The Biden campaign took a swipe at “anonymous” sources that have relayed concerns from within the Democratic Party about the president’s candidacy as questions continue about his physical and mental state.
Campaign Spokesperson Kevin Munoz highlighted Biden TV interviews this past week and support from Black women and Hispanic groups, while linking Trump to the conservative Project 2025 agenda, which has been portrayed as a blueprint for a future Republican administration, which he has disavowed.
“Donald Trump and Republicans – despite claims of a ‘new tone – their message is the same: Revenge and retribution,” Munoz said in a memo released Friday evening highlighting why Biden should stay in the race. “Their convention focused on bowing down to Putin, mass deportation, and inflicting their Project 2025 agenda on the American people.”
Biden scrapped several campaign events this week after contracting COVID-19. He is self-isolating in Delaware. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is on the campaign trial.
“And as we’ve said before, President Biden is excited to get back on the campaign trail as soon as he can,” he added.
In making his case, Munoz highlighted the Republican National C’onvention that concluded Thursday in Milwaukee.
“Attendees brandished signs calling for ‘Mass Deportations Now,’ while an architect of Trump’s cruel family separation policy took center stage during the convention’s primetime slot,” he said.
“JD Vance, the poster child for Project 2025’s extremism, was unveiled as Trump’s running mate and, in becoming Trump’s vice presidential nominee, doubled down on a future of abortion bans, worse access to health care, and higher costs for middle-class Americans,” added Munoz.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., on Friday said President Biden “needs to make this decision himself” when he was asked about the calls by some Democrats for him to step aside from the presidential race.
As of Friday, 34 Democrats have called for Biden to exit the race.
“I’m not calling for the president to get out of the race,” Moskowitz said on “Jesse Watters Primetime.” “He’s got to make this decision himself.”
Democrats want to defeat President Trump but need to look at the election season in a holistic manner, given the Senate and House seats up for grabs, he said.
“If the country decides to give Donald Trump the wheel, we’d also like to see him get some brakes, and that’s either winning the House or winning the Senate,” said Moskowitz
Fox News
As rumors continue to swirl about President Biden’s ability to remain in the presidential race, there are questions not only about which Democrat would replace him — but also what their views are on the border crisis.
Fox News Digital looked through their respective stances. Vice President Kamala Harris is the favorite to replace Biden.
But if she does not, other candidates could include Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on July 13, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
Several Democrats have expressed their support for Vice President Kamala Harris as a replacement for Joe Biden in the 2024 race for the White House, but many of them haven’t always been enthusiastic about the possibility of her serving as the nation’s commander in chief.
Harris launched her campaign for president in January 2019. She suspended her campaign a little more than ten months later, in December 2019, after participating in five Democratic presidential primary debates.
At the time, Harris struggled with stagnant polling and fundraising, failing to earn support from many of those in her party.
Today, however, amid growing uncertainty from members of her party over whether Biden has what it takes to serve four more years in the White House, many of the Democrats who endorsed his bid for the White House in 2020 are looking to Harris as the next best thing.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a longtime Biden ally, is one such example. The prominent Democrat endorsed Biden’s bid for the presidency in Feb. 2020, nearly a year after he announced his campaign in April 2019. Now, however, he believes Harris should replace Biden should he drop out of the race.
Clyburn told
MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell recently that the entire party would need to “bolster” its support for Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee if it had to happen. He also blasted those who might want to “work around” her and choose someone else at the top of the ticket considering her low polling.
“We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether it’s in second place or the top of the ticket,” Clyburn said.
Former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who challenged Biden and Harris for the 2020 presidential nomination, also wrote in a recent Newsweek op-ed, “Kamala Harris Should Be the Democratic Nominee for President in 2024.”
A recent poll
from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about six in 10 Democrats believe Harris would do a good job as president herself. About two in 10 Democrats don’t believe she would, and another two in 10 say they don’t know enough to say.
California Governor Gavin Newsom campaigns for President Joe Biden on July 4, 2024 at a county Democratic Party event in South Haven, Michigan. Newsom’s appearance in Michigan comes as Biden faces pressure to drop out of the presidential election race. Chris duMond/Shutterstock
While Gavin Newsom has been floated as a potential replacement should President Biden heed the calls of the Democratic Party and drop out of the 2024 presidential race, the liberal governor may not be the strongest candidate to take on former President Trump, a California political observer told Fox News Digital.
Newsom may be popular among Democratic leaders and the progressive caucus for the Golden State’s liberal policies, but it’s unclear how popular he would be on a national ticket. In his own state, Republicans have railed against the governor’s policies on the economy, homelessness and crime.
“Nevertheless, his popularity even here in California is sliding, with one recent poll showing that a majority of voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction,” California Policy Center president William Swaim told Fox News Digital.
Another potential replacement, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, may be a top pick to replace him on the ticket, despite denying involvement in a “Draft Gretch” shadow campaign. But her chances against former President Donald Trump in November would be an uphill battle, according to another expert.
Her weakness, according to presidential historian and former Bush administration secretary Tevi Troy, is that Whitmer is not particularly well-known among the average American as someone of prominence.
“She’s a popular governor in a swing state,” said Troy, who is also a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “So, she’s got a lot of positive qualities, but at the same time, she’s not truly vetted, and most of these people who could potentially face Trump or replace Biden are not fully vetted.”
A majority of Americans want lower levels of immigration overall, according to a new poll ahead of an election in which immigration and the crisis at the southern border are going to be top issues for voters.
Fifty-five percent of voters want to see immigration to the U.S. decrease, according to a recent Gallup poll. That is up dramatically from 41% last year, and the first time since 2005 a majority of Americans want less immigration. It’s also the highest since the 58% recorded in 2001.
The percentage of Americans who want more immigration is at 16%. It’s a sharp change from 2020 and 2021, when 34% wanted more immigration and only about 30% wanted less.
By party affiliation, 88% of Republicans, 50% of independents and 28% of Democrats want less immigration.
Multiple polls, including Gallup, have consistently shown the border crisis is a top issue for voters ahead of the November election.
For solutions to the crisis, 67% want Border Patrol agents, 53% want border wall expansion, 47% want deportation of all illegal immigrants and 70% want to give illegal immigrants a path to citizenship if they meet “certain requirements over time,” according to the poll.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ movements on the campaign trail are being closely watched amid speculation she may soon be the Democratic nominee for president if President Biden steps aside.
Harris was in North Carolina this week, at the same time as Biden was in Delaware recovering from COVID-19.
On the trail she painted a stark contrast between the visions of Republicans and Democrats moving forward.
“The question we face is what kind of country do we want to live in,” Harris told the audience of several hundred people, according to WRAL. “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law? Or a country of chaos, fear and hate? We each have the power to answer this question.”
She focused also on job creation under Biden and again mentioned Project 2025 — a Heritage Foundation drafted set of policy proposals that former President Trump has rejected, but Democrats have sought to tie him and his running mate JD Vance to.
“He did not talk about it because their plans are extreme and they are divisive,” Harris said, referring to Vance.
Harris will next week travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her fifth visit to the vital swing state this year.
Harris will also address a network of major Democrat donors on short notice Friday afternoon, the New York Times is reporting, according to two people invited to the call that spoke to the outlet.
It was confirmed to Fox News Digital by a source familiar that Harris would be joining the call.
The vice president is participating in the call at the direct request of senior advisors to President Biden, a source familiar told Fox News.
