Trump says he was in the dark as Secret Service hunted would-be assassin
Fox News host Jesse Watters recently conducted a sit-down interview with former President Trump to discuss last week’s failed assassination attempt.
The interview, which will premiere on “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET, featured both Trump and his vice presidential candidate JD Vance. Vance currently serves as a U.S. Senator representing Ohio.
The three men discussed the assassination attempt against the former president last week. Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump from a roof in the middle of a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wounding the presidential candidate on his right ear.
Trump revealed during the interview that he was not warned about Crooks by the U.S. Secret Service.
WATCH: THOUSANDS DESCEND ON MICHIGAN TOWN FOR FIRST TRUMP RALLY SINCE FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
“Mistakes were made,” Watters told Trump. “They were monitoring this guy for an hour beforehand. No one told you not to take the stage?”
“Nobody mentioned it,” the former president replied. “Nobody said it was a problem.”
“[They] could’ve said, ‘Let’s wait for 15, 20 minutes, 5 minutes.’ Nobody said…I think that was a mistake,” he added.
Trump later questioned how Crooks could get on the roof in the first place.
RNC DELEGATES, GUESTS MAKE PREDICTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S POLITICAL FUTURE AMID REPORTS HE MIGHT EXIT 2024 RACE
“How did somebody get on that roof?” Trump questioned. “And why wasn’t he reported, because people saw he was on that roof.”
“When you have Trumpers screaming, the woman in the red shirt, ‘There’s a man on the roof,’ and other people, ‘There’s a man on the roof and who’s got a gun,’…that was quite a bit before I walked on the stage. And I would’ve thought someone would’ve done something about it,” Trump said.
Trump, who appeared at the Republican National Convention with a large bandage on his ear, has reportedly recovered well from the injury. On Saturday, his former physician, Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson, released a detailed report about Trump’s health.
“He will have further evaluations, including a comprehensive hearing exam, as needed. He will follow up with his primary care physician, as directed by the doctors that initially evaluated him,” he continued. “In summary, former President Trump is doing well, and he is recovering as expected from the gunshot wound sustained last Saturday afternoon.”
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“I am extremely thankful his life was spared. It is an absolute miracle he wasn’t killed,” Jackson added.
Trump’s message to Americans at first rally exactly one week since suspect tried to kill him
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former President Donald Trump declared Saturday that he “took a bullet for democracy” while firing up a crowd of voters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at his first rally since surviving an assassination attempt last week.
More than 12,000 people piled into the Van Andel Arena, home to the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team, to see him and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who are coming off a packed week at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, where each accepted their respective nominations to appear on the GOP ticket together.
“They keep saying he’s a threat to democracy. I’m saying, ‘’What the hell did I do to democracy?’ Last week I took a bullet for democracy,” Trump said as the crowd cheered, referencing an often used Democrat talking point. “What did I do against democracy? Crazy.”
WATCH: THOUSANDS DESCEND ON MICHIGAN TOWN FOR FIRST TRUMP RALLY SINCE FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Vance spoke ahead of Trump, and dedicated part of his time on stage to slamming Vice President Kamala Harris, asking rallygoers “what the hell” she has ever done and noting his own service as a U.S. Marine.
“I’ve served in the United States Marine Corps … What the hell have you done?” Vance said.
“What has she done other than collect a check from her political offices?” he asked, before going on to talk about his grandmother, who he calls “Mamaw,” and his upbringing.
Harris ripped Vance after his Wednesday speech at the RNC in which he accepted his role on the 2024 ticket.
“It was compelling. It’s a compelling story. But it’s not the full story,” Harris said after Vance’s RNC speech. “Frankly, what is very telling is what he did not talk about on that stage. He did not talk about Project 2025, the 900-page blueprint for a second term. He did not talk about it because their plans are extreme, and they are divisive.”
RNC DELEGATES, GUESTS MAKE PREDICTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S POLITICAL FUTURE AMID REPORTS HE MIGHT EXIT 2024 RACE
Vance later spoke to rallygoers about the various challenges facing the nation under President Biden’s administration, including the fentanyl crisis, the border crisis and the economy.
Trump took the stage after Vance, beginning his speech by saying that he “shouldn’t be here right now, but something very, something very special happened.” He took a moment to recognize the supporters who were injured or killed at the rally last week.
“We continue to pray for the recovery of the two citizens who were wounded in that evil attack – David Dutch and James Copenhaver, two really incredible people,” the Republican frontrunner said. “We remain in contact and send our deepest respect to the families.”
