NTD Special Coverage: Biden Addresses the Nation After Withdrawing From Presidential Race

Good evening and thank you for tuning in to our special live coverage on NTD News. President Biden is about to address the nation for the first time since he broke that news that the next six months in office will be his last as President of the United States. Joining us now live is NTD's White House correspondent, Iris Tao, who brings us the latest information. Good evening, Iris. What can you tell us? What are you hearing right now So, President Biden tonight will have to answer the two biggest questions on most Americans' minds, which are why he's dropping out and what he's going to do in the coming months. So, right now, we have gotten excerpts from the White House of President Biden's speech. Biden plans to say that he dropped out to defend democracy and to unite the country. He plans to say, quote, the defense of democracy is more important than any title. I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation. And on the question about what's coming next, President Biden is expected to say that he's going to be focused on doing his job as the president and to keep defending, quote, our personal freedoms and our civil rights. Biden will also repeat the warning that he's given more explicitly in previous speeches about a second Trump term and saying, quote, the great thing about America is here. Kings and dictators do not rule, the people do. So, in short, we expect the president to talk about his major theme of the Biden-Harris and now Harris campaign, which is democracy, and to use that to warn about a second Trump term. And right now, we'll go to Biden's speech happening right now. Watch. I, this nation, George Washington, showed us presidents are not kings. Abraham Lincoln, who implored us to reject malice. Franklin Roosevelt, who inspired us to reject fear. I review 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's more important than any title. I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our union, it's not about me. It's about you, your families, your futures. It's about we, the people. We can never forget that. And I never have. I've made it clear that I believe America is at an inflection point. On those rare moments in history, when the decisions we make now determine our fate of our nation and the world for decades to come, America's going to have to choose between 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? In this moment, we can see those we disagree with, not as enemies, but as fellow Americans. Can we do that? Does character in public life still matter? I believe I know the answer to these questions because I know you, the American people. And I know this, we are a great nation because we are good people. When you elected me to this office, I promised to always level with you, to tell you the truth. And the truth, the sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us. Those of us who cherish that cause, cherish it so much, the cause of American democracy itself, must unite to protect it. You know, in recent weeks, it's become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future, all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation. You know, there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There's also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now. Over the next six months, I'll be focused on doing my job as president. That means I'll continue to lower costs for hardworking families, grow our economy. I'll keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights, from the right to vote to the right to choose. I'll keep calling out hate and extremism, making clear there is no place, no place in America for political violence or any violence ever, period. I'm going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence, our planet from climate crisis that is the existential threat. And I will keep fighting for my cancer moonshot so we can end cancer as we know it, because we can do it. I'm going to call for Supreme Court reform, because this is critical to our democracy, Supreme Court reform. You know, I will keep working to ensure Americans remain strong, secure, and the leader of the free world. I'm the first president in this century to report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world. We'll keep rallying a coalition of proud nations to stop Putin from taking over Ukraine and doing more damage. We'll keep NATO stronger, and I'll make it more powerful and more united than any time in all of our history. I'll keep doing the same for our allies in the Pacific. You know, when I came to office, the conventional wisdom was that China would inevitably surpass the United States. That's not the case anymore. And I'm going to keep working to end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages, and bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war. We're also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world. You know, we've come so far since my inauguration. On that day, I told you, as I stood in that winter, we're stood in a winter of peril and winter of possibilities, peril of possibilities. We're in the grip of the world. We were in the grip of the worst pandemic in the century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. We came together as Americans. We got through it. We emerged stronger, more prosperous, and more secure. Today, we have the strongest economy in the world, creating nearly 16 million new jobs a record. Wages are up. Inflation continues to come down. The racial wealth gap is the lowest it's been in 20 years. We're literally rebuilding our entire nation, urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities. Manufacturing has come back to America. We're leading the world again in chips and science and innovation. We finally beat Big Pharma