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Pence says Biden's briefing on downed aerial objects is 'too little too late'

Former Vice President Pence blasted President Biden’s briefing on the objects that the U.S. has shot down over the past couple of weeks, saying the explanations from the president on Thursday were “too little, too late.”

“I would characterize the president’s press conference today as too little, too late,” Pence said on Fox News. “I mean to have the president address this issue two weeks after this captured the nation’s attention with the first balloon is just unacceptable.”

In remarks from the White House, Biden said the three objects shot out of the sky last weekend were believed to belong to private companies. The aerial objects were downed in light of a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina earlier this month.

“The intelligence community’s current assessment is that these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions studying weather or conducting scientific research,” Biden said.

The president’s remarks came after Republicans mounted pressure on the administration to offer more information about the objects, criticizing the White House for what they said was a lack of transparency.

Outrage about Biden’s handling of the situation has only grown since it was first revealed that a balloon belonging to China floated across the U.S. earlier this month, before Biden ordered it shot down.

“Why in the world did you let this thing travel all the way across the continental United States before you shot it down?” Pence said. “This thing should have been shot down as soon as it entered our air space in Alaska.”

Pence also shut down the idea that such balloons floated over the U.S. during the Trump-Pence administration — an argument defense and intelligence officials in the Biden administration have made.

“I think there were rumors about this happening during our administration… of course, it never did,” Pence said. “I think you had an incursion into the airspace of the United States of America during our administration, we’d have been in the situation room.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Arizona court rejects Kari Lake's claim she won governor's race, citing no evidence

A state court has rejected another one of Kari Lake’s legal challenges regarding her loss to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) in the midterm elections — with the judge finding no evidence to support the Republican’s claim that she won.

Thursday’s rejection is the second ruling against the former gubernatorial candidate’s effort to prove her victory.

“Lake’s arguments highlight Election Day difficulties, but her request for relief fails because the evidence presented to the superior court ultimately supports the court’s conclusion that voters were able to cast their ballots, that votes were counted correctly, and that no other basis justifies setting aside the election results,” the court said in its opinion rejecting Lake’s claims. 

Lake argued in the aftermath of her defeat by little more than 17,000 votes that ballot printing issues at some polling locations were the product of intentional misconduct. The court, however, said she provided no evidence that voters whose ballots were not able to be read by tabulators at the polling locations were unable to vote.

In fact, the court said an expert that testified on Lake’s behalf admitted that ballots that could not be read could be physically submitted at polling locations.

“Lake’s cybersecurity expert confirmed that any misconfigured ballots (or ballots that on-site tabulators could not read for other reasons) could be submitted physically through secure ‘Door 3,’ duplicated onto a readable ballot by a bipartisan board at Maricopa County’s central tabulation facility, and ultimately counted,” the court said.

Lake responded to the decision from the court on Twitter, indicating that she would further appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.

“I told you we would take this case all the way to the Arizona Supreme Court, and that’s exactly what we are going to do. Buckle up, America!” she wrote.

Lake has been a loud proponent of former President Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

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McCarthy tells Mayorkas to 'stop lying' about border

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) took aim at Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, fueling an argument that could help lay the groundwork for a potential impeachment.

“This has got to stop. And it starts with the Secretary of Homeland. Stop lying to the American public. Tell them the truth what’s happening, and change back the regulation that we had before so our border can be secure,” McCarthy said in a press conference from Cochise County, Ariz., with the border fence in the background.

McCarthy did not specify what he thought Mayorkas lied about, but Republicans have repeatedly dinged him for testifying in a congressional hearing last year that the border is secure.

The issue of whether there is “operational control” at the border is central to the argument from hard-line conservative House Republicans that Mayorkas should be impeached.

That term refers to the Secure Fence Act of 2006, a law that says operational control of the border means prevention “of all unlawful entries” to the United States.

McCarthy has not endorsed impeaching Mayorkas, but in November called on him to resign, saying that House GOP investigations will determine whether they can open an impeachment inquiry.

“What has changed from President Trump to President Biden? There has been no legislation change, but why has the border — why has this region gone from 66,000 people come across to 250,000?” McCarthy said.

The press conference took place on the private property of a rancher.

“His family has found 14 dead bodies on his ranch in just the last couple years,” McCarthy said. “Those are human bodies. He tells the story of his grandson smelling the body. That is different from a dead cow.”