ALINA HABBA TAKES ON MAJOR ROLE IN TRUMP CAMPAIGN, DISHES ON HIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RNC SPEECH
Trump also acknowledged the death of Corey Comparatore, calling him a “hero” for protecting his family from the bullets.
“Corey Comparatore was a brave firefighter who died, [his] funeral [was] yesterday,” Trump said. “Corey was a hero. And we will carry his memory in our hearts for all time.”
Later in his speech, Trump conducted a “poll” with the audience members about who should become the Democratic nominee if President Biden steps down from the race.
“We’re going to do a poll, and it’s going to be a very nice poll and great. Who is your favorite candidate? Who would you like?” Trump said.
GOV. WHITMER TELLS ‘THE VIEW’ SHE NEVER SAID MICHIGAN’S UNWINNABLE FOR BIDEN: ‘CRAZIEST THING TO THINK’
“So who would you like to most run against, if you’re us, if we want to win? Ready? Kamala Harris? Crooked Joe Biden?” Trump asked. The audience booed louder in response to Biden.
Trump also engaged with the crowd on a personal level, and while he was speaking about electric cars, he suddenly recognized an audience member who was a union member.
“Are you the same guy? Yes? No kidding,” Trump said. “Pretty good memory, right? Unlike somebody else that I happen to be running against.”
The Republican then encouraged the worker to get up on stage and joked around with him.
“He’s a serious union guy, a United Auto Workers [worker],” Trump said. “He does not carry guns. Come on up here, look at him. Look at the shape he’s in.”
“I’m glad to see this guy,” the union worker said energetically at the podium. “I told you, we’re gonna get 85 million of us out there to vote for him. So let’s go home from this rally and do our part.”
The former president also slammed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, calling her a “terrible” leader.
“Well, you have a terrible governor here who did a terrible job. Whitmer — I’d like to run against her, actually,” Trump laughed.
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Michigan is expected to be one of the most closely watched battleground states in November, and could narrowly determine who will serve the American people in the White House for the next four years.
Polls have largely suggested Trump leads Biden in every battleground state, as well as in some states that have trended more Democratic in recent years. That comes as a growing number of Democrats call for Biden to step aside from the 2024 race, in favor of Harris or another candidate.
1 in 3 Democrats believe Trump faked assassination attempt. I talked to one of them
If some polls are to be believed, one in three Democrats think that Donald Trump faked his own assassination attempt. When I read that, I thought, could this possibly be true? But this weekend on my drive home to West Virginia from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, I got the theory first hand. And it’s a fascinating doozy.
Station Square Ristorante, just off of I-80 in Liberty, Ohio, is an absolute gem. Ottavio and Bridget Musumeci have somehow managed to create a legitimate fine-dining experience attached to the Super 8 motel. And no, I’m not kidding. In the wood-paneled bar, as I ordered oysters and antipasto for a late lunch, I met Mark, originally from northern New Jersey, which his accent revealed before he did. And Mark, well, he had some very interesting things to say.
MSNBC BRINGS THE CRAZY TO COVERAGE OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
As is my way, I turned the conversation to politics and the assassination came up.
“That whole thing was a setup,” Mark told me.
Before I could even respond, John, the bartender, who I would learn doesn’t like Trump or Biden, said, “Nah, two people are dead. No way.”
Mark’s response was, “this is Donald Trump, he’s capable of anything.”
So I dug in a bit. How did they get the kid to do it? Mark was ready with answers. They paid off the family, or maybe told him he’d get off with just a few years in jail, he suggested.
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“And the death of Corey Comperatore?” I asked, referring to the retired fire chief who died shielding his family from the assassin’s bullets.
“Donald Trump doesn’t care if his supporters die,” Mark shot back, quite certain of himself.
You should know that Mark did not come off as some kind of lunatic. A bit prone to conspiracy theories maybe, but by no means crazy. So how could he believe all this with no evidence whatsoever?
He also had a good appetite, and as he wolfed down his caesar salad and veal piccante topped with mussels, he made it clear that it all came down to one simple precept: Trump is capable of anything.
I couldn’t help but think that the fact that Mark shares this kind of weird, irrational thinking with a third of his party faithful is because it is exactly what Democrats and their media allies have been feeding them.
