The following is an edited transcript of Ben Shapiro’s latest episode of “Facts: What Happens If Biden Resigns?“ Joe Biden stepping down from the Democratic nomination but remaining president is the worst case scenario for the Democrats politically. This decision leaves the next nominee carrying Biden’s baggage without ever assuming the power of the presidency. How exactly can that happen? First, there is no real mechanism to have forced Joe Biden off the ticket if he didn’t want to go. The so-called fateful delegate rule was put in place by the Democratic National Committee in 1980 to prevent delegates pledged to then-President Jimmy Carter from defecting to Senator Ted Kennedy. Current Democratic National Committee language says, “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.” Theoretically, that could be interpreted to allow delegates to abandon Biden, but now, that is not necessary. Since, however, Biden has withdrawn his candidacy before the DNC, the delegates pledged to him are now free to support another candidate. He can recommend his delegates follow Kamala Harris, but they’re not bound to his wishes. They don’t have to do what he wants them to do. The DNC rules allow for a conscience clause where delegates can vote their conscience if a nominee steps down. Since the delegates are free, intense lobbying and campaigning will follow. It has established rules for such scenarios. With Biden stepping down as presumptive nominee after securing the nomination but before the election, the DNC will convene and select a new nominee. That process will involve consultation with Democratic governors, congressional leaders, and party officials to ensure a smooth transition. But it could lead to significant internal conflicts within the Democratic Party, going all the way to the convention in Chicago, ironically. Debates will arise whether Vice President Harris should be the nominee or if other candidates should be considered.  The Democratic Party will also need to manage the optics of Biden stepping down as nominee, which will most likely lead to disarray and could weaken voter confidence in the Democrats generally. Historic incidents, such as when Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic nominee in 1968 after Lyndon Baines Johnson decided not to run, show how critical the party’s handling of such transitions can be. WATCH: Ben Shapiro’s “Facts: What Happens If Biden Resigns?” on DailyWire+ The new nominee will face the challenge of quickly building a campaign, fundraising, and establishing a platform which could put them at a disadvantage considering that there’s not a lot of time left before the election. Kamala Harris does have an advantage since she will presumably use the same campaign infrastructure as the Biden Harris campaign. Legally, she can do that. Ensuring a smooth and transparent transition would be crucial to maintaining voter confidence for the Democrats as well. The political dynamics within the party will be really, really complex. This truncated campaign period between now and the convention will require rapid mobilization and strategic planning to unify the party and appeal to the broader electorate. The nominee’s ability to quickly establish something that resembles at least a clear and compelling vision will be important. This would involve not only addressing current issues, but also articulating a forward looking agenda that voters actually care about. Good luck with that, Democrats. The current Democratic possibilities have relatively low name recognition other than Kamala Harris — and people don’t like Kamala Harris. In fact, Harris has bad poll numbers. That’s one of the main reasons Democrats have been so hesitant to try to force Biden out. Biden stepping down not only from the nomination, but also from the presidency, has always been a less likely scenario because Biden seems unlikely to give up the power, which is what we are seeing now. However, it is still a possibility, especially because it’s really difficult to make the case that Biden isn’t well enough to be the nominee, but he’s still well enough to be the most powerful person on the planet. According to the Presidential Succession Act and the 25th Amendment, if Biden resigns the office of the presidency, then Vice President Harris immediately assumes the presidency. The process is clear cut and has historical precedents. When Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 amidst Watergate, for example, Vice President Gerald Ford became president. They nominated Nelson Rockefeller as his vice president and Rockefeller was confirmed by Congress. The transition is straightforward from a constitutional perspective as well. The 25th Amendment ensures a smooth transfer of power preventing any potential vacuum in leadership. Newly assumed President Harris would nominate a vice president, who would have to be confirmed by a majority vote in both the House and the Senate. That process is designed to ensure continuity and stability in the executive branch. Furthermore, the 25th Amendment provides a mechanism for dealing with presidential disabilities. If it were confirmed Biden stepped down due to health reasons, this amendment ensures Harris can assume the duties of the presidency seamlessly. This aspect of the amendment was added after the assassination of JFK to address potential gaps in leadership continuity. WATCH: Ben Shapiro’s three part series: “Scamala: Kamala Harris Unmasked” on DailyWire+ Politically, Harris transitioning to the presidency would shift the dynamics within the Democratic Party and the broader political landscape. Her policy priorities and leadership style differ from Biden’s. It would more likely lead to changes in administrative focus. Public reaction would vary. A lot of people would, of course, celebrate the historic first female president. Others could react with skepticism based on the fact that, again, she has an incredibly low approval rating of 38%. Historical context, like LBJ’s assumption of the presidency after JFK’s assassination in 1963, shows really mixed reactions to sudden changes in leadership. Johnson’s leadership during a turbulent time does provide a blueprint for how Harris might navigate the initial phase of her presidency. Harris would also face the challenge of building her credibility as the new president. Obviously, she has significant shortcomings: her inability in the past to manage crises, implement policies, and maintain bipartisan cooperation. She, again, has real problems as a politician. Harris would then, of course, become the presumptive Democratic nominee because it’s one thing to toss away the vice president, but it’s another thing to toss away the president. That would influence voter perception and party strategy. Historical precedents such as when President Ford took over from Nixon in the later facing election challenge from Jimmy Carter show that new presidents can face immediate and significant electoral hurdles, although that election ended up very close and Gerald Ford almost won. We’ll have to hold on to the lap bar and see where this rollercoaster takes us.

