Politics
What they're thinking: For many Democrats, silence speaks volumes on the Biden issue
Years ago, a veteran, respected journalist called me out on a piece of news copy I wrote.
My sin: Rather than indicating that someone said something, I wrote that they believed something.
My colleague corrected me.
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“We know what they say. But we can’t know what they believe,” counseled my friend.
I changed the copy.
No journalist is clairvoyant.
But sometimes, those of us in the Capitol press corps know exactly what lawmakers are thinking.
It’s not what Members of Congress tell us. It’s what they don’t tell us.
Often, silence can be louder than the soundbites.
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Such is the case with this week’s version of the Congressional Laff-A-Lympics as reporters chased Congressional Democrats up House hill and down Senate dell in a quest to determine where they stood with President Biden.
The President’s cheerleaders were easy to find.
“Joe Biden all the way,” hollered Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., as he headed into a meeting of the House Democratic Caucus. “Joe Biden all the way.”
“There’s one person this country that’s kicked (former President) Trump’s ass in 2020. That’s where my money is now in 2024,” said Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn.
“We are ridin’ with Biden,” declared Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.
But there’s worry about a down ballot hemorrhage for Democrats if the President stays in the race.
Call it “bleedin’ with Biden.”
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A few who harbored grave concerns delivered brief, but pointed comments.
“He just has to step down because he can’t win,” said Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., of the President.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., called for Mr. Biden to step aside in a statement.
“I am asking that he declare that he won’t run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee,” said Sherill.
Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., who represents a swing district, also asked for a swap out at the top.
But when pressed how some really feel, many Democrats don’t “use their words.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., greeted a throng of reporters outside the Democratic National Committee in the sweltering heat Tuesday morning.
“Good morning. Good morning,” said Pelosi.
“Should the President step aside?” asked a reporter.
There was silence from Pelosi.
PELOSI SNAPS AT REPORTER ASKING IF SHE WANTS BIDEN TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE: ‘AM I SPEAKING ENGLISH TO YOU?’
Reporters tried to get Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to weigh-in on President Biden.
“Do you support Biden?” asked ABC’s Rachel Scott.
Warren and an aide hurriedly slid past the press assemblage.
“I’m up in Finance,” said Warren as she darted into the committee backroom.
“I have nothing really to say about it really,” said Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Really? Nothing about the standard-bearer for your party?
At least nothing – in the open.
After the weekly Senate Democratic luncheon, Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, both indicated they wouldn’t discuss what goes on at private caucus meetings.
“We have a ways to go,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., “But we’re not going to negotiate in public.”
Welch became the first Senate Democrat to call on the president to bow out.
FIRST DEM SENATOR CALLS FOR BIDEN TO DROP OUT ‘FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY’
Colleague Aishah Hasnie reported at one point that lawmakers would not even verbally acknowledge some reporters asking about President Biden and would only stare at them.
Consternation about the President has led some Democrats to retreat in public from commenting about his viability. Yet they have been frank behind closed doors.
“In a confidential conversation with other members of House Democratic leadership, I expressed the same concerns that Americans across the country — and here in my district — are grappling with, about President Biden’s electability at the top of the ticket,” said Rep. Susan Wild, D-Penn., who represents a swing district.
Wild joined a conference call with other top Democrats Sunday in her capacity as the ranking member on the House Ethics Committee.
Wild was one lawmaker most journalists wanted to speak with this week. When the House conducts roll call votes, Fox deploys what I call “no doubles” defense. In baseball, “no doubles” defense is where the first baseman and third baseman creep closer to the line to prevent “doubles.” We do the same on Capitol Hill. There are two exits near the main exterior House steps. So one crew watches the main exit. Another cheats a little bit toward the Senate side where some member who wish to be elusive try to escape.
Sure enough, Wild departed through the more obscure exit heading toward the Senate. But that’s where we caught up with her. Wild was circumspect when asked about her reservations about President Biden.
MULTIPLE LETTERS CIRCULATING AMONG HOUSE DEMS CALLING ON BIDEN TO STEP ASIDE FOR 2024: SOURCES
“My statement speaks for itself,” said Wild.
“Did you express some of those concerns on the call yesterday?” I countered.
“My statement is my statement is my statement,” insisted Wild.
“Are there concerns among swing district Democrats like yourself?” I queried.
“You can ask it a whole lot of different ways,” said Wild.
“That’s a different question,” I observed.
“Doesn’t matter,” said Wild. “I’m not going to say anything further. I made a statement and that’s all I’m going to say.”
