NationalWatch

President Biden’s incoherency and fatigue at last night’s CNN Presidential Debate has left Democratic insiders questioning whether President Biden should seek a second term in office. But a more urgent issue is the president’s ability to continue his first term in office. This guide explains the constitutional mechanism for Biden to be replaced as the sitting president.

What does the Constitution say about presidential succession?

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution spells out the presidential order of succession.

President Joe Biden stands at his podium during the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections between himself and former president Donald Trump at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The first three scenarios deal with the possibility of death, resignation, or illness. It is through these sections that Vice Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Gerald Ford each became President of the United States. The fourth and most talked about section in the 25th Amendment provides a mechanism to remove a president without their consent. 

It last became part of the national conversation in the aftermath of the January 6 riots, when some cabinet members reportedly discussed removing former President Trump from office.

TRUMP SAYS ‘BIGGEST PROBLEM’ NOT BIDEN’S AGE, ‘DECLINE,’ BUT HIS POLICIES IN FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE DEBATE

How would replacing the president work?

According to the relevant section, these steps would take place: 

• The Vice President (in this case, Kamala Harris) and a majority of cabinet members deliver a written declaration to the president pro tempore of the Senate (Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA) and Speaker of the House (Rep. Mike Johnson, R-LA) saying that he is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” This would make Harris the acting president.
• If President Biden writes a letter saying he is capable of performing his duties, then he resumes them unless Harris and the cabinet majority deliver another declaration stating the same inability. That must be sent within four days of the president’s declaration.
• The question would then go to Congress, who would assemble within 48 hours and vote on the issue within 21 days. If that vote succeeded, Biden would be stripped of his office, and Harris would continue as acting president until Americans chose their next President in the next election. In that scenario, Harris could run for President in that same election.

President Biden and former President Trump squared off in their high-stakes 2024 election debate rematch on Thursday and the contrast between the pair could not have been starker, a body language expert tells Fox News. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

TRUMP SAYS ‘BIGGEST PROBLEM’ NOT BIDEN’S AGE, ‘DECLINE,’ BUT HIS POLICIES IN FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE DEBATE

Are there any signs that it will be invoked?

No. There is no reporting that anyone in Biden’s inner circle or the White House is considering such a move. 

Elsewhere, voices across the political spectrum have raised the possibility that Biden is not capable of remaining in office.

Biden speaks at a post-debate campaign rally on June 28, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Last night President Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump faced off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign.  (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

That includes figures ranging from Johnson to comedian Jon Stewart.

What if President Biden dies or resigns?

As above, the 25th amendment also deals with succession in the event of death or resignation. In both cases, Vice President Harris would become President of the United States.

Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report described President Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” — and numerous political analysts said that was exactly the impression that the president left on viewers of the debate on Thursday.

In the February report, which noted that Biden’s “memory also appeared to have significant limitations,” Hur said he would bring no criminal charges against the president after a months-long investigation into his improper retention of classified documents related to national security.

“Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone from whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt,” the report stated. “It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”

During and after Biden’s debate against former President Donald Trump this week, several political analysts took to social media to suggest that Hur, who faced criticism from Democrats and liberal media figures over the report’s comments about Biden’s memory and judgment, had been “vindicated” and “deserves an apology.”

HOUSE GOP WILL SUE DOJ NEXT WEEK TO GET BIDEN-HUR AUDIO TAPES, JOHNSON SAYS

Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report described Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” mirroring what some analysts believe is the impression he left on viewers of the debate. (Getty Images)

“You know who’s looking really vindicated tonight? Special counsel Robert Hur,” Jim Geraghty, National Review’s senior political correspondent and a Washington Post contributing columnist, said amid Biden’s performance.

Echoing Geraghty, Charles C.W. Cooke, a British-born American journalist and a senior writer at National Review Online, wrote in a post to X, “Robert Hur deserves an apology.”

Former Trump-era White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany also weighed in on Biden’s performance by referencing Hur.

“Biden is worse than anyone knew. Robert Hur must have been truly shocked. Now the country is,” McEnany, the co-host of Fox News’ “Outnumbered,” said in a post to social media.

During the interview with Hur, Biden, according to the report, “did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended (‘if it was 2013 — when did I stop being Vice President?’), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began (‘in 2009, am I still Vice President?’)” 

“He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died. And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him. Among other things, he mistakenly said he ‘had a real difference’ of opinion with General Karl Eikenberry, when, in fact, Eikenberry was an ally whom Mr. Eiden cited approvingly in his Thanksgiving memo to President Obama,” Hur’s report said.

TRUMP SAYS ‘BIGGEST PROBLEM’ NOT BIDEN’S AGE, ‘DECLINE,’ BUT HIS POLICIES IN FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE DEBATE

President Biden and former President Trump during a presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. (Getty Images)

Biden and his allies aggressively pushed back on concerns about his mental fitness in the report’s wake. Though a full transcript of the interview has been released, Republican lawmakers are still seeking audio tapes of the discussions.

Earlier this week, ahead of the debate, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said House Republicans will file a lawsuit next week to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to hand over audio tapes of Hur’s interview with Biden.

“We are going to file a suit next week against the — against the Department of Justice to enforce that subpoena. We’ll go to district court here in D.C., which is the appropriate venue, and we will fight vigorously to get it,” Johnson told reporters at his regular press conference.

Attorney General Merrick Garland previously refused House GOP investigators’ subpoena for the audio tapes, citing Biden’s claim of executive privilege.

Garland’s refusal spurred House Republicans to hold him in contempt earlier this month, referring Garland to his own department for criminal charges. The DOJ ultimately declined to prosecute.

Attorney General Merrick Garland (left) previously refused House GOP investigators’ subpoena for the audio tapes, citing Biden’s claim of executive privilege. (Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Following Biden’s debate performance, several media figures now support the release of the audio tapes from the president’s interview with Hur, including Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle.

“If you hold out hope that Biden’s performance on Thursday was just an aberration, you should call for the administration to release the tapes of his interview with Robert Hur so we can all hear what he sounds like when he doesn’t have a cold,” McArdle wrote in a post on X.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

The re-election campaign for President Biden says it has raised a whopping $27 million since his rocky debate performance against former President Trump.

From the day of the debate through Friday evening, the Biden-Harris campaign told Fox News that it had raised $27 million.

The updated figure comes after the campaign said on Friday that it raised $14 million in “a sign of strength of our grassroots support” on debate day and the morning after.

The campaign also noted Friday that 11 p.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday – the first hour after the debate – was the single best hour of fundraising since the campaign’s launch in April 2023.

BIDEN AIMS TO CHANGE NEGATIVE NARRATIVE AFTER ROUGH DEBATE WITH TRUMP

The re-election campaign for President Biden says it has raised $27 million since his rocky debate performance against former President Trump. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP)

The large sums of cash come as Biden’s campaign seeks to address Democratic Party panic over whether he is mentally fit to serve as president following his disastrous faceoff with Trump in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday.

“I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious,” Biden, who at 81 is the oldest president in the nation’s history, told cheering supporters at a Friday afternoon rally in the crucial battleground state of North Carolina.

“Folks, I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to,” Biden acknowledged. “But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up.”

The president, pointing to his 2024 rematch with Trump, emphasized, “I would not be running again if I did not believe with all my heart and soul that I can do this job.”

Struggling with a raspy voice and delivering rambling answers, Biden struggled during portions of the debate. Several political analysts noted, however, that the president sharpened his answers as the debate progressed.

HERITAGE FOUNDATION WORKING ON ELECTION LEGAL CHALLENGES IN CASE BIDEN PULLED FROM DNC NOMINATION

President Biden participates in the CNN Presidential Debate on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Andrew Harnik)

Biden’s uneven and, at times, halting performance grabbed the vast majority of headlines from the debate and sparked a new round of calls from political pundits, publications and some Democrats for the president to step aside as the party’s standard-bearer.

Top Biden allies have pushed back against such talk as they defended the president and targeted Trump for “lying” throughout the debate.

Two Democratic sources confirmed to Fox News that top Biden campaign officials worked to calm concerns and fears as they huddled privately on Friday at a previously scheduled meeting with top party donors.