President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 16, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Amid growing calls from a number of elected Democrats for President Biden to step aside in the 2024 White House race, President Biden’s history of indecision related to presidential campaigns is being brought into focus.
In 2015, just ahead of the end of his eight-year stint as the second-highest officer in the executive branch, Biden continuously flirted with the idea of seeking the presidency for himself in 2016. Democrats at the time, however, grew tired of waiting for him to declare his decision amid months of speculation that he would run.
In an October 2015 article, The Associated Press wrote, “With each day that passes, Democrats who have been eagerly awaiting his decision say they are increasingly skeptical he’d have enough time to mount a competitive bid. The latest sign of wavering came Thursday when several people close to Biden said his decision is likely to drag on until later in October, making it highly unlikely he’ll be on stage for the first Democratic primary debate on Oct. 13.”
“One directive from Biden has been clear: His decision will not be rushed, according to several people who have spoken to Biden in recent days,” the outlet added at the time.
Biden ultimately decided not to make a White House run in 2016, announcing later in the month from the Rose Garden that the window for a successful campaign “has closed.”
Similarly, for the next presidential election, Biden also dragged his feet in announcing his 2020 run for president.
Biden initially said he would make a decision on whether to run for president in 2020 by the end of 2018, but that deadline was extended to late April 2019, when he announced his campaign for president in a video shared to social media.
Prior to his announcement, Biden went for months telling reporters that he would announce his decision “soon.”
The Washington Post took aim at Biden in February 2019 for the delayed announcement, writing, “Now into mid-February, with a burgeoning field of Democratic candidates, Biden is still on the fence, neither in nor out, in a lingering state of political limbo.”
“Some potential staffers have already defected, and some of his supporters worry the prolonged indecision could begin to threaten his chances,” the outlet added at the time.
President Biden
is reportedly angry at Democratic Party leaders and feels a sense of betrayal, while accusing them of helping Donald Trump get elected in 2016 when they cast him aside to boost Hillary Clinton, according to media reports.
Sources told NBC News that the president is angry and feels like the party is trying to push him out.
“Can we all just remember for a minute that these same people who are trying to push Joe Biden out are the same people who literally gave us all Donald Trump?” a source close to Biden told NBC News. “In 2015, Obama, Pelosi, Schumer pushed Biden aside in favor of Hillary; they were wrong then, and they are wrong now.”
The source recalled polling in the 2016 election that found Hillary Clinton leading by as much as 9 points.
“How did all this work out for everyone in 2016? Perhaps we should learn a few lessons from 2016; one of them is polls are BS — just ask Secretary Clinton. And two, maybe, just maybe, Joe Biden is more in touch with actual Americans than Obama-Pelosi-Schumer?” the source added in unusually blunt language that represents the views of those closest to Biden.
Multiple Democrats have come out and implored Biden to step out of the presidential race.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is the latest Democrat calling for President Biden to exit the presidential race.
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve heard from Ohioans on important issues, such as how to continue to grow jobs in our state, give law enforcement the resources to crack down on fentanyl, protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts, and prevent the ongoing efforts to impose a national abortion ban,” Brown said in a written statement. “These are the issues Ohioans care about and it is my job to keep fighting for them.”
“I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me,” he added. “At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President should end his campaign.”
The push for Biden to exit the race comes weeks after his debate performance, which raised concerns with the Democratic Party about his ability to defeat former President Trump.
Fox News @ Night panelist Elisha Krauss compared the Democratic Party to a sinking ship on Thursday night as calls for President Biden to drop out continued within his party.
“It’s like the Titanic,” she told host Trace Gallagher. “The democratic party is literally falling apart.”
As for what Biden is hoping for as he holds off on ending his campaign, Krauss suggested the president is waiting for a “golden parachute” promised by the party.
“The calls for him to step aside though are drastically increasing,” she noted, referencing the 30 Democratic lawmakers who have urged him to end his campaign.
“They’re acknowledging that Joe Biden is not the best guy … the fact that they’re willing to take a risk, to have an open convention after they shut down the primary process is fascinating,” she remarked.
Former President Trump’s vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, weighed in on some Democrats’ calls for President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race on Friday.
In a post to X, Vance claimed that if Biden doesn’t have the “cognitive function” to campaign, he “certainly” isn’t able to be president right now.
His post is scrutinizing Democratic lawmakers in Congress, 30 of whom have called on Biden to step aside, for not also calling on Biden to resign.
None of the Democrats who have publicly asked Biden to “pass the torch” have pressed him to leave office before his term is over.
Vance was announced as Trump’s running mate on Monday in a post to Truth Social. He formally accepted the Republican nomination in a speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.
U.S. Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., said a “little slippage” from President Biden is causing fellow Democrats to call for him to exit the presidential race.
“And unfortunately, I think that’s what folks are starting to see, which is why you’re seeing folks come out and, you know, try to get the president to reconsider,” Bera told “Your World” host Neil Cavuto on Friday. “I think part of the reason why you’re seeing a lot of Democrats starting to come out is they’re getting their own internal polls coming back, either at the Senate level or, in some of the battleground House races. And it doesn’t look that great.”
Some Democrats have floated the idea that Vice President Kamala Harris run against former President Trump, should Biden step aside.
“I think she’s ready to do the job. I think, you know, she’s a tenacious campaigner,” said Bera. “This is about winning. She’s been the person closest to this phenomenal Biden-Harris administration.”
“But I also think there’s always some benefit if we decide that it should be an open process and some sort of abbreviated, primary with a couple candidates, town halls, debates going to the convention,” he added. “That certainly would give us some momentum.”
In the weeks since President Biden’s catastrophic debate performance, panicked Democrats have increased pressure on the president to abandon his re-election bid.
Top Democratic Party officials, megadonors, editorial writers and as many as 31 congressional lawmakers have urged the president to “pass the torch” to a new generation of leadership for fear that Biden cannot defeat Republican nominee former President Trump.
Biden’s top campaign aides have been working damage control with major donors, while the White House — and Biden himself — remain adamant he is the right man to lead the party.
“Absolutely the president is in this race, you’ve heard him say that time and again,” Biden Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
What follows is a list of congressional Democratic lawmakers who have called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential election.
President Biden posted a video online amid questions about his candidacy and acuity.
“Hopefully, with age, I’ve demonstrated a little bit of wisdom,” he wrote on X.
The video shows Biden talking to supporters about his values and “here’s what I do know.”
“I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong,” he said. “I know how to do this job. And I know the good lord hasn’t brought us this far to leave us now.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling out fellow Democrats for privately turning on President Biden, warning that former President Trump is a “neo-Nazi” who could once again rise to the White House if her party fails to rally behind their current leader.
In a nearly hour-long Instagram Live video on Friday morning, Ocasio-Cortez claimed that while Biden “didn’t do too well, to say the least” in last month’s debate, his performance did not change much about people’s perceptions heading into November.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of people knew that the president is old. The president is very old. Donald Trump is also very old and a racist and a neo-Nazi. But anyways, I’m not going to talk about Trump right now,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez instead pivoted her comments to a discussion about the Democratic Party and the power of people who “occupy the space” between voters and the government. This space, she said, includes wealthy donors, organizational leaders, pundits and the media.
She expressed concern about the amount of power these individuals have over political outcomes and voters, often flexing their resources and networks to arrive at a desired outcome that could stand at odds with the American people.
Former President Donald Trump will hold an indoor rally just one week after surviving an attempted assassination.
Trump plans to hold the rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20 with Ohio Sen. JD Vance, whom the former president chose as his running mate Monday, Fox News has confirmed, marking his first campaign appearance with Vance as his vice presidential candidate.
