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Biden tunes out critics with jam-packed schedule keeping him on the move

House and Senate Democrats held caucus meetings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, where they continued to discuss President Biden's candidacy and his fitness for office. Biden aggressively reaffirmed his commitment to the campaign with a letter to House Democrats yesterday.

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Dem senator first to publicly say he doesn’t think Biden can win

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., appeared on CNN Tuesday evening, confirming reports that he admitted to colleagues he doesn’t believe President Biden can win the presidential election.

Bennet’s comments effectively make him the first Democratic senator to say publicly that Biden will lose.

“Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election, and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House,” Bennet said. “And so for me, this isn't a question about polling. It's not a question about politics. It's a moral question about the future of our country.”

Bennet said the Biden administration has done nothing since the president’s “disastrous debate [to] really demonstrate that they have a plan to win this election, that they have a convincing plan to win in the battleground state where we have to win in order to win this election.”

Posted by Bradford Betz

Former Trump doc says White House ‘isn’t capable’ of handling Biden’s health questions

Dr. Ronny Jackson, a retired Navy officer who served as the physician at the White House from 2013-18 under both Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, said the current administration “isn’t capable” of handling questions about President Biden’s health.

“THROWBACK to when I stood in front of the LEFTIST PRESS POOL to provide transparency for the American People about President Trump’s health,” Jackson tweeted Tuesday.

“Where and what are you hiding Dr.  O’Connor!? KJP isn’t capable of answering the medical questions Americans deserve to know!”

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who is Biden’s personal physician, drafted a letter detailing the president’s latest physical, saying the president's latest physical showed "no findings which would be consistent" with any cerebellar or other neurological disorders like stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis or any other neurological problems.

The doctor also mentioned that "no motor weakness was detected" and that Biden had "excellent fine motor dexterity."

Biden's health has become a major issue through the worldwide lens after a series of mumbling, bumbling and stumbling mishaps, whether overseas on an international stage like the G7 meetings or during the first stage of this year's presidential debates.

Jackson, who’s now a Republican representative in Texas, said neither the doctors nor spokespersons can stand at the podium and face the pressure like he was asked to do during his time when he was the White House physician overseeing Trump.

Posted by Scott McDonald

Republican-led states ask SCOTUS to temporarily block Biden's student loan handouts

Texas, South Carolina and Alaska are asking the U.S. Supreme Court for emergency intervention for emergency intervention to temporarily block the implementation of President Biden’s latest effort to provide a student loan handout to millions of borrowers.

The time-sensitive appeal was sent to Justice Neil Gorsuch, who could make the decision himself or ask his colleagues to weigh in.

Most likely, the court will ask the government to file a response brief, and an order from the court could be issued in the days or weeks that follow.

A federal appeals court in Denver issued a temporary stay to a lower court ruling against the Biden administration on the matter.

The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan announced by the administration last year would help millions of borrowers enrolled in a federal student loan program to lower their monthly debt payments and provide a path to debt forgiveness.

The lower payments were expected by July 1 for an estimated 8 million borrowers enrolled in the SAVE program. States filing the emergency application have asked the high court to lift that stay.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor said because of the administration's "intransigence," the court must "unfortunately step in again."

"Time is of the essence. Not only do the States and the public at large need to know as soon as possible whether the SAVE Plan is lawful, but the Biden Administration is not done," the attorneys general wrote. "On April 17, 2024, the Department announced yet another rule to spend hundreds of billions of dollars waiving student debt. 89 Fed. Reg. 27654. 

"That Proposed Rule is expected to be final well before this litigation concludes absent intervention from this Court. Legal certainty from this Court is essential whenever hundreds of billions of dollars are at stake, but it is particularly critical where, as here, commentators across the political spectrum have observed that federal government is flouting this Court’s decision in Nebraska.

"The Court should thus grant review and summarily reject the SAVE Plan or set the case for briefing and argument to ensure that federal law retains its integrity and to prevent the Department from unilaterally giving away hundreds of billions of dollars."

Fox News’ Shannon Bream , Bill Mears , Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Posted by Scott McDonald

Biden trying to turn Hurricane Beryl into a ‘political issue’: Top Texas official

President Joe Biden said he tried contacting the top two elected officials in Texas so the federal government could offer help in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. Texas denies such claim.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has now said Biden turned the hurricane into a “political issue.”

