Fox News 2024-08-21 12:08:54


VP Harris beams into Dem convention from arena in key battleground

MILWAUKEE, WI – Vice President Kamla Harris took the Democrats’ convention on the road on Tuesday, as she and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz headed to nearby battleground Wisconsin.

Speaking in front of a packed Fiserv Forum, the same arena where the Republicans held their national nominating convention one month ago, Harris pointed to her battle against former President Trump, saying “this is not 2016 or 2020,” and warning that “the stakes are higher.”

Portions of the rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s largest city and a blue bastion in a crucial purple state, were beamed into the United Center 90 miles south in Chicago, site of the four-night Democratic National Convention.

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And the crowd of Democratic activists and supporters in Milwaukee – which the campaign put at over 15,000 – watched portions of the ceremonial nomination roll call from the convention in Chicago on the big screens inside the arena.

“The delegates at the Democratic National Convention, well they just completed their roll call. And they have nominated Coach Walz and me to be the next vice president and President of the United States of America,” Harris said to sustained cheers as she came out on stage after the conclusion of the roll call.

HARRIS AND TRUMP HOLD DUELING RALLIES IN THE BIGGEST OF THE BATTLEGROUNDS

Since replacing President Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, the vice president has been riding a wave of energy, with a jump in polling and fundraising as the battle with Trump is once again a margin-of-error race.

Wisconsin is one of seven swing states that will likely determine the outcome of November’s presidential election. And hours before Harris’ arrival, Trump’s running mate – Sen. JD Vance of Ohio – was campaigning in the southeastern corner of the state.

“Wisconsin, we have 77 days until the election. 77 days,” Harris stressed. “And look, we know this is going to be a tight race until the very end. We have some hard work ahead of us. We have hard work ahead of us. But we like hard work.”

Harris repeatedly criticized Trump, including over the issue of abortion, a leading issue that has energized Democrats since the overturning two years ago of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling which had legalized abortion.

“Just yesterday, when he was asked if he has any regrets about ending Roe v Wade, Donald Trump, without even a moment’s hesitation, you would think you’d reflect on it for a second. Said no. No regrets,” Harris said as she pointed to an interview by the former president.

TRUMP, VANCE, HIT CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO COUNTERPROGRAM HARRIS, WALZ, AND DEMOCRATS’ CONVENTION

Walz, in energetic comments ahead of Harris’ appearance, also took aim at Trump as he looked back at last month’s GOP convention and the former president’s nomination acceptance speech.

“Donald Trump subjected us to 92 minutes of ranting and raving insanity,” Walz charged. “Now look, they left here riding high. They were feeling good. This thing was over. Well, trust me, Milwaukee, a h-ll of a lot can change in four weeks.”

And Walz, taking a verbal shot at the GOP ticket, argued that “you run a campaign based on fear like them, you’re going to run into a little trouble when you run into a campaign that’s based on joy.”

The Trump campaign, criticizing Walz’s energetic arrival on stage, wrote in a social media post that “you simply cannot trust a man who gesticulates this wildly. Freak!”

At one point during her speech, Harris reiterated her pledge to lower inflation, which has persistently plagued Americans during Biden’s three and a half years in office.

“We believe in a future where we lower the cost of living! When I am president, I will bring down the cost of groceries,” the vice president vowed.

The Trump campaign, in another social media post, spotlighted the clip and asked “Was there something stopping her from doing that in the 3.5 years she has been in the White House?”

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The rally by Harris and Walz came one night after the vice president made a little bit of political convention history, as she spoke from the podium at the United Center as she praised Biden.

The surprise appearance appeared to be a very rare occurrence of a presidential nominee speaking from the podium ahead of their formal acceptance speech, which is traditionally on the last night of a convention.

Biden’s speech at the convention, which capped Monday night’s session, came four weeks and one day after his blockbuster announcement that he was ending his own White House bid and endorsing his vice president to replace him.