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., dialed into Sunday’s conference call as the top House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee. Punchbowl News indicated that Beyer told his colleagues on the call Mr. Biden is “very fragile” and struggles to put “two sentences together.”
By nightfall Sunday, Beyer’s office sent out a statement saying he backed President Biden.
At the Capitol midday Monday, yours truly encountered Beyer and Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., strolling down a corridor near the floor. I apologized to Courtney, saying I had some questions for Beyer – as did every other journalist in Washington.
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Beyer was gracious in responding to my questions as we walked through a tunnel toward the Cannon House Office Building. But, like Wild, Beyer was guarded.
“Can you clarify your comments from yesterday? You put out a statement yesterday. There’s been some reporting that it didn’t square 100% with what was said,” I said to Beyer.
“I feel I’m very committed to Joe Biden. But it certainly looks like he will be our candidate. And I can do everything I can to get him elected. And I just refer you to the statement of support,” answered Beyer.
“Was what was reported, was that not accurate?” I followed up.
“I don’t want to characterize the reporting one way or the other,” said Beyer. “But I wanted to make clear where I stood with the statement I put out yesterday.”
At the first leadership press conference since the debate, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., made the case against former President Trump.
“Donald Trump can not win. And we are unified,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar,” D-Calif., on Tuesday afternoon.
But it sounded like Democrats were making stronger arguments against former President Trump rather than in favor of President Biden.
However, Aguilar left open wiggle room.
MULTIPLE RANKING DEMOCRATS ON HOUSE COMMITTEES WANT BIDEN TO STEP ASIDE
“Right now, President Biden is the nominee,” said Aguilar.
Right now.
The conversations about President Biden are now whispered. Sub rosa. Watch for slight tweaks in language from Aguilar and others.
This is what happened when Pelosi said “it’s up to the President if he’s going to run” during an appearance on MSNBC.
Meantime, Jeffries gave his members some breathing room.
“We have the right and the responsibility on behalf of the American people, and on behalf of the people we represent, to have these conversations about a path forward that is in the best interests of the American people,” said Jeffries.
Democrats needed to get everyone back to the Capitol after the July 4 recess to take the political temperature. Democrats have endured days of reporters hounding them in the Congressional halls over where they stand with President Biden. They now want to get everyone out of the Capitol so they can breathe and not face reporters around every corner. Congress is out of session next week so Republicans can convene their convention in Milwaukee. During the recess, Democrats have space to offer individual announcements about the President – perhaps appearing on local radio and TV stations.
No one has said any of this. There was nothing verbal.
But this is the rare case when everyone knows what they’re thinking.
Politics
Balance of Power: Trump singles out Nevada at RNC as he looks to flip state he lost twice
Former President Trump singled out battleground state Nevada in his remarks at the Republican National Convention, previewing how he hopes to dominate the state he lost twice.
“At the center of our plan for economic relief — our massive tax cuts for workers that include something else that’s turned out to be very popular, actually, here.
“It’s very popular in this building and all those hotels that I saw that are so nice. I’m staying in a nice one. It’s called ‘no tax on tips,’” he said in his speech Thursday night, formally accepting the Republican presidential nomination.
3RD DEMOCRAT SENATOR CALLS ON BIDEN TO STEP ASIDE AS PRESSURE ACCELERATES
He noted he got the idea from a server in Nevada.
“And I got that by having dinner recently in Nevada, where we’re leading by about 14 points,” Trump said.
“The government’s after me all the time on tips,” he recalled her saying. Trump said he asked her if she’d be happy to have no taxes taken from her tips. According to him, she said, “What a great idea.”
“Waitresses and caddies and drivers and everybody — it’s a large, large group of people that are being really hurt badly,” the former president explained. “They make money. Let them keep their money.”
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Trump went public with the idea as a part of his campaign last month and spent a significant amount of time touting it during a meeting with Senate Republicans, who are hoping to take the majority in the upper chamber in November.
“What I think President Trump did sell us all on is don’t tax” tips, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital at the time.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., noted, “He thinks it’s a great example of how working people in this economy just can’t get ahead.”
VULNERABLE DEM TESTER CALLS ON BIDEN TO DROP OUT AFTER GIVING SCHUMER HEADS UP
In a state like Nevada that heavily relies on its tourism industry, particularly in Las Vegas, winning over any workers could be the difference in the upcoming election.
Trump was defeated in Nevada in both 2016 and 2020, but the outlook appears much better for 2024. In a June Fox News Poll, Trump was beating President Biden by five percentage points in the state, 50% to 45%. The poll was done before the presidential debate and the attempted assassination of Trump.
