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President Biden’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was delayed until after prime time on Monday night. 

The 81-year-old president used a tissue to dry his tears after being introduced on stage by daughter Ashley Biden at about 10:25 p.m. CT. 

He went on to deliver about an hour-long address that did not conclude until well after midnight on the East Coast. 

“This is awful,” a longtime Biden aide texted Axios. “He literally set up a campaign and handed it over to them – do they have to cut him out of prime time?”

In a statement to Fox News, convention officials attributed the delay to the energy of the audience throughout the night. 

“Because of the raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to the American people,” convention officials said in a statement obtained by Axios. “We are proud of the electric atmosphere in our convention hall and proud that our convention is showcasing the broad and diverse coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket throughout the week on and off stage.” 

After concluding his speech in the dead of night, Biden arrived on the West Coast after 5 a.m. ET. The president is now on vacation and is not expected to participate in the remaining three days of the convention, including when Vice President Harris is expected to formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday. 

BIDEN SAYS DNC ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS ‘HAVE A POINT,’ RIPS TRUMP AS ‘NOT WORTHY’ OF OVAL OFFICE

In his keynote speech, which wrapped the first night of the four-day convention, Biden attacked Republican nominee and former President Trump on issues including the violent Charlottesville protests, the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the border and crime, referencing the start of Harris’ political career in urging Americans to “put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.” 

President Joe Biden joins his daughter Ashley onstage during Day One of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid)

Biden also denied reports that he was angry after fellow Democrats urged him to discontinue his re-election campaign following his disastrous Atlanta debate performance against Trump in June. 

“It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love the job, but I love my country more. I love my country more. Now, all this talk about how I’m angry. All those people said I should step down. That’s not true. I love my country more,” Biden said. The president noted his advanced age and decades-long career in politics. 

President Joe Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

“I made a lot of mistakes in my career. But I gave my best to you,” Biden said. “For 50 years. Like many of you, I give my heart and soul to our nation. And I’ve been blessed a million times in return with the support of the American people. I’ve either been too young to be in the Senate because I wasn’t 30 yet and too old to stay as president. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.” 

BIDEN GOES OFF SCRIPT AND THROWS A LIFELINE TO TERROR SUPPORTERS DURING DNC SPEECH AND MORE TOP HEADLINES

Yet, as he’s notorious for, Biden mangled his words during a portion of the address regarding the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.  

President Joe Biden stands with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden during the first day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“As you heard earlier tonight, United States Supreme Court majority wrote the following quote: women are not without electrical, not not allowed, not without electoral, electoral. Or political power. No kidding,” Biden said, as some applauded in support. “MAGA Republicans found out the power of women in 2022. And Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024.” 

Biden referenced his stutter later, proclaiming “nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, grow up to sit behind the Resolute Desk.” 

He also further passed the torch to Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. For a brief moment, Biden appeared to joke that Harris was already president. 

President Biden hugs his son Hunter Biden during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

“Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became, when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career. We’ve not only gotten to know each other, we’ve become close friends. And like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president. That’s a joke,” Biden said. “But she’ll be a president our children could look up to. She’ll be a president respected by world leaders because she already is. She’ll be a president we can all be proud of. And she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future. This will be the first presidential election since January 6th.” 

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“I promise I’ll be the best volunteer Harris and Walz’s camp have ever seen. Each of us has a part in the American story,” he said. 

“I’ve got five months left in my presidency. I’ve got a lot to do. I intend to get it done,” Biden added. 

Fox News’ Kellianne Jones contributed to this report. 

CHICAGO – President Biden delivered his highly anticipated address to the Democratic National Convention late Monday night and touched on a variety of subjects including strong criticisms of former President Trump and the conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization in control of Gaza.

“Those, those protesters out in the street, they have a point,” Biden told the crowd in the United Center after anti-Israel protesters marched on the convention calling for an end to the U.S. support of Israel. “A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.”

“We’re working around the clock,” Biden said. “To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.”

“We’re working around the clock. My Secretary of State, to prevent a wider war and reunite hostage to their families and surge humanitarian, health and food assistance into Gaza. Now. To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a cease-fire and end this war.”

HILLARY CLINTON BLASTS TRUMP’S LEGAL WOES AMID ‘LOCK HIM UP’ CHANTS IN DNC SPEECH: ‘ONLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF’

U.S. President Joe Biden attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

In the same speech, Biden repeated the claim that Trump said there were “fine people” on “both sides” of the 2017 Charlottesville protest which has been debunked by several fact checkers.

Criticizing Trump was a major theme in Biden’s speech, which did not conclude until after midnight on the East Coast.

“I never thought I’d stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a president who’s a liar so many times,” Biden said. “Now, I’m not trying to be funny. It’s sad.”

VP HARRIS PRAISES BIDEN IN SURPRISE REMARKS AT DNC’S OPENING NIGHT: ‘WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO YOU’

U.S. President Joe Biden stands onstage during Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Biden also hit Trump on abortion and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, warning that Trump “is going to find out the power of women in 2024.”

“Now, where Trump is MAGA Republican, right-wingers seek to erase history,” Biden said. “We Democrats continue to write history and make more history. I’m proud. I’m proud to have kept my commitment to appoint the first black woman in the United States Supreme Court. Ketanji Brown Jackson. A symbol for every young woman in America that you can do anything.”

COMMUNIST ACTIVIST SLAMS DEMS FOR ‘DECEPTIVE’ MESSAGING AT DNC: ‘THEY NEED VOTES’

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Biden also renewed the allegation that Trump called military members who had died in battle “suckers” and “losers”, which Trump and sources present at the time have said did not occur. 

“Who in the hell does he think he is?” Biden said. 

“Who does he think he is? There’s no words for a person. There are not the words for a person not worthy of being commander in chief. Period. Period. Not then, not now, and not ever. I mean that I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Just as no commander chief should ever bow down to a dictator, the way Trump bowed down to Putin, I never have. And I promise you, Kamala Harris will never do it, will never bow down.”

Praising Harris was another theme in the speech which Biden did several times.

‘Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career,” Biden said. 

“We’ve not only gotten to know each other, we’ve become close friends. She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story.”

Biden, who appeared to shed a tear after walking out on stage following an introduction from his daughter Ashley, said Harris will be “a president we can all be proud of” before mentioning the Capitol Hill riots on January 6th.

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“This will be the first presidential election since January 6th,” Biden said. “On that day, we almost lost everything about who we are as a country and that threat. This is not hyperbole. That threat is still very much alive.”

“Donald Trump says he will refuse to accept the election result if he loses again. Think about that. He means it. Think about that. He’s probably seeing a bloodbath if he loses. In his words, and that he’ll be a dictator on day one. In his own words, by the way, this sucker means it. No, I’m not joking. Think about it.”

Biden told his supporters that the “power” is “literally” in your hands.

“History is in your hands, not hyperbole,” Biden said. “It’s in your hands. America’s future is in your hands. And because of this, nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Claymont, Delaware grow up to sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.”

Former President Trump said Monday night that Vice President Kamala Harris’ team told his campaign that she would not participate in a Fox News presidential debate on September 4.

The proposed debate would have been held in Pennsylvania and moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

“I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in, including her statements that THERE WILL BE NO FRACKING IN PENNSYLVANIA and her HORRIBLE Performance on the Border,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

TRUMP, HARRIS SET FOR PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ON ABC ON SEPTEMBER 10

Former President Trump said Vice President Kamala Harris has declined to participate in a Fox News presidential debate on September 4. (Getty Images)

The former president had initially been reluctant to debate Harris after President Biden suspended his re-election campaign because she was not the Democratic Party’s official candidate before later agreeing to debate her once she secured the party’s nomination for president.

Trump and Harris have both confirmed they would participate in a Sept. 10 debate on ABC News. Trump previously said he also agreed to an NBC News debate on Sept. 25. 

The Harris campaign has said it would consider a second presidential debate in October. Both campaigns have also agreed to a vice presidential debate on CBS News on Oct. 1 between Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance.

TRUMP AGREES TO DEBATE KAMALA HARRIS ON FOX NEWS

Trump and Harris have both confirmed they would participate in a Sept. 10 debate on ABC News. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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“Voters deserve to see the candidates for the highest office in the land share their competing visions for our future,” Harris’ campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement last week. “The more they play games, the more insecure and unserious Trump and Vance reveal themselves to be to the American people. Those games end now.”

