Jill Biden’s ex-press secretary rips White House for living in an ‘alternate universe’
First lady Jill Biden’s former press secretary blasted the White House communications team’s narrative on Thursday, saying they live in an “alternate universe” after a senior official praised President Biden’s performance at a NATO press conference.
“There are two different versions of reality in my party right now, Michael LaRosa, who served as first lady Jill Biden’s press secretary, wrote on X on Thursday night in response to a post from Republican communicator Sarah Matthews criticizing the White House’s Senior Deputy Press Secretary, Andrew Bates.
“The below is an alternate universe that MOST of us Dems are NOT actually living in. Being coherent in his FIRST ‘big boy press conference’ of 2024 is not exactly the bar most of us are looking for…. but clearly it’s the bar for Biden set by his own staff … and that is pretty ‘f—ing’ terrifying.”
Matthews had criticized Bates for a post on X he made following Biden’s highly anticipated NATO press conference on Thursday night where the senior staffer said, “To answer the question on everyone’s minds: No, Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs. He’s just that f—ing good.”
BIDEN SAYS ‘ANYWAY’ AT LEAST 9 TIMES WHILE TRAILING OFF IN PRESS CONFERENCE
“1) Literally no one is asking that question right now,” Matthews wrote on X. “2) It’s beneath the office to say “f—ing” from your official White House account. Do better.”
“Everyone evaluated POTUS’s performance based on how they wanted to feel or how they already felt about the situation,” LaRosa told Fox News Digital.
TOP DEMOCRAT ON HOUSE INTEL COMMITTEE CALLS ON BIDEN TO SUSPEND CAMPAIGN AFTER NATO PRESS CONFERENCE
“Andrew’s exuberance, which is what Sarah was responding to, is an example of the division within the Democratic Party right now, unfortunately. But that’s Andrew’s job — and he’s very good at it. His whole purpose is to drink the kool-aid surrounding the boss and make sure everyone else is gulping down too. If I were Biden or any other lawmaker or candidate, there’s no one I’d rather have watching my back than Andrew Bates.”
“But for those of us in the party and outside the White House now, it’s our responsibility to decipher the rhetoric from the reality. The reality is, and I said this to Jesse Watters before the debate, that no one has ever questioned or doubted Joe Biden’s command of complex and nuanced domestic or foreign policy,” Larosa continued. “He can run circles around the media, his opponents, or members of Congress on substance or his record. That’s not what the noise or conversation is about. The bar the President hasn’t been able to clear and the reason why Democrats in Congress are anxious is because they feel he hasn’t met or cleared the bar for matters of presentation, agility, and sharpness.”
LaRosa said he fears “that sometimes people around him unintentionally lower the bar for the President.”
“He’s a former Chair of Senate Foreign relations, a former Vice President, and current President who has met with leaders all over the globe,” LaRosa said. “He’s been negotiating with the Russians since he was in his mid-thirties. We’re not giving him enough credit when we create standards that are frankly beneath him. It’s a distraction from the reality of the challenge in front of us, as Democrats, and in moments of political crisis, there need to be folks on the outside who can put the kool-aid aside for a bit and drink some water.”
The X post from Bates also sparked strong criticism from conservatives on social media.
“Dude he confused Harris and Trump right after he mixed up Zelensky and Putin,” Abigail Jackson, Communications Director for GOP Sen. Josh Hawley, posted on X referencing a Biden gaffe shortly before the press conference.
“Literally no one is asking that question right now,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X.
“The question on my mind is what’s wrong with these people,” journalist Josh Barro posted on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
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Biden, who is facing increased calls from elected officials within his own party to drop out of the race due to concerns about his age, was widely criticized by Republicans over his NATO press conference performance. However, longtime GOP strategist Mike Biundo, a former Trump adviser, told Fox News Digital that he believed “it’s a 100% win-win” for Republicans and the Trump campaign.
“It appears Biden did enough to convince his apologists that he should remain on the ballot, but he also reinforced what the American people know. Their lives are being hurt by his weakness and failure on a daily basis,” a Trump campaign official, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital after Thursday night’s press conference.
Several Democrats and progressives defended Biden’s performance along with Bates.
“Tonight Joe Biden offered a lengthy, detailed dive on the major national security issues he’s juggling combined with a comfortable but forceful defense of his view of where this race stands,” Kate Bedingfield, a former communications director for Biden, posted on X. “50 minutes of Qs. He needed to show up big tonight and he did.”
“This is a very strong performance,” Joel Rubin, a former State Department official during the Obama administration, posted on X. “Quite frankly. @POTUS is putting on a master class in how foreign policy and domestic policy intersect, explaining how crucial American global leadership is to our people here at home. Well done, Mr. President.”
Biden campaign hits back at Trump with gaffe montage, calls him ‘feeble’
The Biden campaign hit back at former President Trump on Friday with a video montage showing Trumps’ own mishaps on the campaign trail.
The nearly two-minute video showed Trump saying Biden defeated former President Barack Obama, and getting the names of several lawmakers confused.
“Here is a montage of a feeble Trump confusing names over and over and over again,” the Biden-Harris X account posted.
One clip shows Trump referring to Apple CEO Tim Cook and “Tim Apple” and the name of Paradise, California, which was devastated by wildfires in 2018 as “Pleasure.”
He also appeared to confuse former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley and mistakenly called Sioux City, Iowa, Sioux Falls.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Biden isn’t physically and mentally up tot the task of being president.
Biden has so far pushed back against a chorus of calls from within the Democratic Party for him to step aside and end his 2024 re-election campaign.
The Biden campaign received a jump in donations following the president’s Thursday night press conference at a NATO Summit.
“Since last night, we’re seeing strong support across our coalition. But most importantly, we’re seeing with our grassroots base,” Campaign Communications Director Michael Tyler said. “We have close to 40,000 donations last night alone. Donations exploded during the president’s press conference. In fact, we had seven times, our average during the press conference.”
Tyler didn’t say how much in campaign contributions was received but the outpouring comes amid concerns that Biden fundraising pool is quickly drying up.
Major donors have decided to withhold contributions until Biden drops out of the race.
“This is a massive, massive problem,” one Democratic official told Politico. “Right now, we should be scaling up, doubling and tripling our goals as we head into the fall. But we’re cratering.”
The sources said grassroots fundraising is also being impacted by Biden’s disastrous debate performance against former President Trump.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
First lady Jill Biden’s former press secretary blasted the White House
communications team, saying they live in an “alternate universe” after a senior official praised President Biden’s performance durign a Thursday NATO press conference.
“There are two different versions of reality in my party right now, Michael LaRosa, who served as first lady Jill Biden’s press secretary, wrote on X in response to a post from Republican communicator Sarah Matthews criticizing the White House’s Senior Deputy Press Secretary, Andrew Bates.
“The below is an alternate universe that MOST of us Dems are NOT actually living in,” he wrote. “Being coherent in his FIRST ‘big boy press conference’ of 2024 is not exactly the bar most of us are looking for…. but clearly it’s the bar for Biden set by his own staff … and that is pretty ‘f—ing’ terrifying.”