after all these years to lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors. And I'm going to keep fighting to make sure we lower the cost for everyone, not just seniors. More people have healthcare today in America than ever before. And I signed one of veterans and their families who were exposed to toxic materials. You know, most significant climate law ever, ever in the history of the world. The first major gun safety law in 30 years. Today, violent crime rate is at a 50-year low. We're also securing our border. Border crossings are lower today than when the previous administration left office. I've kept my commitment to appoint the first black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. I also kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America and be a president for all Americans. That's what I've done. I ran for president four years ago because I believed and still do that the soul of America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake. And that's still the case. America is an idea, an idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It's the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that we hold these truths to be self-evident. We're all created equal. Endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. We've never fully lived up to it, to this sacred idea, but we've never walked away from it either. And I do not believe the American people will walk away from it now. In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America's future. I made my choice. I've made my views known. I'd like to thank our great Vice President Kamala Harris. She's experienced, she's tough, she's capable. She's been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people. When you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin hanging on my wall here in the Oval Office alongside the bust of Dr. King and Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez. When Ben Franklin was asked, as he emerged from the convention going on, whether the founders have given America a monarchy or republic, Franklin's response was, a republic, if you can keep it. A republic, if you can keep it. Whether we keep our republic is now in your hands. My fellow Americans, it's been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years. Nowhere else on earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States. But here I am. That's what's so special about America. We're a nation of promise and possibilities, of dreamers and doers, of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. I've given my heart and my soul to our nation like so many others. I've been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people. I hope you have some idea how grateful I am to all of you. The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. You just have to keep faith, keep the faith. And remember who we are. We're the United States of America. And there's simply nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. So let's act together, preserve our democracy. God bless you all. May God protect our troops. And there you have the President of the United States not quite giving a farewell address. It was sort of a State of the Union light talking about a lot of his accomplishments over his presidency. Iris, what were some of the biggest takeaways for you there? You've been following the president closely for years. Right. So we heard some major themes from President Biden's Oval Office address just now. First, of course, he expressed how grateful he is to serve as the American president, saying he gives his heart and soul to our country, but also really explaining why he's dropping out, saying he did it to defend our democracy and to really bring unity, saying the country is at an inflection point between division and unity. He also cited the need to really not have political violence in our country, saying how in recent weeks he realized more critical than ever that he needs to unite his party. But aside from calling for unity, he also used this address to contrast some of the major agenda items he has with the Trump campaign. For also called for more personal freedoms and voting rights, common themes in his and, of course, Harris's campaign. He also used the chance to highlight his domestic agenda, his, quote, accomplishments during his presidency, including on creating jobs, manufacturing industry, infrastructure bills, Medicare, as well as lowering costs. And he said doing stuff for the border. But most importantly, he uses as an opportunity to call on Americans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, saying now the rights are in your hands. You have to make this choice. Although that's what he said, that is a very clear contrast with what we heard before this. We know that for months, for weeks, the Biden campaign has been very persistent in saying how President Biden is the best candidate to defend our democracy, to defeat Trump and to maintain a second administration without a Trump presidency coming forward. But now the message is that he's going to pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, and he is dropping out to make make this happen even more likely. Of course, it's also echoing what the White House today was saying, saying that President Biden was proud to make his decision. Notably, though, the White House refuted claims that President Biden dropped out because of health reasons, saying it had nothing to do with his health. And similarly, we did not hear the president mention anything related to his personal situation, including his debate performance or outsiders questioning about his health and his speech today. There was no mention of that at all. The White House today also told us that Biden made his decision to drop out within a very short period of time. He started thinking about it on Saturday evening and