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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was caught on camera chanting “we love Joe!” during President Biden’s speech on the first day of the Democratic National Convention.
Biden, who took that stage just before 11:30 p.m. Monday, reflected back on his first moments as president on Inauguration Day 2021, arguing that it was a day of “peril and possibility.”
But before Biden could finish his sentence, those in attendance broke out in a round of “we love Joe!” chants, interrupting his remarks and causing him to pause for a moment.
Cameras panning the scene eventually found their way to Pelosi, who was joining the crowd in the chants.
Pelosi was at the convention in support of the new ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in no small part because of her pushing the president to exit the race.
Speaking to reporters before the convention Monday, Pelosi defended her actions when asked about other members of the party who were upset with the president being pushed aside, arguing that she “just wanted to win this election.”
“So if they’re upset, I’m sorry for them,” Pelosi said. “But the country is very happy.”
Biden would ultimately give in to the calls, dropping out of the race and quickly endorsing Harris to replace him at the top of the ticket.
Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Officials at the Democratic National Convention blamed “raucous applause” for President Biden’s late speech on day one of the event in Chicago.
“Because of the raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to the American people,” convention officials told Fox News Digital.
The statement comes after an onslaught of criticism of the event, with many questioning why the party would allow Biden to speak so late.
“It says a lot about the Democratic party that it would not ask its abortion speakers to wait a while so that their President could speak at a reasonable hour on a night supposedly devoted to him,” Fox News’ Brit Hume said on Twitter.
But DNC officials reasoned that Biden was delayed by the convention’s “electric atmosphere.”
“We are proud of the electric atmosphere in our convention hall and proud that our convention is showcasing the broad and diverse coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket throughout the week on and off the stage,” the officials continued.
U.S. President Joe Biden reacts as he joins his daughter Ashley onstage during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid
President Biden was seen apparently wiping away tears on Monday night after his daughter Ashley addressed the Democratic National Convention.
Biden was being introduced by his family ahead of his speech to the convention in Chicago. As he greeted Ashley Biden, he could be seen wiping at his eyes.
Biden announced last month he was stepping aside as the Democratic presidential nominee and backed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom,
who was a visible campaign ally for President Biden when he was still in the race, vowed to be just as motivated to support Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Absolutely,” Newsom said when asked by Fox News Digital reporter Paul Steinhauser if he planned to be involved in the campaign. “We knew each other a decade before we both got into politics, one of my oldest friends, so it’s a no brainer.”
But Newsom also cautioned that he might not be as needed on the trail as he was before, pointing to the enthusiasm shift with Harris at the top of the ticket.
“I’m a solution in search of a problem, everyone and their mother is jumping on to help so I’m as needed but obviously all-in,” Newsom said. “Right now, everybody is out there for Kamala, the fundraising’s next level, the volunteers, next level, everybody’s jumping over each other to be out there on the campaign trail.”
(Photo by Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., is speaking at the Democratic National Convention — one of many lawmakers speaking at the convention, and one of the senators from President Biden’s home state.
Coons is the junior senator from Delaware. He was a Capitol Hill intern for then-Sen. Biden 35 years ago.
He has been in the upper chamber since 2010, and was once considered for secretary of state by Biden.
He speaks ahead of Biden’s address to the convention on Monday evening.
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is speaking at the Democratic National Convention, making him one of the many Democratic lawmakers to speak in Chicago this week.
Warnock was elected in 2021 after a runoff in the key swing state. His election, along with that of Sen. Jon Ossoff, swung control of the Senate into the hands of the Democrats.
Warnock won re-election in December 2022 and serve a full six year term as a result.
Warnock is also a church pastor, having served as the senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
Critics took to social media to slam Democrats for how late in the evening President Biden will be forced to speak on the first day of the party’s convention.
“How late are Democrats going to make Joe Biden wait to speak? Lot of speakers left, if they keep them all in the lineup,” Washington Examiner Chief political correspondent Byron York said on Twitter.
York’s post came just after 10:30 p.m eastern, with several speakers still slated to take the stage before the president.
“Honest question: Is DNC running so late that Biden speech gets pushed out of prime time a strategic move by Harris/Dems?” wondered Republican strategist Alex Conant.
“For those keeping score, it’s 10:30 pm and there are still six solo speakers on the official DNC schedule before Joe Biden takes the stage, plus an additional trio of speakers taking the stage together,” wrote the National Review Twitter account. “Looking very likely Biden won’t even take the stage until we’re out of primetime.”
“We’re 90 minutes behind schedule. It’s unconscionable to have President Biden’s address occur at midnight ET,” Christopher Hale, a 2020 Democratic delegate from Tennessee, said. “We should postpone some upcoming folks and put the president up there soon.”
“It says a lot about the Democratic party that it would not ask its abortion speakers to wait a while so that their President could speak at a reasonable hour on a night supposedly devoted to him,” said Fox News’ Brit Hume.
“Democrats mean-girl with the best of them. ‘Fly on up, Joe! We’ll give you a speaking slot. Prime time! We are gonna give you your flowers,” said Mary Katharine Ham, the host of the “Getting Hammered” podcast. “Nevermind, a bunch of C- and B-listers had to speak and now you speak at midnight. Good luck, sundowner.”
Biden’s speech on the first day of the Democratic National Convention is viewed as a passing of the torch of sorts after the president opted to drop out of the race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket, with Harris quickly solidifying the support of the party that has seemingly moved on from its incumbent president.
(Photo by Greg Hauenstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is speaking tonight at the Democratic National Convention, and was one of the candidates reportedly being considered for Harris’ running mate.
Beshear had told CNN in July that he would join the 2024 Democratic ticket if it would help the interests of the people of his state.
“The only reason I’d ever consider something else is if I felt that I could help my people in Kentucky more in a different role or that there was a chance to move past the partisanship, the constant fighting,” Beshear said.
However, Beshear also acknowledged that he had not received any vetting materials when asked by CNN, telling the outlet that he has “not been personally asked to submit information at this point.”
Beshear is the 63rd governor of Kentucky and became governor of the Republican-leaning state in 2019. He previously served as the state’s attorney general.