Matthews had criticized Bates for a post on X he made following Biden’s highly anticipated NATO press conference where the senior staffer said, “To answer the question on everyone’s minds: No, Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs. He’s just that f—ing good.”
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Former President Trump on Friday urged President Biden to take a cognitive test to prove he’s up to the task of being the commander-in-chief.
Trump also said he would accompany Biden and also take the test.
“For the first time we’ll be a team, and do it for the good of the Country,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “And from now on, all Presidential candidates should be mandated to take a Cognitive Test and Aptitude Test, regardless of their age!!!”
Biden is resisting calls from Democrats to exit his presidential run amid questions and concerns about his physical and mental acuity. Trump has been one of his loudest critics.
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and allies see President Biden‘s highly anticipated and much-scrutinized Thursday news conference as a win for the former president.
“It appears Biden did enough to convince his apologists that he should remain on the ballot, but he also reinforced what the American people know. Their lives are being hurt by his weakness and failure on a daily basis,” a Trump campaign official, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital after Thursday night’s press conference.
As the president continues to push back against a rising chorus of calls from within the Democratic Party for him to step aside and end his 2024 re-election campaign following last month’s disastrous debate performance with Trump, the news conference didn’t appear to do any further damage. But it’s also doubtful it will stem the growing movement to urge Biden to drop out of the race.
The Trump has argued that Biden, 81, isn’t physically or mentally capable of serving as president.
On Thursday, after Biden mistakenly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump,” Trump’s social media account quickly shared a clip of the moment, with the former president writing, “Great job, Joe!”
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Some major Democratic donors have told the largest pro-Biden super PAC that roughly $90 million in pledges will continue to be put on hold if President Biden remains atop the ticket.
The New York Times reported the news, citing conversations with two people who have been briefed on the discussions.
The frozen contributions to the Future Forward super PAC include multiple eight-figure commitments, according to the two people. One donors said they had been holding off on their contribution following Biden debate performance.
The freeze in donations comes as Biden is under increasing pressure from some Democrats and advisors to exit the presidential race.
Future Forward has already announced $250 million in TV and digital advertisements slated to begin at the end of the Democratic National Convention next month.
House Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., is the latest Democrat to join the growing list of lawmakers from within the party to call on President Biden to step aside from this year’s presidential race and “pass the torch.”
“Like so many of you, I was naturally concerned about President Biden’s performance in the recent debate,” Levin said in a statement. “Since then, I’ve made my opinions known in the appropriate manner with House Democratic leadership and my colleagues. And I called upon all Americans to give the President a window to make an expeditious decision about his candidacy.”
In the weeks since Biden’s debate performance, Levin has connected with his constituents and supporters. He called Biden an “outstanding leader” whom he has a “deep respect” for.
“I have deep respect for President Biden’s five plus decades of public service and incredible appreciation for the work we’ve done together these last three and a half years.” he said. “But I believe the time has come for President Biden to pass the torch.“
“We must prevail against the incalculable threat Donald Trump poses to the American institutions of freedom and democracy,” added Levin. “Donald Trump actively seeks a bleak authoritarianism and the overthrow of the values which have guided us towards justice and prosperity for nearly two and a half centuries.”
Three sources confirmed to Fox News on Friday that President Biden
will hold a virtual meeting with members of the New Dems Coalition this weekend, which includes numerous House Democrats that have called for him to drop his re-election bid.
The New Dems are a group of about 100 more moderate-leaning House Democrats, many of whom represent vulnerable districts. More than half of the 18 Congressional Democrats who have called for Biden to step aside so far are members of this group, including Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., and Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.
The call with the New Dems appears to be part of a series of meetings Biden is having over concerns about the viability of his re-election campaign. Biden has already met with the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus this week, and the Progressive Caucus is also working on setting up a meeting with him.
Fox News’ Kelly Phares and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson said Friday that it’s time for President Biden to “consider what’s at stake and step back from another run.”
“Whether in politics or in business, a true hallmark of forward-looking leadership is to build a lasting legacy, and that includes knowing when to hand over the baton to a younger generation that can take over and move the country and humanity forward,” Branson said in a statement.
“For him, standing down now wouldn’t have to mean the end of a lifetime in public service, either. He could still do enormous good in the world,” Branson continued. “But his desire to carry on has created a dangerous distraction from the issues this presidential race should really focus on. It’s not too late to make the right decision now and step aside – for America, and for the free world.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has told Fox News Senior Correspondent Alicia Acuna on Friday that “something needs to change” regarding President Biden’s re-election bid.
Polis, speaking on the sidelines of the National Governors Association meeting in Salt Lake City, said he didn’t watch Biden’s press conference last night, but said instead of “one debate” or “one press conference” that “it’s really a question of what’s the winning strategy” in November.
When asked about a New York Times report stating that Polis told Biden during a recent meeting of Democrat governors that he has heard a “groundswell of wishes from various people that Mr. Biden would end his campaign,” Polis told Fox News “When you’re down a few points, something needs to change.
“So, whether that’s the strategy, whether that’s the message, whether that’s the candidate. Look, I think we’re open to all those possibilities,” he continued.
When asked point blank if he thinks President Biden should step aside, Polis said “I think he’s in the process of showing the American people that he’s the candidate that can win. I think what I want is not too different than what many Americans want. I want to make sure that we can protect American democracy.”
Fox News’ Jamie Vera contributed to this report.
Congress’ first week back in session since President Biden’s disastrous debate performance brought with it a mountain of media scrutiny for his fellow Democrats – much to the relief of House Republicans who have grown used to being mobbed by reporters for much of this term.
“We have really passed the baton of overthrowing political norms to the Democrats who are now running toward the greatest overthrow I’ve ever seen,” one House GOP aide told Fox News Digital.
Party leaders hoped members would lie low this week to avoid making news as Democrats wrestled with demanding their own presidential nominee off the ballot less than six months away from the election, according to a House Republican granted anonymity to discuss it.
Meanwhile, a second House GOP aide cautioned, “All Republicans need to do is keep our heads down and stay out of it.”
Ex-Obama adviser David Axelrod said that President Biden is increasingly trailing former President Trump in the battleground states, making it an open question as to whether he should step down.
“He really needs a royal flush to win this race,” Axelrod said on CNN Friday.
Multiple media figures and Biden allies have called on the president to withdraw from the race after a shaky debate performance last month.
“The president’s been behind for 10 months, consistently in this data” Axelrod said. “[According to] deeper data that the analytics people look at, he is now behind in all the battleground states and in some cases, well behind, beyond the margin of error.”
“So, yes, of course he can win,” Axelrod said. “Anyone can win. But given the stakes, and I think this is what those Democratic officials are thinking, given the stakes, the fact that he can win is not a persuasive argument. The question is: what are the odds that he would win, and would we have a better chance with someone else? That‘s the question everybody is pondering.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has told CBS that he is “all in” on President Biden’s re-election bid despite frequently getting messages asking him to consider running himself for the Democratic nomination.
“You’re not just a surrogate, you are somebody who is getting text messages and emails every day to consider running. How do you handle all of that?” Robert Costa asked Newsom in a clip of an upcoming ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ interview.
