NationalWatch

Hunter Biden’s defense team is likely “banking on” the jury deadlocking on a verdict in the first son’s historic criminal gun trial, a legal expert told Fox News Digital. 

“That’s what Hunter Biden and his defense team are banking on in this case,” Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Zack Smith told Fox News Digital when asked if the trial could result in a hung jury or even acquittal. 

“Legally speaking, it didn’t really seem like Hunter Biden has a defense to these charges,” Smith continued. “Particularly, some of the jurors might have had family or friends struggling with substance abuse issues and have some sympathy for Hunter Biden and his substance abuse issues.”

Hunter Biden’s trial began last Monday in a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, where he faces three felony firearm offenses regarding the 2018 purchase of a .38 revolver from a gun shop in the state. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS DAY 5 AFTER TESTIMONY FROM SISTER-IN-LAW-TURNED-GIRLFRIEND: ‘PANICKED’

Hunter Biden departs from federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Prosecutors are working to prove that Hunter Biden lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances.

It is the first time in U.S. history that a sitting president’s child is on trial. 

Hunter Biden has a well-documented history of drug addiction, most notably detailed in his memoir “Beautiful Things,” which walks readers through his need for crack cocaine every 20 minutes at the height of his addiction, how he linked up with a female drug dealer he nicknamed “Bicycles” who sold him crack cocaine on the streets of Washington, D.C., and how he could serve as a “crack daddy” to dealers due to his spiraling addiction. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS DAY 4 AFTER WILD TESTIMONY FROM EXES ON RAMPANT DRUG USE, TRASHED HOTEL ROOMS

The defense team does not deny Hunter Biden’s history with alcohol and drug addiction. Instead, they are working to build an argument that on the day Hunter Biden purchased the hand gun, Oct. 12, 2018, that he was not using crack cocaine and did not consider himself an active addict, citing his recent stint in a rehab. 

An evidence photo presented by the prosecution shows the gun that Hunter Biden purchased. (U.S. Government Exhibit)

Prosecutors are working to prove that Hunter Biden was addicted to crack cocaine, before, after and during the purchase of the handgun. 

Smith continued in his comments to Fox News Digital that it is likely the jurors could deadlock and not reach a unanimous verdict. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS 3RD DAY WITH CROSS-EXAMINATION OF FBI AGENT

“It’s certainly a possibility that you could have a hung jury. It’s a very real possibility. You only need one juror as a holdout,” Smith explained. 

“But even those who may have some sympathy for Hunter Biden and his struggle with substance abuse, I thought Hallie Biden’s testimony was problematic for him.”

Hunter Biden arrives at federal court with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Wilmington. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Hallie Biden is the widow of Beau Biden, Hunter Biden’s brother who died in 2015 from brain cancer. Hallie Biden dated Hunter Biden following her husband’s death, and was called as a witness in the case by the prosection team. 

Hallie Biden walked the jury through the rise and fall of their relationship, which focused on how Biden introduced her to crack cocaine before she ultimately became sober. Hunter Biden and Hallie Biden have since ended the relationship, with Hallie Biden joining court with her husband, John Hopkins Anning, whom she married just last weekend.

‘LIKE A SON’: FORMER TOP BIDEN ADVISER WITH DEEP BUSINESS TIES TO CHINA SPOTTED INSIDE HUNTER BIDEN GUN TRIAL

A court sketch depicts Hallie Biden testifying on the stand during Hunter Biden’s trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (William J. Hennessy Jr.)

“I found [crack] and googled it because I didn’t know what it was,” Hallie Biden told the court of the first time she saw the drug in her home. “[Hunter Biden] told me what it was, crack cocaine.”

Hallie Biden, who testified under immunity, said she smoked crack cocaine and even accompanied Hunter Biden on drug deals. Hallie Biden is also a key figure in the trial, as she found Hunter’s Colt gun in the console of his pickup truck 11 days after he purchased the firearm. She testified she tossed the gun in a public trashcan outside of an upscale grocery market in Wilmington because she feared Hunter Biden would hurt himself or others. 

HUNTER BIDEN’S WIFE LASHES OUT AT FORMER TRUMP AIDE DURING COURT APPEARANCE: ‘PIECE OF S—‘

Hunter Biden is facing three charges, false statement in purchase of a firearm; false statement related to information required to be kept by federal firearms licensed dealer; and possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

The total maximum prison time for the charges could be up to 25 years. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. 

An evidence photo presented by the prosecution shows an image of Hunter Biden on April 11, 2018. (U.S. Government Exhibit)

Smith noted that even though a possibility of a hung jury is in the cards, prosecutors have presented a strong case against the first son. 

“Based on the charges that have been brought and the evidence produced at trial, it certainly seems prosecutors have done their homework and done enough to convince the jury to convict Hunter Biden,” he said. 

HUNTER BIDEN’S DRUG USE: WHAT THE PROSECUTION NEEDS TO PROVE AND WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW

In addition to playing excerpts of the audio book version of Hunter’s memoir – which was narrated by the first son – prosecutors have also presented evidence such as a brown pouch that contained the gun having trace amounts of cocaine on it, as well as questioning witnesses at the time of the gun purchase regarding Hunter’s drug use. 

Prosecutors called on Hunter’s former girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, who met Hunter when she was 24 and he was 48 at a strip club in New York City. She testified that Hunter “would want to smoke the second he woke up,” discussed photos she took of his drug paraphernalia in trashed hotel rooms, and even how he attempted to get sober by purging his body of drugs with frog venom called “kambo.” 

Zoe Kestan, former girlfriend of Hunter Biden, departs federal court after testifying in his trial on criminal gun charges in Wilmington, June 5, 2024. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Though Kestan knew Hunter Biden before and after his purchase of the Colt revolver in October 2018, the pair did not speak that month, rekindling their relationship in November 2018 before it officially ended. 

The jury also heard from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, who was married to Hunter Biden for more than 20 years, and recounted to the jury that she was “definitely worried, scared” after first discovering a crack pipe on the side porch of their home in Washington, D.C., in 2015. 

Buhle said following the discovery of a crack pipe at their home in 2015, they participated in couple’s therapy before the marriage ended. 

HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL: 9 KEY FIGURES WHO MAY TESTIFY

The jury has also been presented with banking information showing thousands of dollars in cash withdrawals – a payment method often used for drug deals – and countless text messages of Hunter setting up drug deals, making references to drugs with language such as “party favor,” “baby powder” and “chore boy,” which is a type of scouring pad used as a filter for crack pipes. 

The federal court before Hunter Biden arrives for his scheduled trial, Monday, June 3, 2024, in Wilmington. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The texts concerning drug references were from the lead-up and after the gun purchase. Though, one day after the gun purchase, Hunter Biden texted Hallie Biden that he was “waiting for a dealer named Mookie.” A day after that text, he texted that he was “sleeping on a car smoking crack on 4th Street and Rodney” in Wilmington. 

The defense team argues that Hallie Biden doesn’t know with certainty that Hunter Biden was conducting a drug deal on Oct. 13 or if he was smoking crack on a car on Oct. 14, and that he could have just been avoiding Hallie Biden. 

US V HUNTER BIDEN: OPENING STATEMENTS TO BEGIN IN FIRST SON’S FEDERAL GUN TRIAL AFTER JURY SEATED

“One of the things Hunter Biden and his defense attorneys seem to be going for is that Hunter didn’t believe he was addicted,” Smith said, pointing to such texts as statements that “seem to undercut that argument.”

During jury selection last Monday, nearly all the more than 60 people called as potential jurors detailed to the court that they have family or friends who have struggled with addiction, which could lead to jurors feeling sympathetic for the president’s 54-year-old son. Delaware is also a small state where the Biden family’s roots run deep. 

“The Bidens’ influence and their power in the state can’t be underestimated. But I think the sympathetic issue is the one that Hunter Biden’s legal team is focusing on,” Smith said. 

Hunter Biden arrives with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden at federal court, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Wilmington. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The trial follows the unprecedented NY v. Trump trial, which found former President Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Following the verdict, President Biden highlighted that “no one is above the law.” 

HUNTER BIDEN’S CRIMINAL TRIAL ON FEDERAL GUN CHARGES BEGINS WITH JURY SELECTION

Hunter Biden is also facing a criminal tax trial in California, which will begin in September, after he was charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors regarding $1.4 million in owed taxes. The taxes have since been paid. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty in that case. 

First lady Jill Biden arrives ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial at federal court, Monday, June 3, 2024, in Wilmington. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

“The only reason this case is going to trial in Delaware and the tax case is going to trial in California is because the federal judge in Delaware rejected the sweetheart plea deal… that’s the only reason this case is even going to trial at all. That’s the only reason we, as the American people, are finding out a lot of this information,” Smith continued. 

“Most Americans would be right to question the different treatment in both of those cases.”

Hunter Biden could testify in his criminal trial on Monday, according to his defense team. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell was heard saying following Friday’s lunch break that he will take the weekend to decide if he will call Biden to testify, and that he will notify Special Counsel David Weiss’ office of the decision. 

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Details surrounding the decision will be made public some time after 8:15 a.m. on Monday, when presiding Judge Maryellen Noreika requested both legal parties report back to the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of profiles of potential running mates for presidential candidate Donald Trump on the 2024 Republican Party ticket

The race to determine who will be Donald Trump’s running mate this November took a major step forward last week with the acceleration of vetting multiple potential candidates, but political insiders with deep knowledge of presidential campaigns say there is one possible name on the former president’s shortlist Democrats “fear” the most.

Trump’s campaign recently entered the next phase of the running mate search by requesting documents from several prospective contenders, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has grown to be a staunch ally of the former president since running against him in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.