The Biden Administration claimed that the Texas government shunned his reaching out to them as Hurricane Beryl smashed the Lone Star State on Monday and wreaked havoc as both a category 1 hurricane and eventually a tropical storm as it made a swath through the state, ripping down trees and dumping more than a foot of rain in places in its path.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was on a weeklong economic-development trip in Asia, leaving Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in charge.

Patrick tweeted Tuesday night that his office was never contacted by the White House, saying top FEMA administrators were close to him most of the time.

“I am disappointed that President Biden is turning Hurricane Beryl into a political issue. We had a cordial call today that ended up with him granting my request for a major disaster declaration. But that’s not good enough for him. He is falsely accusing me that I was not reachable. 

“He obviously did not know his own employees from FEMA were side-by-side with me for 3 days! All he had to do was call them and have them hand their phone to me. I even took a photo with them!” 

A White House spokesperson said Biden tried tracking down both Abbott and Patrick for a few days, with Biden saying, “I’ve been trying to track down the governor to see — I don’t have any authority to do that without a specific request from the governor,” the president said.

Beryl hit southeast Texas around Matagorda on Monday morning as a category 1 hurricane. The storm worked its way through the Gulf Coast up to Galveston Island, north through Houston and the Brazos Valley and then northeast into Louisiana and Arkansas.

The storm ripped down trees and powerlines, flooded neighborhoods and caused nearly 3 million Texans to lose power.

Posted by Scott McDonald

Trump introduces Barron to campaign crowd, draws rousing ovation

Former President Donald Trump while on the campaign trail in his home state of Florida on Tuesday introduced his youngest child, Barron to the crowd. And it drew a rousing applause.

“A very young man, a young man, he’s just turned 18,” the former president said at his rally in Doral, Florida. 

Trump said Barron “got into every college he wanted to” and that “he’s a very good guy.”

“Barron Trump, stand up,” the former president said as his teenage son eventually stood up. “Look at him. That’s the first time he’s done it. You’re pretty popular, right? He might be more popular than Don and Eric. 

“Hey, Don, we gotta talk about this, huh?”

“So, Barron, welcome to the scene, I don’t know. It’s good to have you.

“He had such a nice, easy life, and now it’s a little bit changed,” said Trump, vying for a second term as he goes against Biden.

Posted by Scott McDonald

Biden campaign team delivers response to Trump's golf challenge

President Biden's campaign team delivered their response after former President Donald Trump challenged his opponent to an 18-hole golf match.

Biden-Harris 2024 spokesperson James Singer called Trump's Doral, Florida rally "deranged," blasting the former president's golf challenge.

“Donald Trump hasn’t been seen in public for 12 days, now he’s inviting fictional serial killers to dinner, teasing lil’ Marco Rubio , praising Project 2025 architect Tom Homan, and challenging the President of the United States to golf," he said.

The campaign manager attempted to flip the script, criticizing Trump.

“We’d challenge Donald Trump to create jobs, but he lost 3 million," Singer said. “We’d challenge Donald Trump to stand up to Putin, but he bent the knee to him."

"We’d challenge Donald Trump to follow the law, but he breaks it. We’d challenge Donald Trump to not destroy our country, but that’s all his Project 2025 aims to do," he said.

Singer said that Biden "doesn't have time" to participate in the golf challenge, saying that the president is too busy.

“Joe Biden doesn’t have time for Donald Trump’s weird antics – he’s busy leading America and defending the free world," Singer said. “Donald Trump is a liar, a convict, and a fraud only out for himself – par for the course.”

Claims of Biden's packed schedule comes after the president reportedly told governors that he would no longer schedule events after 8 p.m. so he could "get more sleep," the New York Times reported.

Posted by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten

Trump challenges Biden to an 18-hole golf match

Former President Donald Trump challenged President Biden to a face-off on the golf course.

At his packed rally in Doral, Florida, the former president called for an 18-hole golf match at his Trump National Doral Golf Club.

"I'm also officially challenging President Joe to an 18-hole golf match right here," he said. "Under Doral's Blue Monster, considered one of the greatest tournament golf courses anywhere in the world, one of the great courses in the world, it will be among the most watched sporting events in history, maybe bigger than the Ryder Cup or even the Masters."

Trump said he would give Biden “10 strokes a side” and said he would donate one million dollars to any charity if he accepts the offer.