talked with close advisors and some family members and announced it on Sunday afternoon. The White House said that was a very quick period and that it's a personal decision made by President Biden. Meanwhile, we also know that this will not be the last time we hear some kind of formal address from President Biden. It's going to be only the first in a series of might call them farewell addresses that President Biden will give to the country. He's got the Democratic National Convention coming up in just a few weeks, where he's going to really go out there and call Americans to vote for Harris. And also, during the last days of his presidency, he's also expected to give a traditional presidential farewell address to the nation. So one thing we do know right now is President Biden will not stop apparently talking to the public. He will continue to be out there staying engaged with the voters and really trying to help get his VP Kamala Harris elected to be the next president. While during this time, we're also going to see a clear shift going from saving as the president, although only for one term. And to these White House correspondent Iris Tao with that live report from the White House. Iris, thank you. And the election is just 100 days away and the Democrat National Convention is just in a few weeks. Endorsements continue to pour in for Kamala Harris, but the party may face some legal challenges to nominate her. What's the best strategy for a smooth nomination and a winning plan in November? Here to discuss is Democratic strategist Theron Bond and Curtis Hill, the former Republican Attorney General from Indiana. Thank you both so much for joining. We'll start with you Theron. President Biden's first speech since dropping out of the race and recovering from COVID. What were some of your key takeaways? I think it's what we expected. I think it was very calm and very neutral. He didn't really give us any new information and he gave us, I guess, somewhat of a solemn goodbye. You know, it's the first of many farewell speeches that he will give and he said that he intends to further some of the commitments that he made to Democrats early on. He reiterated the fact that his administration looks like America, that he also fulfilled his promise of getting a black woman on the Supreme Court. I think there's a lot left to be desired when we look towards November. And we would have liked to hear a little bit more about his condition, but I think we will find that out later, possibly after November. And Curtis, President Biden spoke, you know, sort of about the plans for the rest of his term, as long as outlining some of the accomplishments that he's had. Earlier today, Corrine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary for the president, said that him dropping out had nothing to do with his health. What do you make about that? And also, what were some of your initial reactions to his speech? Well, certainly when he says that he's made a pledge to the American people that he will always tell the truth, we expected the truth to come out tonight. The truth about why he's stepping down, whether it's a health issue or more particularly, in my estimation, I think he's being chased out by the Democratic leadership. I think that they've made a determination that he's too feeble to secure enough votes to win, and they made a change. You know, just as of Saturday, he was telling people, telling the press, that he was going to be campaigning this week. So something happened on Saturday evening. I'm not betting that it was a simple epiphany that he needed to step down and pass the torch. I think this man is a very proud man, a narcissist, if you will, very proud of his record. And I think he was forced out. And it would have been nice to hear the truth about what happened, whether it was forced out, whether it was health. I don't believe that it was simply a matter of, well, I'm going to pass the torch. The time for passing the torch would have been before the primary season, before 14 million people gave their vote to him, showing support. That would have been the time to make a determination that it was time for new leadership. And Theron, I want to get your thoughts with regard to the best strategy for the Democrats moving forward. President Biden, he's still in office. This is an extremely unique situation that we see right here with him dropping out of the race. Does he become a liability for the Democrats still? Because obviously that is sort of why we're in this situation anyway, because he was seen as a liability in some sense, based on polling and his performance at the debate. What do you make of his standing in the party right now? I don't think he becomes a liability. I think he's been in elected leadership for nearly 50 plus years. He has a long record of service. President is the pinnacle of that service. He's only served one term. It happens. He will live the rest of his life still being a moderate Democrat once this is all said and done. But I think that this is an opportunity for Democrats to have a fresh start, get a full reset. The best possible option would have been to have a real primary some time ago, but that didn't happen. And here we are in unfortunately, we're scrambling. It's not too late, but it's going to be an uphill battle. And it's something that I think as Democrats, we are all figuring out as we go, but it is not impossible. We could still have an open convention. It's not likely. It does seem like Vice President Kamala Harris is now going to be at the top of our ticket. And we've got to just really hope that she picks a pick that will get us to the win in November, but it's definitely not going to be easy. And Curtis Hill, there's arguably very targeted states, battleground states, and also certain demographics that are going to ultimately swing this election. And what