2024 Election Latest: Biden says democracy lies in the hands of voters during solemn address
![President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZTgzNjAwZTItZDEzYy00%3AZTItZDEzYy00YjMxZjIy%2Felection-2024-biden.jpeg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. Credit: AP/Evan Vucci
President Joe Biden made his first address since his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is holding a rally in Charlotte and Vice President Kamala Harris asked for support from women of color during an address at a historically Black sorority.
Earlier today, thousands of protesters rallied to denounce Israel’s war in Gaza, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a scathing speech to Congress to defend Israel’s conduct in the war and vowed “total victory” against Hamas.
He condemned American opponents while thousands of protesters rallied within sight of the Capitol building.
Follow the AP’s Election-2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.
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Biden’s Oval Office address was a family affair
![President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3ANGM2MDgxOGUtZGUxZi00%3AOGUtZGUxZi00MmU5NzNl%2Fbiden.jpeg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Del., Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Biden is returning to the White House from his Rehoboth Beach home after recovering from a COVID-19 infection. Credit: AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office surrounded by family and close advisers.
As he spoke, seated off to the side and along the curved wall, were mostly relatives. They included the president’s son, Hunter Biden, and his granddaughter Finnegan Biden, as well as his daughter Ashley Biden.
First lady Jill Biden was also there, as were other family members and the president’s longtime adviser, Mike Donilon.
Biden’s voice was very soft and sometimes barely audible, though he got a bit louder occasionally. Toward the end of remarks, Ashley Biden reached for the hand of her mother, the first lady, who was seated next to her.
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Credit: AP/Evan Vucci
Standing in the back were White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other staff.
When Biden concluded, those assembled applauded. Jill Biden then walked to the Resolute Desk and stood next to her husband. “This has been the honor of a lifetime,” the president said.
In 1968, Lyndon Johnson turned down a second term of his own
No American incumbent president has dropped out of the race so late in the process. The last president to do so was Lyndon Johnson in March of 1968. When Johnson addressed the nation from the Oval Office, he spent the majority of his remarks talking about the Vietnam War, and his duty to focus on it.
He tried to make the case that American forces were making great progress in the war, and said, “One day, my fellow citizens, there will be peace in Southeast Asia.” That portrait was at odds with the politics in the Democratic Party, riven by division over the war, prompting several prominent Democrats, including Eugene McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy.
Johnson also acknowledged how the war was tearing the country apart. “In these times as in times before, it is true that a house divided against itself by the spirit of faction, of party, of region, of religion, of race, is a house that cannot stand. There is division in the American house now.”
He then made the stunning announcement that he would not seek reelection.
“I shall not be a candidate for reelection. I have served my country long, and I think efficiently and honestly. I shall not accept a renomination. I do not feel that it is my duty to spend another 4 years in the White House.”
Trump calls Biden’s Oval Office address ‘sooo bad’
Trump posted on his social media website that the president “was barely understandable, and sooo bad!”
During the speech, Biden called Vice President Harris “tough” and “capable.”
In a separate post, Trump slammed Biden and Harris as embarrassments, noting, “THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME LIKE THIS!"
The view from Trump’s campaign plane
As President Biden addressed the nation, his former opponent was among those watching.
Trump watched Biden’s 10-minute address from his campaign plane as he flew out of North Carolina following a rally.
Photographs showed Trump watching Biden speak intently, his head tilted sideways.
Trump adviser Chris LaCivita subsequently posted on X a different picture showing the former president turned sideways and frowning, intently not watching as Biden spoke.
“On Trump Force One …Hey Joe …You’re Fired!” LaCivita wrote over the picture.
Love, Jill
First lady Jill Biden posted a hand-written note after the president’s speech thanking “those who never wavered, who refused to doubt.” She thanked supporters for putting their trust in the president. “Now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.”
She signed it: Love, Jill.
