Fauci dismisses concerns over former President Trump’s gunshot wound
Dr. Anthony Fauci waved away concerns over former President Trump’s gunshot wound after the assassination attempt on Trump’s life during a rally in Pennsylvania last week.
On July 13, shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks fired a bullet that grazed the side of Trump’s head, hitting the top of his right ear. One spectator was killed and two others were critically injured by the assailant before he was shot dead by U.S. Secret Service agents.
Fauci, during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, said the public shouldn’t be very concerned about the extent of Trump’s wound and the former president’s treatment.
“I don’t think there is much more to it. I mean, from what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard, it was, it was a bullet shot that grazed his ear and injured his ear, according to the physicians who examined him. There was no other further damage,” Fauci said.
“So I think that with regard to the health related purely to the bullet itself, I think he’s he’s in the clear as far as I can see. I mean, it’s dangerous to make diagnoses from a distance from what I’m seeing, the way he’s acting now and what his physicians report saw. It seems to have been a superficial wound to the ear, and that’s all.”
Billy Ray Cyrus on Friday appeared at the funeral for Corey Comepratore, a volunteer firefighter, husband and father who was killed by gunfire last Saturday during a rally for former President Donald Trump.
The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer was seen taking photos and shaking hands with law enforcement in attendance outside Cabot United Methodist Church in Cabot, Pennsylvania, on Friday morning.
“Corey Comperatore is a[n] Army reservist veteran and former firefighter chief. Billy Ray Cyrus has always been passionate about honoring troops and first responders. Today he was honored to join the family and perform during the service,” a source told Fox News Digital on Friday.
The funeral for Comperatore, 50, drew hundreds of family members, friends and local law enforcement officials — both local and federal — to Cabot. Butler County residents, including those who knew the Comperatore family and those who did not, lined the rural roads surrounding the church with American flags and signs honoring Comperatore.
“American Hero Corey Comperatore,” one sign read. Another called the volunteer firefighter a “true hero.”
Comperatore died after being shot at the rally while protecting his family.
Former President Trump commemorated the fallen firefighter on Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, with Comperatore’s firefighter jacket and helmet displayed on stage.
“He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets… what a fine man he was,” Trump said during his RNC speech on Thursday. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin and Chris Eberhart contributed to this update.
The shot that killed the man
who attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last Saturday was a “one-in-a-million shot,” according to a source familiar with the investigation into the shooting.
Fox News learned from the source the kill shot was a single shot taken by a Secret Service counter sniper whose view was obscured.
A local tactical team also took a shot at the would-be assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, but missed.
The Secret Service sniper who killed Crooks could only see Crooks’ gun scope and the top of his eye and forehead because the lip of the roof was blocking the sniper’s view.
The source described the shot to Fox News as a “one-in-a-million shot.”
The news comes as more information begins to come out about the botched security detail that allowed Crooks to climb onto a building, get a clear line of sight of Trump and open fire on the former president.
While the Secret Service agents who stopped the shooter and jumped to protect Trump are being praised, the agency’s director, Kimberly Cheatle, has been harshly criticized for her handling of the matter.
The House Committee On Oversight and Accountability has scheduled a hearing for Monday with Cheatle, who is facing calls to resign from lawmakers over her agency’s handling of the Trump rally shooting.
The hearing, “Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump,” is scheduled to begin on Capitol Hill at 10 a.m. Monday.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Bryan Lienas contributed to this update.
A Kentucky college professor is “no longer” employed at Bellarmine University after his controversial comments on the assassination attempt on former President Trump went viral.
Professor John James reacted to the shooting with an Instagram post that read, “if you’re gonna shoot, man, don’t miss.” A screenshot of James’ post was captured and shared by Libs of TikTok, an account with 3.2 million followers on X.
After the Libs of TikTok post went viral, Bellarmine University announced that James had been placed on unpaid leave.
“Words and actions that condone violence are unacceptable and contrary to our values, which call for respecting the intrinsic value and dignity of every individual,” the school said in a statement. “We strive to create an inclusive community that welcomes all and models a spirit of goodwill. We are aware of an offensive and unacceptable social media post made by an employee over the weekend.”
