Top five moments from Secret Service director’s hours-long hearing
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified for hours on Capitol Hill Monday, facing a grilling from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over the agency’s lapse in security that enabled the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., after he subpoenaed her to appear.
REP. MACE CALLS ‘BULLS—‘ ON RESPONSE FROM SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR CHEATLE
Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee Monday, just over a week after a would-be assassin Thomas Crooks attempted to take the life of Trump at his rally in Butler, Pa. on July 13.
Trump, during his rally, ever-so-slightly turned his head—narrowly missing the bullet shot by 20-year-old suspect Crooks’ AR-15-style rifle by just a quarter of an inch. The bullet hit him, instead, in his upper right ear.
The bullet killed firefighter, father and husband Corey Comperatore as he protected his family from the shots, and severely injured two others.
Cheatle admitted under oath that the Secret Service “on July 13th, we failed.”
Here are the top five moments from the highly anticipated hearing:
Cheatle admits Secret Service ‘failed’ on July 13
Cheatle told the House Oversight Committee that “on July 13th, we failed” when it came to her agency’s handling of the assassination attempt on the former president and the shooting at his Butler, Pa. rally.
“As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency,” she continued.
“We must learn what happened, and I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13th does not happen again,” Cheatle also said. “Our agents, officers and support personnel understand that every day we are expected to sacrifice our lives to execute a no fail mission.”
Democrats and Republicans call on Cheatle to resign
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., called on Cheatle to resign, along with other Republican lawmakers.
But Democrats called for her resignation as well, including Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who said, “If you have an assassination attempt on a president or a former president or a candidate, you need to resign.”
Cheatle has maintained that she will not resign, and said she is committed to getting answers on the massive security failure for the American people.
TIMELINE: TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., says he plans to introduce articles of impeachment against her.
“In light of Kimberly Cheatle’s unacceptable handling of the Trump assassination attempt, her disastrous appearance before the House Oversight committee today, and her refusal to resign, we have no choice but to impeach,” Steube said in a post on X. “I will be filing articles of impeachment against Kimberly Cheatle this afternoon.”
And Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., accused Cheatle of perjuring herself and stonewalling members of the House Oversight Committee, telling her protectees are “sitting ducks” with her in charge.
GOP Rep. Nancy Mace calls ‘bulls—’ on Cheatle response
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday that her response that she had “no idea” how her opening statement for today’s House Oversight Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting got leaked to media agencies is “bulls—.”
The fiery remark from the South Carolina lawmaker came after Cheatle was directed by Mace to answer a series of yes or no questions on the Secret Service’s response to the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Pennsylvania, in which Cheatle said “yes” to it being a “colossal failure,” and a tragedy that could have been prevented.
“Would you say leaking your opening statement to Punchbowl News, Politico’s Playbook and Washington Post several hours before you sent it to this committee as being political? Yes or no?” Mace asked Cheatle.
“I have no idea how my statement got out,” Cheatle responded.
Mace fired back: “Well that’s bulls—.”
Mace started mentioning news articles published between 5 and 7 a.m. ET, about three to four hours before she said the House Oversight Committee received Cheatle’s statement.
Mace then asked Cheatle, “Have you provided all audio and video recordings in your possession to this committee, as we asked on July 15? Yes or no?”
SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR OPENS TESTIMONY WITH FRANK ADMISSION: ‘WE FAILED’ — BUT WON’T RESIGN
“I would have to get back to you,” Cheatle said.
“That is a no. You’re full of s– today. You’re just being completely dishonest,” Mace told Cheatle, before being interrupted with a call for decorum inside the hearing room at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Cheatle unable to answer how many times Trump team made extra security requests
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday said that “for the event in Butler, there were no requests that were denied” from former President Trump’s team.
“They asked for additional help in some form or another. You told them no. How many times did you tell them no? And what’d you tell them no to?” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, asked Cheatle, referencing comments made by Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.
“What I can tell you is that in generic terms, when people when details make a request, there are times that there are alternate ways to cover off on that threat or that report,” Cheatle responded.
Cheatle tells House Oversight Committee she called Trump after shooting to apologize
Cheatle testified Monday that she called former President Trump after the shooting to apologize.
She also attempted to explain to the committee that her agency was unaware of a suspicious threat during the rally, despite the public pointing to a man on a roof minutes before former President Trump was shot.
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She stressed, though, that the Secret Service and “the people that are in charge of protecting the president on that day would never bring the former president out if there was a threat that had been identified.”
Trump told “Jesse Watters Primetime” in an interview that aired Monday night that Cheatle came to see him in the days following the assassination attempt.
“It went very nicely. She was very nice, I thought. But, you know, somebody should have made sure there was nobody on that roof,” he said.
