain but managed to qualify for the next round, where they knocked out Iraq 3-2 in a dramatic last-16 clash. The quarterfinal saw Jordan beat Tajikistan 1-0 and they pulled off their biggest result in the semifinals when they beat three-time champions South Korea 2-0. Qatar maintained a 100 percent winning record in the group stage, beating Lebanon, Tajikistan and China. They then edged out Palestine 2-1 in the last 16 but had to work hard in the quarterfinals for a 3-2 penalty shootout win against Uzbekistan. In the semifinals against Iran, Qatar pulled off a mighty 3-2 win. Jordan: W W W L DQatar: W W W W W QATAR 🇶🇦 is in the finals for the second time in their history#AsianCup2023 #HayyaAsia pic.twitter.com/icdFoh51VO — AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 (@Qatar2023en) February 7, 2024 Goals galore A whopping 128 goals have been scored across 50 matches at this year’s tournament. Of these, finalists Jordan have scored the joint-highest (12) along with Iran and Japan. Qatar are joint second on 11 with South Korea. Solid defences Jordan have kept a very solid defensive record at this year’s tournament, keeping four clean sheets in their six matches. Qatar, on the other hand, have kept three clean sheets – all of those coming during their group stage. Prize money Champions: $5 millionRunners-up: $3 million Head-to-head record Jordan and Qatar have played each other 23 times across competitive and friendly games. They last met in a friendly in 2018 when Jordan lost 2-0. Matches: 23Jordan won: 6Qatar won: 12Draws: 5 Team news Qatar’s predicted starting XI: Yazeed Abu Laila, Abdallah Nasib, Yazan Al-Arab, Bara’ Marie, Ehsan Haddad, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Mohammad Abu Hashish, Mousa Al-Tamari, Mahmoud Al-Mardi,
San Francisco sued over guaranteed-income programs blasted by critics as racist
Two conservative groups say San Francisco and the state of California are racist for illegally giving away millions in tax money to three non-profits that exclude recipients based on race and gender identity. The American Civil Rights Project and the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation say the city and state violate the law by picking who gets federal money based on skin color. The suit names three guaranteed-income programs. The Black Economic Equity Movement hands out $500 a month exclusively to young, Black Bay Area residents. SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR PUSHES ADDICTION SCREENING FOR WELFARE RECIPIENTS, NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR Guaranteed Income for Trans-people pays $1,200 a month to Black, Indigenous and Latino recipients, provided they are also transgender. The Abundant Birth Project gives out $1,000 a month solely to pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women. “We are asking for these programs to be halted until they are no longer discriminatory,” says lawyer Dan Morenoff of the American Civil Rights Project. “Each of these three programs qualifies and disqualifies individuals from participation and benefits based on their race.” San Francisco established the Abundant Birth Project in 2020 through its department of health. It provides $1,000 to $1,500 a month, for roughly nine months, solely to “Black and Pacific Islander women in San Francisco.” Other races are not eligible for this “unconditional” income. Its annual budget is $1.8 million, but new $5 million in grants expand the program to four additional counties. NEWSOM ADMIN DELIVERS TEPID RESPONSE TO SPIRALING PROSTITUTION, PIMPS CONTROLLING CALIFORNIA NEIGHBORHOODS Advocates say that Black and Pacific Islander women need the help because of higher rates of premature birth. “This risk is primarily due to racism, both structural racism and racism that birthing people experience when they interact with physicians and other medical providers,” says Dr. Zea Malawa of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. True or not, the lawsuit claims, it remains illegal to exclude White and Latino women, especially those with higher risks of complication. In November last year, San Francisco launched another guaranteed income program. “To participate you must be Black, between the ages of 18 and 24, and live in certain areas within Oakland or San Francisco,” according to BEEM guidelines. Those applying as ‘White’ on-line are told they are ‘not eligible’. CA GOV. NEWSOM TO SEND PROSECUTORS TO OAKLAND TO COMBAT SOARING CRIME RATES The GIFT project provides $1,200 a month for 18 months to “Transgender, Non Binary, Gender Non-Conforming and Intersex” individuals provided they are “Black, Indigenous or People of Color.” The program is run through the city’s Office of Transgender Initiatives. Last week, the watchdog group Judicial Watch also sued San Francisco over the GIFT project. The money in all three programs is provided with no strings attached, via a debit card replenished each month. “Guaranteed Income is a temporary monthly payment made to people without any requirements or obligations,” says BEEM. “It’s an approach to supporting people, so they have a little breathing room, can take care of immediate needs, and plan for the future.” Similarly, the GIFT project says, “the $1,200 stipend will be provided to participants so they may focus on their basic physical and mental health and wellness without worrying about income.” Fox News reached out to all three programs, but all declined an interview. Mayor London Breed’s office said in a statement that the programs are legal and that it looks forward to addressing the charges in court.