Fox News Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton smiled and nodded as attendees at the Democratic National Convention broke out in chants of “lock him up!” in reference to former President Donald Trump.
“As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers, she will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up he made his own kind of history, the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions,” Clinton said during her remarks Monday in Chicago.
Those in attendance began to boo at the mention of Trump before chants of “lock him up!” spread through the audience, with cameras showing people chanting and laughing before panning back to Clinton, who was seen smiling and nodding as the chants continued.
Chants of “lock her up” were targeted at Clinton during many Trump rallies during the 2016 campaign and later President Biden during his 2020 bid for president.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.,
spoke to Fox News Digital said that on Monday night, the convention will be about President Biden and the rest of the week will be about Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Tonight is all about Joe Biden and celebrating his life and the work he has done as senator, president and vice president, and obviously the rest of the week will be about Kamala Harris and the future of the country,” he told Fox News’ Julia Johnson.
Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks on Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, used her speech at the Democratic National Convention
to tell attendees that the U.S. has a “rare and precious opportunity” in Vice President Kamala Harris — saying she is “for the middle class.”
“I am here tonight because America has before us a rare and precious opportunity,” she said. “In Kamala Harris we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class, because she is from the middle class.”
“She understands the urgency of rent checks and groceries and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is taking on corporate greed. And she is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza, and bringing hostages home,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez spoke at the convention in Chicago on the first night of the four night convention.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, spoke to Fox News Digital about the enthusiasm he is seeing at the convention, saying Vice President Harris has unleashed a “tidal wave of energy” among Democrats.
“This one is at a 13 on a scale of 10 in terms of excitement, anticipation, expectation, of a victory this fall,” he told Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson.
“Kamala and Tim Walz have unleashed a tidal wave of energy, of support and I think it’s going to carry us right through election day,” he said.
Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien has been “ghosted” by Democrats ahead of the party’s convention in Chicago, according to a report from Axios.
O’Brien, who became the first-ever union president to speak at the Republican National Convention last month said that the DNC has not responded to his request to speak this week in Chicago.
At least seven other union leaders and rank-and-file Teamsters retirees have been invited to attend the DNC, a sign that O’Brien’s lack of invite could be personal, Axios reported.
The Teamsters that O’Brien represents have historically supported Democratic candidates, but cracks in that support began to appear between the union and President Biden.
Those cracks at least opened the door for O’Brien to make a shocking appearance at the RNC, a move not well-received by many Democrats.
The Trump campaign has also sought to gain more votes from blue collar workers in critical Midwestern swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, support that O’Brien seemingly entertained during his appearance last month.
(Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton will compare herself to Vice President Kamala Harris in her speech at the Democratic National Convention — and take a swing at former President Trump.
“Kamala has the character, experience, and vision to lead us forward,” Clinton will say later this evening, according to prepared remarks.
“I know her heart and her integrity. We both got our start as young lawyers helping children who were abused or neglected. That kind of work changes you. Those kids stay with you. Kamala carries with her the hopes of every child she protected, every family she helped, every community she served,” she will say.
She will also attack former President Trump, who beat her in the 2016 presidential contest and is facing off against Harris in November.
“Just look at the candidates. Kamala cares about kids, families, and America. Donald only cares about himself,” Clinton will say.
“On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that guide her still: ‘Kamala Harris, for the people.’ That’s something Donald Trump will never understand.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom hyped up the energy within the Democratic Party now that Vice President Kamala Harris is at the top of the ticket.
“It’s obviously exhilarating, I think objectively, I think it’s pretty clear even the Trump campaign recognizes that everything has changed, not just some things have changed,” Newsom said when asked about the energy levels within the party by Fox News Digital reporter Julia Johnson.
“It’s not just the energy within the Democratic Party, you feel it across this country,” Newsom added. “People that may have been lulled to sleep with certain expectations have certainly been woken up and that’s a pretty good thing for Democracy, not just for the Democratic Party.”
Newsom also defended the economic agenda laid out by Harris in a speech last week that some critics have called extreme, arguing that many of the proposals are actually “familiar.”
“Well it’s very familiar. Child tax credits, newborn tax credits, focusing on Earned Income Tax credit. We don’t think those programs work, we know they work,” Newsom said.
Former January 6 Committee Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., expressed concerns that former President Donald Trump could incite another January 6 type event if he loses November’s election.
“If he says it would be a problem, it will be a problem, that’s why we have to elect Kamala Harris,” Thompson said at the Democratic National Convention Monday when asked about such concerns by Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind.
Thompson was tapped to chair the U.S. House’s Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, which was formed in July 2021 and disbanded in January of last year.
The committee was criticized for being partisan by Republicans, with the Republican National Committee arguing that it was illegitimate.
Thompson also said he was looking forward to President Biden’s speech, calling Biden a “statesman.”
“I want to hear him encourage Democrats to continue to win. I want him to be the statesman that he is. I look forward to it,” Thompson said.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Vice President Kamala Harris has arrived at the Democratic National Convention and spoke briefly to attendees.
She praised the “incredible” President Biden and said the DNC would be a “great week.”
“I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden who will be speaking later tonight,” she said, saying “we are forever grateful to you.”
She then addressed the attendees.
“This November, we will come together and declare with one voice as one people, ‘we are moving forward with optimism, hope and faith,'” she said.
“When we fight, we win,” she added.
“I have been a registered Democrat since the day I turned 18,” Jewish activist
Shabbos Kestenbaum, told Fox News. “I have only voted for Democrats. I’d like to think the last 10 months I’ve been calm, cool and collected but I am so sick and tired, with the election less than 100 days away, of pretending that this anti-American, intellectually challenged, allergic to reality, petulant children have any role in normative policy making or in electoral politics.”
Kestenbaum ripped Democrats for antisemitic protests among those in the party’s progressive wing, “They want a cease fire. They want a two state solution. Hamas rejected a cease fire two days ago and then sent a suicide bomber to go blow up Jews.”
“That is the reality that we are dealing with in the Middle East,” he said. “Let me remind not only my fellow democrats, but to the American people, this war could be over the minute Hamas releases the G– d— hostages and surrenders.”