“Rubio is a familiar face who has become one of the strongest voices in the Senate for the America First agenda, is excellent on TV, and can blast Biden effectively for his failed policies,” one top GOP strategist told Fox News Digital. 

INSIDERS PREDICT THIS POSSIBLE TRUMP VP PICK POSES ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’ TO KEY AREA OD BIDEN SUPPORT

From left to right: Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. (Getty Images)

“Trump is doing very well with Latino voters and the addition of Rubio would only strengthen that, which could spell the end for Biden,” they said, adding that “Rubio would be a solid, safe pick, with a lot of upside.”

GOP strategist Matt Wolking, who served as deputy communications director for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, described Rubio as “an effective, disciplined communicator who rarely makes mistakes.”

He noted that Rubio was the only person under consideration who speaks another language, and that his ability to speak Spanish would help the Trump campaign reach Hispanic voters in many states where it could boost their competitiveness, including Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Virginia, New York, and Florida.

“While demonstrating his ability to win a slightly higher percentage of White voters in 2022 than Trump did in Florida in 2020, he also appeals to the suburban and independent voters that will be key to Trump’s success, and is the only contender from a true battleground state,” Wolking said. 

“Trump would balance out his ticket by picking Rubio for VP, which cannot be said for some of the other options. These reasons are why many Democrats fear the selection of Rubio the most,” he said, citing a May Vanity Fair article specifically noting some of those worries.

INSIDERS PREDICT THIS ‘POWERHOUSE’ REPUBLICAN WOULD BRING MAJOR BOOST AS TRUMP VP PICK

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) speaks to his supporters during an election-night party on November 8, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images)

Wolking added that Rubio’s experience as a leader on the Senate Intelligence Committee would be “valuable” for Trump to “reign in rogue agencies.”

A source close to Trump’s campaign echoed what the other two said of Rubio’s Latino heritage boosting the campaign’s ability to connect with Hispanic voters, but also pointed to what they said were a few downsides to Rubio’s potential selection.

“I’m not sure he’s a 100% Trump guy. That’s the one thing I would say, that he has not always been enthusiastic about Trump. I think that’s the one area I would find could be a little troubling to the Trump faithful. That might be an issue,” the source said. 

They were noting Rubio’s past criticism of Trump, including when he called him “reckless and dangerous” while running against him in 2016, and when he said the former president was responsible “for some of what happened” during the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol. 

“The other thing is the question of whether Rubio is the right person to carry the Republican colors in 2028 and beyond,” the source said. “I think he’s a good man. Don’t get me wrong. I think he’s been a great senator, and been very effective. I think he would be a more than adequate vice president, but it just gives me pause to think about him as a potential candidate, and whether he’s a Trump-faithful follower.”

EXPERTS REVEAL MAJOR ‘DOWNSIDE’ TO POTENTIAL TRUMP VP PICK: ‘NO WOW FACTOR’

Former U.S. President Donald Trump listens as Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) speaks during a rally at the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition on November 6, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Wolking, however, said none of the downsides to Rubio’s selection were “particularly big ones,” but noted he tends “to be more hawkish than Trump when it comes to foreign policy.”

He also mentioned concerns over the Constitution’s 12th Amendment, which prohibits electors voting for a president and vice president if they are inhabitants of the same state. Rubio and Trump are both residents of Florida. 

“That would likely prove to be more a speedbump than a real obstacle to putting him on the ticket,” Wolking said.

A source familiar with Rubio pointed Fox to the senator’s positive performance in states like Virginia and Minnesota during his 2016 primary campaign, suggesting his selection could boost Trump in states now being viewed as potential targets for Republicans.

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The source also pointed to Rubio’s legislative track-record, his debate performances during his two subsequent Senate re-elections since running for president, his ability to communicate, as well as his ability to “fire up a crowd” as all things that would make him a good addition to the Republican ticket.

A number of other big names have also been floated to join Trump on the Republican ticket, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

From left to right: House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and South Carolina Gov. Tim Scott. All have been floated as possible vice presidential running mates for former President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)

Trump has suggested he will likely wait until July’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to name his pick.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

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

Democrats are hinging their hopes of retaining the Senate majority on voters’ disdain for so-called “carpetbaggers.”

As Senate Democrats fight to keep several vulnerable incumbents from losing tough races in swing states across the country, their campaign arm and state parties are homing in on Republican candidates’ traits and biographies over policies.

“It’s a time-honored direction for campaigns to go, but it isn’t always effective,” said Republican strategist Doug Heye. “Given the overwhelming concerns about rising prices, the border and the general direction of the country, it may be tough for this to break through.”

GOP SHORES UP MICHIGAN EFFORT AS DEMS LOSE SENATE INCUMBENT ADVANTAGE

Democrats are hoping claims of carpetbagging against Republican candidates can save their vulnerable incumbents in swing states, like Sens. Jon Tester, left, and Bob Casey, right. (Getty Images)

Historically, carpetbaggers were northerners who traveled to the South during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War with the goal of profiting off of the weakened region. In modern politics, it refers to politicians that move to a new area in order to run for office. 

Five Democratic incumbent senators are embroiled in highly competitive reelection battles in Ohio, Montana, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, as the party faces a uniquely disadvantageous Senate election map. 

“Senate Republicans’ roster of recruits is full of carpetbaggers who don’t know the first thing about the states they’re running in and candidates who bring enough financial scandals and baggage to fill a bank vault,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson Tommy Garcia said in a statement earlier this year. 

SCHUMER JUSTIFIES CONGRESSIONAL INVITE TO NETANYAHU AMID LIBERAL OUTRAGE

Sens. Jon Tester, Jacky Rosen, Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin, Bob Casey (Getty Images: Anna Moneymaker, Drew Angerer, Ethan Miller, Sarah Silbiger)

Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, explained, “After Democrats used this attack, successfully in my view, against Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania last cycle, I think it’s just become kind of an ‘in vogue’ kind of attack, although it’s also by no mean a new strategy.”

Both national and state level Democratic Party entities have parroted the argument, particularly in reference to the Republican Senate candidate in Montana, former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, as well as Pennsylvania Republican nominee Dave McCormick. 

“Democrats can’t run on their steadfast support for Joe Biden’s agenda of reckless spending, open borders, and chaos around the globe, so they are lying about our candidates and refusing to discuss the pressing issues facing the American people,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRCS) spokesperson Mike Berg said in a statement.

Montana is expected to see one of the closest Senate races of the cycle between Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sheehy, and the former’s campaign has fully adopted the term “carpetbagger” to describe his opponent. The attack has similarly been picked up by the state’s Democratic Party. 

BIDEN ADMIN ACCUSED OF PLAYING POLITICS WITH FLORIDA FUNDING IN PRO-UNION PUSH

Following the state’s primaries last week, Tester’s campaign amplified his insinuation during a TV interview that Sheehy was “trying to buy Montana,” while emphasizing his own roots. 

“I think it’s a very potent argument in Montana,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. 

Sheehy is originally from Minnesota and moved to Montana in 2014 before starting his company there. 

“Let’s face it, Tester’s trying to reach a conservative audience,” Bannon said, noting that references to his generational roots are “conservative” by nature. 

Sen. Jon Tester, left, and Republican Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, right. (Kevin Dietsch/Louise Johns)

“Montana has an insider vs. outsider dynamic in politics, in part because of a lot of new transplants from other places,” Kondik said. 

Sheehy’s campaign did not provide comment to Fox News Digital. 

McCormick, who is running for Senate as a Republican again after seeking the GOP nod in 2022, was notably born and raised in Pennsylvania, also starting his business in the state. Carpetbagger claims were initiated when it was reported that he owned a Connecticut home, in addition to his Pittsburgh property. 

“I also think it’s effective in Pennsylvania, because the Casey name is as synonymous with Pennsylvania as cheesesteaks are to Philadelphia,” claimed Bannon, referencing Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey’s family and its long history in the state’s politics. 

TRUMP VP CONTENDER LEADS GOP EFFORT TO REACH BLACK VOTERS AS BIDEN LOSES GRIP

Kondik remarked, “In the Industrial North, the percentage of residents born in state is higher than it is in the Sun Belt. So maybe these attacks have more resonance — or at least Democrats hope they have more resonance — because of some local specifics, too.”

McCormick campaign spokesperson Elizabeth Gregory said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “Pennsylvanians from across the commonwealth are joining Dave’s movement to send a 7th-generation Pennsylvanian, combat veteran, West Point graduate, and PA job creator to the Senate to deliver new leadership and fresh ideas.”

McCormick previously ran for the GOP nomination in 2022.  (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

“Career politician and habitual liar Bob Casey votes for Joe Biden’s failing agenda 98% of the time, fueling a border crisis that has killed over 4,000 Pennsylvanians from fentanyl, violent crime, record inflation and regulations that are killing the commonwealth’s energy sector. On November 5, Pennsylvania will retire empty suit Bob Casey and send Dave McCormick to the Senate,” she added. 

Per Republican strategist Erin Perrine, “Democrats know they are struggling to connect with voters on policy positions, as polling shows they are underwater on top voter concerns like immigration and the economy.” This forces the party to “make an emotional appeal to voters, arguing that they can represent them because they are one of them,” she said.

Bannon claimed that Democrats’ focus on these carpetbagging accusations is motivated by the independent voters they are going after. “The independents who are two up for grabs, they’re more likely to focus on personal traits in the last stage of the election than the voters who’ve made up their mind already,” he explained. 

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The strategy additionally “plays into a larger, familiar narrative in which Democrats attack Republicans as being wealthy and out-of-touch. It’s one part of a larger argument,” Kondik emphasized. 