Secret Service director admits overlooking key document before Trump rally
A former U.S. Marshals task force member joined the chorus of bipartisan lawmakers in demanding that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resign after her “deplorable” House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday about the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, this month.
“I think nine days out for her to not visit the scene as director where lives were lost is deplorable,” Terry Mikels, a former U.S. Marshals Service task force officer and a personal protection specialist with Executive Security Concepts, told Fox News Digital.
Mikels skewered Cheatle after the agency’s director revealed at Monday’s hearing that she did not read a report detailing if the advance team for the rally site had enough resources.
“While that may not be her actual job, for her not to be apprised of what is going on is just so negligent,” he said.
TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW GUNMAN EVADE SECURITY
Crooks’ opportunity to scope out the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds venue beforehand and then successfully climb on top of a nearby roof showed “how easy it is,” Mikels said.
“What they’ve done, in my opinion, is they just showed any potential persons who want to do harm how easy it is,” he said. “Anybody could have climbed on that roof.”
Mikels said such a national security failure “opens the doors” for people who want their “five minutes of fame.”
“It opens the doors for so many potential people who are looking for their five minutes of fame.”
“It opens the doors for so many potential people who are looking for their five minutes of fame to do something nefarious,” he said, “because they realize how untrained and unprepared this detail was.”
WATCH: Secret Service director faces sharp questions at committee hearing
Mikels’ said Cheatle’s failure at leading an agency whose purpose is to protect the nation’s leaders demands responsibility.
SENATOR POINTS TO ‘MISTAKE’ SECRET SERVICE MADE IN BLAME GAME OVER SWEEPING BUILDING WHERE TRUMP SHOOTER WAS
“I don’t think she has a win,” he said. “Her biggest win today was apologizing to President Trump, to the family of the slain fire chief and the two victims and taking responsibility.”
“There is no reason for this level of complete negligence.”
“Like she said, this is completely deplorable, and there is no reason for this level of complete negligence,” Mikel said. “And she needs to be held accountable.”
Mikels said Cheatle appeared unable to answer “basic questions.”
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“We can’t wait 90 days or six months for everybody to get prepared. We got a presidential election coming up, the Democratic National Convention, and people need to be ready yesterday.”
The Secret Service did not return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Harris teases potential VPs as major overnight move edges her closer to Trump showdown
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has requested vetting materials from potential running mates for her White House run.
The potential Democrat vice presidential candidates include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who has been rumored as a potential vice presidential candidate, told CNN he has not yet been asked to submit materials.
On Monday, Harris secured the delegates needed for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president.
By Monday night, Harris secured the support of at least 2,579 delegates, according to a survey of delegates by The Associated Press , surpassing the 1,976 delegates she needs to win the nomination on a first ballot.
This comes after President Biden announced Sunday afternoon that he is suspending his re-election campaign.
Kamala Harris’ policies as San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General could come back to haunt her as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for president, experts say.
“She’s one of these people who’ve talked out of both sides of her mouth, and she’s going to have trouble with both the left and the right with the stances she’s taken over the years,” Los Angeles-based criminal defense lawyer Nicole Castronovo told Fox News Digital.
Critics of potential presidential nominee Harris are calling attention to her backing of a controversial 2014 California law that some blame for unleashing rampant crime across the state.
As California’s then attorney general, Harris and her office were responsible for writing up a summary of Proposition 47 to inform voters of its contents and intent.
Dubbed the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act,” the legislation lessened penalties for a variety of crimes – including making the theft of items with a total value of less than $950 a misdemeanor.
That provision, critics assert, handed thieves a de facto carte blanche to plunder beleaguered retail outlets with near impunity.
“They changed sentencing to free criminals who should have been incarcerated and titled it with a misleading name,” Castronovo noted. “But it actually made communities less safe.”
Other crimes that were once felonies – including forgery, fraud, drug use, and the receiving of stolen goods valued under $950 – were also reclassified as misdemeanors.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Rebecca Rosenberg
Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, the first rally since launching her bid for the presidency.
Harris announced her presidential campaign Sunday night, shortly after President Biden announced he was suspending his re-election effort. The president subsequently endorsed Harris.
On Monday, Harris secured enough delegates for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, although the Democratic National Convention formally selecting the party’s nominee will not be held until next month in Chicago.
The rally in Milwaukee will be Harris’ ninth visit to Wisconsin since she was sworn in as vice president in 2021 and her fifth visit to the state so far this year, according to her campaign.
“We’re proud to welcome Vice President Harris to Wisconsin, a state she once called home, where she will rally excited supporters after announcing her presidential campaign,” the Harris campaign’s Wisconsin Communications Director Brianna Johnson said in a press release.
