Latest news with #Biden2024
Fox News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Biden campaign tapped 24-year-old ‘social media whiz' to post president's dropout letter, new book reveals
Former President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign staffers scrambled to quickly roll out the then-president's announcement that he was dropping out of his reelection race on a Sunday afternoon in summer 2024, including tapping a "trusted" 24-year-old "social media whiz" to publish Biden's letter with little warning or details of the bombshell reveal, according to a new book reviewed by Fox News Digital. Biden, as well as former first lady Jill Biden, made a series of calls to White House officials and campaign staffers July 21, 2024, that he was set to announce he was dropping out of the race, including calls to then-Vice President Kamala Harris and chair of the campaign Jen O'Malley Dillon just hours before the news went public, according to the book "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America," which was published Tuesday. O'Malley Dillon reportedly took the news in tears before she called a campaign deputy to ready a public announcement on the election exit, the book reported. "O'Malley Dillon called one of her deputies, Rob Flaherty, but he didn't pick up," the book claims of that hectic Sunday afternoon. "He was walking in Wilmington's Alapocas Run State Park with his wife, Carla Frank, who oversaw the campaign's surrogate operation. The two were talking about the state of the campaign and speculating about what might happen if Biden did drop out. About midway into their hike, Frank started to scale a rock wall, and Flaherty looked down at his phone. He saw the missed call from O'Malley Dillon, swore, and called her back." "In forty-five minutes, we're going to post a letter and it says that he's going to drop out," she told him. "You can't tell anybody. Can you get to a computer?" Flaherty said he could be at his computer in 30 minutes, but O'Malley Dillon needed him online sooner, according to the book. The book detailed that Flaherty did not have access to the campaign's social media accounts despite overseeing "the campaign's digital efforts," and called on a 24-year-old staffer to assist with the massive announcement. "Flaherty oversaw the campaign's digital efforts but did not have access to the social media accounts," the book detailed. "He never actually posted from them. O'Malley Dillon asked if he had someone he trusted who could hit publish. Flaherty did. His name was Parker Butler, a twenty-four-year-old social media whiz. O'Malley Dillon approved, and Flaherty called Butler." The book continued of the pair's reported conversation: "'Are you near a computer?' he said. 'I'm going to send you a letter in about thirty minutes. I need you to post it in forty-five minutes on Twitter and Instagram and whatever.' He didn't tell him what the letter would say." Flaherty and his wife were, meanwhile, still attempting to find their way out of the woods during the dropout scramble and ultimately "sprinted up a hill and called an Uber," according to the book. As Flaherty passed the letter announcing the drop out to Butler for publication, Biden held a Zoom meeting with White House staffers announcing the decision. "Flaherty was in the Uber when he received the letter and passed it to Butler, around 1:35," the book found. "Around the same time, senior White House and campaign staff received an invite for a Zoom, at 1:45. As the staff logged on, Butler hit send on the letter." "Biden, with his camera off, told his team that he had decided not to run for reelection," the book continued. "Among those finding out for the first time was Anita Dunn, who'd been one of the campaign's top officials. Biden said a letter would be shared with the public shortly. It was already online." Biden announced his departure from the race via the letter that was posted to his social accounts at 1:46 p.m. July 21, 2024. "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President," the letter read. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term." Biden did not endorse Harris as his successor in the letter, but instead threw his support behind his vice president in a follow-up X post shortly thereafter. "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America," was published Tuesday and authored by Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of the New York Times and Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post. Biden's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the book and its claims on Tuesday afternoon.
