The White House News

President Biden told a group of world leaders that California Gov. Gavin Newsom “could have the job I’m looking for” if he wanted, amid a low approval rating and discontent within his own party.

“I want to talk about Governor Newsom. I want to thank him. He’s been one hell of a governor, man,” Biden said Wednesday during a welcome reception for APEC Leaders in San Francisco. “Matter of fact, he could be anything he wants. He could have the job I’m looking for.”

Biden’s eyebrow-raising comment was made at “the most significant event with world leaders in San Francisco in recent history,” according to the APEC 2023 website for the event.

Newsom recently elevated rumors of running a “shadow campaign” amid trips to Israel amid its war with Hamas, before heading to China late last month to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

LIBERAL COLUMNSITS, DEMS PILE ON BIDEN, SUGGEST DEMOCRATS EMBRACE NEW CANDIDATE AMID DISMAL POLLS

“The track record is not good for him to be gallivanting around the world doing basically a shadow campaign for president, just waiting for the moment when they finally decide to throw Biden under the bus,” Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital amid Newsom’s travels.

LaMalfa added that Biden is the “starter” and Newsom is the “backup quarterback” in the 2024 race, as more Democrats vocalize their concern over the strength of a Biden nomination.

“I don’t think the president should run,” former Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan recently told CNN. “I don’t think Trump should run; I don’t think President Biden should run.”

David Axelrod, a former President Obama advisor, also questioned whether a Biden nomination would be the wisest choice for the Democratic Party next cycle.

“Only @JoeBiden can make this decision,” Axelrod posted on social media. “If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it’s in HIS best interest or the country’s?” 

FETTERMAN HITS NEWSOM FOR NOT HAVING ‘GUTS’ TO ADMIT HE’S RUNNING SHADOW CAMPAIGN AGAINST BIDEN

An anonymous former state lawmaker in Michigan suggested Biden is a “transitional president.”

“It feels like he was the perfect person for 2020. But not for 2024,” a former Democratic state lawmaker, whose name was not revealed, told The Wall Street Journal. “He’s a transitional president, and you have to know when to transition, and it is now.”

While some Democrats are calling for Biden to step aside, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., accused Newsom of running a shadow campaign and not having the “guts to announce it.”

“Let me say something that might be uncomfortable,” Fetterman said at a Democratic Party dinner in Iowa. “Right now there are two additional Democrats running for Pennsylvania, excuse me, running for president right now. One, one is a congressman from Minnesota. The other one is the governor of California. They’re both running for president, but only one had the guts to announce it.”

Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez told reporters on the eve of the second Republican presidential nomination debate in September that Newsom has been a “tremendous asset to the campaign, and we’re really grateful to have him as part of our national advisory board.”

Newsom has said he would not run against Biden in 2024, but should the president drop out of the race, Axios predicts potential Democratic alternatives are positioning themselves to jump in the race.

“Democratic governors and senators are quietly moving to boost their national profiles and position themselves to run for president in 2028 — or in 2024, if President Biden unexpectedly drops out,” Axios reported in a recent story.

As many Democrats and strategists express concern over a 2024 Biden campaign, Fox News and Quinnipiac University surveys, both dropped Wednesday, reveal 59% of voters currently disapprove of Biden’s job performance as president.

A recent CNN poll also found Biden trailing Trump by four percentage points, 49%-45%, among registered voters in a hypothetical 2024 matchup.

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and spiritual guru Marianne Williamson are both running in the primary against Biden, who will turn 81 years old on Nov. 20 and continue making history as the oldest American president to-date.

Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s, R-Ala., colleagues pleaded on the Senate floor early Thursday morning – from midnight until nearly 4 a.m. – to drop his objection to military promotions, which has placed more than 400 positions in limbo for nine months, over the Pentagon’s abortion policy 

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Todd Young, R-Ind., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, again tried to push a batch of distinguished nominees to top military leadership positions through the Senate just two weeks after their first attempt. 

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a staunch supporter of Tuberville, objected. 

“Senators Sullivan and Ernst are making some great tributes to generals and admirals whose confirmations have been delayed,” Lee posted to X just before 2:30 a.m. on Thursday. “I wish they’d blame President Biden even half as much as they’re – quite unfairly – blaming Sen. Tuberville.” 

