NationalWatch

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

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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.

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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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)

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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?”

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“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)

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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.

Chesapeake, Va. – After debating President Biden on Thursday night, former President Trump went to Chesapeake, Virginia, in front of a crowd of thousands to host a rally in a state not won by a Republican presidential candidate since 2004.

Trump was joined by a potential Trump vice presidential choice, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Thousands of Trump enthusiasts waited in line for several hours in rising temperatures in hopes of catching a glimpse of the former and possible next president of the United States. Many in attendance tuned into Thursday night’s debate and told Fox News Digital they were less than impressed with Biden’s performance.

TRUMP, YOUNGKIN MEET FOR FIRST TIME AS GOP EYES WINNING VIRGINIA IN NOVEMBER

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

Anne Sprouse from Virginia Beach watched the debate not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised by how the moderators conducted the event.

“I’m gonna give CNN some credit for being honest. I thought they were pretty nice to Trump. I think it went really well,” Sprouse said. “Unfortunately, Biden is not physically able to be the president. I think that his family should take him home. I think he needs to retire, and I think Trump needs to take it back. I think he needs to make everything great again.”

Edward Young traveled more than 300 miles south from Brick, New Jersey, to hear the former president speak after his performance on the debate stage.

“Biden’s toast. He’s finished. He’s gone,” Young predicted. “Not only can’t he be the candidate, but he can’t continue as president. I predict he’s going to resign by the end of the week.”

From left: Ashley King, Lauren Euhus and Kevin Gaudet spoke with Fox News Digital about the CNN Presidential Debate at a rally for former President Donald Trump in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Friday. (Getty Images | Fox News Digital)

“They put all these restrictions on Trump, and he looked just fine. They get mad at him. They can’t understand his New York attitude,” he added.

Kevin Gaudet of Chesapeake, Virginia, echoed Young’s thoughts about Biden’s performance.

MEDIA FIGURES SHOCKED AT BIDEN’S ‘BAD’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE: ‘TOTAL AND COMPLETE DISASTER’

“It was a shame,” Gaudet said. “Our president of the United States [was] basically disgraced on the world stage. Fumbling on every other word that he was saying. Every time he came up with a number, he was picking a new number. I don’t think he knew what he was talking about half the time.”

“I think Trump did an excellent job. He kept his cool. He didn’t get upset. He was truly presidential this time versus ’16. He’s had my vote from day one,” he said.

Former President Trump, left, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin meet ahead of Trump’s rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Friday. (Trump campaign)

Supporters of all ages turned out to Greenbrier Farms, including future voters.

Sophia, 12, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was there with her family and watched some of the back and forth between Biden and Trump. One topic in particular caught her attention, and for all the wrong reasons.

“I thought it was funny when they started talking about golf,” she said.

Sophia then took a more serious tone when the topic switched from drivers and putters to the safety of Americans.

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“I like to watch politics,” she said. “I like watching it because I want my country to be safe. I feel like Trump will provide a lot more safety because he has actual plans, rather than Joe Biden sleeping. It’s nice to know somebody’s awake and ready to support our country.”

The second and final presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET and will be hosted by ABC News.

Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

The governor of President Biden’s longtime home led several other Democratic state officials in maintaining they will stick with their party’s incumbent, following a debate performance that roiled the political scene.

Delaware Gov. John Carney told Fox News Digital he still supports his constituent’s bid to remain in the White House.

“I endorsed President Biden’s reelection campaign last year and continue to stand behind him,” Carney said.

“We need to make sure President Biden can finish the job he started.”

Fox News Digital reached out to every Democratic governor and several state-level Democrats for their take after Biden received friendly fire post-debate from fellow liberals and media allies.

ECONOMY, BORDER, ABORTION DIVIDE BIDEN’S HOMETOWN AS SCRANTON LOOKS BACK ON NATIVE SON’S TENURE

Delaware Democratic Gov. John Carney is seen at the Major Joseph R. Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center in New Castle, Del., on Jan. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Several governors did not respond to requests for comment, but those that did indicated Biden remains their man.

In West Virginia, State Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin said that Biden is a winner, and Trump is a criminal.