“Biden‘s record grassroots fundraising from the day of the debate is critical. It helps blunt the criticism from Biden’s performance,” veteran political strategist and Democratic National Committee member Maria Cardona told Fox News.

Cardona, a top Biden supporter, said spotlighting the fundraising “reminds Democrats that there is enthusiasm for the president and urgency to make sure that the liar and criminal Donald Trump doesn’t get close to the Oval Office.”

Another Democratic strategist and presidential campaign veteran said that team Biden’s focus on fundraising “is their best and maybe their only card to play.”

Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes discounted the Biden fundraising.

President Biden and former President Trump debated on Thursday night in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty Images)

“As of last week, the Biden campaign has spent $100 million on cable, TV and radio. They’ve spent money on a bloated organization. Yet President Trump’s lead has grown in battleground states, and now we see polling and enthusiasm on the ground putting Virginia and Minnesota in play for the GOP nominee for the first time in many election cycles,” Hughes told Fox News.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Trump campaign – enjoying the post-debate narrative – had no need to immediately emphasize its own fundraising, but told Fox News Friday afternoon it brought in $8 million the day of the debate.

The Trump campaign is demanding an apology from the White House and President Biden’s campaign for dismissing videos of Biden’s public gaffes and miscues as “cheap fakes” and “misinformation” promoted by conservatives. 

Following repeated instances of Biden appearing to stand motionless during public events, being guided offstage by family or allies, or appearing confused during public events, the White House slammed such videos as “cheap fakes” promoted by the Trump campaign and its allies. Cheap fakes, under the White House’s definition, are understood as real videos that are cropped or edited in an allegedly deceptive manner. 

The Trump campaign fired back on Friday that following Biden’s debate performance, “everyone sees there’s NOTHING fake about Biden’s decline.”

“It’s only been a week since our fantastic team @TrumpWarRoom & @RNCResearch were wrongly accused of editing ‘cheap fakes’ to make Biden look bad,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X Friday. “The Democrats, and of course their mouthpieces in the Fake News, peddled this ridiculous lie.”

INDEPENDENT, GOP VOTERS SHOW SPIKING SUPPORT AS TRUMP SLAMS BIDEN’S ‘FULLY DEBUNKED’ CHARLOTTESVILLE NARRATIVE

“We actually had to spend time fighting ‘journalists’ on this ridiculous narrative and telling them Americans can believe their own eyes!” she continued. “Now everyone sees there’s NOTHING fake about Biden’s decline. We were right and simply sharing the TRUTH!”

“We will take an apology now,” Leavitt added, tagging the Biden campaign and a handful of media outlets. 

When asked about the Trump campaign’s call for an apology, the Biden campaign told Fox News Digital that Trump is a “liar” in addition to “a pathetic loser.”

“Trump lied countless times during the debate and so does his campaign, in real life and on the internet. Trump lied Thursday about whether he called fallen soldiers suckers and losers, and he’s still triggered that mainstream media fact checkers called out his cheap fakes.  So sure, we will amend our previous statement: Trump is not just a liar he is also a pathetic loser,” a spokesperson for the Biden campaign said.

The call for an apology comes after former President Trump and Biden faced off in the 2024 election cycle’s first debate on Thursday evening, with Biden subsequently coming under fire from conservatives and his traditional allies for his disastrous performance. The New York Times even called on Biden to drop out of the race over his performance, which underscored already mounting concerns over the president’s age and mental acuity.

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD CALLS FOR BIDEN TO DROP OUT: HIS CANDIDACY IS A ‘RECKLESS GAMBLE’

While a good or bad debate performance can make or break any campaign, this year’s debates may be President Biden’s last shot at saving his re-election prospects. (Left: Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Right: (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images))

Biden’s debate performance included him having a raspy voice, losing his train of thought at times, and stumbling over some responses. Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged this week that Biden had a “slow start” to the debate, but defended his performance overall and his record in office since 2021. 

WHITE HOUSE ‘CHEAP FAKES’ RESPONSE TO BIDEN VIDEOS PART OF PUSH FOR SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP: EXPERT

Leavitt told Fox News Digital that, in addition to apologizing to the campaign, Biden’s administration and campaign should “more importantly” apologize to Americans. 

“The Biden White House and entire Democrat Party are both directly implicated in the greatest coverup in U.S. political history — and the mainstream media is complicit in their lies to the American public about Joe Biden’s mental state. They owe an apology to not just our campaign, but more importantly to the American people, for this major scandal that has led to the demise of our country over the past four years,” she said. 

President of the United States Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump participate in the first Presidential Debate at CNN Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on June 27, 2024. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ahead of the debate, Biden faced criticism for a series of gaffes and missed cues during public appearances, including events abroad with fellow world leaders. Those include: former President Obama taking Biden’s wrist to seemingly lead him offstage at a fundraiser in Los Angeles this month; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni directing Biden back to a gaggle of world leaders in Italy this month after he took a few steps away from the group to give a thumbs up to a parachutist; and viral video showing the president standing relatively motionless during a Juneteenth concert event at the White House. 

SOCIAL MEDIA MOCKS BIDEN BEING LED OFFSTAGE BY FIRST LADY

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni directs President Biden during G7 event.  (Fox News/POOL)

OBAMA DEFENDS BIDEN, HAMMERS TRUMP AFTER TELEVISED SHOWDOWN: ‘BAD DEBATE NIGHTS HAPPEN’

The White House pushed back following criticisms of such videos that they were “cheap fakes,” birthing a new 2024 campaign buzz word that was soon mocked by conservatives on social media, who argued that the administration was “gaslighting” Americans. 

President Obama takes President Biden by the wrist at fundraising event.   (Christopher Gardner via Storyful)

“They are cheap fakes. . . . They are done in bad faith. And some of your news organizations have been very clear, have stressed that these right-wing . . . critics of the president have a credibility problem, because the fact-checkers have repeatedly caught them pushing misinformation, disinformation,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this month of cheap fakes.

The Biden-Harris campaign also promoted the “cheap fake” narrative, calling them “a huge part of Trump’s campaign strategy.”

OBAMA LEADING BIDEN OFF LA FUNDRAISER’S STAGE JUST LATEST EXAMPLE OF ALLIES DIRECTING PRESIDENT

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Rob Flaherty, Biden-Harris Deputy Campaign Manager: Donald Trump is desperate to distract from his unpopular agenda. That’s why his campaign is deploying ‘cheap fakes,’ which are deceptively edited videos of President Biden. These doctored videos are a huge part of Trump’s campaign strategy,” the campaign posted on X earlier this month. 

President Biden and former President Donald Trump traded jabs over the issue of abortion and their views on Roe v. Wade at Thursday night’s presidential debate, with independent voters who were part of a Fox News Digital focus group favoring the former president’s remarks on the subject.

Asked whether he supports “any legal limits on how late a woman should be able to terminate a pregnancy,” Biden said, “I support Roe v. Wade, which has three trimesters. First time is between a woman and a doctor. Second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. The third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the woman and the state.

“The idea that the politicians, that the founders wanted the politicians to be the ones making decisions about a woman’s health is ridiculous. No politician is making that decision. A doctor should be making those decisions. That’s how it should be run. That’s what you’re gonna do, and if I’m elected, I’m gonna restore Roe v. Wade.”

During Biden’s remarks, approval from independent voters in the focus group consistently ranked around 30% or lower and never reached 35% approval.

TRUMP VOWS HE ‘WILL NOT BLOCK’ ABORTION PILLS OR MEDICATION IF ELECTED, SAYS HE BELIEVES IN ‘EXCEPTIONS’

During President Biden’s remarks, approval from independent voters in the focus group consistently ranked around 30% or lower. (Fox News Digital)

Responding to Biden, Trump said, “So that means he can take the life of the baby in the ninth month and even after birth, because some states — Democrat-run — take it after birth.”

“So he’s willing to, as we say, rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month and kill the baby,” Trump added. “Nobody wants that to happen.”

Independent voter response to Trump’s comments on Biden’s positioning on abortion soared to higher than 75% approval.

Biden interjected to deny Trump’s claim, saying it was “simply not true” and that Roe v. Wade “does not provide for that.”