Twenty-four hours later in Milwaukee, Harris pointed to her boss and said “wasn’t he terrific last night. And I know we are all deeply grateful for his lifetime of service to our nation. Thank you. Joe.”

Her comments spurred chants of “thank you, Joe,” throughout the arena.”

Anti-Israel agitators storm Chicago streets, set fire to US flag outside Israeli consulate

Anti-Israel demonstrations continued through the second night of the Democratic National Convention, with protesters burning an American flag and chanting “Free Palestine” outside a building in Chicago that houses the Israeli consulate. 

Officers handcuffed at least four people from the demonstration and led them away after protesters charged a line of police officers, who pushed the demonstrators back. 

PRO-LIFE GROUPS ANSWER PLANNED PARENTHOOD ABORTION VAN WITH OUTREACH NEAR DNC

A small crowd of a few dozen protesters chanted “Let them go!” after police penned demonstrators in on the street, preventing them from marching. Some carried Palestinian flags, while many others wore black and covered their faces.

SEE PHOTOS: POLICE TAKE CONTROL 

Dozens of Chicago police officers were posted outside the building, where law enforcement had closed down most of the entrances to the building on Tuesday, allowing commuters to come in only one entrance where armed officers were also posted. 

Later, riot police moved in to prevent protesters from marching forward and to move media back. A cat-and-mouse game persisted for at least 30 minutes between police and protesters who attempted to evade officers and cut down side streets. Protesters were thwarted every time by officers. 

Chicago police eventually ordered the crowd to disperse as they cornered protesters in a small plaza at Canal Street and Monroe Street before arresting some of the instigators. Officers were seen confiscating a megaphone and placing zip ties on at least five people. 

A large police remained present hours after the demonstrations began. 

JEWISH LOCALS IMPLORE ISRAELI ACTIVISTS TO FLEE CHICAGO BEFORE DNC; SAFETY PROBED AHEAD OF POLITICAL GATHERING

The scenes came as the celebratory roll call for Kamala Harris was taking place inside the United Center about two miles away. 

Israel supporters, including some relatives of people kidnapped by Hamas, gathered earlier in the day at a pro-Israel art installation not far from the consulate to call on U.S. leaders to continue backing Israel and pushing for the release of hostages. 

More protests were planned throughout the week. However, attendance at the main rally on Monday was far below estimates of organizers who had predicted more than 20,000 would show up.

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Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding the United Center was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention.

UAW chief says he wouldn’t have spoken at RNC after DNC snubs Teamsters boss

CHICAGO– United Automobile Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain said he would not have spoken at the Republican National Convention (RNC) last month like fellow union leader Sean O’Brien after Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign apparently snubbed the Teamsters president this week.

Fain spoke with a small group of reporters on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Tuesday, the day after he gave an impassioned speech calling former President Trump a “scab” and advocating strongly for Harris’s victory.

Meanwhile O’Brien told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto in a televised interview on Tuesday that he has not yet heard from Democrats about his request to speak at the convention.

Fox News Digital asked Fain what he thought of the snub, and of O’Brien’s decision to speak at Trump’s convention last month — the first union boss in the RNC’s 121-year history to do so. 

UNION LEADER’S PROVOCATIVE RNC SPEECH DRAWS IRE FROM SOME IN ORGANIZED LABOR

Fain stayed mum about his thoughts on Harris and Democrats ignoring O’Brien but said he did not fault the Teamsters leader on his decision — but said he did not see any use in doing so himself.

“Sean O’Brien has his reasons for doing what he’s doing. I mean, you know, I think what he said is genuine, that he has members that he knows are going to vote that way. And you know, he’s reaching out to both parties, I just — we have a difference in philosophy on that,” Fain said.

“I mean, if the Republican Party gave me a reason to believe they cared about workers, we would, you know, entertain things like that. But I don’t see any evidence of that.”

Fain accused Republicans of voting against “every piece of legislation” in Congress “that pertains to making things better for working-class people.”