EX-ESPN STAR KEITH OLBERMANN QUESTIONS WHETHER TRUMP WAS SHOT AFTER FORMER PHYSICIAN’S UPDATE
Why wouldn’t Mark, if he has a steady diet of liberal media, think that Trump is capable of killing innocent people? After all, they say he will deny women their rights, he won’t let black people vote, he will destroy democracy, and on and on and on. Mark is conditioned to believe that Trump is a unique evil and nothing should be put past him.
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I said to Mark that if I thought one party, one side, or call it what you will, was willing to kill innocent Americans in this way, then it might be time to buy some guns. Then he said something that surprised me.
“It’s not the other side, it’s just Trump.”
It made little sense, but in a strange way, I was glad to hear him say it. At least Mark doesn’t blame his fellow citizens who support Trump. Not yet, anyway. Mark finished and left before I did, and we had a wholesome and sincere goodbye. After the door closed, I asked to John, “What do you make of that?” “It’s crazy,” he shrugged.
Yes it is, but here we are.
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Network pummeled for ‘misleading’ story about ‘mass deportation’ and Usha Vance
NBC faced backlash on Friday for a story that appeared to draw a comparison to Usha Vance, the wife of Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance and mass deportation.
“Making her RNC debut, Usha Chilukuri Vance spoke with pride about her Indian immigrant parents—in front of a convention floor peppered with signs reading “Mass Deportation Now,’” the outlet wrote on X.
The tweet linked to a story that suggested her RNC speech against the backdrop of signs drew “claims of hypocrisy” and cited experts who claimed her appearance reaffirmed the GOP’s “good immigrant, bad immigrant” narrative.
The NBCNews.com story by Sakshi Venkatraman claimed that a “heavily anti-immigrant sentiment” pervaded the convention audience.
ROCK-SOLID FAMILY VALUES AND THE AMERICAN DREAM ARE KEY TO JD VANCE’S STORY AND WHAT HE’LL DO FOR OUR COUNTRY
Pawan Dhingra, a professor of American studies at Amherst College, told NBC that Vance’s Indian American wife will support the Republican Party’s rhetoric that they are not anti-immigrant.
“They just want to make sure that immigrants come and ‘adapt’ to the country properly and that they don’t threaten certain ways of life,” he said.
Usha grew up in San Diego. Her parents are both legal immigrants from India.
“Good thing her parents came here legally then. You don’t hate the media enough,” one X user wrote.
“You’re missing the point about the call for deportations—but you already knew that,” another user chimed in. “Disgraceful. Misleading what remains of your audience on purpose. Shame on you.”
One X account user named Katie, who claims she is the daughter of immigrants, called the NBCNews.com headline “absurd” and accused the outlet of deliberately conflating people who are legally entering the United States and those who cross illegally.
JD VANCE ADDRESSES PAST CRITICISM OF TRUMP AFTER HE’S CHOSEN AS VP: ‘BOUGHT INTO MEDIA’S LIES AND DISTORTIONS’
John Bachman, an anchor at Newsmax, called the article “clickbait” and claimed “no one” is talking about deporting legal immigrants.
Usha spoke out about her upbringing during her RNC speech.
“My background is very different from JD’s. I grew up in San Diego, in a middle-class community, with two loving parents, both immigrants from India, and a wonderful sister,” she said. “That JD and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and marry, is a testament to this great country.”
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Usha noted that her husband has worked to accommodate her vegetarian diet and has also learned to cook Indian food for her parents.
“It’s hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream,” she said.
Biden taunted with unfiltered message splashed on truck near beach house
A truck with a billboard that urged those closest to President Biden to help him step down from the presidential race was seen driving near his Reboboth Beach house in Delaware on Saturday.
The billboard’s message, written like an email on the back of the truck, said it was an “urgent memo.”
“To: Biden family, friends, allies, staff,” it continued with the “Subject: It’s your responsibility.”
“In this moment, as he considers his future, President Biden should hear the truth from the people who have always had his back,” it said.
The side of the truck had the same message along with a black and white photo of the president.
Biden is recuperating from the coronavirus at the beach house.
Democrats in North Carolina held a ‘Unity Dinner’ Saturday evening that included Gov. Roy Cooper, Attorney General Josh Stein — who is running for governor — and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as the party grapples with infighting over whether President Biden will remain the nominee. Democrats continue to call on him to leave the presidential race.
Biden, who is recuperating in Delaware from a coronavirus infection, was not at the dinner, but spoke to attendees in a video that touted his and Democrats’ accomplishments over the last four years, including the bipartisan infrastructure and gun safety laws.