In place of the Fox News debate, Trump says he will participate in a town hall in Pennsylvania with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Republicans and Democrats head to the polls Tuesday to choose their party’s nominee in primary races across Florida, Wyoming and Alaska.

Republicans will keep a keen eye on the Florida primary races of Rep. Matt Gaetz, amid his feud with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and Sen. Rick Scott, who hopes to lead the party in the Senate next Congress. 

Scott is expected to easily win his primary race on Tuesday against two candidates with little name recognition or financial backing. The Democrat primary, however, is more contentious, with a race between former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Navy veteran and businessman Stanley Campbell, Army veteran and businessman Rod Joseph, and Brian Rush, a former four-term Florida state representative. 

Mucarsel-Powell, who in 2018 became the first Ecuadorian American and first South American-born woman elected to Congress, is the favorite among the Democrats. She lost her former House seat after just one term.

FORMER DEMOCRAT REP DEBBIE MUCARSEL-POWELL ANNOUNCES PLAN TO CHALLENGE FLORIDA SEN RICK SCOTT IN 2024 

Florida Sen. Rick Scott is seen during the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Scott in May officially announced his bid for Republican leader in the next Senate after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced he’d be stepping down.

“I have decided to run for Senate Republican leader because I believe now is a moment we need dramatic change,” he wrote in a letter to fellow Senate Republicans.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is also gaining attention, largely because McCarthy’s political committee has spent $3 million attacking him and backing his primary opponent, former Navy aviator Aaron Dimmock.

Gaetz led a group of eight Republicans to oust McCarthy from the speakership with the help of Democrat members last year. 

Rep. Matt Gaetz (Reuters/Mike Segar/File)

McCarthy’s attacks on Gaetz stem from a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and drug use. But the allegations aren’t new, and Gaetz has a loyal following in his district, making an upset unlikely. Since winning office in 2016, Gaetz has easily won primaries with between 65% and 80% of the vote, the Associated Press reported.

Outside of Gaetz’s race, incumbents are running for 27 of Florida’s 28 House seats, and all should be safe in the primary barring any surprises, the Associated Press reported.

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., a military veteran and first-term Republican, is running for re-election in Florida’s 7th Congressional District. He is facing a challenge from small business owner Jennifer Adams, who labeled herself a moderate and Mills an “extremist incumbent.”

KEVIN MCCARTHY SAYS MATT GAETZ SHOULD GET PROFESSIONAL HELP AFTER VIRAL SPAT: ‘HE LOOKS VERY UNHINGED’

Gen Z Democrat Rep. Maxwell Frost is up for re-election in Florida’s 10th Congressional District. Frost, 26, formerly worked for the anti-gun group March for Our Lives and is expected to speak at the DNC later this week.

On the state and local front, for the first time ever, Florida Democrats have fielded a candidate for all 120 state House and 40 state Senate seats. Still, the GOP built a strong supermajority in both chambers, and Republicans will likely maintain their dominance in the legislature in November.

The AP reported that at the voter deadline for the primary, Republicans outnumbered Democrats 5.3 million to 4.3 million, with 3.5 million voters choosing not to register with a party.

FLORIDA GOP LAWMAKER WANTS TO BAN SMOKING ON STREETS BUT SUPPORTS LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File)

Meanwhile, in Alaska, both parties are fighting for control of Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola’s seat, which had been in Republican hands for decades until Rep. Don Young died in 2022. Peltola has served since 2022 after winning the seat in a special election. 

Peltola will face Republicans Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Nick Begich, who shares a name with his late grandfather, a Democrat congressman who was on a plane that disappeared in 1972, according to the AP.

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In Wyoming, Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman faces a primary challenge from Steven Helling, who has yet to report any fundraising to the Federal Election Commission. Hageman, the freshman congresswoman, defeated Rep. Liz Cheney in 2022.

Republican Sen. John Barrasso, who has served Wyoming since 2007, faces businessman Reid Rasner, though Barrasso is expected to win handily.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

CHICAGO — Former President Obama will headline the second night of the Democratic National Convention under the banner of the Democrats’ “Bold Vision for America’s Future.” 

The convention, which is being held at United Center, started Monday and runs through Thursday, when Vice President Harris will formally accept the Democrat presidential nomination with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The Democrats’ theme Tuesday night is “A Bold Vision for America’s Future.” The night is expected to focus on how the Harris-Walz ticket intends to present a “brighter vision where everyone will have a chance not just to get by, but to get ahead.” 

Democrat presidential candidate Vice President Harris speaks alongside running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during a stop on their campaign bus tour in Rochester, Pa., on Aug. 18, 2024. (Getty Images)

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION: BIDEN, OBAMA, CLINTONS TO ADDRESS THE PARTY AHEAD OF HARRIS’ NOMINATION

The Democrats have stressed that the 2024 presidential race “isn’t just a choice between two candidates.” 

“It’s a choice between two very different visions of America,” the DNC said. “While Donald Trump believes our best days are behind us, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz know the best days lie ahead.”

Former President Obama (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/File)

On Tuesday night, the Democrats plan to draw a “stark contrast” between their vision and former President Trump’s. 

Sources told Fox News Digital it was a group of Obama allies and former advisers who helped to lead the charge in calling on President Biden to drop out of the race last month, including his former adviser, David Axelrod, George Clooney, a personal friend of the Obamas, and others. 

Obama, who had Biden as his vice president for two terms, ultimately endorsed Harris after Biden exited the race, but not immediately. 

Vice President Harris and former President Obama attend an event to mark the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act in the East Room of the White House on April 5, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

BARACK, MICHELLE OBAMA ENDORSE KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT AFTER DAYS OF SILENCE

At first, Obama declared that the party would be “navigating uncharted waters” but said he had “confidence” that the Democratic Party would “be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

Obama later endorsed Harris, calling her a “happy warrior.”

Former first lady Michelle Obama is also expected to speak at the convention Tuesday night. 

Democrat presidential candidate Vice President Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff wave as they board Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Aug. 6, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Tuesday’s programming is also expected to include a speech from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker as well as an address by Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

The first day of the convention saw delegates voting on the 2024 Democratic Party platform, which laid out priorities for the party, but it still named Biden as the candidate running for re-election. 

“President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats are running to finish the job,” the 92-page document reads. 

The platform calls for overturning federal and state laws “that create barriers” to abortion, continuing to advance green energy initiatives that can help slow climate change, capping low-income families’ child care costs and urging Congress to approve a pathway to U.S. citizenship for “long-term” people in the country illegally.

TRUMP, VANCE HITTING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL THIS WEEK TO COUNTERPROGRAM DEMOCRATS’ CONVENTION

The platform also said Israel’s right to defend itself is “ironclad” while endorsing the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a lasting cease-fire deal that could suspend the fighting between Israel and Hamas. 

But outside United Center, hundreds of anti-Israel protesters gathered throughout the day Monday and are expected throughout the week in an effort to “send a strong message to Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.” 

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden disembark Air Force One on their way to the DNC in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (Reuters/Craig Hudson)

Groups were heard chanting “from the river to the sea” — a chant that has been widely used at antisemitic protests around the country and is described by the American Jewish Committee as “a rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers.”

More anti-Israel demonstrators descended on the convention center as officials anticipate seeing as many as 100,000 protesters during the week.

Biden addressed the convention Monday night in a speech that the White House said represented a “fulfilling moment” for the president as he “passed the torch” to Harris.

Biden suspended his re-election campaign in a stunning move amid pressure from within the Democratic Party after a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June. 

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The unprecedented announcement to exit the race came as an increasing number of Democrat lawmakers and top Democrats began to publicly call for Biden to step aside. The party’s leadership was also engaged in efforts to convince Biden, 81, he could not win in November’s general election against Trump. 

Biden quickly offered his “full support and endorsement” for Harris to take over as the party’s presidential nominee. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

Kamala Harris’s first big policy speech did not exactly draw rave reviews from a media establishment that largely seems to adore her.

But with the Democratic convention getting under way, does that matter?

Perhaps the most stinging criticism came from the Washington Post’s mostly liberal editorial board, which declared that “unfortunately, instead of delivering a substantial plan, she squandered the moment on populist gimmicks.”