“That’s not the circumstance. Only when the woman’s life is in danger, if she’s going to die — that’s the only circumstance in which that can happen,” Biden said. “But we are not for late-term abortion, period.”

Amid the president’s interjection of Trump’s comments, approval from independent voters for what Biden had to say quickly started to trickle down.

CNN HOST ABRUPTLY ENDS INTERVIEW WITH PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST AFTER CLASH OVER SCOTUS DECISION

President Biden participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections in Atlanta on Thursday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Refutting Biden’s claim and garnering further support from independent voters who were part of the focus group, Trump said, “Under Roe v. Wade, you have late-term abortion. You can do whatever you want, depending on the state. … We don’t think that’s a good thing. We think it’s a radical thing.”

“For 51 years, that was the law,” Biden fired back. “Constitutional scholarship said it was the right way to go. Fifty-one years, and it was taken away because this guy put very conservative members on the Supreme Court. He takes credit for taking it away.”

Upon his speaking again, real-time independent voter approval of Biden’s remarks dropped significantly.

“What’s he going to do? What’s he going to do, in fact, if — if the MAGA Republicans — he gets elected and the MAGA Republicans control of the Congress and they pass a universal ban on abortion, period, across the board, at six weeks, or seven, or eight or 10 weeks, something very, very conservative. Is he going to sign that bill? I’ll veto it. He’ll sign it,” Biden said.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump also said during the debate that he “will not block” abortion pills or abortion medication should he be elected president.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, effectively ending recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and giving individual states the power to allow, limit or ban the practice altogether.

Democrats under threat of losing their seats to Republicans appear to be leaving President Biden high and dry after what’s been widely viewed as a “disastrous” performance in Thursday’s presidential debate.

Fox News Digital asked multiple Democratic senators, House members and candidates facing tough races for their reaction to the debate and whether they agreed with the assessment by others in their party that Biden should step aside as a presidential candidate. 

Not one stepped up to defend him.

REPUBLICANS DECLARE BIDEN ‘UNFIT FOR OFFICE’ FOLLOWING ‘DISASTROUS’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE

Senators Jon Tester, Jacky Rosen, Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin and Bob Casey (Getty Images )

The names most notably absent from jumping to Biden’s defense were senators Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Jon Tester, D-Mont., Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, all of whom have been quick to praise the president in the more recent past.

Tester, for example, previously described Biden as “absolutely 100% with it,” and said, “He’s fine. He’s doing a good job. I think folks are making a bigger deal out of it than it is.” Republicans have been going after him by running those very words in ads across the state.

Baldwin’s campaign distanced itself from Biden following the debate, telling one news outlet Friday, “Tammy Baldwin is running her own race for the people of Wisconsin.”

BIDEN RIPPED FOR ‘OLD’ APPEARANCE, ‘WEAK’ VOICE DURING FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ‘DEEPLY ALARMING’

“Senate Democrats have been telling Americans Joe Biden is still sharp. Jon Tester even went so far as to say Biden is ‘absolutely 100% with it.’ It is clear they were lying, and voters will remember that in November,” National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital.

Reps. Ruben Gallego, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Arizona; Colin Allred, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas; Elissa Slotkin, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan; and Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maryland, also failed to defend Biden when asked about the debate.

Some House Democrats facing tough races, such as Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, have taken a similar approach. The National Republican Congressional Committee on Friday posted a video on social media of Kaptur being trailed in the airport by a GOP operative asking if Biden was “fit to be president.”

BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT’S BRUTAL TAKE ON BIDEN’S DEBATE AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE A DEAD MAN WALKING’

“Joe Biden is president,” Kaptur said, refusing to give a direct answer. When pressed by the operative, Kaptur simply said, “Are you fit to be president?”

Kaptur’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes won a tight race in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District in 2022, and Cook Political Report ranks her race in 2024 as a “Democrat Toss Up.” Fox News Digital reached out to her office and did not receive a response.

In Washington state, Dem. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is facing a tough reelection campaign that the Cook Political Report ranks as a “Democrat Toss Up.” Her office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, who also could be facing a tough re-election fight this year, did, however, admit what the others wouldn’t.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Biden struggled, but he’s an honest person who cares deeply about the country, and Trump, on the other hand, is a con man and only cares about himself,” Landsman told Fox News Digital. 

“I’m not sure what happens next. I’m clear about my job, which is to serve the 700,000 people we represent, working to make life better for children and families by getting costs down, strengthening our democracy, restoring freedoms and helping to solve the big problems we face so families don’t have to worry as much as they do now.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Rep. Chip Roy from Texas is pushing to force President Biden out of office via the 25th Amendment.

The U.S. lawmaker from Texas introduced legislation this week that would urge Vice President Kamala Harris to bring together executives of the executive cabinet and jointly declare Biden unfit to continue as president.

Roy introduced the resolution on Friday “calling on Vice President Kamala D. Harris to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments of the Cabinet to activate section 4 of the 25th Amendment to declare President Joseph R. Biden incapable of executing the duties of his office and to immediately exercise powers as Acting President.

OBAMA DEFENDS BIDEN, HAMMERS TRUMP AFTER TELEVISED SHOWDOWN: ‘BAD DEBATE NIGHTS HAPPEN’

President Joe Biden stands at his podium during the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections between himself and former president Donald Trump at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The resolution claims that Biden “has repeatedly and publicly demonstrated his inability to discharge the powers and duties of the Presidency, including, among others, the powers and duties of the Commander-in-Chief.”

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment authorizes the vice president and a majority of the executive cabinet to make the decision whether the president is fit to continue in office or not.

Biden has faced severe backlash following a disastrous debate performance on Thursday in which the president was seen visibly confused, mouth agape, and frequently unable to complete sentences.

REPUBLICANS DECLARE BIDEN ‘UNFIT FOR OFFICE’ FOLLOWING ‘DISASTROUS’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE

President of the United States Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump participate in the first Presidential Debate at CNN Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Biden appeared tired and unfocused at times during his 90-minute face-off with Trump. At one point, Trump fired back, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.”

Some Democrats have floated the idea of pulling Biden out of the Democratic primary at the last second, despite the fact he’s been the overwhelming winner of every state.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at a post-debate campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina.  (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

Such a radical move would certainly lead to legal battles, voter confusion, and a last-minute scramble for a new candidate to connect with the American people.

Republicans have seized the moment as vindication after years of questioning the president’s mental acuity but being denied by the mainstream media and political insiders.

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s happening…

– Biden’s “disaster” debate

– SCOTUS decides Jan. 6 case

– NASA’s ‘stranded’ astronaut crisis averted

NO MORE ROOM

Migrants sleeping on the floors of Boston’s Logan International Airport will soon be banned from doing so and Massachusetts officials are telling migrants currently at the southern border that its shelter system is out of space.

Illegal migrants line floors of terminal in Boston Logan Airport as Massachusetts’ shelters are overrun.  (WBZ)

More than 100 migrants have been using the facility as a shelter — lining the floors of Boston’s main air hub with makeshift beds and air mattresses — but they will be prohibited from doing so from July 9 and instead be offered free tax-payer-funded accommodation at a former minimum-security dorm-like facility in Norfolk, Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday.