9 arrested during DC protests over the war in Gaza
Police in the nation’s capital say they have arrested nine people after thousands of protesters against the war in Gaza descended on Washington to condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit.
The Metropolitan Police Department said the arrests included five people taken into custody Wednesday morning on charges of crowding or incommoding. Later in the day, a 15-year-old was arrested for assaulting a police officer in front of Union Station.
Outside Washington’s Union Station, protesters removed American flags, lit one ablaze and hoisted Palestinian flags in their place to massive cheers in the crowd.
Three men were also arrested for assaulting a police officer and crossing a police line in Columbus Circle, outside Union Station, police said.
Biden says he put party unity over a ‘merited’ second term
Defending his tenure, Biden said his “record as president, our leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future all merited a second term.” But, he said, “I needed to unite my party.”
Contrasting himself with Trump, he added, “Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. And that includes personal ambition.”
Biden never mentioned Trump, but his allusions were clear
Though Biden never mentioned his political rival, it was clear the Democratic incumbent was talking about the possibility of former President Trump returning for a second presidency.
“I revere this office, but I love my country more. It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it is more important than any title,” Biden said in the opening minutes of his speech.
Biden called this election year “one of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now determine the fate of our nation and the world for decades to come. Americans are going to have to choose moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division. We have to decide do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice and democracy.”
And, he asked, “Does character in public life still matter?”
Those are many of the same critiques Biden leveled against Trump in the 2020 campaign.
Biden uses address to shape his legacy and the upcoming election
The address gave Biden a chance to try to shape how history views his one and only term in office.
It gave the public a chance to hear directly from Biden his rationale for dropping out of the 2024 after weeks of insisting he believed himself to be the best candidate to take on former President Trump, whom he has called an existential threat to the nation’s democracy.
Both Biden and Harris have framed the election as a choice between freedom and chaos, but he tried to steer clear of overt campaigning from his official office and never mentioned Trump by name.
“The great thing about America is, here, kings and dictators do not rule,” Biden said. “The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America — lies in your hands.”
Biden wraps 10-minute address
Biden says he’s grateful to have served as president — in no other country could a kid with a stutter grow up to sit in the Oval Office.
“My fellow Americans, it’s been the privilege of my life,” he says.
He told Americans to “keep the faith,” and “the idea of America lies in your hands.”
Biden’s has a busy 6 months planned
Biden says he has a busy to-do list for his final six months in office.
He says he’s going to work to end the war in Gaza.
Biden also mentioned that he’ll work to defend personal freedoms and lower costs for hardworking families. He says he’ll continue to push for Supreme Court reform and will keep seeking to protect children from gun violence. He says he’ll keep up his initiative seeking to end cancer as we know it.
Biden says it’s time for ‘fresh voices, yes, younger voices’ in politics
President Biden is explaining why he is stepping away from the 2024 election. He says, “I revere this office, but I love my country more.”
“I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation,” said Biden.
He said he thought it best to unite his party. Some Democrats had been calling for him to step down.
Biden supporters gather outside the White House
Supporters of President Biden have gathered outside the White House in a show of support as the president gives an Oval Office to explain why he’s stepping away from the 2024 race.
Some held signs that read: “We love Joe,” and a brass band played.
Biden addresses the nation in Oval Office Address
President Joe Biden is addressing the nation from the Oval Office after his decision to step down from the 2024 race.
Dozens of his staff members filed into the White House to watch the address together.
Biden bowed to pressure from his own party to step aside following his disastrous debate performance on June 27. He posted a letter on Sunday telling the public about his decision but was sick with COVID-19 at the time and said he’d address the nation later.
Trump lays in to ‘lyin’ Kamala Harris’
Trump opened his remarks at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, saying he defeated Biden, adding the Democrats “had a very undemocratic move” and forced him out.
“Now, we have a new victim to defeat: lyin’ Kamala Harris,” he said, mispronouncing her name, and proceeding to attack her record on the border.
