Republicans React to Biden Announcement; Trump Assassination Attempt Hearing Highlights – Jul. 22

Good evening everyone. Welcome to NTD Tonight. I'm David Zhang. Here are today's top stories. Following Sunday's historic announcement by President Joe Biden that he wouldn't seek re-election in November, some Republicans reacted and demanded him to resign the presidency as well. In addition to Vice President Kamala Harris, we'll take a look at other potential contenders that could take Biden's position. The U.S. Secret Service Director faced off with angry lawmakers from both sides of the aisles. Republican and Democrats questioned her over security failures that led to the recent assassination attempt against Donald Trump. We'll see some of the highlights from today's hearing. First up, House Speaker Mike Johnson has called on President Biden to resign, and former President Trump said Biden's announcement came as a shock to the country. Some Republicans weigh in on Biden's decision to drop out of the race. Former President Trump said he thinks he could do better against Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump's running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, made a social media post reading, President Trump and I are ready to save America. Whoever's at the top of the Democrat ticket, bring it on. House Speaker Mike Johnson called for Biden to step down before the end of his term. Shortly after Biden dropped out of the race, Johnson posted on social media, At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened. The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot just over 100 days before the election. Johnson suggested Republicans could take legal action against replacing Biden in some states. He said every state has its own system, and it may not be possible to switch out a candidate in some of them. Some legal experts told CNN that such challenges may not hold water because Biden was not officially nominated. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the decision was the result of Democrats upending the will of voters in primary elections across the country. Meanwhile, Senator Mitt Romney said Biden and he didn't always see eye to eye, but did find common ground on several issues. In a statement, Romney said others will judge his presidency. However, having worked with him these past few years, I respect President Biden. His decision to withdraw from the race was right and is in the best interest of the country. Foreign leaders responded to Biden's announcement. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is grateful for Biden's support. In a social media post, he wrote, Many strong decisions have been made in recent years, and they will be remembered as bold steps taken by President Biden in response to challenging times, and we respect today's tough but strong decisions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will be the United States' strongest ally in the Middle East, regardless of who is elected president in November. He said he will meet with Biden during his trip to the U.S. I plan to see President Biden, whom I've known for over 40 years, this will be an opportunity to thank him for the things he did for Israel in the war and during his long and distinguished career in public service as senator, as vice president, and as president. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Biden's extraordinary record. As he's done throughout his entire time in public life, he has acted in what he considers to be the best interest of the United States of America. He is someone who in January will be able to retire from public life with an extraordinary record. Biden has not spoken publicly outside his written statement. In it, he said he will address President Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris following his announcement yesterday, but who else may be lining up to take Biden's spot in the race? NTD's Andrew Thomas has more on the latest presidential contenders. On Sunday, President Biden pledged his support for his vice president, Kamala Harris, after announcing he would step down at the end of his term. But she may have to compete with other potential replacements for the Democratic ticket. California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, Governor of Kentucky Andy Beshear, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker are top contenders. Biden has nearly 4,000 Democratic delegates after winning a series of primary elections. Those delegates would normally vote for him, but the rules do not require them to do so. Delegates can vote their conscience, meaning they could use their vote for another candidate. If Biden releases his delegates by stepping aside, new Democratic candidates could compete for them to become the nominee. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jamie Harrison said the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party. Unlike President Biden, Harrison did not endorse Harris to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. The Republican National Committee nominated former President Donald Trump last week. Trump has selected Ohio Senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate for the 2024 ballot. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running as an independent. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. For those who missed the testimony of Secret Service Director Kimberly Chida earlier, here are the highlights. Day after President Trump is shot, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, quote, the assertion that a member of the former president's security team requested additional security resources that the U.S. Secret Service or the Department of Homeland Security rebuff is absolutely false. The next day, Secretary Mayorkas said that is an unequivocally false assertion. We had not received any requests for additional security measures that were rebuffed. But five days later, The Washington Post said this. Top officials repeatedly rejected requests from Donald Trump's security detail for more personnel. The next day, The New York Times said this. Mr. Guglielmi acknowledged that the Secret Service had turned down some requests for additional federal security assets for Mr. Trump's detail. So which is it? Because both statements can't be true. Were you guessing or lying when you said you didn't turn down requests from President Trump's detail? Neither, sir. And I appreciate the question. What were you doing? Because those statements don't don't jive. So what I can tell you is that for the event in Butler, there were no requests that were denied as far as requests. Well, maybe they got tired of asking. Maybe you