In a July 16 update, the university said James “is no longer a Bellarmine employee.”
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Friday she will testify before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday.
“We are committed to better understanding what happened before, during and after the assassination attempt of former President Trump to ensure it never happens again,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., issued a subpoena to compel Cheatle to testify. The Department of Homeland Security requested that her testimony be delayed until later in the week, but the committee refused.
“Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about the Secret Service’s historic security failures that led to the attempted assassination of President Trump, murder of an innocent victim, and harm to others in the crowd. We look forward to Director Cheatle’s testimony on Monday, July 22 to deliver the transparency and accountability Americans deserve,” Comer said in a statement after Cheatle confirmed she will testify Monday.
House lawmakers have promised to exercise oversight on the Secret Service after former President Trump was shot at his July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Questions abound on how the shooter was able to take a sniper’s position on an unsecured rooftop within range of the president.
Cheatle has resisted calls for her resignation after the security failure.
A Pittsburgh man who witnessed the assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, Pa., last weekend recounted his amazement to Fox News Digital in watching the crowd erupt in cheers after the GOP nominee mouthed “Fight!” and fist-pumped moments after being shot.
Bob Crankovic said he was sitting behind Trump just off his right shoulder when the rally began.
Several minutes into the rally, Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa., attempted to kill Trump, but shot him in the ear after the former president turned at the last moment to explain a border policy graphic.
Crankovic, who has been active in local Republican circles since 2016, said it was approximately his fourth Trump rally, and that Saturday’s started just as the others had – with rallygoers bedecked in red hats and American flag-themed regalia.
However, after shots rang out, Crankovic saw Trump dropping and being smothered by Secret Service agents. What happened next was similarly shocking, he said.
“As soon as unfortunately the shots went out what happened was that I immediately ducked for cover,” he said. “By the time I happened to look up at the president, roughly around the second or third shot, he was already covered up,” he said.
“So it was tough to watch. But, I mean, as soon as the president got up, everybody was absolutely screaming their head off for the president in support.”
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Investigators are probing whether would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks flew a drone over the rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania, hours before he shot former President Trump on July 13.
A source familiar with the investigation confirmed reporting that Crooks flew a drone over the buildings he eventually climbed on to try to assassinate Trump.
A senior congressional source also tells Fox News they are looking into the matter, but could not confirm specifics of the drone.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks flew a drone to conduct reconnaissance at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds before Trump took the stage.
According to the Journal, Crooks flew the drone on a programmed flight path to the grounds on July 13, and officials said the path suggests the shooter flew the drone to the site more than one time ahead of the event.
A source told Fox News Digital that the FBI is looking at a drone linked to the shooting investigation, but pushed back on the specifics of The Wall Street Journal’s reporting.
The FBI declined to comment to Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Bryan Lienas, Chad Pergram, CB Cotton and Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this update.
There are now two working theories on how Thomas Crooks got a DPMS AR-15 rifle onto the roof of the AGR building in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday without being noticed prior to an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, who’s now the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
According to a federal law enforcement source briefed on the investigation, Crooks either hid his father’s rifle near the AC unit he used to climb up onto the roof of the AGR building, or he had it in the backpack he was spotted with, along with the golf range finder.
However, this source said hiding the rifle in his backpack would require a significant amount of disassembling and reassembling the rifle, and that the more likely scenario is that Crooks hid the rifle behind the AC unit.
Fox News has reported that Crooks bought a ladder and ammunition on the morning of the rally. However, federal law enforcement sources say that no ladder was found on site, and the working theory is that Crooks grabbed the rifle, climbed upon the AC unit and then climbed onto the roof.
We now also know that the unit inside that building was a Butler Township Emergency Services Unit sniper team who was doing “overwatch” on the event. This team was looking out of the windows of the building at the event, watching for any suspicious activity, while Crooks snuck up on the roof above them.
Fox News can also report that the Secret Service Counter Sniper who killed Crooks took only one shot.
Fox News’ Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.