Fox News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Biden's strange use of teleprompter in donor's home infuriated supporters, dashed expectations
Former President Joe Biden's persistent use of a teleprompter during public events, including during a fundraiser with just a couple dozen supporters, left donors complaining for months and dashed their expectations of hearing from the 46th president, a new book claims. "For most of the campaign, Biden only ever spoke with the assistance of a teleprompter, even for small private audiences," a new book, "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America," reported. "The presence of the machine made for extremely awkward interactions in intimate settings, and irked donors who had paid thousands of dollars for a personal view of the president, not expecting a canned speech they could see on TV." "He once read from a teleprompter in front of thirty people in the open kitchen of a Palo Alto mansion," the book continued. "Donors complained for months about the president's reliance on the machine. Aides defended the teleprompter as a tool to keep the famously garrulous president on schedule." "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America" was released Tuesday and authored by Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of the New York Times and Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post. It details the 2024 presidential campaign cycle, including Biden's cratering health issues. The book detailed that just days after Biden's disastrous June 2024 debate against President Donald Trump that opened the floodgates to typical Democrat supporters turning their backs on Biden ahead of the election, the president attended a campaign event at Virginia Democrat Rep. Dan Beyers' house without a teleprompter. The book claims Biden only spoke for about six minutes. "At Beyer's house, the campaign was eager to prove Biden could speak off the cuff. There was no teleprompter to be found. The president blamed his poor debate performance on a heavy travel schedule and said he 'almost fell asleep onstage.' He spoke for about six minutes," the book detailed. The word "teleprompter" appears in the new book a dozen times, mostly referencing the president's reliance on the machine, as well as concern among some staffers that using a teleprompter was crucial to the president avoiding the unexpected as his health deteriorated. "The officials who planned events at the White House tried to avoid any surprises or unpredictable situations. If the president was going to speak, he would go to the podium, deliver remarks from a teleprompter, and leave. There was no room for creativity or spontaneity," the book states in a section on how Biden had fallen during a commencement in 2023 and staff devised plans to prevent another public fall in the future. "Everyone could see the president was aging. He sometimes failed to recognize former staff at functions. Still, current aides insisted his decline was strictly physical, and even then they acknowledged it only by trying to Bubble Wrap the president and avoid any more catastrophes. Staff limited direct access to the president, keeping meetings with him small," the book continued. Biden entered his 2024 reelection cycle already racked by claims and concerns that his mental acuity had slipped and he was not mentally fit to continue serving as president, which was underscored by special counsel Robert Hur's report in February 2024 that rejected criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials, citing he was "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." Fox News has been reporting on Biden's apparent health decline since at least 2020. Biden brushed off the claims throughout 2024, until his debate against Trump in June of that year, when he was seen tripping over his words, speaking in a far more subdued tenor than during his vice presidency, and losing his train of thought at times. The debate opened the floodgates to criticism among Democrats that Biden should step aside and pass the mantle to a younger generation of Democrats. After weeks of the White House and campaign staffers vowing Biden would stay in the race and to "keep the faith," Biden announced in a social media post on a Sunday afternoon in July 2024 that he dropped out of the race. He endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris to run for the Oval Office, giving her just over 100 days to launch her own campaign that failed to rally enough support when up against Trump. Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's office regarding the claims in the new book, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Biden's reelection bid fell apart after he admitted ‘only thing' he cared about was Hunter avoiding jail
During a crucial month in former President Joe Biden's reelection bid, he allegedly said the 'only thing' he cared about was that his son Hunter Biden avoided jail, the authors of a new book claim. According to an excerpt of 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, published in the Wall Street Journal, Biden was 'distracted' by his son's legal battles, which coincided with a key moment in his doomed campaign. The former president was said to be 'devastated' by Hunter's legal troubles and months later, as one of his last acts in office, made the stunning move to pardon his son after his conviction on federal gun charges. June 2024 was a key period in Biden's reelection campaign - but the then-president suffered enormous setbacks that eventually derailed his bid for a second term. The former president didn't recognise his long-term friend and ally George Clooney at a star-studded fundraiser mid-way through the month, according to a tell-all book on his decline. The interaction, in part, is said to have influenced the actor's decision to pen an op-ed in calling for him to drop out the race. Then, two weeks later, Biden's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump caused further concern within his own party. While all of that was going on, the book's authors — The Journal's Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager of the New York Times, and the Washington Post's Isaac Arnsdorf — claim that Biden confided in a close friend: 'The only thing I care about is that my son is not convicted.' However, Hunter was equally concerned by his father's performance against Trump. 'Hunter watched the debate from his home in Los Angeles, and his reaction was 'What the f***?',' the book claims. 'He had never seen his father so out of it, and worried about his well-being. A few days later, when Hunter arrived at Camp David for a visit, he told his father, 'I love you' and 'Get some sleep.'' The next morning, Hunter's 'concerns had softened,' the book says. 'He thought Biden had just been exhausted during the debate…No one discussed Biden dropping out of the presidential race.' However, a few weeks later, as Biden was recovering from Covid and holding meetings to determine his future, Hunter called and said he would support whatever decision was made, but 'would sure love having' his father back, according to the book. The next day, the book claims, Biden dropped out of the race. The account is said to be based on interviews with 'more than a dozen prominent Democrats' working on Biden's campaign and within White House. The book, out next week on July 8, follows another explosive publication detailing the alleged cover-up of Biden's mental and physical decline while in office written by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson. It was released around the same time Biden announced that he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer. On December 1 last year, Biden issued a pardon to his son, who he said had been 'selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted' by the Justice Department. In a lengthy statement, he said he hoped the American people would understand his decision as a father. It came less than two weeks ahead of Hunter's sentencing for his conviction on federal gun charges. The pardon was a full reversal of the stance he took six months prior, when he announced publicly he would not pardon Hunter if he was convicted. It prompted widespread outrage amongst Republicans and Democrats, with many calling it 'an improper use of power.'