“Why is that happening? Because the administration’s policies that is allowing it to happen,” McCarthy said. “When you look at the gaps in the wall. Why are they there? Why are these lights wired but not working? Because we got a new president that said to stop it. We paid for the metal to go up but it’s stored far away. There’s gaps that allow it to come in. That’s wrong.”

The trip marks McCarthy’s first visit to the border as Speaker. He was accompanied by four freshman House Republicans who flipped Democratic-held seats in 2022: Rep. Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), whose district includes parts of Cochise County; Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Ore.), Jen Kiggans (Va.), and Derrick Van Orden (Wis.).

“There are two people that can really have an immediate impact on the situation in this country, and that’s President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas,” Ciscomani said. “They both have failed, and they have shown no interest in fixing this issue. So I invite him here to the border to see what we saw today. Talk to the people that we talked to today and realize what impact this is having in our communities.”

Ciscomani said that the purpose of the trip was not to discuss immigration reform, but to discuss border security.

“These are two different issues and we need to deal with them separately,” Ciscomani said.

Source: TEST FEED1

White House brushes off Haley’s call for mental competency test

White House aides are confident they can combat GOP attacks on President Biden’s age and mental acuity, saying he has proven time and again that he’s up to the job. 

The criticisms resurfaced this week as Republican Nikki Haley labeled herself a “next generation” candidate in making her opening pitch for her 2024 presidential bid. Haley also insisted that anyone over 75 years old should be subjected to a mental competency test. 

It was a jab at Biden — who will turn 81 in November — and Haley’s 76-year-old rival for the Republican nomination, former President Trump. 

The White House and Biden allies say they understand that age and the president’s mental competency will be at the epicenter of Republican attacks and they are prepared to handle it. 

On Thursday, in a feisty response, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre offered a preview of how Team Biden will handle the attacks, pointing to 2021 when he proved his critics wrong and “turned around the economy” and in 2022 when everyone predicted another red wave. 

Biden, she said, “beat them at their own game.”

“Maybe they’re forgetting the wins the president got over the past few years, but I’m happy to remind them anytime,” Jean-Pierre said. 

In an email to The Hill, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates echoed that sentiment, saying Republicans have played the age card and failed.  

“I’m not sure what they think they’re accomplishing,” Bates said. “The trend is not good for them.”  

Still, questions and doubts persist, even among Democrats, about Biden’s age.  

“I love Joe Biden. I’ve always loved Joe Biden. But I don’t think an 80-something should be the leader of the free world,” said one Democratic strategist, who requested anonymity to be candid about the issue. “It’s nothing personal. I think he’s done an amazing job as president but I do wonder about a second term.” 

“I don’t think anyone, if they’re honest, wants an 85-year-old president,” the strategist added. 

Another strategist predicted that Biden’s age — and his handling of the economy — would be the two issues Republicans would lob at him. 

“Obviously age is going to be a popular hobby horse for anyone trying to beat Biden, or keep Trump away from the nomination on the Republican side,” the second strategist said. “In order to do this effectively, you need to link age with performance. 

“You need to convince voters that the advanced age of the people in power is leading to worse outcomes, and making life harder for them. Just age in a vacuum is not going to move voters.” 

Polling this month could give Republicans confidence in the attacks.

It suggests that a majority of Democrats would prefer Biden as a one-term president, with some surveyed pointing to his age. Only 37 percent of Democrats said they want him to seek another term, which was down from 52 percent in the weeks prior to November’s midterm elections, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

Seventy percent of Americans in a December poll said they don’t want Biden to run again, largely citing his age, and another poll from November found that 38 percent of Americans say that age hurts a president’s ability to do the job. Fifty-nine percent in that poll said they think there is an age at which someone is too old to hold the presidency and pointed to 74 as that age.

Biden aides and those close to the White House say he has proven he is a capable leader and not the elderly, out-of-touch caricature that Republicans have painted.

They say he can hold his own, as he did last year when he fielded questions from reporters for more than two hours. And he can maintain a break-neck travel schedule that is standard for the commander in chief. 

They also point to last week, when Biden during his State of the Union address veered off script and was able to respond in real time to jeers from Republicans after he accused some in the party of wanting to make changes to Social Security. 

“Anybody who doubts it, contact my office,” Biden said in response to heckling coming from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — who called him a “liar” — and other Republicans. 

“I’ll give you a copy,” Biden said. “I’ll give you a copy of the proposal.” 

Those close to the president also say attacks on Biden’s age will only anger senior citizens, one of the largest voting blocs.