White House

‘PULL’ FACTOR: Mayorkas moves to shield hundreds of thousands from deportation back to troubled Caribbean nation …Read more

Capitol Hill

‘IT’S NOT STORY TIME’: Rep. Nancy Mace rips civil rights activist for defining ‘woman’ as ‘a person who says she is’ …Read more

CONTROVERSIAL LAWS: U.S. Supreme Court upholds controversial anti-camping laws used against homeless people in Oregon city …Read more

‘ROUGH DEBATE’: Fetterman urges Dems to ‘chill the f–k out’ about Biden, says he’s proof ‘rough debate’ isn’t dealbreaker …Read more

SURPRISING DISSENT: Supreme Court decides Jan. 6 rioter ‘obstruction’ case that could carry significant implications for Trump …Read more

BUREAUCRATS’ WORST NIGHTMARE: Supreme Court sides with fishermen in landmark case deciding fate of the administrative state …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

CHANGING MINDS: Fox News Digital focus group members shift who they are voting for after debate …Read more

‘TIME TO GO, JOE’: Biden’s ‘disaster’ debate performance sparks media meltdown, calls for him to withdraw from 2024 race …Read more

President Joe Biden stands at his podium during the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections between himself and former president Donald Trump at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

‘BIGGEST LIE’: Trump, Biden spar over golf handicaps as they convince voters they are not too old for the presidency …Read more

‘HE WILL LOSE’: ABC’s ‘The View’ erupts with calls for Biden to step aside after debate: ‘Maybe he needs to go’ …Read more

Across America

‘WE’RE ALL HEARTBROKEN’: California firefighter dies at San Diego beach after disappearing during swim …Read more

‘MANIPULATED, GROOMED’: Ohio mom lashes out at social worker who ‘groomed,’ raped 13-year-old son …Read more

WHEN’S HOMECOMING?: Boeing says NASA’s ‘stranded’ astronaut crisis averted, reveals why homecoming is delayed …Read more

HISTORIC INDICTMENT: Ex-Uvalde school police chief, officer indicted over response to elementary mass shooting: reports …Read more

PORN STAR ARRESTED: Porn star Austin Wolf arrested following FBI investigation …Read more

‘SAD DAY’: Former Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy’s indictment is a ‘sad day,’ mayor says …Read more

GLOBAL THREAT: ISIS remains global threat a decade after declaring caliphate, U.S. military official says …Read more

‘LIES’: Bolivia’s president denounces self-coup accusations as ‘lies’ as supporters rally …Read more

DEADLY STORM: 1 confirmed dead after severe rain causes roof collapse at India’s New Delhi airport …Read more

Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Jamie Metzl, who worked for President Biden during the Clinton administration as deputy staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was a senator, told Fox News Digital the president shouldn’t accept the nomination for the Democratic ticket after Biden’s debate performance. 

“I have tremendous respect for Joe Biden. He’s my former boss. I think he’s a great person and a great American patriot. But I think most people seeing him in the debate last night would have to come to the conclusion that he may not have 4½ healthy years left where he can perform at the highest level that’s required for a United States president,” said Metzl, author of the book “Superconvergence: How the Genetics, Biotech, and AI Revolutions Will Transform Our Lives, Work, and World.” 

“And so, it’s with a very heavy heart and deep sadness that I’ve come to the conclusion that the best step for the Democratic Party and for the country is for President Biden to announce that he will not seek the Democratic Party’s nomination to be the presidential candidate,” Metzl said. 

DNC INSIDER CLAIMS BIDEN MEETING WITH OBAMA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST FOLLOWING DEBATE DISASTER

Metzl said he believes Biden did an “excellent” job in his first term, adding that before he took office, “we had significant attacks on our democracy and literally an attack on our Capitol. Our alliances were in shambles. So, I think that President Biden has done actually a quite good job. Certainly not perfect. And there’s lots of things that I and we can and should criticize.”

He added that calling on Biden to drop out is not “a statement about his performance in his first term as president. It’s a statement about what is required to be the president of the United States for four years. And, unfortunately, Joe Biden, who I greatly respect, I don’t believe has that capacity anymore.” 

Jamie Metzl, who worked for President Biden, above, on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was a senator, told Fox News Digital the president shouldn’t accept the nomination for the Democratic ticket following Thursday night’s debate performance.  (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Metzl explained that he worked with Biden nearly 25 years ago, and that he notices a “marked difference” between Biden then and now. 

“And that’s perfectly normal. We all have parents and grandparents, and we see that age is a very real thing even for a vigorous person like President Biden,” Metzl said. “When you get to be in your 80s, just the ravages of time catch up to us all. So, I have great respect for him, but I just think that we in the Democratic Party need to be brutally honest with ourselves. Because, if we’re not, the voters in November will certainly be brutally honest with us.”

Open convention

Metzl said while the Democratic Party has a provision for an open convention, “I think it would be a mistake to begin this process then, because a person who is going to be the nominee needs to have legitimacy. Not just from being selected at the convention, but through some type of popular engagement and popular process. So, I think that President Biden should announce that he will not seek the nomination at some point over the next couple of days, and that anyone who wants to step forward should do so.”

He suggested that, over the next month, the candidates could have weekly debates about the leading candidates along with “old-fashioned retail politics at scale, where these candidates are going to have to, in a very condensed period of time, communicate who they are and what they stand for and engage with voters. This is not something that is comfortable. It would have been much better if we had had a regular primary, perhaps, beginning a year ago. But this is where we are now, and I think we need to make the most of it.” 

Metzl called watching the debate Thursday night “deeply painful.”  (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Biden didn’t have any serious primary challengers and quickly became the presumptive Democratic nominee. His team also insisted Friday he wouldn’t consider leaving the race. 

“I don’t know what’s realistic and what’s not,” Metzl said when asked whether Biden would consider dropping out. “I certainly know that if President Biden and his team this morning had said, ‘We’re thinking about what’s the next step,’ it would have been game over from that point. So, they almost have to say, ‘We’re in it to win it’ now.”

‘Private conversations’

“And the question will be what happens over the next couple of days? Perhaps there’ll be additional polls that will give information. Perhaps, very likely, there are private conversations. But I do think that, after the performance last night, it will just be impossible for President Biden to rebrand himself to the American people.” 

OBAMA DEFENDS BIDEN, HAMMERS TRUMP AFTER TELEVISED SHOWDOWN: ‘BAD DEBATE NIGHTS HAPPEN’

Metzl said there are a number of Democratic candidates who could take Biden’s place, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom or Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

“I certainly think that there are some strong candidates,” he said. “But the problem is that, in our system, it takes a long primary year in many cases for people to get to know a candidate. Bill Clinton, Barack Obama were relative unknowns when they announced that they were running for the presidency. 

“And it took all of the give and take of the primaries for the electorate to get to know them. So, it’s going to be an extremely tall order for people who, whether they’re governors or senators or others who aren’t that well known to the general public, to become so well known over the next month or so that they would have some tailwinds coming into the Democratic convention in August.” 

Biden and Trump had their first of two presidential debates Thursday.  (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

While admitting it would be difficult for a replacement candidate to be able to beat Trump, Metzl said, “I do think it’s possible. I do not think that Donald Trump is a strong candidate at all, and I don’t think the American people were well served by the choice.

CAN BIDEN BE REPLACED AS THE DEM NOMINEE? HOW THE EXTRAORDINARY MOVE COULD OCCUR

“President Biden is clearly looking his age, and it was clear from the debate last night that President Trump is unrepentant, and that he’s standing by the attacks on the United States Capitol, standing by efforts to undermine the structures of American democracy, standing by his efforts to cast doubt on our entire electoral system. And, so, that’s why I’m certainly not a fan of Donald Trump. I believe Donald Trump poses a pretty significant threat to American democracy. But President Biden is just not presenting a level of vigor that will make voters believe he will be capable of carrying out the responsibilities of president over the next four and a half years.”

Time to move on

If Metzl could speak to Biden, he said he would tell him, “President Biden, you are a personal hero of mine. You’re a man of great ethics, great integrity. You’ve contributed a great deal to this country, which you love. And now for your perhaps last and greatest act of patriotism, it’s time for you to pass the torch to a new generation.”

But, Metzl said, he will vote for Biden if he’s still on the ticket in November because he believes Trump is “unfit to be the president of the United States.”

“By casting doubt on the electoral system, which, by all accounts, these last elections were the cleanest in American history, by supporting an attack on the capital of our own country, Donald Trump has made himself unfit for this role, in my view,” Metzl said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Metzl said it would be difficult for him to “change my views” on Biden following the debate. 

“Everybody saw the experience of the debate last night,” he said. “It was deeply painful. It was deeply sad. It felt to me like King Lear. And while I have a great love and respect for President Biden, I believe the time has come. And I believe that he has one last great act of patriotism left in him. And I believe that making a statement that he will not accept the party’s nomination for the presidency is that statement.” 

WASHINGTON – Democrat lawmakers came to the defense of President Biden’s re-election bid after serious concerns were raised over Thursday night’s debate performance.