you're losing now is the moniker Scranton Joe really appealed to a lot of those folks in the Rust Belt. You're losing Scranton Joe, but you're also gaining Kamala Harris, who may appeal to some of the younger minority voters. Do you see this as a net win or a net loss for the Democrats when it comes to some of those key areas to win the election? Well, I think primarily the Democrats needed to find someone who would sit up and take nourishment. I mean, the real knock on Joe Biden wasn't that they disagreed with his policies. They just felt that he had diminished capacity, and it was getting more and more obvious that he was not going to make the day in November. And that's primarily it. So anybody is better than Joe from the Democrat perspective. In terms of Kamala Harris, they get someone who's currently serving as the vice president. There's an experience level there, good or bad, that people can make a determination for. And that's better than pulling somebody off the street that has no experience, no White House experience. So that's an advantage that they would have, that she's a known commodity. But being a known commodity, expect the Republicans to tie her to the Biden policies, and even to push a little harder, because it's pretty clear that Kamala Harris is more liberal than Joe Biden. And I think that will be a negative reflection and will create a greater juxtaposition between she and President Trump. And we'll have more with Democratic strategist Theron Bond and former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill in just a few moments when we return. Stay tuned. I'm Ilka. I live with my daughter and with my grandchildren. There's a sense of comfort that comes with eating a good meal. We try to make the most, you know, of what we have. We have rent to pay, and then there are lights and there are gas. And while my daughter and I both work, it still just doesn't seem like there's enough to go around sometimes. Every day, millions of our neighbors face hunger, including one in five children, and food costs keep rising. Please call or go online right now to join Feeding America with your gift of just $19 a month, only 63 cents a day. 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Please call right now or go online to make a monthly gift at helpfeedingamerica.org. Your support helps our neighbors bring food home to their families. There's always a searching process for beauty. You know it when you see it. And welcome back to our special live coverage following President Biden's speech where he officially announced that he will not be seeking re-election, addressing the American people directly from the Oval Office. I'd like to bring back in our two guests, Theron Bond, Democratic strategist, and Curtis Hill, former Attorney General of Indiana. Thank you both once again for joining us. Theron, I want to get your thoughts on a statement that was put out a day or two ago from Black Lives Matter. They said that the elite anointment of Kamala Harris saying this is a blatant disregard for democratic principles, it is unacceptable, they're demanding a transparent and fair virtual snap primary to allow for a democratic selection of its nominee. Is it surprising that BLM isn't fully behind the first black female candidate for president? What do you make of this? It's not surprising, but this is also not just limited to Black Lives Matter. There are a number of people that do not agree with the process. Prior to this, as I stated, you know, we didn't really have a completely open primary. This is President Joe Biden's Democratic Party, he's our candidate, and that's it. So we really didn't have much of a choice. Despite a few people showing very early interest, they were easily skirted out. But now, here we are that President Joe Biden has stepped aside and now Vice President Kamala Harris is kind of rushed to the top. And not everybody's excited. We don't know a lot about her stances. We don't know a lot about her true rooted accomplishments. And so yeah, we deserved an open convention. We did all this work to get President Joe Biden and do the right thing by Democrats and the American people, and we deserve to have a true reset. Now, Curtis, one major endorsement that is looming large that hasn't come yet is that of former President Barack Obama. Do you, although there's been a lot, a lot that has happened since she's thrown her hat into the ring, and she's gotten a lot of endorsements, like those of Senate leadership that were holding out for a little while, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. What do you make of the fact that former President Obama has not officially endorsed Kamala Harris? Well, make no mistake that all of this doesn't happen without Barack Obama's blessing. However, I think it's very strategic on his part. He's holding back. I think he's holding back purposely to see if Kamala Harris stumbles over the next few days. You know, they're going to have to come up with a plan B. Right now, she's in a huge honeymoon period. Everyone's excited to get a fresh start to have someone with younger energy pull us around the vice president. Yeah, it's very exciting. But then all the people will start remembering they had a shot at Kamala Harris and didn't like her before. And so over the next couple of days, will she start to fade? Will she stumble? Will she fumble? And if that's the case, Barack Obama wants to hold his cards back and take a plan B that he can support going forward. I think the sign that Kamala Harris will be the choice of the Democratic Party will be when Barack Obama does make his election, when he does come out and endorse, then that will be a final call. Darren, Kamala Harris hasn't been popular with voters. Her favorability rating has consistently been below President Biden's, even as, you know, his slid down. What can she do to reverse