Biden to tell nation that the ‘defense of democracy is more important than any title’ as he explains dropping 2024 bid
President Joe Biden is giving an Oval Office address this evening where he’s expected to say that he will spend the next six months doing his job as president, but that he decided the best way forward was to “pass the torch to a new generation.”
The president bowed to pressure from his own party to step aside following his disastrous debate performance on June 27. He posted a letter on Sunday telling the public about his decision but was sick with COVID-19 at the time and said he’d address the nation later.
Biden says in excerpts of his remarks that the “great thing about America is kings and dictators do not rule. The people do.”
Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
Families of American hostages in Gaza are ‘profoundly disappointed’ in Netanyahu
The families of the eight American hostages being held in Gaza say they’re “profoundly disappointed” that Prime Minister Netanyahu did not guarantee in his speech to Congress that the hostages would be coming home.
In a joint statement, the families said that Netanyahu “failed to present any new solutions or a new path forward” and “failed to commit to the hostage deal that is now on the table even though Israel’s senior defense and intelligence officials have called on him to do so.”
They called on him to get the deal done “before it is too late.”
Eight Americans are believed to be held by Hamas, including three who were killed.
Trump rally attendees are still feeling out JD Vance
Fans and supporters awaiting Trump in Charlotte say they are amped to meet their nominee. But his running mate? They’re still waiting to learn more about him.
A handful of voters interviewed Wednesday by The Associated Press ahead of Trump’s late afternoon campaign rally said they had watched the Netflix biopic about JD Vance’s life, based on his bestselling book, but aside from that, they didn’t know much about the freshman Ohio senator.
Trump unveiled Vance as his veep pick last week as the Republican National Convention got underway in Milwaukee. The two campaigned together over the weekend and plan to do so again this coming weekend in Minnesota.
Trump rally attendees suffer heat stress
Paramedics received eight calls about people suffering from heat stress at the arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, where attendees waited outside for hours in the sweltering heat before being allowed inside to hear the former president speak Wednesday.
At least two people were taken to a hospital, according to the Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services Agency.
Temperatures in Charlotte were near 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and high humidity made it feel several degrees warmer on the pavement surrounding the 8,600-seat Bojangles Coliseum.
Police remove Palestinian flags at Union Station
Police have taken down Palestinian flags that protesters hoisted outside Washington’s Union Station. Protesters removed three American flags from the poles and replaced them with Palestinian flags. At least one of the American flags was burned. Police took down the Palestinian flags once the crowd began to dissipate.
Access to Union Station locked down
Amtrak Police locked down access to Union Station around 3:30 p.m. ET, closing all but one entrance to the major transportation hub.
In a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Virginia Railway Express notified passengers they would be required to show their tickets to get into the station, via the First Street Metrorail entrance.
Tempers flare outside Union Station as police officers take people into custody
An Associated Press reporter saw at least four people taken into custody by police during the confrontation outside Union Station. Protesters repeatedly shouted, “Let them go!” at officers.
One person grabbed at a police officer’s riot shield and then raised his fists in a fighting stance. An officer grabbed a Palestinian flag from a woman and tossed it aside. At least one protester appeared to be overcome by the effects of pepper spray.
Sen. Kelly: ‘Every Palestinian in Gaza is not a member of Hamas’
Sen. Mark Kelly said that Netanyahu expressed “a lot of things that many Americans are feeling,” but also wished the prime minister had acknowledged the loss of life during the war. “Every Palestinian in Gaza is not a member of Hamas.”
Netanyahu mentioned notifying civilians, Kelly said, but there have been a lot of civilian casualties, and there are always ways to improve. “It’s important to recognize that,” he said.
Over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed and another 89,800 have been wounded during Israel’s offensive, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Hostage supporters gathered in Tel Aviv to watch Netanyahu speech, demand ‘deal now’
In Tel Aviv, hundreds of relatives of Israeli hostages and other supporters gathered in the city’s “Hostages Square” to watch the speech on a large screen.