SENATE DEMOCRATS ADVANCE MEASURE TO CIRCUMVENT TUBERVILLE’S MILITARY HOLDS 

The DOD’s abortion policy – which pays for some expenses incurred by an abortion procedure for service members – was implemented without approval from Congress after the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.

Tuberville has argued the policy violates the 1976 Hyde Amendment, which limits the use of federal funds to pay for abortion services except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at risk. 

On the floor, Graham appealed to Tuberville’s opposition to the policy and signaled his pro-life advocacy, but he opposed the blockade. Instead, he championed taking the policy to court. 

“Generally speaking in America, when you get a legal dispute, you go to court,” Graham said Thursday morning. “The DoD general counsel has a memo it doesn’t violate the Hyde Amendment. I think they’re wrong. But we’re not a court of law here.”

TUBERVILLE NOT BUDGING ON MILITARY HOLDS OVER ABORTION POLICY AS DEMS EYE RULES CHANGE

The GOP lawmakers took turns praising some of the military leaders awaiting promotions and reading their biographies, and argued they are being “held hostage” by objections to a policy that they have no control over.

“We need to fix the policy that – the abortion policy – that we all disagree with here,” Sullivan said. “There’s a number of ways that we can do it. Again, I worked with Sen. Tuberville on ways to do that. And I do agree with my colleagues here. This was started and provoked by the Biden administration, but punishing these 450 members and their families is not the best way to go about doing that.”

Ernst said she and her colleagues are “all pro-life” but appealed to Graham’s suggestion of changing the policy through the court. 

“There has to be another way to overturn this policy,” Ernst said. “That’s our jobs, it’s not the jobs of these nominees. It’s our job to make sure the policy is right.”

Tuberville remained seated at his desk while Lee defended the objection. The debacle occurred just after the Senate voted to pass the House’s bill to keep some government programs funded until staggered deadlines in January and February.

TUBERVILLE TO MAINTAIN HOLD ON MILITARY NOMINEES OVER PENTAGON ABORTION POLICY

“We’ve been asked the question over and over again, why punish the innocent?” Lee said on the floor. “Indeed, why punish the innocent? You know who’s innocent? Babies. You know who doesn’t have a voice in the Senate? Babies. You know who can’t speak for themselves? Babies.”

“How many future admirals are going to be aborted by this policy by the Pentagon itself?” he added. 

Democrat senators on the Rules Committee advanced a resolution Tuesday to circumvent Tuberville and confirm the military promotions. The resolution heads to a full floor vote and will need nine Republicans to vote alongside Democrats to codify the measure.

New York’s highest court heard arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit that could reshape congressional districts in the state, which is expected to be a key battleground next year in the fight for control of the U.S. House.

The Court of Appeals hearing in Buffalo came as Democrats want to scrap the state’s district lines after losing congressional seats that helped Republicans win a narrow majority last year.

Democrats want the maps to be redrawn in a way that will give the party an edge in 2024. Republicans are trying to keep the current district lines in place.

NEW YORK’S LEGAL BID TO REDRAW HOUSE MAP COULD DECIDE CONTROL OF CHAMBER

DRAFT OF NY CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING MAP ‘ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL’ FOR DEMS

The case could have major ramifications for the coming elections, where Republicans’ control of the House is set to be tested by races in New York and other states where redistricting battles could sway seats in favor of either party.

“New York is being looked at as one state that can provide more congressional opportunities,” said New York Law School professor Jeffrey Wice, adding “each of these court battles matter as Democrats try to win their way back to a majority.”

The lawsuit follows a bungled redistricting effort by Democrats for the 2022 elections.

The maps used in last year’s elections were supposed to be drawn by an independent, bipartisan commission that was established by voters to remove politics from the redistricting process. But Republicans and Democrats on the commission could not reach a consensus and eventually gave up, allowing the Democrat-controlled Legislature to draw its own map.

That map was expected to give Democrats a major edge by clustering Republican voters into a few GOP super districts, while diluting their voting power in the rest of the state.

A legal challenge stopped the Democrats’ plan though.

The Court of Appeals ruled that the state Legislature hadn’t followed proper procedure in adopting the maps. A judge instead had an independent expert draw a new set of congressional lines that, along with strong GOP turnout, led to Republicans flipping seats in the New York City suburbs and gaining control of the House.