Biden’s physical and mental appearance was noticed just minutes into the debate as he stumbled over words with a raspy voice and appeared to at times lose his train of thought — with one well-connected Democrat source telling Fox that “everyone is freaking out” and that Biden “needs to go.”

Despite the backlash, Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill rallied behind the president when asked by Fox News Digital if Biden should remain on the 2024 ticket as the Democratic nominee.

One Democrat said that Biden “absolutely” had a bad night, but that he should still represent the party on the general election ballot.

TRUMP SAYS BIDEN ‘WILL BE THE NOMINEE’ AMID DEM PANIC OVER DEBATE PERFORMANCE

President Biden participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections at CNN’s studios in Atlanta on Thursday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

“Did Joe Biden have a bad night, in my opinion? Yes, he absolutely did. And he needs to get out and talk to the American people and answer the question that needs to be,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. “But I know it’s focused. And staying with Joe Biden because he is the right guy at the right time.”

Rep. Robert Garcia, R-Calif., suggested that Biden was acting a certain way because he “was not feeling well.”

“Look, I get that President Biden had a sore throat, but apparently was not feeling well. At the end of the day, we’ve seen the president in action for years,” Garcia said. “We know what he’s like. And I think 20 minutes of a debate, half an hour of a debate where he did obviously have some sort of… throat challenge or perhaps was sick, I don’t think it’s gonna matter at the end of the day.”

FOX NEWS DIGITAL FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS SHIFT WHOM THEY ARE VOTING FOR AFTER DEBATE

“I will take the honest old guy over the dishonest old guy any day of the week,” Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., told Fox News Digital.

Democratic lawmakers including, from left, Reps. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill.; Andre Carson, D-Ind.; and Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., spoke with Fox News Digital in Washington, D.C., on Friday. (Fox News Digital)

Another Democrat, Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., said Biden “started off very slowly, but he picked up the pace.”

“He was on message. He made compelling reasons and points why his administration has had to correct the mess that was the Trump administration,” Carson said. “And I think he’s shown that he’s fit for leadership. He supports law enforcement. He supports our troops. He supports economic development and growth. And he’s proven that. Look at the record.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., also told Fox News Digital that Biden should “absolutely” be representing the Democratic Party on the 2024 ticket.

President Biden, on the day after the most consequential political performance of his decades-long career, aimed to address Democratic Party panic after his disastrous debate performance in his first faceoff with former President Trump.

“I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious,” Biden, who at 81 is the oldest president in the nation’s history, told cheering supporters at a Friday afternoon rally in the crucial battleground state of North Carolina.

“Folks, I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to,” Biden acknowledged. “But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up.”

And the president, pointing to his 2024 rematch with Trump, emphasized, “I would not be running again if I did not believe with all my heart and soul that I can do this job.”

A RASPY BIDEN DELIVERS A HALTING DEBATE PERFORMANCE IN SHOWDOWN WITH TRUMP

President Biden speaks at a post-debate campaign rally June 28, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

As Biden worked to calm his party, his campaign repeatedly highlighted what it described as record-breaking fundraising both during and after the debate as it seemingly aimed to deflect from a brutal narrative coming out of the showdown in Atlanta.

WHAT THE NEW YORK TIMES IS ASKING BIDEN TO DO

And Biden’s campaign on Friday morning announced that it hauled in $14 million in fundraising Thursday and Friday morning, which it highlighted as “a sign of strength of our grassroots support.”

Struggling with a raspy voice and delivering rambling answers, Biden struggled during portions of the debate. The president did sharpen his answers as the debate progressed, calling out his Republican predecessor in the White House for numerous falsehoods throughout the 90-minute debate.

President Biden (right) and former President Trump participate in the CNN Presidential Debate in Atlanta.  (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

But Biden’s uneven and, at times, halting performance grabbed the vast majority of headlines from the debate and sparked a new round of calls from political pundits and publications and some Democrats for the president to step aside as the party’s standard-bearer. Top Biden allies pushed back against such talk as they defended the president and targeted Trump for lying throughout the debate.

And the Biden campaign spotlighted that the 11 p.m. ET hour Thursday night — the one hour after the debate — “was the single best hour of fundraising since the campaign’s launch in April 2023.”

WHAT BIDEN SAID AT HIS FIRST POST-DEBATE RALLY

A Biden campaign adviser, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News the fundraising is “an important sign that there’s a bit of disconnect between national narratives and where supporters are.”

Following his rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, the president and first lady Jill Biden traveled to New York City, where they joined superstars Elton John and Katy Perry and top Democratic Party elected officials to unveil the city’s Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center. The grand opening was timed to kick off New York City’s Pride weekend and mark the 55th anniversary of the historic rebellion that marked a turning point for LGBTQ+liberation.

President Biden speaks during the grand-opening ceremony for the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center Friday, June 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Biden then headlined a campaign fundraiser Friday evening in New York City that his campaign touted was “the largest LGBTQ fundraising event in political history.”

On Saturday, the president was scheduled to attend two more top dollar fundraisers in the wealthy communities of East Hampton, New York, and Red Bank, New Jersey.

“Biden‘s record grassroots fundraising from the day of the debate is critical. It helps blunt the criticism from Biden’s performance,” veteran political strategist and Democratic National Committee member Maria Cardona told Fox News.

Cardona, a top Biden supporter, said spotlighting the fundraising “reminds Democrats that there is enthusiasm for the president and urgency to make sure that the liar and criminal Donald Trump doesn’t get close to the Oval Office.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A Democratic strategist and presidential campaign veteran said team Biden’s focus on fundraising “is their best and maybe their only card to play.”

But the strategist, who was granted anonymity to speak more freely, emphasized “there’s no amount of money that can reverse the damage that was done at the debate and the president confirming everyone’s worst suspicions and fears about him and his age and not being up to the job. Period.” 

But Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes discounted the fundraising.

“As of last week, the Biden campaign has spent $100 million on cable, TV and radio. They’ve spent money on a bloated organization. Yet President Trump’s lead has grown in battleground states, and now we see polling and enthusiasm on the ground putting Virginia and Minnesota in play for the GOP nominee for the first time in many election cycles,” Hughes told Fox News.

The Trump campaign, enjoying the post-debate narrative, had no need to immediately emphasize its own fundraising.

But the campaign told Fox News Friday afternoon it brought in $8 million the day of the debate.

Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, a top Trump ally, said hours earlier in an interview on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” that “the donations have been coming in, very strong, very steady. And that’s because the people saw his positioning last night during the debate. The donations, especially the small dollar online donations that we’re getting in right now, are really a reflection of the enthusiasm that the president brings to the campaign.”

And Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita told Fox News Digital Thursday night the debate performance was “added rocket fuel” to the former president’s fundraising and in “motivating the troops.”

Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling CEO and a prominent Republican donor, is raising money for Trump after earlier supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential nomination race. 

“The donors I have texted with are now more confident of a Trump win,” Eberhart said. “For any donors that were still on the sideline, last night was the push they needed to put their chips on Trump.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

During the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday, former President Trump hailed the success of the “Remain in Mexico” policy — a controversial border program he has touted repeatedly and which many conservatives have called for in a potential second Trump term.

Trump repeatedly hammered President Biden on the ongoing crisis at the southern border during the debate and attempted to contrast his record with Biden’s. A core part of his efforts to bring immigration numbers down was the introduction of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), commonly called “Remain in Mexico.”

Expanded in 2019 across multiple ports of entry, the program involved an agreement with Mexico to set up tent courts to which migrants could go to apply for asylum and then wait in Mexico as they had their claims heard, rather than being released into the U.S.

TRUMP REPEATEDLY HAMMERS BIDEN ON BORDER CRISIS TURNING US INTO ‘RAT’S NEST’: ‘KILLING OUR PEOPLE’ 

Former President Trump, left, and President Biden participate in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections at CNN’s studios in Atlanta on Thursday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“[Biden] ended ‘Remain in Mexico.’ I ended ‘catch and release.’ I made it ‘catch and release’ in Mexico, not ‘catch and release’ here. We had so many things that we had done, hard negotiations with Mexico, and I got it all for nothing,” Trump said Thursday.