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFERING FREE ABORTIONS, VASECTOMIES AT DNC

“So I don’t know why I’d go stay in the Republican Convention and speak to that when they have no interest in it. I mean, if they start showing an interest in working with people, it’s one thing, but they don’t. And so, you know, I don’t, I don’t believe that. I want our members to understand there’s not any doubt where we stand in this election.”

Fain added that “we don’t tell people how to vote,” but “it’s our job to put the facts in front of you and give you the proper information about what’s best for labor.”

And Fain did make it clear where he stood during his Monday night speech, rousing the supportive crowd into chants calling Trump a “scab.” A UAW spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the union has sold “thousands” of shirts with the phrase since Fain’s remarks.

DEMS’ SENATE CAMPAIGN CHAIR SAYS DEMS SKIPPING CONVENTION ‘KNOW WHAT’S BEST’ FOR THEM 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Teamsters for comments on his latest remarks.

O’Brien told Fox News Channel host Neil Cavuto on Tuesday that the Harris campaign agreed to a roundtable with the Teamsters general executive board and with rank-and-file members — but said he was not taking their silence on the DNC to heart.

“I could take it personally, but I honestly think maybe my invitation got lost in the U.S. Postal Service. And next time, they should try and ship a little guaranteed delivery,” O’Brien said. 

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He also defended his appearance at the RNC, telling Fox News Channel, “Look, the the DNC failed to invite one of the most powerful unions in the country there. And, you know, I’m going to criticize them for that as well.”

‘I’m a lifelong Democrat, always will be a lifelong Democrat, and never going to change my party affiliation. Look, you heard my speech at the RNC. It was all about the American worker, all about labor. Any opportunity that I get as a leader of the greatest union in the world to showcase our value and our work to the greatest country in the world. I’m going to take that opportunity to do it. And if the far left want to criticize me and attack me, that’s okay. If the far right wants to do the same. That’s great,” O’Brien said.

Trump hints at where son Barron will be attending college next fall

Former President Donald Trump has dropped a hint about where his youngest son, Barron Trump, will be attending college next fall, but has not fully disclosed which university he has selected.  

In an exclusive interview with the New York Post, the former president revealed that Barron would be attending a university in New York this fall.

“He’s all set in a certain school that’s very good. He’s always been a very good student. He’s smart,” Trump told the Post.

Trump did not say which school specifically his son had selected, but added that an announcement would be coming soon.

BARRON TRUMP DEBUTS AT FATHER’S FLORIDA CAMPAIGN RALLY TO SUSTAINED APPLAUSE

When asked if Barron was going to attend NYU, Trump smiled and again reiterated that he would not share which school his son selected until the announcement was live. 

The former president has previously floated the possibility of his son attending his own alma mater, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Tiffany Trump also graduated. Eric Trump attended Georgetown University.

Barron Trump, 18, graduated from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, in May.

Former first lady Melania Trump told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview in April that nothing makes her prouder than the relationship she has built with Barron. He is the only child the former president and Melania share together. 

KAI TRUMP, DONALD’S GRANDDAUGHTER, VERBALLY COMMITS TO PLAY GOLF AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: ‘BEYOND EXCITED’

Trump’s foreshadowing of Barron’s choice comes just days after his eldest granddaughter, Kai, announced her commitment to play golf at the University of Miami.

Kai, the daughter of Don Jr. and Vanessa, thanked her grandfather for helping her through her young golf career.

“I would like to thank my Grandpa for giving me access to great courses and tremendous support,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.

Kai Trump gained much popularity during the Republican National Convention, when her father said she wanted to speak shortly after the assassination attempt against her grandfather.

TRUMP SAYS SON BARRON, 18, LIKES POLITICS AND GIVES HIM ADVICE: ‘HE’S A SMART ONE’

“A lot of people have put my grandpa through hell, and he’s still standing,” Kai said during her speech. 

“Grandpa, you are such an inspiration and I love you,” Kai said. “The media makes my grandpa seem like a different person. But I know him for who he is. He’s very caring and loving. He truly wants the best for this country. And he will fight every single day to make America great again. Thank you very much.”