that? It would behoove Vice President Kamala Harris to actually have conversations with people that aren't in senior leadership in the Democratic Party, for her to actually talk to real voters for her to talk to voters in middle America, rural voters, Gen Z voters, millennial voters, those who are completely engaged, those who are first time voters, those who are apathetic voters, and really discuss the issues that we are most passionate about. That's what's missing from the Democratic Party right now is that they talk so high level and all these big words and buzzwords, and nobody's really getting down to the root of what matters most, those kitchen table issues, those things that we are passionate about, that will get us off the couch for us to cast the ballot for someone come this November. That's what she's going to have to do. And she's also going to have to contend with her past as a prosecutor. And Curtis, how do you feel about Vice President Harris not presiding over the Senate today during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress? It is typically the sitting VP and, you know, their job, although she is the presumptive presidential nominee at the same time. I think it's a clear indication on her part that she doesn't want to send a signal of too strong a support for Israel at the cost of the Palestinian support. She should have been there. Israel is a partner that our leadership for decades has made clear that we want to be the strongest ally for Israel in their time of trouble. And she should have been in that particular category. I think what the Democrats are up against, in my estimation, is that once we have the failed assassination of President Trump, he has taken on a role of almost a Superman. There's a certain invincibility toughness that he's demonstrating. He's taken all sorts of hits, legal hits, political assaults, and now he's actually been shot while on duty and bounced back. That's a toughness. That's a mental toughness that people are going to be really, really paying attention to. And that's an uphill battle for Kamala Harris or any Democrat to get past this point. Curtis Hill, Theron Bond, please stay with us while we cut to a short package here of who will be Kamala Harris's running mate. Several top Democrats are emerging as possible picks. NBC News is reporting that the Harris campaign has sent vetting materials to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. CBS News is saying that the Harris team is vetting a dozen people. In addition to that, here's a look at a few of the major names on that list. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro endorsed Harris for president on Sunday. Shapiro spoke after the assassination attempt on former President Trump. He paid tribute to the family of slain Fire Chief Cory Comparator. I asked Cory's wife if it would be okay for me to share that we spoke. She said yes. She also asked that I share with all of you that Cory died a hero. Shapiro won in a landslide to become governor of Pennsylvania in 2022, giving Democrats control of this crucial swing state. Many in the Democratic Party are urging Harris to look to battleground states for her running mate. Pennsylvania has 19 electoral college votes, which is the fifth highest overall. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper endorsed Harris on Saturday but has so far declined to speak in detail about the vice presidential slot. In 2016, he became governor of North Carolina by a small margin of around 10,000 votes. In 2020, he was re-elected. Cooper has clashed with Republican lawmakers over issues like abortion, health care, and voting rights. A rising star in the Democratic Party is Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. He managed to beat Trump-backed Daniel Cameron to become governor of this heavily Republican state. One of the issues Beshear ran on was abortion access. Kentucky has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. Beshear says he supports expanding abortion access. While I believe there should be much more access in the very least, victims of rape and incest and non-viable pregnancies deserve options. Another potential pick is Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona. Kelly served as a naval aviator and has focused on national security and the military during his political career. He is also a former astronaut. He played a vital role in crafting the Chips and Signs Act, which aims to revitalize the U.S. semiconductor industry. In 2023, Kelly broke ranks with the Democratic Party when he called the influx of immigrants at the southern border a crisis. Kelly is the husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head in an assassination attempt in 2011. Since then, she and Kelly have fought for gun control, founding an advocacy group. Darren Bond, Curtis Hill, we just saw there some possible VP picks. Darren, I want to get your thoughts. Who do you think is the most viable option to take on a Trump-vanced ticket? You know, I was onto something a long time ago when I mentioned that Secretary Pete would be somewhere on this ticket, and I really don't think I'm still far off from that. I also see Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky very high on that list. I would be very surprised if it's not one of those two folks. I mean, Trump and J.D. Vance are very, very far right. I think anyone who gets with Vice President Kamala Harris is going to have to balance her out a lot better than the other side, which is pretty easy to do. So, Curtis, with that said, prior to all of this happening, this earthquake, this political earthquake, Democrats were fearful of a Vance-Harris debate as a potential VP debate. That's not happening anymore. So on the flip side, who do you think poses the greatest challenge for the Trump-vanced ticket in terms of a potential VP pick for