“Delete, delete, delete, delete. Thank you, delete. Rinse, repeat. I’m all in, no daylight,” Newsom responded.
“You never even engage in it privately?” Costa asked.
“No I don’t, absolutely not. I know one thing, everything you do in private becomes public. Even private thoughts seem to manifest publicly, so not a chance,” Newsom said.
The Biden campaign team is attempting to rally staffers as President Biden faces continued calls to withdraw from the race following his disastrous debate performance.
“We had two very, very, very hard weeks, very bad weeks,” Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon told staff on a call, as reported by Axios. “I told you I’d level with you, they’ve been bad f—— weeks,” she said.
Reports of both White House and campaign staffers feeling demoralized and “miserable” about Biden’s candidacy have grown dramatically in recent weeks.
“This two-week window has really sucked, and it is hard, there is no doubt about it. And it’s hard for all of us because we are doing the job,” she told staffers.
“If we can get through these two weeks that we’re living through, we can get through anything,” she said.
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley called on President Biden to “pass the torch” ahead of the 2024 presidential election amid concerns that he is not mentally fit to seek re-election following his disastrous performance in last month’s debate.
Barkley, who announced his plans to retire from television next year following the completion of the 2024-2025 NBA season, spoke about the current climate of politics during an appearance on CNBC on Thursday.
“I just feel sadness,” Barkley said from the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
“You got the greatest country in the world – and I have nothing but admiration and respect for President Biden, but it’s time for him to pass the torch to a younger generation. He’s been a great person, a great man – this ain’t something I’m saying now, I’ve said it like a year ago. It’s time for him to pass the torch.”
First term Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen has just joined the ranks of House Democrats calling for President Biden to abandon his re-election bid.
Pettersen issued a statement Friday saying that “I have deep admiration and love for Joe Biden and all he has done for our country, which is why this decision is so painful, but my son and my constituents can’t suffer the consequences of inaction at this critical moment.
“Joe Biden saved our country once, and I’m joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again,” she added. “Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, who is the greatest threat to the foundation of this country that we have ever seen.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has sent a letter to House Democrats Friday revealing that he met with President Biden privately last night.
The development comes as a growing number of House Democrats have been pushing for Biden to drop out of the presidential race, with one going so far as saying that Biden should resign immediately.
“Over the past several days, House Democrats have engaged in a thoughtful and extensive discussion about the future of our country, during a time when freedom, democracy and the economic well-being of everyday Americans are on the line. Our discourse has been candid, clear-eyed and comprehensive,” Jeffries said in the letter.
“On behalf of the House Democratic Caucus, I requested and was graciously granted a private meeting with President Joe Biden. That meeting occurred yesterday evening,” he continued. “In my conversation with President Biden, I directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together.
“As House Democrats have done throughout this Congress, we will continue to work in the best interests of everyday Americans,” Jeffries added.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Former New York Gov. George Pataki told ‘Fox & Friends’ on Friday that he believes New York is a battleground state between Biden and Trump.
“It’s a long time since anybody asked me if New York is a battleground state, but this year I’m getting asked it a lot. And I think it’s because it is,” the Republican said.
“For that to happen you need a number of different things. First is you need Democratic voters – a million Democratic voters – to look at their party, look at their candidates and say ‘we are screwing up royally,’” Pataki said.
“And you have that,” he continued. “You have the chaos at the top of the Democratic ticket, you have inflation, you have the migrant crisis in New York City and now in the suburbs and it’s leading a lot of Democrats to say ‘hey wait a second, maybe my party has let me down and I could try something different.’”
President Biden is facing fresh criticism as he heads to Detroit Friday for a campaign event.
“Today’s visit to Detroit doesn’t change the fact that Joe Biden has failed Michiganders at every opportunity,” Michigan Republican Party Chairman Pete Hoekstra said in a statement. “His obsession with electric vehicles is guaranteed to cripple the community and put Michiganders out of work. Joe Biden has proven time and time again that he is wrong for Michigan.”
“Joe Biden will sleepwalk through his trip to Detroit. But Michiganders will not be dreaming when they see how the Biden-Harris economic policies have made it harder for families to put food on the table or afford to provide for their children,” added Team Trump Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita.
At Friday’s stop in Detroit, President Biden will discuss policy proposals he hopes to enact in the first 100 days of a second White House term, his campaign told The New York Times.
Fox News’ Kirill Clark contributed to this report.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are defying critics calling for the president to step away from the 2024 presidential race by launching a full offensive aimed at tying former President Trump to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 platform.
The effort comes amid Trump’s attempt to distance himself from Project 2025, a highly scrutinized initiative that’s been portrayed as a blueprint for a future Republican administration to restructure many parts of the U.S. government. Trump has described elements of the plan as “ridiculous” and “abysmal.”
“Donald Trump’s Project 2025 team is stacked with the same extremists who helped him rip away women’s freedoms, round up and deport Latinos, and undermine our democracy in his first term,” Biden campaign spokeswoman Sarafina Chitika told Fox News Digital.
“If Trump wins this election, his Project 2025 allies will work around the clock to make sure he can go even further to ban abortion nationwide, gut Social Security and Medicare, and rule as a ‘dictator on day one.’ Donald Trump and Project 2025 are one and the same — and voters are going to make sure they both lose this November.”
Although it’s not officially associated with Trump’s campaign, Chitika’s use of the term “Trump’s Project 2025 team” is a reference to the individuals who created the initiative in 2023 largely having previously held roles within the former president’s administration, including Paul Dans, who directed the project and served as Trump’s White House Liaison to the Office of Personnel Management.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., hinted during a CNN interview on Thursday that the Democratic Party may need to consider another nominee to stop former President Trump from retaking the White House.
A growing number of Democratic officials and party leaders have called for President Biden to step aside and let another candidate become their 2024 nominee after his widely panned performance in June’s presidential debate. One plan that has been floated is Vice President Kamala Harris replacing Biden atop the ticket.
CNN host Manu Raju spoke to Connolly about this proposal, noting, “The New York Times is reporting just now that the Biden campaign is conducting private polling testing Kamala Harris, and seeing how she does in a matchup against Trump.”
“I‘m not going to make a judgment as to whether that‘s wise or not. It‘s clearly an option that needs to be on the table,” Connolly said.
Towards the end of the interview, Raju asked, “Next week, will Joe Biden still be your candidate next week?”
“I don’t know, events are unfolding very fast and, you know, I want to create space for the president and the White House to make a careful, reflective, and patriotic decision,” Connolly said.
Ron Klain, a former White House chief of staff in the Biden administration, wrote on X Friday that “with yesterdays press conf and this new poll, it’s time to end the freak out and unite behind the Democratic nominee and the only person who has ever beaten Trump.”
Klain highlighted a new national NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll that found President Biden has taken a slight 50% to 48% lead over former President Trump in a head-to-head matchup.
However, the same poll also found that when third-party candidates are factored into the race, Trump leads Biden 43% to 42%, NPR reports.
Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., publicly supports President Biden as he faces calls to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election. But in private, she is reportedly encouraging lawmakers to continue to put pressure on Biden to reconsider his decision to run for re-election, according to reports.