But according to Perrine, “A homegrown emotional appeal usually isn’t a winning strategy in a general election, when voters show up on Election Day about what matters most to them every day, not where someone is from.”

A Second Amendment group is vowing to sue the New York Police Department in an effort to defend former President Donald Trump’s concealed carry license after his felony conviction in the hush money trial.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb said in a press release on June 6 that the group is willing to “challenge the law” to defend Trump’s ownership of firearms.

“If Donald Trump is further prosecuted for owning firearms,” Gottlieb said, “we will offer to defend him and challenge the law.”

CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS FORM ARMED GROUP TO DEFEND AGAINST VIOLENT CRIME

Donald Trump arrives to Trump Tower, Thursday, May 30, 2024 after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

The group’s promise to take on the New York court system came despite the state’s law mandating that convicted felons are not allowed to have firearm permits.

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is a federal crime.

A Gun Owners of America supporter shoots a rifle at a range. The Second Amendment Foundation announced that they would sue the New York Police Department if they confiscate former President Donald Trump’s guns following his conviction. (Gun Owners of America)

SAF said that their organization’s position has always been that, “someone should not lose his or her gun rights due to a conviction of a non-violent crime.” 

Trump’s concealed carry license was first revoked in April 2023 when he was indicted for the hush money trial in New York.

NUMBER OF NEW GUN OWNERS SINCE 2020 ELECTION SURGED TO EQUAL POPULATION OF FLORIDA: REPORT

Gottlieb said that the former president “should not lose his Second Amendment rights.”

“Donald Trump has no history of violent crime,” Gottlieb explained. “Under the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen ruling, which requires gun laws to have some analogous connection to historical regulation at the time the Founders wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights, Mr. Trump should not lose his Second Amendment rights.”

“There is no historical nexus to deny someone, including Trump, of their gun rights over such a conviction,” he said.

Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump attends his criminal trial at the New York State Supreme Court in New York, New York, Wednesday, May, 29, 2024.  (Doug Mills/Pool via REUTERS)

The founder said that the NYPD’s preparation to revoke Trump’s gun license highlights the need for reform in gun rights legislation.

“The attack on Trump’s gun rights emphasizes the need to revisit existing gun control laws and change them to protect an individual’s gun rights,” Gottlieb observed. “Until that happens, we will be more than happy to meet New York State or the federal government in court.”

If SAF was to pursue a lawsuit against the NYPD, they have experience.

Gun wall rack with rifles. (iStock)

Gottlieb said that the foundation has 60 cases currently in progress, and has won decisions that have landed in the U.S. Supreme Court.

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“Our motto is ‘Winning Gun Rights One Lawsuit at a Time,” Gottlieb stated. “That will include protecting and winning Donald Trump’s gun rights.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to The Second Amendment Foundation and Trump’s campaign for comment

The judge presiding over former President Trump’s New York criminal trial is facing scrutiny for risking the credibility of his own jury after he sent a letter to the defense team about a comment posted to the court’s public Facebook page. It implied one of the jurors discussed the guilty verdict with family prior to the trial’s conclusion.

The comment was made by a user who described himself as a “professional s— poster,” leading some to wonder why Merchan alerted Trump’s counsel without investigating the matter more thoroughly.

In a letter Friday, Judge Juan Merchan told Trump defense attorneys and Manhattan prosecutors, “Today, the Court became aware of a comment that was posted on the Unified Court System’s public Facebook page and which I now bring to your attention.

“In the comment, the user, ‘Michael Anderson,’ states: ’My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted! Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!’” A comment by the same user on a different post said, “Thank you for all your hard [sic] against the MAGA crazies! My cousin is a juror on Trumps criminal case and they’re going to convict him tomorrow according to her.” 

NY V. TRUMP: JUDGE REVEALS FACEBOOK POST IMPLYING JUROR DISCUSSED GUILTY VERDICT BEFORE TRIAL CONCLUDED

When someone on Facedbook called out the illegality of jurors discussing a case before a verdict is reached, the user going by “Michael Anderson” posted that he and his cousin “Now are married.”

Fox News has not verified the claims made in the comment or the identity of the user who published the post. But the claim made in the comment has a “relatively small” chance of being genuine, according to legal expert and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley.

In a letter Friday, Judge Juan Merchan highlighted a comment posted to the court’s public Facebook page that implied one of the jurors discussed Trump’s guilty verdict with family prior to the trial’s conclusion. (AP)

“As I said when this story first broke, I remain skeptical. Accordingly, I was surprised by the court’s response before even the most rudimentary inquiry on the posting,” Turley, a constitutional law attorney, told Fox News Digital. “All of our sites, from Facebook to blogs, are subject to a constant deluge of trolls, bots and certifiably insane posters.

“The odds that such a posting is a genuine account of a juror in this day and age is relatively small. You would have a higher likelihood of finding the key to the Dead Sea Scrolls on the graffiti left on the courthouse. That does not mean that it should not be investigated, but the mere appearance of such a posting is hardly cause for an all-hands-on-deck call from the court,” he added.

Jurors were under strict orders from the judge not to discuss the case with anyone while the trial was ongoing.

The comment, according to Merchan’s letter, came in response “to a routine UCS notice, posted on May 29, 2024, regarding oral arguments in the Fourth Department of the Appellate Division unrelated to this proceeding.”

The Facebook profile for “Michael Anderson” has little publicly available information, but the user identifies as a “Transabled & professional s— poster.”

A Trump campaign official told Fox News Digital on Friday evening the campaign was “investigating the matter.”

Other legal experts also weighed in on the importance of maintaining the integrity of the jury process.

“These are the types of things that result in mistrials,” Mountain States Legal Foundation attorney William Trachman told Fox News Digital. “And this doesn’t need to be about politics. It can be about justice.”

The allegations against the juror, if they were true, would throw the “whole verdict into question,” Trachman added.

TRUMP ATTORNEYS REQUEST MERCHAN LIFT GAG ORDER AHEAD OF PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, FOLLOWING END OF TRIAL

“Anytime you have a juror who’s talking about what they are going to do — especially in the future, like, ‘We’re going to do this thing tomorrow’ – that’s a really grave issue with a jury,” he added. “If this is true, it absolutely throws the whole verdict into question.”

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital Friday that while jury deliberations are “sacred,” a mistrial could result if “outside influences are brought in.”

“Jury deliberations are sacred, and the defense usually can’t use juror discussions as a basis for a new trial or to appeal, even if the jurors misunderstood the facts or the law. One exception, however, is if outside influences are brought into the jury deliberation room,” he said.

Rahmani said, in the event of a mistrial, Trump’s defense team must prove “both an improper outside influence and prejudice.”

“The burden for a new trial is high, though,” he said. “The defense must show both an improper outside influence and prejudice. Prejudice means the outcome may have been different.

“A stray comment on social media is not enough for a new trial.”

The comment was posted one day before Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump had pleaded not guilty to all charges. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)

William Jacobson, a Cornell Law School clinical professor and the founder of the Equal Protection Project, told Fox News Digital it’s important “to take this seriously but not get ahead of the facts.”

“Given how important this was for a potential presidential election, I would think if a juror was doing the things that were alleged, it is very likely that the judge would have no choice but to overturn the verdict,” he said.

Al Baker, state OCA spokesperson, said Friday that “as appropriate, the court informed the parties once it learned of this online content.”

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The comment was posted one day before Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump had pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

The six-week trial stemmed from charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

A Yale Law professor suggests there is another strategy former President Donald Trump’s legal team could pursue to limit the impact of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case on the 2024 presidential election, after a New York jury found the former president guilty of 34 felony counts of falsified business records.

In a newly-created podcast, titled Straight Down the Middle, Yale Law Professor Jed Rubenfeld took a look at what legal options Trump’s defense team have been left with following the jury’s verdict, as well as the appeal process that is slated to soon take place.

The most obvious path for Trump’s legal team to take in an effort to challenge the conviction is that of an appeal through the New York Appeals Court system in hopes of ending up at the Supreme Court – a process that Rubenfeld argued will take years to complete and could result in “irreparable harm.”

“Of course that would take years, and that’s a problem here. Why is it a problem? It’s a problem because the election will have taken place and if this conviction is unlawful and unconstitutional, it could have an effect on that election,” Rubenfeld, a Constitutional law professor, said on his podcast.

FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL BARR PREDICTS TRUMP’S CRIMINAL CHARGES WILL ‘BE OVERTURNED’

From left to right: Judge Juan Merchan, former President Donald Trump, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (Getty Images, AP Images)

Pointing to surveys that show a “substantial number” of voters from the American electorate who say they will still vote for Trump in the upcoming presidential election if he is a convicted felon, Rubenfeld said, “If that’s true, an unlawful conviction in this case could interfere with, and in fact decide the outcome of, the next election of the next President of the United States.”

“Even if the conviction were reversed on appeal years later, that effect could not be undone. In legal terms, that’s called irreparable harm,” Rubenfeld said.

If the conviction were to be reversed on appeal down the road, Rubenfeld suggested that Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan would have “unlawfully interfered with the election and decided the outcome of the next election through unconstitutional means.”

“And no years-long appeal could have any effect on that,” he added.

Despite media reports, Rubenfeld insisted that it’s “not true” that Trump is already a “convicted felon,” arguing that one is “not a convicted felon because of a jury verdict.”

“You are not convicted until the judge enters that judgment of guilt. Now, in New York, it’s very likely that Judge Merchan will enter that judgment of guilt against Trump on the same day that he issues sentencing. That’d be July 11th.”

Rubenfeld insisted there’s “one other avenue” Trump’s attorneys could take in combating the conviction — to sue in federal court and “ask for an emergency, temporary restraining order.”

