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.
Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report
President Biden is expressing new interest in whether Vice President Kamala Harris could defeat former President Trump in the 2024 election, according to a report from the New York Times.
While Biden and his staff have publicly insisted that he is staying in the race, the 81-year-old is reportedly now asking whether Harris could win. Several polls show Harris matching or even exceeding Biden’s performance against Trump
as waves of Democrats call on Biden to withdraw.
“To some degree, the vice president is auditioning now for the job and they should help her lean in and I think her leaning in could be beneficial to bolstering Biden” whether he steps aside or not, former Harris aid Ashley Etienne told the Times.
Harris stands as the most obvious candidate to replace Biden thanks in large part to her presumed access to the Biden-Harris war chest should the president withdraw. Any other candidate would face an uncertain path to accessing the tens of millions of dollars donated throughout the race.
Family-owned auto parts manufacturer Husco is preparing for the worst if President Biden is re-elected in 2024.
Company President and CEO Austin Ramirez recently testified before Congress ahead of their plan to allow Trump-era tax cuts to expire, touting the importance of the nearly terminated policy.
“Only by preserving the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act can Congress ensure that uniquely American stories like Husco remain possible,” Ramirez said during congressional testimony this past April.
The matter is likely to be a source of contention during the general election, particularly with Trump pledging to make the tax cuts permanent if he is elected in November.
The expiration of the tax law on December 31, 2025 will mean many Americans will be forced to pay more in taxes unless certain provisions are extended or made permanent. While President Biden has not yet released a blueprint for how to address the upcoming tax cliff, he called for a number of tax hikes in his fiscal 2025 budget proposal.
“Taxes are a huge part. We’ve got to have competitive taxes. In the U.S., we’ve got the most regressive tax regime in the world relative to R&D,” Ramirez told Fox News’ Pete Hegseth.
The Husco CEO gave Hegseth a behind-the-scenes look into the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Waukesha, Wisconsin, as the Republican National Convention got underway in nearby Milwaukee.
The U.S.’s federal research and development (R&D) tax credit grants companies a reduction in tax liability for select domestic expenses.
“R&D and innovation is how we grow this economy, how we grow Husco. Today in the U.S., we get to expense 20% of our R&D expenses in China. They get to expense 200% of their R&D expenses. That creates a huge barrier to innovation and growth in a thriving American economy.”
Ramirez continued, arguing that renewing the tax cut policy would “absolutely” be beneficial to his business.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Kayla Bailey
California Senate candidate Steve Garvey called the about-face by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on President Biden’s re-election bid an act of “selfish desperation” after Schiff realized his Senate campaign had been outraised 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 called on Biden
to drop out of the 2024 race earlier this week, saying in a statement to 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.”
Garvey remarked in a social media post this week that it was “not surprising” Schiff called on Biden to step aside “less than 24 hours after it was reported that our campaign out-raised Adam Schiff’s campaign by $1.2 million.”
Garvey said this is the first time in 14 years a Republican statewide candidate in California has surpassed the fundraising of a Democratic candidate.
“It’s understandable that they felt they had to take dramatic action when this news came out,” he added. “When Adam Schiff announced that he believes President Biden shouldn’t seek re-election, it dominated the news cycle for the day, helping in part to bury our fundraising success story.”
Between April 1 and June 30, Garvey reportedly raised $5.4 million to Schiff’s $4.1 million.
FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat staffer, who recently announced on social media that he has joined the Biden-Harris campaign
as a deputy press secretary, works as a “drag queen” on weekends, according to his social media bio and social media posts reviewed by Fox News Digital
Eric Lipka, who most recently worked in Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s, D-Mass., office before joining the Biden campaign, said he was “thrilled to share” that he has “joined the Biden-Harris campaign as deputy press secretary for Pennsylvania!” in a X post on Wednesday.
The post, which is now private, racked up hundreds of thousands of views over the last few days with several replies congratulating him, while others mocked him for joining the Biden campaign’s “sinking ship” and pointed out his bio that reads, “on weekends: drag queen.” The popular Libs of TikTok social media account amplified Lipka’s draq queen gig with a follow-up post that has garnered 1.5 million views over the last few days.
Lipka, who goes by the drag queen names “Erotica,” “Erica Lipka,” and “Erotica the Drag Queen” on social media, has several social media accounts on X, Facebook, and Instagram, but most of them were private as of Friday and then all of them were locked down shortly after Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden campaign for comment on Saturday afternoon.
However, a Fox News Digital review found Lipka’s name tagged in dozens of public Facebook posts dating back to 2021 when he was still a college student at Georgetown University. The public Facebook posts were often promotions for upcoming drag brunches, drag shows, and other events featuring drag queens, including Lipka.
Earlier this year, he performed at Hampden Sydney College, a private Virginia liberal arts school for men, for their Unity Alliance Lavender Ball, an event that featured several drag queens. Another post from April 2024 lists Lipka as one of the drag queens participating in an “Elevate your brunch” drag event the following month.
In January 2024, Lipka was listed as one of the drag queens participating in an event called “Saint Saturday” in Richmond, Virginia.
Dozens of other posts over the last few years show him participating in drag shows in Reheboth Beach, multiple Maryland venues, Connecticut, and various LGBTQ-friendly venues across Washington, D.C. In an April 2023 Facebook post, Lipka is listed on a promotion flyer for an event called “Looney’s Pub presents Brunch Tunes” in College Park, Maryland.