In Gaza, 115 hostages still remain unreturned since the terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
“We have been perpetrating a fantasy that Jews are somehow colonizers in the very land that they are literally named after and universities, college students, the media and far left politicians have fed into this fantasy,” Kestenbaum said. “That’s this crap that you’re seeing at the DNC right now in Chicago of 100,000 who really can influence policy and that’s what so concerns me as a Democrat and as a Jewish American.”
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has arrived at the Democratic National Convention.
Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris’ pick to be her running mate on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket, arrived in Chicago at the DNC.
The Democratic conference kicked off on Monday afternoon and will run until Thursday. President Biden will speak on Monday evening along with a number of other speakers.
(Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)
A federal judge has denied a bid by Hunter Biden to dismiss the federal tax evasion case against him, just hours before President Biden is due to speak at the Democratic National Convention.
Reuters reports that U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi said there was no basis to reconsider a prior order denying Hunter Biden’s bid to throw out the tax evasion indictment.
Biden’s son was convicted in Delaware for lying on a gun purchase form about drug use. His tax evasion trial is due to start in September. Biden has pleaded not guilty, and has argued that the special counsel appointment was illegal.
Hunter has cited a case involving former President Trump, where the appointment of a special counsel was found to be illegal, as precedent for his case.
President Biden will address the convention tonight, and is expected to “pass the torch” to Vice President Kamala Harris.
From Fox News’ Laura Ingraham: “Many of us remember the 1985 Chicago Bears – one of the most dominant football teams in history. The Bears were famous for their bone-crushing defense, which often knocked the other team’s quarterback out of the game.”
“That’s pretty much what President Trump and his campaign did to the Democrats earlier this year. Joe Biden, as the incumbent president, was the Great Hope of the Democratic Party. They relied on his experience. They defended his record. They covered up his decline. They told themselves over and over that he was the only person who had ever beaten Trump, and therefore, that he was the best man for the job.
“With all their most talented players gone, the Democrats have been forced to turn to an unproven backup – the last person they ever wanted to see on the field. For years, the media has told us that she was terrible at politics – and the media is not wrong.
“Since being named as the Democratic Party’s nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris has only made three major decisions – and all three were disastrous:”
Hollywood director, actor and major Democratic Party donor Rob Reiner spoke to Fox News Digital about his feelings ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
Asked by Fox News Digital reporter Elizabeth Elkind what he expected to hear from President Biden during his speech at the convention Monday, Reiner said he wanted to here much of the same as the president has been saying for 50 years.
“This is not about one person, this is about all of us. That he’s served his country well for 50 years, he’s going to lay out what he’s done, and he’s passing the torch,” Reiner said. “It couldn’t be a more selfless act that he’s doing.”
Asked about anti-Israel protests outside the convention, Reiner defended the group’s right to demonstrate.
“We have the right to protest. We give everyone the freedom to protest, it’s in the constitution. This campaign is about protecting the constitution and protecting those people’s right to protest,” he said.
Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was officially confirmed as Vice President Kamala Harris’ vice presidential nominee.
Walz was confirmed during the Confirmatory and Ceremonial Vote for the Vice Presidential Nominee during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday.
Democrats kicked off their convention Tuesday, where the party hopes to show unity and rally around Harris, who was elevated to the top of the ticket after President Biden decided to drop out of the race.
Harris quickly solidified support from the party, eventually tapping Walz to be her running mate last month.
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
First Lady Jill Biden will be introduced with a video that will feature moments from her time as first lady and the causes most important to her, the White House told Fox News Digital.
The Democratic National Committee will highlight the first lady’s work supporting military families, education, cancer research, and women’s health research.
The video will also include Vivian Wierwille, who introduced the first lady during a pandemic school reopening and became one of the more memorable moment’s of Biden’s tenure as first lady.
Fox News/Liz Elkind
The Chicago Police have released a statement confirming the breach of the fencing at the outer perimeter of the Democratic National Convention.
“Demonstrators breached a portion of anti-scale fencing along the Democratic National Convention’s outer perimeter near the United Center on Aug. 19. Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation. At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees.
The National Special Security Event plan employs a multi-layered approach. Each NSSE plan is unique and includes multiple layers. One of these redundancies include the outer perimeter fence, which was erected to prevent entry into the inner perimeter.”
“The Chicago Police Department remains on-scene and is working to clear the area,” the statement said.
Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Civil rights activist Melanie Campbell was one of the first speakers at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday.
Campbell, who is the President & CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, has become a prominent figure around the Biden White House, visiting the White House frequently during President Biden’s term.
But Campbell has been seen as a potential problem for Democratic messages of unity after she made controversial statements about supporters of former President Donald Trump during a recent Zoom call with fellow activist Cora Masters Barry.
“We have to change our strategy. We got to get our people. We have to get our – they got their people. They got all the trailer parks all covered,” Barry said during the Zoom. “All them people up in West Virginia and the hills, they’re covered. They got them all the way there to Wall Street.”
“[Trump] did that, and we’re sitting here talking about the White women. F— the white women– excuse me – forget the White women. They’re going to do what the White men tell them to do,” Barry continued, eliciting laughter and clapping from Campbell.
“What they tell themselves,” Campbell responded.
“They be smiling in their faces, they want to stay in charge,” Barry continued, with Campbell reacting affirmatively in the background. “I don’t care nothing about them, we got to do what we got to do.”
From left, Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison and 2024 Democratic National Convention chair Minyon Moore gavel the 2024 Democratic National Convention to order at the United Center in Chicago on Monday, August 19, 2024. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
The Democratic National Convention is now officially underway in Chicago, kicking off four days of events and speeches for the party.
Jaime Harrison, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Minyon Moore, Chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee, gaveled in proceedings on Monday afternoon.
Proceedings will run until Thursday.
President Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are on the list of speakers for Monday. Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination during the convention.
Protesters wielded signs calling for the U.S. to “stand with Hamas” outside the Democratic National Convention, before activists attempted to breach the outer perimeter fence.
Protesters condemned “genocide and war” as they stood outside the fence.
One man wielded a sign saying “Armed Resistance is the only Answer: End Israel, Stand with Hamas”
Others said “Free Palestine” and calls to end U.S. aid to Israel.