The rally comes just one week after Trump was grazed in the ear by a gunman at an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania, a shooting that also resulted in the death of one rally goer and two additional injuries.
The rally will be held inside the Van Andel Arena, with Secret Service officials recently warning the Trump campaign against holding outdoor rallies.
Trump made his first public appearance since the attempt on his life during the Republican National Convention Monday, deciding not to alter his schedule despite the shooting. The former president made a dramatic entrance to the deafening cheers of supporters in the audience before taking a seat and listening to speeches made by everyday Americans, at times appearing emotional as people on the stage outlined the case to send him back to the White House.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said President Biden “is more than up for the job of being president” during an appearance at the Aspen Security Forum.
Sullivan answered questions about Biden’s fitness during a press huddle where he detailed a situation room experience.
“And what I saw that night, honestly, made me walk out and think, ‘I am damn glad we have that guy at the head of the table in the situation room,’” he said.
“I believe that the President of the United States is doing a very good job as president and will continue to do a very good job as president, and that’s why he’s standing for office,” he added. “And that night actually ended late with the president having a pretty candid conversation with (Israel Prime Minister Benjamin) Bibi Netanyahu about the way forward. And it’s one of the most effective moments of leader-to-leader communication that I’ve seen – actually, from President Biden or from any other leader that I’ve had the opportunity to work with.”
Biden has done an excellent job as commander-in-chief, Sullivan said.
Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico is calling on Biden to “step aside” and let another candidate run against former President Trump.
In a statement, Vasquez called Biden an “honorable public servant” who is owed a great deal of gratitude.
“However, I believe too many of our fundamental freedoms and the well-being of our nation are at risk under a Trump presidency and President Biden should step aside to give Democrats the best opportunity to win this November,” he said. “With abortion rights under attack and our Democracy at stake, we must unite to defeat Donald Trump and MAGA extremists.”
Billionaire real estate mogul and former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jeff Greene sounded off on President Biden’s “completely ridiculous” plan for national rent control, warning that it stunts new buildings and fair prices.
“It makes no sense at all. I can see it on the primary [basis], if you’re trying to really go after the far-left people who don’t know anything about housing. But in a general election, when he’s trying to appeal to independents and moderates, I have no idea why he would come up with such a crazy idea,” Greene said in an exclusive interview on “The Claman Countdown” Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Biden announced a plan to stop the astronomical rise in rent by penalizing corporate landlords who raise rents by more than 5% each year.If landlords did not restrict rent increases to 5% or less, they would risk losing access to lucrative tax breaks.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Kristen Altus.
Several undecided voters in Wisconsin discussed their impressions of former President Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday with Fox News, revealing whether it moved the needle for them.
One such voter named Caitlin said she felt “the message of unity” from Trump’s speech, during which he formally accepted the RNC’s nomination for president for a third time. She also described being receptive to him, “laying out what he had under president Trump … it did push me forward.”
According to another undecided voter named Mary, the assassination attempt on Saturday at a Pennsylvania rally “really toned him down,” which she said came across very well. She explained that his “personality can be a little bit harsh” and people sometimes don’t listen to his
policies because of it.
“He did come off very humble,” she added.
However, the speech didn’t do much for Rick, who is also undecided. “I kind of got bored,” he said, claiming it turned into a rally speech after Trump addressed the shooting.
“It didn’t push me closer to him,” he said.
Democratic leaders are coalescing around plans for a “mini-primary” to replace him on the ticket if he decides to drop out, sources told Fox News.
The sources said the plan has been discussed at “the highest levels” but that it is merely a contingency discussion at this point, and that Biden has made no decision to drop out.
The reasoning behind the plan is to remain aligned with the democratic process, since it would replace the decision of Dem primary voters.
The Biden campaign said the president will remain in the presidential race.
“You have heard from the president directly time and again: He is in this race to win, and he is our nominee, and he’s going to be our President for a second term,” said Biden Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.
U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., was the first to openly discuss the mini-primary idea on July 3. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., also announced her support for the idea during an appearance Friday on MSNBC.
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared at an ice cream shop owned by model Tyra Banks on Friday in Washington D.C.
Harris was at Tyra Banks’ SMiZE & DREAM ice cream shop trying to pick out a flavor with her two nieces. The stop comes as as pressure grows for President Biden to step aside in 2024 campaign.
Harris avoided questions from reporters as she was leaving.
Vice President Kamala Harris on a last minute call with major Democrat donors Friday said that she and President Joe Biden are running together and are convinced they’re going to beat Donald Trump.
Harris addressed donors as a torrent of Democrat lawmakers have publicly called for Biden to step aside, convinced that he cannot beat former President Trump in November.
“I will start by sharing something with all of you. Something I believe in my heart of hearts. It is something I feel strongly you should all hear and should take with you when you leave. And tell your friends,too. We are going to win this election,” said Harris.
“We are going to win.”
“We know which candidate in this election puts the American people first: Our President, Joe Biden,” she added.
“With every decision he makes in the Oval Office, he thinks about how it will impact working Americans. And I witness it every day,” she continued.
She went on to say that “Trump’s Convention this week was one big attempt to distract people.”
“He wants to distract attentionaway from his record, and his Project 2025 plan. Can you believe they put it in writing? It is further empirical evidence that the stakes of this election couldn’t be higher.”
CBNC reports that Biden ally Reid Hoffman and top fundraiser Jeff Katzenberg were also on the call trying to encourage donors to stop holding back funds so they can have a better chance at helping the Biden-Harris ticket.
Pass the Torch, a Democratic political action committee, is calling on President Biden to step aside as the nominee for president by running a TV ad in an effort to get his attention.
The ad features people asking Biden to “pass the torch” in an effort to prevent former President Trump from being elected.
On X, a member of the PAC’s steering committee, Aaron Regunberg, announced that the ad would be “going up on the air in DC and Delaware to deliver a message directly to President Biden.”
“Our country’s future is in your hands. Please, be the leader we know you are. Pass the Torch, Joe,” he added.
Biden has continued to resist calls for his to exit the race.
The PAC is hosting a rally on Saturday in front of the White House.
Two additional Democratic House members joined calls for President Biden to end his re-election campaign Friday afternoon.
Reps. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn., each put out statements urging him to step aside.
According to McGarvey, “there is no joy in the recognition [Biden] should not be our nominee in November.”
“But the stakes of this election are too high and we can’t risk the focus of the campaign being anything other than Donald Trump, his MAGA extremists, and the mega-wealthy dark money donors who are prepared to destroy our path toward a more perfect union with Trump’s Project 2025. We can’t allow them to succeed,” he said.
“Winning in November and defeating [former President Donald] Trump’s dangerous, hate-filled agenda must be Democrats’ sole focus,” said McCollum in her own statement.
“To give Democrats a strong, viable path to winning the White House, I am calling upon President Biden to release his delegates and empower Vice President Harris to step forward to become the Democratic nominee for president,” she added, specifically pointing to Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden’s successor.
With the addition, there are now 32 Congressional Democrats who have made similar calls.
Billionaire Michael Moritz is the latest Democrat megadonor to call on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race.
“Sadly, President Biden has a choice — vanity or virtue,” Moritz, chairperson of Sequoia Capital, told The New York Times on Friday. “He can either condemn the country to dark and cruel times or heed the voice of Father Time. The clock has run out.”
On top of urging the president to suspend his campaign, Mortiz added that he will not contribute to any Democrat campaigns until Biden drops out.