Every major Democratic elected leader in Wisconsin has endorsed Harris’ presidential campaign, according to her campaign. This includes Gov. Tony Evers and every Democratic statewide elected official, Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan, both state legislative Democratic leaders, the mayors of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and other cities across the state, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and more than 90% of Wisconsin delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
Democrats established a coordinated campaign in Wisconsin to support Harris’ White House bid, according to Johnson. There are 48 coordinated offices across 43 counties throughout the state with about 160 full-time staffers on the ground who have already started knocking on doors, making phone calls and contacting their friends and neighbors urging them to vote for Harris and Democrats in November.
“We’ll continue to build on this success with events in every corner of the state this week, harnessing the grassroots energy for Kamala Harris that we’ll see on display in Milwaukee tomorrow,” Johnson said.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Landon Mion
President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.
Although the White House press office told Fox News Digital on Monday that “health was not a factor” in the president’s decision to withdraw,
multiple doctors expressed concern about signs of cognitive decline after Biden’s widely criticized performance in the June 27 presidential debate.
Two medical experts told Fox News Digital their belief that Biden’s decision to step down is best for the president’s health.
Biden, however, isn’t the only president whose re-election was potentially thwarted by health issues or concerns. Here are five others.
1. Chester A. Arthur
After he was elected America’s 21st president in 1881, Chester Arthur experienced health complications due to malaria, which remained endemic in Washington, D.C., throughout the 19th century, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In 1882, Arthur continued to suffer from progressive fatigue, extreme weight loss and peripheral edema, the NIH reported.
After a closer health inspection, Arthur was diagnosed with Bright’s Disease, today known as chronic kidney disease.
2. Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt took over as commander-in-chief at nearly 43 years old in 1901 following the assassination of President William McKinley, according to the White House Historical Association.
Roosevelt was then re-elected in 1904.
After William Howard Taft’s term, which began in 1909, Roosevelt decided to re-join the race in 1912, creating his own “Bull Moose” party.
While campaigning on Oct. 14, 1912, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Roosevelt was shot during an assassination attempt outside the Gilpatrick Hotel.
The bullet punctured the president’s right chest, but did not damage his lungs. It was left lodged inside his ribs — which was deemed safer than operating.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Angelica Stabile
Trump’s unanswered question for the Secret Service director after deadly rally shooting
Former President Trump and his 2024 running mate JD Vance sat down for their first joint interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters on Monday following the assassination attempt on the GOP nominee’s life at a rally in Butler, Pa., last week.
Trump told “Jesse Watters Primetime” embattled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle came to see him in the days following the assassination attempt.
“It went very nicely. She was very nice, I thought. But, you know, somebody should have made sure there was nobody on that roof,” he said.
The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired several shots at the former president from the rooftop of a building roughly 130 yards away.
Investigators are piecing together how the 20-year-old local resident was able to gain a clear line of sight at Trump. Eyewitness Michael Difrischia filmed Crooks lying down on top of the American Glass Research building, looking down the sights of an AR-style rifle.
“I saw a younger kid running through the crowd and somebody had spoke[n] up [and] said the guy had a gun,” Difrischia told “The Ingraham Angle” last week.
WHO WAS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN
“The problem was the police officers were too close to the building. They could not see him,” he added. “We were trying to tell them he’s right there, he’s right there, but they just couldn’t see him.”
Other eyewitnesses said they tried to warn police officers of a shooter before he fired the shots that grazed Trump’s ear, killed former Pennsylvania fire chief Corey Comperatore and injured David Dutch and James Copenhaven.
Trump told Watters he was surprised at how close Crooks was able to get.
“They said it’s really, it’s a — a bad shot would usually hit the target. And so I mean, it’s got to be, somebody’s got to be there. And it’s essentially a flat roof. I mean, I noticed that she [Cheatle] said, well, this is a slope roof where you think of like a barn where you have, this thing had just a little — a little upswing in it, a few degrees. This was a not — it essentially was a flat roof,” he said.
Cheatle told ABC News last week the building the alleged shooter was on top of had a “sloped roof at its highest point.” “And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,” she said.
Trump said he believes Cheatle was given “false information” when she mentioned the roof’s slope as a reason why there weren’t any Secret Service agents atop the building.
The 2024 Republican nominee questioned why he wasn’t told to stay off the stage for 5-20 minutes before he came out and started speaking if there were concerns about a potential threat.
OFFICER REPORTED MAN AT TRUMP RALLY WITH RANGE-FINDER 30 MINS BEFORE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: SOURCE
“You have to answer why couldn’t I have stayed off the stage for five minutes while they do their work? Why couldn’t, you know, how does a situation happen where a roof that’s plainly in sight from the location where I was speaking… why would somebody not have seen that?” he asked.
Cheatle appeared on Capitol Hill Monday to answer for the security failures that almost led to the assassination of a former president.
She acknowledged the attempt on Trump’s life was the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades.