A number of House Democrats told The Hill that Pelosi is advising members in their conference against rallying to Biden before there is a broader discussion over whether he is the best candidate to defeat former President Trump. While she has not called on Biden to step aside, Pelosi is reportedly telling vulnerable lawmakers in swing districts to do so if they think that will help them win re-election.
“I did have a conversation with her, she is very concerned,” one House Democratic lawmaker told The Hill. “It’s not like she’s like, ‘We’re sticking with this guy.'”
EXCLUSIVE: Make America Great Again Inc., a top super PAC supporting former President Trump’s 2024 White House campaign, says it raked in $104 million during the April-June second quarter of 2024 fundraising.
And in figures shared first with Fox News on Friday, MAGA Inc. highlighted that it has nearly $114 million cash-on-hand in its coffers.
The announcement from MAGA Inc. comes a week and a half after Trump’s campaign showcased that it and the Republican National Committee hauled in a staggering $331 million in the past three months, topping the massive $264 million raked in by President Biden’s re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee during the second quarter.
Trump’s haul was fueled in part by a fundraising surge following the former president’s history-making guilty verdicts this spring in his criminal trial.
The super PAC announced a month ago that it would spend $100 million this summer on a major ad blitz in the key battleground states in support of the former president.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told ‘Fox & Friends’ on Friday morning that President Biden is surrounded by “co-conspirators” who are trying to hide his actual condition from the public in a “Soviet-style” manner.
Burgum, speaking following Biden’s NATO press conference last night, said “America can’t unsee what they saw in the debate and they can’t unsee what they saw in this press conference and certainly there is confusion going on, but the bigger confusion is that he may confused that he is actually capable of doing the job.
“We know that he is surrounded by people that are co-conspirators in this thing” Burgum continued, noting that Biden’s condition has been “hidden” from the public “almost in an old, Soviet-style thing.”
“Like ‘hey our leader is fine’ but though actually he is not. And of course now you see media, you see the elites, you see Hollywood all turning on him,” Burgum said.
Burgum is a contender to be former President Trump’s running mate on the Republican ticket. When asked Friday if Trump has decided on his VP pick, Burgum said “Nobody knows except President Trump.”
A new national NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll has found that President Biden has taken a slight 50% to 48% lead over former President Trump in a head-to-head matchup.
The results also found that no other mainstream Democrat that has been floated as a potential replacement for Biden on the Democrat ticket — if the 81-year-old eventually drops out of the race — performs better than him against Trump.
Almost two-thirds of the 1,300 respondents said they believe Biden is not mentally fit to be president, including nearly 4 in 10 Democrats.
The poll also found that when third-party candidates are factored into the race, Trump leads Biden 43% to 42%, NPR reports.
Former President Donald Trump maintains a lead over President Biden
following the latter’s disastrous debate performance last month, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
According to the poll, Trump currently holds an approval rating of 44%, while Biden trails with 40% — with Trump leading Biden by double digits on three key issues.
Approximately 68% of respondents told Pew Research that they are generally unsatisfied with their available choices for the presidential election.
The report published Thursday is Pew’s first to come out since Biden’s confused and sometimes unintelligible performance at the first 2024 presidential debate.
Trump’s advantage over Biden comes from his dominant position on three issues important to voters: immigration, the economy and foreign policy.
Trump holds a 17 point lead over Biden on immigration policy (52-35%), a 14 point lead over Biden on economic policy (54-40%), and a 10 point lead on foreign policy (49-39).
Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., admitted to NBC on Friday that President Biden is not the same person as he was two years ago.
“You’re traveling with him next week, you’ve spent more time with the president than just about anybody else in the House, is this the same Joe Biden that we saw two years ago?” interviewer Craig Melvin asked Clyburn, who had endorsed Biden in the 2020 presidential race.
“Well, look, I grew up in…” Clyburn started to say before he was asked again “Is it the same Joe Biden?”
“No,” Clyburn said emphatically, adding that “I’m not the same Jim Clyburn that I was four years ago.”
Clyburn later said he doesn’t think Biden, physically, is the same as he was during the last presidential election cycle.
“Mentally, I do think so,” Clyburn declared. “He is still grasping what this country is all about.”
“He has one of the best minds that I have ever been around,” Clyburn also said about Biden. “I would hope that we will focus on the substance of this man, rather than these sometimes, misspoken words and phrases, and how he has run this country.”
Critics said President Biden’s Thursday press conference was the “worst possible outcome” for Democrats as turmoil within their party continues.
“This is gonna end in the worst possible place for Democrats. Several verbal gaffes. Does nothing to quell nerves. Yet nothing sufficient enough for Democrats to break out the political long needle on his candidacy tonight,” Ruthless podcast host Josh Holmes said.
“So far this is a very similar Goldilocks performance to Biden’s ABC News interview: not bad enough to open the floodgates, but not good enough to silence the critics. A frustrating spot for Dems,” National Journal Hotline editor Kirk A. Bado said.
“Trump, RNC benefit, while Democrats waiting to release statements hardest hit,” The Spectator editor-at-large Ben Domenech added on X, former known as Twitter.
“This presser going to be a Rorschach test that doesn’t lead to definitive action on its own,” said Kyle Saunders, political science professor at Colorado State University. “The problem is that this isn’t fatality bad, it’s just not that good either. Right in that no win zone. Exactly what the Ds did not need.”
Pennsylvania voters Rich Cupka and Kale Ogunbor joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ on Friday to react to President Biden’s press conference last night, describing it as “not inspiring at all.”
Cupka, a business owner, said he believes undecided voters in Pennsylvania were not swayed by Biden’s performance.
“He called Donald Trump his vice president… it’s not inspiring at all,” Cupka said.
Ogunbor, a Penn State student and Campus Reform correspondent, criticized Biden’s comments last night in which the President said “most presidential historians give me credit for having accomplished more than most any president since [Lyndon B.] Johnson and maybe before that.”
“I think President Biden is historic probably for the wrong reasons, given his most recent debate performance,” she said. “Ultimately, the president also joined TikTok thinking that was going to woo over my generation – but we are smarter than that. We realize that most of the people who are our age cannot afford homes, the economy is not the way it was pre-covid.
First Lady Jill Biden is campaigning Friday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reacted to President Biden’s highly-anticipated press conference at the 2024 NATO Summit on Thursday, saying the commander-in-chief made it clear that he’s not stepping away from the 2024 race.
Blagojevich told Fox News host Jesse Watters on “Jesse Watters Primetime” he believes Biden will stay in the race despite growing calls from members of his own party to step aside.
“The only way they can get a new candidate is if [Biden] willingly agrees, if he willingly agrees to step aside. He’s made it clear that he’s going to run. It sure looks like all the indications are that he’s going to run,” the former governor said.
Blagojevich added that Democrats are in a “real bind” because millions of people have already voted in state primaries for Biden to be their party’s nominee, but actor George Clooney, Hollywood elites and others are saying he should withdraw.
