Biden resists mounting pressure to step aside

Hunter Biden, the president's son who was recently convicted in a federal gun case, joined his father at the White House Thursday evening for a Fourth of July fireworks display.

Hunter Biden was convicted in June of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

Biden lied on a federal form when he was asked if he was an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances while trying to purchase a firearm from a Delaware gun shop.

During the Fourth of July celebration, Vice President Kamala Harris praised President Biden, calling him the "extraordinary" commander in chief.

"Happy 4th of July, everyone. Happy Independence day. And today, as we celebrate freedom, as we celebrate the promise of America, we also celebrate and express our gratitude to our service members, to our veterans, to our military families. And we give thanks to our Commander in Chief, the the president of the United States, the extraordinary president of the United States, Joe Biden," Harris praised.

The president spoke briefly.

"Happy Independence Day. We got to do what our founders did. Show the world we're a nation of dignity, honor, and just devotion to one another," Biden said.

Biden continued by thanking the attendees for joining him and praising America.

"I really mean it, folks. It's all about democracy. It's all about freedom. It's all about who we are. We're the United States of America, and nothing like it exists in the world," Biden said.

Earlier in the day, Biden reassured guests at the White House that he would not be dropping out of the 2024 race, saying "I'm not going anywhere."

Hours after the White House told reporters that President Biden had not had any recent medical exams, the president reportedly contradicted his press secretary by telling governors that he had a recent medical checkup.

According to the New York Times, Biden told Democratic governors during a meeting on Wednesday that he had seen the White House physician to check on the cold his campaign said that he had during the presidential debate against Trump.

Biden also reportedly told governors that he would no longer schedule events after 8 p.m. so he could "get more sleep," the outlet reported.

However, on Friday, White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said the opposite, telling reporters that Biden has not had any type of medical checkup since February.

When questioned about the seemingly contradictory comments, the White House sent the following statement to Fox News Digital:"Several days later, the President was seen to check on his cold and was recovering well," the White House press office clarified.

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

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The Biden-Harris campaign claimed that prices at the pump are the lowest they’ve been on the 4th of July since 2021, according to a press release.

"Happy 4th of July America. Low gas prices are something for drivers to celebrate this July 4th, with costs at the pump expected to hit their lowest levels since 2021," the statement read.

The campaign cited GasBuddy, a fuel savings platform, saying that the average price of gasoline on Independence Day is expected to be $3.49 per gallon nationwide, the lowest price it's been on the busy travel holiday in three years.

"At the Biden campaign, we wish everyone safe travel and a happy holiday. Let’s celebrate declaring our independence from a tyrannical king 248 years ago and focus on stopping Donald Trump’s dreams of becoming one this November," Biden-Harris 2024 Spokesperson James Singer said.

Earlier on the 4th, the White House also boasted about the "savings" which was only a one-cent decrease in the nation's year-over-year gas prices.

GasBuddy's projection comes just a few weeks after the American Farm Bureau (AFB) said a 10-person Independence Day cookout price would average $71.22 this year, up 5% compared to last year and almost 30% higher than five years ago.

"Higher prices at the grocery store reflect a number of challenges facing America’s families. Lower availability of some cookout staples and inflation are hitting people in their wallets," AFB chief economist Roger Cryan said. "Farmers are also feeling the effects of high prices. They’re price takers, not price makers. Their share of the retail food dollar is just 15%, but they still pay elevated fuel, fertilizer and other supply prices."

Fox News Digital's Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

Abigail Disney, an heiress to the Disney family fortune, says she is planning to stop giving donations to Democrats until President Biden drops out of the presidential race, CNBC reported.

The Disney heiress told CNBC on Thursday that she plans to withhold donations to the party she has funded for years until Biden drops out.

“I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket.  This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,” Abigail Disney said in a lengthy statement to CNBC. “If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.”

This comes as Biden has vowed to stay in the race and even telling a crowd of military service members and their families at a 4th of July barbecue that "he wasn't going anywhere."

Fox News Digital reached out to Abigail Disney for comment.

Following a speech to military service members and their families at the White House, President Biden once again reiterated that he's staying in the race.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a barbecue for military service members Thursday evening. After he finished his speech, Biden spoke again with a mic.