Two ranking members of the House Oversight Committee, Reps. James Comer, R-Ky., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called on Cheatle to resign from her post in a letter following her testimony, saying she failed to “provide answers to basic questions regarding that stunning operational failure and to reassure the American people that the Secret Service has learned its lessons and begun to correct its systemic blunders and failures.”
Trump praised the actions of his Secret Service agents, who rushed to cover him after shots rang out at his rally.
He told Watters his ear is healing and getting better. “We’re getting down to the small bandages. But it was a nasty one. And it was nasty, period. That was exactly one week ago from today, exactly. And, you know, when you think about it, it’s — that’s been a lot of territory covered,” he said.
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“Who — who would’ve thought this was going to be happening? But it happened. And I got very lucky, or God, I think it was God, actually.”
Brace yourself America, Dems are about to put on an incredible show
Heads up America: Democrats are as phony as they are dishonest. All those accolades pouring in about Joe Biden being an “historic” president and a “great public servant”? Phony. Even before his catastrophic debate Biden’s approval ratings were in the gutter.
Gushing over candidate Kamala Harris? Also phony. Democrats have been hand-wringing for months about how they could eject President Biden but not allow the unpopular V.P. to take his place. They are only coalescing around her now because they are panicked that an open selection process would throw their party into total disarray.
Kamala Harris has been one of Joe Biden’s most stalwart defenders, lying brazenly for months about his fitness to serve as president for another four years.
As his vice president, Harris has played a pivotal role in perpetrating one of the greatest political deceptions ever, a deception that has undermined confidence in our political system and put our country at risk. For this alone, she is disqualified from ever serving as this nation’s commander-in-chief.
BIDEN ENDS BID FOR SECOND TERM IN WHITE HOUSE, ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS
Still, Republicans need to steel themselves: Democrats are about to put on an incredible show. No, I don’t mean the Democratic Convention in Chicago, which starts on August 19. I mean the tidal wave of money and faux enthusiasm which is about to flow into the campaign to elect Kamala Harris. Democrats everywhere will inundate the airwaves with excited testimonials about Harris’ candidacy; MSNBC hosts will be positively giddy.
Republicans should take a deep breath and remember: it’s the same Kamala Harris. The only reason the V.P. looks good is that she is now being compared – not to Donald Trump – but to Joe Biden. Rather than a shell of a man who cannot complete a sentence or find his way off the stage, the Democrats can now run a person who can unfortunately complete not just one sentence but quite often a salad full of sentences, many of which turn out to be meaningless.
FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: IS KAMALA HARRIS UNBURDENED BY WHAT HAS BEEN?
Is Kamala better than Joe? Absolutely.
Is she, on her own merits, a good candidate? Absolutely not.
Consider:
1. Kamala Harris is the face of the open border and the 10 million people who have entered the country illegally under the Biden-Harris administration.
This is the number one issue for millions of voters. She was the point person who was supposed to fix the mess caused by Joe Biden, who reversed Trump policies key to limiting the migrant flow across our border, and she flopped. She never even took it seriously. In an iconic interview early on, when asked by NBC’s Lester Holt whether she had gone to the border, she claimed she had been and when called out for that lie, she laughed hysterically, said she didn’t understand what the reporter was getting at and declared she hadn’t been to Europe, either. Count on it; we’ll be seeing that clueless exchange in Trump/Vance ads, a lot.
2. Harris flamed out of the Democratic primary race in 2020 before the Iowa caucuses, having garnered exactly zero delegates and before a single vote was cast.
She had enjoyed a brief bump in her polling after launching a bold attack against candidate Joe Biden during the first primary debate, accusing him of having historically opposed busing. But during her campaign she flip-flopped on then-popular ideas like “Medicare for All”, and failed to craft a coherent message on other issues — including busing. She also failed to raise money. Her campaign was poorly managed and the advantage she was expected to have as a woman of color never materialized. A few months before she exited the primaries a Quinnipiac poll showed her winning only 1% of the Black vote.
3. Despite numerous efforts by the White House to rebrand Harris, the V.P. never achieved traction.
The reinventions of Harris were in some cases comical – for example, calling the Second Gentleman Douglas instead of Doug, hoping some gravitas would rub off on the giggling V.P. Based on extensive interviews, Politico described her office as an “abusive environment” and reported that Harris “refuses to take responsibility for delicate issues and blames staffers for the negative results that ensue.”
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4. Even as Joe Biden began to lose support within his own party, few regarded Harris as an attractive replacement.
For instance, by March of 2023, nearly half of Democrats did not want Biden to seek another term, but only 13% of the party thought Kamala should take his place. Harris was considered so toxic that Nikki Haley made the threat of her becoming president central to her campaign. Her refrain that “A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris” was not only to alert voters to Joe Biden’s advanced age and infirmities, it was also a reminder – and warning — that should Biden have to step aside, Harris would be next in line. Haley knew many would consider that a significant threat; she was right.
