Politics
Campaign chairs say Biden is both 'more committed than ever' to presidential race and 'asking for input'
![Campaign chairs say Biden is both 'more committed than ever' to presidential race and 'asking for input'](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2159251461-scaled-e1719929063833.jpg)
President Biden’s top campaign advisors both weighed in on Friday to comment on widespread speculation surrounding the 2024 presidential race.
The first clarification came from Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, who left no room for question during an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“The president’s in this race,” O’Malley Dillon told the hosts. “You’ve heard him say that time and time again, and I think we saw on display last night exactly why, because Donald Trump is not going to offer anything new to the American people. He’s the same person he was in 2020. He’s the same person he was at the debate stage.”
SOURCES CLOSE TO BIDEN ‘FURIOUS’ ABOUT GROWING CALLS TO GET HIM TO EXIT RACE: REPORT
Jen O’Malley Dillon, a top Biden campaign advisor, follows behind President Joe Biden, not pictured, on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
O’Malley Dillon made clear there was no question that Biden is “more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump” — pushing back yet again on weeks and weeks of leaks and speculation claiming the president was close to pulling out of the race.
“We believe in this campaign we are built for the close election that we are in, and we see the path forward,” O’Malley Dillon continued. “The president is the leader of our campaign and of the country, and he is clearly in our impression, and what we’ve built, and in our engagement with voters, he’s the best person to take on Donald Trump and prosecute that case and present his vision versus what we saw last night.”
This rock-solid statement of commitment was slightly complicated just hours later by Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. — co-chair of Biden’s re-elections campaign — who said the president is “weighing what he should weigh.”
TRUMP CAMPAIGN ON BIDEN TURMOIL: ‘DEMOCRATS CAN’T EVEN FIGURE OUT WHO THEIR NOMINEE SHOULD BE’
![Biden at NAACP convention](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/07/1200/675/AP24198790023227.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Coons told the press during a panel at the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Security Forum that Biden is considering “who is the best candidate to win in November and to carry forward the Democratic Party’s values and priorities in this campaign.”
He noted that Biden attended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington, D.C., this month after a “very bad debate performance” and that the president “Did a press conference. Did campaign events. Did campaign rallies.”
“And there are folks still saying he is not strong enough or capable enough to be our next president,” he continued. “I disagree.”
![Sen. Coons at work](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/05/1200/675/chris-coons.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a top Biden ally, told the press that the president is “weighing what he should weigh” at the moment but later clarified that he is “with [Biden] 100%.” (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
According to Coons, “There is a lot of concern and anxiety about this because the stakes are so significant. The consequences of this election are profound.”
Coons walked back this somewhat shaky comment just hours later with a post to social media professing total support for Biden’s re-election effort.
“I fully support the President. He’s told me he’s in it to win it,” Coons wrote on social media platform X. “I’m with him 100% because I know he can beat Trump just like he did last time.”
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Politics
Who Sat in Trump’s V.I.P. Box at the R.N.C.?
![Who Sat in Trump’s V.I.P. Box at the R.N.C.?](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/07/19/multimedia/2024-07-19-rnc-deconstruct-wayfinder-index/2024-07-19-rnc-deconstruct-wayfinder-index-facebookJumbo-v4.jpg)
Photo by Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
The most prominent seats at the 2024 Republican National Convention were three rows of white chairs in Donald J. Trump’s V.I.P. box. For each of the convention’s four nights, members of the Trump family and prominent guests streamed in and out, joining the former president as he took in the show.
Here are some of the people spotted in the box each night.
Monday
Mr. Trump entered the arena triumphantly on the convention’s first night, just two days after he was shot in the ear by a would-be assassin. Flanking him were his newly announced vice presidential nominee, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, and Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, one of the evening’s speakers.
Photo by Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
Photo by Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
Members of Mr. Trump’s family, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who presided over the roll-call vote formally nominating Mr. Trump, also appeared in the box.
Tuesday
Several Senate candidates and House leaders joined Mr. Trump in the box over the course of Tuesday night. Many of them also spoke from the stage, making the case for delivering control of Congress to Republicans in November.
Photo by Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
Photo by Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
The night’s final speaker was Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and Mr. Trump’s daughter-in-law. As the first Trump family member to speak from the convention stage, she talked about the attempt on Mr. Trump’s life in personal terms and focused on his roles as a father and grandfather.
Mr. Trump responded with applause, flanked by Mr. Vance and Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the House majority leader.
Photo by Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times Photo by Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times
Wednesday
Mr. Trump began his evening at the arena seated next to Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, and to Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, one of the finalists to be Mr. Trump’s running mate who was ultimately passed over.
Other allies with speaking slots also appeared in the section, including Callista Gingrich, the former ambassador to the Holy See, and her husband, Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and 2012 presidential candidate.
Photo by Todd Heisler/The New York Times
Photo by Todd Heisler/The New York Times
Mr. Vance wrapped up the third night of the convention with a nearly one-hour speech introducing himself and his economic vision to the nation. Mr. Trump watched his running mate while seated next to Mr. Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, a lawyer, and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, another person who was under consideration to join Mr. Trump on the ticket.