Many chanted “Deal now” as he spoke.
“I want to tell my Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, my grandfather could have been alive today with us. He was waiting for someone to come and save him. He was waiting for you to seal the deal,” said Talya Dancyg, whose grandfather, Alex Dancyg, was pronounced dead in captivity this week by Israeli authorities.
“Seal the deal. Bring them home now,” she said.
“If he didn’t open with the words, ‘we have a deal,’ I don’t care what he has to say,” added Sharon Kalderon, sister-in-law of hostage Ofer Kalderon.
Protesters graffiti monument, disperse
Protesters have spray painted graffiti on a monument to Christopher Columbus outside Union Station, including the words, “Hamas is coming” in large red letters. At the base, the words “Free Gaza” are painted in green.
With the announcement over a megaphone that “the police are coming” many protestors appeared to disperse.
... But Democrats have had a more mixed response
Republicans have widely praised Netanyahu’s speech ...
US Rep. Jamie Raskin criticizes Netanyahu’s speech as one made for Trump’s GOP
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, said Netanyahu’s speech was made for Trump’s GOP
“It’s too bad he couldn’t have come earlier in the summer. He could have given it at the Republican National Convention because the speech was really pitched to right-wing Americans, for a right-wing approach to the war and that’s been rejected.”
Raskin, who met with families of hostages earlier in the day, said he heard no plan from Netanyahu for their safe return and an end to the war.
“We didn’t hear anything about meaningful progress towards a bilateral cease-fire in return for hostages. We didn’t hear anything about peace. We didn’t hear anything about a two-state solution, which has been U.S. foreign policy for decades,” he said.“You had one narcissistic, indicted right-wing autocrat coming over here to speak to the followers of another narcissistic, right-wing, autocrat.”
‘Palestine will be free’
Protesters cheered as a fire burned what appeared to be a paper-mache likeness of Netanyahu.
The replica of the Liberty Bell outside the station has been covered in graffiti reading “Free Palestine” and in Arabic “Palestine will be free.”
Officers wearing helmets and carrying riot shields are walking in a line down a street outside Union Station.
All 3 US flags at Union Station replaced with Palestinian flags
Protesters have climbed the flagpole outside Washington’s Union Station and replaced the American flags outside with Palestinian flags. Dozens of law enforcement officers remain outside Union Station, which is one of the nation’s busiest railroad terminals.
Cheers rang out as the final flag was raised.
Police deploy che
mical agent at protestors
After being turned away by police near the Capitol, protesters wound through the Capitol Hill neighborhood for several blocks before gathering in front of Union Station.
When protestors took down one of the giant U.S. flags outside, police moved in. At least one person was arrested and police deployed chemical agents.
Protesters chanted “shame on you” as police dragged somebody away. At least two people were seen being treated for chemical agent effects on the eyes.
‘I came here to thank you, America,’ Netanyahu says as he wraps speech
“On behalf of the people of Israel, I came here to say thank you, America,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday as he finished his address to Congress.
Democrats subsequently filed out of the chamber while Republicans were still giving the prime minister enthusiastic applause.
Netanyahu praises Trump
The Israeli leader, frequently accused of wading into American politics in favor of Republicans, lavished praise on former president and current presidential contender Donald Trump “for all he’s done for Israel.”
‘Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities
Netanyahu says he is ready to press forward with Israel’s war against Hamas until he achieves “total victory.”
Netanyahu told Congress that he would agree to a cease-fire if Hamas surrenders, disarms and releases all hostages it is holding.
“Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home,” he said. “That’s what total victory means. And we will settle for nothing less.”
But he said Israel would continue to fight indefinitely until it destroys the group’s military capabilities and brings home all hostages.
Critics have said Netanyahu’s vow of total victory is unrealistic, as Hamas has repeatedly regrouped in areas that the Israeli military has withdrawn from.