Outlining what that effort would look like, Rubenfeld said: “In this federal action, Trump would sue District Attorney Bragg and other state actors and ask the judge, the federal judge, for an emergency temporary restraining order halting Judge Merchan from entering that judgment of guilt until the federal courts have had an opportunity to review and rule out the serious constitutional arguments that exist here.”

Rubenfeld, expressing concern over how it’s a “bad look for this country” to criminally target former presidents for “unclear” crimes, also outlined what he believed to be problems with the case surrounding Trump.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TRUMP’S CONVICTION? LEGAL EXPERTS BREAK IT DOWN

“Going after, criminally, a former president of the United States and somebody who is running for president now, that’s a very bad look for this country,” he said. “It’s an especially bad look when the folks bringing the case and the judge deciding it are members of the opposing political party. And it’s an even worse look when the crime is so unclear that the state is hiding the ball about what the actual charges are right up through the trial and indeed into the trial.”

Former President Donald Trump sits with his attorneys at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 29, 2024. (JABIN BOTSFORD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

‘”Even now, we don’t know exactly what the jury found Trump guilty of,” Rubenfeld added.

Rubenfeld said those who criminally target members of opposing political parties, in this case Trump, the “poll-leading candidate,” then they “better have the goods.”

“You better not be pursuing some novel legal theory where you have to hide the ball [and] it’s not even clear what the charges are,” he said. “That could be a very dangerous precedent for this country. A very bad and dangerous precedent.”

“That’s why it’s so important for a federal court to review the constitutionality of this prosecution and decide was it constitutional or was it not,” he added. “The only way to achieve that before the election takes place is for the Trump team to file an action in federal court and ask the federal court to temporarily hold off the entry of the judgment of guilt until the federal courts, and maybe the Supreme Court itself, can, on an emergency basis, adjudicate the likelihood of success of these constitutional arguments.”

If that doesn’t happen, Rubenfeld said, then “that ‘irreparable harm’ danger that I mentioned before, well, that’s where we are.”

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 and could be sent to prison, just days before the Republican National Convention is slated to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (AP)

“But if it does happen, the nation could get a ruling from the federal courts, even the Supreme Court of the United States, before the election takes place,” he said. “Maybe that’s what the nation needs, and maybe that’s what the law requires here.”

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Last week, at his trial in Manhattan, Trump was found guilty by the jury on all 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the lead up to the 2016 presidential election.

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 and could be sent to prison, just days before the Republican National Convention is slated to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Friday declined to testify about his prosecution of former President Donald Trump to House lawmakers next week.

In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio., Bragg’s general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, said the district attorney has “scheduling conflicts” that will keep him from appearing before Congress. However, Dubeck indicated that Bragg may be open to cooperating with the committee in the future.

“This Office is committed to voluntary cooperation,” Dubeck wrote in a letter first reported by Politico. “That cooperation includes making the District Attorney available to provide testimony on behalf of the Office at an agreed-upon date, and evaluating the propriety of allowing an Assistant District Attorney to testify publicly about an active prosecution to which he is assigned. However, the proposed date that the Subcommittee selected without consulting the Office presents various scheduling conflicts.” 

House Republicans have sought to drag Bragg into Congress on June 13 to answer questions about his prosecution of Trump, who was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records brought by the district attorney. 

REP JORDAN URGES CONGRESS TO ‘DEFUND LAWFARE ACTIVITIES’ OF TRUMP PROSECUTORS

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stands with members of his staff at a news conference following the conviction of former U.S. President Donald Trump in his hush money trial on May 30, 2024, in New York City. Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial.   (Getty Images)

Trump, who maintains his innocence, has called the prosecution a “witch hunt” coordinated by President Biden and Democrats with the intention of kneecapping his presidential campaign. Biden and Bragg have separately denied this accusation, though Republicans continue to allege prosecutors were politically motivated. Bragg had campaigned for office on a promise to “get Trump.” 

In the letter, Dubeck criticized the Judicairy Committee’s invitation for Bragg to testify, writing that Jordan “has not made clear the scope of the proposed testimony.” 

WHAT’S NEXT FOR TRUMP LEGALLY? WHICH CASE MIGHT COME UP BEFORE ELECTION DAY?

Jordan has sought testimony from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg on his prosecution of former President Trump.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Dubeck also wrote that the upcoming sentencing hearing for Trump on July 11 and ongoing proceedings in the trial and appellate courts may prevent Bragg from testifying. Trump has said he will appeal his criminal conviction. 

Dubeck wrote, “to participate in a public hearing at this time would be potentially detrimental to those efforts.” 

TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL

Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower, Thursday, May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

She asked the committee to negotiate a new hearing date with Bragg’s office and clarify what exactly Republicans want Bragg to testify about.

“Everything is on the table as to what is next,” said Stefanie Farrell, a spokesperson for Chairman Jordan. 

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Earlier this week, Jordan told Fox News Digital he is proposing an appropriations package that would “defund the lawfare activities” of state and federal prosecutors leading “politically sensitive investigations,” pointing specifically to Special Counsel Jack Smith, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. 

In addition to his criminal conviction in New York, Trump is currently awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether he is immune from charges brought against him by Smith in his Jan. 6 investigation; awaiting a trial date on charges brought from Smith’s classified records case; and awaiting a trial date on charges brought by Willis in Georgia.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

President Biden has won the Democratic presidential caucuses in Guam, according to the Associated Press, based on party results from the U.S. territory in the western Pacific Ocean.

After five months and more than 100 primaries and caucuses, Saturday’s Democratic caucuses in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands bring to a close the 2024 presidential nominating season.

“The Party is excited to be sending a delegation to the DNC Convention in full support of President Biden and Vice President Harris,” said the chair of the Democratic Party of Guam, Tony Babauta, in a statement Saturday. “Our island and country needs leadership that continues to invest in people, improves our infrastructure, focuses on sustainability and our environment, and protects women’s rights.”

Biden and former President Trump clinched the Democratic and Republican nominations nearly three months ago, after their sweeping victories in the coast-to-coast Super Tuesday contests.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS ELECTION SEASON RESULTS 

File photos of President Biden (left) and former President Donald Trump  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon / Curtis Means/DailyMail.com via AP, Pool)

While any major drama in the presidential nominating contests vanished long ago, the results from some of the primaries and caucuses of the past couple of months have pointed to potential problems for both Biden and Trump as they aim to secure their base voters heading into the general election.

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Former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was Trump’s final rival for the nomination, suspended her campaign in early March, but she continued to grab up to 20% of the vote in some of the Republican presidential primaries even though she was essentially a zombie candidate.

And in the Democratic contests, the president repeatedly faced a protest vote through the “uncommitted” option on the ballot, as part of demonstrations against his support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

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

FIRST ON FOX: A former top intelligence official gave a one-word answer when asked if he would retract the letter he signed along with 51 other former officials warning Hunter Biden’s infamous “laptop from hell” was Russian disinformation.

James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence in the Obama administration, signed the heavily scrutinized letter just weeks before the 2020 presidential election, claiming the laptop had “all the earmarks” of a Russian effort to influence the vote.

“No,” he simply said when asked by Fox News Digital if he regretted signing it despite the laptop now being used by prosecutors arguing Hunter committed a federal gun crime.

DEM IN MAJOR SENATE RACE ACCUSED OF ‘PANDERING’ TO BLACK VOTERS BY SUPPORTING REPARATIONS

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (left) and Hunter Biden (right) (Getty Images)

Clapper also refused to publicly remove his name from the letter despite evidence proving the device and its contents were legitimate and would not concede he and the other former intelligence officials who signed on should have waited longer to weigh in.

The laptop, filled with videos and photos of drug use, sex acts and sensitive business communications, was shown to the jury Tuesday in an effort to prove the president’s son lied about using drugs on a gun purchase form. 

Critics took to social media to blast Clapper and others following revelations the laptop would be entered into evidence.

“No one is above the law, except: James Clapper — lied to Congress/never charged,” political science professor Nicholas Giordano wrote in a post on X. That was a reference to Clapper previously being accused of perjury when he testified before Congress that the Obama administration was “not wittingly” collecting Americans’ telephone records.

FOLLOWING TRUMP’S GUILTY VERDICT, FIRST SWING STATE POLL REVEALS HOW IT IMPACTS VOTERS’ DECISIONS

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill May 8, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

“It was an intelligence community coup,” wrote another X user, suggesting the letter’s timing was meant to influence the 2020 election.

While the laptop has since been authenticated by a variety of news outlets, it was rejected when the New York Post first reported it in the weeks leading up to the 2020 election, including by Joe Biden’s campaign, which vigorously denied its legitimacy. 

The campaign, however, appeared to be coordinating the release of the letter signed by Clapper, which was published days before a debate between Biden and Trump in which Biden claimed, “There are 50 former national intelligence folks who said that what he’s accusing me of is a Russian plant.”

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Despite claims from former officials that the laptop had the hallmarks of Russian disinformation, Fox News Digital reported that federal investigators with the Department of Justice knew in December 2019 that Hunter Biden’s laptop was “not manipulated in any way” and contained “reliable evidence.” 

But they were “obstructed” from seeing all available information, according to an IRS whistleblower involved in the probe, nearly a year before the former intelligence officials and Joe Biden declared it was part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Fox News’ Brian Flood and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

President Biden was criticized by conservatives Friday over a speech at France’s Pointe du Hoc marking the anniversary of D-Day that they said closely resembled a speech former President Reagan delivered there 40 years ago.

“Unreal,” Young Americans for Liberty posted on X on Friday. “It appears that Biden’s D-Day speech is just a paraphrase of Reagan’s D-Day speech.”

“Joe Biden essentially plagiarized Ronald Reagan’s famous 1984 speech at Pointe du Hoc today in Normandy,” OutKick Founder Clay Travis posted on X. “Watch these clips side by side. Wow.”