“What’s happened to the Democratic Party is really a question of whether they’re going to stand with the working people that supposedly they’re for, which they’ve actually abandoned, or whether they’re going to listen to their Hollywood Wall Street financiers and Silicon Valley billionaires with regard to what they want,” he told Watters.
President Biden faced a wave of mockery online after he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday as “President Putin.”
“And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination,” Biden said at a NATO conference on Thursday in Washington, D.C. “Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.” Biden seemed to realize his embarrassing verbal stumble mentioning Russian President Vladimir Putin, and came back to the lectern to correct himself.
“President Putin? He’s going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy. I’m so focused on beating Putin,” he said. “We got to worry about it. Anyway, Mr. President.”
Commentators across social media responded with mockery and dread about America’s commander-in-chief is mixing up world leaders on a global stage.
“Anyone else might be able to explain this away, but he’s making way too many mistakes to not take a hit for this gaffe,” former Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker wrote. “@JoeBiden was not fit to be President in 2020, nor is he now.”
The Spectator contributing editor Stephen L. Miller mused about the prospect of being “a fly on the wall of the House Democrats watching when this happened… right off the bat.”
Several Democrats and progressives rushed to the defense of President Biden as he fielded questions from reporters at the NATO summit about his mental acuity and whether he has what it takes to be successful in the 2024 race for the White House.
“To answer the question on everyone’s minds: No, Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs. He’s just that f—ing good,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates wrote in a post to X.
Amid growing calls from members of his own party for him to step aside in the presidential election, Biden dismissed the notion he’s “slowing down” and insisted at a press conference Wednesday evening he was “determined on running” in this year’s election.
“Am I getting the job done? Can you name me somebody who’s got more major pieces of legislation passed in 3½ years? I created 2,000 jobs just last week. So, if I slow down, I can’t get the job done,” Biden said. “That’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it. But there’s no indication of that yet. None.”
U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen of Illinois on Thursday became the 17th Democratic lawmaker to publicly call on President Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
In a statement posted on X, Sorensen praised Biden for having dedicated the “bulk of his life” in public service. He noted that Biden ran for president in 2020 “with the purpose of putting country over party.”
“Today, I am asking him to do that again,” Sorensen said.
Sorensen stressed the importance of having a candidate “who will communicate a positive vision for every person in this country” and had “the strength and wisdom needed to lead us through the worst storms.”
“Every day, I remain committed to the people of Central and Northwestern Illinois. I believe our best days are still ahead,” Sorensen said. “And today, I am hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for president.”
Another billionaire, self-described ‘global citizen,’ calls on Biden to drop out of race
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson has joined the growing list of business leaders calling for President Biden to step aside and let another Democrat run as the party’s nominee in 2024.
In a blog post on Friday, the billionaire entrepreneur heaped praise on Biden for his accomplishments while in the White House, but said, “Now is the time that he should consider what’s at stake and step back from another run.”
“Standing down now wouldn’t have to mean the end of a lifetime in public service, either,” Branson said of Biden. “He could still do enormous good in the world. But his desire to carry on has created a dangerous distraction from the issues this presidential race should really focus on. It’s not too late to make the right decision now and step aside — for America, and for the free world.”
THESE BUSINESS LEADERS HAVE CALLED ON BIDEN TO DROP OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL RACE
A Virgin spokesperson said Branson, who is a citizen of the U.K., typically does not comment on politics in the U.S., “however he felt, as a business leader outside of the U.S. looking in, the need to speak up this time given how this impacts the rest of the world.”
Branson is the latest high-profile business leader to publicly urge Biden to drop his re-election bid after the president’s disastrous performance in the June 27 debate against former President Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
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Following the debate debacle, which sparked widespread concerns about Biden’s mental acuity, a number of Democratic megadonors in the business world came forward asking Biden to pass the baton, including Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and Walt Disney heir Abigail Disney.
Biden has remained defiant and says he will not step aside because he believes he is the best person to beat Trump.
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However, pressure is building for the Democrat to exit the contest after he made a series of gaffes Thursday during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., and during his press conference afterward.
Trump has a ‘real opportunity’ to win deep-blue state, former governor admits
Former New York Gov. George Pataki argued the Empire State is up for grabs this November, warning Democratic voters are coming to terms with the fact that Biden is “screwing up royally” as he flounders in the polls.
Pataki joined “Fox & Friends” to explain why he believes New York could be considered a swing state this election cycle, as Democrats are reportedly concerned behind the scenes that Biden doesn’t have what it takes to win, or serve, a second term.
DEMS RUSH TO DEFEND BIDEN AMID HIGH STAKES PRESS CONFERENCE: ‘VERY STRONG PERFORMANCE’
“It’s [been] a long time since anybody asked me if New York is a battleground state, but this year I’m getting asked that a lot, and I think it’s because it is,” Pataki said. “And for that to happen, you need a number of different things. First is you need Democratic voters, a million Democratic voters, to look at their party, look at their candidates, and say, ‘We’re screwing up royally,’ and you have that. You have the chaos at the top of the Democratic ticket.”
“You have inflation, you have the migrant crisis in New York City and now in the suburbs, and it’s leading a lot of Democrats to say, ‘Hey, wait a second, maybe my party has let me down, and I… should try something different,’” he continued.
According to Siena College Research Institute, Biden is polling only eight points ahead of Trump in the Empire State. Biden defeated Trump in 2020 in New York by 23 points.
From February to June of this year alone, Trump has surged 3% in the polls and Biden has lost 1% in popularity.
Pataki, who was New York’s last Republican governor from 1995 to 2006, said Trump’s unconventional campaigning is helping him break through traditional political barriers.
“You need a candidate who’s going to campaign differently, and you saw that with President Trump,” Pataki said. “He held his rally in New York, not on Long Island, not in some suburb, but in the South Bronx, and that’s exactly what you have to do. You have to reach out to minority voters, African-American voters, Latino voters, and, of course, Jewish voters are very upset with Biden, so there’s a real opportunity in New York.”
BIDEN’S ‘BIG BOY’ NATO NEWS CONFERENCE CARRIES HIGH STAKES AS FIRST PRESSER SINCE DISASTROUS DEBATE
Trump held a massive rally in the South Bronx back in May, gathering thousands of supporters in Crotona Park as he vowed to “save” the Big Apple from Democratic policies. He called it a “city in decline,” but vowed to turn the trajectory “around.”
Meanwhile, Biden has faced mounting criticism in recent weeks and even bipartisan calls to drop out of the presidential race as critics worry about his fitness for office.
The concern was initially expedited by a faulty debate performance against Trump in June where he appeared to lose his train of thought and freeze at times.
Despite ongoing calls to step down from his candidacy, the president made it clear in a gaffe-ridden NATO press conference, and prior interactions with the media, that he would not end his campaign.
During the course of the high-stakes news conference on Thursday, Biden referred to Vice President Harris as “Vice President Trump” and said “anyway” at least nine times while appearing to lose his train of thought.
Prior to the briefing, Biden also introduced Ukraine President Zelenskyy as President “Putin.”
“This is just an ongoing disaster,” Pataki said.
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Aaron Rodgers might have let it slip that the Jets could make a blockbuster trade
Aaron Rodgers may have had a Freudian slip.