U.S.-led cease-fire talks have dragged on for months without a breakthrough.
A tense scene between dueling protestors
At one point, late in the march, a brief scuffle broke out between different protest groups. At the corner of D Street and Delaware, a small group waving Israeli flags had set up a demonstration, claiming to be pro-Israel but anti-Netanyahu.
As the main rally passed them, one man tried to grab the megaphone held by one of the pro-Israeli protesters.
The pair separated after a brief struggle and the situation devolved into multiple tense, but nonviolent, debates.
People wearing yellow ‘Seal the deal now’ T-shirts removed
Earlier in the speech, five people wearing yellow T-shirts that read “seal the deal now” were removed from the House gallery. The phrase is a rallying cry for those urging Netanyahu to reach a deal to return the hostages.
The individuals stood to prominently display the message on their shirts during moments when others were applauding but had done nothing to disrupt the speech itself.
Arrests made in House Gallery, per Capitol Police
U.S. Capitol Police say they have arrested five people who disrupted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress. Police said in a post on X that the people were in the House Gallery and were “immediately removed” and arrested.
“Disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is against the law,” police said.
The affiliation of those arrested is not immediately clear.
Netanyahu’s sp
eech takes on more combative tone
Netanyahu’s speech took on a more combative tone as he defended his country but also derided those protesting the war in Gaza, gesturing to demonstrations happening as he spoke on the streets outside the U.S. Capitol, as “useful idiots” for Israel’s adversaries.
“The hands of the Jewish state will never be shackled,” he said.
He drew shouts of applause from many in Congress, but also silence from leading Democrats who declined to stand and cheer.
A common thread of Netanyahu’s speech is painting Israel’s fight against Hamas and the region as a whole as synonymous with American interests and values.
RNC chairman says the party’s electoral strategy has not changed following Harris’ ascension
The head of the RNC says his party’s general election calculus has not changed now that Democrats may be led by Harris and not President Biden.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley told The Associated Press ahead of Trump’s rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, later today that he feels “fantastic” about his candidate’s chances in the state, which was the scene of Trump’s slimmest electoral victory in 2020.
Whatley also said that he felt Vance’s addition to the ticket would resonate with voters in North Carolina.
Asked about running a campaign against Harris instead of Biden, Whatley expressed confidence in his notion that Trump “has more energy and is doing more events than any presidential candidate, ever. Nobody is going to outwork Donald Trump.”
Whatley was serving as chairman of the North Carolina GOP when Trump put him forth as his pick to lead national Republicans.
US Rep. Tlaib h
olds up sign that says ‘war criminal’ and ‘guilty of genocide’
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, held up a sign in the House chamber Wednesday that said “war criminal” on one side and “guilty of genocide” on the other.
Tlaib has been one of Netanyahu’s most strident critics in Congress and was censured for her comments last year about the latest Israel-Hamas war.
She has relatives in the West Bank and represents a district in Michigan with many Palestinians.
Netanyahu thanks Biden for his efforts and ‘hearfelt support for Israel’
Netanyahu on Wednesday said Biden stood with Israel in his darkest hour and it will “never be forgotten.”
“I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel,” he said.
Many had expected Netanyahu to use his address before Congress to once again criticize the Democratic president but the prime minister’s remarks so far have been complimentary and gracious to President Joe Biden, who stepped down days ago as the Democratic nominee for president, for “half a century of friendship to Israel.”
Police deployed pepper spray on protesters near US Capitol
Police deployed pepper spray Wednesday as a large crowd protesting Israel’s war in Gaza marched toward the U.S. Capitol, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking to Congress.
Thousands of protesters descended on Washington, chanting “Free, Free Palestine” as some tried to block streets ahead of Netanyahu’s speech. Police wearing gas marks blocked the crowd, which was calling for an end to the war that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, from getting closer to the Capitol.