“I would vote for Biden, but I would not give another penny to any fund-raising appeals from Democrats,” he said in a statement.
Over 30 congressional Democrats called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race as of Friday afternoon.
The Biden campaign has hit back against these calls, with campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon urging on Friday that “the president is in this race.”
Vice President Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris will address a network of major Democrat donors on short notice Friday afternoon, the New York Times is reporting, according to two people invited to the call that spoke to the outlet.
It was confirmed to Fox News Digital by a source familiar that Harris would be joining the call.
The vice president is participating in the call at the direct request of senior advisors to President Biden, a source familiar told Fox News.
It is reportedly “unclear” whether Harris “plans to encourage the restive donor base to calm down or to deliver some other message.”
The call comes as an avalanche of Democrat lawmakers have pushed Biden to step aside amid grim polling numbers and growing confidence that Biden would lose to former President Donald Trump in November.
The Biden-Harris campaign did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Patrick Ward contributed to this report.
Evan Gershkovich in Russian court
President Biden released a statement on Friday after American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison.
“Today, Evan Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison, despite having committed no crime,” said Biden. “Rather, he was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American.”
“We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so. As I have long said and as the UN also concluded, there is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime,” he added.
“We will continue to stand strong for press freedom in Russia and worldwide, and stand against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists,” Biden said. “Additionally, since the very first day of my Administration, I have had no higher priority than seeking the release and safe return of Evan, Paul Whelan and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad. Evan has endured his ordeal with remarkable strength. We will not cease in our efforts to bring him home. And Jill and I are holding Evan and his family in our prayers.”
Gershkovich was accused by the Russian government of spying. The 16-year sentence handed down to him will be spent in a high-security Russian penal colony.
In a joint statement, Almar Latour, the chief executive of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Emma Tucker said, “This disgraceful, sham conviction comes after Evan has spent 478 days in prison, wrongfully detained, away from his family and friends, prevented from reporting, all for doing his job as a journalist.”
There is a currently a massive enthusiasm gap
between former President Trump and President Biden leading Democrats to scramble for support, according to one MSNBC guest.
During a Thursday appearance on “Deadline: White House,” Tim Alberta, a staff writer for The Atlantic, said the Democratic base is “entirely lacking for intensity,” and elected officials in battleground states are struggling to find volunteers.
“I’ve never seen an enthusiasm gap like the one we’re witnessing in the summer of this election year,” he said.
“I’ve heard horror stories from people on the ground in Michigan, in Pennsylvania, in Arizona, about just striking out time and time again as local Democratic Party chapters, county chapters have tried to get people to come in and phone bank, get mail going, knock on doors. They can’t do it. They can’t find people,” the reporter added.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum.
President Biden’s top campaign advisors both weighed in on Friday to comment on widespread speculation surrounding the 2024 presidential race.
The first clarification came from Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, who left no room for question during an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“The president’s in this race,” O’Malley Dillon told the hosts. “You’ve heard him say that time and time again, and I think we saw on display last night exactly why, because Donald Trump is not going to offer anything new to the American people. He’s the same person he was in 2020. He’s the same person he was at the debate stage.”
O’Malley Dillon made clear there was no question that Biden is “more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump” — pushing back yet again on weeks and weeks of leaks and speculation claiming the president was close to pulling out of the race.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi.
Kamala Harris at ice cream shop
Vice President Kamala Harris made an impromptu stop on Friday at Smize & Dream, an ice cream shop in Washington, D.C. owned by model and actress Tyra Banks. Harris did not take reporters’ questions as a torrent of Democratic lawmakers continue to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the race.
Tyra Banks told Harris and her grand-nieces about why she opened this ice cream store; her grand-nieces complemented Tyra’s hair.
Harris ordered the ice cream flavor “Cap Hill Crunch”. She did not answer shouted questions from reporters about what she plans to say to Democrat voters this afternoon. Harris is slated to address a group of major Democrat donors later on Friday as pressure mounts for Biden to drop out of the race.
Many say that Harris would be the likely replacement should Biden withdraw, though he and his campaign say he has no plans to heed any of those pleas to exit the race.
With President Biden’s future uncertain, a majority of Democrats say the country would be in good hands if his vice president took over the White House.
A new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Vice President Kamala Harris would do a good job as president herself. About 2 in 10 Democrats don’t believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say.
The survey comes as an increasing number of Democratic officials are publicly urging Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election after his disastrous debate performance on June 27. Democratic officials are worried that voters don’t believe the 81-year-old president is capable of performing his duties, and many have suggested that Harris or another candidate would fare better against the Republican nominee, former President Trump.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo.
Axios co-founder Mike Allen described the attitudes of those in the Democratic Party and in President Biden’s larger circle on Fox and Friends.
Referring to “people very close to the president, both congressional leaders [and] personal friends,” he explained, “They were hoping that this would happen weeks ago.”
“They wanted to give him the chance to walk off the stage as opposed to being pushed or dragged off the stage,” he said.
When that didn’t happen, those people took to leaking information, he added. “The series of leaks that we saw this week … that was the signal to him,” Allen said.
What the lawmakers and friends of Biden are trying to get through to him is that he doesn’t have the support or money he needs to continue in the 2024 race, the Axios co-founder claimed.
If Biden doesn’t drop out, Allen telegraphed a grim 2024 outlook, saying, “they are not gonna win the White House, they’re not gonna win the House, they’re not gonna win the Senate.”
President Biden and Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. Photo credit: Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images)
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., wrote an op-ed published in the Boston Globe Friday revealing what propelled his decision to call on Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
Moulton recalled that he has known Biden since 2014, and that the then-vice president helped him win a contentions primary. Biden would later invite him to breakfast, teach hi mabout Congress, and sometimes call him to comment on his TV interviews.
“Every time we crossed paths and I caught his eye, he would break into that big, wide Joe Biden grin and say how glad he was to see me,” Moulton wrote.
Buut Moulton said that “more recently” he saw Biden “in a small group at Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.”
“For the first time, he didn’t seem to recognize me. Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem,” he said.
“It was a crushing realization, and not because a person I care about had a rough night but because everything is riding on Biden’s ability to beat Donald Trump in November,” said Moulton.
“America needs him to win and, like most Americans, I’m no longer confident that he can. The president should bow out of the race,” he said.
President Joe Biden’s physician provided an update on his condition since testing positive for COVID-19.
“President Biden completed his fourth dose of P AXLOVID this morning. His loose, nonproductive cough and hoarseness continue to be his primary symptoms, but they have improved meaningfully from yesterday. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor, physician to the president, wrote in an update to the White House on Friday.
O’Connor said that Biden was still positive for COVID-19 as of yesterday.
“Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing yesterday was confirmatory for SARS-Co V -2 (COVID-19). Variant identification is still pending. All of his bloodwork was normal. Complete Blood Count (CBC) was normal, demonstrating no anemia or evidence of bacterial infection. Similarly, his Comprehensive Metabolic Panel demonstrated normal electrolytes as well as good kidney and liver function.”
The president’s physician added that Biden “continues to tolerate treatment well. We will continue PAXLOVID as planned. In the meantime, the President continues to do the work of the American people.”
Biden has been isolating at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware since testing positive for coronavirus Wednesday.
The Biden campaign has put a “hold” on several upcoming fundraisers, Reuters is reporting on Friday.
According to the report, the Biden campaign denies any changes to the fundraising schedule and the president pledges to return to campaign trial next week. Biden is currently in Delaware recovering from COVID-19.
