White House hails Biden’s decision to quit 2024 race as ‘selfless act’ as Harris seeks Dem nom

After President Biden’s address to the nation Wednesday night, multiple doctors shared their opinions with Fox News Digital about his perceived health status based on his live speech.

Seated in the Oval Office, the president spoke relatively briefly about his withdrawal from the 2024 race and his commitment to continuing to serve the country for the next few months. 

He did not mention his recent COVID-19 infection, ongoing concerns about his cognitive health, or the recent assassination attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump.

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor — who has never treated the president — noted that Biden seemed to be reading from a teleprompter on Wednesday night, as he often does, making it difficult for those watching to gauge his medical fitness.

Although Biden stumbled over his words a few times, Siegel was more concerned about the president’s apparent "lack of emotion."

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on "RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars" to encourage viewers to vote in a clip released Thursday.

“Each day we are seeing our rights and freedoms under attack, including the right of everyone to be who they are, love who they love, openly and with pride,” Harris said during her appearance on the show.

“So as we fight back against these attacks, let’s all remember no one is alone. We are all in this together, and your vote is your power. So please make sure your voice is heard this November, and register to vote.”

The episode was taped a few weeks before President Biden's decision to drop out of the race and Harris' rise to the top of the and is set to air this Friday on Paramount+.

The executive producer for a political sitcom about a female vice president lashed out at some "a--hole" viewers who have been making unfavorable comparisons between the main character and Vice President Kamala Harris.

"Veep" aired on HBO from 2012 to 2019 and starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a comically inept fictional female vice president, Selina Meyer.

In recent years, comparisons between the titular character and Harris made headlines from detractors calling out the VP's so-called "word salads." 

"Veep" showrunner David Mandel spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the show’s resurgence of popularity amid Harris’ rise to be the presumptive Democratic nominee."So I think it’s a delight that she’s a fan. I love anything that’s positive," he said. "But I get driven crazy when people try to use ‘Veep’ to diminish her. I hate that."

A newly formed election watchdog nonprofit organization has started paying out tens of thousands of dollars in "bounties" to election whistleblowers as part of its unique goal of promoting election integrity by encouraging whistleblowers to come forward.

The Fair Election Fund, a recently formed national election integrity watchdog group, is announcing this week it is awarding an initial $50,000 in "bounties" to whistleblowers who have reported first-hand knowledge of voter fraud or irregularities across four states, including North Carolina and Michigan.

The Fair Election fund was set up earlier this year pledging millions of dollars to promote election integrity by paying and protecting whistleblowers on the front lines who are able to identify issues at polling places and election offices.

The group says it has heard from numerous whistleblowers across the country reporting issues receiving multiple ballots, delayed ballots, mailing address errors, independent parties blocked from overseeing counting, receiving ballots without requesting one and other issues.

"The Fair Election Fund is thrilled that our incentives are working and we’re learning more about systemic problems with our election system, but this is just the beginning," Doug Collins, former congressman from Georgia and Fair Election Fund Senior Advisor, said in the press release.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller.

President Biden delivered an approximately 11-minute address to the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday.

While sitting behind the Resolute Desk, surrounded by portraits of American presidents, Biden spoke of his decision to discontinue his re-election campaign and laid out his plan for the remainder of his term.

The 81-year-old president, after recovering from a reported COVID-19 case last week, also spoke repeatedly about "defending democracy."

Here are five key takeaways from the address that comes at a pivotal moment of the election cycle as Vice President Harris, with Biden's endorsement, vies to become the Democratic nominee for president.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Danielle Wallace.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Vice President Kamala Harris "was not a border czar" as the Biden administration continues to grapple with the high influx of migrants arriving at the southern border each day.

"Yes, we are going to debunk the false, you know, characterization of the vice president. She was not a border czar. And it's not just us, independent fact checkers have said the same thing -- that that did not exist and that is not true."

Jean-Pierre's comments came as she fielded questions from reporters in the briefing room. Fox News Senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Jean-Pierre why Democrats on Capitol Hill have received cards with "talking points" about Harris' record on immigration. One such point, Doocy noted, is that Harris was "never appointed border czar."

Asked by Doocy why "Democrats are so sensitive about the vice president and the border," Jean-Pierre questioned, "Why are Republicans actually so sensitive about not owning up to them getting in the way of a border deal?"

Doocy also asked Jean-Pierre if she believes there would be less of a fuss about immigration woes if someone from the administration had addressed the "root causes" of the mass influx to the southern border earlier in the president's term.

Jean-Pierre claimed border crossings are down because of "what this president and this vice president did."

She also blamed Republicans, saying they "blocked resources" from getting to the border.

For years, Republicans have accused Harris of failing her job as "border czar" after President Biden handed her the task of mitigating the "root causes" of illegal immigration in 2021. It's quickly becoming the cornerstone of GOP-led attacks against Harris as she gears up for an expected head-to-head race with former President Trump.