U.S. Capitol Police said in a post on X that some members of the crowd had become “violent” and had “failed to obey” orders to move back from the police line.
“We are deploying pepper spray toward anyone trying to break the law and cross that line,” Capitol Police said.
Netanyahu begins speech to Congress
“For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together,” Netanyahu said. “When we stand together something really great happens: we win, they lose.
He wore a pin with Israeli and U.S. flags on one side, and a yellow pin expressing solidarity with the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
More than 50 congressional Dems absent from Netanyahu’s address
By the time Netanyahu was set to begin his address before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, more than fifty congressional Democrats were noticeably absent after announcing publicly that they would not be attending the speech in protest of the prime minister’s handling of the war.
Protesters gather outside US Embassy in Tel Aviv ah
ead of Netanyahu’s speech
Protests were also taking place in Israel ahead of Netanyahu’s speech, with demonstrators demanding a cease-fire in exchange for the release of the roughly 120 hostages still held by Hamas. About 200 protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv, some holding signs reading “Bibi, enemy of Israel,” referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
US Rep. Tlaib among those attending Netanyahu’s address
While many Democrats declined to attend the prime minister’s speech as a way to protest how Netanyahu has led the war against Hamas, one outspoken critic of his conduct is attending.
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, took a seat in the House chamber with a keffiyeh, which she often wears, wrapped over her shoulders. Tlaib was censured last year for her strident criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war.
Netanyahu arrives on Capitol Hill, greets House Speaker Johnson
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived on Capitol Hill and has greeted House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“We are certainly happy to welcome our friend,” Johnson said.
“Today and every day America must stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel,” Johnson said.
“Speaker Johnson, you have shown great leadership,” Netanyahu said.
The two men spoke briefly, podiums side by side, at the Capitol.
‘We are not play
ing around,’ Harris tells gathering of historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta members
Vice President Kamala Harris told a gathering of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta in Indianapolis on Wednesday that “we are not playing around,” in the 2024 presidential election.
And she asked them for their support in helping to elect her.
Harris said: “In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation — one focused on the future, the other focused on the past.
“And with your support, I am fighting for our nation’s future.”
Voters in Indiana haven’t backed a Democratic presidential candidate in nearly 16 years. But the biennial meeting of roughly 6,000 people, mostly women, is part of a constituency Harris hopes will turn out for her in massive numbers: women of color.
President Joe Biden stepped away from the race on Sunday.
Family members
of Israeli hostages criticize Netanyahu’s trip to the US
At an event with dozens of Democrats ahead of Netanyahu’s speech, several family members of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas last year unleashed criticism at the prime minister for coming to the U.S. when he could be focused on securing a deal to free those taken captive.
“The hostage family forum back home urged Netanyahu not to come here and give this speech now at a time when a deal is so close,” said Maya Roman, who had several family members taken hostage. “Because by coming here, he risks making himself the issue, turning the humanitarian issue of the hostages into a political one.”
U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, called the event a “powerful” reminder of the importance of reaching a cease-fire deal and returning the hostages.
“It’s painful for them to have Netanyahu here in Washington kind of promoting himself when their loved ones are still being held hostage,” he said.
Vance labels Harris an out-of-touch ‘career politician’
Trump’s VP pick is characterizing Harris, his running mate’s possible November opponent, as an out-of-touch “career politician.”
“What has she ever done for this country?” Vance asked conservative activist and host Charlie Kirk in a podcast interview Wednesday.
The 39-year-old Vance, who has begun hitting the campaign trail both solo and with Trump in recent days, also argued that his addition to the GOP ticket can help appeal to young voters.
“If you’re a young voter in this economy with interest rates skyrocketing how can you possibly afford to buy a house?” Vance said. “If you want to turn the page on that … you’ve got to vote for President Trump.”
Vance said he sees the two top issues as the economy and U.S.-Mexico border, on both of which he argued that Biden — and now Harris — are not succeeding.