First Lady Jill Biden. (Steve Helber)
First Lady Jill Biden is expected to headline the Biden-Harris campaign’s first European fundraiser of the 2024 cycle, amid growing calls for her husband President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race.
The first lady, one of Biden’s most vocal supporters amid backlash over his debate performance, will appear at a Biden Victory Fund fundraiser in Paris on Thursday July 25th ahead of the 2024 Olympics, first reported by Politico on Friday.
A spot at the event ranges from $500 to $25,000, according to a flyer for the fundraiser.
News of the event comes Friday afternoon, after 30 congressional Democrats called on Biden to withdraw his candidacy from the 2024 race, many citing concerns over his fitness and ability to beat former President Donald Trump at the general election.
The Biden-Harris campaign has several events in the coming days, and the president said himself Friday, “I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week.”
Joe Biden and Jimmy Fallon
On Thursday’s episode of “The Tonight Show,” host Jimmy Fallon poked fun at President Biden testing positive for COVID-19.
“Luckily, he can’t spread it because Democrats have been distancing themselves from him since the debate,” he said, referencing the stream of Democratic lawmakers who have been expressing doubt about the president or calling for him to drop out of the 2024 race.
The White House announced Biden tested positive on Thursday, and several campaign events in Las Vegas, Nevada were subsequently canceled. The president is recovering in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, according to the White House.
“Yep, Biden had fatigue, a cough and brain fog,” Fallon said during his monologue. “Then he got COVID.”
“Thankfully, Biden is expected to make a full recovery, and his doctor said that he’ll be back to 60% in no time,” he joked.
As of Friday afternoon, 30 Congressional Democrats had called on Biden to exit the presidential race.
The Biden campaign is holding an all staff call right now, according to a report by CBS News.
Campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said on the call that, “When you give me polls, I’m going to give you direct voter contact,” according to the report.
O’Malley Dillon added that, “The people that the President is hearing from are saying, stay in this race and keep going and keep fighting, and we need you.”
“Those voices will never be as loud as the people on TV, but remember that the people in our country are not watching cable news,” she said.
President Biden’s re-election campaign said he is staying in the race, and claimed his poor debate performance hasn’t hurt him with the voters that will ultimately decide the 2024 election.
“While voters consistently mention President Biden’s age when contacted, our target voters — both re-engagement and true swing voters — are still planning to vote for him, making it clear the debate has not hurt support among the voters who will decide this election,” Dan Kanninen, the campaign’s battleground states director, said in a memo, per NBC News.
He ceded that the race will not be easy, claiming, “we have our work cut out for us to win this November.”
But Kanninen reiterated that Biden is “in it to win it.”
“He’s the presumptive nominee, there is no plan for an alternative nominee,” he made clear.
“In a few short weeks, Joe Biden will be the official nominee,” he said, referencing the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
“It is high past time we stop fighting one another,” Kanninen said. “The only person who wins when we fight is Donald Trump.”
During his “My Take,” Friday, “Varney & Co.” host Stuart Varney discussed what happens next for the Democratic Party if President Biden drops out of the 2024 race, arguing chaos could ensue if Kamala Harris emerges as the next candidate.
“If the president steps aside, what happens?” Varney asked. “Well, first, let’s be clear, he would be out of the race, but he would still be the president.”
“It’s the ticket that would change,” he continued. “The Democrats have to figure out who would take the top spot. Not easy. Anonymous sources suggest Biden does not want to endorse his own vice president, that he wants to leave it open.
“Imagine the chaos. There would be an unholy scramble as the top-of-the-ticket wannabes tried to line themselves up.Imagine the fury of Kamala Harris’ supporters, if she’s passed over. But no one goes to the top of the ticket until the delegates vote.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Biden “is our nominee.” Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., doubled down on President Joe Biden being the 2024 Democrat nominee, suggesting that his candidacy could help the party win in November.
“President Biden, as I’ve said repeatedly, is our nominee,” Jeffries told reporters Friday, as concerns heighten over the president’s fitness and mental competency to serve another four years.
“He has a tremendous track record of success. He’s one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history. And he has the vision, I believe, the ability, the capacity, and the track record to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November,” Jeffries said.
A clip of the remark was posted by White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President Andrew Bates.
As of Friday afternoon, 30 congressional Democrats, including three Senators, have called on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.
Despite growing calls to drop out of the race, Biden’s re-election campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday that “the president is in this race.”
Joe Biden and Chris Coons
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who is a co-chair of President Biden’s re-elections campaign, said Biden is “weighing what he should weigh,” when asked on Friday about the
pressure for him to drop out.
According to the senator, Biden is considering “who is the best candidate to win in November and to carry forward the Democratic Party’s values and priorities in this campaign.”
Coons was asked about Biden while on a panel at the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Security Forum.
He explained that Biden attended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington, D.C., this month after a “very bad debate performance” and that the president did a press conference. Did campaign events. did campaign rallies.”
“And there are folks still saying he is not strong enough or capable enough to be our next president,” he noted. “I disagree.”
According to Coons, “There is a lot of concern and anxiety about this because the stakes are so significant. The consequences of this election are profound.”
The less than confident remarks from Coons come as 30 Congressional Democrats have urged Biden to step aside.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., sent a letter to President Joe Biden adding her voice to the growing number of Democrat lawmakers urging him to drop out of the race.
“I make this request with great respect for you, your work and in hopes that your legacy of accomplishments will be preserved,” she wrote. “I want to be clear that should you formally become the Democratic nominee for President I will do everything I can to promote your candidacy and to work for your success.”
“Unfortunately, I greatly doubt that the outcome will be positive and our country will pay a dreadful price for that,” she added.
“As I am aware that you have been provided data indicating that you in all likelihood will lose the race for President, I will not go through it again.”
“Simply put, your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot. It is for these reasons that I urge you to step aside from our Party’s nomination to allow another Democratic candidate to compete against and beat Donald Trump in the November election,” she said.
Lofgren is the 30th Democrat lawmaker to call for Biden to step aside. She is the chairwoman of the California Democratic congressional delegation, and ranking member of House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, became the 29th congressional Democrat to call on President Biden to suspend his re-election campaign.
“I respect Joe Biden. He saved our democracy in 2020. He cares deeply about our country, he cares deeply about our democracy, he cares deeply about freedom, and he cares deeply about working with people,” Landsman said in a statement Friday.
“But the question we have before us is about the future of the country. We cannot allow Donald Trump and the rise of fascism and authoritarianism to to take root in America. To allow Trump to become president and control all three branches of government puts our democracy and freedoms at great risk,” the congressman added.
“After weeks of consideration and hundreds of conversations with constituents, I have come to the conclusion that Joe Biden is no longer the best person to make that case. It is time for President Biden to step aside and allow us to nominate a new leader who can reliably and consistently make the case against Donald Trump and make the case for the future of America.”
Despite calls to withdraw his candidacy, Biden said in a statement Friday, “I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week.”
Lofgren is also a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In a statement on Friday amid growing calls for him to drop out of the race, President Joe Biden said he is looking forward to ‘getting back on the campaign trail’ next week.
“Last night the American people saw the same Donald Trump they rejected four years ago. For over 90 minutes, he focused on his own grievances, with no plan to unite us and no plan to make life better for working people,” Biden said of former President Donald Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night.
“He avoided mentioning his Project 2025 agenda, but still proudly flaunted the worst of MAGA extremism. Americans know exactly where he wants to take this country. They know that he inflicted pain and cruelty on the women of America by overturning Roe v Wade,” Biden said.