Now, Democrats want the Court of Appeals to restart the redistricting process.

They argued that the maps should be redrawn by the commission, following a set of procedures in state law, rather than reusing the court-drawn map from last year.

Republicans said the court’s expert came up with politically balanced districts that shouldn’t be discarded.

“They’re asking for a do-over to try and gerrymander the state again, and it really flies in the face of common sense,” said John Faso, a former congressman who is advising other Republicans in the case.

Judges on the Court of Appeals applied heavy scrutiny to both sides during the almost two-hour long hearing Wednesday, which centered on the interpretation of constitutional questions that have lingered over the current map. It is unclear exactly when the Court of Appeals will issue a decision in the case.

NEW YORK’S HIGHEST COURT STRIKES DOWN DEMS’ ‘PARTISAN’ REDISTRICTING IN ‘BIG TIME’ DEFEAT

Similar redistricting fights are still playing out in other states.

Nationwide, Democrats have dedicated major financial and organizational resources to retake districts in New York next year. Republicans are aiming to hold onto the seats, focusing on issues such as crime and the arrival of migrants that they hope will animate suburban voters.

About a week ago, many looked to New York’s election results for clues about how suburban areas around the country may vote next year.

Republicans, who won all four congressional races on Long Island in 2022, continued their streak there with wins in county executive races. Democrats, meanwhile, notched wins in suburbs north of the city.

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans announced Thursday that they are probing the Biden administration over its proposed menthol cigarette ban, which is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

In a letter to senior White House officials, House Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, R-Texas, and Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., expressed concern about the proposed regulations and listed a series of questions about the rulemaking process. They urged the administration to consider the proposal’s “significant economic impacts on small entities” and potential “fueling of illicit markets” that would result.

“Unfortunately, the Biden administration has proposed another rule that would disproportionally harm our nation’s small businesses,” Williams — who led the letter to Office of Management & Budget Director Shalanda Young and Office of Information & Regulatory Affairs Administrator Richard Revesz — told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“Banning menthol cigarettes would result in an estimated loss of $2 billion dollars in sales at convenience stores across the country and would simply create a black market for these products,” he continued. “It is my hope that Director Young and Administrator Revesz reject this rule and allow small business to operate without government interference.”

CONSERVATIVE GROUP UNLEASHES 6-FIGURE AD CAMPAIGN TARGETING BIDEN’S MENTHOL CIGARETTE BAN

Williams and Meuser noted in their letter that, under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, agencies are required to analyze proposed rules and assess whether they will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses. They added that the federal government’s analysis showed such a significant impact, supporting data released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

According to the NACS, which sent a letter to President Biden opposing the proposal on Nov. 8, the rule would lead to a reduction of $72,285 a year in non-tobacco sundry sales and $160,107 a year in tobacco product sales for the average convenience store nationwide. Overall, the convenience industry would collectively lose $2.16 billion in sales.

BIDEN ADMIN’S PROPOSED MENTHOL CIGARETTE BAN COULD BECOME LIABILITY IN 2024: ‘UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES’

“Prohibition has never worked,” Javier Palomarez, the president and CEO of the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC), another group opposing the proposal, said in a statement this week. “The proposed menthol ban flies in the face of American voters and is poised to dismantle a sizable portion of our economy as tax-paying, law-abiding and job-creating convenience stores rely on these products for 30% of their sales.”

“Further, the tobacco industry as a whole supports over 600,000 jobs and $40 billion in wages. This economic activity contributes over $45 billion annually in federal and state taxes, a significant amount of which goes to fund our public schools,” said Palomarez. “The ban will also create an illegal market, shifting sales and revenue away from innocent, small businesses and hand Mexican cartels a new revenue source.”

In April 2022, the FDA issued product standards to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors other than tobacco in cigars. The agency said the move would reduce disease and death from tobacco product use by reducing youth experimentation and addiction, and increasing the number of smokers that quit.

Tobacco smoking remains the lead cause of preventable death nationwide, according to the FDA. In proposing the rules, the FDA cited its congressional authority to adopt tobacco product standards.