Democrat godfathers make Biden an offer they hope he can’t refuse
Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic Party commission seem prepared to make Joe Biden an offer he can’t refuse: One way or another, he’s dropping out of this race, they say, either with his consent or with his legacy destroyed.
Just when Biden thought his candidacy was safe, after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump quieted talk of a swap at the top of the ticket, they pulled him back in, and now the pundits tell us that his campaign won’t survive the weekend. We’ll see.
For the bosses of the Democrat family, ending Biden’s political career is a three-step process. First they ask him to leave, then they tell him to leave, and finally they threaten to destroy him if he won’t wise up. We are almost at step three.
SOURCES CLOSE TO BIDEN ‘FURIOUS’ ABOUT GROWING CALLS TO GET HIM TO EXIT RACE
The advantages of step one are very clear. Had Biden selflessly and magnanimously put his own interests aside for the betterment of the party, if not the country, by dropping out, he might have seen the kind of double-digit approval bounce Lyndon Baines Johnson got in 1968. That boost would accrue to the benefit of the new candidate, likely Kamala Harris.
Likewise, he would secure his legacy as the caretaker president who saved the nation from the evils of the Trump Family and bestowed power upon the new, young generation.
That ship has sailed now, and we are squarely on step two. But Biden has already rejected team Obama when they told him, “that’s a nice legacy you got there. It’d be a shame if something happened to it.”
The threats from the editorial boards of The New York Times and Chicago Tribune, the consiglieres of the Democratic Party, have been ignored by an obstinate sitting president who for some reason, thinks he’s in charge.
LIBERAL NEWSPAPERS, BIDEN MEDIA ALLIES PRESSURE PRESIDENT TO DROP OUT OF RACE
Now Biden seems poised to wake up with a bloody equine head in his bed, and the Democrats have no shortage of horses to choose from.
Perhaps the tape of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur will be released. If the audio wasn’t humiliating to Biden, we would have it already, so not for nothing, it can’t be good. Attorney General Merrick Garland could have a sudden change of heart. These things happen.
Then there is his prodigal son, Hunter, who hopes to beat the rap and go legit with his art career. If Joe declines to run, there is no reason he can’t pardon the family Fredo, especially after the election, win or lose.
Finally, there is the 25th amendment, the ultimate play, in which Democrats would remove Biden from office, his legacy in tatters. He would be the only president ever kicked out of office for losing his marbles.
Basically, the Democrats have politely asked Joe, Jill and Hunter to leave the establishment. Soon the door will lock, and they will hear the words, “now youse can’t leave,” before the punches start flying.
So the Democrats don’t lack the cards to get Joe off the ticket, but at the same time, the big guy is not without his own moves. If he chooses not to go gently into the night, if he refuses to endorse Kamala Harris, then the Dems have a whole new contested convention headache.
Biden could also flip and turn state’s evidence, spilling tea on the Democrat’s family secrets, essentially burning down the party trying to throw him under the bus.
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No, this is still up to Joe, even if he is mumbling and drooling as he stumbles around in his bathrobe. He is still the boss for now, and if an attempt to topple him fails, the Bidens will be taking care of all the family business.
And if you think that isn’t possible, I’d ask you, now who’s being naive?
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The next few days will prove decisive, as Biden’s enemies reveal themselves. Can Joe Biden still hang on? Even win? Yeah, he can, and hell hath no fury like a boss betrayed.
Will Joe leave the presidency and take the cannolis? We will know soon, and either way, it could change everything in the race just three months from the finish line.
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Two new theories emerge on how Trump shooter was able to get AR-15 rifle onto roof
There are now two working theories on how Thomas Crooks got a DPMS AR-15 rifle onto the roof of the AGR building in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday without being noticed prior to an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, who’s now the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
According to a federal law enforcement source briefed on the investigation, Crooks either hid his father’s rifle near the AC unit he used to climb up onto the roof of the AGR building, or he had it in the backpack he was spotted with, along with the golf range finder.