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Kai took to Instagram to express her admiration for her grandfather’s unwavering will to wrangle the U.S. political system for the people. She wrote, “We love you Grandpa. Never stop fighting!”

After months of split rumors, A-lister finally pulls the plug on her marriage

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are divorcing after two years of marriage, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

Lopez filed for divorce on Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Her petition for the dissolution of their marriage was filed on the two-year anniversary of their Georgia wedding.

Representatives for Affleck and Lopez did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

BEN AFFLECK, JENNIFER GARNER REUNITE IN JAPAN AS ‘BEST FRIEND EXES’ AMID JENNIFER LOPEZ SPLIT RUMORS: SOURCE

Rumors surrounding a split have plagued the Hollywood heavyweights for months. Sources told People magazine in June that Lopez was living in the couple’s $60 million Beverly Hills abode while Affleck stayed in a rental nearby as they attempted to sell the pricey mansion.

“He started moving out a while ago,” a source told Fox News Digital at the time. “The marriage is completely over, and Jennifer is heartbroken. She loves love and wanted this to work so badly.”

Despite the difficult time in his personal life, Affleck remained committed to his professional goals. 

BEN AFFLECK, JENNIFER LOPEZ’S MARRIAGE ‘COMPLETELY OVER’ AS ACTOR MOVES BELONGINGS OUT OF THEIR HOME: SOURCE

“Ben has been working nonstop and spending a lot of time at his office,” the insider said. “He has a lot of projects he’s working on that he’s excited about. He’s quite hands-on with his company (Artists Equity). He really wants to continue focusing on directing, acting and producing.”

Affleck, 52, and Lopez, 55, first said “I do” during a surprise Las Vegas wedding in 2022. 

Court documents showed Lopez, listed as “Party 2,” requested a “new name” on their marriage certificate filing, which was first received on Saturday, July 16, and filed with the Clark County Clerk’s Office on the following day.

JENNIFER LOPEZ, BEN AFFLECK’S 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY SPENT APART AS SPLIT RUMORS SWIRL

Affleck is listed as “Party 1” on the document, with his full name recorded as “Benjamin Geza Affleck.” The singer legally took her husband’s last name and changed her name to “Jennifer Lynn Affleck.”

One month later, the newlyweds hosted a backyard ceremony for friends and family at the $8 million Georgia mansion Affleck purchased when the couple first began dating 20 years ago.

Lopez’s twins, Max and Emme, from her previous marriage with Marc Anthony, and Affleck’s three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner — Violet, Seraphina and Sam — were the only people who stood by their sides as they recited their vows. 

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Affleck and Lopez first met while working on the set of “Gigli” and were engaged in 2002 with plans to marry in September 2003, but they postponed the wedding and ultimately called off their relationship at the beginning of 2004. 

Both Lopez and Affleck moved on and married other people following their widely reported breakup.

Affleck went on to marry Jennifer Garner, whom he had met on the set of “Pearl Harbor” in 2000. Garner was married to Scott Foley at the time, and Affleck has publicly said the two fell in love in 2002 while filming “Daredevil.” The “Good Will Hunting” actor was in a relationship with Lopez at that time. 

Affleck and Garner got engaged in 2005. They welcomed three children together before divorcing in 2018.

Lopez has been married three times before. She was briefly married to Ojani Noa from 1997-98, and then to backup dancer Cris Judd from 2001-03.

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Following her split from Affleck, she married Marc Anthony in 2004. The former couple welcomed twins in 2008. Anthony and Lopez divorced in 2016.

Bennifer reunited once again before the summer of 2021, and Affleck proposed to Lopez in April while she was taking a bath.

The “Marry Me” star previously changed her name when she was married to singer Marc Anthony. Nearly six months after their divorce was finalized in 2014 — and three years after they had separated — Lopez dropped his surname, Muniz.