Biden bubble: How first lady Jill and staff ‘protect’ president from White House press
Three years into Joe Biden’s presidency, reporters who cover the administration know what to expect when first lady Jill Biden appears: nothing. The president, 81, has held the fewest press conferences or formal interviews of any modern commander-in-chief — leaving Biden’s jaunts across the White House South Lawn to and from his Marine One helicopter as the best chance for the press corps to get some face time. When Biden is alone, he is far easier to bait with shouted questions, sometimes shuffling over around midnight for a give-and-take — despite the unflattering overhead TV lights forcing him to hold up his hand to shield his eyes from the glare. However, the presence of Jill, 72, on such trips is a dead giveaway that there will be no questions, with the first lady making sure to hold her husband’s hand the entire way across the lawn. JILL BIDEN DEFENDS PRESIDENT FROM DIRECT QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS HEALTH, AGE: ‘HE’S LIVED HISTORY’ Jill Biden’s role in shielding her husband from members of the media has come under new scrutiny after special counsel Robert Hur described the president in a report released Thursday as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” Biden has only held three solo White House press conferences since taking office in January 2021. At the most recent, in November 2022, Jill arrived at the last minute and was seated at the very front of the State Dining Room by a beefy aide — who positioned her so that journalists could not see whether the first lady was urging her husband at any point to make a hasty retreat. Such precautions may have been needed after Biden’s second White House presser in January 2022, a marathon affair in which the president droned on for nearly two hours and made several factual errors and noteworthy gaffes. At that presser, Biden suggested a “minor incursion” by Russia into Ukraine would prompt a minimal US response, leaving officials in Kyiv aghast and suggesting the president had given Vladimir Putin a “green light” to invade — which he did weeks later. “Why didn’t anyone stop that?” Jill Biden fumed to aides, demanding an explanation for her husband being left to wilt before the world, according to excerpts from a forthcoming book by New York Times correspondent Katie Rogers, reported Friday by Axios. BIDEN CAMPAIGN CALL SIDETRACKED BY FITNESS QUESTIONS, SURROGATES INSIST HE IS ‘IN FULL CONTROL’ “Everyone stayed silent, looking at one another, and then at her, and back to one another,” Rogers writes. “That included the most powerful man in the world. “Her husband essentially played along, not offering an answer, even though aides had slipped him a card suggesting he end the press conference,” the book adds. The first lady has also taken on the role of stage manager for her husband, leading Joe offstage by the hand at an event last month to commemorate the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot after repeated instances of the president hesitating or wandering in the wrong direction after making remarks. Jill isn’t alone: White House staff have also gone to extensive lengths to prevent the president from potentially embarrassing interactions. MEDIA FUME OVER SCATHING REPORT THAT FUELED QUESTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL ACUITY: ‘THIS IS AGEISM’ At that same January 2022 press conference that caused the first lady so much anguish, then-press secretary Jen Psaki — clad in a distinctive pink blazer — stood up after roughly an hour in an apparent attempt to bring the proceedings to a close. Psaki sat back down as Biden continued to take questions, only to stand up again about 20 minutes later and walk to a door about 50 feet away from the press seating area in another apparent attempt to end the questioning, which continued for approximately 40 more minutes. But the most notorious staff intervention took place at the White House Easter Egg Roll in April 2022, when then-director of message planning Meghan Hays, dressed in an Easter bunny costume, barged in to block Biden from answering an Afghan journalist’s question and guided him away from the rope line. The White House press office has also played its part, introducing a Byzantine prescreening process to select which reporters are allowed to attend large indoor events that were open to all under past administrations — leading to muttering that those most aligned with the administration were most likely to be extended invitations. Prescreening was eased following a protest by members of the press corps in the summer of 2022, but returned ahead of Biden’s last-minute response to Hur’s report Thursday night. Digital RSVP forms only went out a few minutes before the hastily scheduled event in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room and some reporters on the executive mansion’s campus were denied access to the relatively small venue. FOREIGN OUTLETS PULL NO PUNCHES OVER BIDEN ‘CONFUSION’ AND ‘RAGE’ AFTER SURPRISE PRESS CONFERENCE Despite all the precautions, Biden’s penchant for saying the wrong thing has never been hidden