Protesters managed to take down at least three panels of the outer perimeter 10 foot fence. Some were later arrested.
Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
Anti-Israel protesters took aim at “genocide” and called for an end to U.S. support of Israel’s war against Hamas on Monday ahead of the kickoff of the Democratic National Convention.
“Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crime,” one chant went.
Eventually protesters breached the fence near the perimeter, but were pushed back and some were detained by police.
Protesters managed to take down at least three panels of the outer perimeter 10 foot fence.
Fox News’ Liz Elkind and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
Fox News/Liz Elkind
Police have detained a number of protesters who have breached the fence outside the Democratic National Convention.
Some protesters threw water bottles and sticks at the perimeter as they protested against U.S. policy on Israel and support for its war against Hamas.
Other protesters were seen hanging off the fence of the security perimeter.
Protesters managed to take down at least three panels of the outer perimeter 10 foot fence.
Fox News’ Liz Elkind and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
CHICAGO – As the Democratic National Convention kicked off on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris called for upping the corporate tax rate as the party’s presidential nominee unveiled her first big ticket proposal to raise revenues.
The Harris campaign confirmed to Fox News that the vice president is proposing to raise the rate major businesses pay from 21% to 28%, describing it as “a fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people and ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.”
“As President, Kamala Harris will focus on creating an opportunity economy for the middle class that advances their economic security, stability, and dignity,” campaign spokesman James Singer added in a statement.
The move, if it became law, would likely raise hundreds of billions of dollars, according to projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Fox News/ Liz Elkind
Anti-Israel protests are turning ugly outside of the Democratic National Convention as activists are becoming increasingly aggressive outside the perimeter.
Protesters, wielding signs protesting U.S. support of Israel, were throwing water bottles at police and shaking the fence at the perimeter.
Other protesters were seen hanging off the fence of the security perimeter.
A Fox News reporter heard one officer say “we’ve got to get gas” and officers then put masks on.
Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
Jason Carter discusses the legacy and health of his grandfather, former President Jimmy Carter, and previews the DNC ahead of President Biden’s remarks.
“Joe Biden was one of my grandfather’s best friends in politics. He was the first sitting senator to endorse him 50-years ago,” Carter said. “We all have great respect for President Biden and we think that President Biden really did make a courageous choice, it did unify the party, it did bring things together, and it did allow us as a party to look exclusively at the future, to really draw a contrast with some of the darkness and the meanness of the Donald Trump sort of era and really focus on the future and I think that’s energized all of us.”
Asked if there was a lack of respect from within the party in the way Biden was pushed out of the election, Carter argued tat the president was simply doing the best thing for the future.
“That takes courage,” Carter said.
From Fox News’ Arnon Mishkin: “Will Democrats use their convention effectively? They need to, given polls still show former President Donald Trump’s strength with the national electorate – and leading in enough battleground states to get an Electoral College majority.
Last week’s Fox News poll has Trump up one point over Harris 50-49 nationally. Even if Trump loses the popular vote 52-48, he should still be considered a likely winner.
So, the challenge for the Chicago Democrats is clear: Can they chip away at Trump’s apparent national bloc of support?
There are three key things to look for in judging whether the Democrats are succeeding.”
Gaining thousands of new voters before the election could be the motivation behind the drive to clear the backlog of naturalization applications.
“They won’t admit that,” Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital when asked if gaining voters could be behind a push to naturalize more U.S. citizens. “They will describe it as naturalization is the ultimate goal and we want people to become Americans… but it’s always a political tactic to get more citizens with the assumption they will vote for you.”
Ries’ comments come after a New York Times report last week revealed that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USIS) is processing naturalization applications at speeds not seen in roughly a decade, taking an average of 4.9 months to process applications in the first nine months of the current fiscal year.
The pace is far faster than processing speeds of just three years ago, when it took roughly 11.5 months for an applicant to gain U.S. citizenship. Overall, the current pace of new naturalizations has not been seen since 2013 and 2014, the New York Times reported.
(Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Biden is walking through the United Center ahead of his Democratic National Convention speech tonight in Chicago.
Biden, along with First Lady Jill Biden, walked onto the stage as part of the walkthrough.
Biden arrived in the Windy City this afternoon by plane.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that tonight will be a “fulfilling moment” for Biden as he will “pass the torch” to Harris.
Biden announced last month that he was stepping down as Democratic nominee, and was backing Harris as his successor.
A liberal Washington Post columnist said Vice President Kamala Harris needs to speak to the press, because her weeks-long silent treatment erodes democracy and the strategy breaks with “democratic values of treating the press as an important institution.”
Columnist Perry Bacon Jr. penned a piece headlined, “Harris should talk to journalists more. Particularly the wonky ones,” that features the scathing subhead “Not talking to the media or taking questions from virtually anyone for weeks further erodes democracy.”
The liberal columnist noted that Harris hasn’t done a formal interview or press conference since emerging as the Democratic presidential nominee, as she has only answered a handful of questions during informal press gaggles.
“Harris is making a mistake. She should be doing interviews and other engagements with journalists, in recognition of their important role in democracy. In particular, she should speak to journalists who specialize in policy reporting,” Bacon wrote.
Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris would work to raise the corporate tax rate to 28%, the Harris campaign has confirmed to Fox News.
“As President, Kamala Harris will focus on creating an opportunity economy for the middle class that advances their economic security, stability, and dignity,” the campaign said in a statement. Unlike Donald Trump, whose extreme Project 2025 agenda would drive up the deficit, increase taxes on the middle class by $3,900, and send our economy spiraling into recession – her plan is a fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people and ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.”
The federal corporate tax rate was lowered as part of former President Donald Trump’s signature tax legislation in 2017, which saw the rate fall from 35% to 21%.
The proposal comes as Democrats ready to convene for the Democratic National Convention, where Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will layout their vision for voters.
(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Biden has arrived in Chicago ahead of his Democratic National Convention speech, where he is expected to “pass the torch” to Vice President Harris as the 2024 Democratic nominee.
Biden arrived in the Windy City by plane with First Lady Jill Biden as he prepares for the address later today. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that tonight will be a “fulfilling moment” for Biden as he will “pass the torch” to Harris.