Pelosi briefly praised Biden for his successes, but mainly focused on talking about the North Carolina Democrats running for office and slamming Republicans, claiming all they did when Trump was president was pass a bill that helped the very richest Americans and added to the national debt.
She also criticized Republicans’ Project 2025, claiming it is a “manual for Republicans to implement an imperial presidency” that would “gut checks and balances.”
Pelosi didn’t mention Trump by name, instead repeatedly calling him “what’s his name.”
Quoting the national anthem, she said “That is what is at stake in this election.”
In closing, Pelosi urged, “No regrets the day after the election.”
Vice President Kamala Harris remained on the campaign trail on Saturday as President Biden recovers from a coronavirus infection and as calls continue for him to step down as the nominee.
“We are going to win this election,” Harris said at the 1,000-person fundraiser in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. “It’s not going to be easy but we are a group of people that understand anything worthwhile takes hard work.”
She added that Biden is “fighting for the American people.”
Following the fundraiser, Harris gave a thumbs up after a reporter asked if she had spoken to the president and another thumbs up when asked “Is he doing OK?” before boarding Air Force Two bound for Joint Base Andrews.
Reuters contributed to this report.
“Time is running out” for President Biden to decide if he’s leaving the presidential race, Axios political reporter Stef Kight told Fox News on Saturday, as members of the party continue to call on the incumbent to “pass the torch.”
“Time is running out for various reasons if Democrats even want to have a chance of regaining a sense of unity before November this decision needs to be made one way or the other very, very soon,” Kight explained.
With the Nov. 5 election is just 108 days away, Republicans officially nominated former President Trump as their nominee at the RNC last week while Democrats are still infighting.
Kight added, “Of course, if Biden does decide to step aside that’s going to unlock a whole debate over where to go from there, whether Democrats have enough support for Vice President [Kamala] Harris to kind of crown her the nominee or if we see sort of this loose primary situation where a couple of candidates throw their names into the hat and so there really is pressure for Biden to do this very, very soon.”
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for Aug. 19-22.
“It’s clear that people want Biden to make that decision soon,” Kight added.
Rep. Adam Schiff calling on President Biden to drop out of the presidential race this week is a sign of “selfish desperation” on his part, Schiff’s Republican opponent Steve Garvey told Fox News Digital.
Garvey pointed out that Schiff’s message to Biden came just as it was revealed that Garvey had outraised his Democratic opponent by more than $1 million.
“Adam Schiff’s recent act of selfish desperation to abandon his presidential nominee has caused a clear reaction from his supporters on his social media,” Garvey, the Republican candidate vying to fill the late Dianne Feinstein’s seat, told Fox News Digital. “It’s now clear to his supporters what has been clear to millions of Americans for years, that Adam Schiff only cares about Adam Schiff, and Californians deserve a senator that puts them above politics.”
Schiff told Fox News Digital that a “second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
Earlier this week, Schiff said: “Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better. But our nation is at a crossroads.”
He added that he believed it was time for the president to “pass the torch” but said he will strenuously try to get the nominee, whether it’s the president or not, elected come November.
It was a change in rhetoric from Schiff who in February questioned special counsel Robert Hur saying in his classified documents report that Biden could come off to a jury as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Schiff told Hur his report “disparage[d] the president” and insisted Hur knew his report “would have a maximal political impact,” which Hur denied.
Click here to read more of this story by Kyle Morris on Fox News Digital.
Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
Some Democratic donors are reportedly privately vetting several possible vice-presidential picks in case President Biden drops his bid for reelection and Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the nominee.
The effort is not part of the Democratic National Committee or the Biden campaign, according to the Washington Post, citing four sources.
The committee is vetting Democrats such as Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer – but it’s unclear if any of the politicians are involved in the effort themselves.
A person close to Kelly said they aren’t aware of any outside donors attempting to vet him as a vice presidential pick, but said when he’s heard from supporters asking him to vie for a national office, “what they are hearing back is, Kelly supports Biden and Harris.”
The donors might not be allowed to deal directly with a potential Harris campaign, however, because of election laws, meaning the donors might have to reveal their vetting findings publicly. This could be an issue as vetting is usually a confidential process.
The donors are reportedly trying to get a jump on the vetting process with only 108 days until the election on Nov. 5.
Biden’s campaign so far has said he plans to stay in the race and is “in it to win it.”