Supporters of the program said that, where applied, the policy — where it was implemented — essentially ended “catch and release,” by which migrants are released into the U.S. to await their hearings, which can take years. While only around 70,000 migrants were returned under the program, conservatives have highlighted it as a move that was followed by a drop in encounters that summer and into pre-COVID 2020.

The Biden administration shut down the program in 2021, arguing that the policy was ineffective and left migrants in squalor and in danger in Mexico, leading to massive migrant camps set up along the border as people waited for their appointments — an argument also made by immigration advocates. 

“As [Homeland] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas has said, MPP has endemic flaws, imposes unjustifiable human costs, and pulls resources and personnel away from other priority efforts to secure our border,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement in 2022 as it moved to end the program.

Since then, the Biden administration has introduced a number of its own measures to regulate immigration and relieve pressure at the border amid a massive migrant surge that spiked in 2021.  At the heart of its policy is an expansion of the CBP One app, allowing migrants to enter legally and schedule an appointment to be paroled into the U.S. Currently, that allows about 1,500 migrants each day.

DHS Secretary Mayorkas recently noted that that amounts to 500,000 people a year, and is in addition to other measures put in place to prevent migrants making the journey to the border.

BLUE STATE DEPLOYS OFFICIALS TO THE BORDER WITH SURPRISING WARNING FOR MIGRANTS

Unaccompanied minors walk towards U.S. Border Patrol vehicles after crossing over from Mexico in El Paso, Texas, on May 9, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)

“CBP One is not the only access point to humanitarian relief in the United States. The number of individuals accessing CBP One is in addition to the 30,000 people accessing the Cuban Haitian Nicaraguan Venezuelan program. It is in addition to the individuals accessing the refugee program in the Western Hemisphere, which has grown exponentially to an unprecedented level. It is in addition to the people who are accessing our safe mobility offices in Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, those safe mobility offices are expanding,” he said.

The administration has also pointed to various instances of cooperation with Mexico, including its agreement to accept tens of thousands of illegal immigrants back each month, and efforts with countries including Mexico to counter human smuggling. On Thursday, Biden touted cooperation with Mexico on stopping fentanyl crossing into the U.S.

“We’re coming down very hard in every country in Asia in terms of precursors to fentanyl, and Mexico is working with us to make sure they don’t have the technology to be able to put it together,” he said.

Yet reports of significant backlogs at the border remain, with advocates pointing to efforts by the administration to block asylum for those crossing illegally as inhumane, and arguing that more needs to be done to allow more migrants in.

“With increasing wait times and uncertainty about appointment allocation, many asylum seekers are forced to make perilous decisions to cross into the United States without appointments, putting their lives at risk and potentially being ineligible for asylum because of the Asylum Ban,” a recent report by Amnesty International said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

The organization argues that the app poses technological barriers and other limitations, with what it sees as limited appointments being handed out at random.

“The CBP One application turns the legal right to asylum into a lottery system based on chance.” said Paul O’Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA. “Asylum seekers may never be provided with safety and protection in the United States simply because they may never receive an appointment.”

Within that lens, a return to “Remain in Mexico” would make the situation worse for asylum seekers, particularly if a Republican administration shut down the parole appointments through CBP One.

But supporters argue that it is allowing migrants in which creates more demand, and that the key to ending the backlog beyond the border is ending the pull factors.

 CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Any return to “Remain in Mexico” would also face a significant hurdle in securing cooperation from Mexico. While the Trump administration got the Mexican government to cooperate in 2019, the Mexican foreign ministry has since said it won’t cooperate with any reintroduction of MPP.

President Biden is reportedly meeting with Democratic Party leaders in the aftermath of his disastrous first debate appearance.

Dougie Kass, fund manager of Seabreeze Capital Partners LP and a Democratic National Committee insider, said a meeting is being arranged between the president and two Democratic heavyweights.

“What I am hearing regarding Joe Biden. Ron Klain and Barack Obama are having a sit down with the President today. Jill Biden is insistent that Joe runs,” Kass claimed via social media  Friday. “Kamala is furious that she is not being considered as a replacement (Whitmer and Newsom are).”

CAN BIDEN BE REPLACED AS THE DEM NOMINEE? HOW THE EXTRAORDINARY MOVE COULD OCCUR

President Biden stands at his podium during the first presidential debate of the 2024 election season against former President Trump at CNN’s studios in Atlanta. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Kass added, “Interestingly, my neighbor in East Hampton is hosting the Bidens tomorrow. It will be an important tell if the fundraiser is canceled.”

The hedge fund manager’s claim of Democratic leadership meetings comes after Biden’s universally panned debate against former President Trump Thursday night.

With a raspy voice and delivering rambling answers, Biden struggled during portions of Thursday night’s debate. He also lost his train of thought several times, raising concerns among his closest allies in politics and in the media. 

FIRST LADY CONGRATULATES BIDEN LIKE A CHILD AFTER DEBATE: ‘YOU ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS’

Some strategists have suggested the Democratic Party must act quickly to replace Biden before his nomination is made official in August.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been largely ruled out as a potential replacement due to her unpopularity with voters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have previously been floated as potential last-minute replacements.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

President Biden laughs with former President Obama onstage during a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)

During an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump was asked if he believes Biden will be the Democratic nominee. 

“Yes, I think he will be the nominee,” Trump said.

Republicans and independents who participated in Fox News Digital’s debate dial focus group appeared to approve of the way former President Trump responded to a question about whether he would accept the results of the 2024 general election.

“If it’s a fair and legal and good election, absolutely,” Trump said during Thursday night’s debate against President Biden.

Trump added that he “wasn’t going to run until I saw the horrible job [Biden] did. He’s destroying our country. I would be very happy to be someplace else in a nice location, someplace. And again, no indictments, no political opponent stuff because it’s the only way he thinks he can win.”

Biden responded: “You’re a whiner.” 

WATCH: FOX NEWS DIGITAL FOCUS GROUP REACTS TO BIDEN, TRUMP SPARRING ON COGNITIVE ABILITY, GOLF GAMES

President Biden and former President Trump. (Win McNamee/Getty Images | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“When you lost the first time, you continued to appeal and appeal to courts all across the country,” Biden said. “Not one single court in America said any of your claims had any merit, state or local.”

Biden accused Trump of being unable to “stand the loss” and added that “something snapped in you when you lost the last time,” referring to the aftermath of the 2020 election.

FIRST 2024 TRUMP-BIDEN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: TOP CLASHES OVER ISSUES FROM THE BORDER TO UKRAINE

Former President Trump and President Biden participate in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections at CNN’s studios in Atlanta on Thursday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

According to the dial results, Republicans and independents approved of Trump’s comments, while Democratic viewers disapproved. The results appeared to flip when it came Biden’s turn to respond, as Democrat approvals shot up and independent and Republican viewership approval dipped.

President Biden’s inner circle is nowhere to be found following what has been described as an “embarrassing” and “disastrous” performance by the incumbent Democrat during Thursday’s presidential debate.

Biden was widely panned by media figures and politicians immediately after the debate for his “weak” sounding voice and “old” appearance, as well as for “failing” to convince Americans he has the stamina and ability to serve another four years in the White House.

Fox News Digital reached out to some of Biden’s closest confidants for their response to calls for him to be replaced as the party’s presidential candidate, but none stepped up to defend the president or offer any reaction to the debate. 

BATTLEGROUND DEMOCRATS LEAVE BIDEN HIGH AND DRY AFTER ‘DISASTROUS’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE

President Joe Biden looks down as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The list of Biden’s inner circle that has so far also not made any public comment following the debate includes, former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who led debate preparations, his successor, Jeff Zients, senior campaign advisor Anita Dunn, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Counselor to the President Steven Richetti, and a number of others.

Each were part of the group of at least 16 current and former aides assisting with Biden’s debate preparations, which took place over a period of a week at Camp David in Maryland.

Vulnerable Democrats running in tight Senate and House races across the country also stayed silent concerning the debate, and largely didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s questions surrounding calls for Biden to step aside.

REPUBLICANS DECLARE BIDEN ‘UNFIT FOR OFFICE’ FOLLOWING ‘DISASTROUS’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE

Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Biden did, however, get some support from former President Obama, who still admitted he had a “bad” debate.