The crowd began shouting, "We need you!' to which Biden responded, "You got me, man"

He then said, "I'm not going anywhere."

Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports that a potential Democratic ‘mass exodus’ could convince President Biden to quit.

Fox News Digital is told that there are currently multiple letters being circulated among House Democrats calling on Biden to step aside in the election.

Fox is told that the House Democratic leadership has not seen the “letter” where around 25 House Democrats are urging the president to drop out.

It is not yet clear if a letter has been drafted or moved beyond the discussion stage, but it's described as a very fluid situation.

One of two sources who spoke with Fox News Digital said different efforts are targeting vulnerable members and those in safe seats.

“Everyone is guarded now,” said one senior House Democratic member. “People may be just doing what they believe is best for them.”

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., says Democrats have known that President Biden has been 'incompetent for quite some time' on 'Fox News Live.'

Malliotakis said that clearly Democrats are concerned that Biden is going to be a "drag" on the ballot.

"They know that he has been incompetent for quite some time, that has had this mental instability in terms of memory. I think this is well known on Capitol Hill. I think the issue is you're only willing to acknowledge it now because he's been a drag on the polls," Malliotakis said.

Malliotakis continued saying that this is more about protecting the Democratic party and their members re-election than doing what is best for the country.

"Clearly the person who is on that debate stage the other night, Joe Biden, is not the person who is running the country and the question is, who is? Who is working behind the scenes on this terrible agenda that has really hurt American families?" Malliotakis said.

Malliotakis said her view is that even if Biden is replaced with Kamala Harris, she says it's simply replacing incognitos with incompetence.

President Biden was "clearly making a joke" when he said it was "just my brain" in response to Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii, a physician, asking about the status of his health, Biden's Campaign Manager Jen O'Malley Dillon told Fox News Thursday.

O'Malley Dillon then told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich, "all kidding aside."

Green recently questioned Biden about his health during a gathering of Democratic governors as concerns continue to rise about the status of his health.

Biden answered that his health was "fine" and then said "it's just my brain," according to a report by The New York Times.

Multiple governors who were in attendance of the meeting also expressed concerns over Biden's health.

Following his debate against former president Donald Trump, many Democrats are now questioning whether Biden should continue his 2024 presidential campaign.

The issue was the main topic of discussion during a call that the governors had on Monday, The Times reported.

During a meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday, President Biden reportedly said he would not be scheduling any more events after 8 p.m. so that he could 'get more sleep,' according to The New York Times.

His comments left several governors shocked and frustrated, according to the outlet.

Biden's comments come as criticism about his health continues to be a grave concern across the country.

A White House spokesman confirmed to The Times that Biden had seen the White House physician to check on the cold his campaign claimed he had during the presidential debate last Tuesday. However, on Friday, White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said the opposite, telling reporters that Biden has not had any type of medical checkup since February.

Former President Trump wished Americans a "Happy Fourth of July" in a social media post before tearing into his Democratic rival, President Biden, and mocking his debate performance.

"Happy Fourth of July to all, including to our highly incapable 'President,' who uses Prosecutors to go after his Political Opponent, who choked like a dog during the Debate but tried to pretend it was 'International Travel' (only 12 days rest!) and, when that gig was up, he blamed it on a 'cold,'" Trump wrote. 

"Therefore, why would anyone say he’s cognitively challenged? Also, respects to our potentially new Democrat Challenger, Laffin’ Kamala Harris. She did poorly in the Democrat Nominating process, starting out at Number Two, and ending up defeated and dropping out, even before getting to Iowa, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a 'highly talented' politician! Just ask her Mentor, the Great Willie Brown of San Francisco. Someone else that I have to compliment is a Deranged Biden Prosecutor named Jack Smith, who has become a Legend in his own mind for all of those cases he has lost. The Corrupt Prosecutors are working hard for Crooked Joe, but it will never be enough — MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" 

Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix and a Democratic Party megadonor, has called for President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential campaign in the wake of the CNN Presidential Debate.

Hastings told the New York Times on Wednesday that Biden "needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous”.