Several Trump family members appeared in the box at that time. Kai Trump, 17, Mr. Trump’s eldest grandchild, also spoke that evening, characterizing him as “just a normal grandpa.”
Photo by Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times
Photo by Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times
Thursday
By the time Mr. Trump delivered his address, the box was largely filled with his family members. Mr. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, who both served as senior advisors to Mr. Trump during his first term, made their first appearances in the arena Thursday.
His wife, Melania, also made her first appearance of the week, taking a seat in the box just before her husband gave his acceptance speech.
Photo by Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Photo by Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
Politics
Forget the Oscars. For Republicans, the convention is fashion nirvana
![Forget the Oscars. For Republicans, the convention is fashion nirvana](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/37bfdd2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8136x4271+0+578/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F52%2Ff5975d934f37aa5f89566364c18a%2F1467586-pol-milwaukee-fashion-jja-0003.jpg)
From cowboy hats to straw bowlers, boots to stilettos — the Republican convention was a showcase of patriotic fashion that was anything but conservative.
Some attendees have been planning their outfits for months, others just raided their MAGA stash. Many, like the Texas delegation with their state-flag shirts, were matching.
But one rule kept them all in line: Red, white and blue or bust.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Blacke Marnell California delegate from San Diego.
![Susan Reneau wears a collection of Trump buttons](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e2598b2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5223x3482+0+2175/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F28%2Fb9%2Ff9fd039344e2beef7d919d59f54b%2F1467586-pol-milwaukee-fashion-jja-0012.jpg)
![Chaplain Richmond E Stoglin always wears his boots](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3675606/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4604x3069+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F18%2F8a%2F0ece06b14e8294dab069b0ff6388%2F1467586-pol-milwaukee-fashion-jja-0016.jpg)
![Angelita Sanchez's of Sweet Home Oregon shoes during](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0a4874a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4712x3141+0+53/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0c%2F37%2F3a15551142d69b9ae0c0ea17a19d%2F1467069-la-pol-rnc-jja301.jpg)
![Sharon Anderson of Tennessee wears a donkey hat.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e6c5645/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4891x3261+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1c%2F3d%2Fd09ece304bb6be17c2f187750658%2F1467586-pol-milwaukee-fashion-jja-0015.jpg)
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Susan Reneau, left, Chaplain Richmond E. Stoglin, right top, Angelita Sanchez, lower left, and Sharon Anders, lower right.
![Reecia Stoglin and her husband Chaplain Rich Stoglin.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b012327/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4233x6347+0+0/resize/2000x2999!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0d%2F5f%2Fbf43081f4fccb1c0c17858d7e199%2F1467586-pol-milwaukee-fashion-jja-0007.jpg)
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“We’re Texans,” said Reecia Stoglin. “We wear our flag proudly.” Stoglin and her husband. Chaplain Rich Stoglin, were in town from Arlington, Texas. Reecia wore a Texas-flag shirt favored by delegates from the Lone Star state. Stoglin, ordained as an Anglican priest, was a military pastor for nearly 30 years and now is the president of the Frederick Douglass Republicans of Tarrant County. He came in a deep red blazer and Lucchese boots. “You judge a Texan by the quality of his boots,” he said.
![From right - Bill Henney, Charlie O'Connor and Gerald Bergen, sit outside the RNC and enjoy cigars.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/20044e0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6310x4209+0+0/resize/2000x1334!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc5%2F54%2F200e35fe473ba13088a2cc7a7742%2F1467586-pol-milwaukee-fashion-jja-0005.jpg)
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
From right, Bill Henney, Charlie O’Connor and Gerald Bergen, delegates from Pennsylvania, sit outside the RNC and enjoy cigars. Bergen said he was wearing his straw bowler hat in honor of his grandfather, Gerald Griffin, who wore a similar one to the 1948 convention (at least he thinks he did).
![Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - Arizona delegate](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a9bcf36/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffc%2F48%2F5721efae4532b613db9adf6dd37c%2F1467074-na-0716-rnc-rcg-11704.jpg)
![Wisconsin delegate Bob Kordus at the Republican](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/03cb290/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1600+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff1%2Fbc%2F7d7d70554b07ba1fbc939bfeaa12%2F1467074-na-0716-rnc-rcg298.jpg)
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Arizona delegate Stacey Goodman, left, and Wisconsin delegate Bob Kordus, right.
![Texas delegates wear custom baseball jerseys with Trump 24 on the back at the](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d9ccb9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5408x3605+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc7%2F9f%2Fdbfddedf4b9eb092ae119f2cf452%2F1467586-pol-milwaukee-fashion-jja-0021.jpg)
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Texas delegates wear custom baseball jerseys with Trump 24.
Politics
Video: Donald Trump Concludes R.N.C. With Mixed Message
![Video: Donald Trump Concludes R.N.C. With Mixed Message](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/07/19/video/19vid-Maggie-Haberman-mug/19vid-Maggie-Haberman-mug-facebookJumbo.jpg?video-overlay)
Donald J. Trump closed the Republican convention with a speech that began with a call for unity and a sober retelling of the attack on his life, but pivoted to attacks. Maggie Haberman, a senior political correspondent for The New York Times, gives her takeaways.
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