“The girls that drag together, [eggplant emoji] bottoms down together,” drag queen Nubia Love-Jackson said in a 2022 Facebook post accompanied by a photo of Jackson and Lipka. Lipka replied, “babyyyyy u already know.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller
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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Trump electrifies rally by pulling union worker on stage for unscripted mic moment
Former President Trump pulled a union worker that he recognized on stage during a campaign rally on Saturday.
Trump was speaking about electric cars when he suddenly recognized an audience 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.”
Former President Donald Trump paid tribute to Corey Comperatore in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday during his first campaign rally since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, a week earlier.
The funeral for Comperatore, an ex-fire chief who was fatally struck shielding his wife and daughters from gunfire, was held Friday at Cabot Methodist Church in small town Pennsylvania.
Trump was not in attendance because of Secret Service concerns, the Associated Press reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
“Corey, as you know, Corey Comperatore was a brave firefighter who died, funeral yesterday, Trump said Saturday in Michigan. “Shielding his wife and daughters from bullets, who shielded them from the bullets of this… this horrendous person. Corey was a hero. And we will carry his memory in our hearts for all time.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The U.S. Secret Service responded Saturday night to a bombshell report that top officials repeatedly denied past pleas to beef up former President Trump’s security detail, saying in a statement that it depends on “state or local partners” to fill in gaps when it can’t accommodate such requests.
The report from the Washington Post came exactly a week after Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, while speaking at a rally, prior to his 2024 presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been observed by attendees before the shooting began. The Post reported that, before the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump, top Secret Service officials “repeatedly” denied requests for tighter security measures from Trump’s detail. An official granted the interview to the media outlet on the condition of anonymity.
According to the report, agents tasked with protecting Trump requested additional security resources in the past. These requests involved things such as magnetometers or a larger number of personnel to screen guests. Additional snipers had also reportedly been requested in the past.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano, CB Cotton and David Spunt.
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.
“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.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Andrea Vacchiano.
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.
Senator points to key ‘mistake’ Secret Service made in blame game over roof
BETHAL PARK, Pa. – Senator James Lankford, R-OK, pushed back after the Secret Service blamed local law enforcement for not sweeping the roof where former President Trump’s shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was stationed.
Lankford, the lead Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee, discussed with Fox News Digital the details of the Secret Service and FBI official call with Senators on Wednesday.
The lawmaker said that officials leading the investigation into Trump’s assassination attempt tried to pass the blame by saying that local law enforcement was responsible for the “outer layer” where Crooks was stationed with an AR-15-style rifle.
SECRET SERVICE CONTINUES TO FACE QUESTIONS AS FBI INVESTIGATES TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS
“They talked about the layering – the Secret Service is the first layer, the second layer is federal law enforcement of multiple different agencies, and that third layer is local law enforcement.”
“We all know that as a structure of how things work on it. But then they try to say, hey, that was the outer layer. That’s really a local law enforcement issue,” he said.
Lankford said finger-pointing from the Secret Service was a “mistake,” since they are the head agency of responsibility for coordinating all law enforcement agencies.
CONGRESS DENIED ACCESS TO CRUCIAL TRUMP PROTECTION PLAN SCREAM ‘COVER YOUR A–MODE’: EXPERT
“That’s a mistake,” he said. “The Secret Service has responsibility for coordinating all of those things together.”
Lankford said that Secret Service agents were made aware of a “threat” 15 minutes prior to Trump taking the stage.
They should never have allowed the president to step on that stage.
“They were made aware that there was an active search for someone that they thought was a threat,” he said. “Well, at that point, they should never have allowed the president to step on that stage.”
“They should have either figured out if the person was not a threat or picked him up,” he said. “But they chose not to do that. And that has become very, very clear.”
The Oklahoma senator said that elected officials are now trying to get answers about who made the call for Trump to proceed to take the stage – despite the known threat against him.
“We’re trying to figure out who made that decision,” he said. “Why was that decision made the way that it was?”
POLICE COMB THROUGH THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS’ VAN THAT HID EXPLOSIVES, VIDEO SHOWS
Lankford said that he hopes that the FBI and the Secret Service provide both elected officials and the American public with the department’s mitigation strategy.
“Explain to us the mitigation strategy,” he said. “If there was someone that got on that roof, would they have been able to mitigate the threat?”
“Obviously that didn’t occur, at least, proactively,” he said.
Lankford revealed that U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle began the discussion by sharing that her team “obviously” made mistakes, and they wanted to be “forthcoming.”
“She started by saying, obviously we made mistakes,” he said. “We made those mistakes, and we’re doing an internal investigation. We’re going to be forthcoming.”
The senator said that despite Cheatle’s opening statement, promising transparency, the director only received a handful of questions and provided a timeline of the incident.
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“If the facts are not being shared, conspiracy theories run wild,” he said. “There’s nothing to combat false information.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi for comment.
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.
LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP ASSASSINATION INVESTIGATION
“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.
GOV. WHITMER TELLS ‘THE VIEW’ SHE NEVER SAID MICHIGAN’S UNWINNABLE FOR BIDEN: ‘CRAZIEST THING TO THINK’
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.
SNIPER KILLED WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN WITH ‘ONE-IN-A-MILLION SHOT’: SOURCE
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.
STUART VARNEY: DEMOCRATS FACE AN ‘UNHOLY SCRAMBLE’ IF BIDEN STEPS ASIDE
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.