“They know that he destroyed our economy once and will inflict pain on the middle class, that he wants to gut the checks and balances of our Constitution and rule as a dictator on day one.
“Donald Trump’s dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans. Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box. I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone. “The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win,” he said.
Democratic megadonors reportedly think President Biden could be close to exiting the 2024 presidential race.
Donors have said over the last few days that they believe Biden is getting closer to calling it quits, reported the Financial Times.
“I think it’s going to end very shortly,” one donor close to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., allegedly said.
A senior Washington, D.C., Democrat reportedly said, “The pressure is insurmountable,” even predicting that Biden would be “out by Monday.”
“Biden’s gotten the message that there’s not another dollar of fundraising,” according to a fundraising bundler on Wall Street, per the report.
They added, “Members of Congress are getting more aggressive . . . He’s just not going to be able to withstand it.”
By Friday at noon, 28 congressional Democrats had publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates is replying directly to reports suggesting President Biden may be exiting the 2024 race, denying them outright.
In response to an NBC News report that Biden’s family has been discussing what it would look like for him to drop out of the race, Bates wrote on X, “Wrong. Keep the faith.”
He bluntly replied “No” to a different post on Thursday that suggested Biden would be making a “major announcement” in the next few days.
Bates has begun to react in this fashion on X to respond to the influx of reports that suggest Biden may drop out. He has also criticized journalists for allegedly not reaching out to the White House for comment before publishing.
“Most every reporter we deal with is good about this as they go about their important and difficult jobs. But for the outliers, a polite reminder: *we* are aware that *you* are aware that you have a responsibility to come to us for comment *before* publishing,” he said in a separate X post. “Appreciate y’all.”
The continued reports about Biden’s status as a candidate for president in the 2024 election come as 23 Congressional Democrats have called on him to drop out of the race, with the most recent doing so on Friday morning.
Former Obama adviser Van Jones argued Thursday that the energy at this week’s Republican National Convention
was comparable to what he saw when former President Obama was first nominated in 2008.
Jones, now a CNN senior political commentator, talked about the palpable “spirit” and enthusiasm he could feel among the people at the RNC.
After CNN contributor Scott Jennings spoke with excitement about wrestler Hulk Hogan, UFC head Dana White and former President Trump’s upcoming speeches at the RNC, Jones said, “This spirit that this guy [Jennings] has, you guys think it’s because he’s drunk, he’s not, this whole thing is like this.”
“The last time I was at a convention that felt like this was Obama 2008. There’s something happening,” he said.
This is an excerpt from an article by fox News’ Alexander Hall.
Sen. Martin Heinrich
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., issued a statement on Friday calling on President Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, becoming the 28th Congressional Democrat to make such a call.
“Joe Biden is one of the most accomplished presidents in modern history. He has led our nation through unprecedented challenges with unwavering dedication and profound integrity. His years of service have made a lasting impact on the lives of countless Americans,” the senator prefaced in a statement.
“However, this moment in our nation’s history calls for a focus that is bigger than any one person. The return of Donald Trump to the White House poses an existential danger to our democracy,” he explained. “We must defeat him in November, and we need a candidate who can do that.”
“While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is in the best interests of our country for him to step aside,” Heinrich said, noting that “passing the torch” would aid him in securing a legacy “as one of our nation’s greatest leaders.”
More than 10% of Congressional Democrats have urged Biden to drop out of the race.
Democratic donors seem to be forming a coordinated front against President Biden, seeking to push him out of office, according to multiple reports.
While the Democratic Party has ostensibly planned to push through Biden as their candidate as soon as next week, a last minute coalition of leaders, donors, and lawmakers seem to have made a concerted effort to pressure Biden out of his commitment to run for re-election.
“I think it’s going to end very shortly,” a megadonor close to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told the Financial Times.
Megadonor opponents to Biden’s re-election campaign have threatened to withhold donations to the party until the president ends his efforts and allows a new candidate to take his place.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Timothy Nerozzi.
Biden has said he will stay in the race
Four House Democrats issued a joint statement on Friday calling on President Biden
to exit the presidential race, adding to the significant pressure he is already facing to drop out.
Democratic Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas, Chuy Garcia of Illinois, and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin said in a statement, “Mr. President, with great admiration for you personally, sincere respect for your decades of public service and patriotic leadership, and deep appreciation for everything we have accomplished together during your presidency, it is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.”
“We must defeat Donald Trump to save our democracy, protect our alliances and the rules-based international order, and continue building on the strong foundation you have established over the past four years,” they said.
“At this point, however, we must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign. These perceptions may not be fair, but they have hardened in the aftermath of last month’s debate and are now unlikely to change. We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do in this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House,” the lawmakers explained.
They referred to a “deep and talented bench of younger leaders” in the party who are “led by Vice President Kamala Harris.”
“Passing the torch would fundamentally change the trajectory of the campaign. It would reinvigorate the race and infuse Democrats with enthusiasm and momentum heading into our convention next month,” they concluded.
There are now 27 Congressional Democrats who have called on Biden to step aside. More than 10% of Democrats in Congress have made such calls on the president.
A Trump economist is sounding the alarm on Biden’s potential tax rates if the president is re-elected in November.
During an appearance on “Mornings with Maria” Thursday, Heritage Foundation economist Steve Moore called the tax rates under Biden “scary” as his trillion-dollar budget for 2025 includes $5.5 trillion in new taxes.
“I mean, look at the capital gains tax rate. That would almost double under Biden,” Moore warned.
As part of the budget proposal, Biden called for a 25% minimum tax rate on households worth more than $100 million, raising the capital-gains tax rate, quadrupling the corporate stock buyback tax to 4%, raising the corporate tax rate to 28%, increasing the Medicare tax paid by wealthy Americans, implementing a global minimum tax on multinational corporations and closing the carried interest loophole used by private equity and hedge fund managers.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Alicia Warren.
(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, BOLD PAC, endorsed President Biden’s reelection bid on Friday amid mounting pressure from Democrats for the president to drop out of the race.
First reported in The Hill, BOLD PAC Chairwoman Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., said Friday, “President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have delivered for the Latino community and CHC BOLD PAC is proud to endorse them for re-election.”
“From historic investments in our infrastructure system to expanding access to affordable health care, they have championed policies that lifted up our families and communities,” she said.
Sánchez argued that the Biden administration has shown commitment to the Latino community and argued that former President Trump winning another term would be “disastrous” to Latinos.
“It is clear that Latino voters will decide the margin of victory in competitive races up and down the ballot this cycle, from California and New Mexico to Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Nebraska,” she said. “BOLD PAC is investing in targeted outreach and strategic campaigns so that Latino voters mobilize for Democrats up and down the ballot this cycle and power President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to victory.”
President Joe Biden delivers remarks during the CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Most Massachusetts Democrats do not want President Biden running at the top of the 2024 ticket, while GOP voters remain loyal to Trump, a new state poll finds.
A Suffolk University/Boston Globe survey found that about 64% of likely Massachusetts Democratic voters said that they would prefer a candidate other than Biden to represent the party on the 2024 ballot against former President Donald Trump. Additionally, only 29% of Democratic voters said that they are satisfied with Biden being their party’s nominee.
In contrast, about 69% of likely Republican Massachusetts voters are happy with Trump as the GOP nominee.
Despite most Democrats preferring Biden be replaced as the nominee, the president still holds a wide lead over Trump in a hypothetical general matchup in the state, 47% to 29%.