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Chilling video captures superyacht seconds before sinking off Sicily’s coast

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer are presumed dead along with four others who were aboard a luxury superyacht that sank off the coast of Italy on Monday morning, according to a report.

Lynch and Bloomer were among the six people still missing, which include Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Bloomer’s wife Neda, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Judy, Italian coast guard officials said on Tuesday, per the Wall Street Journal.

The Bayesian, a 184-foot British-flagged yacht, was moored about a half-mile offshore when a storm rolled in before 4 a.m. Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, and sank quickly.

Grainy film from closed-circuit cameras from shore, broadcast on the website of the Giornale di Sicilia, showed the illuminated 246-foot mast of the Bayesian weathering the storm and then disappear over the course of a minute.

MORGAN STANLEY INTERNATIONAL CHAIRMAN, WIFE AND 4 OTHERS STILL MISSING AFTER LUXURY YACHT SINKS OFF SICILY

Lynch was once hailed as Britain’s king of technology. He was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a U.S. federal trial related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp. Lynch, those who helped defend him in the case and their families were celebrating his recent acquittal aboard the yacht.

Christopher Morvillo was one of Lynch’s lawyers, while Jonathan Bloomer testified in Lynch’s defense.

WHO IS MIKE LYNCH, THE BRITISH TECH ENTREPRENEUR MISSING AFTER YACHT SANK?

Ten crew members and 12 passengers, including British, American and Canadian nationals were onboard when the vessel capsized. One man’s body was recovered, onboard chef Ricardo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen, and 15 people were rescued, including a 1-year-old girl, authorities said.

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The Bayesian was owned by Lynch’s wife, who survived the disaster.

Liberal newspaper’s editorial board makes major admission about Biden’s ‘decline’

The Washington Post editorial board admitted President Biden’s “inner circle worked to conceal his decline” on Tuesday in a piece celebrating Biden stepping down under intense party pressure last month.

Critics of President Biden had long suggested he wasn’t mentally fit to serve another term, but he sought re-election until Democratic leaders effectively forced him to step aside following a disastrous debate performance against former President Trump. Throughout the entire process, Biden and White House officials have insisted he was still sharp. 

In a piece that largely fawned over Biden, the editorial board declared his “willingness to surrender power deserves special recognition” and added a tidbit that White House critics have long suspected. 

Four paragraphs into the piece, the Post editorial board conceded: “The 81-year-old had shown signs of slipping for a long time, but his inner circle worked to conceal his decline.” 

30 DAYS: KAMALA HARRIS HAS NOT HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE EMERGING AS PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

“He and the country would have been better off if Mr. Biden had kept his implied promise from the 2020 campaign to be a ‘transitional’ figure, perhaps by bowing out after the Democrats’ surprisingly good showing in the 2022 midterm elections,” the editorial board added. 

The Post even linked to the infamous Wall Street Journal report about Biden showing signs of slipping behind closed doors, which was largely dismissed by the mainstream media until the disastrous debate put fitness for office at the forefront. 

The White House also exploded over the report and pressed Democrats to work the newspaper’s reporters and insist on the president’s mental fitness.

Left-wing Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, a fanatic Biden and Democratic supporter, even fumed on June 9 that the Wall Street Journal article was “shoddy” and the president was still perfectly fit to lead; six weeks later, he was out of the race.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital

Washington Post senior reporter Aaron Blake wrote prior to the debate debacle that the WSJ piece “set off a new round of teeth-gnashing about coverage of President Biden’s age,” and said Democrats have asked why Trump doesn’t face the same criticism for his advanced age. 

BIDEN COMMITTED ‘IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT,’ ‘DEFRAUDED UNITED STATES TO ENRICH HIS FAMILY’: HOUSE GOP REPORT

Following the debate, the mainstream media and high-profile Democrats quickly turned on Biden, with many openly calling for him to step aside. Conservatives watched as the same people who dismissed concerns before the debate suddenly wanted a new candidate to face Trump. 

Once Biden ended his re-election bid, the Democratic Party quickly consolidated support behind Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him on the ticket. 

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