That may well be true. But again, does it really matter?

KAMALA HARRIS, TIME COVER GIRL: IS HER SURGE AGAINST TRUMP FUELED BY AN ENDLESS MEDIA HONEYMOON?

Policy is crucially important as voters weigh how the candidates would govern for the next four years. It’s especially vital because Harris suddenly emerged as the substitute nominee in a three-month campaign – not a “coup,” as Donald Trump says – when Joe Biden was pressured into stepping aside.

But as ideologically different as the two nominees are, I believe policy will play a relatively minor role in 2024.  

(Left: (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images), Right: (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))

Josh Barro, in the Atlantic, says a crackdown on price-gouging will make things worse and be virtually impossible to enforce: 

“The substance likely won’t appeal to many people who actually know about economics. But it’s hard for me to argue with the politics….

“Harris is trying to win a presidential election, and to win elections, you run on popular ideas.” 

By the way, while I agree that going after price-gougers won’t work–groceries already operate on very thin margins–I see the Harris proposals as being mischaracterized as wage and price controls. I lived through Richard Nixon doing just that in the early 1970s and it was a disastrous failure. Harris isn’t saying the government should set prices for all products, though I can see why that’s a useful attack line for the Trump campaign.

DEMS CONVENE IN CHICAGO TO NOMINATE HARRIS-WALZ AS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS PREPARE COUNTER-RALLY

I also agree with the Post’s editorial page that the vice president is offering all kinds of expensive goodies – such as a $25,000 down payment for first-time home buyers – without explaining how to pay for them. As the paper notes, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says her overall plan would add $1.7 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. That’s sobering stuff.

But I don’t believe this election will turn on policy. Harris, who’s done a strikingly skillful job of handling her first three weeks, is drawing big crowds, raising a fortune and rising in the polls because she brings youth, vigor, excitement and, her favorite word, joy.

Harris is, among other things, a cultural phenomenon and a TikTok sensation. Much of what she’s proposing now is largely symbolic and will never pass, but she’s sending a message that she’s laser-focused on reducing inflation on kitchen-table issues for middle-class families (and distancing from Bidenomics).

Vice President Kamala Harris has gone 29 days without holding a formal press conference or sit-down interview since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

That doesn’t mean she’s going to win. Trump still has an easier path to 270. The VP still has to win Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, even though a New York Times/Sienna College poll shows her closing the gap or statistically tied in four Sun Belt states – Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada.

Harris remains, as she says, the underdog.

But if Kamala does pull it out, it will be because key voters, especially women, are drawn to her personally. And in the end, that’s how most elections are won.

In 2016, when everyone expected a Hillary victory, Trump ran on a few key issues – especially immigration and crime – but he won because of his image as a relentless fighter, not to mention an entertaining one. 

After the eight-year Obama presidency, enough voters were drawn to Trump’s culture war–and the media were criticized for carrying his rallies!–that the Democrats’ Midwestern blue wall collapsed.

DINERS FURIOUS AFTER THEY’RE CLEARED OUT OF EATERY FOR ‘STAGED’ VP HARRIS STOP: ‘THIS IS BS’

Running against a 59-year-old woman of color–and a hostile press corps–seems to have thrown Trump off his game. While insisting he is “entitled” to make “personal attacks” against Harris–despite advice from the likes of Lindsey Graham–the former president has continued to denigrate the vice president, rightly noting that she and her campaign are ripping him as well. That’s the Trump pattern. 

And after journalists and commentators kept insisting that Joe Biden had the mental acuity for another four years, the press has now flipped to spotlighting every mistake by the 78-year-old Trump. Man, does Trump miss Biden – he keeps talking about how Joe was unfairly deposed – because he spent years preparing to run against the frail 81-year-old president.

Trump has in fact become the old man in the race, but this is sheer media hypocrisy.

Imagine how depressed the Democrats and the pundits would be if Biden had stuck it out and was speaking in Chicago as the nominee, headed for certain defeat. Instead, they’re swept up by Kamala fever.

And most of the mainstream media, having pounded the president for avoiding interviews, are largely uninterested in whether Harris does any. She’s getting a total pass. The veep did take questions for about 4 minutes the other day, the second time she’s done that, but largely because Trump and his allies keep ripping her as a Teleprompter candidate. 

Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump.  (Getty Images)

Trump openly says he wants to define Harris as a communist, so he dredges up far-left positions she took four years ago as if those are her current positions, a game played by both sides. But she left the opening by not explaining her flip-flops (or, more charitably, evolution). Policy may matter to that extent. We’ll also see after the convention whether her numbers are a “sugar high,” meaning the inevitable bump may soon bring her back to earth.

Keep in mind that Harris still hasn’t done an interview. Nor, for that matter, has Tim Walz, while JD Vance is working the Sunday shows and holding pressers.

The reason: with such a docile press corps, which Harris prefers to brief off the record on Air Force 2, it’s working for her.

One more thing: While Harris largely ducks the press, MSNBC refused to cover the second of Trump’s two news conferences in about a week, with Nicolle Wallace saying such events “have been less about the issues and the news lately, as if they ever were, and more about threats and lies and demeaning people.” CNN bailed for awhile when Trump read off blue cards for 40 minutes, then jumped back in when he took questions. Only Fox carried the whole thing (and has been airing some of Kamala’s rallies!).

Trump has also been tying Harris to the unpopularity of the Biden-Harris record, which is a common problem for VPs who don’t have the ability to set policy on their own.

MSNBC’s all-liberal lineup for big events – Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, Lawrence O’Donnell, Chris Hayes – hates Trump with the heat of a thousand suns. They basically don’t think he should ever be allowed on the air because it hurts their reputation (and, not coincidentally, ticks off their audience). 

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Instead, they talk about Trump all day, and they have the next 22 hours to point out falsehoods and exaggerations.

So by that logic, why wouldn’t they blow off his convention speech as well? 

CHICAGO – In what may be one of the last major speeches of his decades-long political career, President Biden on Monday night handed the reins of the party to Vice President Kamala Harris as he spotlighted their administration’s accomplishments over the past three and a half years.

Speaking in front of a jam-packed United Arena, site of the Democratic National Convention, the president declared “America, I gave my best to you,” as the crowd of party officials and delegates, activists, and supporters repeatedly gave Biden sustained ovations and chants of “thank you, Joe.”

Praising his vice president, Biden said that “selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career.”

“She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story,” the president highlighted.

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U.S. President Joe Biden stands onstage during Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

And he asked the crowd are “you are ready to vote for freedom. Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, President and Vice President of the United States.”

Biden repeatedly took aim at former President Trump and the threats he said the Republican presidential nominee posed to America’s democracy and international alliances. And looking to his vice president and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, he pledged to be “the best volunteer Harris and Walz have ever seen.”

HARRIS PROPOSES MAJOR CORPORATE TAX HIKE, TO REVERSE TRUMP ERA TAX CUTS

Harris and Walz and their spouses, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz, joined the president, First Lady Jill Biden and their family, at the podium following Biden’s address, in a clear sign of party unity.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, clasps her hand in the air with President Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The president’s speech came four weeks and one day after his blockbuster announcement that he was ending his own White House bid and endorsing his vice president to replace him on the party’s 2024 ticket in the election showdown against former President Trump.

Biden’s disastrous performance against Trump in their late June debate fueled questions over whether the 81-year-old president had the physical and mental abilities to handle another four years in the White House and sparked a chorus of calls from within his own party to end his 2024 campaign.

Biden eventually caved to the pressure, announcing the suspension of his re-election campaign three days after the Republican National Convention ended with a solidified GOP ticket of Trump and running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. 

Biden spoke in front of a crowd that included plenty of politicians who publicly urged or maneuvered behind the scenes for the president to drop out of the race, as his support in public opinion polls began to fade following his debate showdown with Trump.

As President Biden speaks at the Democratic National Convention, “We Love Joe” signs fill the United Arena, in Chicago, Illinois on August 19, 2024  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Since Harris succeeded Biden, the vice president has been riding a wave of energy, with a jump in polling and fundraising as the battle with Trump is once again a margin-of-error race.

As Harris has surged, Trump has increasingly attacked the Democrats for what he charged was “a vicious COUP” against Biden.