“As Democrats, we believe in the democratic process. President Biden is our nominee because of his winning performance in the presidential primaries,” he said.

“Donald Trump is a convicted felon who paid hush money to cover up an affair with a porn star and who helped incite a riot as part of a plot to overturn the results of a free and fair election,” said Pushkin, who is also a state lawmaker.

Instead of claiming Democrats should replace Biden, the GOP should turn inward, Pushkin added.

“If Republican leaders had an ounce of integrity and cared about our democracy, they should be looking to replace Donald Trump on the ticket,” he said.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, state Sen. Sharif Street, the Commonwealth’s Democratic Party chair, said he will proudly continue to support Biden.

BIDEN CLAIMS TO SEE THE ECONOMY THROUGH THE EYES OF SCRANTON, NOT WALL STREET

“He’s created more jobs this year than Donald Trump has in his entire time in office,” said Street, whose father, John Street, was a popular Philadelphia mayor.

“President Biden has had an outstanding tenure, appointing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and protecting a women’s right to choose. Additionally, he has invested in our communities by passing the CHIPS Act & the infrastructure bill,” Street said.

Street added Trump is a “convicted felon” and that the debate showed him to be a “compulsive liar” and “total lunatic.”

“[He’s] bad for America,” Street said. “I’m proud to support President Biden and look forward to the next four years.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office pointed to an interview moments prior on CNN, where he appeared as a Biden campaign surrogate.

The governor, whose state narrowly went to Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, did not mince words about remaining behind his party’s nominee.

“Here’s the bottom line: Joe Biden had a bad debate night, but Donald Trump was a bad president,” Shapiro said.

“I think what the American people have to do now is make a decision: Do we want to go back to a dark time that Donald Trump promises, where we have less freedom, where the middle class gets screwed, where there are fewer opportunities in our community?” 

BIDEN’S HOMETOWN SPEAKS OUT ON BIDENOMICS

Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz concurred with Shapiro during a recent Fox News interview when asked if Biden should remain the nominee.

“[He] had a bad night last night,” he said. “I hate these debates. I’ve been through dozens of them myself, but they’re performative,” Walz told “America’s Newsroom.”

“I’ve had the job under President Trump and under President Biden, and the difference couldn’t be more stark than the ability to be able to deliver what governors need.”

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said “last night was not a good night” for Biden, but added Trump instead “spewed wild conspiracy theories from the debate stage.”

“President Biden has a vision for America where women have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies, where we tackle high housing costs, where every family can afford childcare, and where we show compassion and love for one another rather than hate,” Polis said.

While North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper did not respond to a request for comment, he later lauded and introduced Biden at a Raleigh campaign rally Friday afternoon.

Reached for comment on whether they will continue supporting Biden, an official with the North Carolina Democratic Party responded simply, “Yes.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office directed Fox News Digital to post-debate remarks in which the Democrat pledged to “never turn my back on President Biden.”

“I don’t know a Democrat in my party that would do so. And especially after tonight, we have his back,” he said.

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly told Fox News Digital she’s proud to continue supporting him.

“While I have never been shy about standing up to Washington when it’s wrong for Kansas, the president’s record of delivering bipartisan results speaks for itself,” she said.

“His efforts will continue to allow Kansas to recruit new manufacturing businesses, rebuild our infrastructure, and stand up for our fundamental freedoms. He is a decent man of strong character,” she said.

Former President Trump appeared to earn significant approval from Republican and independent voters who were part of a Fox News Digital focus group during his response to President Biden’s claims about immigration during the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday night.

When CNN moderator Jake Tapper asked Biden to inform voters how he can curb the record-high numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the border, the two presidential contenders sparred over their immigration policies, which ended in Biden calling Trump a “liar” and Trump appearing to not understand a portion of Biden’s responses.

After touting Congress’ bipartisan border package that lawmakers bucked earlier this year, Biden said “we find ourselves in a situation where when [Trump] was president, he was separating babies from their mothers, put them in cages, making sure that the families were separated.”