"And I will even give Joe Biden ten strokes a side. That means 20 strokes in case you don't play golf," he said.

"And if he wins, I will give the charity of his choice, any charity that he wants $1 million," Trump said. “And I’ll bet you he doesn’t take the offer."

Posted by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten

George Stephanopoulos says he doesn't think Biden can serve four more years

ABC News host George Stephanopoulos was filmed by a pedestrian Tuesday appearing to admit he doesn’t think President Biden can serve another four years.

TMZ shared a clip on X of Stephanopoulos being asked on the sidewalk whether he thinks Biden should step down.

“You talked to him more than anybody else has lately, and you could be honest,” the cameraman says, referring to Stephanopoulos’s first TV interview since the president’s disastrous debate performance the week prior that re-ignited questions about Biden’s mental fitness to serve as commander-in-chief.

“I don’t think he can serve four more years,” Stephanopoulos said, per reporting from TMZ.

Click here to read the full story by Fox News Digital's Joseph A. Wulfsohn.

Posted by Bradford Betz

Biden delivers remarks at NATO summit amid lingering fallout from debate performance

President Biden on Tuesday delivered a closely scrutinized speech at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., as fallout from last month’s debate performance continues igniting calls for him to drop out of the presidential race.

The president’s speech was relatively free of errors or gaffes as he invoked the importance of the alliance, now in its 75th year.

“Friends, it’s good that we’re stronger than ever, because this moment in history calls for our collective strength,” Biden said.

“Autocrats want to overturn global order, which by and large, kept for nearly 80 years and counting,” Biden said, imploring members to maintain support of Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia.

During the speech, Biden announced a “historic donation" of air defense equipment for Ukraine.

“In the coming months, the U.S. and our partners intend to provide Ukraine with dozens of additional tactical air defense systems,” Biden said. “The United States will make sure that when we export critical air defense interceptors, Ukraine goes to the front of the line.”

At one point, Biden invoked the legacy of former President Reagan, who said if an ally is not at peace, “we cannot be at peace.”

“And we understand that this is a sacred obligation, as President Reagan put it, and I quote, ‘for if our fellow democracies are not secure, we cannot be secure. If you are threatened, we are threatened,’” Biden said.

At the end of his speech, Biden awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg whom he credited with guiding the NATO alliance through one of the most consequential periods in its history.

Click here to read the full story on Biden's NATO remarks.

Posted by Bradford Betz

Another Dem lawmaker calls for Biden to drop out of presidential race

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., on Tuesday became the latest Democratic lawmaker calling on President to drop out of the presidential race.

In a statement posted on her X account, Sherrill said the president had served the nation “honorably” for more than half a century.

“I know that President Biden and his team have been true public servants and have put the country and the best interests of democracy first and foremost in their considerations,” Sherrill said. “And because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I am asking that he declare that he won’t run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee.”

Sherrill is now the seventh Democratic lawmaker who has called on President Biden to drop out of the race.

Posted by Bradford Betz

Nikki Haley says President Biden ‘not competent’ to serve second term, will be voting for Trump

Former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Tuesday said President Biden was “not competent” to serve a second term as she urged her supporters to vote for former President Trump.

"The nominating convention is a time for Republican unity," Haley said in a statement on Tuesday. "I encourage my delegates to support Donald Trump next week in Milwaukee."

Haley, who was the final challenger against Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination before ending her White House bid four months ago, charged in her statement that "Joe Biden is not competent to serve a second term and Kamala Harris would be a disaster for America.

"While Trump “has not been perfect on these policies,” Haley said, “Biden has been a catastrophe."     

This post contains excerpts from a story by Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Kellianne Jones. Click here to read the full report.

Posted by Bradford Betz

Schumer breaks silence on support for Biden: ‘I’m with Joe’

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Tuesday broke his silence on whether or not he supports President Biden in the 2024 presidential race.

“Are you confident that President Biden has what it takes to win in November and serve the next four years?”

“As I’ve said before, I’m with Joe,” Schumer said.

Until now, the Democratic has refused to comment on Biden’s poor presidential debate performance against former President Trump late last month. 

Posted by Bradford Betz

White House says Biden’s ‘It’s just my brain’ comment was a ‘lighthearted joke’

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday said President Biden’s comments about his health being fine, “It’s just my brain,” was a “lighthearted joke.”