5. As voters soured on Biden, and with Haley’s warnings making voters anxious, the media was enlisted last year to give Harris a boost in the lead-up to the reelection campaign.
One heroic effort came from Politico, which about a year ago ran this intriguing headline: “Why Kamala Harris is a Better VP than You Think.” Professor Julia Azari unsuccessfully tried to explain away Harris’ dismal performance, and in frustration suggests that at least the V.P. is the spokesperson for underrepresented groups. But, even she has to concede that Harris is not popular with Black voters.
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Govs. Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and others are declining to run against the veep for the Democratic nomination.
Is that a sign of support? A sign that Democrats are unified in their enthusiasm for Harris? Hardly. Aspiring Democrats undoubtedly figure Kamala Harris will go down in flames in November, leaving the field open for them in 2028.
They will be right.
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Elon Musk says his son is ‘dead’ after he was put on puberty blockers: ‘Incredibly evil’
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he was “tricked” into giving consent for his child to go on puberty blockers, adding that he believes “the woke mind virus” figuratively killed his son.
Musk made the comment in an interview with Dr. Jordan Peterson on Monday after he was asked about his thoughts on doctors performing sex changeprocedures on children, a practice both Musk and Peterson described as “evil.” Musk said that his experience with his child Xavier, who now goes by Vivian Jenna Wilson, opened his eyes to what he called “the woke mind virus,” which he has since vowed to “destroy.”
ELON MUSK TO DONATE $45M A MONTH TO PRO-TRUMP SUPER PAC FOLLOWING ENDORSEMENT OF FORMER PRESIDENT: REPORT
“It happened to one of my older boys, where I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys, Xavier. This is before I had any understanding of what was going on. COVID was going on, so there was a lot of confusion and I was told Xavier might commit suicide if he doesn’t…” Musk told Peterson.
“That was a lie right from the outset,” Peterson interjected.
“Incredibly evil, and I agree with you that the people that have been promoting this should go to prison,” Musk responded.
Musk said it wasn’t explained to him that puberty blockers are “actually just sterilization drugs” when he gave his consent for his son to undergo the treatment. He called the term “gender affirming care” a “terrible euphemism.”
“I lost my son, essentially. They call it deadnaming for a reason,” Musk said. “The reason it’s called deadnaming is because your son is dead. My son Xavier is dead, killed by the woke mind virus.”
Puberty blockers have been shown to cause long-term fertility problems in boys, a preprint study from Mayo Clinic concluded earlier this year. The study found that puberty blockers’ impacts may be permanent, disputing claims that such effects can be reversed.
ELON MUSK ANNOUNCES X, SPACEX HQ’S WILL MOVE FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS AFTER NEW GENDER IDENTITY LAW
After an extended pause, Musk added, “I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that.”
Vivian Musk came out as transgender in June 2022. Around that same time, the then-18-year-old filed a request to change names from Xavier to Vivian and take her mother’s last name, the Daily Mail reported.
“I no longer want to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form,” Vivian said at the time.
Musk’s pledge to take on the “woke” left likely inspired his latest decision to move the California headquarters for SpaceX to Texas, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that will bar school districts from notifying parents if their child uses different pronouns or identifies as a gender that’s different from what’s on school records.
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“This is the final straw,” Musk wrote on X, his social media platform, in explaining his decision. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.”
After Biden drops out of race, doctors reveal why the decision was best for his health
FIRST ON FOX: After President Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, two doctors shared thoughts with Fox News Digital about what this means in terms of Biden’s ongoing cognitive health.
Looking back, some experts believe the path to Biden’s dropout began with what was widely described as a disastrous debate performance in late June, during which the president seemed to display an unclear train of thought and a lack of coherence.
“President Biden has shown signs of cognitive impairment for many years,” Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon who specializes in cognitive function, told Fox News Digital on Sunday. He has not treated Biden or advised him.
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“It is medically probable that when he took office in 2020, he was afflicted by mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a gateway syndrome to Alzheimer’s disease and potentially Parkinsonism (not necessarily Parkinson’s disease itself),” Osborn said.
“And he has only deteriorated since then, as is typical of those with neurodegenerative diseases.”
‘Prudent’ decision
Given signs of his “ailing cognitive status, President Biden’s decision to step down from the race seems prudent,” said Osborn, expressing his professional opinion.
“In my opinion, he is unfit to run the country and is unsuitable for his duties as commander-in-chief,” he said.
“By stepping down, President Biden can prioritize his health and potentially mitigate further cognitive decline, while also ensuring the leadership role is filled by someone fully capable of handling the demanding responsibilities of the position.”
DOCTORS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT BIDEN’S APPARENT COGNITIVE ISSUES DURING DEBATE: ‘TROUBLING INDICATORS’
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, said he believes Biden’s decision is best for the president’s health.