The New York Jets quarterback was playing at the American Century Championships in Lake Tahoe earlier this week when he appeared to reveal he will be playing with one of the best wide receivers he’s ever played with “again.”
Rodgers and Davante Adams were teammates eight years in Green Bay, becoming one of the best duos in modern history.
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Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of the 2022 season, and then the Packers sent Rodgers to the Jets a year later.
Now we have to wonder if a reunion is coming.
“I love Davante. Can’t wait to play with him,” Rodgers said, adding “again” after a slight pause.
Adams said Thursday Rodgers is “in [his] ear” about a reunion, and Jets running back Breece Hall may be in on the discussion.
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“Hey, you never know. We’re always talking, we’re always scheming. I’m on board,” Hall said on Friday’s “Up & Adams.” “With him, Garrett [Wilson] and Mike Williams, just pick your poison.
“Either they beat you or I do.”
Rodgers has continued to speak highly of Adams, even after their respective departures. Over his last five seasons, Adams has averaged 119 receptions for 1,489 yards and 13 touchdowns per 17 games.
Perhaps Adams would be on the trade market, or even a Jet by now, had the Raiders not retained Antonio Pierce, who got the nod as the team’s interim head coach after the firing of Josh McDaniels.
Adams’ 1,144 receiving yards were his lowest since his 997 in 2019. Through his first three games last year, he had 322, including 172 in Week 3, but he failed to reach the 80-yard mark for six straight weeks afterward.
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He reminded everyone what he is capable of doing in Week 17, when he caught 13 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
The Raiders are not much of a contender, and the Jets surely are. Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.
Single mom dies in frantic effort to save 6-year-old son from carjacker
An Ohio mom who jumped in front of her own car in an effort to save her sleeping 6-year-old son from carjackers died Thursday after the thieves sent her flying onto the pavement.
Alexa Stakely, 29, was picking up her son from his babysitter’s condo at 6300 Blue Knoll Drive in Canal Winchester when she put him in a car seat and went back inside to grab some of his stuff around 1:30 a.m., according to city police.
When she came out again, she saw a stranger in the driver’s seat of her 2022 Honda SUV.
She tried to stop him by jumping on the hood. He hit the gas, throwing her onto the pavement and causing a fatal head injury.
SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS FLORIDA CARJACKER ABANDON KIDNAPPED CHILD ON SIDE OF ROAD
Police were on the hunt for two male suspects in connection with the case after they allegedly dumped the car up the road and ran away, hopping over a fence into a neighboring apartment complex. They were part of a larger group of people seen on surveillance video peeping through windows earlier that night, according to authorities.
Police found the child in the abandoned vehicle. He was not physically harmed.
Stakely earned a master’s degree from Ohio State and worked as a speech-language therapist at a local elementary school, police said. She was a single mom and worked a second job as a waitress to provide for her son and was picking up her son after her shift.
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“She was a great mom who was incredibly dedicated to her son,” school officials said in a statement posted to the district’s website “Ms. Stakely made a difference in the lives of the students and families she worked with and will be missed by so many in our community and beyond.”
Police are asking anyone with information on the suspects to call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. Anyone with security video showing the incident or the suspects in the area is asked to submit it at this link.
CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY: EXPERT SHARES DOS AND DON’TS TO PROTECT KIDS FROM ACCIDENT INJURIES
The incident is a deadly example of a problematic trend, according to Kids and Car Safety, an advocacy group. By its count, 56 incidents around the country have been reported so far in 2024 involving a child left alone in a car that was later stolen.
CALIFORNIA COUPLE HIKES UP HAWAII VOLCANO TO ESCAPE CARJACKING, ROBBERY
“Thieves watch for vehicles to be left running or unattended with the keys inside,” the group’s director, Amber Rollins, said in a statement. “Most of the time, they don’t realize there is a child inside until after they have stolen the vehicle.”
Rollins is urging parents to never leave their children or pets alone in a vehicle, regardless of age, and she says you should lock your doors every time you get out of the vehicle, even if it’s just to pump gas.
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Businesses that offer drive-thru and curbside service have a built-in safety feature because parents don’t have to get out of their car, she said.
“If a business doesn’t offer curbside delivery, call upon arrival and ask them to bring your order to your car,” she added. “Most people are more than happy to accommodate you when you tell them you have small children. It takes a village.”
Gordon Ramsay’s wife makes confession about their adult kids’ living situation
Gordon Ramsay and his wife, Tana, aren’t anywhere close to being empty-nesters.
During an episode of Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin’s podcast, “Postcards from Midlife,” Tana revealed that all four of her adult children have moved back home.
“They left home, and they’ve all come back,” she said of her four oldest kids. “They moved out of our house three years ago to renovate.”
The couple share six children together: Megan, 26, twins Jack and Holly, 24, Matilda, 22, Oscar, 5, and Jesse, 8 months.
GORDON RAMSAY’S 6TH CHILD MAKES HIM ‘OLDEST DAD’ AT SCHOOL DROP-OFF
“By the time we finished the [house renovation] project and moved back in three weeks ago, everyone has a bedroom again,” she admitted. “They’ve all moved home. Holly lives in Nottingham, but she’s always coming back to London and obviously wants a bedroom with her boyfriend.”
With a full house comes a full list of demands, according to Tana.
“They’re all so fussy,” she joked. “Holly won’t eat dairy at the moment. Tilly eats fish, but not meat. They never used to be like this, so the little ones are the easiest.”
“All the kids are quite demanding, but I love it,” she added.
The couple welcomed their sixth child in November.
The baby boy will make Ramsay, 57, the “oldest dad” at school drop-off, he joked during a 2023 interview with “Entertainment Tonight.”
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Becoming a dad again was “extraordinary,” Ramsay told the outlet. “Really extraordinary, just blessed. I’m also sure I’ll be the oldest dad at the drop-off at school, so I’ll keep my cap and glasses on.”
Ramsay and Tana announced the birth of Jesse James Ramsay on Instagram.
“What an amazing birthday present please welcome Jesse James Ramsay, 7lbs 10oz whopper,” Ramsay, who celebrated his birthday on Nov. 8, wrote in the caption. “One more bundle of love to the Ramsay brigade!! 3 boys, 3 girls…. Done.”
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“It’s been a nerve-wracking 9 months but we’ve made it and we have been blessed with this little bundle. Ramsay family definitely complete. Jesse James Ramsay we love you so much,” Tana wrote in her post.
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Ramsay and his wife both come from large families, which has made having six children “second nature.”
“I’m one of four, Gordon’s one of four, so it’s sort of second nature to me,” Tana told People magazine in September.
“Jack’s a Royal Marine commando, off defending the country in some of the most extreme conditions,” according to Ramsay. “Megan’s an incredible police officer. Holly’s gone into fashion. Tilly’s studying at university for her degree. Tana and I came from a family with no degrees.”
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Actor’s son arrested for alleged assault with deadly weapon on his mother
Nicolas Cage’s son, Weston Cage, was arrested on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon after turning himself in on a warrant issued earlier this year.