A new column from “The Hill” argued that Hillary Clinton might be the “mightiest” Democratic candidate who can replace Biden on the party’s presidential ticket.
An op-ed in “The Hill” on Saturday titled “Ready for Round 2: Why we Need Hillary more than ever” has raised some eyebrows.
“The strongest argument against replacing President Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic nominee is the notion that no suitable successor exists. But there is, and not just a good one but one of the most qualified people ever to run for the office: Hillary Rodham Clinton,” opinion contributor Pablo O’Hana wrote.
Of course, Clinton lost to former President Trump in 2016.The piece caught senior Trump advisor Jason Miller’s eye with him writing on social media: “SHE’S RUNNING!!! These opinion pieces don’t happen organically – Crooked is on the move!!!”
O’Hana argued that Clinton is “perhaps the mightiest of all” alternatives to Biden because she is “younger than both Biden and Trump,” has “an unparalleled resume and an unmatched depth of experience,” and is a strong advocate “for children’s rights and health care.”
He added, “Clinton can turn past regrets” on the part of voters who didn’t cast their ballot for her “into proactive support by being a powerful reminder of the stakes of straying in 2024.”
Most Democrats seem to have coalesced around the idea of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee if Biden were to drop out.
Click here to read this article by Gabriel Hays on Fox News Digital.
Hunter Biden has remained one of his father’s most ardent supporters, but some have alleged that he is merely angling for pardons in two cases brought against him.
Fox News Digital exclusive photos show Hunter Biden out and about in Los Angeles while his father, President Joe Biden, remained hunkered down on the other side of the country, battling to save his legacy.
The younger Biden, who has reportedly been closely advising his father as a chorus of key Democrats have called on him to end his re-election bid, was seen shopping Friday and leaving the home of “Sugar Bro” Kevin Morris, the entertainment lawyer who funded his defense in a recent criminal trial.
President Biden has reportedly relied heavily on his troubled Yale Law School graduate son and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, as he has tried to fend off claims he is not mentally fit to serve another four years as president.
The calls reached a crescendo following his disastrous performance in his June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.
Click here to read more of this article by Peter Aitken on Fox News Digital.
Holding signs like “We love you but it’s time,” “Country over candidacy” and “You promised us a bridge, don’t give us a wall,” dozens of Democrats and progressives chanted “Pass the Torch” at a rally outside of the White House Saturday afternoon.
The group was urging President Biden to drop out of the presidential race so another Democrat can replace him to go up against former President Trump in November.
Despite the rainy weather, impassioned speakers talked about the importance of beating Trump and having the best candidate in place to do so.
“We need Biden to pass the torch to the next generation of Democrats,” one speaker told the crowd,” adding that they would be “committed to doing everything we can do to stop Donald Trump” by uniting the party and voting for Democrats.
The speaker added it would be very uniting to see the “leader of the party hand over their power for the greater good.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., voiced her support for Vice President Harris to “unite the party” should President Biden decide to ultimately leave the Democrat ticket.
“If President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump, and to win in November,” Warren said during an appearance Saturday on MSNBC.
Warren stressed that “Joe Biden is our nominee” and that he has a “big decision to make,” but that Harris gives her “a lot of hope.”
“Kamala has led the charge in order to fight back against the Republicans that want a nationwide abortion ban, and, look, if you’re running against a convicted felon, then a prosecutor like Kamala is really a good person to make that case,” Warren added.“
No matter what happens, I will be out there fighting for Democrats. I believe we’re going to come together and we’re going to win in November.”
The White House issued a fresh update on President Biden’s health, assuring that his condition continues to improve even as symptoms persist.“
He is still experiencing a loose, non-productive cough and hoarseness, but his symptoms continue to improve steadily,” Kevin O’Connor, Physician to the President, wrote in a letter to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal,” O’Connor noted. “His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear.”
The update on his vitals indicates no fever, which during the COVID-19 pandemic indicated a worsening condition.
The new variant of the virus the president contracted accounts for 33.3% of new cases in the United States, according to O’Conner.
“The President continues to tolerate treatment well and will continue PAXLOVID as planned,” he wrote, noting it is Biden’s sixth dose of treatment. “He continues to perform all his presidential duties.”
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., has added his voice to the growing number of elected Democrats calling for President Biden to drop out of the race and “pass the torch to Kamala Harris.”
“Perhaps no President in my lifetime has accomplished more in a single term or been as decent a human being as Joe Biden,” Takano, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, wrote in a statement posted on social media platform X.
