Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks as former Vice President Joe Biden listens during the second of two Democratic presidential primary debates hosted by CNN Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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Biden under fire from all sides on Night 2 in Detroit
Joe Biden seemed better prepared Wednesday in Detroit than he was last month in Miami as nine other would-be 2020 Democratic nominees took aim at his long record during the second round of the presidential primary debates. But he also found out that, not quite three years after he and President Obama left the White House, the Democratic Party of 2019 may no longer be the party of Obama. The former vice president tried keep his focus on President Trump and preview the general election battle he hopes to wage in 2020. But every other candidate quickly looked to score points by taking him out, and Biden spent the better part of the night fighting off their withering attacks.
The Democratic presidential primary front-runner sought to avoid a repeat of last month's damaging clash with Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., but he faced the additional challenge in Detroit from Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. The two senators tore into Biden's record on everything from health care to immigration to criminal justice reform -- as other candidates including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also took aim at the former veep. But Booker, who has struggled for months in the polls, was arguably toughest this time around, calling out Biden at one point for ducking a question on what advice he gave Obama on deportations.
Surrounded by candidates demanding that illegal border crossings be decriminalized, Biden struggled to push back. After all, some critics often called President Obama the "deporter-in-chief." Booker dinged him for saying he wanted to "cherry-pick" the best and brightest immigrants, arguing it was pitting one set of immigrants against another. Uncensored, Booker elaborated to suggest it demeans some as being from "s---hole countries," in a reference to a comment Trump reportedly once made.
Former Vice President Joe Biden waves after the second of two Democratic presidential primary debates hosted by CNN Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The big winners and losers of Wednesday's Democratic debate were ...
Doug Schoen, a Fox News contributor and Democratic consultant, believes that despite the onslaught of attacks, Joe Biden emerged as the clear winner of Wednesday’s debate. However, Biden, Schoen says, faces a lingering question on whether he can win the support of progressives who believe the former VP is too moderate. Two of his greatest roadblocks to the Democratic nomination -- U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. -- did not share the stage with him Wednesday. "Despite Biden’s strong performance and solid frontrunner status, it is clear that the party has seismically shifted away from the centrist Democratic Party of the 1990s, making his path to the nomination far from certain," Schoen writes. CLICK HERE for Schoen's full analysis.
Mystery surrounds the reported death of Usama bin Laden's son
Hamza bin Laden, a son of Usama bin Laden, has died, according to multiple reports Wednesday. But the circumstances of his reported death remained a mystery. The date, location and other circumstances surrounding the death weren’t released. President Trump and top administration officials have chosen not to comment. The State Department in February had offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Usama bin Laden's son. Hamza bin Laden was named a "specially designated global terrorist" in January 2017. He was not the head of Al Qaeda but had risen in prominence within the terror network his father founded, and the group may be grooming him to stand as a leader for a young generation of militants.
Ghosts of Elijah Cummings' Baltimore past come back to haunt him
House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., previously referred to his community of Baltimore as a "drug-infested" area, using a term that President Trump included in a tweet widely panned as a racist attack on the city. The video, tweeted by the president Wednesday, showed Cummings lamenting the city's scourge of drugs while speaking during what appeared to be a congressional hearing. "This morning, I left my community of Baltimore -- a drug-infested area where a lot of the drugs we are talking about today have already taken the lives of so many children," he said.
Arizona Diamondbacks' Zack Greinke delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Astros land an ace in surprising deal; two dozen trades on MLB's deadline day
Out of nowhere, the AL West-leading Houston Astros got a huge boost heading toward MLB’s postseason. On a dizzying day before baseball’s trade deadline, the Astros pulled off the biggest and most startling deal, adding ace Zack Greinke to an imposing rotation already loaded with All-Stars Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Plenty of familiar names were on the move Wednesday — Shane Greene and Mark Melancon boosted the Braves' bullpen, with Scooter Gennett, Jesús Aguilar, Mike Leake and Tanner Roark among those also changing teams. But it was the Astros' acquisition of Greinke from Arizona for four minor leaguers that quickly became the talk of baseball. - Associated Press
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TODAY'S MUST-READS
Viral math problem baffles many on Internet.
FBI agents went to Comey's house, retrieved secret memo written after his termination.
Trump directs Navy to rescind medals for Eddie Gallagher's prosecutors.
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
The Fed just lowered interest rates: Why you should care.
Why it pays to be on 'The Bachelor.'
Email scams on the rise: Here's what to do if you get one
#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."
SOME PARTING WORDS
Tucker Carlson explains how not every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate is a "lunatic."
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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning.
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