Fox News Digital confirmed from a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson that Weston walked into the 77th precinct during the early hours of Wednesday, July 10. He has since been released on bond.
The 33-year-old was booked at 7:57 a.m. and was released a few hours later at 9:50 a.m. on a $150,000 bond.
Fox News Digital confirmed “Weston’s warrant stems from a police report that was completed for battery during an incident on April 28th.”
NICOLAS CAGE NEVER THOUGHT HE WOULD HAVE THREE CHILDREN WITH THREE DIFFERENT WOMEN
On April 28, Weston and his mother, Christina Fulton, got into an argument at Christina’s Los Angeles home, People magazine reported. The argument allegedly became physical.
The outlet reported that law enforcement officials said, “Cage punched two victims multiple times.” The alleged incident led to injuries. The case was presented to the Los Angeles district attorney’s office May 10, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon were filed against Weston.
Weston and Nicolas Cage’s representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Nicolas shares his oldest son, Weston, 33, with his ex Christina Fulton, his middle son Kal-El, 18, with his third wife, Alice Kim, and his 22-month-old daughter, August, with his fifth wife, Riko Shibata.
Weston has been arrested before and has been open about his substance abuse problems. According to People magazine, Weston was arrested for a DUI hit-and-run in Los Angeles in 2017.
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In 2015, Nicolas’ son told the outlet about his sobriety journey, saying, “It got to the point where people thought I was digging my grave.”
Weston, a father of four, told the outlet that having his children helped him during his sobriety journey.
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“Having the combination of Danielle and Lucian and my father in my life, just that trinity right there, basically is going to keep me here,” Weston said at the time.
‘Rust’ prop supplier denies providing live ammunition in fatal shooting
“Rust” prop supplier Seth Kenney, the owner of PDQ Props, was called to the stand to testify during a special motions hearing Friday, July 12.
Morrissey showed Kenney an image of a text message screenshot conversation between Kenney and former Arizona police officer Troy Teske, who was also a friend of Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s father, Thell Reed. The images showed rounds of ammunition.
Kenney confirmed that the rounds of ammunition had previously come from the set of “1883” in Texas.
When asked if that ammo was brought to the “Rust” scene at Bonanza Creek Ranch, Kenney said “definitely not.”
“Have you learned a few things about the evidence in the case and the live rounds that were found on rest since November 1st of 2021?,” Morrissey asked Kenney, to which he responded, “Yes.”
Morrissey pressed, “Do you still believe these are evidence in the accidental death?” to which Kenney responded, “definitely not.”
“I have never spent more time with a single box of dummy rounds than the rounds that came from ‘1883,’ the dummy rounds that went to ‘Rust,'” Kenney said. “So there was never a question in my mind that I provided the live ammunition to ‘Rust.'”
Hours earlier, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the jury in Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” movie shooting trial until Monday morning at 8:30 am local time.
Sommer heard arguments concerning live rounds that were handed over to law enforcement after the conclusion of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s trial.
Baldwin’s lawyers claimed the prosecution concealed the live rounds from the defense by labeling the evidence under a different case number. Alex Spiro also noted that the rounds were not sent to the FBI for analysis despite possibly matching rounds in prop distributor Seth Kenney’s possession.
Alec Baldwin’s legal team filed three previous motions to dismiss the actor’s involuntary manslaughter charge.
In his first motion to dismiss, Baldwin’s team accused the prosecution of acting unethically and failing to present crucial evidence to a grand jury in a motion to dismiss the indictment, obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Enough is enough,” the court documents, filed in March, stated. “This is an abuse of the system, and an abuse of an innocent person whose rights have been trampled to the extreme.”
In May, the defense filed a motion to dismiss the indictment for failure to allege a criminal offense and an additional motion to dismiss the indictment with prejudice based on the state’s destruction of evidence.
Baldwin’s lawyers argued it was impossible for the actor to know a live round had been introduced to the movie set, therefore he couldn’t have committed involuntary manslaughter.
“With no awareness that the firearm might contain live rounds, Baldwin had no reason to believe — zero — that his manipulation of the firearms could lead to death, let alone a belief that his alleged actions posed a substantial risk to Hutchins.”
Baldwin’s lawyers also brought up the destroyed firearm. The Pietta 45 Colt revolver replica was destroyed during testing conducted by the FBI at the request of the prosecution. The “intentional” destruction of the gun by the prosecution keeps Baldwin from having a fair trial, according to the court docs.
All three motions to dismiss were denied by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.
Alec Baldwin
was seen smiling as he left the courtroom for lunch amid day three of legal back-and-forth.
The actor’s legal team argued for a dismissal of the “Rust” movie set shooting trial in a special motions hearing Friday, July 12. The hearing, which was intended to last around 45 minutes, will now likely take up the entire day after the jury was recessed by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.
Baldwin held hands with his sister Beth Keuchler at one point and was seen smiling as he exited the courtroom for the daily lunch break.
Keuchler has attended each day of the trial after missing the day of jury selection.
Baldwin could be sentenced to 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The actor was hit with the criminal charge in January 2024, nearly three years after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Alec Baldwin’s lawyer battled it out in court Friday, July 12 over new evidence in the “Rust” case.
After the jury was recessed by Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer so a motions hearing could continue, the courtroom was released for lunch.
“Is this a serious threat to your case?” Fox News’ Jonathan Hunt asked Morrissey.
“I wouldn’t even know what to say yet,” the special prosecutor replied.
Morrissey spoke to press about her confidence in the case outside the courthouse following jury selection on Tuesday, July 9.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment on that right now,” she told Fox News. “We’re pretty early in the process.”
Morrissey later added: “We’re just here to present our evidence and we are going to do that. We’re going to respect whatever decision the jury makes. This is an important process and I trust and believe in the jury system.”
Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, shared an intimate moment after the court heard tense arguments over new evidence entered in the “Rust” trial.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sent the jury home Friday, July 12 without hearing any testimony for the trial due to a special motions hearing where the defense argued the case should be dismissed.
Shortly after the jury was recessed, Baldwin appeared to whisper in Hilaria’s ear while the couple embraced.
The jury will return Monday, July 15 to continue hearing testimony from the prosecution’s witnesses.
Baldwin’s legal team and the special prosecutors will continue the hearing on the latest motion to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge Friday. Alex Spiro, the actor’s lawyer, has accused the prosecution of concealing evidence from the defense.
Alec Baldwin announced his family would be the subject of an upcoming reality TV show shortly before his involuntary manslaughter trial began.
The “Rust” star has been criticized for the move, which was labeled by one expert as a “terrible PR blunder.”
“When you’re on trial for something like this it has to be your sole focus,” defense attorney Timothy Parlatore told Fox News Digital. “This trial will be over in less than two weeks. There is no need to go and do these things before a trial in a way that can negatively impact you.”
Baldwin’s wife, Hilaira, has also been criticized for bringing one of their seven children to court before seemingly handing the child off to a nanny in front of the throng of press cameras.
“It appears to me to be a very cynical, calculated public relations move to possibly have an impact on the jury or the jury pool, to try to get sympathy for Alec Baldwin, and that’s why he not only brought his baby, but allowed his baby to be taken from the car and photographed,” Gloria Allred, the attorney for cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ family, said.