“President Biden’s greatest accomplishment remains saving democracy in 2020,” Tanako continued. “He can and must do so again in 2024 – by passing the torch to Vice President Harris as the Democratic Party Presidential nominee.”
“It has become clear to me that the demands of a modern campaign are now best met by the Vice President, who can seamlessly transition into the role as our party’s standard bearer,” he insisted.
“Joe, I love and respect you, but he stakes are too high to fail. It’s time to pass the torch to Kamala,” Takano stressed.
In a post on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump blasted President Biden as the “WORST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES” and took shots at the various legal cases against him, most of which have been dismissed or delayed.
“He has created a horrible precedent for the future,” Trump wrote. “Democrat appointed Judges and Prosecutors, together with local D.A.’s and Attorney Generals, have played the game with them.”
“Based on the opinion of legal scholars and experts, they had no good case out of the many against me, but of all their cases, their best shot was the documents case, a complete HOAX, in Florida,” Trump insisted.
“They illegally RAIDED MY HOUSE, Mar-a-Lago, in that one,” he added. “Well, that case was just THROWN OUT IN FULL IN THAT IT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THE OTHERS ARE ON WEAK GROUNDS, including those where we have Crooked Judges and Prosecutors.”
Trump denounced the whole effort as a “Political Witch Hunt” and demanded that Biden insist on dropping ever case to run a “FAIR AND OPEN CAMPAIGN.”
The Biden campaign is looking to tap some star power as the president returns to the campaign trail, roping in David Letterman to headline a fundraiser on July 29.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green will join the former “Late Night” host in stumping for donors at the house of a Biden family friend on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden will attend the event as well as part of a fundraising gauntlet the president plans to hit as he sees out the month ahead of his planned certification by the DNC.
The Associated Press reported that Biden will have 10 fundraisers over the last 10 days of July.
Green told the Associated Press that he expects Biden to stay in the race, but if he does step down then Vice-President Kamala Harris will likely get the nod to succeed him.
“I think the president stays in this race unless he feels that it is not winnable, or he feels that he has to hear other voices in his inner circle that he shouldn’t run,” Green said. “If the president felt that he wasn’t up to it and truly not up to it, he would step down.”
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, has pushed the argument that a President Biden unfit to seek a second term is also unfit to remain in office for the last months of his current administration.
“Everyone calling on Joe Biden to stop running without also calling on him to resign the presidency is engaged in an absurd level of cynicism,” Vance wrote on social media platform X.
“If you can’t run, you can’t serve,” Vance stressed. “He should resign now.”
Vance joins the calls from other Republicans who over the past week have tried to make the push to get Biden off the ticket one and the same as getting Biden out of office.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Friday argued that “if he’s not going to be their nominee because he’s not up to it, how can he be our president for the next six months?”
“If there’s something wrong with you that doesn’t allow you to run for president, how can you still be there as president?” Rubio told Politico. “If they’re going to remove him as nominee, they’ve got to remove him as president, and that’s really bad for our country.”
President Biden plans to return to the campaign trail as soon as possible, with plans to visit Georgia and Texas in the coming days.
Axios reported that Biden has started laying out his travel plans as he recovers from COVID-19 at his Delaware beach house in Rehoboth. He has resisted calls from his party to step down, with his communications team holding a remote press conference on Saturday to push the argument for a second Biden presidency.
The calls for Biden to step down has drawn over 30 sitting Democrat congressmembers: Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, on Friday urged Biden to “end his campaign,” arguing that “our full attention must return to these important issues.”
One senior Democrat official told Axios that the entire issue feels “stuck” at the moment, adding that it’s “not to say it’s going to stay stuck.”
Senior officials are pushing Biden to make a final decision over the weekend and have continued arguing with Biden advisers as to why bowing out would best serve the good of the party.
“It’s a fairly universal sentiment internally that we have reached the end of the road,” one Biden aide admitted, noting that some key hold outs will keep fighting to keep Biden in the race.
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.
Former ESPN star Keith Olbermann questions whether Trump was shot
Former ESPN anchor Keith Olbermann fired off a critical post about Donald Trump’s former doctor and the assassination attempt at Trump’s campaign rally last week.
Congressman Ronny Jackson, who served as physician to the president during the Trump administration, said in a statement Saturday he evaluated the former president in Bedminster, New Jersey, last week.
Jackson said Trump sustained a gunshot wound to the right ear from a high-powered rifle used by the would-be assassin.