for long. At that November 2022 White House press conference, for example, Biden said he would take 10 reporters’ questions from a list of pre-approved names, but left after only calling on nine — following a brutal gaffe in which he said Russian troops were preparing to pull out of the Iraqi city of Fallujah when he meant to say the Ukrainian city of Kherson. Those slips have increased in recent weeks, with Biden mixing up the names of current foreign leaders with their deceased predecessors. On Sunday, he told a Las Vegas audience that he had recently spoken with the late French President Francois Mitterrand, who died in 1996. In Manhattan on Wednesday, Biden recalled to donors that he discussed the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who last held office in 1998 and died in 2017. On Thursday night, moments after insisting “I know what the hell I’m doing” in response to the Hur report, Biden misidentified Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
Border security overpowers school vouchers and Paxton impeachment in Republican Texas House primaries
Despite all the hubbub about vouchers and the attorney general’s impeachment, it’s still about the border.
Texas poised for slower job growth this year, Dallas Fed projects
Falling consumer activity and uncertainty around the 2024 presidential election could complicate the state’s job growth, a Dallas Fed economist said.
Donald Trump endorses ‘American Hero’ Tim Sheehy in battleground Senate race
Former President Donald Trump made a crucial endorsement in the Montana Senate race for “American Hero” and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy. The 2024 GOP Senate primary in Montana has attracted a lot of attention, as Republicans seek to nominate the best GOP candidate to oust Democrat Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., in a race that could determine the chamber majority. For Trump, that candidate is Sheehy. “I LOVE MONTANA!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday. “Tim Sheehy is an American Hero and highly successful Businessman from the Great State of Montana. He is strongly supported by our incredible Chairman of the NRSC, Steve Daines, and many other patriotic Senators and Republicans who have endorsed our Campaign to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump’s highly coveted endorsement comes the same day Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., who voted to overturn the 2020 election for the former president, announced he was running for the Montana Senate seat. POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND SENATE RACE: ‘ACCOMPLISHES MISSIONS’ The former president said that while he respects Rosendale, “Tim is the candidate who is currently best-positioned to DEFEAT Lazy Jon Tester.” CONSERVATIVE FIREBRAND ANNOUNCES RUN FOR KEY BATTLEGROUND SENATE RACE BEING TARGETED BY DEMS “I also respect Matt Rosendale, and was very happy to Endorse him in the past – and will Endorse him again in the future should he decide to change course and run for his Congressional Seat. But in this instance, Tim is the candidate who is currently best-positioned to DEFEAT Lazy Jon Tester, and Regain the Republican Majority in the United States Senate,” Trump said. “Tim is a Political Outsider, Strong on the Border, the Military/Vets, and our constantly under siege Second Amendment. He will stand tall in the fight against the Radical Left Democrats, who are Destroying our Country. Also, he is far more likely to Defeat Lazy Jon. America First Patriot Tim Sheehy has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Sheehy said he is “proud and honored” to have the endorsement of the former president. “I’m incredibly proud and honored to have the support of President Donald J. Trump as we fight to take back the Senate and defeat Jon Tester,” Sheehy said in a statement. “As conservative political outsiders and successful businessmen, we will never surrender to the radical Left who is destroying our country, and we will always fight for Montanans and put America First! “Under President Trump’s leadership, our economy was booming, our border was secure, and America was respected on the world stage. Together, we will take on and defeat the Washington establishment and career politicians selling out our country, rebuild our economy, secure the border, retire Jon Tester and Joe Biden, and Make America Great Again!” Rosendale also responded to Trump’s endorsement of his primary rival, writing that he is confident about winning the Republican primary. “I love President Trump. But he needs actual fighters in the U.S. Senate to enact his Agenda 47 – and that’s me and not Mitch McConnell’s hand pick, Tim Sheehy,” Rosendale posted on X. “I’m going to win this primary, defeat Jon Tester in November, and together we will Make America Great Again!” Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., also handed out an endorsement to Sheehy on Friday, joining Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Ted Budd, R-N.C., Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., in backing the former Navy SEAL. The Montana Senate primary will take place on June 4, 2024.