The survey was conducted among likely Massachusetts voters from July 16 to 18 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
(Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Members of President Joe Biden’s family have discussed what an exit from his campaign might look like, NBC News is reporting according to two people familiar with the discussions.
“The overall tone of the conversations has been that any exit plan — should Biden decide to take that step, as some of his closest allies increasingly believe he will — should put the party in the best position to beat former President Donald Trump while also being worthy of the more than five decades he has served the country in elected office, these people said,” according to the report.
NBC says that Biden’s family members have “specifically discussed how he would want to end his re-election bid on his own timing and with a carefully calculated plan in place.”
According to the outlet, “considerations about the impact of the campaign on his health, his family and the stability of the country are among those at the forefront of the discussions, the people familiar with the discussions said.”
White House spokesman Andrew Bates denied such discussions are taking place.
“That is not happening, period,” he told the outlet. “The individuals making those claims are not speaking for his family or his team — and they will be proven wrong. Keep the faith.”
President Joe Biden listens during a visit to the D.C. Emergency Operations Center, on Tuesday, July 2, in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 diagnosis is keeping him locked away during one of the most crucial moments of his re-election campaign.
Nearly two-dozen congressional Democrats have called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race after the first presidential debate sparked concerns over his fitness and mental competency. As his re-election efforts struggle to stay afloat, Biden tested positive for coronavirus Wednesday after a campaign event in in Nevada.
The president has since been isolating at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with no public events scheduled.
While Biden is laying low, Vice President Kamala Harris has been actively hitting the campaign trial on behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign. Harris will receive briefings and conduct internal, closed press meetings with staff on Friday, according to the vice president’s public schedule.
Harris’ husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, has also been active on the campaign trail and will speak at various campaign events across Arizona on Friday.
President Biden’s re-election campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon told Morning Joe on MSNBC, “Absolutely the president is in this race.”
“I’m not here to say that this hasn’t been a tough several weeks for the campaign,” she said. “There’s no doubt that it has been, and we’ve definitely seen some slippage in support, but it has been a small movement.”
According to Dillon, there are still several “pathways to victory” for Biden.
She also teased an endorsement for Biden “from a very significant national organization.”
Her assurance that the president is staying in the 2024 race comes as Congressional Democratic support continues to peel off. On Friday morning a 23rd Democratic lawmakers asked the president to “pass the torch.”
On Thursday evening, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., became the second senator to call on Biden to drop out.
A group of Democrat Massachusetts state lawmakers issued a joint statement on Friday calling for President Joe Biden to drop out of the election, Mass Live reported.
The joint statement pays tribute to Biden to “[rising] to the challenge of defeating Donald Trump,” in 2020, and “restor[ing] dignity and honor to the presidency. His administration has accomplished historic legislative achievements for the American people,” the outlet reported.
But now “it is time for him to pass the torch to the next generation of Democratic leaders,” the local lawmakers wrote. “We are calling for President Biden to step aside so that a different candidate can be nominated at the Democratic [National Convention] in August,” they continued.
The statement is reportedly signed by state Sens. Joanne Comerford, D-Hampshire/Franklin/Worcester, Jamie Eldridge, D-Middlesex/Worcester, Paul Feeney, D-Bristol/Norfolk, Patricia Jehlen, D-2nd Middlesex, John Keenan, D-Norfolk/Plymouth; Jason Lewis, D-5th Middlesex, and Michael Moore, D-2nd Worcester.
The Biden campaign on Thursday slammed former President Trump’s RNC convention speech and vowed to continue on and win the election.
“Tonight, Donald Trump rambled on for well over an hour and failed to mention Project 2025 even once,” President Biden said in a statement via campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.
“He failed to mention how he had inflicted pain and cruelty on the women of America by overturning Roe v Wade. He failed to mention his plan to take over the civil service and to pardon the January 6th insurrectionists. He sought to find problems with America, not to provide solutions. But after all, it was Donald Trump who destroyed our economy, ripped away rights, and failed middle class families. Now he pursues the presidency with an even more extreme vision for where he wants to take this country. Trump’s Project 2025 agenda is the single biggest attack on our personal freedoms and way of life ever proposed in modern American history.”
“I am running on a different vision. I am running for an America where we defend democracy, not diminish it. Where we restore our rights and protect our freedoms, not take them away. One where we create opportunities for everyone, while making the super wealthy finally pay their fair share. That is the future I believe in and I know it is the future that millions of my fellow Americans believe in too. The stakes have never been higher. The choice has never been more clear. I am more determined than ever to defeat Donald Trump and his Project 2025 agenda in November.”
President Biden needs to go, a
panel of undecided voters agreed on Thursday.
Five undecided voters appeared on ABC News to discuss the issues that concerned them ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
One of the biggest topics included their opinions on former President Trump and President Biden as their presumed candidates for November. Though some had issues with Trump, all five had a similar view of Biden.
“Just a show of hands, do you think Joe Biden should step aside? Show of hands if you think he should,” ABC News national correspondent Byron Pitts asked the panel.
After all five raised their hands, he exclaimed, “Wow. You all agree about that.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick.
Biden is facing increasing calls to step down
Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., called on President Biden to drop out of the presidential race on Friday, becoming the 23rd Congressional Democrat to do so.
“It is with a heavy heart and much personal reflection that I am therefore calling on Joe Biden to pass the torch to a new generation,” he wrote in an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune.
“To manage an exit with all the dignity and decency that has guided his half-century of public service. To cement his legacy as the President who saved our democracy in 2020 and handed it off to trusted hands in 2024 who could carry his legacy forward,” he continued.
Casten has represented southwest Chicago since 2019 and his seat is considered safely Democratic.
The Illinois Democrat’s call on Biden comes after a second senator urged the president to exit the race on Thursday evening. “While I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term,” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said in a statement.
Biden and his campaign have pushed back on calls to drop and insisted that the president is staying in the race.
Fox News’ Remy Numa, Chad Pergram and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
President Biden’s re-election campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon is going on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” at 9:00 a.m. to make the case for the president and vice president.
She will be discussing their “path to victory moving ahead and how President Biden and Vice President Harris will beat Donald Trump,” according to the campaign.
They have denied frequent reports that the president is considering whether to exit the presidential race, despite increasing public calls from Democrats for him to do so.
Pressure for Biden to drop out of the race ramped up following his poor debate performance against former President Trump last month. The campaign has pushed back, blaming much of the performance on a cold Biden had. Biden himself has claimed it was just a “bad night.”
The White House revealed this week that the President tested positive for COVID-19, causing him to cancel campaign events in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is now recovering in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) reacts during a rally for Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) at St. Mary’s Park on June 22, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., argued that Democrats should stick with President Biden in an hour-long video posted on Instagram.
The “Squad” lawmaker said she has not been convinced by polling and other data that Biden cannot defeat Trump in November, though she emphasized that people who do have concerns over Biden’s ability to win shouldn’t be dismissed.
However, Ocasio-Cortez argued Democrats simply don’t have the time to prepare a national campaign to win the White House with anyone other than Biden.
“When I think about the case, in terms of supporting a Joe Biden presidency or being okay with Joe Biden continuing to be the nominee, I’m looking at a watch. I’m looking at a clock and I’m looking at a calendar. And I think that if, personally, people want to have this conversation six months ago, eight months ago, a year ago, it’s a very different landscape.”
She chastised Democrats who have given anonymous quotes to reporters to undermine Biden or pressure him to drop out.