“West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin suggested in a Sunday op-ed that the Democratic Party could win if they nominated a Republican — and not just any Republican: 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Sorkin’s guest essay, titled “How I Would Script This Moment for Biden and the Democrats,” ran in Sunday’s edition of The New York Times — and went live before President Joe Biden announced that he planned to “stand down” and exit the 2024 presidential race, endorsing his own Vice President Kamala Harris a short time later. The longtime television writer began with a reference to the hit drama series, and explained how the current political climate — and his desperation to ensure a loss for former President Donald Trump — called for a bit of a rewrite. Aaron Sorkin says the Democrats should choose Mitt Romney as their Biden replacement: pic.twitter.com/nr8JNEuJKJ — Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) July 21, 2024 “The problem in the real world is that there isn’t a Democrat who is polling significantly better than Mr. Biden. And quitting, as heroic as it may be in this case, doesn’t really put a lump in our throats,” Sorkin wrote. “But there’s something the Democrats can do that would not just put a lump in people’s throats with its appeal to stop-Donald-Trump-at-all-costs unity, but with its originality and sense of sacrifice. So here’s my pitch to the writers’ room: The Democratic Party should pick a Republican.” “At their convention next month, the Democrats should nominate Mitt Romney,” Sorkin continued, arguing that such a move would convince the American people that the Democratic Party truly valued country over party. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Nominating Mr. Romney would be putting our money where our mouth is: a clear and powerful demonstration that this election isn’t about what our elections are usually about it, but about stopping a deranged man from taking power. Surely Mr. Romney, who doesn’t have to be introduced to voters, would peel off enough Republican votes to win, probably by a lot,” he said. “Does Mr. Romney support abortion rights? No. Does he want to aggressively raise the minimum wage, bolster public education, strengthen unions, expand transgender rights and enact progressive tax reform? Probably not,” Sorkin conceded, but he went on to say that those things didn’t matter as much as making sure that there was no way for Trump to win. Sorkin concluded by taking creative license to the history of January 6th for his own purposes, adding, “But is he a cartoon thug who did nothing but watch TV while the mob he assembled beat and used Tasers on police officers? No. The choice is between Donald Trump and not-Trump, and the not-Trump candidate needs only one qualification: to win enough votes from a cross section of Americans to close off the former president’s Electoral College path back to power.” Despite his op-ed, following Biden’s Sunday afternoon announcement that he would no longer seek the Democratic nomination, and his endorsing of Vice President Kamala Harris, Sorkin stated that he was supporting the VP. “I take it all back. Harris for America!”

Former President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the Republican Party deserved to be “reimbursed for fraud” after the Democratic Party and media surrogates forced them to spend millions campaigning against President Joe Biden despite knowing full well that he could not make it through another four years in office. Trump made the statement in a Truth Social post several hours after Biden announced his plan to “stand down” from the 2024 presidential election and to throw his support and endorsement behind his Vice President Kamala Harris instead. “So, we are forced to spend time and money on fighting Crooked Joe Biden, he polls badly after having a terrible debate, and quits the race. Now we have to start all over again,” Trump said. “Shouldn’t the Republican Party be reimbursed for fraud in that everybody around Joe, including his doctors and the Fake News Media, knew he was not capable of running for, or being, President? Just askin’?” The former president had just posted a short time earlier about the second debate — which had been scheduled to air in September on ABC — and argued that it should air on Fox News instead. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “My debate with Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the history of the United States, was slated to be broadcast on Fake News ABC, the home of George Slopadopolus, sometime in September,” he posted. “Now that Joe has, not surprisingly, has quit the race, I think the Debate, with whomever the Radical Left Democrats choose, should be held on FoxNews, rather than very biased ABC. Thank you!” While Biden and a number of powerful Democrats — including former President Bill Clinton and two-time nominee Hillary Clinton— have joined Biden in endorsing Harris, others have objected to the idea that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) could ignore the voters and “anoint” Harris without their input.