Harris? Well, from my perspective on those that you showed us, I'm biased. I've worked with Josh Shapiro as Attorney General. He was Attorney General of Pennsylvania when I was Attorney General for the state of Indiana, and he's a good man. He's a very well-reasoned man, and I think someone who brings that kind of stability, that kind of balance, would be a very strong running mate. You're going to have to have someone that's going to demonstrate a level of leadership that thus far Vice President Harris has not demonstrated to the public. They need to have confidence that she has a team that can go forward in a mature manner, and I think Josh Shapiro would probably give her the best shot. I don't think that some of the other folks on that list would be as worthwhile. Darren Bond, Curtis Hill, really appreciate both of you joining us and value both of your perspectives. Thank you. And now we hit the streets with NTD's Sam Wong, who was right outside the White House to find out what voters think about President Biden's decision and what may lie ahead. It was expected it was going to happen. At the end of the day, politicians are politicians, but they're also humans. So I think the fact that he stepped down is good for his family. I have been really supportive of Biden up to this point, and I do think that he made a wonderful decision. It's now an opportunity to celebrate what he's accomplished in one term, which is phenomenal. So what's your reaction to all the prominent Democrats were throwing their supports behind Kamala Harris? I think that's absolutely the right thing to do. I think she's ready for it. She's been in the White House now and used that role of the Vice President is to get ready to be president. I think she would do a great job, and I'm looking forward to finding out who a running mate would be. There's great vice presidential candidates, Governor Beshear, Governor Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer. And so I think we just go forward now. And you look at everything aside from being vice president for the past three, four years, there's really nothing there. I also don't think the Democrats believe she's the best candidate, but when she was the vice president, that's the only choice you have. How does it feel being out here outside the White House during this special time in history? Pretty darn special. I think it's wonderful. I didn't even know what was going on today. I just happened to be here, and I'm glad I'm here. When's the last time you've had, in a matter of months, a former president almost assassinated at a rally? You've had a presidential candidate drop before the race and, you know, still finishing his term? You've never had this before. I feel lucky to be alive, to see through this and be able to tell my story to the children I have in the future. And coming up, we'll discuss the legal implications surrounding Trump's challenge to Harris' campaign finances. Former FEC Commissioner Brad Smith is standing by with us. Stay tuned. We'll be right back. Water, nature's ultimate cleaner. We drink it. We bathe in it. Think water. Think steam. Think clean. Now harness the power of water with the H2O X5 5-in-1 Steam Cleaning System. I'm so impressed with the X5. It's an all-in-one product. I can use it throughout my entire house. It's cleaning. It's sanitizing. There's no chemicals in it. It's just steam. This is unbelievable. 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And welcome back to NTD's special coverage of President Biden's address to the nation. I'm Steve Lance. Just moments ago, the president made his first speech since announcing his decision to exit the 2024 race. Let's now turn our attention to our White House correspondent, Iris Tao, who's been following President Biden's presidency closely. Iris, what else can you tell us? So apparently right after President Biden wrapped up his address at the Oval Office, he came out to the Rose Garden to address a group of staffers at the White House who were apparently having a watch party during his address. We heard actually cheering and clapping right after his speech going straight out from that corner of the White House. We ran over trying to hear what exactly President Biden was saying, but apparently we're not allowed inside. So we heard him saying, thank you, thank you, thank you, as the crowd cheered and clapped, really moved by his speech after the Oval Office address. Meanwhile, reactions are also coming in after he finished. We have Joe Biden, the first lady, posting on Twitter or X saying, quote, to those who never waver, to those who refuse to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you for the trust you put in Joe. Now it's time to put that trust in Kamala. And as we discussed before, President Biden's Oval Office address today was largely focused on urging voters to vote and use their vote to choose his successor, his one-to-be successor, which would be Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, former President Trump's campaign responded by demanding equal air time on the networks. As his senior advisor says on Twitter, quote, every single network that televised his campaign speech will be getting follow-up letters from our attorneys regarding equal time. We know that ahead of President Biden's planned Oval Office address, the Trump campaign is already talking about sending a letter to news networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS, saying how President Biden's speech would not be a bona fide news event, but rather a primetime campaign commercial. And now they're also doubling down on that claim, saying how news networks need to be held to strict public interest standards to ensure that they're all sides of the issues and should give candidates all equal air time, although we know that President Biden is now technically no longer a