In 2020, The Washington Post reported that Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway warned her colleagues that attacking Biden’s age was chipping away at their support with older voters. 

At the same time, some Democrats argue that Biden has been forthcoming about his health, including on Thursday when Biden had his annual physical.

The results released by the White House said Biden is fit to execute the demands of his job and “remains a healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male.”

In a memo following the exam, the president’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, said none of Biden’s pre-existing conditions had worsened.

Those conditions, noted during his last physical, include a stiff gait and high cholesterol. O’Connor said Biden has no symptoms of long COVID-19 and attributed his occasional cough or congestion to gastroesophageal reflux.

Political observers say the transparency will help Biden. 

“The best way for the White House and certainly his campaign to go at this issue is twofold. One, release any relevant medical data that comes after his physical or throughout his campaign, which is important just to be transparent. But two, more importantly, just let them go on the road, let him go work, let him go talk to people,” said Ivan Zapien, a Democratic lobbyist and former DNC official.

Others railed against the Haley’s call for a test.

“There is a competency test for president, and it’s called an election,” said Michael Starr Hopkins, a Democratic strategist. “Voters have made clear they not only support President Biden, but support his agenda as well. Attempts to attack his age will only look desperate and alienate voters.”

Source: TEST FEED1

Russia begins long-feared winter counteroffensive in Ukraine

The long-feared Russian winter counteroffensive has finally begun in the eastern part of Ukraine.  

Tens of thousands of new Russian conscripts are flowing into the war-torn country ahead of the war’s one-year mark, with Moscow looking to overwhelm Ukrainian troops and retake huge swaths of territory lost last autumn as spring warms the region, according to experts. 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg this week said the “reality is we have seen the start” of the offensive already, and U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley called it “a critical moment,” in the conflict.  

But the little-trained and ill-equipped Kremlin troops are only likely to bring about another kind of stalemate in the region, experts say, warning that it’s not the full-scale offensive expected. 

“I don’t think this is the big thing that we’re all waiting for,” said John Spencer, a retired Army major and chairman of urban warfare studies at the Madison Policy Forum.  

He said the operation is in its early phase — similar to when Russia positioned its forces on the borders of Ukraine in January 2022 — with a massive mobilization not yet observed.  

“Although some units are advancing along the line or pushing forward … they haven’t shown the capability to conduct coordinated large-scale operations,” Spencer told The Hill.  

The West is closely watching the event unfold, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday saying officials are seeing Russia continue to pour large numbers of additional troops into the fight. 

“Those troops are ill-equipped and ill-trained, and because of that, they’re incurring a lot of casualties, and we expect that that will continue,” Austin told reporters in Estonia’s capital after meeting with the country’s defense minister.  

Austin added that Russia has also increased its shelling around Bakhmut — an area contested for some time. 

The Kremlin on Thursday also began a renewed rocket barrage on Ukraine, firing some 36 missiles that struck critical infrastructure in the country, according to Kyiv. Officials warned that a much larger missile attack was anticipated on Feb. 24, the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.  

“They’re beginning to shape the battlefield,” said Jim Townsend, a former Pentagon official now also with the Center for a New American Security. “The offensive hasn’t started in terms of masses of troops, but they’re beginning to try to maneuver on the grounds and to get them position to begin that offensive.” 

The goal is to retake the land that Ukrainian forces started gaining throughout the summer and fall, a campaign that retook thousands of square kilometers of captured territory before the two sides reached a stalemate in the winter.  

Townsend said one thing that could have prompted the Russians to move in was equipment pledged from Western nations in the past month, including infantry fighting vehicles and tanks. 

The United States on Jan. 25 agreed to send Ukraine 31 M1 Abrams tanks, shoring up an agreement with Germany and other European nations to send the more widely available Leopard tanks into the conflict. In the same month, the Biden administration announced it would send M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Stryker armored vehicles to Ukraine for the first time. 

And Stoltenberg on Tuesday urged NATO members to ramp up ammunition production and other military aid for Ukraine as Russia continues its invasion, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for new offensives and attacks. 

“They don’t want to wait until all that stuff arrives — and it’s not going to arrive anytime soon — but at the same time, they’re not going to wait … they’re going to want to get the jump on it all,” Townsend said on the recent Russian movements.  

Speculation is now focusing on where the Russians will attempt to put most of their strength, with John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine now with the Atlantic Council, predicting Kremlin troops will likely be sent to wherever they have their best chance of victory.  