The comment came in response to Fox News' Peter Doocy who referenced the president's comment, that "his health is fine, but it's just his brain and that's he's sharp as before."

“He was joking, by the way,” Jean-Pierre cut in. “I just want to make sure that’s out there.”

Biden made the comment during a meeting with around 20 governors who met at the White House July 3 amid concerns about his mental acuity after his disastrous debate performance.

The president reportedly said that his health was fine, “it’s just my brain.”

“He was making a lighthearted joke,” Jean-Pierre said. “He was speaking off the cuff and was making a joke. You know, the president, he likes to joke a lot. He’s the same guy who says, ‘I know I look 40, right?’"

Posted by Bradford Betz

White House says it wants to ‘turn the page’ on questions of Biden’s mental fitness

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday said the White House would like to “turn the page” on questions of President Biden’s mental acuity.

Jean-Pierre made the comment while fielding reporters’ questions about the president, following his disastrous debate performance.

Jean-Pierre tried to highlight Biden’s active schedule to illustrate that the president is as active as ever, despite calls growing louder for him to step down.

“You’re right. We do want to turn the page. You heard me say this last week. We want to get to the other side of this. We want to continue doing the work. And that's what the president's going to do,” Jean-Pierre said.

Posted by Bradford Betz

KJP denies doctor’s letter gave additional info not disclosed in White House briefing

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday denied that a Monday night letter disclosed more information that wasn’t mentioned at the prior day’s briefing.

“A lot of what is in the letter was said at the briefing to be very, very clear. I said many of the things that were laid out in the letter was actually repeated right here behind this lectern at this podium yesterday,” Jean-Pierre said.

In the letter released Monday night, White House physician Kevin O'Connor said Dr. Kevin Cannard was chosen for Biden's annual physicals "not because he is a movement disorder specialist, but because he is a highly trained and highly regarded neurologist here at Walter Reed and across the Military Health System, with a very wide expertise which makes him flexible to see a variety of patients and problems."

The letter was released amid calls for President Biden to step down after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his mental acuity.

Posted by Bradford Betz

Biden's Cabinet has not discussed invoking 25th Amendment, Yellen says

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday said there has been no discussion among Cabinet members of invoking the 25th Amendment in the wake of a politically disastrous debate that reignited concerns about President Biden's age and mental acuity. 

Asked while she was testifying before the House Financial Services Committee whether Cabinet members have talked about invoking the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Yellen said: "No." The 25th Amendment enables the vice president and a majority of sitting Cabinet secretaries to declare the president unfit to serve, and immediately transfer power to the vice president.

A president can challenge the move; however, the decision would then be up to Congress. A two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate would be required for the president to remain in office.

The 25th Amendment has never been invoked. 

Biden's shaky performance in his debate performance against former President Donald Trump at the end of June sparked widespread concern over his age, health and memory. Some Democrats have called on the president – who is 81 years old – to pull out of the race. Biden said this week that he will not step aside, and dared Democrats to "challenge me at the convention."

But Yellen defended her boss on Tuesday, when she was pressed by Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., about whether she has witnessed any mental or cognitive decline in meetings with him. 

"The president is extremely effective in the meetings that I've been in with him," she said. "That includes many international meetings that are multi-hour," including with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox Business' Megan Henny

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Fetterman accuses New York Times of 'vendetta' against Biden's presidency

Sen. John Fetterman, D-PA., accused the New York Times of acting on a "vendetta" against President Biden's candidacy on Tuesday.

Fetterman posted a headline from the New York Times editorial board that called on Democrats to remove Biden from the 2024 pool.

"The Democratic Party must speak the plain truth to the president," the headline reads.

Above the screenshot, Fetterman placed the caption, "When journalism becomes vendetta."

The senator's declaration of support for Biden comes as the president is facing mounting pressure to drop out, both from inside and outside his party.

House Democrats met on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to discuss the issue, but attendees who spoke to the press say they reached "no consensus."

Fox News' Aisha Hasnie and Kelley Phares contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

President Biden faces week of jam-packed schedules as critics question his fitness for office

President Biden's schedule for the second half of his week is jam-packed with events relating to NATO and his re-election campaign.