“Crooked Joe Biden was told, “Sorry Joe, you’re losing to Trump, BIG, and you can’t beat him – You’re Fired,” the former president claimed Monday in a social media post.

But Biden in his speech aimed to dispel any notion that he was angry about changing course and giving up his bid for a second term in the White House.

“You see, it’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love the job, but I love my country more,” Biden said. “And all this talk about how I’m angry [at] all those people who said I should step down — that’s not true.”

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U.S. President Joe Biden reacts as he joins his daughter Ashley onstage during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid)

With five months left in his presidency, the speech was not billed as a farewell address, but it did in some ways have the feeling of a swan song, as he touted his administration’s accomplishments.

But Biden also pointed to the work he has left – including supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia and securing a cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas to end the deadly war in Gaza.

Outside the security zone surrounding the arena, anti-Israeli protesters marched throughout the day. And inside the United Center, a small group of delegates protesting Biden’s handling of the war briefly held up a banner that read “stop arming Israel.” But delegates quickly blocked them with “We Love Joe” signs and drowned them out. 

At one point, pointing to the rising death toll, Biden said the “protesters have a point.” 

Speaking minutes before Biden at the convention podium was former Secretary of State, former senator, and former first lady Hillary Clinton, the Democrats’ 2016 presidential nominee. 

Clinton, in her speech, blasted Trump, praised Biden, and said that Harris has the “character, experience and vision to lead us forward.”

The speeches by Clinton and Biden – the party’s two previous standard-bearers – symbolized how the Democrats old guard was passing the torch to a younger generation.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris gestures onstage before speaking during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Harris, in a brief surprise appearance from the podium earlier in the evening, praised her boss.

“I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president,” she emphasized. “Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.” 

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

CHICAGO – President Biden on Monday evening during his DNC speech spotlighted a debunked claim that former President Donald Trump spoke favorably of neo-Nazis in 2017 following the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally. 

“We’re in a battle for the very soul of America. I ran for president in 2020 because of what I saw in Charlottesville in August of 2017. Extremists coming out of the woods carrying torches, their veins bulging from their necks, carrying Nazi swastikas and chanting the same exact antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the early ’30s,” Biden said just after 10:30 CT on Monday night. 

“When the president was asked what he thought had happened, Donald Trump said, and I quote, ‘There are very fine people on both sides.’ My God, that’s what he said. That is what he said and what he meant. That’s when I realized … I could not stay on the sidelines. So I ran,” Biden continued, citing the debunked claim about Trump. 

Biden has repeatedly and emphatically cited the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, for spewing “antisemitic bile” and claiming Trump spoke favorably of neo-Nazis. 

SNOPES’ DEBUNKING OF CHARLOTTESVILLE HOAX SHOWS BIDEN LIED, SAYS TRUMP CAMPAIGN

U.S. President Joe Biden attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

“With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it,” Biden said in 2019 when announcing his candidacy. 

“In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime,” he added at the time. 

Left-leaning fact-checking website Snopes published a piece in June, however, debunking the claim that Trump called neo-Nazis “very fine people.”

“While Trump did say that there were ‘very fine people on both sides,’ he also specifically noted that he was not talking about neo-Nazis and White supremacists and said they should be ‘condemned totally.’ Therefore, we have rated this claim ‘False,'” Snopes wrote at the time. 

LEFT-WING FACT-CHECKER ADMITS TRUMP NEVER CALLED CHARLOTTESVILLE NEO-NAZIS ‘VERY FINE PEOPLE’ IN BLOW TO BIDEN

WILKES BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 17: Republican Presidential Candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist after speaking during a campaign rally at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on August 17, 2024 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Trump held a rally in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, a key swing state in the 2024 Presidential election against Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.  (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The protests in Charlottesville that year, which played out across two days in August, included White nationalists descending on the city who were met by hundreds of counter-protesters. The protests devolved into violence, including three deaths and dozens of injuries stemming from a car plowing through people and other attacks.  

The protests were condemned by both Republicans and Democrats at the time, with Trump saying such protests and violence have “no place in America.” 

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

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz look on as U.S. President Joe Biden addresses delegates on Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid)

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides,” Trump said in August of that year. Trump added days later in a press conference that he condemned the “egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence” and came under fire from Democrats for his remarks that there was “blame on both sides” and “very fine people, on both sides.”

U.S. President Joe Biden attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

BIDEN ONCE RIPPED ‘ANTISEMITIC BILE’ BUT NOW FACES OWN ‘CHARLOTTESVILLE MOMENT’

The Snopes fact check aligns with Trump’s longstanding argument that the remarks were taken out of context before they quickly spread on social media and were promoted by the left and members of the media. 

The fact check and Trump repeatedly saying the comments were taken out of context, however, has not swayed Democrats to drop the talking point. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign last week also posted about the protests on the 7th anniversary of the rally. 

U.S. President Joe Biden greets Ashley Biden during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid)

“Seven years ago today, white supremacists and neo-Nazis marched on Charlottesville, chanting racist and antisemitic bile and killing an innocent woman. This is who Donald Trump calls ‘very fine people,’” the Kamala HQ account posted on X along with a video. 

Biden took the DNC’s stage on the first evening of the convention at about 11:30 p.m. ET and wrapping up after midnight. He spoke after a handful of other high-profile Democrats delivered solo speeches before the audience, including short surprise remarks from Harris. 

“I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden who will be speaking later tonight,” Harris said of President Biden, adding “we are forever grateful to you.”

“This November, we will come together and declare with one voice as one people, ‘we are moving forward with optimism, hope and faith,'” she said.

“When we fight, we win.” 

U.S. President Joe Biden waves during Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), at the United Center, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Segar/Pool (REUTERS )

Biden’s speech comes after he dropped out of the presidential race last month following mounting concerns over his mental acuity, and as elected Democrats called on the president to pass the mantle to another, younger candidate. Shortly following his exit from the race, Biden announced his endorsement of Harris to take over the race. 

Harris rose to the top of the ticket, and will formally accept the Democratic Party’s nomination on Thursday when she delivers the convention’s final speech. 

Police replace a piece of fence knocked down by protesters surrounding the United Center at the Democratic National Convention after a march Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

As the DNC kicked off on Monday, anti-Israel and other left-wing protesters descended on the Windy City where they slammed Biden and Harris for their support of Israel as it continues battling Hamas since October. 

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“The March on the DNC 2024” drew thousands of activists who marched in the city before briefly escalating the protests Monday evening, including trying to knock down security fencing surrounding the convention before police were seen detaining offenders. 

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

CHICAGO – Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night where she praised the accomplishments of VP Kamala Harris and highlighted the legal issues of former President Donald Trump.

“She will fight to lower costs for hard-working families, open the doors wide for good-paying jobs and yes, she will restore abortion rights nationwide,” Clinton told the crowd at the United Center. “As a prosecutor, Kamala locked up murderers and drug traffickers. She will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial. And when he woke up, he made his own kind of history. The first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.”

The crowd began chanting “lock him up” in reference to the chants of “lock her up” that often erupted at Trump rallies when he was running against Clinton in 2016 and criticizing her over allegations of corruption and improper handling of classified documents.

Clinton could seen smiling and nodding as the chants continued.

VP HARRIS PRAISES BIDEN IN SURPRISE REMARKS AT DNC’S OPENING NIGHT: ‘WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL TO YOU’

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago.  (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

“Just look at the candidates,” Clinton said. “Kamala cares. Cares about kids and families. Cares about America. Donald only cares about himself.”

Earlier in the evening New York Gov. Kathy Hochul provoked a few cheers from the crowd by quipping that “Trump hasn’t spent much time in New York lately, except that is to get convicted of 34 felonies. And that’s just fine with us.”

For her part, Clinton touted Harris’ political resume as a prosecutor in California.

‘PUTRID’ DNC ANTISEMITISM DENOUNCED BY COUNTERPROTESTER WHO SAYS DEMS HAVE ‘LOST THE JEW VOTE’: ‘WE’RE DONE’

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

“On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that still guide her,” Clinton told the crowd. “Kamala Harris for the people. That is something that Donald Trump will never understand. So it is no surprise, is it, that he is lying about Kamala’s record? He’s mocking her name and her laugh. Sounds familiar. But we have him on the run now.”