This fall, Reba McEntire is returning to The Voice and starring in a new sitcom called Happy’s Place, and she’s hoping her shows collide for an epic crossover. The singer and actress spoke to TV Insider recently and admitted how exciting it would be to get all of her castmates together on the set of Happy’s Place. As she told the publication, the two sets are right next door to each other. So, getting her fellow coaches on board shouldn’t be too hard. And if they could get everyone to agree to a crossover, she’d do it “in a skinny minute.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by NBC's The Voice (@nbcthevoice) “Snoop wants to be on the show. Michael Bublé wants to be on the show,” she said. “Gwen will just come visit. She didn’t say she wanted to be on the show.” Reba McEntire’s Co-Star Is Determined To Get Gwen Stefani On “Happy’s Place” Crossover Reba McEntire’s former Reba co-star Melissa Peterman will also be starring in Happy’s Place, and she’s convinced Gwen would make a cameo as soon as she realizes how fun the cast is. “She’ll want to [be on the show],” she said. “When she comes and hangs out, she’ll want to.” “Maybe Gwen could play my sister!” she added. “I said that because I want everyone to think that we look a lot alike. She’s just awesome.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Reba (@reba) Happy’s Place stars Reba as Bobbie, a woman who inherits her late father’s restaurant and learns she has a half-sister, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo), whom she never knew about. Melissa Peterman stars as Bobbie’s best friend and bartender, Gabby. Reba’s real-life boyfriend, Rex Linn, is also starring in the show as a cook named Emmett. The Voice Season 26 premieres on NBC on October 18 at 8/7 C. Happy’s Place begins on September 23 at 8/7 C on NBC. This story’s featured image is by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images. The post Reba McEntire Is Gunning For A “Happy’s Place” And “The Voice” Crossover appeared first on InspireMore.

'We're so damn excited now'

'Kamala should invoke the 25th Amendment'