In a message on X, Obama conceded that his former vice president failed to deliver a strong showing for the Democratic Party and the American people.

“Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself,” Obama wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Former President Barack Obama. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

He continued to deride former President Trump and prop up Biden, writing, “Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

A Cornell University law professor has called on President Biden’s Cabinet to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to have him removed from office after his weak debate performance Thursday night, claiming his “cognitive decline” is a “national security threat.” 

“This debate displayed Biden’s severely declined cognitive ability for all the world to see for an hour and a half,” Professor William Jacobson wrote Friday for Legalinsurrection.com. 

“The media cannot claim the live video feed from CNN was a manipulated ‘cheap fake’ — the smear campaign used against those of us who have been pointing out the obvious for over a year, but particularly recently with Biden visibly freezing and zoning out in public appearances.”

He said while Democrats are focused on whether a “mentally diminished Biden” can beat former President Trump in the election, “no honest person who watched last night’s debate can think that Biden mentally is up to the job of being President.” 

CAN BIDEN BE REPLACED AS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE?

A Cornell University law professor has called on President Biden’s Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to have him removed from office after his weak debate performance Thursday night. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to have Biden removed from office.

“If I’m China, I’m taking off the shelf the war plans to invade Taiwan,”Jacobson said. “If I’m Iran, I’m breaking out towards a nuclear weapon. If I’m Putin, I’m doubling down on Ukraine and possibly other former Soviet satellites. Can you imagine an emergency situation where immediate military decisions that only a president can make need to be made in seconds or minutes, and the military having to go to diminished Joe for a decision?”

He added Biden’s “cognitive decline is a national security threat of the highest order.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson said something similar Friday. 

“There’s a lot of people asking about the 25th Amendment, invoking the 25th Amendment right now, because this is an alarming situation,” Johnson said. “Our adversaries see the weakness in this White House as we all do. I take no pleasure in saying that. I think this is a very dangerous situation.”

MEDIA CALLS FOR BIDEN TO WITHDRAW FROM 2024 RACE AFTER ‘DISASTER’ CNN DEBATE PERFORMANCE: ‘IT’S OVER’

President Biden and former President Trump held their first of two presidential debates Thursday evening.  (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, the vice president could assume the presidency if the president is declared unfit for office by the vice president and a majority of the president’s Cabinet or Congress. 

The 25th Amendment was briefly floated near the end of Trump’s presidency following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, which Jacobson called “in bad faith.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson also discussed the 25th Amendment Friday after Biden’s debate performance.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Only Democrats can act, and they should before it’s too late,” he added. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Biden’s debate performance Thursday evening has worried Democrats, and some have even called for him to drop out of the race. 

At former President Trump’s first rally since the presidential debate, he argued the nation’s “biggest problem” is not President Biden’s age and “decline,” but his destructive policies.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 1,000 at Historic Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake, Virginia, Friday, Trump took a victory lap after the first 2024 presidential debate.

Trump told supporters every voter should ask one question before heading to the polls Nov. 5.

“The question every voter should be asking themselves today is not whether Joe Biden can survive a 90-minute debate performance, but whether America can survive four more years of crooked Joe Biden in the White House,” he said.

TRUMP, BIDEN SPAR OVER GOLF HANDICAPS AS THEY TRY TO CONVINCE VOTERS THEY ARE NOT TOO OLD FOR THE PRESIDENCY

Former President Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Historic Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake, Va., July 28, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Former President Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, shakes hands with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a rally at Greenbrier Farms June 28, 2024, in Chesapeake, Va.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“Remember, the biggest problem for our country is not Joe Biden’s personal decline,” Trump said. “It’s that Joe Biden’s policies are causing America’s decline at a level that we’ve never seen before.

“That’s why this November, the people of Virginia and the people of America are going to tell crooked Joe Biden, ‘You’re fired.'”

Biden said he is committed to winning the election, brushing aside mounting calls from prominent Democrats to step aside following his disastrous debate against Republican Donald Trump. (Cornell Watson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

President Biden addressed his campaign performance at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, saying, “I don’t debate as well as I used to.

BIDEN’S INNER CIRCLE SILENT AS PARTY REELS FOLLOWING ‘EMBARRASSING’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE

“I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done,” he told a roaring crowd that chanted “Four more years.”

“The choice in this election is simple,” Biden said. “Donald Trump will destroy our democracy. I will defend it.”

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden delivered remarks at a campaign rally at the Jim Graham Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, N.C., June 28, 2024. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Biden’s age and mental acuity have been at the forefront as voters inch closer to Election Day.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Biden, 81, is the oldest president in history and has faced skepticism from voters and Republican lawmakers about his ability to do the job.

Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term, while Trump would be 82.

Presidential debates changed television.

“You want to put a lot of new Supreme Court justices – radical left!” hollered former President Trump at President Biden during the 2020 debate.

“Will you shut up man?” implored Mr. Biden.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON: WHO NEEDS WHO?

And television changed politics.

“It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, you’ve got to look good on television. Therefore, if you don’t, you’re doomed.’ It’s not quite that easy,” said Walter Podrazik, television curator at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. “You have to learn how to speak directly through the medium that most people understand. They know television as well as any politician does because they watch it all the time.”

That was the problem facing President Biden in Thursday night’s debate with former President Trump.

Mr. Trump fared better because he appeared engaged. Vigorous. President Biden looked pasty and out of it.

It doesn’t matter what Mr. Biden represents or what his policies are.

When it comes to the debate, you must excel at television.

Debates imprinted the importance of live performance onto the debate genre.

That mixed reality TV with politics – long before reality TV was a thing.

“I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience,” quipped a 73-year-old President Ronald Reagan during a 1984 debate with former Vice President Walter Mondale, then a youthful 56.

President Biden and former President Trump debated on Thursday night.  (Getty Images)

“They brought us whole binders full of women,” said 2012 Republican nominee and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) at one of that year’s debates with former President Obama.

2016 Democratic nominee and former Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., was in the middle of saying something about the Social Security Trust Fund in a debate with Mr. Trump when he fired off this volley.

“Such a nasty woman,” sneered the former President.

Debates also amplify on-screen gaffes.

“There is no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe,” said President Gerald Ford in a debate with future President Jimmy Carter in 1976.

The remark shocked the press corps.

And Cold War Eastern Europe.

However, debates sometimes deliver unexpected humor.

“I’m all ears!” bragged 1992 independent Presidential candidate Ross Perot at a debate with future President Bill Clinton and former President George H.W. Bush.

Perot drew attention to his own features – which stuck out like two taxicab doors, attached to a crew cut.

UNDER THE DOME AND ON THE DIAMOND

Sometimes what’s said isn’t even what most people remember. People easily recall the visual of former President Trump, lurking and then creeping onto the screen behind Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Sometimes viewers recall what a candidate does during the debate.

Former Vice President and 2000 Democratic Presidential nominee Al Gore is remembered for his theatrical sighs of exasperation at various orations from future President George W. Bush.

And then there was Bush 41 in 1992 with Bill Clinton and Perot. All three candidates briefly rested against stools as ABC News Anchor and debate moderator Carole Simpson addressed the audience.

The elder Bush slipped a glance at his wristwatch.

Viewers interpreted that presidential peek as a subliminal cue that Mr. Bush’s time in office was up after one term.

The debate between President Biden and former President Trump marked a sea change in the way American voters experience the forum. Both campaigns worked directly with CNN to develop the debate. It’s the first major alteration to debates since 1988. The campaigns cut the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) out of the action this time.

Otherwise, each of the 33 Presidential or Vice-Presidential debates since 1988 has been under the aegis of the Commission. The CPD created the town hall format where average citizens could pose questions directly to the candidates.

That’s how Illinois power plant worker Ken Bone and his red sweater rose to prominence for a hot second after the 2016 town hall debate.

President of the United States Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump participate in the first Presidential Debate at CNN Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on June 27, 2024.  (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The CPD also hosted the debates at universities. Such was the case with the first debate on September 25, 1988, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., between then Vice President Bush and then Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis (D).

How they conduct the debates is almost as important as the debates themselves.