FBI INTERVIEWS CLASSMATE OF TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS OVER DISLIKE FOR POLITICIANS
However, this source said hiding the rifle in his backpack would require a significant amount of disassembling and reassembling the rifle, and that the more likely scenario is that Crooks hid the rifle behind the AC unit.
Fox News has reported that Crooks bought a ladder and ammunition on the morning of the rally. However, federal law enforcement sources say that no ladder was found on site, and the working theory is that Crooks grabbed the rifle, climbed upon the AC unit and then climbed onto the roof.
TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS CROOKS’ ONLINE SEARCH HISTORY INCLUDED ‘DEPRESSIVE DISORDER,’ TRUMP, BIDEN, DNC
We now also know that the unit inside that building was a Butler Township Emergency Services Unit sniper team who was doing “overwatch” on the event. This team was looking out of the windows of the building at the event, watching for any suspicious activity, while Crooks snuck up on the roof above them.
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Fox News can also report that the Secret Service Counter Sniper who killed Crooks took only one shot.
DNC moves forward with Biden virtual roll call despite backlash from Dems
The rulemaking body of the Democratic National Convention is preparing to vote on President Biden as the party’s presidential nominee.
The Democratic National Convention’s Rules Committee members voted Friday for a virtual roll call on Aug. 7 to certify Biden’s victory, despite widespread upset over what many call visible mental decline.
The nearly 200 committee members will meet again on or before July 26 to formally adopt the virtual roll call format.
The vote itself will be held in the first week of August and is thus far expected to serve as a rubber stamp on the Biden campaign;
President Biden’s campaign is planning fundraising events that extend through to the end of the month.
The Biden-Harris ticket is holding a fundraiser on July 29th in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts that will feature special guests talk show legend David Letterman and Hawaiian Gov. Josh Green.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will be in attendance.
Green, who has been governor of Hawaii since 2022, is a personal friend of the Bidens. The governor is among the administration’s closest political allies.
“We support the President, the V.P. and the Democratic Party, in good and tough times because he has been there for us as a family and a state,” Green told the Associated Press.
With the Democratic Party set to follow through on plans for an early roll call nominating Biden as their presidential candidate, this fundraiser is further proof of the campaign’s commitment to staying on the ballot.
Vice President Kamala Harris
spoke on the phone with approximately 300 major Democratic Party donors on Friday, telling them there was nothing to worry about within President Biden’s campaign, despite the media kerfuffle.
“I will start by sharing something with all of you, something I believe in my heart of hearts. It is something I feel strongly you should all hear and should take with you when you leave, and tell your friends too,” Harris told the donors, according to multiple reports. “We are going to win this election. We are going to win.”
Harris spoke to donors via video for approximately five minutes, championing the Biden administration and sharply criticizing former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric at the Republican National Convention.
“Let me be clear: Trump’s convention this week was one big attempt to distract people,” Harris reportedly told donors. “He wants to distract attention away from his record and his Project 2025 plan. Can you believe they put it in writing? It is further empirical evidence that the stakes of this election couldn’t be higher.”
The call was intended to quell fears among party donors that backlash against Biden from within his party could prove disastrous for his campaign.
Biden has been consistent and clear that he intends to stay in the race and run against Trump in November as the Democratic Party nominee.
The Biden campaign took a swipe at “anonymous” sources that have relayed concerns from within the Democratic Party about the president’s candidacy as questions continue about his physical and mental state.
Campaign Spokesperson Kevin Munoz highlighted Biden TV interviews this past week and support from Black women and Hispanic groups, while linking Trump to the conservative Project 2025 agenda, which has been portrayed as a blueprint for a future Republican administration, which he has disavowed.
“Donald Trump and Republicans – despite claims of a ‘new tone – their message is the same: Revenge and retribution,” Munoz said in a memo released Friday evening highlighting why Biden should stay in the race. “Their convention focused on bowing down to Putin, mass deportation, and inflicting their Project 2025 agenda on the American people.”
Biden scrapped several campaign events this week after contracting COVID-19. He is self-isolating in Delaware. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is on the campaign trial.