“Biden camp tries to make Biden sound like Reagan,” former Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker posted on X. “But he wasn’t a great communicator just because of the words he said. He was a great communicator because he believed what he said and he made us believe it too. Joe Biden will never be as great a leader as Ronald Reagan!”

‘THE ARTICLE WAS BS’: BIDEN’S CABINET FIRES BACK AT SCATHING REPORT EXPOSING DECLINING MENTAL ACUITY

President Biden delivers a speech on the legacy of Pointe du Hoc and democracy around the world Friday, June 7, as he stands next to the Pointe du Hoc monument in Normandy, France.  (AP/Evan Vucci)

Walker went on to say in another post, “Biden had to drop out of the presidential race 37 years ago for this kind of plagiarism. He should drop out again.”

“Why would he do this?” former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen posted on X. “Why invite a direct comparison with Reagan with whom no president could ever compete in telling this story, much less one as inarticulate as Biden?”

“Joe Biden: Once a plagiarist, always a plagiarist,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X.

TRUMP RIPS BIDEN AS ‘INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL’ IN DOCUMENT PROBE: DON’T WANT ‘THAT KIND OF EXONERATION’

President Biden walks with Superintendent of the Normandy American Cemetery Scott Desjardins June 7, 2024, as he arrives to deliver a speech at Pointe du Hoc, where U.S. Army Rangers scaled cliffs over 100 feet high on D-Day to destroy a heavily fortified German position. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Both speeches similarly described the events of the D-Day invasion, and videos circulating on social media showed clips of the two speeches side by side.

“At last the hour had come. Dawn. Sixth of June, 1944,” Biden began, similar to Reagan’s speech, in which he said, “At dawn on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944.”

Biden said, “Two hundred and twenty-five American Rangers arrived by ship, jumped into the waves and stormed the beach,” compared to Reagan who said, “Two hundred and twenty-five Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs.”

“They launched their ladders, their ropes and grappling hooks, and they began to climb,” Biden said, compared to Reagan who said, “They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up.”

TRUMP TOUTS SILICON VALLEY SUPPORT, SAYS TECH LEADERS CAN’T RELATE TO ‘LOW IQ’ BIDEN: ‘I HAVE A HIGH IQ’

President Biden, first lady Jill Biden, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attend a U.S. ceremony June 6, 2024, marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II D-Day Allied landings in Normandy at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, which overlooks Omaha Beach in northwestern France. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“When the Nazis cut their ladders, the Rangers used the ropes, and the Nazis cut the ropes,” Biden said. “The Rangers used their hands.”

Reagan’s speech said, “When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again.”

Biden continued, “And inch by inch, foot by foot, yard by yard, the Rangers clawed, literally clawed their way up this mighty precipice until at last they reached the top.”

Reagan said, “Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top.”

“They breached Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, and they turned, in that one effort, the tide of the war that began to save the world,” Biden said.

“And in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe,” Reagan said. 

Days before Biden’s speech, Politico Playbook reported, “Biden Seeks His Gipper Moment. [Aides] have studied the Reagan trip closely and are looking to similarly capture the attention of a distracted, disillusioned public and remind them of how much is still at stake.”

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President Reagan speaks at a news conference (Screenshot/Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute)

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response.

Travis later defended his post against an article from the left-leaning outlet Mediaite that argued Biden was not plagiarizing or copying Reagan in the speech but rather detailing what happened during the invasion. 

In his speech, Biden repeatedly referenced an “instinct” to “walk away” from democracy while discussing the heroics of the Army Rangers who scaled Pointe du Hoc more than 80 years ago on D-Day. 

“We talk about democracy, American democracy. We often talk about the ideals of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. What we don’t talk about is how hard it is, how many ways we’re asked to walk away, how many instincts there are to walk away,” Biden said. “The most natural instinct is to walk away.” 

It’s been two decades since a Republican carried Virginia in the race for the White House. 

You have to go back to then-President George W. Bush, who won the Commonwealth in his 2004 re-election victory.

Democrats have carried the state in four straight presidential elections, including President Biden’s 10-point victory over Donald Trump four years ago as he won the White House.

But GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin thinks the former president has a very good shot of ending the Republican losing streak in Virginia as Trump faces off this autumn with Biden in a 2024 election rematch.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS DRILL INTO BIDEN OVER HIGH ENERGY PRICES

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, speaking at the podium, is joined by, from left, Govs. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Doug Burgum of North Dakota at a news conference at an oil refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana, on Monday.  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

“Let’s just begin by remembering where we were in 2020 when Joe Biden won Virginia by 10 points, and the fact that we’re having this discussion is a huge turn of events,” Youngkin said earlier this week in a Fox News Digital interview in New Orleans, as he attended a Republican Governors Association (RGA) conference.

Youngkin emphasized that “we’re here in June and there’s still a lot of water to go under the bridge, but Virginia looks like it’s in play and that’s pretty exciting.”

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The governor was interviewed a couple of days ahead of the release of a Fox News poll that indicated Biden and Trump are deadlocked in Virginia. 

The survey, conducted June 1-4, shows the Democratic president and his Republican predecessor in the White House each with 48% support in a head-to-head match.

In a multi-candidate race, Biden stands at 42% and Trump at 41%, with Democrat-turned-independent Robert K. Kennedy at 9% and Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornel West each at 2%.

Yougkin captured the governor’s office in 2021 as the GOP also won the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general in the party’s first statewide victories in a dozen years. They also flipped the state House, and the victories in a state that had trended blue over the previous decade energized Republicans nationwide.

But last November, Democrats won back the majority in the state House and defended their control of the state Senate in a setback for Youngkin, who led the Republican charge on the campaign trail even though his name wasn’t on the ballot.

Looking ahead to this autumn’s elections, Youngkin noted that he’s “fully endorsed” Trump and said “we’re going to enthusiastically campaign in order to win this thing.”

There was plenty of speculation last year that Youngkin would potentially launch a White House run of his own, but the governor has kept his focus squarely on his home state.

TRUMP LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF TOP TECH INVESTOR WHO HOSTED $12 MILLION FUNDRAISER

Asked about the possibility of a 2028 White House run, Youngkin pivoted and said his priority is “to be the best governor I possibly can in the Commonwealth and I gotta tell you, I love this job. We have made huge progress, and I’ve got almost another two years to continue to do for Virginia what Virginians hired me to do.”

Listing some of his accomplishments during his tenure so far as governor, Youngkin touted that “commonsense conservative policies work.”

Political pundits also view Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia as another potential contender for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination.

When asked about his next political chapter, Kemp told Fox News Digital “I am focused on winning in 2024. Then we’ll worry about anything else.”

Kemp, a popular conservative governor, earned Trump’s ire starting in late 2020, after he certified Biden’s narrow victory in Georgia in the presidential election following multiple recounts of the vote. 

Trump, who had unsuccessfully urged the governor and other top Republican officials in the state to overturn the results, returned to Georgia twice to campaign against Kemp as the governor ran for re-election in 2022. But in that year’s GOP gubernatorial primary, the governor squashed former Sen. David Perdue, whom Trump had backed in hopes of ousting Kemp.

Asked if he’ll be involved with helping Trump try to win back Georgia in the presidential election, Kemp said, “I’m involved right now. We have a lot on the ballot in Georgia… We’ve got to hold our majorities and we’ve got to hold Georgia, just like we did in 2022. That’s what I’m working on right now, helping to make sure we have a ground game to do that. And making sure that we keep Georgia red.”

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Kemp was interviewed in the wake of Trump’s convictions on all 34 felony counts in the first trial of a former or current president in the nation’s history.

Kemp wouldn’t say if Trump’s guilty verdicts will make the governor’s job harder in the autumn.

“We’ll let voters decide that. To me, at the end of the day, this is about the people, it’s not about me. It’s not about some DA in New York City that I think was being political,” he said.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is another Republican who’s far from a Trump ally.

Sununu is a longtime vocal GOP critic of the former president who was a top supporter and surrogate of Trump’s last challenger in the presidential primaries — former ambassador to the U.N. and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

After Haley dropped out of the race in March, Sununu reiterated that he would vote for the GOP standard-bearer. And Sununu said he will still vote for Trump even after the former president’s conviction.

Asked if he would join Trump on the campaign trail in swing-state New Hampshire, the governor said, “I’m going to campaign with the candidates that need the help. Trump is Trump. People are going to make their minds up about President Trump whether individuals are on the campaign trail with him or not. I’m really about making sure we win that Statehouse. We have more than 201 Republicans in the House of Representatives. More than 14 senators, a strong executive council and most importantly winning that Corner Office.”

Sununu, who joined Youngkin and Kemp and a handful of other governors at a news conference during the RGA gathering, emphasized that “the presidential race is going to take care of itself. We’re going to focus on the state house races where the effort needs to be.”

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

District Attorney Fani Willis had high hopes to take former President Trump to trial before the November election, but with the latest court decision on her scandalous relationship with a special prosecutor, that prospect has never appeared slimmer. 

Willis was accused in February of having an “improper” affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had hired to help prosecutor the sweeping racketeering case against the former president.

A decision by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAffee not to disqualify her from the case is now on appeal, with that hearing slated for early October. And until then, McAfee can take no action in the electioneering against Trump – including taking any time this summer to decide how the Supreme Court’s decisions in the presidential immunity and “obstruction of official proceeding” matters will impact Willis’ case. 

Legal experts say the scandal could prove disastrous for the case. Clark D. Cunningham, an expert in legal ethics and a law professor at Georgia State University told the New York Times that Willis “just stabbed the case right in the heart.”