Fox News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
New book reveals what top ex-Biden aide was thinking during disastrous debate
President Joe Biden's former chief of staff and a fixture of his re-election campaign, Ron Klain, privately announced during Biden's disastrous debate performance: "We're f---ed." "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America," a new book released Tuesday by journalists Josh Dawsey of The Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of The New York Times and Isaac Arnsdor of The Washington Post, is the latest analysis of how Biden lost the White House. The authors described how, during the June 2024 debate, "Biden's aides winced as the president started answering the first question about the economy and voters who felt they were worse off under his presidency." And backstage, as Biden stumbled over an answer that questionably ended with, "We finally beat Medicare," back in the holding room, Klain stood up and announced, "We're f---ed," according to the authors. Mike Donilon, Bruce Reed and Klain were among those leading Biden's final prep ahead of the debate, according to the book. Despite Klain expressing doubt internally, Klain continued to defend the president amid calls from donors and politicians for Biden to step down. On June 30, 2024, Klain reshared an X post that urged Americans to ignore the "news reports" with "anonymous sources about Dem donors calling for Biden to withdraw." "We are the Democratic Party! These people don't get to decide to oust a pro-labor pro-people President," Klain said on July 4, 2024, in response to The New York Times reporting about the Democrats' pressure campaign against Biden. According to the book, after the debate, Klain called Jeff Zients, his successor as Biden's chief of staff, to say he was "disturbed that Biden was planning to spend the weekend at Camp David." "We have an emergency," Klain told Zients, according to the book. "We have a crisis on Capitol Hill, and the crisis is going to accelerate." But Zients insisted Biden was going to Camp David to be with his family, instead of Klain's plan to appease the progressive wing of the party with a bold second-term agenda. "I have no f---ing clue why he's going to Camp David this weekend," Klain said, according to the authors. "He needs to be working the phones, day and night." Even before the debate, when concerns about the first octogenarian president's ability to lead the country through a second term came to a boiling point, Klain had concerns, as portrayed in the book. Klain had overseen debate prep for every Democratic presidential candidate since 2004, according to the authors. Between Biden's cold, a shorter prep window than usual and staffers privately expressing concern, debate prep in Camp David did not quite go as planned, the authors claimed. "This is going to be really touch and go in Atlanta," Klain told Donilon and Reed ahead of the debate, according to the book. Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden's cognitive decline and his inner circle's alleged role in covering it up. When reached for comment, Klain told Fox News Digital, "I have nothing to add." Biden did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Biden aides pushed for early debate to show off Biden's ‘strength,' expose Trump's ‘weakness,' book says
Senior advisors to then-President Joe Biden reportedly urged him to hold a debate against President Donald Trump as early as possible in an attempt to highlight Biden's "leadership" and Trump's "weakness," according to a new book. The book, "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America," is set for release Tuesday and claims that Biden's team dismissed concerns about his age during the 2024 election cycle. The book, authored by Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of the New York Times and Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post, says Biden senior advisors wrote up a memo advocating an initial spring debate, followed by a potential second one in early September after Labor Day. Biden Family Misled Public, Concealed Details On Son Beau's Cancer Diagnosis, New Book Says This strategy would allow Biden to take on Trump before early voting in battleground states kicked off, set the terms of the debate most advantageous for Biden and highlight Biden's "leadership" in contrast to Trump's, according to a memo on the matter. "By holding the first debate in the spring, YOU will be able to reach the widest audience possible, before we are deep in the summer months with the conventions, Olympics and family vacations taking precedence," Biden's senior advisors reportedly wrote in an April 15, 2024, memo, published by Politico Playbook. "In addition, the earlier YOU are able to debate the better, so that the American people can see YOU standing next to Trump and showing the strength of YOUR leadership, compared to Trump's weakness and chaos." Read On The Fox News App Biden's First Public Remarks Since Cancer Diagnosis Honor Gold Star Families Even so, the book reports that some Biden aides were hesitant about an early debate, with some even advocating that Biden shouldn't debate Trump at all. Specifically, the book cites a Biden donor who pressed the White House in May 2024 to find a reason to pull Biden from the debates, after the donor reported being "alarmed" by Biden's behavior at a Chicago fundraiser. Meanwhile, the Trump White House said the debate backfired on Biden, and instead, shed light on Biden's own weaknesses. "The only highlight from the debate was Joe Biden's inability (to) form a complete sentence," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a Monday statement to Fox News Digital. "American voters got a firsthand look at Biden's weakness, his campaign in chaos, and what it looks like when real leader is missing from the White House." "Unfortunately for the Democrats, no adviser or so-called 'strategic' move could save their incompetent candidates and terrible policies from President Trump's historic, landslide victory," Rogers said. A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Biden Says He Could 'Beat The Hell Out Of' Authors Of New Book Arguing His Cognitive Decline Biden and Trump ultimately did face off in a debate on June 27, 2024 – an event that prompted Biden to exit the election in July 2024 and led to Vice President Kamala Harris to take on Trump in November 2024. "2024" is one of several books that have been released in 2025 detailing Biden's mental deterioration while in office and how Trump won the election. Another example is the book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," released May article source: Biden aides pushed for early debate to show off Biden's 'strength,' expose Trump's 'weakness,' book says