“And as we’ve said before, President Biden is excited to get back on the campaign trail as soon as he can,” he added.
In making his case, Munoz highlighted the Republican National Convention that concluded Thursday in Milwaukee.
“Attendees brandished signs calling for ‘Mass Deportations Now,’ while an architect of Trump’s cruel family separation policy took center stage during the convention’s primetime slot,” he said.
“JD Vance, the poster child for Project 2025’s extremism, was unveiled as Trump’s running mate and, in becoming Trump’s vice presidential nominee, doubled down on a future of abortion bans, worse access to health care, and higher costs for middle-class Americans,” added Munoz.
Celebrity performs at funeral for firefighter who died shielding family at Trump rally
CABOT, Penn. – Billy Ray Cyrus on Friday appeared at the funeral for Corey Comepratore, a volunteer firefighter, husband and father who was killed by gunfire last Saturday during a rally for former President Donald Trump.
The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer was seen taking photos and shaking hands with law enforcement in attendance outside Cabot United Methodist Church in Cabot, Pennsylvania, on Friday morning.
“Corey Comperatore is a[n] Army reservist veteran and former firefighter chief. Billy Ray Cyrus has always been passionate about honoring troops and first responders. Today he was honored to join the family and perform during the service,” a source told Fox News Digital on Friday.
The funeral for Comperatore, 50, drew hundreds of family members, friends and local law enforcement officials — both local and federal — to Cabot. Butler County residents, including those who knew the Comperatore family and those who did not, lined the rural roads surrounding the church with American flags and signs honoring Comperatore.
TRUMP SHOOTING VICTIM COREY COMPERATORE’S FUNERAL DRAWS HUNDREDS, SECURITY ON HIGH ALERT
“American Hero Corey Comperatore,” one sign read. Another called the volunteer firefighter a “true hero.”
Comperatore died after being shot at the rally while protecting his family.
LAST WORDS OF ‘HERO’ FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED AT TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING REVEALED
Former President Trump commemorated the fallen firefighter on Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, with Comperatore’s firefighter jacket and helmet displayed on stage.
“He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets… what a fine man he was,” Trump said during his RNC speech on Thursday. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others.
TRUMP HONORS FALLEN FIREFIGHTER DURING RNC SPEECH
“This is the spirit that forged America in her darkest hours, and this is the love that will lead America back to the summit of human achievement and greatness.”
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Comperatore served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, served as chief of the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department in the early 2000s and was a church-going, loving father and husband.
WATCH: 5 of the most inflammatory moments from MSNBC hosts during the RNC
Despite calls on the left and right for the temperature to be dialed down following the assassination attempt against former President Trump, MSNBC hosts continued making inflammatory remarks during their coverage of the Republican National Convention this week.
Primetime hosts at the liberal network accused candidates of being secret racists and even gave a platform to conspiracy theories questioning if Trump was actually shot.
Here are five of the most eyebrow-raising remarks by MSNBC primetime hosts covering the RNC this past week.
Alex Wagner: JD Vance is a secret White nationalist, despite being married to an Indian woman
LIVE UPDATES: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
MSNBC host Alex Wagner attracted headlines after she claimed that Trump’s pick for vice president, JD Vance, dropped “Easter eggs of White nationalism” by saying during his RNC speech that he wanted to be buried in his family’s plot in Kentucky.
“I just think the construction of this notion reveals a lot about someone who fundamentally believes in the supremacy of whiteness and masculinity, and it’s couched in a sort of halcyon, you know, revisitation of his roots, but it is actually really revealing about what he thinks matters and who America is, and that America is a place for people with his shared Western background,” Wagner said.
Joy Reid: Getting better from COVID is like surviving getting shot
MSNBC’s Joy Reid, who questioned whether Trump was actually shot with a bullet at his rally on Saturday, argued on Wednesday that President Biden getting COVID-19 and recovering was “exactly the same thing” as Trump surviving an assassination attempt.
“This current President of the United States is 81 years old and has COVID, should he be fine in a couple of days, doesn’t that convey exactly the same thing? That he’s strong enough – older than Trump – to have gotten something that used to really be fatal to people his age. So, if he does fine out of it and comes back and is able to do rallies, isn’t that exactly the same?” Reid asked.