GEORGIA COURT PUTS PAUSE ON FANI WILLIS’ SWEEPING ELECTION CASE AGAINST TRUMP

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks after winning the Democratic primary on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Ga.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Trump was indicted in August along with 18 co-defendants in the yearslong criminal investigation led by Willis and state prosecutors in Georgia into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.

In February, Michael Roman, a GOP operative and co-defendant in the case, dropped bombshell accusations that Willis had an “improper” affair with Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the case in November 2021. 

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

Other co-defendants made similar allegations, that she had financially benefited from her relationship with him by taking lavish vacations together. 

Both Wade and Willis denied they were in a romantic relationship prior to his hiring and that the couple would split the costs of their shared travels; Willis said she reimbursed Wade for her share of the trips in cash.

After evidentiary hearings held in February, Judge McAfee ordered that Wade had to be removed in order to keep Willis from disqualification in the Trump election interference case in Georgia. He also dismissed six of the states’ charges.

TRUMP’S APPEAL TO DISQUALIFY FANI WILLIS FROM GA CASE GETS OCTOBER HEARING DATE

Former President Donald Trump holds a rally in the historically Democratic South Bronx on May 23, 2024 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

“With 14 remaining defendants in the Georgia case, it was always a pipe dream to believe that the case would be tried before the election,” John Malcolm, a former federal prosecutor in Atlanta, told Fox News Digital. 

“The recent order from the Court of Appeals sent two signals, in my view. First, the court believes that the issues that have been raised – which include not only the payments made to Nathan Wade and her relationship with him, but also her ill-advised speech from a church pulpit essentially calling the defendants racists – are substantial and serious,” McAfee said. 

He referenced a speech made by Willis at an Atlanta church in January, when she claimed she and Wade were being scrutinized because of their race, which McAfee scolded in a court order. 

“And second, in light of that, the court believes it would be fundamentally unfair to put the defendants to the time and expense of litigating pretrial issues before Judge McAfee when there is a reasonable possibility, if not a likelihood, that Fani Willis and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office will be disqualified from continuing with the case,” Malcolm added. 

“If that were to happen, the case would likely be turned over to another prosecutor who may decide to proceed or to drop the whole thing,” he added. 

REP JORDAN URGES CONGRESS TO ‘DEFUND LAWFARE ACTIVITIES’ OF TRUMP PROSECUTORS

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

Malcolm also said that the pending presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court “will have a dramatic impact on both the Georgia case and the federal case that is pending against former President Trump in D.C., and may make it difficult for Fani Willis (or some other prosecutor if she is disqualified) to continue to pursue Trump.”

Anthony Michael Kreis, a Georgia State Law professor, said that if Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, is elected in November, the trial will “almost certainly be delayed until 2029.” 

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When asked if Willis might consider recusing herself to put the litigation back on track, Kreis said, “she is not one to back down from a fight.” “

“I think the only way she might do that is if she really felt like the case was kind of getting out from underneath her,” Kreis said. “But I think we all know from Fani Willis, she is not one to back down from the fight. She’s not going to take that hit, right? If she’s going to be off the case it’s because the court will force her off.”

A representative for Willis did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

A clip of liberal comedian Chelsea Handler saying that 50 Cent “cannot vote” for former President Donald Trump during 2020 because he is Black sparked a snarky response from Sen. Tim Scott this week.

Sen. Scott, R-S.C, hit back at Handler in a social media post on Friday, saying, “tell another Black man how to think.”

“Yes, by all means, please tell another Black man how to think, White lady,” Scott wrote.

TIM SCOTT RESPONDS TO TRUMP CONSIDERING HIM FOR VICE PRESIDENT: ‘THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS…’

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) speaks as Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump looks on during a campaign rally at the Grappone Convention Center on January 19, 2024, in Concord, New Hampshire.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The comedian made the comments about the rapper, 50 Cent, who she briefly dated in 2011, during a remote interview with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show in 2020.

“And I had to remind him that he was a Black person, so he can’t vote for Donald Trump,” she told Fallon. 

Comedian Chelsea Handler during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)

The comedian argued that the rapper had a responsibility to not influence people to vote for Trump in 2020.

TIM SCOTT RESPONDS TO ‘THE VIEW’ MOCKING HIS CAREER

“He shouldn’t be influencing an entire swathe of people who may listen to him, because he’s worried about his own personal pocketbook,” she said. 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 23: Republican presidential candidate Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) takes a brief tour of the Woodlawn neighborhood with Pastor Corey Brooks before speaking at Brooks’ New Beginnings Church on October 23, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. Scott spoke about “the radical left’s weaponization of race” during his speech to the majority African-American audience gathered at the church.  (Getty Images)

Scott previously pushed against the narrative that Black people should vote for Democrats, recently calling out “The View” after they mocked him for his leadership in bringing Black voters over to the Republican Party.

“Women of “The View”: My goodness gracious. Let me just be plain and simple. Without the Black vote, there is no Democratic Party,” Scott told “Hannity.” “And since I was elected in 2010 to Congress, before that, no Black Republicans [in Congress]. But since then, there’s been seven.” 

Scott said, “President Trump’s policies have led to a surge” of Black Republican political candidates taking office at the “city level, to the county level, to the state level, and in Congress.” 

“We’re seeing Black city council members, we’re seeing Black assembly members all across this nation,” he said. “There is a wave of Black elected officials who happen to be Republicans. But the Black vote is following.” 

“The View” co-host bashes Sen. Tim Scott’s engagement on Wednesday, suggesting he did it to become Donald Trump’s Vice President.  (Screenshot/The View)

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin had said Friday that Scott was not making a strong case for Black conservatives. Scott got under Hostin’s skin last year when he rejected her beliefs on the show about systemic racism.

“Just to speak for African-American voters,” Hostin said. “If anyone thinks that Tim Scott is going to bring over a bunch of Black men, they need to just get with it, because Tim Scott is the only African-American senator in the Republican Party for a reason.” 

Senator Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, center, speaks during a campaign event with former US President Donald Trump, left, and Doug Burgum, governor of North Dakota, right, in Laconia, New Hampshire, US, on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Scott is one of several candidates that former President Trump is reportedly considering as his running mate in the 2024 election. 

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Scott ran for the Republican nomination but dropped out before the Iowa caucuses and went on to endorse Trump.

Fox News’ Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.

The judge presiding over former President Trump’s New York criminal trial notified his defense team on Friday of a comment on the court’s public Facebook page that implies one of the jurors discussed the guilty verdict ahead of time.

Fox News obtained the letter Judge Juan Merchan shared with Trump defense attorneys and Manhattan prosecutors. 

Judge Juan Merchan imposed over Donald Trump (AP)

TRUMP ATTORNEYS REQUEST MERCHAN LIFT GAG ORDER AHEAD OF PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, FOLLOWING END OF TRIAL

“‘Today, the Court became aware of a comment that was posted on the Unified Court System’s public Facebook page and which I now bring to your attention. In the comment, the user, ‘Michael Anderson,’ states:

“’My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted! Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!’”

TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL

The comment was posted on May 29 “regarding oral arguments in the Fourth Department of the Appellate Division unrelated to this proceeding.” 

The profile for “Michael Anderson” has little publicly available information, but the user identifies himself as a “Transabled & professional sh– poster.”

TRUMP SAYS GUILTY VERDICT IS A ‘SCAR’ ON NEW YORK JUSTICE SYSTEM, VOWS TO ‘KEEP FIGHTING’

A Trump campaign official told Fox News Digital they are “investigating the matter.” 

Al Baker, state OCA spokesperson, said Friday that “as appropriate, the Court informed the parties once it learned of this online content.”

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The post came a day before Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump had pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

The six-week-long trial stemmed from charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 

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…

– Hunter Biden attorneys leave option open for president’s son to testify Monday …LIVE UPDATES

– Biden continues European tour commemorating D-Day…

– Trump finds windfall in Silicon Valley…

Amid concerns about Biden’s mental decline, former President Trump has a theory about why some Silicon Valley venture capitalists back him over the president: “they can’t relate to Biden because he is a stupid person — and I have a high IQ.” 

Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that tech investor David Sacks’ endorsement — which came just ahead of a San Francisco fundraiser that raised $12 million for Trump’s campaign — is a testament to his “accomplishments.”

Trump also used his recent trial, where he was convicted by a New York jury, as evidence for his superior intelligence. Unlike himself, Biden is “incompetent to stand trial,” Trump said.

Former President Donald Trump and President Biden are seen in a split image. (Getty Images)

White House

‘THAT ARTICLE WAS B.S.’: Biden’s cabinet reacts to reports of his mental decline …Read more

PASSING THE BUCK: Biden tells Zelenskyy ‘some conservatives’ to blame for stalled aid …Read more

ON THE STAND? Hunter Biden considers testifying in gun trial, decision to be made over weekend …Read more

NO CHANGE: Day after Biden order, migrants are still arriving …Read more

WAR OF WORDS: George Clooney reportedly called White House to complain about something Biden said …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

NEW DISCLOSURES: Justice Clarence Thomas lists controversial vacations on new disclosure forms …Read more

 BATTLEGROUND BRAWL: Michigan heats up as GOP pours money into swing state Senate race …Read more

‘INSTINCT IS TO WALK AWAY’: Biden speaks about democracy, slams Putin at Pointe du Hoc …Read more

‘UNICORNS’: ‘View’ co-hosts compares Black GOP voters to mythical creatures …Read more

‘NOT OKAY’: Dem in major Senate race accused of ‘pandering’ to Black voters over taxpayer-funded reparations …Read more

‘BIGGER THREAT’: Russell Brand says if it comes down to Trump or Biden, only one candidate will protect democracy, freedom …Read more

Capitol Hill

‘PROFOUND DISAGREEMENTS’: Progressives prompt Schumer explanation for Netanyahu invite to Congress …Read more

BACK IN TIME: House lawmakers parachute out of WWII era-plane in Normandy …Read more

‘PUTTING OUR GIRLS AT RISK’: Nearly 70 House Republicans back push to block Biden Title IX changes …Read more

TERMINATED: Ex-Bernie Sanders aide fired from reporting job amid anti-Israel comments …Read more

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Republicans are making an early effort for the open Senate seat in Michigan, which is now in play as Democrats brace to lose their incumbency advantage with the departure of Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) announced a seven-figure expenditure on a new field program in the battleground state on Friday, emphasizing its effort to flip the long-time Democratic seat. 