“I think we have to make a substantive argument that the Kamala Harris-Joe Biden agenda has failed for this country,” Vance said. ”Do we want four years even worse than the last four years?”
Senate Republicans criticize Harris over absence from Netanyahu’s address before Congress
Senate Republicans are criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris for skipping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address today before a joint session of Congress.
Harris is in Indianapolis where she’s speaking to the historically Black Zeta Phi Beta sorority’s biennial convention. She is set to hold private talks with Netanyahu at the White House later this week.
The vice president is the presiding officer of the Senate and would typically co-preside over such an event with the House speaker. But there have been other instances in recent history when the vice president has skipped such addresses by foreign leaders because of scheduling conflicts.
“She should be here whether she likes the prime minister of Israel or not, whether she respects him or not, she should be here,” said Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, who organized a press conference with fellow Senate Republicans that largely focused on Harris’ absence from the speech.”It is a disgrace.”
Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice president nominee, is also skipping the speech to campaign.
“He’s not the sitting vice president of the United States,” Ernst said.
2 Senate committees will hold a hearing next week on the assassination attempt on Trump
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin announced the hearing on the Senate floor Wednesday, saying that the Judiciary panel will hold the joint hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
He said the committees will conduct a bipartisan investigation into the shooting.
The panels will hear from the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI, Durbin said, and they will also have a closed-door classified briefing. Witnesses have not yet been announced.
Mother of Israeli hostage slams delaying of negotiating team to cease-fire talks
The mother of an Israeli held hostage by Hamas in Gaza has slammed the delay of the Israeli negotiating team to cease-fire talks.
“Instead of announcing in Congress that he agrees to the deal on the table, Netanyahu is preventing the deal’s fruition because of personal considerations. Even if we hear of more hostages who died in the tunnels, he will continue his PR mission in the U.S. and will continue to drag his feet,” said Einav Zangauker, who has been a vocal critic of Netanyahu throughout the war. Her son Matan was taken hostage on Oct. 7.
Cease-fire negotiating team that was meant to depart has been delayed, Israeli official says
An Israeli official said Wednesday that a negotiating team meant to depart to continue cease-fire talks was delayed.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss developments in the sensitive talks, did not give a reason for the delay, saying the team would likely be dispatched next week.
More than 60 congressional Dems gather at the Capitol with families of Israeli hostages
In the bowels of the U.S. Capitol, a group of more than 60 congressional Democrats gathered with the families of Israeli hostages to bring light to their months of captivity and increase pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to abide by the terms of the cease-fire agreement that the U.S. is helping broker.
The event was marketed as alternative planning for Democrats who didn’t want to attend Netanyahu’s address to Congress later Wednesday afternoon.
“It is my hope that the Prime Minister will listen to you, will listen to the families and to the countless Americans who love and who support Israel and want to see a negotiated end to the fighting that makes an enduring peace possible,” said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, a senior Democrat who is boycotting the address.
Protestors demand Netanyahu’s arrest
Zeina Hutchinson, director of development for the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, on Wednesday read off the names of several Palestinian journalists killed by the Israeli military.
“We protest this homicidal maniac, his supporters and his enablers,” she shouted from the stage, referencing Netanyahu. “And we demand his arrest.”
She was among hundreds who gathered to protest near the U.S. Capitol.
More than 1,000
protestors line Pennsylvania Avenue
More than 1,000 people gathered Wednesday morning on Pennsylvania Avenue within sight of the U.S. Capitol building, with more streaming in from multiple directions.
Protesters carried signs branding Netanyahu a “war criminal” and several erected a large effigy of Biden with blood dripping from its mouth and devil horns.
The crowd chanted: “Biden Biden, you can’t hide/We charge you with genocide.”
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'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMzQxYmJmYTAtODViYy00%3AMjE2N2FjNjAtZjVkMy00%2Flier240811.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.