With a net worth of $4.8 billion, according to Forbes, Hastings is one of the first major Democratic Party donors to urge Biden to step aside since last Thursday's debate. 

White House aides have reportedly worked overtime to assuage concerns from donors and party allies that Biden, 81, is incapable of beating former President Trump after his age showed when the two faced off on stage in Atlanta.

Even so, two House Democrats have already come forward to call on Biden to step aside and as many as 25 others are reportedly waiting to see if he can turn around his declining poll numbers before doing likewise. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who once wrote about what it feels like to work for faltering political candidates, says it feels "totally different now" to be working for President Biden.

An excerpt of her 2019 book went viral this week that was headlined, "What it's like working for a doomed presidential candidate." Jean-Pierre responded to the resurfaced writing this week by praising her embattled boss, who is facing calls to step down from some Democrats and liberal pundits after his alarming debate performance.

"I can tell you now feels totally different, working for the best President in modern history, whose agenda of fighting for the middle class and protecting freedoms and the rule of law unites the American people," Jean-Pierre told Fox News Digital.

In an excerpt of the book published in Salon, the then-MSNBC political analyst provided her account of working for both former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards and former Rep. Anthony Weiner, whose careers both eventually collapsed over sex scandals.

"What makes a politician successful is also what can turn them — sometimes — into entitled narcissists who believe they can get away with things mere mortals cannot," Jean-Pierre wrote in ""Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America."

"There's nothing more dispiriting than working on a dying campaign. The atmosphere resembles one of those sad birth­day balloons with the air slowly seeping out as it deflates," she wrote.

Jean-Pierre's article resurfaced as she serves as chief spokesperson for a president whose fitness for office is under its most serious scrutiny yet. Biden's re-election chances are being questioned by a growing number of Democrats after his widely criticized performance at Thursday’s presidential debate that raised more questions about his health and mental viability.

Jean-Pierre admitted Tuesday that Biden had a "bad night," but insisted that he "knows how to do the job" of president. 

Fox News Digital's Gabriel Hays contributed to this update.

Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer said President Biden should get two weeks to demonstrate to the American people that he's fit to remain president amid concerns over his ableness.

Boxer told the Los Angeles Times that Biden deserves another chance to show voters that his debate performance was a one-time thing, not his daily status quo.

“The man has done it, time and time again,” Boxer said, referring to Biden in an interview published Wednesday. “Every time he’s been counted out, he’s come back. Can he do it one more time? I don’t know the answer. But out of respect and admiration for what he’s done, let’s give him the time to do it.”

“And if he can’t, he can’t,” Boxer said. “And there will be someone else.”

Boxer, who served in the Senate from 1993 to 2017, said she was surprised by her former colleague's halting and tired performance in the debate with former President Trump.

"I think the president owes the county an explanation," she said. 

A top House Democrat has warned that his party would suffer if Vice President Kamala Harris is overlooked should President Biden withdraw from his re-election bid.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chaired the House Jan. 6 committee, told Axios that Democrats cannot easily sideline Harris if they want to argue that Biden's presidency has been good for the country. 

He said Harris is "incredibly strong ... you can't say Biden has done a good job without saying she's done a good job." 

For Harris to be passed over for the nomination "would be the kiss of death for the party," he said, per Axios.

Thompson was one of many Democratic officials who emphasized to the outlet that Harris is the party's only viable candidate for the presidency if Biden steps aside. She alone would have access to the Biden-Harris campaign's funds, as well as endorsements from the Biden family, Obamas and Clintons.

Additionally, it would be a bad look for Democrats to tell the first woman vice president, first Black American vice president and first South Asian vice president she should not be the party standard-bearer. To do so would risk revolt from the progressive base and could alienate Black voters. 

Republican Rep. Zach Nunn of Iowa warned the prospect of a Kamala Harris presidency is "more frightening" than a second term for President Biden in a TV interview on Thursday.

Appearing on "Fox & Friends," Nunn related that several of his Democratic colleagues have told him they think Biden will no longer be their party's nominee after his widely panned debate performance against former President Trump. 

"They're okay with that. And they're ready for President Trump to win. They want their shot four years from now," Nunn said. "Look, the reality is that Harris is a danger to not only the Democratic Party, but would be a far worse leader in the White House." 