The Republican Senate campaign arm will prop up GOP frontrunner former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan, months ahead of the state’s official primary, where he still faces challengers in wealthy businessman Sandy Pensler and former Rep. Justin Amash. 

SCHUMER JUSTIFIES CONGRESSIONAL INVITE TO NETANYAHU AMID LIBERAL OUTRAGE

Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers is a former House representative. (Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Rogers, who is endorsed by former President Trump, is expected to come out the victor in the Aug. 6 primary. 

The early spend includes ground-level infrastructure meant to increase Republican voter turnout and reach individuals who haven’t yet locked in their plan for the November election, the NRSC said.

“The Michigan Senate race is one of our top pickup opportunities in 2024. This investment is a direct reflection of our confidence in Mike Rogers’ ability to flip this seat in November,” NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud said in a statement.

BIDEN ADMIN ACCUSED OF PLAYING POLITICS WITH FLORIDA FUNDING IN PRO-UNION PUSH

Former President Trump endorsed Rogers for the Republican nomination. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

“Today’s unprecedented investment by the NRSC in support of Mike Rogers makes it very clear that not only is Michigan winnable, it’s the top opportunity for Republicans to secure the Senate Majority,” said Rogers campaign spokesperson Chris Gustafson in a statement.

“Along with our strong partnership with the Trump campaign and Republicans up and down the ballot, this investment allows our team to expand our outreach and share Mike’s message using a proven data-driven approach, and help ensure we defeat the Biden-Slotkin agenda to flip Michigan red in November,” he added. 

TRUMP VP CONTENDER LEADS GOP EFFORT TO REACH BLACK VOTERS AS BIDEN LOSES GRIP

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is expected to win the Democratic nod. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Stabenow’s retirement has provided Republicans the opportunity to take on a candidate without an incumbent advantage, which is likely to be Democratic frontrunner Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. She also faces a primary challenger in actor Hill Harper. 

Slotkin’s campaign did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

The race is rated as “Lean Democratic” by non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report, alongside other close Senate races in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Wisconsin.

OBAMA STRESSES CRITICAL DEM SENATE MAJORITY FOR APPOINTING PREFERRED JUDGES

Trump is leading President Biden by just a few points in Michigan. (Win McNamee/Michael M. Santiago)

In response to the announced buy, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle said in a statement, “Republicans are engulfed in a radioactive, expensive primary that will leave their eventual nominee deeply damaged.” 

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“Meanwhile, every day is bringing new and damaging revelations about National Republicans’ chosen candidate Mike Rogers — like how he supports a national abortion ban, enriched himself through ties to Chinese businesses, and ditched Michigan to live in a million dollar Florida mansion the first chance he got,” she said. 

Michigan is considered a significant pickup opportunity for Republicans, both congressionally and in the presidential race. In an April Fox News Poll, Trump led President Biden in Michigan by three points, 49% to 46%. In April 2020, Biden led Trump 49% to 41%.

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump touted the success of a San Francisco fundraiser Thursday evening as a major shift in support and a “great testament” to his accomplishments after raising $12 million and landing the endorsement of a top Silicon Valley venture capitalist.

Trump told Fox News Digital that tech leaders who hosted the fundraiser, David Sacks and Chamath Paliphapitiya — two high-profile figures in Silicon Valley and co-hosts of the “All In” podcast — are “very unhappy” with President Biden.

“These are brilliant guys — AI guys — these are the guys that are doing all the things you read about,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “These are just a brilliant group of people. And they can’t relate to Biden because he is a stupid person — and I have a high IQ.” 

“They don’t like dealing with an IQ that’s like, you know, 1/3 of theirs, because it is a difficult thing when someone has an IQ of 180, it is difficult to deal with a man with an IQ of 70 — or maybe lower,” Trump said, slamming his opponent. “Biden is a very low IQ individual.” 

Trump told Fox News Digital that Sacks’ “strong” endorsement “is a great testament to what I’ve accomplished.” 

TRUMP HEADS TO UNLIKELY DEEP BLUE STATE TO RAISE MAJOR CAMPAIGN CASH

Former President Donald Trump holds a rally in the historically Democratic South Bronx on May 23, 2024 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

“David Sacks — the king of that world — David Sacks and the group that we were with are the most respected people in San Francisco from both a business and high tech standpoint,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “They love our country and they understand what’s happening into the future with technology better than any group, anywhere in the world.” 

“One of the primary reasons for the endorsement was the four years that we had in office, which was the best four years ever for high tech, which will play an increasingly important role in the future of our country, especially as it relates to AI and all of the other new and brilliant technologies coming right at this moment,” Trump said. “It is a very exciting time and it is a great honor to have the most brilliant minds supporting, by far, the most brilliant leader.”

Sacks endorsed Trump Thursday night. 

“My reasons rest on four main issues that I think are vital to American prosperity, security and stability — issues where the Biden administration has veered badly off course and where I believe President Trump can lead us back,” Sacks said Thursday. 

Tickets at the sold-out event ranged from $50,000 per person to get in the door all the way up to $500,000 per couple for special access as part of the host committee. The event was sold out. The event was held at Sacks’ multimillion-dollar home in the tony Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.

Trump said the fundraiser was attended by “the most powerful group of industrial intellects from the heart of San Francisco.” 

TRUMP LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF TOP INVESTOR WHO HOSTED $12 MILLION SAN FRANCISCO FUNDRAISER FOR FORMER PRESIDENT

“They liked the job I did, number one, and now, don’t forget, I wasn’t a politician when I started, so it is hard get support when you aren’t a politician,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “But for four years, they did better than they’ve ever done — they had less regulation, and they are a group that cannot stand regulation because it hinders their path to growth.” 

Former President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, is seen in attendance during the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 01, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Trump described driving through traditionally blue San Francisco. 

“When Secret Service took us through the middle of San Francisco, there were thousands of people waving,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “We’re talking the heart of San Francisco — people were screaming on the streets with love. It was a very nice thing to see.”

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Trump added: “I was really surprised. There wasn’t one bad thing or one bad shout… We got a lot of love yesterday. The meeting was amazing.” 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

Former President Trump’s stop in the blue bastion of San Francisco turned out to be fruitful in more than one way.

Not only did the presumptive Republican presidential nominee haul in roughly $12 million at a fundraiser on Thursday evening, he also officially landed the endorsement of a major tech investor.

The fundraiser was hosted by David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, two of the heaviest hitters in Silicon Valley and co-hosts of the hot “All-In” podcast.

And it was held at Sacks’ multimillion-dollar home in the tony Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.

TRUMP HEADS TO BLUE BASTION TO RAISE CAMPAIGN CASH

Tickets at the sold-out event ranged from $50,000 per person to get in the door all the way up to $500,000 per couple for special access and a photo with Trump.

A couple of hours before the fundraiser, Sacks took to social media to formally endorse Trump.

“I give to many, but endorse few. But today I am giving my endorsement to our 45th President, Donald J. Trump, to be our 47th President. My reasons rest on four main issues that I think are vital to American prosperity, security, and stability – issues where the Biden administration has veered badly off course and where I believe President Trump can lead us back,” Sacks wrote on X.

THIS IS HOW MUCH A TOP PRO-TRUMP SUPER PAC HAULED IN LAST MONTH

Sacks said that “the voters have experienced four years of President Trump and four years of President Biden. In tech, we call this an A/B test.”

“With respect to economic policy, foreign policy, border policy, and legal fairness, Trump performed better. He is the President who deserves a second term,” he argued.

According to sources familiar with the fundraising dinner on Thursday, Sacks reiterated his praise for Trump and explained why he’s supporting the presumptive GOP nominee in his 2024 election rematch with President Biden.

While his official endorsement came on Thursday, Sacks first signaled his support for Trump during a March meeting that he had with Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest son, in Washington, D.C.

The impromptu meeting at the Conrad Hotel, held hours after Trump clinched the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by Fox News. It was at that meeting that Sacks indicated he was all-in for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

TRUMP GUILTY VERDICT IN CRIMINAL TRIAL FIRES UP HIS FUNDRAISING 

Vance, who is a Trump ally and a potential 2024 running mate who is close to Trump Jr., spent time a few years back in the San Francisco area working for hedge funds in the tech sector. Sources say he was instrumental in putting the top-dollar fundraiser together.

According to sources, Sacks said at the fundraiser that “this all started with JD Vance calling and asking if we could host an event for President Trump. Without JD’s advice and encouragement, this would never have happened.”

Trump heads south to Beverly Hills for a Friday fundraiser and a Saturday finance event in Newport Beach in Orange County.

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at HoverTech International, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, in Allentown, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP)

The trip doesn’t mean the Trump campaign thinks overwhelmingly blue California may be in play. 

Instead, Trump’s appearances — like those of two sold-out fundraisers in the Bay Area on Wednesday headlined by Vice President Harris and President Biden’s San Francisco area fundraisers last month — are the latest proof that the Golden State remains a crucial ATM for campaign cash.