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In his speech on Thursday, Trump also recognized the Republican Senate candidate in Nevada, former U.S. Army Captain Sam Brown.
He referred to Brown being severely injured while deployed in Afghanistan.
“And, by the way, we have a man in this room who is running for the U.S. Senate from a great state, Nevada, named Sam Brown, who paid the ultimate price,” Trump said.
With the increased uncertainty about Biden’s candidacy, some have predicted he could prove to be a drag on down-ballot Democrats, including those in Nevada. This would mean it isn’t just Trump getting an advantage in the key swing state, but Brown and other Republicans have an opportunity to turn Nevada red.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Politics
Trump's big night at Republican convention draws 25 million TV viewers
Former President Donald Trump delivered a speech formally accepting his presidential nomination on Thursday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, and an average of 25.4 million viewers tuned in to watch.
The audience figure from Nielsen was roughly 7% higher than viewership numbers for the final night of the RNC in 2020 and 27% lower than 2016. The entire event, which ran from Monday to Thursday, drew a daily average of 19.07 million viewers — down about 2% from 2020.
Fox News was the most watched channel for coverage between 10 p.m. and 12:05 a.m. Eastern, with an average of 9.4 million viewers, followed by NBC (3.6 million), ABC (2.7 million), CNN (2 million), CBS (1.8 million) and MSNBC (1.1 million).
Popular among Trump supporters, conservative Fox News has historically dominated the TV ratings during the RNC. Sean Hannity’s “Hannity,” which aired at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox News, pulled in 8.3 million viewers on Thursday.
Coverage of the RNC also extended to PBS, Telemundo, Univision, NewsNation, Newsmax and Scripps News.
During his 93-minute speech, Trump addressed the recent attempt on his life at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania for what he said would be the only time, deeming the assassination attempt “too painful” to talk about. The evening also featured remarks by Trump’s son Eric Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, wrestling star Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White and ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Earlier in the week, “Hillbilly Elegy” author and Sen. J.D. Vance delivered his first public address as the Republican vice presidential nominee. Trump formally chose Vance as his vice presidential nominee on Monday.
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place Aug. 19 to 22 in Chicago. The Democratic convention drew a daily average of 21.6 million viewers in 2020.
Politics
Words Used at the Republican National Convention
Speakers at the Republican National Convention used more than 110,000 words over four boisterous days.
The selection of speakers and their choice of words reflected both the pointed campaign rhetoric and the rewritten platform of the Republican Party in 2024.
Excluding common and routine words, the most frequently spoken words were:
Words on the Economy
Economic concerns were a recurring theme of the convention. Speakers stressed the “skyrocketing” or “shocking” prices of gas and groceries, with Senator Rick Scott of Florida describing a vision of $10 a gallon if President Biden wins a second term.
Frequently used words when talking about the economy included:
Words on Immigration
Speakers described “millions of illegal aliens” crossing the southern border, promoting the idea of a migrant crime surge with descriptions of “murderers and rapists” and “criminals and terrorists.”
Some of the words frequently used when discussing immigration:
Words From Notable Speakers
Circles show the number of times that these selected speakers used the following words.
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Ted
CruzNikki
HaleyRon
DeSantisDonald
Trump Jr.J.D.
VanceDonald J.
Trump
Economy
Business
Job(s)
Tax(es)
Inflation
Trump
Bullet
Assassin
Biden
Harris
God
Love
Border
Invasion
Illegal
Immigrant, immigration
Aliens
Murdered, murderer
Raped
Lies, lied
War
Israel
Gaza
Hamas
Terrorist
Nuclear
Afghanistan
Iran
Ukraine
Russia
Putin
China, Chinese
Health care
Abortion
The Most Words?
Donald J. Trump spoke 12,219 words over 92 minutes, the longest acceptance speech timed by the American Presidency Project since at least 1956.
The only known Republican acceptance speech with a comparable word count was William Howard Taft’s in 1908. That speech ran to 12,055 words and reflected the Republican Party’s platform of a century ago, with repeated mentions of “business prosperity,” “anti-trust law” and “interstate railroads”:
Missing Words
The Republican Party’s policy positions on some controversial matters have become less popular with voters, most notably abortion restrictions and attacks on the Affordable Care Act. Speakers steered clear of such talking points.
The word “abortion” did not appear in the 110,000 transcribed words, though the phrase “born and unborn” appeared twice, and “pro-life” and “pro-choice” each appeared once.
“Health care” was mentioned three times, and there were only four references to “prescriptions” or “prescription drugs.”
More Words to Come
The Democratic National Convention will be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, though it is not yet confirmed whether Mr. Biden or someone else will be the nominee.
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