“That’s bulls—t. Like, if you have an opinion, say it with your chest and say it in public,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
The New York congresswoman also said there is no consensus that Vice President Kamala Harris would be the Democratic nominee if Biden steps aside. She said those pushing for Biden to withdraw “are interested in removing the whole ticket.”
Maria Shriver (C), former first lady of California, and Kate Cox (R), abortion rights advocate, sit in first lady Jill Biden’s guest box during U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on March 07, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Maria Shriver, the former first lady of California and a member of the Kennedy family, said Thursday that her “heart is breaking” for President Biden over reports that hey may drop out of the 2024 election.
“If the rumors are true, let’s be compassionate. A good man who has devoted his life to serving his country. Regardless of your party, this is a human moment. This is as tough as it gets,” Shriver wrote on social media.
Her post quoted a report by Axios that top Democrats now believe Biden will exit the 2024 race amid rising pressure from his party.
“The top leaders of his party, his friends and key donors believe he can’t win, can’t change public perceptions of his age and acuity, and can’t deliver congressional majorities,” Axios reported. “The president is being told that if he stays in, former President Trump could win in a landslide and wipe away Biden’s legacy and Democrats’ hopes in November.”
Shriver is a friend of the Biden family and was first lady Jill Biden’s guest at the State of the Union address earlier this year.
A well-connected advisor and fundraising coordinator for President Biden’s campaign is reportedly warning that donations are at risk of drying up, according to reports.
Film producer and Democratic insider Jeffrey Katzenberg reportedly spoke with Biden in a private meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Katzenberg allegedly told the president that major donors were likely to cut funding due to concerns about the campaign’s viability, according to a report from Semafor.
Following the report, Katzenberg released a statement saying the characterization was inaccurate and that the two had “talked about everything from the convention to new ads.”
“And by the way, we will raise the money we need to run a winning campaign,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for clarification on the nature of the conversation.
Internal debate over plans to re-nominate Biden as the 2024 presidential nominee is threatening to rupture the Democratic Party.
Democratic lawmakers and candidates across the country fear that Biden’s plummeting support since his disastrous performance at the first presidential debate will have ramifications for down-ballot elections.
Party leaders have been considering plans to nominate Biden as soon as next week, ostensibly due to concerns that the Aug. 17 date for the Democratic National Convention comes after Ohio’s ballot deadline.
Fox News Digital’s Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this update.
Vice President Kamala Harris holds a campaign event that is her seventh visit to North Carolina this year and 15th trip to the state since taking office in Fayetteville NC, United States on July 18, 2024 (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A majority of Democrats say that Vice President Kamala Harris would do a good job if promoted to the presidency should President Biden drop out of the 2024 election.
A new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don’t believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say.
Since Biden’s debate debacle on June 27, many Democrats have privately and even openly looked to Harris to step in and succeed Biden as the party’s presidential nominee, believing she has a better chance against GOP nominee Donald Trump. For her part, Harris has remained completely loyal to Biden, being one of his toughest defenders in the aftermath of the disastrous debate performance.
Black adults were more likely than Americans overall to say Harris would do well.
Americans outside the Democratic Party were more skeptical of how Harris would perform in the Oval Office. Only about 3 in 10 Americans say Harris would be a good president. Nearly half said Harris would not do a good job, and 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to have an opinion.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
Democratic Party insiders are telling reporters that President Biden will make a “major announcement” about the future of his presidential campaign in the coming days, as soon as this weekend, according to The Hill.
Biden faces intense pressure to drop out of the 2024 election. Congressional Democratic leaders including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. have reportedly told Biden directly that a majority of lawmakers in the party don’t believe he can defeat Trump in November.
Major party donors share those concerns and have threatened to withhold funds from the Biden campaign should the president continue as the Democratic nominee.
Some party members have already crafted a transition plan to help Vice President Kamala Harris take over if Biden should drop out, including those who worked on former President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaign, The Hill reported.
White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates denied that Biden has any intention of dropping out.
“False,” he said in a one-word statement on The Hill’s reporting.
Ex-MSNBC host Keith Olbermann called for CNN to fire one of their most prominent political commentators for juxtaposing former President Trump and President Biden in a way that put the Republican in a positive light.
In the weeks following Biden’s widely criticized performance in the presidential debate, the president’s supporters have feuded with his critics who are calling for him to step down in lieu of another candidate.
In the past week, Trump narrowly avoided death by an attempted assassin while Biden caught COVID-19, a pair of events CNN’s Van Jones addressed Wednesday night.
“Today is a terrible day. If you pull back and look at this thing: strength versus weakness. A bullet couldn‘t stop Trump. A virus just stopped Biden,” the former Obama adviser said.
Olbermann shared the clip on X, tagged CNN in the post and wrote, “HEY @CNN Fire this a–hole/moron/ Trumpsucker @VanJones68 TONIGHT. Your remaining 837 viewers will accept no less.”
Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall contributed to this update.
Former President Trump shakes hands with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance at the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
Showing no public signs that President Biden will withdraw from the 2024 election, the Biden campaign swiped at former President Trump and his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, as the GOP convention wrapped up.
“Over the course of the last four days, Republicans have offered their vision for the country. And now it’s never been more clear that Americans will face a stark choice, a contrasting vision for this country,” Biden principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks emphasized.
“The Biden-Harris ticket who’s focused on uniting the country, creating opportunity for everyone, and lowering costs or the Trump-Vance one – with a harmful agenda of taking away Americans’ rights, hurting the middle class, and making life more expensive – all while benefiting the ultra-rich and greedy corporations benefit,” Fulks argued.
Trump’s convention address comes less than two months after he was convicted of 34 felony counts in the first criminal trial of a former or current president in the nation’s history. But the Supreme Court ruled on the issue of presidential immunity – a question stemming from charges brought against Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The high court ruled that a president is immune from “official acts.” Trump is using that Supreme Court precedent in an effort to overturn the verdict and appeal.
A judge delayed Trump’s possible sentencing until September.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is questioned about the candidacy of President Joe Biden after the senate luncheons in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., called on President Biden to exit the presidential race on Thursday night with the blessing of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., making him the second Senate Democrat to do so.
“Montanans have put their trust in me to do what is right, and it is a responsibility I take seriously. I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong,” he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
Tester told Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., about his plan ahead of time. Schumer then told him to do what he thought was best, a source with knowledge of the situation told Fox News Digital.
The Montana senator is in one of the most competitive races in 2024 as he attempts to keep his seat in a state that has voted twice in favor of former President Trump.
Tester’s race is rated a “Toss Up” by non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report. It is accompanied in the category by three other competitive races in Ohio, Nevada, and Michigan.
He will face off against the Republican Senate candidate in Montana, former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, in November.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this update.
People close to President Biden are “furious” that a pressure campaign calling for him to step aside is picking up speed, according to reports.
Biden is self-isolating in Rehoboth, Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19.
“Lots of anger toward some donors for talking of $ drying up if he doesn’t quit, toward what they see as muted support from Pres. Obama, and toward Dem leaders who one source says are ‘hiding’ behind statements,” CBS News reporter Robert Costa posted on X. “If they want him out, they’ll have to push, source adds.”
Costa added that Biden feels “disrespected” but that no one has figured out “an effective way to quiet this drift of nervous Democrats away from Biden and know many Dems want Biden to just break at some point soon.”
Multiple Democrats have come out in recent weeks to call for Biden to exit the race amid questions about his health.
Sources told Fox News that Biden’s COVID-19 diagnosis has forced him to slow down for a period of reflection.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this update.
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