Biden announced last month that he was stepping down as Democratic nominee, and was backing Harris as his successor.
Jean-Pierre said Biden is still fine-tuning his speech and intends to talk about his vision for the country.
Asked about the anti-Israel protests at the convention, Jean-Pierre said they “certainly support peaceful protests” and “condemn any violence.
Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
With 19 electoral votes up for grabs in November, Illinois is the largest ballot box prize in the Midwest in November’s presidential election.
The state known as the “Land of Lincoln” voted largely Republican from the Civil War through the 1920s, before Democrats dominated the state in presidential elections from the Great Depression through World War Two.
Republicans returned to prominence, carrying the state in eight out of ten elections from 1952 through 1988. But starting in 1992, the Democrats won eight straight presidential elections in Illinois. And in the 2024 presidential election, the state is once again considered a reliably blue state.
Illinois residents are likely to vote for Kamala Harris in the upcoming election.
Illinois voted for Bill Clinton in both 1992 and 1996, Al Gore in 2000, John Kerry in 2004, Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and President Joe Biden in 2020.
Fox News’ Gabriele Regalbuto contributed reporting.
JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images
Harris’ stance on the Israel-Hamas war
has been under scrutiny since the vice president took over the Democratic nomination for president. Some on the far left of the Democratic Party have withheld their support over concerns she will not heed their demands of ending all financial and military support to Israel.
Meanwhile, leading pro-Israel advocates fear a Harris presidency would be “far worse” than a second Biden term amid a rising tide of antisemitism that has reared its head since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel.
“Clearly, her priorities are not our priorities,” Sam Markstein, Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) national political director, told Fox News Digital.
Harris was not present at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
address to Congress that took place last month, and she has publicly pressed him to get a deal “done” and agree to a ceasefire with Hamas. However, Harris has said Israel has the right to “go after the terrorists that are Hamas.”
Harris has garnered criticism for her failure to condemn antisemitic agitators. After an antisemitic student occupation took place at Columbia University earlier this year, Harris defended the protesters, who many Jewish students indicated made them feel unsafe on campus.
“They are showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza,” Harris said of the protesters.
Left-wing protestors are making their case outside Democratic National Convention (DNC), calling for an end to U.S. aid for Israel and expressing their anger about U.S. policy in the region.
Protesters gathered outside the DNC convention in Chicago, with signs that read “End U.S. Aid to Israel” as well as other slogans including “Vote for Humanity” and “Immigrant Rights and Legalization For All!”
The protest was organized by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
“We’re going to send a strong message to Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, that we will not allow genocide in Palestine. We stand with the Palestinian people, and we’re proud to be here today to march on the DNC,” a member of the group said earlier in the day.
The group had also seen chanting “from the river to the sea” – a chant which has been widely used at antisemitic protests around the country and is described by the American Jewish Committee as “a rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers.”
More anti-Israel demonstrators descended on the convention center on the eve of the Democrat event, as officials anticipate to see as many as 100,000 protestors during the week.
Fox News’ Emma Colton and Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.
Former Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
A former Republican congresswoman says she is going to vote for Vice President Harris in 2024.
Former GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock, who represented Virginia’s 10th Congressional District from 2015 to 2019, cited the January 6 Capitol protest as the reasoning behind her decision to not vote for former President Trump.
“After Jan. 6, after Donald Trump has refused for four years to acknowledge that he lost, and his threats against democracy, I think it’s important to turn the page,” Comstock told CNN. “That’s why I will be voting for the vice president.”
“This is not something that my party should accept,” Comstock said of the Trump-Vance ticket. “Not to mention he’s a felon, not to mention we still have cases where, you know, he took classified documents.”
The former congresswoman came out in support for Harris one day before the Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago, where the vice president will formally accept the Democratic nomination.
Vice President Kamala Harris greets patrons inside Primanti Bros. in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.
Patrons at a Pittsburgh culinary landmark were outraged Monday after they alleged to have been forced to vacate the premises for unstated reasons, before Vice President Kamala Harris arrived for a campaign stop.
Several people who had been enjoying food, drinks and the Pittsburgh Pirates MLB game on television at Primanti Bros in Moon, Pa. Sunday said they were all forced out of the restaurant promptly at 4 p.m.
Mark Dodson of Collier, said he was just in the area to root for the “Bucs.”
“I wanted to watch some sports and enjoy an afternoon lunch,” said Dodson, as Primanti’s is known for its signature Pittsburgh-style sandwiches piled high with sliced meats and french fries – as is Steel City custom.
Video from an ABC News affiliate from inside Primanti Bros showed Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff greeting patrons in a packed dining room.
Fox News Digital reached out to Primanti Bros’ main office in Pittsburgh as well as the Harris campaign for comment.
CHICAGO – As the Democratic National Convention gets underway Monday in blue state Illinois’ largest city, former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, will be in battleground Pennsylvania.
It’s part of the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee’s plan to offer a full week of counterprogramming to the Democrats’ national nominating convention.
“Donald Trump is barnstorming all across the country over the course of this next week,” RNC chair Michael Whatley emphasized in a Sunday interview on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”
“We are going to be out directly talking to every American family across the country the way that only Donald Trump can. And we are absolutely asking for their votes. We’re asking for their support,” Whatley highlighted.
The move is partially to try and blunt the momentum of Vice President Kamala Harris heading into the Democrats’ convention. Harris has been riding a wave of energy and enthusiasm – both in polling and in fundraising – since replacing President Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket four weeks ago.
But it also appears to be another move to try and put pressure on Harris for not holding a news conference or a major interview since Biden bowed out and backed his vice president.
Police clash with anti-Israel agitators marching ahead of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 18, 2024, in Chicago. (Getty Images)
Democrats were told ahead of the Democratic National Convention to take safety precautions at the event, such as not booking rooms under their names, according to a recent Axios report.
The four-day Democrat convention, where Vice President Harris will formally accept the Democratic nomination, kicked off Monday in Chicago. Before the event even began, however, anti-Israel protests had already erupted on the streets outside the convention center.
One House member told the outlet that they were “very concerned” about their security going into the August event.