“So no matter what the polls say, we can’t let up. We can’t get driven down crazy conspiracy rabbit holes. We have to fight for the truth. We have to fight for Kamala as she will fight for us. Because you know what? It still takes a village to raise a family, heal a country and win a campaign.”

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Clinton continued, “On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th President of the United States.”

Clinton told the crowd that “we need to beat back the dangers that Trump and his allies pose to the rule of law and our way of life.”

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“Don’t get distracted or complacent. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Volunteer. Be proud champions for the truth and for the country that we all love.”

In closing, Clinton said that she wants her grandchildren and their grandchildren to “know I was here at this moment” and that “we were here” and “with Kamala Harris every step of the way.”

This is our time, America,” Clinton said. “This is when we stand up. This is when we break through. The future is here. It’s in our grasp. Let’s go win it.”

CHICAGO – New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed former President Donald Trump in her DNC speech as a man who would “sell” the U.S. “for a dollar” if he’s re-elected come Election Day. 

“We have to help [Vice President Kamala Harris] win because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” Ocasio-Cortez said Monday evening from the convention’s stage at the United Center. 

“And I, for one, am tired … of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to let working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life. The truth is done. You cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business. To love this country is to fight for its people. All people. Working people. Everyday Americans like bartenders and factory workers and fast food cashiers who punch a clock and are on their feet all day in some of the toughest jobs out there,” Ocasio-Cortez continued. 

COMMUNIST ACTIVIST SLAMS DEMS FOR ‘DECEPTIVE’ MESSAGING AT DNC: ‘THEY NEED VOTES’

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

The DNC kicked off on Monday in Chicago, with a handful of high-profile Democrats addressing the convention, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Ocasio-Cortez and brief remarks from Harris before her full address on Thursday evening. 

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the National Association of Black Journalists, NABJ, convention, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

“I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible President Joe Biden who will be speaking later tonight,” Harris said of President Biden, adding “we are forever grateful to you.”

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFERING FREE ABORTIONS, VASECTOMIES AT DNC

“This November, we will come together and declare with one voice as one people, ‘we are moving forward with optimism, hope and faith,'” she said.

“When we fight, we win.” 

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris gestures onstage before speaking during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Ocasio-Cortez made similar remarks amid her speech, arguing the country has been presented with a “rare and precious opportunity” with Harris’ run, and that Democrats must “pour every ounce” into “making history” by electing Harris. 

“Over the next 78 days, we will have to pour every ounce, every minute, every moment into making history on November 5th. But we cannot send Kamala and Tim to the White House alone. Together, we must also elect strong Democratic majorities in the House and in the Senate so that we can deliver on an ambitious agenda for the people,” she said. 

HARRIS PROPOSES MAJOR CORPORATE TAX HIKE, REVERSING TRUMP ERA CUTS

People take part in the March on the DNC in Chicago, Illinois, Monday, August 19 2024. Pro-Hamas demonstrators have descended on the Windy City to protest the US Government’s handling of the conflict in the Middle East. (Fox News Digital)

The DNC has included massive protests from anti-Israel activists who held a march just blocks away from the convention center earlier Monday, demanding Democrats cease funding Israel as the country continues battling Hamas. 

“We expect just empty phrases, lip service, lies and deception,” a communist protester told Fox Digital Monday of what he anticpates from President Biden’s anticipated speech Monday evening. 

“We don’t, you know, necessarily believe the Democrats are capable of doing anything for the Palestinian people,” the group’s co-founder added.

DEMS’ SENATE CAMPAIGN CHAIR SAYS DEMS SKIPPING CONVENTION ‘KNOW WHAT’S BEST’ FOR THEM 

Communist protesters outside the DNC in Chicago  (Fox Digital)

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The protests escalated Monday evening as the convention center began to fill with high-profile elected officials, delegates and supporters of the Harris-Walz ticket. Protesters managed to dismantle at least three panels of fencing surrounding the convention early Monday evening before police detained a handful of protesters.

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

CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris delivered surprise remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday night and praised President Biden calling him “incredible” and saying “we are forever grateful” to him.

“It is so good to be with everyone this evening in this hall and everyone at home,” Harris told the crowd at the United Center on the convention’s opening night. 

“This is going to be a great week. And I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight. Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you. Thank you. Joe.”

Harris told the crowd that she sees the “beauty of our great nation” when she looks at everyone in attendance.

‘PUTRID’ DNC ANTISEMITISM DENOUNCED BY COUNTERPROTESTER WHO SAYS DEMS HAVE ‘LOST THE JEW VOTE’: ‘WE’RE DONE’

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

“People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here, united by our shared vision for the future of our country,” Harris said. “And this November, we will come together and declare with one voice as one people, we are moving forward.”

Harris said in closing, “With optimism, hope and faith so guided by our love of country, knowing we all have so much more in common than what separates us, let us fight for the ideals we hold dear and let us always remember when we fight, we win. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. Good night everyone.”

COMMUNIST ACTIVIST SLAMS DEMS FOR ‘DECEPTIVE’ MESSAGING AT DNC: ‘THEY NEED VOTES’

Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attends Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Harris’ prime time remarks came at around 8 PM CST leading up to the planned speech of President Biden who will be addressing the convention weeks after he dropped out of the presidential race and Harris took his place as the nominee.

Just over a month ago, Biden was considered the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, having won each Democratic primary race unchallenged. 

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But after a disastrous debate performance against former President Trump in June, Democrats began mounting a pressure campaign for Biden to suspend his re-election bid. 

Axios reported earlier this week that Biden is “stunned” about the circumstances and pressure from within his own party to drop out of the race.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report

CHICAGO — Communist protesters outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago slammed Democrats’ message of “unity” this week, saying it’s a narrative commonly revived by party leaders when they “need votes.” 

“They ask for unity when they need votes. But when you’re struggling, when you can’t pay rent, you know, it’s hard to afford groceries, then there’s no unity. Then you’re on your own. Then they’re all just like, ‘It’s your fault. You don’t make enough money, you’re just poor and dumb or whatever.’ Then there’s no talk of unity,” a co-founder of the Revolutionary Communists of America told Fox News Digital in an interview outside the United Center.

“And then when they need votes and just get rich off their career in politics, then there’s unity. So, completely false, completely deceptive. Our task is to kind of expose that to everyone,” he continued. 

Thousands of protesters descended on Chicago this week to rail against the Biden administration’s handling of the war in the Middle East and its support of Israel after Hamas’ attack on the nation last year. Protesters ranging from socialist, feminist, communist and environmental groups gathered at Union Park on Monday morning, which is located just blocks from the DNC’s campus, before marching in the city.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFERING FREE ABORTIONS, VASECTOMIES AT DNC

Democrat presidential candidate Vice President Harris visits a campaign office in Glendale, Arizona, on Aug. 9, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The DNC kicks off in earnest Monday evening, when it will spotlight high-level Democrats in speeches, including President Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

The Revolutionary Communists of America told Fox Digital that they anticipate Biden’s speech on Monday evening will be riddled with “lies and deception,” noting he’s unsure if Democrats overall can quell the war in the Middle East. 

HARRIS PROPOSES MAJOR CORPORATE TAX HIKE, REVERSING TRUMP ERA CUTS

“We expect just empty phrases, lip service, lies and deception,” the communist activists continued.

“We don’t, you know, necessarily believe the Democrats are capable of doing anything for the Palestinian people,” the group’s co-founder added.

Communist protesters are shown outside the DNC in Chicago. (Fox Digital)

Signs reading “Democrats fund the genocide of Palestinians” and “End U.S. aid to Israel” dominated the protest on Monday as dozens of left-wing groups joined the “March on the DNC 2024.” The protest demands U.S. leaders cut all funding to Israel as well as “Immigrant Rights and Legalization for All!” “Defend LGBTQIA+ & Reproductive Rights!” and “Stop police crimes! Community control of the police now!” according to the group’s website.

DEMS’ SENATE CAMPAIGN CHAIR SAYS DEMS SKIPPING CONVENTION ‘KNOW WHAT’S BEST’ FOR THEM

Co-founder of the Revolutionary Communists of America speaks to Fox Digital in Chicago. (Fox Digital)

“The Democratic Party is complicit in the surging right-wing attacks on women, workers, and the LGBTQ+ community. In spite of their lip service to the women’s and LGBTQ+ movements, the Democratic Party has not backed their words with actions,” the protest website reads.