candidate. And also, Trump's senior advisor also posted a picture on X showing former President Trump standing in front of a television broadcasting President Biden's Oval Office address. And that's apparently playing on Trump's plane after he wrapped up his rally in North Carolina. So, of course, we expect Trump himself to directly respond more after tonight, which we'll be keeping an eye on as well. Steve. NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao reporting for us live from the White House. Thank you, Iris. And a 180-degree turn for Vice President Harris's fundraising capabilities since 2019, when she was forced to drop out of that race, the 2020 race, due to lack of campaign cash. This time around, not only has she inherited Biden's $96 million war chest, but she's raked in a historic level of funds. As of this morning, the Harris campaign reports that it's raised more than $126 million in just four days' time, a record-breaking $81 million in the 24 hours after President Biden's exit. And compare that with $85 million that President Biden raised in the entire month of May and $53 million raised by the Trump campaign after his felony conviction in New York. Part of the spike could be attributed to the fact that many donors pulled back at the tail end of Biden's race, then recommitted their donations after he dropped out. The Trump campaign is now seeking to block Harris from inheriting Biden's funds. His team filed a complaint with the FEC, the Federal Election Commission, accusing her team of violating federal campaign finance laws. And now we take a look at a hypothetical matchup between former President Trump and Vice President Harris. Two candidates are within only a few points of each other in multiple surveys. According to RealClearPolitics, Trump beats Harris by less than two points. That's if you add up all the polling and divide them evenly. And the former president has edged over his new rival in most polls conducted this month. But a Reuters-Ipsos survey suggests Harris is taking the lead, the group's previous data suggesting the two candidates were tied at both 44 percent. And the Trump campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, saying Vice President Harris violated campaign finance laws by taking over funds raised for President Biden. Joining us now to assess the legal implications is Brad Smith, chairman of Institute for Free Speech. He's also a former commissioner of the FEC. Brad, thank you so much for joining us. It's a pleasure. Brad, I have some sound that I want to play first, right off the top to get your reaction to. I'd like to thank our great Vice President Kamala Harris. She's experienced. She's tough. She's capable. She's been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people. The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. Well, another endorsement, Brad, for Kamala Harris from the president. Former President Trump today filing an FEC complaint over the transfer of President Biden's campaign funds to the vice president. You're the best person to ask, does he have a case? Well, he does have a case, but I'm afraid that probably nothing is going to come from it. And it comes down to this. The position of Biden, or now I guess the Harris committee, is that Biden and Harris were one committee. In US law, each candidate has to have an authorized committee. An authorized committee can only represent one candidate, but there is an exception, and that is a party's vice presidential and presidential nominees share the same authorized campaign committee, and that's where all the money goes. So the Democrats' position is, hey, since the summer of 2020, when Harris was nominated for vice president, she's been on that campaign committee, and therefore she can take over the money now that Biden's withdrawn. Not so fast, says the Trump campaign, say the Republicans. That law pertains to people who have won the party's nominations, the party's nominees for president and vice president. And they say that since the fall of 2020, since that November election, Biden may have been a candidate for president for reelection, but Harris was not a candidate for anything. She wasn't running for office per se, and she was not the party's nominee. Biden, presumably, if he hadn't dropped out, he could have decided to ditch Harris and urge the convention to pick somebody else, or the delegates might have revolted and picked somebody else. So she was not the party's nominee. Any status she had as that ended in November of 2020. So that's the claim that the Republicans will make in the matter. Now, the reality is that the law that governs the FEC, if everything works seamlessly with no delays whatsoever, the FEC would still have to take 60 days before it could even file a suit in federal court to try to enforce a decision against the Harris committee. And we can see that would take us basically into October, very close to the election. And at that point, I don't think any judge is going to issue an injunction against Harris spending the money, especially since she has an argument, which I think is not as good as the Republican argument, but it's not preposterous either. It's not totally off the charts. And so the reality is nothing's going to happen. If she were found to have violated the law, it's going to come after the election and they'll pay a fine and just consider that part of the cost of trying to win. So it certainly sounds a bit convoluted, given the fact that there is a transition of funds technically, but the fact that they're on the same ticket, what would happen, Brad, would it make things even more murky if there were somebody who emerged, another Democratic nominee that were to emerge? And what other legal issues are there connected to this unusual situation, particularly related to rules at the state level? Sure. It would actually be simpler