“The stress of the race could have definitely made cognition worse — but it will progress anyway, and fitness is a big concern,” the doctor told Fox News Digital on Sunday. He has not examined or treated Biden.
Osborn also emphasized that remaining in the presidential race could have been “detrimental” to Biden’s mental and physical health.
“Chronic stress releases cortisol, the dominant stress hormone of the body, which can negatively impact the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, leading to further deterioration,” Osborn told Fox News Digital.
“In my opinion, he is unfit to run the country and is unsuitable for his duties as commander-in-chief.”
Biden’s past brain surgeries could also have affected his cognitive function, according to Osborn.
“It is likely that the combination of the two brain surgeries and his [possible] neurodegenerative diseases, plus the added stress of the Oval Office, have markedly accelerated the deterioration of his already ailing brain,” he said.
“Another term [was] not even a consideration, in my opinion. By 2028, he will categorically be a ‘nursing home patient.’”
In addition to cognitive concerns, the doctors also discussed Biden’s recent bout with COVID-19.
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“Post-COVID syndromes and long COVID have been shown to affect underlying neurological conditions,” Siegel warned.
“This can also come from recurrent COVID.”
Regarding COVID, Osborn noted that the virus has been shown to have potential long-term effects on cognitive function, often referred to as “brain fog.”
“These effects can include difficulties with memory, attention and executive function,” he said.
“Post-COVID syndromes and long COVID have been shown to affect underlying neurological conditions.”
“In someone with pre-existing cognitive issues like President Biden, contracting COVID-19 could exacerbate these symptoms – via neuroinflammation – and lead to a more rapid decline.”
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Osborn also suggested that the president’s contracting COVID was used as an “exit strategy.”
“It accelerated his, but more likely their, decision to vacate his run for the presidency,” the doctor surmised.
Health as a qualifying factor
Along with meeting the official requirements — that the president must be a natural-born citizen, must be at least 35 years of age, and must have lived in the country for at least 14 years — both doctors agreed that the individual should also be physically and cognitively healthy.
“It is extremely important,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. “We have a right to it as a country.”
The role of president involves making complex and high-stakes decisions, often under significant pressure, Osborn noted.
“Cognitive health is essential for clear thinking, effective communication and sound decision-making, all things President Biden lacks,” he said, sharing his viewpoint.
“They should admit to what they know and reveal full neurological results.”
Physical health is also essential, Osborn said, as the role also requires long hours, frequent travel and crisis management.
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“A healthy president is better equipped to handle the demands of the office and to lead the nation effectively through various challenges,” he added.
Need ‘full health disclosures’
In light of Biden’s announcement to exit the race, Siegel said the decision “should be accompanied by a full health disclosure.”
He said, “They should admit to what they know and reveal full neurological results.”
The situation highlights the need for thorough health evaluations for presidential candidates – and sitting presidents — to ensure they can perform their required duties, according to Osborn.
“Routine testing – physical and mental – should be made non-negotiable instead of being thwarted by the governing party,” he said.
“The allowance of President Biden’s mental incompetence for four years is an embarrassment to the United States government, and the world has borne witness.”
In response to outreach from Fox News Digital, the White House press office stated that “health was not a factor” in the president’s decision to withdraw from the race.
Biden is continuing his course of Paxlovid and his COVID symptoms have “significantly” improved, according to the president’s physician.
“He looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people,” said the White House in its statement.
On July 21, the White House released the most recent health update from the president’s physician, Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor.
O’Connor also noted that Biden is continuing his course of Paxlovid and that his COVID symptoms have “significantly” improved. The doctor also stated that Biden’s vital signs are normal, and his lungs remain clear.
Billionaire has advice for Dems who want to rush to nominate Kamala Harris
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose net worth is over $104 billion per Forbes, is urging Democrats to take their time in selecting a new presidential nominee in the wake of President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 election.
Bloomberg, a businessman and former Republican who entered the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, released a statement Monday telling Democratic Party leaders there’s still enough time for them to take stock of the views of voters around the country about the best candidate to lead the party after Biden’s withdrawal.
“Democrats now have a chance for a fresh new start, and while some elected leaders and party officials make their endorsements, there are still more than four weeks before the party’s more than 4,000 delegates convene in Chicago,” Bloomberg said.
“Democrats now have a chance for a fresh new start, and while some elected leaders and party officials make their endorsements, there are still more than four weeks before the party’s more than 4,000 delegates convene in Chicago…”
“That is more than enough time for the party to take the pulse of voters, especially in battleground states, to determine who is best positioned to win in November and lead the country over the next four years,” he added. “We don’t need a resolution right away, but we do need to get it right. The decision is too important to rush, because the election is too important to lose.”