AMBER ROSE CLAPS BACK AT JOY REID AFTER CRITICIZING CONVENTION SPEECH: ‘STOP BEING A RACE BAITER’
Reid also seemed to entertain far-left theories casting doubt on the former president’s injuries.
“These two men are both elderly. Donald Trump is an elderly man who, for whatever reason, was given nine seconds to take an iconic photo op during an active shooter situation. Weird situation, we’ll figure that out one day,” Reid said.
The liberal host also suggested Trump was facing the “consequences” of his own “dangerous” rhetoric.
“The idea of political violence that we’ve been nursing really since then, is so dangerous,” she said. “It’s so dangerous that you cannot avoid the consequences of it, even if you’re one of the people promoting it.”
EDITOR AT ‘MAJOR NEWS OUTLET’ TELLS MEDIA TO BURY ICONIC PHOTO OF TRUMP AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: REPORT
Michael Steele: Was Trump actually shot?
MSNBC host Michael Steele was similarly accused of pushing “conspiracy theories” this week in questioning whether Trump’s ear was hit by a bullet.
“A person lost their life, two have been severely injured, and yet we’ve not received a medical report from the hospital, nor have we received a medical report from the campaign, or from the Trump organization about the extent of the damage to his ear,” Steele said.
“If he was shot by a high-caliber bullet, there should probably be very little ear there,” he continued. “And so, we’d like to know that. Is there cosmetic surgery involved? What is the prognosis for recovery? Were there stitches? What is the extent and nature of the damage to his ear? Was it caused by a bullet, as opposed to, as some reports … saying it was actually shards of glass from the teleprompter?”
Rachel Maddow: Liking ‘Lord of the Rings’ is racist?
Like her colleague Alex Wagner, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow had her own unusual take on JD Vance. Maddow drew a connection between the senator’s interest in “The Lord of the Rings” to the “far-right.”
“‘Lord of the Rings’ is a sort of favorite cosmos for naming things and cultural references for a lot of far-right and alt-right figures, both in Europe and the United States. Peter Thiel names all these things after Tolkien figures in places like his company Palantir, for example,” Maddow said.
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“Like his mentor, like Peter Thiel, who had given him all his jobs in the world, Mr. Vance also when he founded his own venture capital firm with help from Peter Thiel, named it after a Lord of the Rings thing,” Maddow said. “He called it Narya, N-A-R-Y-A, which you can remember because it’s Aryan, but you move the n to the front,” she continued.
“Apparently, that word has something to do with elves and rings from the Lord of the Rings series, I don’t know.”
Nicolle Wallace: ‘Right-wing’ extremism is the real threat
At another point this week, MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace became visibly frustrated over the way Biden had answered a question from NBC’s Lester Holt about “bullseye” rhetoric directed at Trump.
“There was one way to answer that question, and it was, ‘Lester, should I use the word bullseye or crosshair? No, but the FBI director that Donald Trump selected, his name is Christopher Wray, and he testified under oath before Congress that the greatest threat to this country is no longer foreign terrorism. It’s domestic violent extremism,'” Wallace said, growing angry as she spoke.
“Inside that threat, the biggest bucket by far is right-wing domestic violent extremism, so go talk to them,” she snapped while pointing her finger.
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The eyebrow-raising comments came as the liberal network found itself at the center of other controversies this week.
A New York Times report revealed MSNBC was projecting a live feed of the GOP convention as a background for several of its primetime shows, rather than reporting live from the event. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Jen Psaki, Joy Reid and other MSNBC anchors were not inside the convention hall or even in the same city, according to the report.
An MSNBC spokesman told the Times that at “the top of every broadcast, hosts identify themselves as being in New York or at MSNBC headquarters.” But critics say the live video feed of a bustling convention behind them sends a different impression to viewers tuning in throughout the night.
Still, the move drew mockery from CNN anchor Jake Tapper and others this week.