EX-LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS WARN BIDEN’S MENTHOL CIGARETTE BAN COULD ‘CREATE A VACUUM’ FOR MEXICAN CARTELS

Last month, the FDA sent the proposed regulations to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review, a final step in finalizing and eventually implementing the menthol cigarette ban. Brian King, the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, previously told Fox News Digital that the move means the proposal reached its “final step of review for regulatory documents.”

“The proposed rules would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said after the rule was proposed. “Additionally, the proposed rules represent an important step to advance health equity by significantly reducing tobacco-related health disparities.” 

In addition to NACS and USHBC, regional organizations representing convenience store operators, and other national business groups like the Convenience Distribution Association have lined up in opposition to the proposal. Lawmakers including Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., have also pushed back on the regulations.

Menthol cigarettes represent 34% of total cigarette sales, and flavored cigars account for 51% of cigar sales in convenience stores, NACS data showed. In addition, consumers who purchased menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars also purchased $10.7 billion in other non-tobacco products during visits to convenience stores last year.

Additionally, a Tax Foundation analysis conducted in 2022 concluded the restriction would cost the federal government $1.9 billion and state governments a total of $4.7 billion, given the high tax rates on cigarettes.

However, proponents of the proposed action said it could lead to reduced tobacco use and ensure positive health outcomes.

“Once finalized, rules to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars rule will be the most significant actions that the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products has taken in its 14-year history. The American Lung Association is eager for these lifesaving rules to be implemented and urges the White House to finalize these rules before the end of the year,” American Lung Association CEO and President Harold Wimmer said last month.

“The science and data are clear. Ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will save lives,” Wimmer continued. “It will also help reduce the unjust disparities in tobacco use caused by the tobacco companies targeting certain communities with menthol cigarettes.”

The NAACP, 100 Black Men of America Inc., U.S. Conference of Mayors and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids have also signaled support for the FDA’s proposal.

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election in the wake of a House ethics report. 

“If there was a single ounce of ETHICS in the ‘Ethics committee’, they would have not released this biased report. The Committee went to extraordinary lengths to smear myself and my legal team about me not being forthcoming (My legal bills suggest otherwise),” Santos wrote on X. “It is a disgusting politicized smear that shows the depths of how low our federal government has sunk. Everyone who participated in this grave miscarriage of Justice should all be ashamed of themselves. We the People desperately need an Article V Constitutional Convention.”

“I will continue on my mission to serve my constituents up until I am allowed. I will however NOT be seeking re-election for a second term in 2024 as my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time,” he wrote. “Public service life was never a goal or a dream, but I stepped up to the occasion when I felt my country needed it most. I will 100% continue to maintain my commitment to my conservative values in my remaining time in Congress.”

Santos also said, “We are quickly approaching $34 trillion dollars in debt, the government is continuously on the verge of a shutdown, our southern border is wide open, our current President is the head of an influence peddling crime family, and all this Congress wants to do is attack their political enemies with tit for tat unconstitutional censures, impeachments, expulsions and ethics investigations. THE TIME IS NOW FOR THE STATES TO RISE UP AND COMMENCE AN ARTICLE V CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION!”

 “I’ve come to expect vitriol like this from political opposition but not from the hallowed halls of public service,” he wrote. “I will remain steadfast in fighting for my rights and for defending my name in the face of adversity. I am humbled yet again and reminded that I am human and I have flaws, but I will not stand by as I am stoned by those who have flaws themselves.”

This is a developing news story. Check back for updates.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is leading renewed calls for President Biden to support a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas over the “grave violations” being committed against children in the war. 

“We write to you to express deep concern about the intensifying war in Gaza, particularly grave violations against children, and our fear that without an immediate cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a robust bilateral ceasefire, this war will lead to a further loss of civilian life and risk dragging the United States into dangerous and unwise conflict with armed groups across the Middle East,” the progressive lawmaker wrote.

She and 23 other progressives wrote to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, asking for details on the U.S. plan to de-escalate tension in the region. 

They cited figures from both Israel and the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza about how many children have been killed or abducted since Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing hundreds of civilians.

PRO-PALESTINIAN VIOLENT PROTEST ERUPTS OUTSIDE DNC HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON DC, CAPITOL POLICE INJURED

Israel has responded by bombarding Gaza with rocket fire and a ground invasion.