Biden is scheduled to deliver a speech marking the 75th anniversary of NATO later Tuesday, and events will truly kick off on Wednesday. He will meet with his longtime union allies at the AFL-CIO Wednesday morning before welcoming NATO allied leaders to the U.S. ahead of this week's summit.

The president will participate in all three work sessions for the summit over the course of Wednesday and Thursday. He and first lady Jill Biden will also host an arrival ceremony for the group Wednesday, and Biden will conduct a rare press conference on Thursday.

With the NATO summit ending on Thursday, Biden will hit the campaign trail on Friday, traveling to an event in Detroit, Michigan. He will then fly to his family home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he is expected to remain for the weekend.

The busy three days comes as Biden is facing increasing pressure to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. Some Democrats argue his disastrous performance at the debate against former President Trump indicates his age has caught up with him and he is no longer fit for office.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Warner says people are 'raising some questions that need to get asked' about Biden

Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner told reporters that questions are being raised about President Biden "that need to get asked" – after he sought to gather a group of Senate Democrats to meet on the matter on Monday. 

"[The] most important thing we can do is defeat Donald Trump. If we don't do that, we will set back America a generation," he said. 

"I'm looking forward to the chance to talk face to face with my colleagues," he added. The senators were away from Washington, D.C., during Biden's decidedly poor debate performance and only returned on Monday. 

Warner had been making phone calls to other Democrats over the recess, trying to gather a group of them to meet on Monday to discuss the path forward in relation to Biden's status on the Democratic ticket, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. But that meeting was never scheduled after the effort was leaked to the press. Instead, Democrats planned to discuss it during a regularly scheduled caucus meeting on Tuesday. 

"I've had tough campaigns during my time. And, you know, sometimes asking questions, at least in my case, made me a better campaigner," Warner said. "A lot of folks are raising some questions that need to get asked. But, end of the day, we got to beat Donald Trump."

When asked about Biden's debate, Warner said he wouldn't "go through that." However, he claimed, "I've had lots and lots of input from folks across all walks of life across Virginia. And we're gonna have to talk about that."

The Virginia senator smiled and said, "I'll let other senators weigh in," when Fox News Digital sought his response to Biden's dismissal of his effort to gather Democrats for a Monday meeting. In an interview last week with ABC News, Biden said, "Well, Mark is a good man. We’ve never had that – he also tried to get the nomination, too. Mark’s not – Mark and I have a different perspective. I respect him."

Fox News' Julia Johnson, Aisha Hasnie and Kelley Phares contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Democratic strategist James Carville says Obama, Bill Clinton should lead discussion replacing Biden

Famed Democratic strategist James Carville said on Monday that former Presidents Clinton and Obama should lead discussions on replacements for President Biden.

"I want to see the Democratic Party hold four historic town halls between now and the Democratic National Convention in August — one each in the South, the Northeast, the Midwest and the West," Carville wrote in the New York Times.

"We can recruit the two most obvious and qualified people in the world to facilitate substantive discussions: Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. They may not represent every faction under our party’s big tent. But they care as much about our democracy as our nation’s first president, they understand what it takes to be president, and they know how to win," he said.

Carville explained further that the two Democratic icons should consult with the country's 23 Democratic governors in a town hall selection process.

Carville’s comments came after commentators, lawmakers, and Democrat officials continue to call for Biden to withdraw after his debacle at the presidential debate. 

Due to so many House lawmakers calling for the commander-in-chief to step aside, Biden penned a letter on Monday to congressional Democrats urging them to stop questioning whether he should end his re-election bid and "move forward as a unified party" in order to defeat former President Trump in their 2024 election rematch.

This is an excerpt of an article from Fox News' Joshua Q. Nelson

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Former Democratic presidential candidate calls out 'mistake' in Biden's letter to fellow Democrats

A familiar face of America’s past political landscape has criticized Joe Biden’s letter to his party and finds it more "harmful" than helpful for the 46th president.

"I read that letter," former Nebraska senator, governor and 1992 Democratic presidential candidate Bob Kerrey said on "The Claman Countdown" Monday.

"If I was a Democratic member of Congress, I'd call the White House and say, ‘You made a mistake. You don't send this letter out to us,’" he continued. "If I question [whether] you can defeat Donald Trump, I'm bad for democracy? It's blatantly untrue, it's self-serving and not helpful."