“We are here live, as opposed to some other networks that just have a big LED, who shall remain nameless,” Tapper said during an interview with Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.
The network also drew backlash from its own anchors after it pulled “Morning Joe” off the air on Monday in the aftermath of the assassination attempt against Trump two days prior.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee has passed away after battle with pancreatic cancer
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, has died at the age of 74 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, her office announced Friday night.
“Today, with deep grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas,” her office said in a statement.
Jackson Lee, who has been representing Texas’ 18th congressional district for 30 years, said last month she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“A fierce champion of the people, she was affectionately and simply known as ‘Congresswoman’ by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years,” the statement continued.
REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE SAYS SHE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH PANCREATIC CANCER
She previously battled breast cancer, having been diagnosed in 2011, before announcing the following year she was cancer free.
“A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children,” her office said.
Prior to her time in Congress, Jackson Lee served as a judge before she was elected to an at-large Houston City Council seat in 1989.
Last year, she ran an unsuccessful campaign for Houston mayor, losing by a wide margin to then-state Sen. John Whitmire, also a Democrat, before announcing she would seek re-election in Congress.
“Her legislative victories impacted millions, from establishing the Juneteenth Federal Holiday to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act,” her office stated.
“However, she impacted us most as our beloved wife, sister, mother, and Bebe (grandmother),” the statement continued. “She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy. God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America.”
Lawmakers mourned the congresswoman’s death after learning of her passing Friday night.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Jackson Lee was an “inimitable force for change and a warrior for justice over the course of her historic, trailblazing career.
“Sheila Jackson Lee was an accomplished legislator, passionate public servant, loving mentor and wonderful friend to so many of us in the Congressional Black Caucus and House Democratic Caucus family,” Jeffries said in a statement. “I am grateful for her fearless advocacy, fierce determination, formidable service and legacy of leadership. Rep. Jackson Lee will be deeply missed by so many in her district and throughout the nation. Our prayers are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time. May she forever rest in power.”
REP. JACKSON LEE RIPPED AFTER DEFENDING HER MOON GAFFE AND BLAMING IT ON GOP: ‘VOTE BETTER PEOPLE’
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The Congressional Black Caucus said Jackson Lee was a “titan” and “stalwart member of Congress.” The congresswoman was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“Jackson Lee was a patriot and a fighter to the very end,” the Congressional Black Caucus said in a statement. “Words cannot express the sense of loss our Caucus feels for our beloved friend. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.”
She is survived by her husband, Elwyn Lee, and her two children, Jason and Erica.
The congresswoman’s funeral arrangements are pending.
Country star set to release ‘Make America Great Again’ song after RNC performance
EXCLUSIVE: Country music star Brian Kelley performed at the 2024 Republican National Convention on the third day of the political event in Milwaukee and later teased fans via social media with the release date of his new song, “Make America Great Again.”
The self-written single will be released to fans next Friday.
On Wednesday, Kelley took to the RNC’s main stage and performed his song “American Spirit,” which debuted to fans in 2022.
COUNTRY SINGER BRIAN KELLEY ‘SO GRATEFUL’ TO AMERICAN HEROES WHO FOUGHT TO ‘PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS’
“I got a call and asked if I was interested, and I said, ‘Absolutely, I’m available,’” Kelley told Fox News Digital in a video interview. He said he learned he would perform around the time Gold Star Families paid tribute to their fallen loved ones.
“I just felt like it was a great opportunity to go support my country,” Kelley said. “I think it was one of the best moments I’ve ever had in my career.”
Kelley performed opposite the Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God In Christ Choir, and UNC fraternity brothers stood tall while carrying Old Glory in front of the stage.
The “See You Next Summer” singer said the performance is something he will remember for the rest of his life and that his parents expressed pride and assurance about his choice to entertain the political crowd.
“The atmosphere was electric,” he said of the crowd. “You could feel the love. You could feel the support, and it felt like a family.”
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While Kelley said he didn’t have the opportunity to cross paths with former President Trump, who officially accepted the GOP nomination for president Thursday night, he is looking forward to shaking his hand soon.