He went on to raise concerns about Biden's health and ability to serve in office for the remaining seven months of his first term.

"We saw President Biden on television for 90 minutes, and it frightened the entire country. But the reality is we've got this man trying to lead the greatest nation in the world for the next six months. That should scare everyone, regardless of party. This is a bipartisan concern for his health, yes,  but also for the health of the entire country right now. Being under this man's watch is a danger to all of us." 

A second House Democrat has come forward to urge President Biden to abandon his re-election campaign amid a panic over Biden's disastrous debate performance.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., on Wednesday told the New York Times that if Biden remains his party's nominee, "I’m going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere.”

He said Biden must "shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”

Grijalva, a left-wing hardliner who formerly co-chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus, joins Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who on Tuesday became the first Capitol Hill Democrat to publicly call on Biden to exit the race.

Several other House Democrats have raised concerns over Biden's electability versus former President Trump but they have stopped short of calling on him to drop out. 

"About 50 million Americans tuned in and watched that debate. I was one of them for about five very painful minutes. We all saw what we saw, you can't undo that, and the truth, I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump," Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez, D-Wash., said in an intervie with KATU-TV earlier this week. 

Others who've raised concerns about Biden's performance include Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, Summer Lee, D-Penn., Seth Moulton, D-Mass., Mike Quigley, D-Ill., James Clyburn, D-S.C., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. 

President Biden discussed his poor performance at the CNN Presidential Debate on Wisconsin talk radio Wednesday morning, admitting, "I screwed up." 

"I had a bad night. And the fact of the matter is that, you know, it was I screwed up. I made a mistake," Biden said on the Earl Ingram Show.

"But I learned from my father: when you get knocked down, just get back up. Get back up. And, you know, we're going to win this election. We're going to beat Donald Trump."

Biden is facing the roughest stretch of his more than yearlong campaign for a second term in the White House. This, after his halting delivery and stumbling answers at the debate with Trump in Atlanta on Thursday, sparked widespread panic in the Democratic Party and spurred calls from political pundits, editorial writers and some party donors for Biden to step aside as the party's 2024 standard-bearer.

Additionally, in the past two days, a small but increasing number of House Democrats have also urged the president to end his re-election bid.

Vice President Kamala Harris made an appearance at the BET Awards last weekend that one magazine called a "cringe as hell" attempt to appeal to Black voters. 

When asked what she’d been hearing about the upcoming election by actress Taraji P. Henson, Harris replied, "Yeah girl, I’m out here in these streets. And let me tell you, you’re right, Taraji. There is so much at stake in this moment. The majority of us believe in freedom and equality. But these extremists, as they say, they not like us," paying homage to 17-time Grammy winner, rapper Kendrick Lamar’s ‘diss track’ to Canadian rapper Drake, ‘Not Like Us.’"

Complex magazine called the move "unflinchingly corny" while comparing it to past exploits of 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

"If Hillary Clinton is the Ken Griffey Jr. of pandering, then it looks like Kamala is becoming the Barry Bonds of it," the magazine wrote.

Jayson Buford, a journalist contributing to the hip-hop publication, added that Clinton’s attempts at pandering to Black voters were "flattening the glaring issues Black people had" and suggested that Harris can't relate to the problems they face.

"The true humiliation of attempting to garner votes she didn’t deserve was what caused Clinton’s eventual downfall in the election. Voters didn’t show up for her like they did former president Barack Obama. Instead of campaigning in areas in the Rust Belt that were on the fence — states Obama had won — she talked about carrying hot sauce on her bag on ‘The Breakfast Club’," Buford wrote. 

"The community’s impartial distrust in her cultural knowledge is like a Hulk Hogan headlock for her political career," Buford continued.  "[This song] is supposed to be a celebration of community in the face of the interloper that can only wish to be us, but can’t totally sell the drastically Black mindset that the men and women with Black skin have. Kamala Harris, the former district attorney who was successful in increasing conviction rates, doesn’t fit what (hopefully) Kendrick Lamar had in mind when he made that song."

Fox News Digital's Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this update.