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Trump’s campaign on Monday said it and the Republican National Committee (RNC), fueled in part by the former president’s guilty verdicts in his criminal trial, hauled in a stunning $141 million in fundraising in May.

Trump was found guilty of all 34 felony counts in the first trial of a former or current president in the nation’s history.

The former president’s campaign highlighted that in the first 24 hours following last week’s verdict, it and the RNC brought in nearly $53 million in fundraising, which counted toward May’s total. 

President Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia on May 29. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

The Biden campaign has also been fundraising off of the Trump verdict, and a source familiar told Fox News that “the 24 hours after the verdict were one of the best fundraising 24 hours of the Biden campaign since launch.”

Trump has been aiming to close his fundraising gap with Biden. In April, his campaign and the RNC for the first time outraised the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee. 

Fundraising, along with public opinion polling, is a key metric used to measure the strength of candidates and their campaigns. Money raised can be used to build up grassroots outreach and get-out-the-vote operations, staffing, travel and ads, among other things.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report

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

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., clarified his choice to join House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in extending an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the move prompted backlash by progressive Democrats.

“I have clear and profound disagreements with the Prime Minister, which I have voiced both privately and publicly and will continue to do so,” Schumer prefaced in a statement late Thursday night.

“But because America’s relationship with Israel is ironclad and transcends one person or prime minister, I joined the request for him to speak,” he said.

BIDEN ADMIN ACCUSED OF PLAYING POLITICS WITH FLORIDA FUNDING IN PRO-UNION PUSH

Schumer clarified his decision to join the invitation to Netanyahu to address Congress after progressives expressed displeasure.  (Getty Images)

The majority leader’s statement came on the heels of a date being announced for Netanyahu’s joint address to Congress. The Israeli leader will deliver remarks to the lawmakers on July 24, ahead of the August recess. 

The invitation was accepted by Netanyahu, who said, “I am very moved to have the privilege of representing Israel before both Houses of Congress and to present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us to the representatives of the American people and the entire world.”

TRUMP VP CONTENDER LEADS GOP EFFORT TO REACH BLACK VOTERS AS BIDEN LOSES GRIP

Schumer signed the invitation alongside bipartisan leaders in both chambers.  (Getty Images)

Prior to Schumer’s clarifying statement, progressive lawmakers made their disapproval known, with some revealing their plans not to attend Netanyahu’s address. 

“It is a very sad day for our country that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited – by leaders from both parties – to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in a recent statement, also slamming Netanyahu as a “war criminal.”

OBAMA STRESSES CRITICAL DEM SENATE MAJORITY FOR APPOINTING PREFERRED JUDGES

Sen. Bernie Sanders, right, said he won’t attend Benjamin Netanyahu’s, left, joint address to Congress. (Getty Images)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) requested warrants last month for both Hamas and Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu. The body suggested that all parties had committed “war crimes.” The ICC decision has been widely criticized by Democrats and Republicans, including President Biden. 

Sanders said he would not be attending the address. 

MCCONNELL TAKES AIM AT ‘ISOLATIONIST’ COLLEAGUES IN SCATHING D-DAY ESSAY

AOC, left, said she might not attend the remarks. (Left: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Right: Photo by ABIR SULTAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“I don’t plan to attend, and I will plan to participate in whatever advocacy is being done to push for Netanyahu and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire,” Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., suggested she may not go either, recently saying, “I certainly do not approve of it, potentially may not attend.”

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Schumer’s office did not provide comment when asked whether his statement was a direct response to displeased progressives.

The majority leader called on Israel to hold new elections earlier this year, specifically urging the country to replace Netanyahu as its prime minister. At the time, Schumer claimed the Israeli leader had “lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel.” 

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

President Biden’s Cabinet members circled the wagons in response to an alarming Wall Street Journal article portraying Biden as mentally “slipping.” 

The piece, which ran Tuesday, included examples of gaffes and instances of low energy during private meetings. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was direct, telling Fox News Digital, “The article was BS.”

“The president is utterly on his game,” she added. “He is the wisest, most knowledgeable person in the room.  He asks the toughest questions and has the keenest insights on the complex questions brought to him. He is sharp, thoughtful and wise.”

Fox News Digital contacted every member of the cabinet and many were quick to respond for this article.

Earlier this year, a report from Biden’s own Department of Justice’s special counsel called him an “elderly man with a poor memory” at the end of an investigation into his mishandling of classified documents dating back to his Senate tenure, which ultimately saved him from having charges brought against him by Special Counsel Robert Hur.

At 81, Biden is the oldest sitting president, and his critics say his age has caught up with him cognitively. If he is re-elected in November, he will be 86 when his second term ends.

TRUMP RIPS BIDEN AS ‘INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL’ IN DOCUMENT PROBE: DON’T WANT ‘THAT KIND OF EXONERATION’

Biden has been prone to gaffes going back to when he was vice president, but the frequency and nature of his verbal missteps in recent years appear to be more significant. 

In May, Biden seemed to have a break with reality when he confused the timing of the COVID pandemic by a factor of years when he said, “And when I was vice president, things were kind of bad during the pandemic, and, what happened was Barack said to me: ‘Go to Detroit — and help fix it.’” The pandemic happened years after Biden’s time as vice president.

The president has, on several occasions, referenced dead people as being alive. In 2022, at a White House event, Biden called out former Rep. Jackie Walorski during a speech, “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie?” Walorski had died in a car crash the previous month.

At a campaign rally in February, Biden told the audience, “Right after I was elected, I went to a G7 meeting in southern England. And I sat down and said, ‘America is back!’ and Mitterand from Germany — I mean France — looked at me and said, ‘How long you back for?'” Mitterand was president from 1981 to 1995 and died in 1996.

In 2021, Biden claimed he had spoken with the late German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who had died in 2017, while recalling past conversations during fundraising events.  

Late Tuesday night, the Wall Street Journal published a report detailing instances in which the president has demonstrated a lack of clarity in private meetings with staff and members of Congress.

Many of those who work most closely with the president are coming forward to say the Wall Street Journal got it all wrong.

‘NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE’: EX-WH DOCTOR RAISES ALARMS ON BIDEN’S MENTAL HEALTH AFTER BOMBSHELL REPORT

President Biden, second from right, holds a meeting with his cabinet in Washington, D.C., January 5. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Officials at the highest levels of government echoed Granholm’s sentiment, like Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“I’ve worked for President Biden for 22 years,” Blinken told Fox News Digital. “Now as then — in strategy discussions and in meetings with foreign leaders — his depth of knowledge, fluency with policy and politics and ability to cut to the chase and argue his case are exceptional. He’s invariably one step ahead of us.”

BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH REINFORCED MENTAL ACUITY AND AGE CONCERNS, REPUBLICANS SAY

Attorney General Merrick Garland vouched for the president’s mental acuity on domestic issues.

“I have complete confidence in the president,” Garland said. “As a member of the president’s Cabinet and the National Security Council, I have consistently seen firsthand his ability to navigate issues of extraordinary complexity that are of the utmost importance to our national security.

“I have also seen him tackle domestic policy issues, clearly and decisively guiding us through complicated questions to reach results that benefit the American people.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also objected to the assertion that the president is in a state of mental decline, telling Fox News Digital in a statement, “Both in Washington and in meetings with world leaders around the globe — including during strenuous negotiations with President Xi — I’ve always seen President Biden to be extremely well-informed, in command of the facts and very effective in advancing American interests.”

President Biden arrives with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, right, during a Medal of Valor ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., May 17, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas pushed back on the narrative, too. 

“I strongly disagree with the characterization in the story,” Mayorkas said. “I come fully prepared for my meetings with President Biden, knowing his questions will be detail-oriented, probing and exacting. In our exchanges, the president always draws upon our prior conversations and past events in analyzing the issues and reaching his conclusions.” 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin concurred with Mayorka’s assessment, saying, “As someone who has watched President Biden make tough national security decisions and seen his commitment to keeping our troops safe, I have nothing but total confidence in our commander-in-chief.”

Gina Raimondo, the former Rhode Island governor and current commerce secretary, came out in full support of her boss, saying, “I’ve spent countless hours with President Biden, discussing everything from our strategic competition with China to the technical aspects of the CHIPS for America program, and in every conversation he’s been sharp, focused and insightful. I could not disagree more with the false portrayal of the president in that article. There is nobody I’d rather have leading our country today.”

FOREIGN OUTLETS PULL NO PUNCHES OVER BIDEN ‘CONFUSION’ AND ‘RAGE’ AFTER SURPRISE PRESS CONFERENCE

President Biden speaks as Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas listen during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House November 12, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

VA Secretary Denis McDonough also came to Biden’s defense.

“President Biden is not only as sharp and incisive as ever, he’s holding VA accountable every day — he’s holding me accountable every day — to deliver for veterans,” McDonough said, “That article is completely inconsistent with the man I’ve been serving for 12 years.” 

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement, “I have been in dozens of personal and larger meetings with President Biden, and I always note that his ability to simultaneously handle difficult issues is astounding.

“President Biden has always had a depth of understanding of policies at every level and always remembers to bring the policies back to how they are helping the American people.”

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Former President Trump and President Biden.  (Associated Press )

It is not surprising that President Biden’s most senior advisers are countering the narrative that the president’s mental acuity may be waning. But the talk of his decline started well before The Wall Street Journal article. Former President Trump and his supporters have sustained a long attack on Biden’s cognitive state. Trump has referred to his opponent as “Sleepy Joe” since 2019.

Those attacks may have been effective in shaping public opinion. According to a Pew Research poll released in late April, just 21% of respondents are extremely or very confident in Biden’s mental fitness to act as president, with 16% somewhat confident and 62% having little or no confidence.

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