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“The bullet track produced a 2 cm-wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear,” the physician said. “There was initially significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear. The swelling has since resolved, and the wound is beginning to granulate and heal properly.
“Based on the highly vascular nature of the ear, there is still intermittent bleeding requiring a dressing to be in place. Given the broad and blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were required.”
Olbermann responded critically on X.
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“In brief: Ronny Jackson isn’t a doctor. Which is perfect, because Trump wasn’t hit by a bullet,” he wrote.
Trump, who had a bandage over his right ear at the Republican National Convention earlier this week, recalled being wounded by the would-be assassin at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He said last week he was “struck by a bullet.”
“If I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark,” Trump said. “And I would not be here tonight. We would not be together.”
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Olbermann is the latest to question Trump’s injuries. MSNBC host Joy Reid did the same, while legendary tennis star Martina Navratilova called the bandage around his ear a “PR” stunt.
Hillary Clinton floated as ‘mightiest of all’ Biden replacements
Social media users were surprised by a new column from “The Hill” floating former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as the replacement for President Biden’s 2024 candidacy.
The outlet’s opinion contributor, Pablo O’Hana authored a piece on Saturday titled, “Ready for Round 2: Why we Need Hillary more than ever.” It argued that the former U.S. Secretary of State, who already lost the presidency to former President Trump in 2016, is the most suitable person to replace Biden as calls for him to suspend his re-election camp grow.
The piece turned heads on social media, with people like senior Trump advisor Jason Miller theorizing that there must be some weight behind this claim. “SHE’S RUNNING!!!” he declared.
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In the column, O’Hana wrote, “The strongest argument against replacing President Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic nominee is the notion that no suitable successor exists. But there is, and not just a good one but one of the most qualified people ever to run for the office: Hillary Rodham Clinton.”
He even asserted that Clinton is “perhaps the mightiest of all” alternatives to Biden, arguing that she is “younger than both Biden and Trump,” has “an unparalleled resume and an unmatched depth of experience,” and is a strong advocate “for children’s rights and health care.”
The author even went so far as to say that there are “millions” of voters who regret not voting for her in 2016 and want a do-over.
“These swing-back voters are crucial to winning; Clinton can turn past regrets into proactive support by being a powerful reminder of the stakes of straying in 2024.”
O’Hana concluded his piece, declaring, “The Democrats have a seasoned, savvy and adaptable candidate in Hillary Clinton. Without the burden of incumbency, she can run on a platform of stability, restoration and progress, with the credibility of her lifetime in public service and proven leadership. In her candidacy, we might just find our best chance to retain the White House and transcend the gladiatorial spectacle of politics.”
DO THESE POTENTIAL BIDEN REPLACEMENTS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BEAT TRUMP?
The piece got some attention on X. In his post, Miller added, “These opinion pieces don’t happen organically – Crooked is on the move!!!”
Conservative commentator Alex Sheppard remarked on the piece, stating, “If so, this is great news for Trump. She is the least likable politician of all time.”
Former cop and law enforcement consultant Deon Joseph replied to Miller’s post, stating, “Oh hell no. Definitely voting for Trump Now.”
User @TheMagaHulk wrote, “Hillary and Kamala are the only two desperate enough to run against Trump this election, especially after Saturday.”
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Authorities release new report on would-be assassin who tried to kill Trump
An official cause and manner of death has been released for former President Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Crooks died of a gunshot wound to the head, the Butler County Coroner’s Office told Fox News Digital Saturday. His manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The 20-year-old was pronounced dead in Butler County, where he fired five rounds at a Trump rally July 13 and nicked the former president in the ear before he was “neutralized” 26 seconds later.
FBI INTERVIEWS CLASSMATE OF TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS OVER DISLIKE FOR POLITICIANS
A post-mortem examination was completed in neighboring Allegheny County, where Crooks lived in Bethel Park, the Butler County Coroner’s Office said. Fox News Digital has reached out to that county’s office for comment.
It is unclear what happened to Crooks’ body after the examination. Fox News Digital has been unable to reach his family for comment.
Although investigators have not yet determined his motive, a picture of the 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate former President Trump is becoming more clear as his former classmates come forward with their impressions.
TRUMP SHOOTER’S FORMER AMERICAN POLITICS CLASSMATE ON CONVERSATIONS WITH WOULD-BE ASSASSIN THOMAS CROOKS
Few people clapped when slender, bespectacled Thomas Matthew Crooks was handed his diploma at his graduation from Bethel Park High School in 2022, a YouTube video of the ceremony shows.