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

Former President Trump appeared to earn significant approval from Republican and independent voters during his response to President Biden’s claims about immigration. (Fox News Digital)

“That’s not the right way to go. What I’ve done since I’ve changed the law, what’s happened? I’ve changed it in a way that now you’re in a situation where there are 40% fewer people coming across the border illegally. That’s better than when he left office. And I’m going to continue to move until we get the total ban on the total initiative relative to what we can do with more Border Patrol and more asylum officers,” Biden said.

During Biden’s remarks, Republican and independent voters who took part in the Fox News Digital focus group gave the president low approval. When Trump responded, however, the approval from the same voters shot up, indicating support for the former president’s positions on the subject. 

Republican approval lines are color-coded red, while independents’ are color-coded yellow and Democrats’ blue.

BIDEN’S HIT ON TRUMP OVER ‘SUCKERS’ AND ‘LOSERS’ REPORT BACKFIRES WITH INDEPENDENTS: FOCUS GROUP

Former President Trump speaks during a presidential debate in Atlanta on Thursday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

Trump, appearing to not understand Biden, responded: “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence, I don’t think he knows what he said, either.”

“Look, we had the safest border in the history of our country,” Trump added. “All he had to do was leave it, all he had to do was to leave it. He decided to open up our border, open up our country, to people that are from prisons, people that are from mental institutions, insane asylum, terrorists — we have the largest number of terrorists coming into our country right now.”

President Biden stands at his podium during the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle in Atlanta on Thursday. (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post)

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Approval from Democratic voters who took part in the real-time reaction gave Biden high marks for his remarks on immigration. During Trump’s rebuttal, Democratic approval dropped significantly.

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

Democrats were forced to grapple with a whirlwind of chaos on Capitol Hill Friday after many were left frustrated by President Biden’s debate performance on Thursday night.

“I think the emotions of the night were basically disappointment, anger, and then by the end it was panic,” one House Democrat, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital.

“Now, with that foundation, where do we go? Obviously, there are conversations that I believe need to be had at all levels, with the realization of, this is not just about the presidency, this is about down-ballot.”

Democratic lawmakers were skittish on Friday morning as groups of reporters fervently chased even normally low-profile members for comment on the debate. Several declined to speak with Fox News Digital about the match-up, even when offered anonymity.

BIDEN’S ‘DISASTER’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE SPARKS MEDIA MELTDOWN, CALLS FOR HIM TO WITHDRAW FROM 2024 RACE

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave a cryptic answer when asked if President Biden was the best nominee for the White House. (Getty Images)

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., looking noticeably weary, would not answer a reporter’s question on whether Biden was the most effective messenger for the party. 

He said instead, “President Biden is scheduled to speak today around noon, as I understand it, in North Carolina. I’m looking forward to hearing from President Biden. And until he articulates a way forward in terms of his vision for America at this moment, I’m going to reserve comment about anything relative to where we are at this moment, other than to say I stand behind the ticket.”

A second anonymous House Democrat, jaded by the process in general but who did not watch the debate, told Fox News Digital, “I’ve been hearing everyone freaking out and s—, but debates in this day and age are stupid. Tell me the last debate you saw where you felt good after and learned something?”

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

“I bet you the majority of Americans would not choose these two old guys to be the only choice that they have,” the Democrat said.

One senior House Democratic aide compared the mood on Capitol Hill to what they imagined Republicans went through after a high-profile gaffe by former President Trump during his administration.

“Coming into work with absolute dread, knowing everyone is gonna come after you, and knowing you have nothing good to say,” the aide explained.

President Biden and former President Trump debated on Thursday night.  (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.”

It exacerbated long-simmering concerns that Biden’s mental acuity has lessened in his advanced age, despite his Republican rival being just three years younger.

A longtime Democratic operative said lawmakers who spoke with them were alarmed by how the debate went.

“What I’m hearing from people is a sense of disappointment, in that this was a moment that we could have capitalized on and that it was missed. This then leads to panicky responses, like, how do we fix it? What do we do? That’s the underlying discussion right now,” the operative told Fox News Digital.

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Even Democrats who spoke on the record reluctantly admitted that Biden’s performance was less than desirable, but they quickly insisted the election was about far more than a single bad performance.