The House of Representatives voted along bipartisan lines to condemn Harris' handling of the southern border, the first piece of legislation targeting Harris since she became the Democrats' presumptive 2024 nominee. Six Democrats joined all Republicans in voting for the measure, which passed 220-196.

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

After quickly securing her role as the Democratic presidential candidate after Biden’s ousting, former NYSE CEO Dick Grasso is comparing Kamala Harris’ rise to the iconic Sollozzo-McCluskey elimination scene in the film "The Godfather." 

During his appearance on "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" Tuesday, the ex-NYSE CEO discussed the vice president’s, now Democratic presidential candidate, chances of securing the presidency in 2024. 

"Now, there are a lot of people right now who say she's going to get a bump post what happened on Sunday, and obviously she's gotten a tremendous bump in terms of fundraising. But we're a long way from November," he expressed.

On Monday, the Harris campaign spotlighted that they hauled in $81 million in the 24 hours following Biden's decision to end his re-election bid and endorse the vice president to succeed him as the Democratic presidential nominee.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that President Biden's decision not to seek re-election in 2024 was a "selfless act."

Jean-Pierre's comments came as she read off remarks from Biden that were delivered to the nation Wednesday evening.

"This is a selfless act, something that very few politicians would ever do," she told reporters from the briefing room. "President Biden will go down in history as one of the nation's greatest presidents, accomplishing more in nearly four years than most presidents do in eight years."

"He made clear last night that over the next six months he will be focused on doing his job as President of the United States and building on his historic results for the American people. That is his focus," she added.

Former President Donald Trump took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to take aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, arguing that Harris would be a "Marxist President."

"We’re not ready for a Marxist President, and Lyin’ Kamala Harris is a RADICAL LEFT MARXIST, AND WORSE!" Trump said.

Trump has increasingly taken aim at Harris, who has all but locked up the Democratic nomination for president after President Biden dropped out of the race and quickly endorsed her.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who has been floated as a possible choice to become Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket, told HuffPost on Wednesday that he would vote in favor of the pro-union legislation known as the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

Kelly’s lack of full commitment to the PRO Act, "has stood as a possible barrier to him becoming Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee, since labor unions are a crucial part of the Democratic coalition," the outlet reported.

Speaking to HuffPost on Wednesday, Kelly said, “Unions loom large in our life, and I’m supportive of the PRO Act."

“I would have voted for it on Day 1,” he added of the bill. “I would vote for it today. I am, like a lot of legislation, working to make it better. But if it came to the floor today or any day going back to the day I was sworn in, I would vote for it.”

President Biden ignored questions about the current outbreak of protests agains Israel following his media appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Sir, the protests?" one reporter shouted, catching Biden's attention.

"Can we ask you about the protesters," the reporter asked Biden, who gave no response.

During the appearance, Netanyahu thanks Biden for his support and 50 years of public service.

"Mr. President, we've known each other for 40 years. And you've known every Israeli prime minister for 50 years from Golda Meir. So from a proud Jewish Zionist to a proud Irish-American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the State of Israel," Netanyahu said.

FIRST ON FOX: Texas Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez declined to answer when asked this week whether Vice President Kamala Harris did a "good job" as the "border czar" overseeing President Biden’s immigration agenda.

"Do you think Kamala Harris did a good job as border czar?" Gonzalez, who represents Texas’ 34th Congressional District, was asked in a House office building.

"I don’t know that she was a border czar, was she a border czar?" Gonzalez asked, seemingly echoing media outlets attempting to walk back that job title description now that Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

"She was a border czar, a couple years ago, do you think she did a good job as the border czar?" Gonzalez was asked again.

"You should know that," Gonzalez responded before walking away.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gonzalez’s office for further comment but did not receive a response.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller.

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., pushed back on CNN host Kasie Hunt during an interview on Thursday when she questioned why President Biden didn't talk about his health or age during his address to the nation.

"Can I ask a question? Have we talked about it enough? I mean, the country knows that happened. They saw it play out in real time. He made it clear that he thought he could still serve, but he wanted to bring the party together. I am not somebody who appreciated the circular firing squad the last three weeks. I think there are ways to communicate things to people without doing it in some of the ways that were done," Dingell said.

Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday night from the Oval Office and said he planned to serve out the rest of his term.

"Will the press ever stop criticizing? And when are we going to start doing a little more on Donald Trump? I think it was a very poignant evening. He talked about what was ahead, what we needed to do, why he was doing it, and here we are," Dingell continued.

"I think he laid out very clearly what the future is. It‘s the difference between hope and hate, unity and division. And I hope everybody in America heard that I think he laid that out. He clearly passed the torch, clearly also, six more months of his presidency, a lot of work to be done. This isn‘t a goodbye yet, folks," Dingell said.

Biden praised Vice President Harris during his address and told voters that the election was up to the American people.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Hanna Panreck.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, says he will "absolutely not" commit to voting for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

The comments from Golden, who serves as co-chair of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, came during a Thursday interview with Axios from the U.S. Capitol.