Former peers who have spoken out since he was shot dead by Secret Service agents July 13 have characterized the Pennsylvania resident as a quiet loner.
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Julianna Grooms, who graduated one year after Crooks, told The Wall Street Journal, “People would say he was the student who would shoot up the school,” that he was bullied and that he was an “easy target.”
But a classmate who rode the school bus with Crooks and whose sister was close with the shooter told Fox News Digital he had been mischaracterized by classmates who are “making up” the “most random information.”
“He didn’t talk a lot, but when he was talked to, he would make good conversation,” the former Bethel Park High School student, who graduated a year behind Crooks, said Friday night. “He was easy to talk to. He would make good conversation. He was very chill, very humble.
“He had friends. He had friends on the bus, in class,” the classmate said. “Not a lot of people knew him, but the ones that did never had a negative experience with him.
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“You definitely have to be crazy to do what he did, but I was so surprised when I found out it was him.”
Billionaire tech CEO makes admission about Democratic party with jab at Trump
Billionaire Palantir CEO Alex Karp said this week that he is “not thrilled” with the direction the Democratic Party is taking, but he will still be “voting against Trump.”
The remarks from Karp were featured in a Friday article by the Financial Times, which questioned whether Silicon Valley tech investors were shifting their support from President Biden to former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
“People who innovate are fleeing. It is an intellectual mistake that the progressive wing doesn’t engage,” Karp said. “I personally am not thrilled by the direction [of the Democratic Party], but how far can they go before I reconsider? I am voting against Trump.”
Highlighted by the outlet as a “major Biden donor,” Karp appeared to share concerns that the Democratic Party’s liberal agenda may be too much to bear for many Americans and Democrats in Silicon Valley.
BILLIONAIRE TECH CEO CALLS WOKENESS THE ‘CENTRAL RISK’ TO AMERICA
“Political correctness in the party is a huge problem, the Democrats can’t yet understand the cost of it,” he added in his comments to the outlet.
The remarks from Karp come amid a growing number of calls from elected Democrats for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race.
Karp has repeatedly spoken out against progressive activists in recent months, describing wokeness as the main threat to his tech company and America, overall earlier this year.
The outspoken executive made the statement during an earnings call in May, noting that his company, which specializes in making software for data collection, had seen strong growth in the latest period because it champions Western values while other companies and institutions have suffered for embracing progressive ideology.
“I think the central risk to Palantir and America and the world is a regressive way of thinking that is corrupting and corroding our institutions that calls itself ‘progressive,’ but actually — and is called ‘woke’ — but is actually a form of a thin pagan religion,” Karp said at the time.
“There are lots of questions about why we are so active in defending the values of the West, that our belief that the West is a superior way to live, and our ways of organizing around that are the reason why our products are transformative,” he added.
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Karp continued, “The reason why we have the best people in the world; the reason why a Palantir degree, as it were, is much more valuable than an Ivy League degree.”
He went on, stating that “the Ivy Leagues” have “embraced the thin and new woke religion, otherwise, viewed as an intellectual cause, but in fact, is a way of organizing things so that the greatest institutions of our time disappear and turn into discriminatory dysfunction.”
Karp called Palantir a “counter-example” to companies that have embraced wokeness, adding, “I’m super proud of the results. We are going to continue to execute, especially in the U.S.”
“That is a real danger to our society, and it is a real danger to Palantir if we allow — if we don’t discuss these things,” he said, concluding his point.
Karp was quick to speak out against the anti-Israel agitators that have been active on college campuses across the country since the Oct. 7 attack against Israel by Hamas.
During a Reagan National Defense Forum panel discussion last December, Karp called out American companies for not speaking out in support of Israel following the attack. “As far as I can tell, there are only three companies that have been publicly pro-Israel on Oct. 7,” he said, naming Palantir, Booz Allen and Anduril Industries.
Addressing business leaders who have dropped the ball on the subject, he urged, “We have to do better.”
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That same month, Palantir announced via social media platform X that it was prioritizing hiring Jewish college students once they graduate.
“Students on campuses are terrified and have been instructed by administrators to hide their Judaism. We are launching an initiative for students who because of antisemitism fear for their safety on campus and need to seek refuge outside traditional establishments of higher education. They are welcome to join Palantir, and we are setting aside 180 positions for them immediately. More details to follow shortly,” read the post.