“It’s conceivable that we’re not going to see anything more than we’re seeing right now, which is the significant effort in the Bakhmut area,” Herbst said.  

Russia has spent more than six months attempting to take the city and the surrounding areas in the Donetsk region, but has been unable to do so despite constant shelling and veritable trench warfare with Ukrainian troops. 

The city — while strategically important to the war as its control would likely lay the groundwork for a push northwest — has taken outsized significance as Moscow looks to score a rare military victory, whatever the human cost as thousands of its troops have been killed in the fighting.  

George Barros, of the Institute for the Study of War, said it is likely the Russians will intensify their offensive in the east, even though they are sure to make limited progress.  

“The Russians are not going to be able to capture all of Luhansk and Donetsk” — Ukraine’s two easternmost regions — “by the end of the spring or even by the end of this year. That’s flatly not going to happen,” Barros said.  

Even Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russian private military group Wagner, predicted this week that it would take up to two years for Moscow to take control of Donetsk and Luhansk.   

Ukrainians, however, will be in a good position to conduct their own counteroffensive in late spring or summer, exploiting an exhausted Russian force. 

“All the Russian units that are going to be fighting and that are currently fighting in this offensive, they are going to be burning combat power and resources,” Barros said.  

“They’re going to be exhausted when it ends. And after Ukraine manages to ingest more of these western tanks and armor systems that the West has pledged to Ukraine, Ukraine will be in a good position.” 

Source: TEST FEED1

Democrats throw support behind Fetterman following depression revelation: 'A sign of strength'

Senate Democrats on Thursday instantly rallied around Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) after his office announced he checked himself into a Washington-area hospital to be treated for clinical depression.

“Happy to hear @SenFettermanPA is getting the help he needs and deserves. Millions of Americans, like John, struggle with depression each day,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted. “I am looking forward to seeing him return to the Senate soon.” 

“I stand by John Fetterman and his family,” Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) told The Hill. “This a challenge, an unimaginable challenge, that he has faced in life. He deserves the very best in professional care and I’m sure he’ll get it at Walter Reed.”

Asked if Fetterman will be able to serve a full term, Durbin said, “I believe he can.”

“I believe with the proper care, which he will receive, that he’ll be back in our ranks, joining us soon,” he said. 

Fetterman’s Thursday announcement that he had voluntarily checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center made him among the first sitting members of the Senate to reveal receiving treatment for depression.

According to his office, the senator “has experienced depression off and on throughout his life,” adding that it “only became severe in recent weeks.” 

Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff, added doctors at Walter Reed “told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself.”

While lawmakers have historically been leery about disclosing mental health struggles, the tide is beginning to shift in Congress. Outside the Capitol, increasing numbers of athletes, entertainers and everyday Americans have opened up about their own mental health. 

Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), who has been open about her bout with depression dating back decades, said Fetterman “is doing exactly what he should do, which is seek help.”

“Seeking help when you need it is a sign of strength, not weakness, something that John is demonstrating for all of us,” Smith said. 

Durbin said depression has become more recognized and accepted as something that many Americans struggle to live with. 

“There was a time when no one ever mentioned the word. Mental illness was considered a curse, not a medical problem. Thank God that’s changed,” the Illinois Democrat said.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), who is on the mend following prostate cancer surgery on Tuesday, also sent his best wishes to his Keystone State colleague. 

“Millions of Americans struggle with their mental health. I am proud of @SenFettermanPA for getting the help he needs and for publicly acknowledging his challenges to break down the stigma for others,” Casey tweeted, sending his prayers to Fetterman’s family. 

On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted he and his wife “are lifting John up in prayer. Mental illness is real & serious, and I hope that he gets the care he needs.”

“Regardless of which side of the political aisle you’re on, please respect his family’s request for privacy,” Cruz added.

And Democrats across the Capitol also chimed in.

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) tweeted that “There is never any weakness in seeking help,” while Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said “Proud he is being open about his struggle with depression and hoping it encourages others to seek help who need it. Stay strong, John. We are with you.”

After Fetterman suffered a stroke in the days before Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary and visibly struggled with auditory processing leading up to the general election, some questioned his fitness for office. But after he faltered in the campaign’s only debate, some Democratic voters said his health struggles made him relatable.

He continues to deal with auditory processing issues that has forced him to rely on closed captioning in order to converse with other lawmakers and individuals. 