Harris said she is 'honored' to be backed by Biden

Who is most likely to replace President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket now that he has stepped aside in the presidential race? Biden announced Sunday that he was dropping out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take on former President Donald Trump.  “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden wrote on X. Even with Biden’s endorsement of Harris, however, the Democrat Party has no legal obligation to support Biden’s preferred replacement for him on the ticket. Biden’s Republican challenger, Trump, was quick to comment. “Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve—And never was!” Trump wrote in a statement posted on Truth Social. “He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement.” This is, by far, the latest in a presidential race that a sitting president has decided not to run. This is the closest to Election Day that a sitting U.S. President has ever announced they won’t seek re-election. From our researchers at @FoxNews:– Biden: 107 days– LBJ: 219 days– Harry Truman: 220 days– Calvin Coolidge: 462 days— Grady Trimble (@Grady_Trimble) July 21, 2024 The nation is in unprecedented territory here. Democrats already have held their primary elections across America. The result was a resounding victory for Biden in a virtually uncontested race. Their options are now limited. The party can’t hold another primary and the Democratic National Convention, set to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago, is just around the corner. The last time a Democrat incumbent dropped out of a reelection bid was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. But Johnson, bogged down in the Vietnam War, stepped aside with 219 days before the election.  In that scenario, Democrats still had time to hold primary elections. They eventually chose Johnson’s vice president, Hubert Humphrey, but the party’s left flank was deeply disaffected by the Johnson administration’s conduct of the war. Protests, riots, and clashes with police rocked the 1968 Democratic National Convention, also held in August in Chicago. Former Vice President Richard Nixon, the Republican candidate, eventually won a resounding 301-191 Electoral College victory over Humphrey; American Independent Party candidate George Wallace took 46 votes in the Electoral College. Will we see history repeat itself? The anti-Israel protesters who’ve been disrupting cities and college campuses weren’t too happy with Biden, and it remains to be seen how they will respond to a new candidate. Biden’s 3,896 pledged convention delegates are free to vote for a replacement at the DNC. The total number of Democratic delegates is 3,949, so the president had nearly all of them. If the delegates don’t reach a majority decision with 1,976 votes on a nominee, the party’s so-called superdelegates, over 700 of them, will decide who to nominate. Superdelegates are party leaders, and the list typically consists of officeholders and former officeholders. That convention process leaves the field open in a limited sense. To get into the running at the convention, a candidate would have to receive over 300 signatures from delegates. Only a maximum of 50 delegates may come from individual state delegations. Several names have been floated besides Harris as potential replacements for Biden at the top of the ticket. A CBS/YouGov poll reported last week that Trump leads Harris 51% to 48% in a hypothetical match-up by popular vote. But Forbes reports that the Democratic polling firm Bendixen & Amandi showed Harris could beat Trump 42% to 41%. The same survey found that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom both trail Trump. Here’s a rundown of Democrats most likely to replace the president on the ballot. Gavin Newsom Moments after the end of the disastrous presidential debate June 27, reporters began asking Newsom if he would become the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 5 election. Newson maintained then that the Democrat Party already had its candidate and reaffirmed his support for Biden. But with Biden now out, California’s governor is on a short list of possible candidates to lead the party forward.  As head of a big blue state, Newsom is viewed as a leader in the effort to advance the Democrats’ leftist agenda on issues such as transgenderism and abortion.  The California governor has been active on the campaign trail in support of Biden. Following Biden’s announcement that he will not run, Newsom called Biden “an extraordinary, history-making president—a leader who has fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results for all Americans.”  “He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents,” Newsom added.  President Biden has been an extraordinary, history-making president — a leader who has fought hard for working people and delivered astonishing results for all Americans. He will go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents.Thank you, @JoeBiden. https://t.co/HMUMEB1fTl— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 21, 2024 ABC News reports that Newsom polled 39% to Trump’s 42% in an Ipsos poll, and trailed Trump by about 5 percentage points in a CNN poll.  Gretchen Whitmer  Michigan native Gretchen Whitmer has been the state’s governor since 2019. She previously served in both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate.  Like Newsom, Whitmer has been floated for weeks as a possible pick to replace Biden on the ballot in November.  Moments after Biden announced his withdrawal from the race, Whitmer issued a statement thanking him for being “a great public servant who knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump.” “My job in this election will remain the same,” Whitmer continued, “doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda of raising families’ costs, banning abortion nationwide, and abusing the power of the White House to settle his own scores is completely wrong for Michigan.” President Biden is a great public servant who knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump. His remarkable work to lower prescription drug costs, fix the damn roads, bring supply chains home, address climate change, and ensure America’s global leadership over…— Gretchen Whitmer (@gretchenwhitmer) July 21, 2024 Trump called Whitmer a “terrible governor” during a campaign rally Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a week after an attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally. The Republican nominee added that he would “like to run against her.” Trump, like many Republicans, has criticized Whitmer for the extensive COVID-19 lockdown measures she implemented during the pandemic. The Michigan governor lifted restrictions on the size of gatherings and required use of face masks in June 2021.  In 2020, law enforcement foiled a plot against Whitmer, charging six men in federal court for conspiring to kidnap the governor.  Kamala Harris At this point, the most likely person to replace Biden on Democrats’ ticket is Harris. Before she became vice president, Harris served as a California senator and as the state’s attorney general. She ran in the 2020 Democrat presidential primary but bowed out of that race with low polling numbers before the first state voted. Biden picked her as his running mate even though she essentially called him a racist in a primary debate. After their election in 2020, Biden appointed Harris in 2021 to investigate the “root causes” of illegal immigration from Central America. Since that time, a historic number of illegal crossings has occurred at the southern border, mostly by people from Central and South America. The inside track to Democrats’ nomination likely goes to Harris for a few significant reasons besides just polling data. First, the endorsement from Biden, which would presumably have some influence over the president’s own delegates. Endorsements from other party elites are rolling in too. That list now includes former first lady, senator, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump in 2016 and lost. The Clintons announced Sunday that they would back Harris.  The second significant reason Harris takes the nomination is that she more easily gains access to over $91 million raised by the Biden-Harris reelection campaign. In a commentary for Fox News published Friday, Heritage Foundation legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky did an excellent breakdown of what would happen to the Biden campaign cash should the president drop out of the race. It’s worth a read. In short, if Harris is the nominee, she gets all the money banked by the Joe Biden for President Committee. Another candidate would have only limited access to that money. “Biden for President would be limited to giving no more than a $2,000 contribution to the new presidential nominee’s campaign committee,” von Spakovsky wrote. The Biden for President committee could give its money to the Democratic National Committee, which could then use the money “to support their federal, state, and local candidates,” von Spakovsky explained. However, due to spending limits in the law, the Democratic National Committee could contribute only $32.4 million to an alternative presidential candidate’s campaign. “A party committee could make independent expenditures regarding the presidential campaign, but it could not make unlimited coordinated expenditures of the newly transferred funds,” Heritage’s expert on election law wrote. Even with those advantages, there is no guarantee that Harris will get the nod when the Democratic National Convention gathers in Chicago. Another candidate, even a dark horse, could emerge in what has certainly been one of the most chaotic presidential races in American history. The post Who Will Replace Biden as Democrats’ Presidential Candidate? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Illegal Migrants in Boston Scramble in Fear of Trump

Dropping out of the race was the first step, but given his rapid mental decline, he should take the logical next step.