“I can’t imagine what he’s been through,” Kelley said of “45.”
On Saturday, the former president was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a lone gunman opened fire and struck Trump in the ear in an attempt to assassinate the GOP nominee.
“I was just disgusted,” Kelley said of finding out about the shooting. “It’s sad that that happened here in America.”
Kelley’s message to Americans is that no matter what political side you are affiliated with, there is no room for violence.
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“I wrote ‘Make America Great Again’ a week before the assassination attempt,” Kelley said. “It was a no-brainer that I had to put it out.”
The singer-songwriter said he spent two or three days cultivating patriotic lyrics. Kelley hopes the single will be an American anthem for those looking to uncover their own voice. He added that the song was easy to write becaue he drew from his own feelings and frustrations about the state of the world.
“I just felt it in my heart, felt it in my gut, that, you know, I’m gonna take a stand, and I’m gonna put this song out,” Kelley said. “I’m really proud of it. At the end of the day, I’m a concerned real American.”
Kelley, a Florida native, said he was raised by his parents to express his beliefs, never waver and refuse to back down. He said he is staying true to those values and using his creative interests to vocalize his support for Trump.
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“Maybe, at the end of the day, maybe this song can win some undecided people over,” Kelley said. “Maybe those that don’t even agree with what I’m saying can understand that I have a backbone and that I’m standing on ground in which I believe and there’s nothing more authentic than that.
“I’m a proud American, and I think we can Make America Great Again.”
Kelley is expecting backlash but is unbothered by that prospect.
“I’m concerned with giving a voice to those that need it and that are looking for it,” Kelley concluded.
Biden-Harris campaign chair tells staff to stop watching cable news
Biden-Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon cautioned staff to avoid watching cable news in order to prevent further demoralization among her team.
As the daily calls, both publicly and privately, for President Biden to drop out of the presidential race continue apace more than three weeks after the debate, campaign staff are reportedly suffering from a lack of morale. In that vein, O’Malley Dillon convened an all-staff call on Friday, telling them to ignore the news reports, and instead listen to Biden’s hardcore supporters for a reality check.
“Don’t watch cable news all the time,” O’Malley Dillon told her staff, according to Axios, “That is not the real world. The real world is the voters that are standing with us, the delegates that are with us, and we’re going to weather this because of this organization.”
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“When you give me polls, I’m going to give you direct voter contact,” O’Malley Dillon said, sources told Fox News. “The people that the president is hearing from are saying, ‘Stay in this race and keep going and keep fighting, and we need you.’”
“Those voices will never be as loud as the people on TV, but remember that the people in our country are not watching cable news,” she added.
FOX NEWS CHANNEL VIEWERSHIP CRUSHES MSNBC, CNN DURING SECOND QUARTER
Just hours before the call, the campaign chair made a rare media appearance on cable news, assuring the audience and hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that Biden is staying in the race and is “more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump.”
“The president’s in this race,” O’Malley Dillon told the program. “You’ve heard him say that time and time again, and I think we saw on display last night exactly why, because Donald Trump is not going to offer anything new to the American people. He’s the same person he was in 2020. He’s the same person he was at the debate stage.”
The cable news channel reportedly has an outsize influence on the White House.
Axios has previously reported that both Biden and his staff keep a close watch on MSNBC’s morning program, to the point that “Because Biden watches ‘Morning Joe’ so often, most of his top aides watch or track the show to anticipate potential questions from him.”
The outlet also reported that Biden “often calls co-host Joe Scarborough — a former Republican congressman who’s now a harsh critic of Donald Trump — to get Scarborough’s take on issues and sometimes vent about media coverage, according to people familiar with the relationship.”
Biden himself called into “Morning Joe” earlier this month to try to shore up support.
“The bottom line here is that we’re not going anywhere. I am not going anywhere,” Biden told the hosts, both avid supporters who had started to go wobbly after the debate.
“I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t absolutely believe that I am the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” Biden added. “We had a democratic nominating process where the voters spoke clearly. I won 14 million of those votes.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden campaign and did not receive an immediate reply.