“The president doesn’t have a great debate night. That’s very clear. But, you know, this is more than just about one debate performance, but the future of America and the existential threat that Donald Trump poses to Americans and to our national security,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., told reporters.

The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said, “I think he had a terrible night…bad debate.” Meeks still maintained that Biden “is the right man at the right time to do this job.”

The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks, said Biden had a ‘terrible’ night. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, others within the Democratic sphere expressed frustration at fellow left-wingers – particularly media pundits – who were making their concerns about Biden’s debate performance public.

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“For those who are worried, it’s time to do less worrying and get to work,” Joel Rubin, a Democratic strategist and former Obama administration Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs to the House, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview in response to the anonymously voiced concerns.

“We’re four-plus months out, and the Democratic Party in moments like this, we tend to be experts at self-criticism, and we’re seeing it on full display today. But to win this election is not going to be based upon just one candidate being anointed by the heavens…it’s going to be about the whole infrastructure of the Democratic and progressive community mobilizing voters.”

Rubin said, “I mean, just because the president had a rough night does not mean that he’s not up to the job and that we stay home and stop fighting for him. He’s earned our support. A rough performance on one night doesn’t eviscerate three and a half years of extraordinary accomplishments.”

The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that it is shielding an extra 300,000 Haitian nationals from deportation and offering them work permits, citing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorka said he is extending and redesignating Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months until February 2026. The redesignation allows Haitian immigrants, including those in the country illegally, who were not covered by prior designations to apply for the protection and for work authorization.

To be eligible, Haitians must have been in the U.S. as of June 3. DHS predicts that it will allow an estimated 309,000 additional nationals to file for TPS, on top of those already protected.

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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks on Capitol Hill, on Wednesday, April 10. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

TPS grants protection for nationals in countries found to be unsafe for them to be returned and is based on three grounds: armed ongoing conflict, environmental disasters or “extraordinary and temporary conditions.” 

“Several regions in Haiti continue to face violence or insecurity, and many have limited access to safety, health care, food, and water. Haiti is particularly prone to flooding and mudslides, and often experiences significant damage due to storms, flooding, and earthquakes. These overlapping humanitarian challenges have resulted in ongoing urgent humanitarian needs,” DHS said in a release.

“We are providing this humanitarian relief to Haitians already present in the United States given the conditions that existed in their home country as of June 3, 2024,” Mayorkas said in a statement. “In doing so, we are realizing the core objective of the TPS law and our obligation to fulfill it.” 

BIDEN ADMIN SHIELDS 330,000 IMMIGRANTS FROM DEPORTATION; TOP DEM SAYS ITS NOT ENOUGH

There are currently 16 countries designated for TPS, including Venezuela, Ukraine, Honduras, El Salvador and Afghanistan. Mayorkas re-designated Venezuela last year, a move expected to have protected over 470,000 nationals. 

The use of TPS has repeatedly sparked pushback from Republicans and immigration hawks, who say that the use of TPS encourages illegal immigration from those countries, with people coming in anticipation of the next redesignation. When the Venezuelan TPS redesignation was announced, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources told Fox News that the decision will only compound the problem at the border and draw even more Venezuelan migrants because of the “pull” factor of being granted TPS status and the ability to get work authorization.

Unaccompanied minors walk toward U.S. Border Patrol vehicles after crossing over from Mexico on May 9, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. A surge of immigrants is expected with the end of the U.S. government’s COVID-era Title 42 policy, which for the past three years has allowed for the quick expulsion of irregular migrants entering the country.  (John Moore/Getty Images)

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There were 163,781 encounters of Haitian nationals at the border in Fiscal Year 2023, and that number has already been exceeded in Fiscal Year 2024. The Biden administration has also allowed Haitians to be flown into the U.S. for parole as part of the parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV). That program allows 30,000 nationals into the country each month.

The U.S. has been facing a three-year crisis at the southern border, which has become a top political issue ahead of the November election.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Republicans have blamed the crisis on border policies implemented by the Biden administration, which in turn has said it needs more funding and reforms from Congress, blaming Republican obstruction.