if another candidate were to emerge because then clearly there'd be no doubt that Biden couldn't just transfer the money over to that new candidate. But what he could do then, and he could do this in Harris's case now if he wanted to, by the way, is just transfer the money to the Democratic National Committee, which could make what are called independent expenditures supporting Harris. Now, independent expenditures mean they can't talk with the campaign about polling data, about messaging, about where you need ads. They really are less effective in that way than if the candidate controls the money. And the other issue is that the candidate gets what's called the lowest unit rate, the best broadcast rate, ad rate that's being sold by the station where they're running ads at that time, whereas the party does not. So they'll pay sort of a penalty. They'll have to pay more on ads. But still, they would be able to transfer that. It's about $95 million they would be able to transfer over and still spend this independent expenditure. So they'll spend it one way or another. The other issue that comes up here is that because the Democrats are claiming that Biden-Harris is one in the same committee and Harris can take over all that money, it does mean there is one drawback to them there, which is that people who have already given the legal maximum to the Biden campaign, which is $3,300, cannot now contribute to Harris. If somebody else were to emerge as the nominee, however, those donors who might have what we call maxed out to the Biden campaign could clearly give another $3,300 to the new nominee. So Brad, who ultimately has standing to bring these challenges? And do you expect any of this to make its way to the Supreme Court? I do not, because as I indicated, I mean, I think the Republican Party, the Trump campaign both have standing to make the complaint to the FEC and the FEC would pursue it in court. But there's yet one other kicker here, which is it's highly unlikely that the FEC will vote to proceed against the Democratic Party. The FEC is a unique animal. It has three Democratic commissioners and three Republican commissioners, and you need four votes to get anything done. And when the law is really clear, that works pretty well. But in a case like this, like you say, I think the Republican argument is the better argument. I think if you just read the statute, it is pretty clear. But again, the Democratic argument is not preposterous. And I think it's highly unlikely that the Democratic commissioners, any of them, would provide that fourth vote to move forward. And indeed, two of the Democratic commissioners have already said flat out that they think Kamala Harris is entitled to the money, even before the complaint was filed by the Trump people. Fred, I have another clip that I want to play and get your reaction to on the other side. Here it is. Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So 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. You know, there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There's also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. Fred, this just reminds me, I mean, you've been tapped into politics for a long time. When you see how this past week has unfolded, you hear the president right there. What do you make of this just from kind of an onlooker's perspective? Well, I will say, first of all, I'm really down on all this talk about democracy is going to end and democracy is on the ballot and so on. We have a very robust, vibrant democracy with all kinds of constitutional safeguards. And it's not at all clear that the Biden administration is better on issues of democracy than is the Trump administration. You know, they've done things that are blatantly unconstitutional, like the student loan, extending the moratorium on evictions and various things like that. And they've admitted they're unconstitutional, but they're not going to be able to challenge it. So, you know, I don't think that they're the better ticket on that. But that's just, you know, my personal take on it. I think that kind of rhetoric, though, is really not helpful. We need to realize that, you know what, even if we lose this fall, whoever, you know, we is right, if your side loses, there will be another election in four years. And, you know, maybe a little better off or a little worse off. Democracy is not going to end as a result of the election. And, Brad, just just one last quick follow up in terms of just sheer numbers. You know, former President Trump raked in, I think it was 53 million in one day in a short period of time. Kamala Harris, one hundred and twenty six million. What do you make of just these numbers that we're seeing coming in to these campaigns and modern elections? Well, a lot of that money is coming from small donors, record breaking amounts are coming in amounts under two hundred dollars, people giving twenty, thirty dollars. Some would view that as a very positive thing. It shows a lot of excitement in parts of the electorate. Others would say maybe people are a little too, again, too engaged in this election, feeling like Armageddon awaits if their candidate doesn't win. But it does show that you can fund an election with small contributors and the Internet and Internet fundraising has really raised the presence of small donors in elections. And that's what you really see. That's why these huge amounts of money can be raised so quickly because of small donors over the Internet. Brad Smith, former chair of the FEC, really appreciate you joining us. Thank you. And that is all for our special live coverage of President Biden's speech from the Oval Office. For around the clock original news coverage, visit us at NTD dot com and download our entity mobile app from the nation's capital. I'm Steve Lance. Have a nice evening. See you back here tomorrow.