turned them down so darn much they said not worth asking. How many times did you turn them down ahead of that? I think that it is important to distinguish between what some people may view as a denial of an asset or a request. Was Mr. Guglielmi your spokesperson? He said he acknowledged the Secret Service had turned down some requests. I'm asking how many? A denial of a request does not equal a vulnerability. Well, tell me what it is. There are a number of ways that threats and risks can be mitigated with a number of different assets, whether that be through personnel, whether that be through technology or other resources. Well, tell the committee which it was. They asked for additional help in some form or another. You told them no. How many times did you tell them no? And what did you tell them no to? Again, I cannot speak to specific incidents, but I can tell you in general terms, the Secret Service is judicious with their resources based on... What does some requests mean? How many times? Some indicate requests is plural. So more than once they asked for additional help and you turned them down. What they asked for and how many times did you turn them down? Pretty basic questions. So again, without having all of the details in front of me, sir, what I can tell you is that there are times... You didn't get briefed on how many times you turned down the Trump detail when they asked for additional help? I'm sorry. You didn't get briefed on that before you came to this hearing, knowing you were going to get asked that question? What I can tell you is that in generic terms, when people, when details make a request, there are times that there are alternate ways to cover off on that threat or that risk. But that's not what he said. He said they were denied certain requests, some requests. This is your spokesperson, not me talking. This is the Secret Service talking. And what a change from absolutely false, unequivocally false to, oh, by the way, there were some times where we didn't give them what they wanted. That's a huge change in five days. And the fact that you can't answer how many times you did that, that's pretty darn frustrating, not just for me, but for the country. I hear your frustration. Let me ask you this. Were any of those requests denied to President Trump's detail after you knew about the Iranian threat? What I can tell you, again, I don't know the specifics, is that there are times when we can fill a request. It doesn't necessarily have to be with a Secret Service asset or resource. We can fill that request with locally available assets. You spoke to anyone at the White House since July 13th? Yes, I have. Who'd you talk to? I have briefed the President and the Vice President. Talked to the First Lady? No, I have not. Talked to the White House staff, anyone in the White House communications? No, I have not. Have you talked to the counter-sniper who took the shot that took out the bad guy? Yes, I have. And can you tell us about that conversation? I would not want to reveal conversations that I've had with my employees. But that's exactly the kind of information the American people want to know, American people who pay your salary. I understand. This is an ongoing investigation. Who's all doing the investigating at Secret Service? I know the Inspector General, but is there also an internal investigation in addition to the Inspector General? We are conducting a mission assurance investigation internally, yes. You know what it looks like, Director? Looks like you won't answer some pretty basic questions. It looks like you got a 9% raise and you cut corners when it came to protecting one of the most important individuals, most well-known individuals on the planet. A former president, likely the guy's going to be the next president. It looks like you guys were cutting corners. That's what it looks like to me. Is that true? I am here today because I want to answer questions, but I also want to be cautious. You might want to, but you haven't answered. I don't think you've answered one question from the chairman, the ranking member, or me. We got a lot of other people asking. We'll see if your record improves, but right now you haven't answered, I don't think, any questions. I yield back. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has appointed a bipartisan independent panel for a review of the assassination attempt of former President Trump. Mayorkas tapped the former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, Mark Phillips, and Frances Tonzant. The DHS says more experts could be asked to join the group in the coming days. It says the panel will have 45 days to review the policies and procedures of the Secret Service used before, during, and after the rally. We'll take a short break now, everybody, but here's a look at what we have for you when we come back. One of the most influential fighter aircrafts in history is celebrating its 50th anniversary. We'll have a look at the celebration. This July 20th marked the 25th year since the persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party. NTD's David Lam reports on a rally and a parade over the weekend. Hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area gathered together to raise awareness of the ongoing persecution. Those stories and more coming up on NTD Tonight. Welcome back to NTD Tonight. I'm your host, David Zhang. There's a different border crisis at the U.S.-Mexican border, sewage. Each day, tens of millions of gallons of raw sewage pours into a San Diego beach from Tijuana. Each day, millions of gallons of raw sewage cascade through a canyon and into the Pacific Ocean, just south of the U.S.-Mexican border. As any surfer in San Diego knows, summer swells that come from the south will push the sewage-laden seawater north. When the wind and currents conspire, the odor of fecal bacteria fouls the otherwise quaint San Diego county town of Imperial Beach. It smells here on the beach. It smells at my home. I live right across the street from the beach. It's crazy because I live right across the street from the beach, and I have a granddaughter who comes, but I'll bring her here, like where I sit, but I won't put her in the sand because obviously the water comes up and goes down or play in the water. Meanwhile, millions more gallons of both treated and untreated sewage flow down the Tijuana River and into the sea just north of the border. This is what 50 million gallons a day of untreated wastewater looks like. It's kind of a sad story where this flow has been flowing like this for two and a half years. That's why our beaches have been closed for over 900 days in Imperial Beach. An overworked and underfunded plant built on the U.S. side to treat Mexican sewage has buckled under an increased volume that has been piped across the border the past two years, but plant managers say it should be back on track in August. When functioning properly, the plant treats 25 million gallons a day, but after Tropical Storm Hillary a year ago, it is now down to 22.7 million gallons per day. Our capacity here, design and permit, is 25 million gallons per day, so we were getting about 30 million gallons per day for over a year. And when you have that extra flow, that brings in extra trash, it brings in extra sediment, it causes a lot of wear and tear on the plant. And we thought we could sustain it and things would get repaired, but over time it continued, and again, over time, it caused a lot of damage. The International Wastewater Treatment Plant was built on the U.S. side of the border in 1997 to treat sewage from Tijuana. It belongs to the International Boundary and Water Commission, governed by the U.S.