On Monday morning, President Biden urged his colleagues to stop questioning whether he should end his re-election bid and "move forward as a unified party" in order to defeat former President Donald Trump in their 2024 election rematch.

Biden also reiterated that he's "firmly committed to staying in this race" and argued that any further questioning of his candidacy "only helps Trump and hurts us."

The president’s fitness for office has come into question following his rough debate performance a week and a half ago in his first face-to-face showdown with Trump.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Biden seeks to keep Congressional Black Caucus support with virtual meeting

President Biden met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on Monday night in a virtual call meant to strengthen his support base. He reportedly thanked them for their reliable support and promised a mutual sense of loyalty. 

"You’ve had my back, and I’ll continue to have yours," Biden told the CBC members on the call, two sources told the Washington Post.

The Post reported that multiple sources claimed a formal statement of support for Biden was expected to be released by the CBC.

An endorsement from the caucus would be a crucial victory in Biden's battle against factions of his own party seeking to force him out of his campaign for re-election.

Democratic Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill.; Seth Moulton, D-Mass.; Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas; Angie Craig, D-Minn.; and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., have all come out publicly urging Biden to step aside.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Top Democrat backpedals on private call for Biden to drop out

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-NY, walked back his call for President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race on Tuesday.

Nadler had been among the most prominent Democrats to privately break off from Biden and call for his replacement.

"At this point he is the best candidate he is the only candidate," Nadler told reporters on Tuesday.

Democrats in both the House and Senate are holding meetings regarding Biden's candidacy on Tuesday. Lawmakers exiting the meetings have been tight-lipped, though at least one has said there is "no consensus" regarding Biden.

For his part, Biden has aggressively stated that he will not resign from the race. He issued a public letter to House Democrats on Monday demanding an "end" to the party drama.

Fox News' Aisha Hasnie and Kelley Phares contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Liberal NYT columnist says 'desperate' Biden camp pressured her to change transcription of gaffe

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd accused the Biden campaign of pressuring the publication to change the wording in an article transcribing a recent gaffe made by the president.

In her Sunday column, headlined "Joe Biden, in the Goodest Bunker Ever," Dowd detailed an exchange between herself and the Biden campaign after she quoted the president in her Saturday column telling ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that he would feel content staying in the race, even if Trump won, "As long as I gave it my all and I did the goodest job as I know I can do, that’s what this is about."

The ABC News transcript of Biden's Friday interview with Stephanopolous also initially transcribed him as saying "goodest." However, ABC News then updated the transcript to read, "I did the good as job as I know I can do," and added an editor's note that read, "This transcript has been updated for clarity."

After using the original Biden quote in her Saturday column, Dowd said she was contacted by T.J. Ducklo, a Biden campaign spokesman, who emailed her to "flag" that ABC had updated its transcript.

He reportedly asked her to "tweak" her column and change the word "goodest" to make her reporting "consistent with the corrected transcript."

Dowd noted that while "goodest isn't a word," she and her researcher had listened to footage of Biden making the comment with "our ears up against the computer, 10 times, and that’s what it sounded like."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Yael Halon

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

House Dems calling for Biden to step down won't say if they'll back him in general election

Most of the House Democrats who have urged President Biden to bow out of the 2024 race are silent on whether they'd support him as the White House nominee if their calls go unheeded.

The 81-year-old leader's disastrous debate performance two weeks ago has fueled concerns among his fellow Democrats that he may not be able to beat former President Donald Trump in November.

Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., Seth Moulton, D-Mass., Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, Angie Craig, D-Minn., and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., have all come out publicly urging Biden to step aside.

Fox News Digital reached out to each of the five Democrats via email multiple times on Monday and did not hear back. 

Biden and his campaign have both maintained that he is staying in the race and is the best suited candidate to keep Trump from a second term.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Liz Elkind

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Karine Jean-Pierre hit from all sides as White House 'correspondents erupt' at briefing

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s fiery back-and-forth with members of the press was a hot topic Monday.

Reporters largely focused on reports that Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist from Walter Reed Military Medical Center who specializes in Parkinson's disease, met several times with Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, in the White House over the past year.

But during the daily press briefing, Jean-Pierre repeatedly would not confirm Cannard's name as the visiting doctor to reporters, citing security and privacy concerns despite the fact that Cannard was listed in the public visitor logs.

Multiple reporters, particularly CBS’ Ed O’Keefe, quickly called her out for avoiding naming the doctor.