"I at least know that she's capable of finishing the next four-year term," he said

"That's a positive step in the right direction, I think, from the perspective of the American people. They at least have a clear choice," he added.

In terms of support for Harris, Golden said he's "going to wait and see what she puts forward and what her vision for the future of the country is."

Golden represents Maine's 2nd Congressional District, which was once characterized by Politico as one of the "Trumpiest seats" for Democrats to defend.

The state's 2nd District is labeled a "Democrat Toss Up" by the Cook Political Report and covers four-fifths of the state, including the cities of Lewiston, Bangor and Auburn.

The Trump campaign outlined former President Donald Trump's plan to "save American education," arguing that Trump would "give power back to parents."

"His vision will take back control from the Radical Left maniacs indoctrinating our children, and give our kids the high quality, pro-American education they deserve," the campaign said in a release.

Trump's plan would cut federal aid for schools "pushing critical race theory," direct the Department of Justice to open civil rights investigations into school districts that have "engaged in race-based discrimination," and "find and remove the radicals who have infiltrated the federal Department of Education," among a host of other policy proposals.

"We spend more per pupil than any nation in the world by double," Trump said in the release. "We are going to keep spending our money, but we are now going to get our money’s worth. We are at the end of every list on education, and yet we spend the most. We are going to change it around. We may spend the most, but we are going to be tops in education no matter where you go anywhere in the world."

Vice President Harris has released a statement condemning violent anti-Israel rioting that disrupted Washington D.C.'s busiest station.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee released the statement Thursday, hours after the violent protests against visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Yesterday, at Union Station in Washington, D.C. we saw despicable acts by unpatriotic protesters and dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric," Harris said. "I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tore into Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday, claiming she is a "lousy candidate" for president who is even "more liberal" than President Biden on many issues.

"Kamala Harris was the most liberal U.S. Senator in Congress. She wanted to get rid of private insurance, eliminate oil & gas, provide benefits to illegal aliens, and confiscate the guns of law-abiding citizens. Then Joe Biden appointed her as 'border czar' and we all know how that turned out," DeSantis wrote in a post on X.

"The Democrats are only excited about Kamala Harris at the moment because they no longer have a candidate who's catatonic. But she may fall flat on her face before the convention," the governor, a former Republican candidate for president, added. "She's a lousy candidate and would be an even worse president."

DeSantis' post included remarks he gave about the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee at a recent press conference in the Sunshine State, where he declared Harris' tenure as vice president has been "disastrous."

"Her tenure as VP has been disastrous," he said. "She was put in charge of the border, the media was running with that in 2021 ... Now they're saying, 'No, no, she wasn't overseeing the border].' And these are the same reporters who wrote four years ago and are now writing the opposite."

DeSantis accused the media of "running interference" for Harris because "of all the failures, that border ranks near the top of the failures of the Biden-Harris administration."

"If you go back and watch her statements from when she was running for president in the 2020 cycle, I mean, she basically [supported] an open border, she wants taxpayer funded healthcare and benefits for illegal aliens," he said.

"As bad as Biden's been on that, she's even more liberal on that," he added.

DeSantis also said he doesn't believe Harris' running mate, who has yet to be announced, will "make a difference" in the election.

Vice President Kamala Harris used her keynote appearance at the American Federation of Teachers convention to slam Republican presidential nominee former President Trump.

“Today we face a choice between two very different visions of our nation. One focused on the future, and the other focused on the past. And we are fighting for the future,” Harris said on Thursday as she campaigns for the 2024 Democratic nomination.

Harris also railed Project 2025, a group which Trump himself has said he isn’t closely affiliated with.

“So Project 2025 is a plan to return America to a dark past. Donald Trump and his extreme allies want to take our nation back to failed trickle down economic policies. Back to union busting. Back to tax breaks for billionaires. Donald Trump and his allies want to cut Medicare and Social Security. To stop student loan forgiveness for teachers and other public,” Harris said, claiming Republicans “even want to eliminate the Department of Education.”

The vice president attempted to contrast her campaign and that of Trump and Republicans.

“We want to ban assault weapons, and they want to ban books. Can you imagine,” Harris said.

“Bring it on,” Harris said in the closing of her address.

Former President Obama has not yet endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president, though allies in the Obama orbit indicate the 44th president is squarely behind Harris’ campaign. 

President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race Sunday afternoon in a letter posted to his X account, which was shortly followed by him endorsing Harris for president. Democrats nationwide soon united in their calls for Harris to become the party’s nominee as they square up for another election battle against former President Trump. 

Though Democratic leaders such as Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., as well as the Clintons and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., have offered Harris their endorsements, Obama has remained mum.

"Michelle and I just want to express our love and gratitude to Joe and Jill for leading us so ably and courageously during these perilous times — and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on," Obama wrote in his statement following Biden bowing out, which did not including mentioning Harris.