A demonstrator is led away by police outside the United Center where the DNC is being held in Chicago on Aug. 19 2024. (Fox News Digital)

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The protests escalated Monday as the convention center began to fill with high-profile elected officials, delegates and supporters of the Harris-Walz ticket. Protesters managed to dismantle at least three panels of fencing surrounding the convention early Monday evening before police detained a handful of protesters.

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

Delegates at the Democratic National Convention are set to vote Monday on the Democratic Party’s 2024 policy platform, which includes “explicit” Title IX protections for LGBT students that were just blocked by the Supreme Court. 

The Democratic National Convention released the final 2024 Democratic Party platform Sunday night, after the one created during President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign was eventually scrapped. Vice President Kamala Harris announced her own presidential bid shortly after, generating a need for revisions that would better align with her own policy positions and a new vision for the party. The latest party platform mimics the Biden administration’s attempted rule making on Title IX to widen the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity. 

“After Friday’s SCOTUS order, the Biden-Harris Title IX rules are in effect in less than 50% of the country — underscoring the flagrant lawlessness of this policy, as well as the deep unpopularity of this issue,” Nicole Neily, the president and founder of parental rights group Parents Defending Education, told Fox News Digital. “Americans agree on relatively little these days, but opposition to progressive gender policies is one of the few issues that transcends racial, political, and socioeconomic lines — so doubling down on this issue is a risky move.”

Lia Thomas was the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship.

Matt Sharp, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian nonprofit that also focuses on parental rights issues, said the decision to include transgender protections in the Democratic Party’s platform “flies in the face of growing opinion” about expanding the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity.

“I think it’s really concerning to see the DNC platform sort of keep going down this same path that courts time and time again have pushed back on, have not allowed to move forward, and that ultimately the American public is not in favor of,” Sharp said.

CAITLYN JENNER SAYS SCOTUS RULING AGAINST BIDEN-HARRIS TITLE IX CHANGE IS ‘GREAT NEWS’ FOR WOMEN’S SPORTS

Sharp pointed out how efforts to redefine sex and sexual discrimination go all the way back to President Barack Obama’s administration. Once Trump took office, he rolled back the rule, but then it was put back in place by Biden. 

“This has been a continuing pattern for several administrations to push this, but not only are the courts rebuffing it, but that the American public themselves are too, and we’re seeing it through more and more courageous female voices standing up against this,” Sharp said.

Reed D. Rubinstein, senior vice president at America First Legal, the right-wing legal organization founded by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, called the move to add protections for transgender students under Title IX “old news.”

“The left has fought this reality for well over a decade — it has repeatedly attempted and repeatedly failed to amend Title IX in Congress. Twice, it has attempted to change the law by administrative fiat. To protect girls’ sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms, the Trump administration reversed the Obama administration’s ‘Dear Colleague’ letter that asserted ‘sex’ and ‘[gender identity’ are coextensive],” Rubinstein told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Transgender policies have been a point of contention between those who believe parents should have more control over their children’s education and those who think LGBT students should be allowed to decide what to tell their parents, or not tell them.  (Adobe Stock)

“The Trump administration issued a Title IX rule that survived every single left-wing court challenge. Now, the courts have stopped the Biden-Harris administration’s attempt to rewrite the statute by regulation. But the Supreme Court, unanimously, has made it clear the word ‘sex’ in Title IX does not mean ‘gender identity,’ but rather, biological sex, male or female.

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

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In addition to Title IX protections for transgender students, the DNC party platform also contains language that states Democrats will continue “to relieve the crippling burden of student debt” in 2024 — another policy effort under Biden that was rolled back by the Supreme Court. The platform blames Republicans for “block[ing] our student debt relief.”

The Supreme Court ruled against the Biden administration’s plans for student debt cancelation last year, arguing the president stepped outside the bounds of his authority when he announced a plan to cancel up to $400 billion in student loans through executive action.

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

Live DNC Coverage: Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum host special Democracy ’24 coverage of the DNC beginning tonight at 10 p.m. ET on Fox News Channel. Follow along for more.

What’s happening…

-Dean Phillips has no regrets calling to oust Biden…

-Former Rep. George Santos enters plea in fraud case…

-Anti-Israel protests erupt outside DNC…

Peace on a Tightrope

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday “accepted” President Biden’s ceasefire plan that could end the 10-month war in Gaza, but whether the fighting actually stops depends on Hamas.

Speaking to reporters from Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the proposal put forward last week by the White House in coordination with leaders from Qatar and Egypt looked to “bridge the gaps” between the warring parties and has been “accepted” by Netanyahu. 

“He supports it,” Blinken said. “It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.”

“The parties – with the help of the mediators, the United States, Egypt and Qatar – have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they’ll implement the commitments that they’ve made under this agreement,” he added….Read more

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, August 19, 2024. (Office of the Prime Minister)

White House

‘1,000 TIMES OVER’: Dean Phillips has no regrets about calling to oust Biden ‘two years ago’ …Read more

Capitol Hill

‘UNPARALLELED HUBRIS’: Fetterman spox openly contradicts boss on Israel …Read more

GEORGE PLEADS GUILTY: Former Rep. Santos enters plea in federal wire fraud, ID theft case …Read more

SENATE MAJORITY BATTLE: Democrats’ Senate campaign chair says senators skipping convention ‘know what’s best’ for them and their states …Read more

Tales from the Trail

COUNTER-PROGRAMMING: Trump, Vance hitting the campaign trail all week to counterprogram Democrats’ convention …Read more

STEEL CITY SCANDAL?: Diners furious after PA eatery cleared for ‘staged’ Kamala Harris stop …Read more

BLANK SLATE: Harris camp website void of policy plans amid DNC …Read more

‘DISGRACEFUL’: Vance calls out Harris’ recent focus on lowering prices: ‘You should have been doing your job’ …Read more

‘ERODES DEMOCRACY’: Liberal Washington Post columnist calls on Harris to talk to journalists …Read more

Across America

DESCENDING ON DNC: Anti-Israel protests erupt outside DNC …Read more

PASS OR FAIL?: Chicago DNC demonstrations to put Illinois’ no-cash-bail law to the ultimate test …Read more

UPSTAGED: Anti-Israel protester grabs mic, disrupts delegate party at DNC …Read more

HAMAS HOSTILITY: Terrorist flag spotted at rally outside DNC …Read more

PRESSURING PUTIN: Ukraine takes out Russian bridges in move against Moscow counteroffensive …Read more

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

CHICAGO — As the Democratic National Convention kicked off on Monday, Vice President Harris called for upping the corporate tax rate as the party’s presidential nominee unveiled her first big ticket proposal to raise revenues.

The Harris campaign confirmed to Fox News that the vice president is proposing to raise the rate that major businesses pay from 21% to 28%, describing it as “a fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people and ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.”

“As President, Kamala Harris will focus on creating an opportunity economy for the middle class that advances their economic security, stability, and dignity,” campaign spokesperson James Singer said in a statement.

TRUMP, VANCE, HIT KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES THIS WEEK TO COUNTER-PROGRAM DEMOCRATS’ CONVENTION

Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Harris speaks at the Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence on the Scott Northern Wake Campus of Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 16, 2024. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)

The move, if it were to become law, would likely raise hundreds of billions of dollars, according to projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The announcement comes as Harris is beginning to offer details on how she’d govern if she is elected president and how she would try to pay for expensive ideas she proposed last week, including expanding the child tax credit and easing the cost of homeownership and lowering medical debt.

HARRIS, TRUMP HOLD DUELING RALLIES IN BIGGEST OF THE BATTLEGROUNDS

The announcement would also constitute a major rollback of the 2017 tax cuts, the signature domestic legislation passed during former President Trump’s administration that dramatically cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%.

Trump has pledged to cut taxes if he returns to the White House.

“Our plan will massively cut taxes,” Trump said at a campaign event on Monday at a factory in York, Pennsylvania. “I gave you the best tax cut in history.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump speaks at a campaign event at Precision Components Group in York, Pa., on Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

And he signaled that he would aim to use tariffs against competitors and allies alike by pushing for legislation called the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act.