The House sergeant-at-arms’ office also warned lawmakers about engaging with protestors, according to Axios, amid reports that over 100,000 individuals are expected to protest outside the convention. In anticipation of potential unrest, the city recruited hundreds of police officers to the United Center.
Another lawmaker revealed to Axios that they were precautioned against using their real name when booking hotels, saying the hotels were getting “random calls asking for people.”
Vice President Kamala Harris delivered what observers called an ‘all time cringe’ pep talk to a Pennsylvania high school football team during her presidential campaign swing over the weekend.
Harris visited Aliquippa, outside Pittsburgh, and spoke to the assembled players about the importance of teamwork but raised eyebrows with her remarks:
“And by doing that and all that requires which is the hard work, the practice, working as a team, knowing that you will be undefeated even if you don’t win every game, but no circumstance or event or moment will defeat your spirit,” Harris said.
In its coverage of the campaign stop, OutKick called the remark “all time cringe,” and wondered whether some players might begin to think their “desire to win is pointless.”
“Are we victors, even if we lose 49-7?” reporter John Simmons wrote.
On X, one user reacted, “[Harris’] word salads are getting better,” while another said the vice president was forwarding “participation trophy” culture.
Vice President Kamala Harris is enjoying a spike in favorability among U.S. adults as the Democratic Party prepares to formally nominate her as a presidential candidate in Chicago this week.
The new poll from the Associated Press found that 48% of Americans have a very or somewhat favorable view of Harris, up from 39% earlier this year. Harris has benefited from a deluge of positive media coverage in the weeks since President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.
The rise is also a marked improvement over Biden’s own favorability when he dropped out of the race. At the time, just 38% of Americans approved of him.
Meanwhile, former President Trump sits at 41% approval, according to the Monday poll.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom.
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The official platform of the Democrat Party was released Saturday and makes several references to a “second Biden term” despite President Biden dropping out of the race a month ago.
On Monday night, the party will vote on the platform that makes 19 references to a second Biden term.
“President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats are running to finish the job,” the 92-page document reads.
On another page, the document says, “In President Biden’s second term, he will continue selecting judges who will protect fundamental rights and who represent the diversity of the American experience.”
Further on, the document says, “in his second term, President Biden will continue to support access to FDA-approved medication abortion…”
Roughly a month ago, Biden exited the race after weeks of insisting he was “in it to win it.” He faced mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and leaders to withdraw from the race due referencing his age and cognitive decline. After announcing his departure on the social media platform X, he endorsed Harris to lead the Democratic ticket.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.
The communications director for Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman dissented from her own boss’ position on the Israel-Gaza conflict after a reporter held an interview with the lawmaker.
Free Press reporter Peter Savodnick wrote Sunday that Carrie Adams told him of her disagreement after the senator hung up the call.
“I don’t agree with him,” Adams reportedly said.
Adams went on to claim Fetterman has “less nuanced” views on global policy the younger generation.
Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office for comment, and to inquire whether Adams stood by her remarks.
GOP strategist Erin Perrine wrote the incident is a “big deal.”
“But when the person whose job it is to speak for the boss, defend their decisions, and manage the press does it — That’s an unparalleled level of hubris,” Perrine said.
“Always remember whose name is on the door.”
Protestors are gathering outside the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago to “send a strong message to Kamala Harris and Joe Biden,” video captured by Fox News Digital shows.
Members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization held a protest outside the convention on Monday as the four-day event kicked off.
“We’re going to send a strong message to Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, that we will not allow genocide in Palestine. We stand with the Palestinian people, and we’re proud to be here today to march on the DNC,” a member of the group said.
The group was also seen chanting “from the river to the sea” – a chant which has been widely used at antisemitic protests around the country and is described by the American Jewish Committee as “a rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers.”
More anti-Israel demonstrators descended on the convention center on the eve of the Democrat event, as officials anticipate to see as many as 100,000 protestors during the week.
Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this post.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris previously advocated for “Medicare For All” but appears to be taking a different stance on health care this cycle.
During her 2019 presidential campaign, Harris published her plan for “Medicare for All.”
She wrote that her goal was to “end these senseless attacks on Obamacare” and that she believes “health care should be a right, not a privilege only for those who can afford it. It’s why we need Medicare for All.”
“The idea is that everyone gets access to medical care. And you don’t have to go through the process of going through an insurance company, having them give you approval, going through the paperwork all of the delay that may require. Let’s eliminate that,” Harris said in 2019.
Despite her past support, a campaign official told Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy that Harris will not push the subject of single-payer or “Medicare-for-all” this cycle.
The Biden administration is currently being sued by a group of Republican attorneys general for working to grant DACA recipients access to Obamacare, despite not being U.S. citizens.
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), said that Democratic candidates have seen a boost in the polls since Vice President Harris became the party’s nominee.
“We saw good strong polling early on, but now after the change, we’ve seen that polling actually expand,” Peters told Fox News Digital in an interview on site at the Democratic National Convention.”More people are excited about getting out to vote, being engaged in the process. And we’re confident when they look at the contrast between our Democratic incumbent and candidate versus Republicans that are flawed, we’re going to be very successful on Election Day.”
“This convention helps Senate races because it’s about enthusiasm, turning voters out,” Peters said, as a Senate seat in his own state of Michigan remains open this cycle. “You’re going to hear from some of our Senate candidates and incumbents. People are going to have a chance to take a good look at them and when they see how they are and what they believe and the contrast between them and their opponent, we’re confident they’re going to vote for that Democratic Senate candidate.”
Sens. Jackie Rosen, D-Nev., Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, are not attending the Democrat convention amid their high stakes Senate races.
“Everyone has to make a decision as to how they run their campaign,” Peters said of their absences. “They’re all very experiences candidates and incumbents.”
The Senator added that he believes Montana and Ohio are Democrats most challenging Senate races of the 2024 cycle.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this post.
Former President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social Monday morning ahead of the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago highlighted recent crime statistics of the Windy City.