It has taken a number of moves to tackle the crisis, including a new limit on asylum applications and a “parole in place” for some spouses of U.S. citizens. The administration has noted that there has been a 40% drop in encounters since the limit was announced, but Biden took heat from former President Trump on Thursday over his handling of the crisis.

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“He’s the one that killed people with the bad border including hundreds of thousands of people dying, and also killing our citizens when they come in. We are living right now in a rat’s nest,” Trump said in Thursday’s debate.

FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is set to introduce a resolution calling on President Biden to declare the month of July as “American Patriotism Month.”

The resolution, which recognizes the U.S. as the “greatest country on Earth” and aims to affirm support from the House of Representatives for the special designation for the month of July, is expected to be introduced by Texas GOP Rep. Roger Williams on Friday.

Pointing to several events and dates that are of significance to U.S. history – including July 4, 1776, when the U.S. declared its independence from British rule – the resolution expresses the importance of “patriotism” and how it has united Americans in the past.

The resolution, which was reviewed by Fox News Digital, states that “patriotism has bonded citizens of the United States of America since the foundation of our country,” adding that the “people of the United States hold a deep love for this country and have showed this through patriotic acts throughout history.”

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A bipartisan group of House lawmakers will introduce a resolution Friday, calling on President Biden to declare the month of July as “American Patriotism Month.” (iStock, Getty Images)

“The divide in our country is clearer than ever, and there is no better time to rally behind American pride,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “Throughout history, we have created holidays for many groups, but fail to adequately celebrate the patriots who made our freedoms possible.”

He added: “Any man or woman, regardless of their background, can be a patriot, and American Patriotism Month is an opportunity to remind us of the values that make our nation great. There is no reason for Biden to deny an opportunity to embrace American pride.”

Co-sponsors include: Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska, Republican Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida, Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee, Republican Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, and Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran of Texas.

Highlighted in the resolution are the patriotic actions taken by Americans to “protect democracy and liberty” abroad and at home during World War II. (Photo by Roger Viollet via Getty Images)

Also mentioned in the resolution are the events of June 6, 1944, when “over 73,000 Americans stormed the beaches of Normandy to protect democracy and liberty,” and remarks from past presidents who pushed for unity throughout the United States.

The text specifically highlights remarks from the inaugural addresses of former Presidents John F. Kennedy, who insisted that Americans should “ask what you can do for your country,” and Ronald Reagan, who said that “no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.”

The resolution specifically highlights patriotic remarks from the inaugural addresses of former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. (AFP, Getty Images)

Touting the “leadership of United States Presidents and the American people,” the resolution notes that “America was triumphant in the cold war against the Soviet Union and emerged as the beacon of hope for the free world.”

THESE 3 POPULAR EXPRESSIONS DATE BACK CENTURIES, SURROUND THE 4TH OF JULY AND AMERICAN HISTORY

Also recognized in Williams’ resolution, which has received support from the Eagle Forum, is the resounding unity in the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City. At that time, the resolution notes, “American patriots rushed to help one another, defend our country, and defend the values that as Americans we so deeply believe in.”

Lit by the bright lights of Times Square in New York City, US flags hang from the scaffolding of a construction site four days after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

The resolution also praises those aboard United Airlines flight 93 on September 11, who “fought against the hijackers and saved thousands of American lives,” as well as the “181,510 Americans [who] joined the ranks of Active Duty service and 72,908 [who] enlisted in the reserves” in the year after the attacks.

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“It is because of patriotic men, women, and children throughout all of history that America is the greatest country on Earth,” the resolution states. “Patriotism is a selfless act of love for one’s country and fellow citizens.”

Discussing the resolution, Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, insisted there’s “no reason for Biden to deny an opportunity to embrace American pride.” (Getty Images)

Paying tribute to the more than “2,000,000 military personnel who are enlisted to defend the freedoms of all Americans in a selfless act of patriotism,” the resolution also notes the significance of teaching “the younger generations about the importance of United States patriotism and loving one’s country.”

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Williams’ resolution calls on Biden to “issue an annual proclamation designating ‘American Patriotism Month,'” just one day after the president went toe-to-toe with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in a heated debate.