Fetterman underwent surgery to implant a pacemaker shortly after his stroke, and he was hospitalized when he became lightheaded following the Senate Democratic retreat on Feb. 8. He was released from a Washington, D.C. hospital two days later.

According to a Fetterman spokesman, test results last week showed no evidence that he suffered a seizure. Additional tests also showed that he did not suffer a second stroke in less than a year. 

He was released from the Washington, D.C., hospital the following day and returned to the Senate on Monday. 

Alexander Bolton contributed.

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden: Objects shot down 'most likely' tied to private companies or research

President Biden on Thursday said the three objects the military shot out of the sky last weekend were likely connected to a private company or research institution.

“We don’t yet know exactly what these three objects were, but nothing right now suggests they were related to China’s spy balloon program or that they were surveillance vehicles from any other country,” Biden said in prepared remarks from the White House. 

“The intelligence community’s current assessment is that these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions studying weather or conducting scientific research,” he added.

The president’s speech marked his first public comments on the topic since the U.S. military shot down three separate aerial objects last weekend. One was shot down Friday over Alaskan airspace, one was shot down Saturday over the Canadian wilderness and a third was shot down on Sunday over Lake Huron.

Biden had faced mounting criticism from Republicans in recent days about his decision not to address the public about the objects. Even some Democrats had suggested it would be helpful to hear from the president on the issue.

Administration officials argued they had been as transparent as possible about the objects in recent days, even as they faced difficulties collecting debris from the objects due to the weather conditions and where each object was shot down.

White House officials have ruled out aliens or extraterrestrial life in connection to the objects.

The three unknown objects were shot down roughly one week after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon near the coast of South Carolina. That balloon had floated over parts of the U.S. for several days before it was shot down over the water, which officials said was necessary to avoid injuries and property damage on the ground.

Biden on Thursday explained that the sudden increase in objects being spotted and shot out of the sky was likely a result of a change in Pentagon radar settings.

“I want to be clear. We don’t have any evidence that there has been a sudden increase in the number of objects in the sky,” Biden said. “We’re now just seeing more of them partially because of the steps we’ve taken to increase our radars, to narrow our radars. And we have to keep adapting our approach to dealing with these challenges.”

Biden has directed national security adviser Jake Sullivan to lead an interagency team to study how best to detect and respond to unidentified aerial objects that may pose either safety or security risks.

The president emphasized that he took action to order the shoot down of objects last weekend to prioritize the safety of the public. Officials have said the three objects posed particular concern because they were at a height that could interfere with civilian air travel, and it was not known at the time what surveillance capabilities they may have had.

Source: TEST FEED1

Fetterman hospitalized to be treated for clinical depression

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) checked into the hospital on Wednesday night to be treated for clinical depression, his office announced on Thursday.

“Last night, Senator John Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive treatment for clinical depression. While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,” Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff, said in a statement.

“On Monday, John was evaluated by Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress. Yesterday, Dr. Monahan recommended inpatient care at Walter Reed. John agreed, and he is receiving treatment on a voluntary basis,” Jentleson said.

According to Jentleson, doctors at Walter Reed “told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself.”

The situation comes just over a week after Fetterman was hospitalized after feeling lightheaded during the Senate Democratic retreat. 

A Fetterman spokesman said at the time that test results showed no evidence that he suffered a seizure, with tests also showing that he did not suffer a second stroke in less than a year. 

He was released from the Washington, D.C., hospital the following day and returned to the Senate on Monday.

“After what he’s been through in the past year, there’s probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John. I’m so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs,” Fetterman’s wife, Gisele Fetterman, tweeted.

Updated at 2:52 p.m.

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Nikki Haley blasts Don Lemon for 'sexist' comments about women's 'prime' 

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley tore into CNN’s Don Lemon on Thursday after the host made comments suggesting women over the age of 50 are no longer in their “prime.”

Haley, who announced a run for the presidency earlier this week, shared a video clip of the host’s comments and wrote, “liberals can’t stand the idea of having competency tests for older politicians to make sure they can do the job.”

“BTW it’s always the liberals who are the most sexist,” Haley said.

Haley, 51, has called for competency tests for politicians over 75 years old as part of her campaign launch.

“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable. I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians or something are not in their prime,” Lemon said on CNN’s morning program Thursday. “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”

Lemon’s comments, which sparked instant push back from his female co-hosts, were widely mocked on Thursday morning across social media.

Source: TEST FEED1