The two got into a lengthy, tense back and forth, with O'Keefe getting an assist from NBC correspondent Kelly O'Donnell, who also stressed that Cannard's visitor logs are public.

"There's no reason to go back and forth with me in this aggressive way," Jean-Pierre scolded the reporters. 

"Well, we are miffed around here about what has been shared with the press corps about him," an exasperated O'Keefe said. Several other reporters went on to grill Jean-Pierre about the name of the doctor and the nature of his visits.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Lindsay Kornick

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Third in line to presidency calls on Biden to 'seriously consider' the future

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., third in line to the presidency, said President Biden must "seriously consider" how to secure his legacy for the future as calls grow among Democrats for Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race over concerns about his mental fitness.

Murray, who as president pro tempore is third in line to the presidency, said in a statement on Monday that Biden needs to be "more forceful and energetic" on the campaign trail to prove to voters that he is more fit for another term in the White House than former President Trump.

"President Biden has to lead the charge in making that case," Murray said.

"We need to see a much more forceful and energetic candidate on the campaign trail in the very near future in order for him to convince voters he is up to the job," Murray said. "At this critical time for our country, President Biden must seriously consider the best way to preserve his incredible legacy and secure it for the future."

Biden's physical and mental fitness were called into question after the first presidential debate in June, sparking calls from voters, Democratic members of Congress and donors for the party to select a new nominee to take on Trump in November.

House Democrats held a virtual meeting over the weekend to discuss the future of Biden's re-election campaign in the wake of his highly-criticized performance at the debate.

Biden, however, has remained defiant against all calls to step aside, proclaiming that he will be staying in the race.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Stephen Sorace

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

What are the odds of Biden dropping out? Here's what the betting markets say

A defiant President Biden  insists he will be the Democratic Party's nominee in 2024 despite growing calls for him to bow out, and the betting markets have been on a roller-coaster ride over the odds ever since the 81-year-old's disastrous debate against former President Trump two weeks ago.

Leading up to the debate on June 27, traders on Polymarket – the world's largest prediction market with roughly 80% of market share globally – bet there was approximately a 1 in 4 chance of Biden dropping out. That shot up to a 43% chance the next day and surged to a 75% chance on July 3 as the news cycle showed pressure rising for the former president to pass the baton.

But those odds have steadily declined ever since as Biden has repeatedly said he isn't going anywhere. Polymarket traders determined that as of Monday afternoon, there was a 45% chance of Biden stepping aside after earlier in the day he sent a letter to congressional Democrats saying he was "firmly committed to staying in the race."

Other sites have seen similar shifts.

"The market currently prices President Biden in the lead for becoming the Democratic nominee, with a 14c bump just today," PredictIt public relations director Lindsey Singer told FOX Business in a statement Monday. "But these numbers follow days of considerable action and price shifting – including the addition of several new potential candidates."

PredictIt's traders gave Biden a 54% chance of becoming the Democratic Party's presidential nominee for 2024 as of the first of the week. Vice President Harris came in second on the site with a 31% chance, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 9%. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and former first lady Michelle Obama are both seen as having a 6% chance.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Breck Dumas

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Schumer silent as worries over Biden’s fitness swell in Senate

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has refused to comment on President Biden's poor presidential candidate debate performance last month against former President Trump or the concerns it has raised for many about Biden's ability to serve another term. 

Schumer's staff was asked Monday by Fox News Digital how he felt about Biden's debate performance and whether the interview the president did with ABC News last week calmed any concerns among Democrat senators. His staff was also questioned about whether Schumer believes Biden should be the Democrat nominee, if he has any potential replacement ideas, and his thoughts about the concerns of fellow Democrats about Biden that have been made public. 

The leader's office did not respond.

The majority leader has not commented on the debate or mounting Democrat fears. However, he told reporters last week and again on Monday that he remains supportive of Biden. 

"I'm with Joe Biden," he said at a New York press conference on July 2. "I'm for Joe," he reportedly reiterated while walking into the Senate on Monday. 

Biden's showing at the debate managed to awaken fears among Democrat lawmakers, staff and strategists almost immediately. But officeholders, particularly those in leadership positions, have been careful about making any such concerns public.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Julia Johnson

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Biden's White House team worked to block access to president as evidence of aging grew: Report

President Biden's White House team made conscious efforts to insulate the president from interactions with the public and even lawmakers as evidence of his aging continued to grow, the Wall Street Journal reported late Monday.