But the Harris campaign says Trump’s proposed tariffs on overseas goods “would punish middle and working class Americans, so he can cut taxes for the richest Americans.”

Portions of the Trump tax cuts sunset at the end of 2025, which will spur a major debate next year over what parts should be extended.

TRUMP RUNNING MATE VANCE AIMS TO TURN BLUE WALL STATES RED

Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller pointed to the Harris proposal in a social media post, writing, “[B]ye-bye economic growth, new hirings, investment, expansion, onshoring, and so much more!”

The new stance by Harris aligns her with the most recent federal budget proposal by President Biden, which also proposes boosting the corporate tax rate to 28%.

Chicago’s United Center is where the Democratic National Convention kicked off on Aug. 19, 2024. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

Harris replaced Biden four weeks ago at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket after Biden announced he was ending his re-election bid and supporting his vice president as his successor.

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But veteran Republican consultant and strategist Alex Castellanos told Fox News such proposals will do Harris no favors at the voting booth.

“She does not need the spotlight on her or her policies. She’s been two sides of too many issues. And if she supports raising the corporate tax, that’s a job killer. You don’t need to hurt working people directly. All you need to do is hurt the companies working people work for,” Castellanos said.

Fox News’ Emily Reynolds contributed to this report.

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

CHICAGO, Ill. – The chair of the Democrats’ Senate campaign committee says the party’s national nominating convention helps down-ballot in the battle for the Senate majority “because it is about enthusiasm, turning voters out.”

But Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who’s steering the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for a second straight election cycle, tells Fox News Digital it’s understandable that three Democratic incumbents facing especially difficult re-elections this year are skipping the convention to stay home in their states.

“Every candidate is going to make their own decision as to where they need to be, and certainly some candidates would just rather just be in their state talking to voters in their state,” Peters said. 

TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN CRISS-CROSSES THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN ‘MAKE OR BREAK’ MOMENT TO WIN BACK MAJORITY

The stage is prepared at the United Center ahead of the Democratic National Convention, on Monday Aug. 18, 2024, in Chicago. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Democrats currently control the Senate 51-49, but are defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs this autumn. 

One of those seats is in West Virginia, a deep red state that former President Trump carried by nearly 40 points in 2020. With moderate Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Manchin, a former governor, not seeking re-election, flipping the seat is nearly a sure thing for the GOP.

Republicans are also aiming to flip seats in Ohio and Montana, two states Trump comfortably carried four years ago. And five more Democratic-held seats up for grabs this year are in crucial presidential-election battleground states.

Incumbent Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Jon Tester of Montana, and Jacky Rosen of Nevada are skipping the convention.

But Peters highlighted that “they are all very experienced candidates and incumbents. They know what’s best, and they’re doing what they think is best for them and their state.”

‘WE’VE GOT THEIR BACK’ – GOP SENATE NOMINEE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND TOUTS POPULIST MESSAGE 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the DSCC’s rival, argued that Brown, Rosen and Tester couldn’t run away from their Senate races by not attending the convention.

NRSC communications director Mike Berg told Fox News that all three senators “have all voted with Kamala Harris 100% of the time on tie breaking votes she has cast as vice president. So it doesn’t really matter whether they attend the convention or not, they own the record.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz greets Vice President Kamala Harris as she arrives on stage during a campaign rally at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The Democrats’ convention kicked off on Monday four weeks and one day after President Biden’s blockbuster announcement that he was ending his 2024 re-election bid and backing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him at the top of the ticket.

Harris and Democrats have been riding a wave of momentum in both polling and fundraising ever since.

“What happens at the top of the ticket is going to have a big impact” on the Senate races, Peters said.

“Our candidates in all of our battleground states have been consistently above the Republican opponent, primarily because of candidate quality. They’re running against seriously flawed Republican candidates.”

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Peters touted: “We saw good, strong polling early on. But now, after the change, we’ve seen that polling actually expand, and primarily because of the enthusiasm we’re seeing. More people are excited about getting out to vote, engaged in the process, and we’re confident that when they look at the contrast between our Democratic incumbent or candidate versus Republicans that are flawed, we are going to be very successful on Election Day.”

Sen. Gary Peters, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is interviewed by Fox News Digital, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on Aug. 19, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

And Peters is confident that the enthusiasm coming out of this week’s convention, combined with what he called a “strong ground game,” is “how we win and hold the majority.”

Peters steered the DSCC last cycle, when the Democrats also faced an unfavorable map and defied expectations by holding on to the majority. But don’t expect him to stay on for a third straight cycle, as he faces his own re-election in 2026.

“It would certainly be unprecedented that a DSCC chair is also on the ballot given the fact, as DSCC chair, I’m out there helping all of the candidates who are running,” he said.

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

The Harris campaign website, which includes pages to buy merchandise, donate and get to know the candidate’s background, remains devoid of any policy plans a full month after Kamala Harris became the informal nominee.

As the Democratic National Convention begins this week, critics have been slamming the Democratic nominee for failing to sit for any interviews or hold press conferences. Harris’ lack of policy plans on her website comes a month after she informally became the Democratic nominee for president – and two weeks after she became the formal nominee following a roll call vote by party delegates.

A month after Kamala Harris became the informal Democratic nominee for president, her campaign website remains void of any formal policy plans.

The Democrat nominee’s website does include bios for both Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. It also includes web pages for people to donate money or volunteer, as well as a page where people can buy Harris-Walz merchandise. A FAQ page on the site answers questions related to donations, purchases from the merchandise store, and how to vote or volunteer. Users are instructed to reach out to a general email address for the campaign if their question cannot be answered via the FAQ page.

‘GONNA HIDE IN THE BASEMENT’: AMERICANS BALK AT KAMALA HARRIS DUCKING INTERVIEWS ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Four years ago, when Joe Biden was running for office, he tasked an entire group of advisers with generating a 110-page policy document, according to The New York Times. It was the same with Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to the Times, which noted that she had more than 200 distinct policy proposals on record during her campaign. 

Meanwhile, former President Trump‘s 2024 campaign website includes a tab titled, “platform,” that features a 20-point policy agenda covering issues ranging from the economy to the ongoing crime surge.

Donald Trump’s campaign website includes a 20-point policy plan for his presidency that will “Make America Great Again.”

Last week, Harris unveiled her first major policy rollout, marking the first time she formally announced some positions on governing. Among those was a ban on price gouging by food and grocery companies, a $6,000 child tax credit, tax incentives for first-generation homeowners, and a promise to go after landlords and real estate investors for predatory practices that Harris blames for the rise in housing costs. 

CRITICS BLAST HARRIS GRASP OF INFLATION, ATTACK ON BUSINESS AHEAD OF POLICY SPEECH: ‘LUNATIC BEHAVIOR’

However, these economic plans remain absent from the Harris-Walz campaign website – and a report from the conservative Media Research Center, released last week, indicated between 71% and 86% of Democrats and Independents said they had either not heard of Harris’ position on various topics, or were entirely unaware. 

“It’s 2020 all over again,” said L. Brent Bozell III, the founder and president of the Media Research Center. “As it stands now, another leftist media cover-up will decide the election.”

Vice President Harris and former President Trump (Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment but did not receive a response by press time.

Patrons at a Pittsburgh culinary landmark were outraged Monday after they claimed they were forced to leave the premises before Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrived for a weekend campaign stop.

Several people who had been enjoying food, drinks and the Pittsburgh Pirates game on TV at Primanti Bros. in Moon, Pennsylvania, on Sunday said they were all forced out of the restaurant promptly at 4 p.m.

Mark Dodson of Collier, who said he was just in the area to enjoy “the Bucs” – as the Pirates are nicknamed – simply wanted a quiet day.

“I wanted to watch some sports and enjoy an afternoon lunch,” said Dodson, as Primanti is known for its signature Pittsburgh-style sandwiches piled high with sliced meats and french fries – a Steel City custom.

“Around 3:30, the bartender, she goes, ‘It’s last call’ – what do you mean last call?” Dodson said, adding the employee informed him there was a private event at the top of the hour.