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Bloomberg’s call for Democrats to take the time to evaluate other potential candidates to replace Biden at the top of the party’s presidential ticket comes as a growing number of leading Democratic politicians — including President Biden — have endorsed Vice President Harris as the party’s nominee.
Biden released a statement endorsing Harris immediately after announcing he would withdraw from the race.
Following that announcement, a number of Democratic leaders who may have been potential alternatives to Harris moved to endorse her, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, among others.
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No new contenders have stepped forward to challenge Harris for the Democratic nomination in the wake of Sunday’s news.
Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Sunday that he was considering re-registering as a Democrat after leaving the party in May so that he could challenge Harris. However, Manchin opted against it and told CBS on Monday that he won’t be a candidate for president while calling for a competitive nomination process.
SEN. MANCHIN CALLS FOR COMPETITIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION PROCESS: ‘I WANT THE MIDDLE TO HAVE A VOICE’
Bloomberg’s call for Democrats to hold off on picking a candidate until voters can weigh potential options also featured a tribute to outgoing President Biden’s “lifetime of honorable public service” which he said “deserves the respect of all Ameicans, no matter their party.”
“Stepping aside from this campaign is an act of selflessness that only a great patriot would do. No matter what happens in November, history will record that he put the country’s interests ahead of his own to defeat a candidate who has always put his own interests ahead of the country’s, as the aftermath of the 2020 election proved in such a disgraceful and dangerous fashion,” Bloomberg added.
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Movie skyrockets back into top 10 spot after JD Vance champions working class roots
Former President Donald Trump‘s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, returned to Middletown, Ohio, on Monday as the senator’s hometown sits at the crossroads of the heartland crisis that has shaped American politics in recent decades.
“This town was so good to me,” the GOP senator said during a rally at Middletown High School in Ohio, from which he graduated in 2003.
“I came from Middletown, Ohio. I’m proud of it,” he said, “and I’ll never forget where I came from.”
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Middletown has been a heavy-industry hub since the first steelmaker arrived in 1900. Recent history and discussions with local residents paint the picture of a Middle American community that appears to have survived Rust Belt decay better than most.
Yet Middletown also faces the challenges of a post-industrial small town and rural America that has felt ignored by Washington, D.C. elites for decades.
Even with a steel-mill anchor, Middletown trails the nation in several measures of success and opportunity.
Simmering discontent fueled by similar situations has fomented the political upheaval captured by Trump’s Make America Great Again revolution.
“Middletown is a working, blue-collar community more than anything,” Zachary Johnson, a clerk at Central Pastry, told Fox News Digital on Monday.
“I came from Middletown, Ohio. I’m proud of it, and I’ll never forget where I came from.”
Vance shouted out Central Pastry, a 75-year-old family-owned local landmark bakery, during his rally Monday.
Here’s a look at the city “that made” Vance.
Middletown is a classic Rust Belt, steel-making city
Steelmaker Armco arrived in Middletown in 1900, giving the city of 51,000 residents today its industrial heartland identity.
“We are a town that has a rich history in steel manufacturing,” Middletown communications director Clayton Castle told Fox News Digital.
Armco later became AK Steel.
It was acquired in 2020 by Cleveland-Cliffs, which touts itself online as the “largest flat-rolled steel company in North America and a leading supplier of automotive-grade steel.”
It operates Middletown Works, which is the largest employer in the city, said Castle.
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The city spokesperson added, “Most people, when you ask them — they work themselves or know somebody who works or worked in a steel factory at some point. Steel is ingrained in the fabric of our community.”
Vance’s own grandfather found work at Armco.
Middletown highlights Ohio’s clout as political bell cow
Ohioans voted for the winning candidate in every presidential election from 1964 to 2016.
The streak ended in 2020, when Trump earned a sizable 53% to 45% victory in Ohio over national winner Joe Biden.
Middletown represents the complex mix of cultures and urban-rural contrasts that make Ohio an important bellwether of American political trends and a top prize in presidential politics.
It’s located 30 miles northeast of Cincinnati and 20 miles southwest of Dayton.
The city developed along the east bank of the Great Miami River; the west bank remains almost completely rural.
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Interstate 75, which connects Miami, Florida, to Chicago, Illinois, before finally ending on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, passes just east of downtown Middletown.
Middletown is MAGA country
Middletown is located in Butler County, which broke even heavier for Trump in 2020 than did wider Ohio.
More than 61% of voters in the county pulled the lever for Trump in the last presidential election, compared with just 37% voting for Biden.
Local steelmaker plans $1.8B investment in Middletown, with federal aid
The conundrum caused by the ever-growing role of government and environmental regulations in big business is evident in a recent announcement by Cleveland-Cliffs that it’s investing $1.3 billion in its Middletown foundry – with an additional $500 million from the Department of Energy.
“This investment will secure 2,500 jobs at Middletown Works, where the unionized workforce is represented by the International Association of Machinists,” the Journal-News of Butler County reported in March.