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer recessed the jury in Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” movie shooting trial until Monday morning at 8:30 am local time.
The judge chose to send the jury home in order to continue the special motions hearing that began around 9 am local time Friday, July 12. Judge Sommer heard arguments concerning live rounds that were handed over to law enforcement after the conclusion of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s trial.
Baldwin’s lawyers claimed the prosecution concealed the live rounds from the defense by labeling the evidence under a different case number. Alex Spiro also noted that the rounds were not sent to the FBI for analysis despite possibly matching rounds in prop distributor Seth Kenney’s possession.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey argued the rounds were not considered “exculpatory evidence.”
While the trial is paused for the day, Judge Sommer will hear from lead “Rust” detective Cpl. Alexandria Hancock along with Kenney and Gutierrez Reed’s lawyer Jason Bowles about the new evidence.
Alec Baldwin’s lawyer Alex Spiro claimed the live ammunition that was turned over to law enforcement after the conclusion of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s trial was never sent to the FBI for analysis.
New evidence was given to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department by Troy Teske, a family friend of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed. Baldwin’s lawyer claimed the new evidence supported the theory that prop distributor Seth Kenney brought live ammunition onto the “Rust” set in 2021.
“[Teske] turned in multiple 45 rounds, including rounds that matched with rounds that struck Mrs. Hutchins, right?” Spiro questioned crime scene technician Marissa Poppell.
“Again, I wouldn’t use the word match without further analysis,” she explained.
“And the reason that we don’t have further analysis is you all didn’t send this to the FBI for further analysis, did you?” the lawyer questioned.
“We did not.”
“Right. Because if you had, it would have potentially proven the fact that all along this ammunition did come from Seth Kenney,” Spiro noted. “Isn’t that true?”
Poppell explained she was told the ammunition had originated from Joe Swanson and then was passed to Kenney.
Luke Nikas accused the prosecution of concealing evidence from Alec Baldwin’s legal team in the “Rust” movie shooting trial that “would be favorable” to the actor.
Nikas argued for dismissal, claiming the state withheld evidence that prop distributor Seth Kenney was the source of the live ammunition. Crime scene technician Marissa Poppell testified during cross-examination Thursday that a “good Samaritan” handed over live ammunition after the conclusion of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s trial to Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department.
The “good Samaritan” was Troy Teske, a family friend of Gutierrez Reed’s father.
Baldwin’s lawyers argued this information was not given to the defense or to Gutierrez Reed’s defense.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey told the judge this is “a wild goose chase” and that the live ammunition turned over after the trial’s conclusion had no evidentiary value. Morrissey argued the new ammo turned over after the completion of trial came from the same place as the ammo Gutierrez Reed claimed she pulled the live ammo from.
“None of this is exculpatory at all,” Morrissey later added. “This is the exact same batch of ammunition that has already been sent to the FBI and tested. Because it all came from the same place. There’s no reason for us to do it again.”
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ordered the state to produce the supplemental report and the rounds that Marissa Poppell took from Teske.
The judge changed her mind and asked to hear testimony from the crime scene technician on how she retrieved the live rounds from Teske.
Alec Baldwin’s attorney began the special motions hearing Friday by bringing up a side issue.
Alex Spiro accused special prosecutor Kari Morrissey of misconduct in the courtroom during the “Rust” movie set shooting trial.
“I got [an email] last night that indicated that the cameras are catching Kari Morrissey signaling witnesses while they’re on the witness stand,” Spiro told Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.
The New York-based attorney claimed he is having the photo printed to turn into the court.
“I was sent a photograph that concerned me. And, I felt obligated and like I said to the court, I try to not make these issues,” he explained before noting, “This is a high pressure case.”
“I can’t just continue to give the benefit of the doubt on every single thing that’s occurred in this case, I just can’t,” Spiro continued. “And so, I’ll be turning that into the court.”
Baldwin’s legal team previously argued the prosecution acted unethically and failed to present crucial evidence to a grand jury in their original motion to dismiss the indictment, obtained by Fox News Digital. “Enough is enough,” the court documents stated. “This is an abuse of the system, and an abuse of an innocent person whose rights have been trampled to the extreme.”
The motion was denied by Judge Sommer.
Alec Baldwin
was holding a Pietta 45 Colt revolver during the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyan Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021.
The gun’s manufacturer, Alessandro Pietta, testified in court Thursday, contradicting Baldwin’s claim that he did not pull the trigger of the gun.
“If you want to release the hammer you have to pull the trigger,” he told the jury.
Pietta also testified that only five rounds should have been loaded into the replica revolver so the firing pin did not rest on a round.
Crime scene technician Marissa Poppell testified five live rounds were found in different places on the “Rust” film set
when searched by investigators. The bullets were found on the prop cart, mixed in a box of dummy ammunition, and in two prop gun holsters.
The third day of Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” movie shooting trial will begin a little later as a special motions hearing will take place around 8:45 am local time.
The jury was instructed to return to court at 9:30 am instead of the typical 8:30 am.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer will hear arguments concerning evidence about ammunition provided to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s investigators by an individual after the trial of the movie set’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed.
The armorer was sentenced to 18 months in prison after a jury found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March.
The prosecution argued that Gutierrez Reed unknowingly brought live ammo onto the “Rust” set and then failed to identify the live rounds due to lack of safety.
Gutierrez Reed plans to appeal her conviction.
Alec Baldwin arrived to the courthouse around 8 am local time for the third day of witness testimony.
The actor didn’t speak to media as he entered the courthouse. He was accompanied by his wife, Hilaria, and his attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro.
The juror panel of 16, including four alternates, heard testimony from crime scene technician Marissa Poppell and lead “Rust” detective Cpl. Alexandria Hancock. Both testified about the testing done on the gun Baldwin held during the fatal shooting and the type of live ammunition found on the Western film set.
The jurors also heard from Italian gunmaker Alessandro Pietta
, who created the vintage gun used by Baldwin.
Baldwin claims he did not pull the trigger of the gun on Oct. 21, 2021. However, Pietta testified this was not possible.
“If you want to release the hammer you have to pull the trigger,” he told the jury.
Alec Baldwin’s female-heavy jury at his involuntary manslaughter trial – featuring 11 women and five men – could both help and hurt the embattled actor, experts told Fox News Digital.
Baldwin seems to have put the focus on his family throughout the trial. The actor appeared at jury selection alongside his wife, Hilaria, and one of their seven children. Baldwin’s brother, Stephen Baldwin, has also attended each day of the “Rust” movie shooting trial. Baldwin also shares Ireland Baldwin with ex-wife Kim Basinger.
“The defense may try to use to their advantage the fact that he has eight children, seven with Hilaria and a grandchild,” he said. “Females may be sympathetic to a father and grandfather along with his fame.”
However, a female-heavy jury could find Baldwin’s attorney’s personality abrasive.
“Sometimes being too aggressive on cross can backfire more with a female-heavy jury,” attorney Elizabeth Bunker told Fox News Digital. “It could go either way.”
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.