“CRIME IN AMERICA IS OUT OF CONTROL. I AM GOING TO MAKE IT, ALONG WITH THE ECONOMY, INFLATION, STRONG BORDERS, AND ENERGY DOMINANCE, MY TOP PRIORITY. THE DEMOCRATS ARE HOLDING THEIR CONVENTION IN CHICAGO IN ORDER TO SHOWCASE IT, AND YET 117 PEOPLE WERE SHOT, 17 KILLED, ON THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND, AND 40 WERE SHOT THIS WEEKEND,” the GOP presidential nominee wrote in all-capital letters.
“THAT IS A WAR ZONE, AND WILL BE HANDLED ACCORDINGLY. I WILL BRING CRIME IN AMERICA DOWN TO A TINY FRACTION OF WHAT IT IS TODAY. MOTHERS WILL NO LONGER BE LOSING THEIR CHILDREN BECAUSE WEAK, LIBERAL POLITICIANS HAVE GIVEN UP ON SECURING A CRIME FREE USA!!! I WILL STOP VIOLENT CRIME IN AMERICA!!!” he said.
Trump’s comments came after Monee Jacobs, whose son was murdered in Chicago last year, joined “Fox & Friends” to discuss her quest for answers and the impact of soft-on-crime policies on America’s communities.
“We’re losing babies. We’re not losing the elderly as fast as we’re losing our young people. They’re not even getting a chance to grow up,” she said.
“I’ll never know what it feels like to have a grandchild from him [Jeremy]. We’re losing our future… What is it going to take for you to step in and do what you’re supposed to do to protect the community? You’re not doing it because, if you were, we would have answers about everything.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. is slated to speak on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“Happy to announce that I will be delivering remarks at @DemConvention TONIGHT,” the Squad member posted on X.
Anti-Israel agitators march ahead of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 18, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The convention runs August 19-22. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
Anti-Israel protesters are swarming outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as police gear up for a week of unrest in the city.
The four-day convention kicks off Monday at the United Center near the West Side, where as many as 100,000 anti-Israel demonstrators are expected to protest throughout the week. At least seven large demonstrations took place on the eve of the convention on issues from abortion to voicing objections to U.S. support for Israel, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The city prepared for discord by fencing off the convention center and recruiting a heavy police presence to the scene.
Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill.,
said around 150 Illinois National Guard members are on “standby” for the convention, Fox 32 reported.
Businesses also boarded up their doors ahead of the anticipated protests.
More than 300 police officers joined Police Superintendent Larry Snelling on Saturday for a police training session ahead of the convention, the Chicago Police Department shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
President Biden is scheduled to deliver an opening night address Monday to pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris.
The convention, where Harris will formally accept the Democratic nomination, will take place from Aug. 19 to 22.
Federal, state and local authorities are hoping to keep Chicago violence to a minimum during the 2024 Democratic National Convention this week.
The Chicago Police Department, the Secret Service and other agencies have been planning the operation for months and delivering public updates on the measures they are taking to prevent planned demonstrations from devolving – which they’ve done before.
“Oftentimes, it is forgotten that there was a Democratic Convention between 1968 and now,” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters last week. “It was a success.”
He was speaking of Bill Clinton’s second nomination in 1996. Chicago has hosted more major party political conventions than any other city – 14 Republican conventions and 11 Democratic ones between 1860 and 1996, according to the Chicago History Museum. But 1968, marred by large-scale protests against the Vietnam War, stands out as the most infamous political convention in U.S. history.
Read the full story by Michael Ruiz on Chicago officials’ plan to keep violence to a minimum during the DNC
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The primary purpose of the Democratic National Convention is to officially nominate the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for president and vice president. The convention marks the formal end of the Democratic Party’s primary election process for president of the United States, and the beginning of the general election season.
Each party holds their own convention every four years ahead of the nation’s presidential election. Candidates are nominated upon winning the majority of their party’s delegates.
Delegates for the Democratic Party include both pledged and unpledged members. Pledged delegates vow to support the candidate nominated in their state’s primary or caucus, but unpledged delegates, also known as “superdelegates,” are uncommitted to any particular candidate, no matter their performance during primary elections.
While superdelegates rarely play a pivotal part in the Democratic Party’s nominating process, in scenarios where the party faces uncertainty over its nominee, superdelegates can have a major impact and potentially swing the process in favor of a candidate who did not win a majority of votes during the primary.
(Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’
public record on border security has been relatively low key prior to his entry into the presidential election fray. But given Vice President Kamala Harris’ so-called position as “border czar” – and with Walz and her running mate – he has since been forced to take a stronger stance on the issue.
“[Trump] talks about this wall. I always say, ‘Let me know how high it is. If it’s 25 feet, then I’ll invest in the 30-foot-ladder factory,’” Walz told Anderson Cooper in a CNN interview. “He’s not interested in that. He wants to demonize.”
Attempting to turn the narrative on Trump, Walz pointed to a Senate compromise bill that Trump-aligned Republicans
killed. “The Border Patrol agents endorsed it. These are folks who know what needs to be done, but he’s not interested in solving the problem,” Walz said on the bill. “What Democrats need to do is acknowledge, and he has ginned up fear, but our border can work better.”
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will debate on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC News, the network announced earlier this month.
The announcement came shortly after Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, said he had proposed three debates with three television networks and that he agreed on certain dates in September.
Trump is rejoining the ABC debate days after posting on his social media network that he would not appear on the network, citing a lawsuit he has filed, the Associated Press reported.
His decision sets up a highly anticipated moment in an election where President Biden’s first debate against Trump led to Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing his running mate, Harris, to lead the ticket.
“I think it’s very important to have debates,” Trump said earlier this month. “I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight.”
John Moore/Getty Images
Minnesota Gov. and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz has proven to have a progressive track record on immigration. As governor, he signed legislation granting illegal immigrants in Minnesota taxpayer funded health care, driver licenses, and free college tuition.
“Ensuring drivers in our state are licensed and carry insurance makes the roads safer for all Minnesotans,” Walz said after signing the illegal immigrant driver license legislation into law.
In response to a law granting sanctuary status to illegal immigrants in Minnesota, Walz said: “All Minnesotans are safer when the limited resources of local law enforcement are focused on local crimes and when everyone feels safe to cooperate fully with the police. For example, if your neighbor witnesses someone breaking into your home, you are safer when your neighbor knows their immigration status is not at risk if they call the police.”