-Mexican Treaty Agreements. We've known how to treat sewage for over 100 years. We just need to have the political will and the money to invest in it to treat it properly. Because we should not, absolutely not, have people living next to a river of raw sewage and toxic chemicals. It's insane. Living the biggest environmental crisis in the nation, in my opinion, we have been named, sadly, the most polluted beach in the entire United States. It's a burden where I'm happy to carry on my shoulders, but I can't do it alone. And that's why we've been asking our governor to declare a state of emergency, which he has refused to do. The Mexican state of Baja California says the most crucial repairs to Tijuana's battered sewage infrastructure are on schedule to be completed soon. Mexico has committed $144 million to repairs under its treaty obligations, with Baja California budgeting nearly $400 million more through 2027. A fighter jet is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The aircraft is an icon for modern air defense. We'll find out how pervasive it is within the NATO alliance. The Lockheed Martin F-16, one of the most influential fighter aircrafts in history, marked its 50th anniversary with a display and fly pass at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, Gloucestershire. The F-16 is special because in the very beginning, it was designed with versatility in mind. And over 50 years, it has proven that it's adaptable to the nations that need it and builds partnerships. Fifty years ago, the prototype Y-F-16 took its maiden flight, an event that occurred unexpectedly and set the stage for the F-16's role in modern air defense. Today, the F-16, also known as the Fighting Falcon, is a crucial component of NATO and Allied Coalition fighter fleets, with operations spanning 25 countries. At any given moment, an F-16 is likely to be airborne somewhere in the world. The F-16 is really important to the NATO alliance, because not only is it cutting-edge technology that's relevant for the fight today, but it brings together in an inoperable way all the NATO nation partnerships. Today, operating across Europe, there's over 700 F-16s. What that generates is Allied capability in a partnered approach. Nations align together around this capability, and they train, deter, and if necessary, fight together in the F-16. The F-16, first conceptualized as a lightweight, agile dogfighter, has evolved to serve various roles, transforming into a versatile multi-role fighter. But this fighter jet is gradually being phased out in the U.S. and some NATO air forces. It's being replaced by another Lockheed creation, the F-35. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Falun Gong Protection Act. It has the goal of ending a persecution that has lasted over two decades, which includes forcefully harvesting organs from prisoners of conscience. NTD's David Lam hears from Falun Gong practitioners and supporters at a parade in San Francisco. The year was 1999 when the spiritual group Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, was persecuted. The Chinese Communist Party launched an attempt to eradicate the entire group. 25 years later, the persecution still continues. Today, we hear the stories of people who have clarified the truth about Falun Dafa and the persecution in hopes to save countless of lives. Naveed Panahi was one of many that came to San Francisco. He learned the practice in 2003. All the practitioners in China are under the heavy persecution by Chinese regime for 25 years, and it started on July 20th, 1999. I came here to this rally, to participate in this rally and talk about this to all the people here. I was shocked because it's horrible. I cannot express my feelings. Falun Dafa teaches the principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance, and five meditative exercises. Just teaches the people to follow the truth, be patient, and also always have compassion toward everyone. Like Panahi, others who learned about the organ harvesting, torture, and suppression have felt encouraged to speak up. And I decided that I needed to help expose the truth of the persecution. So I've been coming to events the last four years. So today, on the 25th anniversary of the persecution, I was invited to speak, and I feel very happy about that. I remember one time vividly was in Chinatown, actually, and I saw the pictures. I was in shock. Okay, this is like many, many years ago. I was in disbelief. I know that there's persecutions, but I didn't know it was that bad. And that really kind of touched my heart. But at the same time, it's so horrific at the point that you just want to turn away. But I'm just so thankful that, you know, these practitioners have the faith and also the courage. So I'm here to support people who have the right to choose for what they believe. I see different people. They practice with music, meditation music. I pay attention for the contents. And then they talk about persecution. They talk about organ harvesting. I personally believe it happens. If it is not happening, that will not risk a lot of people's lives to tell the truth. And I hope that this persecution will be over as soon as possible. Yes, I'm optimistic about it. In San Francisco, California, David Lam, NTD News. Stay tuned for China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer coming up next. Vice President Kamala Harris catapulted into a run for U.S. president in place of Biden. What we know about her stance on China. More on China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer at 9.30 p.m. Eastern. And that's all we've got for you tonight. We'd like you to join us again on NTD Tonight every weekday at 9 p.m. I'm David Zhang. Have a wonderful evening.