SAM DEMARCO: TRUMP’S STRENGTH IN RESPONSE TO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT LIKELY WON HIM CRITICS’ SUPPORT

Supporters of former President Trump hold signs and flags as Vice President Kamala Harris makes a campaign stop at Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 18, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Dodson, who said he is familiar with the restaurant business, said the entire situation seemed sudden.

“They shut down the TVs… so you couldn’t watch the game,” he said. “I said, this is BS – this is a public restaurant. It was kind of mind-boggling to me.”

Dodson said he was ultimately the last real patron to leave the premises and that when he reached his car, it was the only one left in the lot – and that he noticed a growing presence of protesters lining the other side of the road, many in pro-Trump attire.

Video shared by Republican Committee of Allegheny County chairman Sam DeMarco III showed a Harris-Walz campaign bus and several white vans showing up soon after.

Protesters shouted, “They kicked us out of Primanti Brothers” and “You are terrible people” as the entourage arrived.

Others verbally accused the campaign of employing “actors” – as video captured by ABC News of Harris’ visit itself depicted a full dining room with people enjoying their food.

“Holy hell, all these actors in these vans,” a man was heard shouting among the anti-Harris demonstrators.

Amy Smith, who lives in Moon, said she also was at Primanti Bros. for lunch when she was among the patrons asked to vacate. 

Smith said she had heard that Harris would be in the area and predicted she would – and did – stop at a nearby Sheetz gas station popular with candidates on their way to Pittsburgh International Airport.

FETTERMAN SPOKESWOMAN REAMED FOR REPORTEDLY CONTRADICTING BOSS ON ISRAEL

Signage promotes the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Smith said she saw two blue Harris-Walz buses arrive, followed by a white bus with no decal. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa. – who represents the suburban area – was also reportedly spotted joining Harris at the event.

She also offered her timeline of events, having arrived for lunch around 2:50 p.m. After her party left the restaurant, Smith said Harris did not arrive until around 6 p.m.

A request for comment to the Harris campaign itself also was not returned by press time.

Other local figures who reportedly joined Harris on her day-long swing through western Pennsylvania included Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., and retired Pittsburgh Steelers legend Jerome Bettis.

Video from an ABC News affiliate from inside Primanti Bros. showed Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff greeting patrons.

Fox News Digital reached out to Primanti Bros.’ main office in Pittsburgh, and was directed to a representative’s email address. That representative did not respond.

Another stop on the tour was also viewed with criticism, as Harris stopped by Sheetz for some Doritos before leaving the region.

The Biden administration is suing the Altoona-based gas-and-convenience chain for allegedly discriminating against applicants in violation of civil rights laws. 

The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) cited Sheetz’s use of criminal background checks in the hiring process as reason for the violation.

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Republican lobbyist David Urban drew attention to that aspect on X, sharing an image of Harris inside a Sheetz, with the caption, “Apparently, KamalaHarris forgot that the Biden Harris Administration is suing Sheetz for requiring criminal background checks of their employees when she visited for some snacks yesterday.”

After the Primanti Bros. debacle, however, DeMarco appeared to try to lower the temperature toward the Pittsburgh mainstay, saying the restaurant should be given some slack.

“Oftentimes campaigns rent out a place of business for a private party or particular event. Perhaps that’s what happened here? Anyway, I like a good Primanti Bros. ‘hot & cheese’ sandwich so let’s cut them a break.”

DeMarco offered one caveat, quipping that if former President Trump or Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, are not given a similar “affirmative” response if they ever ask to stop in, “I’ll let you know.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro argues antisemitism played no role in Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to snub him as her VP pick in favor of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Trump argued earlier this month that Harris chose not to tap Shapiro because he is Jewish, a potential turnoff for Muslim voters in key swing states who are already outraged at the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of Israel’s war in Gaza.

“They are so bad, if you look, they are so bad to Jewish people. What they’ve done, and the way they talk, and their policy and everything else,” Trump said of Harris and Democrats.

Shapiro responded by arguing that Trump is “trying to use me and trying to use other Jews to divide Americans further.”

DEMOCRAT CALLS OUT LEFT’S ‘STRONG UNDERCURRENT OF ANTISEMITISM’ IN ATTACKS ON POTENTIAL VP PICK SHAPIRO

Kamala Harris faces accusations of snubbing Josh Shapiro because he is Jewish. (Getty)

“Antisemitism played absolutely no role in my dialogue with the vice president. Absolutely none. It is also true that antisemitism is present in our commonwealth, in our country and in some areas within our party, and we have to stand up and speak out against that,” he said.

BBC CHAIR DENIES PLEA FROM 200 JEWISH STAFFERS CALLING FOR FORMAL PROBE INTO ANTISEMITISM AT THE NEWSROOM

Harris and Walz will formally win the Democratic nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week. Walz is scheduled to speak on Wednesday night while Harris will conclude the event Thursday.

Tim Walz became Harris’ running mate in early August.

The pair have enjoyed a surge in support according to polls, with many showing them tied neck-and-neck with Trump or even holding a slight lead. Democratic enthusiasm has also skyrocketed.

CRACKS IN THE WALL OF MEDIA PRAISE FOR HARRIS? MULTIPLE OUTLETS EVISCERATE VP OVER PRICE CONTROL PLAN

Ex-Obama adviser David Axelrod cautioned against overconfidence in Harris, however, saying Sunday that former President Trump may still be in the lead in the swing states that will decide the race.

“This is still a very competitive race. If the election were today, I‘m not sure who would win, and I think it may well be President Trump because it’s an Electoral College fight,” Axelrod said.

Former President Trump remains deadlocked in polls with Vice President Harris. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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A recent survey conducted by Ipsos found Trump and Harris are close or effectively tied in seven swing states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada. Harris receives 42% of the vote share in the seven swing states, compared to Trump’s 40% and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy’s 5%.

Fox News’ Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report

Vice President Kamala Harris is enjoying a spike in favorability among U.S. adults as the Democratic Party prepares to formally nominate her as a presidential candidate in Chicago this week.

The new poll from the Associated Press found that 48% of Americans have a very or somewhat favorable view of Harris, up from 39% earlier this year. Harris has benefited from a deluge of positive media coverage in the weeks since President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

The rise is also a marked improvement over Biden’s own favorability when he dropped out of the race. At the time, just 38% of Americans approved of him.

Meanwhile, former President Trump sits at 41% approval, according to the Monday poll.

HARRIS, TRUMP HOLD DUELING EVENTS IN FIGHT TO WIN BIGGEST BATTLEGROUND

Vice President Kamala Harris has surged in approval ratings in the weeks since she assumed the head role in the Democratic Party. (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The race for the White House remains neck-and-neck between Trump and Harris, with most polls placing the candidates within the margin of error. In some polls, Harris leads by a few points; in others, Trump holds the advantage.

FOX NEWS POLL: CLOSE RACES IN BATTLEGROUND STATES SHOW VOTERS LOCKED IN

Harris has faced heavy criticism for her lack of media transparency since her nomination. She has gone 29 days without holding a press conference as of Monday.

While she has been busy on the campaign trail, spoken at various events, and given informal remarks to reporters at various points, she hasn’t done a formal press conference or wide-ranging interview in the four weeks that have followed.

Trump and Harris are neck-and-neck in election polls with just months to go before Election Day. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Trump held his second press conference in a week on Thursday at Bedminster, and since Aug. 6, he’s answered 81 questions in pressers and interviews, including a two-hour session with supporter Elon Musk last week.

CNN HOST PRESSES HARRIS CAMPAIGN SPOX ON VP’S SCHEDULE AS SHE AVOIDS PRESS: ‘SHE HAS TIME’ FOR AN INTERVIEW

Over that same period, Harris has done brief “gaggles” as well as off-the-record sessions with traveling reporters, but she still hasn’t done anything formal with the press. She spoke for a few minutes at a campaign stop with reporters in Pennsylvania on Sunday, telling the media she still considered herself an “underdog” as the Democratic National Convention gets set to kick off.

Harris has appeared to hide from media scrutiny in recent weeks as Trump has had numerous conversations with the press. (Getty Images)

The left-leaning Washington Post editorial board challenged Harris over dodging the media last week, saying of her opponent, “at least he has taken questions.”

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The Post said she should account for her numerous policy shifts, including on fracking, border security and private health insurance. Liberal columnist Perry Bacon also called on Harris to take questions in a new piece on Sunday.

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report