President Biden and former President Donald Trump squared off in their high-stakes 2024 election debate rematch on Thursday and the contrast between the pair could not have been more stark, body language expert Susan Constantine tells Fox News.

Constantine says the physical difference between the candidates was noticeable from the moment they both took the stage in Atlanta, and that set the tone for the rest of the evening, with Trump purveying strength and confidence in his mannerisms, while Biden showed a tired and slow demeanor, made worse by his raspy voice, mumbled answers and oftentimes dazed looks.

“I was really concerned because the minute [Biden] walked out on that stage, I felt he [was] not feeling good,” Constantine said. “His skin was pale, it was pasty, and he literally looked like a dead man walking.”

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Biden looks on as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with former President Trump on June 27, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

“It was as if everything were in slow motion,” she continued. “His fingers and his lack of illustrators when he was talking, he was like a frozen statue up there on the stage. It really was painful to watch. [Trump] had a more serious demeanor. He didn’t make a lot of facial gestures as we normally see him do. He didn’t flash his great big smile at anybody. He was very serious when he walked out on the stage, and it really didn’t change at all through the entire debate.”

Constantine added, “It made Biden look exceptionally weak, and made Donald Trump exceptionally powerful.”

Biden’s campaign blamed the raspy voice on a cold, but the president’s uneven debate performance grabbed the vast majority of headlines from the debate, sparking a new round of calls from political pundits and some Democrats for the president to consider stepping aside as the party’s standard-bearer. 

But top Biden allies pushed back against such talk as they defended the president and targeted Trump for lying throughout the debate. 

Constantine says that it was clear that Biden had rehearsed many of his answers and went through his scripted answers very fast so as not to forget his lines. But when he did fail to recollect lines, it tripped him up, resulting in him giving long stares, oftentimes without blinking, which she describes as a “stalker stare.” 

“And the minute he forgot a couple of words, it was all over with, right, and then you could see that dropped mouth, and it was that dumbfounded look,” she explained. “His eyes would become very open and almost zombie-like. So he had that very flat stare in his eyes.”

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Biden and Trump debated in a high-stakes debate Thursday night and a body expert says their gestures told a lot about them. (Getty Images)

She also said Biden had too many cosmetic injections which physically prevented him from making proper expressions.

“He was really way too botoxed out, and that is a real problem because it can create some cognitive issues because when you shut down those emotions through facial effects, it can affect your brain,” Constantine explained. “It really almost felt abusive in my opinion, to literally allow him … [to] go through that kind of pressure knowing that he is in this high cognitive decline was to me, almost abusive.”

“And it was sad to watch. My heart broke,” she added. “I mean, literally, I could have cried watching him try to force these words out the best he could and it was just super hard to watch. The emotion that I felt, of sympathy, of empathy, because he just truly looked pathetic.”

Trump, on the other hand, showed discipline and commanded his stage space, Constantine said, adding that the lack of an audience played to Trump’s advantage as it kept him focused on the debate and not distracted.

She said Trump also used his hand movements to convey his messaging. He also expressed his emotions in his face, and said that when he is hurt or attacked, it is noticeable as his face droops downward in a sad gesture.

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Trump used his hands to convey his point in the debate. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

“He’s a big guy with big hands, right? And he captures the attention,” Constantine said. “He’s very big, and wide and open, and so everything in his gestures and in his movements are big and boisterous. His hands are no more than additional communicators of what he’s saying.”

Constantine said Trump used a chopping motion when he was serious and used an “okay” sign when he was concentrating on something that was really important. He also gave an “L” sign at ear level which she terms as “listen and learn” while he also moved his hands towards his chest as if he is playing an accordion. 

“[Trump’s gestures] are much more rapid and much more commanding, much more intense. But that goes along with his personality so it is in sync with his personality,” Constantine said. “We’ve seen politicians where their gestures are so synchronized and they’re so on point that it loses its authenticity. He left that window open so that he was able to gesture, stay within that balance, stay within the frame, connect with the audience, or on camera and not over gesture but just gesture enough to get his point across.” 

“Very powerful,” she added. 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.