“We reaffirm our unequivocal condemnation of the Hamas attacks on Israel that took place on October 7th, in which Hamas killed over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, and captured over 200 hostages, who were subsequently taken to Gaza,” the Democrats wrote.

“While exact figures have not yet been released, Israeli authorities so far have confirmed the identity of 846 civilians killed, including 31 children, and at least 20 children who have been abducted by Palestinian armed groups.

TENS OF THOUSANDS ‘MARCH FOR ISRAEL’ IN WASHINGTON, DC

“We also share dire concerns with the ongoing Israeli response, in which the Israeli Defense Forces have killed over 11,078 Palestinians, nearly half of whom have been children.”

Among the signatories are Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

“We are profoundly shocked by the grave violations of children’s rights in the context of armed conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” they wrote. “International norms require that all parties to an armed conflict protect children and prevent the commission of grave violations against them, including killing and maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals, recruitment and use of children, abduction of children, and denial of humanitarian access.”

RIGHT AND LEFT UNITE IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL AS BUSH, CLINTON CONFIDANTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST HATE TOGETHER

They thanked Biden for pushing for an expansion of humanitarian aid to Gaza, though argued it had “limited impact on the ground so far,” while criticizing Israel for its response to the Oct. 7 attack.

“In addition to the threat of widespread Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, these children face further imminent threats due to Israeli government restrictions on food, water, fuel, and other humanitarian assistance being able to reach these children and their families,” they wrote of young people in Gaza.

The letter concluded, “We understand that the Administration has serious concerns regarding the objectives and consequences of a large-scale ground offensive, and we urge you to press this case directly.”

The chairman of the House Ethics Committee will move to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress after the release of a damning report into the embattled Long Island Republican.

“Chairman Guest feels that the evidence uncovered in the Committee’s investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment, and that the most appropriate punishment is expulsion,” Rep. Michael Guest’s, R-Miss., office told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

“So, separate from the Committee process and his role as Chairman, he plans to file an expulsion resolution during tomorrow’s 9:00 am pro forma session.”

The ethics panel released a damning eight-page report that accused Santos of having “used campaign funds for personal purposes” and “engaged in fraudulent conduct,” among other allegations. 

Guest filing the resolution on Friday tees up an expected vote on whether to boot Santos from the House sometime after lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving break on Nov. 28.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appointed on Wednesday fellow Republican and former State Board of Education member Fred Meyer to fill a vacant legislative seat representing eight central Nebraska counties.

Meyer, of St. Paul, will finish the term of former state Sen. Tom Briese, who vacated the seat in October after Pillen tapped him to fill the vacant post of state treasurer.

Meyer, who owns and operates a cattle farm near St. Paul, served on the Education Board from 1999 to 2010.

NEBRASKA TEACHERS UNION TRYING TO KILL SCHOOL CHOICE LAW OUT OF FEAR, MOTHER SAYS

PROPOSAL TO GIVE NEBRASKA’S GOVERNOR MORE CONTROL OVER THE STATE’S EDUCATION POLICIES RECEIVES LITTLE SUPPORT

Pillen said during a news conference to announce the appointment that Meyer assured him he will only serve the remainder of Briese’s term, which runs through the end of 2024, and not seek election to the upcoming term. Pillen said that was important to him, because other candidates have already launched campaigns for the seat.

Neither the governor nor Meyer will be endorsing anyone running for the seat in 2024, Pillen said.

“We believe that the people of District 41 are best served to find out who works the hardest, who will be able to earn the seat,” he said.

OPPONENTS OF NE’S TAXPAYER-FUNDED SCHOOL VOUCHER PLAN CLAIM ENOUGH SIGNATURES TO TAKE ISSUE TO BALLOT BOX

One of Pillen’s first actions after being elected governor last November was to appoint his predecessor, outgoing Gov. Pete Ricketts, to Nebraska’s U.S. Senate seat vacated by Republican Ben Sasse. Sasse left the Senate only two years into his second term to become president of the University of Florida.

The move was roundly criticized by Democrats and even some Republicans who said the appointment gave the appearance of a pay-to-play deal. Pillen was elected in large part because of Ricketts’ backing, which included more than $1 million of his own money to political actions committees supporting Pillen and directly to his campaign.

Ricketts announced this summer that he’ll seek election to the U.S. Senate seat in a special election next year.