Biden's staff blocked "impromptu" exchanges and limited the number of interviews he was granting to the press. The White House also refused to allow Biden to conduct a Super Bowl interview two years in a row.

Sources tell the journal the measures were part of an effort to prevent the public from realizing just how greatly Biden mental acuity has deteriorated, even compared to earlier in his term.

White House staff have taken to blasting loud music during Biden's arrivals and departures at the White House, drowning out the shouted questions that presidents often answer in such instances.

Some Democratic governors were incredulous earlier this week when Biden himself told them during a meeting that he needs more sleep and should avoid events starting after 8 p.m., the journal reported.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Biden anger toward 'elites' in MSNBC interview raises eyebrows

On an MSNBC program that's a favorite of the Washington and New York liberal establishment, President Biden blasted "elites" in the Democratic Party on Monday who are trying to force him out of the 2024 race. And some critics and media observers sympathetic to him aren't buying it.

As he wrapped up a lengthy phone-in interview on "Morning Joe," Biden challenged his own party doubters as he emphatically declared he was staying in the 2024 race.

"I’m getting so frustrated by the elites," he told MSNBC hosts and Biden supporters Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. "Now I’m not talking about you guys, but by the elites in the party who — they know so much more. If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me. Go ahead, announce for president. Challenge me at the convention."

Earlier in the interview, Brzezinski name-dropped outlets who want him to step aside amid concerns about his viability against former President Trump, such as The New York Times, The Economist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Boston Globe. There have also been some House Democrats who have called for him to not seek re-election, as well as prominent liberal names like Tim Ryan, James Carville and David Axelrod.

"They're big names, but I don't care what those big names think!" Biden said. "They were wrong in 2020! They were wrong in 2022 about the red wave! They’re wrong in 2024! Come out with me, watch people react. You make a judgment!"

NBC's Chuck Todd was skeptical about Biden's rhetoric afterward, noting that Biden had sailed to the Democratic nomination without a serious challenger. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., voiced concerns about Biden's age and health as part of his primary campaign, but he never remotely threatened the president's chances of winning the nomination.

"Biden’s anger at ‘elites’ is a bit misplaced," Todd wrote on X. "Without the ‘elites,’ he would have had a serious primary foe. Without the ‘elites,’ the No Labels effort would have a compelling ticket. Arguably, it’s the 'elites' who put too much faith in Biden that got the Dems in this position."

"Ding ding ding," The Atlantic's Tim Alberta agreed. "The ‘elites’ assured Biden’s nomination by refusing to go on-the-record with the grave concerns they whispered in private."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' David Rutz

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Dem lawmakers to discuss Biden’s candidacy after Biden's doctor releases letter on his health

President Biden and his status at the top of the Democrat ticket in November are expected to be discussed by Democrat senators on Tuesday during a weekly caucus meeting as concerns continue to emerge among the party members. 

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., had been trying to gather a group of Democrat senators to meet on Monday to discuss a path forward amid the fallout of Biden's debate against former President Trump, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. 

However, the meeting the Virginia senator was trying to plan is no longer being sought. The details of the potential meeting hadn't yet been confirmed when reports of it emerged. Because of the leaks, the Democrats opted not to hold a separate meeting to talk about the president. 

Instead, the caucus will talk about the dilemma during their already scheduled policy lunch on Tuesday. 

"With so much at stake in the upcoming election, now is the time for conversations about the strongest path forward," Warner said in a statement Monday afternoon. "As these conversations continue, I believe it is incumbent upon the President to more aggressively make his case to the American people, and to hear directly from a broader group of voices about how to best prevent Trump’s lawlessness from returning to the White House."

The meetings come after Biden's physician said a neurologist who specializes in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders visited the White House as part of his annual physical examinations.

In a letter released Monday night, White House physician Kevin O'Connor said Dr. Kevin Cannard was chosen for Biden's annual physicals "not because he is a movement disorder specialist, but because he is a highly trained and highly regarded neurologist here at Walter Reed and across the Military Health System, with a very wide expertise which makes him flexible to see a variety of patients and problems."

Fox News' Julia Johnson, Aisha Hasnie and Kelley Phares contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

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