“We want free and fair debates. This commission has shown bias,” argued former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Fox Business in early 2022.

The RNC urged GOP Presidential candidates to refuse to participate in any debate not sanctioned by the GOP.

But the Biden campaign also rejected the Commission on Presidential Debates. It pushed for a June debate and another one in September. The Biden camp also demanded certain rules – including an option for moderators to mute the microphone of a candidate.

In short, both President Biden and former President Trump took their feud outside.

As in outside the Commission on Presidential debates.

Mr. Trump offered a dare to the President.

“I’m calling on crooked Joe to debate any time, any place,” said former President Trump.

President Biden called the bluff of his rival. Even chiding Mr. Trump about what day court was out of session in the defamation trial in New York.

“Make my day, pal. I’ll even do it twice,” said President Biden in a message posted to X. “I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.”

SENATE STUMPED OVER COVID ORIGINS: WHAT WE KNOW – AND DON’T KNOW

And so the gamesmanship squeezed out the Commission on Presidential Debates.

“What they wanted to do was what they thought was in the best interests of their candidate,” said Frank Fahrenkopf, who led the CPD since its inception in 1987. “You’ve got two candidates who are unique.”

Fahrenkopf is upset the debates aren’t staged at universities.

“You’ve lost that being on campus. Kids being involved. A Focus on civics,” said Fahrenkopf.

Fahrenkopf also lamented the loss of the town hall meeting.

“The most popular format,” observed Fahrenkopf. “That’s gone.”

What would Ken Bone say?

The first modern Presidential debate unfolded in 1960. The first debate between future President John F. Kennedy and future President Richard Nixon forever fused the presidency and television. It established a paradigm for American politics – and television.

“This is one of the few times in which neither party, neither candidate, controls the environment. And so, if you’re (a voter) trying to decide or if you’re looking for confirmation, then this is when you’ll see it,” said Podrazik of the Museum of Broadcast Communications.

There were no more debates until 1976. The League of Women Voters ran the debates until the Commission on Presidential Debates stepped in for the 1988 cycle.

“What politics did is provided a baseline reality that television can and could embrace,” said Podrazik.

Former President Donald Trump at the first Presidential Debate at CNN Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on June 27, 2024.  (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

The debate between President Biden and former President Trump was the first without a studio audience since the initial forum in 1960. It was unclear whether future President John F. Kennedy or future President Richard Nixon won that contest.

Nixon sweated. He sported a five-o-clock shadow. Nixon’s knee smarted after he banged it getting out of the limousine arriving at the debate.

Meantime, Kennedy appeared cool and confident.

It’s said that those listening to the radio believed Nixon won. But people watching TV thought Kennedy prevailed.

But that’s debate folklore – even though publishers have printed that chestnut in every American political science textbook for decades.

I challenge you to locate the study or survey which proves the alleged Nixon/Radio versus Kennedy/TV thesis.

But, that old saw goes to show the importance of grasping the complexities of television – compared to raw debate, say on the radio.

And that’s something else the merging of television and politics provides.

“It’s all in pursuit of the audience,” said Podrazik.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

And that’s a universal interest between media and politicians.

FIRST ON FOX: Longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur was captured on video Friday losing her patience with a man who asked her whether President Biden should step down following his widely panned CNN debate performance. 

“Excuse me congresswoman, should Joe Biden step down?” A man in the Detroit airport asks Kaptur in video obtained by Fox News Digital. 

The 78-year-old congresswoman ignores the question as she is going up the escalator through the airport, which prompts the man to repeat the question.

After Kaptur doesn’t respond for a second time, she is asked, “Why has the White House been lying about Joe Bidens’ cognitive abilities?”

‘MUST APOLOGIZE’: VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM FACES RENEWED BACKLASH OVER COMPARISON INVOLVING 9/11 TERRORIST

Rep. Marcy Kaptur attempted to evade questions about President Biden’s mental health on Friday (Fox News Digital)

Kaptur, who appears to be adjusting her luggage, then stares into the camera before grabbing the phone in the man’s hands as the video cuts out.

“Congresswoman why did you take my phone like that?” Kaptur is asked in a follow-up video as she walks through the airport.

DEMOCRATIC STAFFER GOES VIRAL FOR BOASTING ABOUT BIDEN CANCELING HIS STUDENT DEBT: ‘WHY ELECTIONS MATTER’

Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur speaks at press conference (AP Photo/Ken Blaze, File)

“What is your name? Kaptur responds looking directly into the camera. “Where do you live?”

“Why are you asking me all these personal questions, congresswoman?” The man responds.

“Because you’re asking me questions,” Kaptur says.

VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM UNDER FIRE FOR INTRODUCING ONLY 5 BILLS THAT BECAME LAW IN 41 YEARS: ‘HASN’T DONE SQUAT’

President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

As the two slowly spin in a circle, Kaptur asks, “Where do you live? Where do you live? What town?”

“I don’t have to tell you that information,” the man says, which causes Kaptur to say, “Then I’m not answering you.”

As Kaptur again starts walking away, the man again asks, “I just want to know, congresswoman, should Joe Biden step down?”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“No,” Kaptur responds before continuing to walk away.

The two continued to go back and forth with Kaptur asking the man why he is “reading questions off that sheet” and “who owns you?”

“Nobody owns me,” the man responds. “I’m just curious on some questions.”

“They own you,” she says as she walks out of the airport doors.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Kaptur campaign spokesperson Alexandra Wilcox said, “It’s one thing to ask a question but an unknown man refusing to identify himself, forcing a camera in the Congresswoman’s personal space is another thing entirely.”

“The man has still not identified himself or the organization for which he works.”

Wilcox continued, “All these politics aside, Congresswoman Kaptur remains fully focused on delivering further transformational federal investment to Northwest Ohio.”

Democrats, particularly those in competitive elections this November, have been facing questions about Biden’s debate performance and specifically where he should step aside in the 2024 race.

Many Democrats have acknowledged that Biden did not have a good night, including former President Barack Obama who said on Friday, “bad debate nights happen.”

Kaptur, who has served in Congress for 21 terms, is facing a tough re-election race in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District that Cook Political Report ranks as a “Democrat Toss Up.”

Independent voters in Fox News Digital’s focus group appeared to overwhelmingly approve of former President Trump’s response to a question about his “retribution” — and his description of President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, as “a convicted felon” — during Thursday night’s CNN Presidential Debate.

“My retribution is going to be success,” Trump said. “But when [President Biden] talks about a convicted felon — his son is a convicted felon. At a very high level, his son is convicted, gonna be convicted probably numerous other times, should have been convicted before.”

Approvals from Democrats trended downward during the answer. Meanwhile, Republican approval continued to increase throughout Trump’s comments. 

FIRST 2024 TRUMP-BIDEN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: TOP CLASHES OVER ISSUES FROM THE BORDER TO UKRAINE

Former President Trump, left, and President Biden faced off Thursday night during the CNN Presidential Debate.  (Getty Images )

“As soon as he gets out of office, Joe could be a convicted felon with all of the things that he’s done,” Trump said.

He later added: “This man is a criminal. This man, you’re lucky, you’re lucky. I did nothing wrong. We have a system that was rigged and disgusting.”

Meanwhile, Biden pushed back, saying the idea that he has committed any wrongdoing is “outrageous.”

CNN FLASH POLL SHOWS TRUMP AS CLEAR WINNER OF FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ‘STUNNING NUMBER’

Former President Trump, left and President Biden debated on Thursday night. (Getty Images)

“It’s simply a lie,” Biden said. “Number two, the idea that you have a right to seek retribution against any American just because you’re president is wrong. No president has ever spoken like that before. No president in our history has spoken like that before.” 

Democrat approval saw an uptick during Biden’s comments, but the approvals of independent and Republican voters trended downward. 

A RASPY BIDEN GETS OFF TO A HALTING START AGAINST TRUMP IN THE FIRST 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DEBATE

CNN flash poll from Thursday’s debate. (CNN)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Focus group participants reacted in real time to Biden and Trump, turning dials to indicate approval or disapproval. In the video embedded in this story, Republican participant sentiment is graphed in red, Democrat sentiment in blue and independents are represented in yellow.