White House slams Hur report: ‘Gratuitous and inappropriate criticisms of the president’
The White House on Friday attempted to discredit observations by special counsel Robert Hur that have renewed questions about President Biden’s mental acuity. Spokesman for Oversight and Investigations Ian Sams said the report cleared Biden of any wrongdoing related to his handling of classified documents, but offered sharp criticism of Hur’s description of the president as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” “Unfortunately, the gratuitous remarks that the former attorney general talked about have naturally caught headlines in all of your attention,” Sams told reporters at the daily White House press briefing. “They’re wrong and they’re inaccurate.” Hur had investigated Biden’s improper retention of classified records since last year and released a report detailing his findings on Thursday. Those records included classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan, among other records related to national security and foreign policy which Hur said implicated “sensitive intelligence sources and methods.” SPECIAL COUNSEL CALLS BIDEN ‘SYMPATHETIC, WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY MAN WITH A POOR MEMORY,’ BRINGS NO CHARGES However, the special counsel declined to bring charges against Biden. Hur, throughout the more than 300-page report, said “it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him” of a serious felony “that requires a mental state of willfulness,” and said he would be “well into his eighties.” Sams called the findings of no criminal wrongdoing by Biden accurate while hitting Hur’s observations of Biden’s mental state as “gratuitous and inappropriate.” He pointed to statements by former Attorney General Eric Holder and other ex-DOJ officials who have criticized Hur’s commentary on Biden as inconsistent with DOJ traditions and political. “The report lays out example after example of how the president did not willfully take classified documents. The report lays out how the president did not share classified documents with anyone. The report lays out how the president did not knowingly share classified information with anyone,” Sams told reporters. “On page two, which I know you all read, the report argues that the president willfully retained materials but buried way later on page 215, the report says, and I quote, there is in fact, ‘a shortage of evidence on these points.’” BIDEN BLISTERED BY MAINSTREAM MEDIA AFTER ‘DISASTER’ PRESS CONFERENCE: ‘ELDERLY, IRRITABLE MAN’ “Put simply, this case is closed because the facts and the evidence don’t support the theories here. The gratuitous comments that respected experts are saying is out of line are inappropriate, and they shouldn’t distract from the fact that this case is closed and the facts and evidence show that they reached the right conclusion,” he said. Biden spoke about the report in a brief address to the nation from the White House Thursday night, where he angrily confronted reporters’ questions about his age. “I’m well-meaning, and I’m an elderly man and I know what the hell I’m doing,” Biden said. “I’ve been president. I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation.” “My memory is fine,” Biden added. BIDEN CONFUSES PRESIDENTS OF MEXICO AND EGYPT AFTER DEFENDING ‘FINE’ MEMORY: ‘HARD TO WATCH’ The president was particularly incensed at Hur’s suggestion that he did not remember when his son Beau died during an interview. “How dare he raise that?” Biden said. “Frankly, when I was asked a question, I thought to myself, what’s that any of your damn business?” “Let me tell you something…I swear, since the day he died, every single day…I wear the rosary he got from Our Lady —” Biden stopped, seemingly forgetting where the rosary was from. Later in his remarks to the press, Biden referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as the “president of Mexico.” Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Hawley says Garland should invoke 25th Amendment if DOJ declines to charge Biden: ‘One or the other’
Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said that Attorney General Merrick Garland is at a crossroads after Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to charge President Joe Biden for mishandling classified documents because of his mental state. Hur’s report, which was made public on Thursday, found that after a months-long investigation, Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials,” but he concluded that no criminal charges were warranted, because based on “direct interactions with and observations of” the president, Hur and his team said “[i]t would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.” Hawley, who also served as attorney general of Missouri from 2017 to 2019, said Friday that Garland “can’t have it both ways” by not charging the president and also declining to recommend invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, which authorizes the vice president and a majority of the president’s cabinet or Congress to decide whether the president is unable to perform their duties. “I’m calling on [Garland] publicly now to do what I think is required under the law in the Constitution . . . either charge the president, or he will go to the cabinet and tell them, ‘I believe we have to invoke the 25th Amendment.’ He’s got to do one or the other,” Hawley told Fox News Digital in an interview. BIDEN SAYS HIS MEMORY IS ‘FINE,’ HE IS ‘MOST QUALIFIED PERSON IN THIS COUNTRY’ TO BE PRESIDENT “If he doesn’t, it will just confirm what everybody thinks, which is that there are two tiers of justice and that Garland himself is completely complicit in the corruption of this administration,” Hawley said. Hawley noted that every prosecutor has to weigh whether they can get a conviction, which ultimately informs the charging decision. But in Hawley’s view, what is “unique” in Hur’s case is that he concluded that the elements of a crime were present, but chose not to charge based on the president’s mental state. “He concluded that the elements of a crime were present, namely that the president had willfully retained and disclosed classified information, so he knew it. I mean, the report makes it very clear he knew that it was classified information, this was done over years and decades — not just a couple of months — and he willfully did it,” says Hawley. “But he ultimately recommends against prosecution, not because he didn’t do it, but because, basically, Biden is mentally unfit to be prosecuted. Because he doesn’t think that he can get a jury to ultimately convict, because the president is so mentally unstable,” Hawley added. BIDEN ‘DID NOT REMEMBER WHEN HE WAS VICE PRESIDENT,’ WHEN HIS SON BEAU DIED, DURING SPECIAL COUNSEL INTERVIEWS Garland has ultimate authority over whether to agree with Hur’s recommendations or to pursue charges against the president. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Hawley says that Garland’s “only recourse,” should he decide not to press charges — noting that DOJ brought charges against former president Donald Trump on “precisely the same grounds — is to go to the rest of Biden’s cabinet members to invoke the 25th amendment. “It can’t be that . . . ‘He’s totally fit to continue in office, but we’re not going to prosecute him.’ I mean, that’s just — that would be the most brazen miscarriage of justice and degradation of the rule of law,” Hawley charged. TRUMP DEMANDS DOJ ‘IMMEDIATELY’ DROP CHARGES AGAINST HIM IN CLASSIFIED DOCS CASE AFTER BIDEN DECISION President Biden in a press conference late Thursday night addressed the report, saying his memory is “fine,” and defended his re-election campaign, adding that he is “the most qualified person in this country to be president.” Hur described Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Biden said Thursday night that he agreed. “I’m well-meaning, and I’m an elderly man, and I know what the hell I’m doing,” Biden said. “I’ve been president. I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation.” Biden added: “My memory is fine.” Meanwhile, Hur said in the report that Biden, during his interview with the special counsel’s team, could not remember key details, such as when he was vice president. “In his interview with our office, Mr. Biden’s memory was worse,” the report states. “He did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended (‘if it was 2013 — when did I stop being Vice President?’), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began (‘in 2009, am I still Vice President?’).” “He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died,” the report continued. “And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him. Among other things, he mistakenly said he ‘had a real difference’ of opinion with General Karl Eikenberry, when, in fact, Eikenberry was an ally whom Mr. Biden cited approvingly in his Thanksgiving memo to President Obama.” “In a case where the government must prove that Mr. Biden knew he had possession of the classified Afghanistan documents after the vice presidency and chose to keep those documents, knowing he was violating the law, we expect that at trial, his attorneys would emphasize these limitations in his recall,” the report said. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Hawley’s comments come after Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., sent a letter to Garland Thursday night, sharing her “grave concerns” following Hur’s report. “After concluding that President Biden knowingly and willfully removed, mishandled, and disclosed classified documents repeatedly over a period of decades, Mr. Hur nevertheless recommended that charges not be brought against him,” Tenney wrote. “Special Counsel’s reasoning was alarming.” Fox News Digtial’s Brooke Singman contributed to this