Walz has been
intensely criticized over his position on asylum seekers and illegal immigrants by conservatives and immigration hawks.
Tierney L. Cross
Vice President Harris and President Biden butted heads on the issue of race during the 2020 presidential election.
“I’m going to direct this at Vice President Biden – I do not believe you are a racist and I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground. But I also believe, and it’s personal and it was hurtful to hear about you talk about the reputations on two United States senators who build their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country,” Harris said of Biden in 2019. “And it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose bussing.”
“I will tell you that on this subject, it can not be an intellectual debate. Among Democrats, we have to take it seriously, we have to act swiftly,” Harris said. She would later be selected as Biden’s running mate.
Biden, in his response, called Harris’ claims “a mischaracterization of my position across the board.”
“I did not praise racists, that is not true. Number one. Number two if we want to have this campaign litigated on who supports civil rights or not I’m happy to do that,” Biden said. “I ran because of civil rights, I continue to think we need to make changes in civil rights.”
(Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
President Joe Biden’s declining health, put on full display during his July debate performance against Donald Trump, has continued to put the octogenarian president under scrutiny.
“It’s possible, depending on Biden’s true capacities, that by rights he should have resigned and Harris should be president already — which probably would have put her in a better position to win the election even than her current honeymoon does,” New York Times columnist Ross Douthat wrote in a recent Saturday column.
Ross even predicted the possibility of a major Biden health “crisis” in the next few months, which he argued would
make Democrats wish he had resigned, not just given up his bid for reelection.
Concern over Biden’s health has continued following his disastrous debate performance particularly due to reports that some of his closest advisers and family members worked to hide the true nature of Biden’s physical and cognitive deficiencies from the public.
Just days before Biden announced he would not seek reelection, for example, White House
senior deputy press secretary and deputy assistant to the president, Andrew Bates, called speculation that Biden faced a medical emergency while traveling to Las Vegas “100% false.” However, recordings from Las Vegas police released this week by the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project show that Biden was experiencing a sudden illness after canceling a speaking engagement he had planned in Sin City that day.
Since announcing that he would not be running for reelection on July 21, Biden has held only six public events, according to his publicly available schedule.
Days after the tragic events in Israel on Oct. 7, nine House Democrats voted against a resolution condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Andre Carson, I-Ind., Summer Lee, D-Pa., Al Green, D-Texas, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar
, D-Minn., and Delia Ramirez, D–Ill. Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., both of whom lost their primary battles amid massive efforts from pro-Israel groups to have them removed, also voted against the measure.
Democratic lawmakers have also been unafraid to rub elbows with radical anti-Israel groups and their leaders that express support for Hamas.
For instance, Nihad Awad, executive director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said she was “happy to see” Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion. Meanwhile, Tlaib had no qualms about being the keynote speaker for a CAIR hosted event in January, Lee engaged in fundraising alongside the group in March, and roughly a month after Hamas’s attack California Governor Gavin Newsom met with representatives from the group’s California chapter.
Tlaib was censured in November by her colleagues in the House of Representatives over her anti-Israel rhetoric, which included her use of the phrase, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which is often considered a “rallying cry” used by Hamas.
Chicago, thanks in part to its geographical centrality, is the most popular city when it comes to major party political conventions.
Between 1860 and 1996, Chicago hosted 14 Republican Party national nominating conventions and 11 Democratic Party conventions.
After a near three-decade drought, Chicago is hosting the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker
of Illinois as well as the state’s congressional delegation and Chicago city officials were instrumental in helping to land the convention. And one of their selling points was the vast number of hotel rooms in Chicago, which means that the thousands of delegates, officials, and journalists covering the confab would be able to stay within the city limits.
That is far from the case for many political conventions. Just last month, some delegates and journalists were housed in hotels far from downtown Milwaukee, site of the 2024 Republican National Convention.
The abundance of hotel rooms in downtown Chicago means that there will be easy access to both of the convention’s venues – the United Center, an arena on the city’s West Side where the prime time programming will take place, and McCormick Place, which is downtown near Lake Michigan, where daytime events will occur.
What are delegates?
Delegates and superdelegates will be in the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention for their role in formally nominating Vice President Kamala Harris as the 2024 Democratic nominee.
Delegates are those who are determined during primaries and are bound to specific candidates, and are bound to vote for them at the convention if they remain in the race.
What are superdelegates?
The 775 superdelegates, also known as automatic delegates, are comprised of Democratic National Committee members, all Democratic members of the House and Senate, Democratic governors and all former Democratic presidents, vice presidents, Senate leaders, House speakers, Democratic minority leaders and DNC chairs.
Those superdelegates do not vote on the first ballot but, if additional ballots are needed, can vote for whichever candidate they wish.
Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Democrats will be hoping for a big boost in ratings from the selection of Vice President Kamala Harris as nominee, with eyes on whether they can get more viewers than their 2020 convention.
Democrats have been given a major boost in enthusiasm with the replacement of President Biden. Harris last week announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, a move that also enthused the Democratic base.
It is possible then that the DNC brings higher ratings than it did four years ago.
Viewership for the Republican convention had narrowly beaten its 2020 event, Axios reported, with about 19 million viewers across four nights. However, it was also down around 22% from the 2016 convention, the outlet reported, citing numbers from Nielsen.
Former President Trump’s speech this year similarly drew more viewers than his 2020 speech, but fewer than his 2016 speech.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Several prominent figures from the Democratic Party are expected to speak at the party’s convention in Chicago taking place this week, beginning Monday.
No formal list of speakers has been released, but those reportedly planning to make an appearance include President Joe Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former President Jimmy Carter’s son, Jason. Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will also speak during the final days of the convention.
Biden and Hillary Clinton, the party’s nominee in 2016, will speak Monday on day one, while Obama will speak on day two of the convention, Tuesday. Bill Clinton is slated to speak Wednesday, on day three, alongside Walz. Harris will round out the end of the event Thursday with her speech.
In addition to Democratic Party figures and other people directly involved in politics, some major celebrities are working behind the scenes to secure their own appearance during the political convention, TMZ reported last week.
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