“This is absolutely huge for the men and women who work here, and for the community,” Shawn Coffey, union president of Local 1943, told the local publication.
The investment is to “accelerate industrial decarbonization technologies” and create “substantial reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” Cleveland-Cliffs said in a March statement.
Middletown is not the Appalachia chronicled in ‘Hillbilly Elegy’
Vance’s rise to national prominence came with the success of his 2016 autobiography and cultural critique “Hillbilly Elegy,” which offers a stark look at the struggles and fates of families and communities of rural Appalachia — including his own.
“Hillbilly Elegy” became a Ron Howard-directed movie in 2020. This past weekend it soared back into the Top 10 list of Netflix films, the result of Trump’s VP pick of Vance and the senator’s speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee late last week.
The book is based upon his family’s heritage in rural Jackson, Kentucky.
It’s about 60 miles southwest of Butcher Hollow, Kentucky — made famous as the home of country music queen and “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Loretta Lynn.
As Vance notes in his bestselling book, his great-grandparents left the hills of eastern Kentucky seeking a better life in industrial Middletown.
Jackson, Kentucky remains Vance’s ‘home’
Vance lived most of his childhood in Middletown, moving from house to house with a mother suffering from addiction.
He spent summers with his grandmother – his “Mamaw” – in Jackson, living among and observing the cultural decay of poor, rural America that became the source of “Hillbilly Elegy.”
He explained the complicated existence in the book.
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“My address is where I spent most of my time with my mother and sister, wherever that might be. But my home never changed: my great-grandmother’s house, in the holler, in Jackson, Kentucky.”
Vance called Middletown, Ohio ‘Middletucky’
Middletown is 200 miles north of Jackson.
But, according to Vance, the two communities are tightly connected by culture, values and small-community struggles.
“Thanks to the massive migration from the poorest regions of Appalachia to places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Illinois, hillbilly values spread widely along with hillbilly people,” Vance wrote in “Hillbilly Elegy.”
“Indeed, Kentucky transplants and their children are so prominent in Middletown, Ohio (where I grew up) that as kids we derisively called it ‘Middletucky.’ People have struggled to get out of Jackson for decades; now they struggle to escape Middletown.”
Middletown closely mirrors America’s makeup
The city’s population is 78.4% White and 11.8% Black, compared with 75.3% and 13.7% nationally, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
Middletown has a lower population of Asian, Hispanic, Native and foreign-born citizens than the United States as a whole.
But its residents are more likely to be multiracial: 6.6% of Middletowners are of two or more races, compared with just 3.1% nationally.
About 21% of the city’s residents are under age 18, and 18% are over 65, almost exactly the same as national figures.
Middletown trails in higher education and income
The 2020 U.S. Census reports that 34.3% of Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education; in Middletown, that figure is only 16.1%.
The median household income in Middletown is $50,457, well behind the national figure of $75,149; meanwhile, 19.2% of Middletown residents live in poverty, compared with 11.5% nationwide.
Middletown punches above its weight class in pro sports
The small city has produced an impressive number of hometown heroes who could “escape Middletown” through excellence in athletics.
Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Kyle Schwarber, UFC fighter and Olympic Gold Medalist Kayla Harrison, basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas, and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter all were raised in Middletown.
The Middies football team plays on Cris Carter Field at Barnitz Stadium.
Brooklyn Decker, the former Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover model and wife of retired tennis star Andy Roddick, also once called Middletown home, according to community spokesperson Castle.
‘Ugly’ donut is rumored to be Vance’s favorite local sweet
Leave it to an old-school steel city to embrace an “ugly” donut.
A signature sweet sold at Central Pastry is reportedly Vance’s favorite, according to Central Pastry’s Johnson, a lifelong Middletown resident.
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The buttery, yellow-cake donut is soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside — and is coated in a sugary glaze.
Vance offered a hopeful message for Middletown’s future
The candidate for vice president said on Monday that the community has plenty to offer for the future.
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“While my life wasn’t all that different from a lot of people who grew up in Middletown, Ohio, it was tough, but it was surrounded by loving people, and it was surrounded by something that, if we don’t fight, is not going to be around for the next generation of kids,” he said in his remarks at his high school.
“And that’s opportunity. Middletown had an opportunity — and we’ve got to make sure it’s there for the next generation.”
“The community can wrap its arms around someone who is from here and who could possibly have a big impact on our country.”
Johnson, the clerk at locally beloved Central Pastry, echoed the message in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“There are many opportunities here and Middletown is really focused on building community,” he said.
“You see it really coming together with sporting events and even stuff like today with J.D. Vance’s rally,” he also said.
“The community can wrap its arms around someone who is from here and who could possibly have a big impact on our country and put Middletown on the map. This could be huge for us.”