International
Obama Declines To Endorse Harris In Lengthy Statement On Biden’s Withdrawal
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
By HAILEY GOMEZ
Former President Barack Obama declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday in a lengthy statement on President Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race.
Obama praised Biden’s career and time in office as president, and called him “a patriot of the highest order” following the former vice president’s decision to bow out of the 2024 presidential race.
Shortly after announcing he would not seek the Democratic nomination, Biden endorsed Harris. But rather than endorsing Harris, Obama wrote that he was confident Democratic leadership would “create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges” at the upcoming Democratic National Committee convention in Chicago next month.
“I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond,” Obama said.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” Obama continued. “I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond,” Obama said.
Obama said Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race exemplified his former vice president’s love for the country.
“For him to look at the political landscape and decide that he should pass the torch to a new nominee is surely one of the toughest in his life. But I know he wouldn’t make this decision unless he believed it was right for America,” Obama wrote. “It’s a testament to Joe Biden’s love of country — and a historic example of a genuine public servant once again putting the interests of the American people ahead of his own that future generations of leaders will do well to follow.”
Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded – again – that he’s a patriot of the highest order.
Here’s my full statement: https://t.co/Bs2ZumFXxe
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 21, 2024
The statement from the former president came shortly after both former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton announced they would be throwing their support behind Harris.
“We join millions of Americans in thanking President Biden for all he has accomplished, standing up for America time and again, with his North Star always being what’s best for the country. We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” the couple said in a joint statement on X.
Biden released his announcement to drop from the 2024 race Sunday afternoon on X, posting a letter in which he expressed his belief that it would be best for the Democratic Party and the country for him to “stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” The president’s withdrawal comes after weeks of a steady trickle of Democratic lawmakers publicly urging him to step down.
Despite the concerns from his party, Biden and his team had insisted for weeks that he would stay in the race, despite reports indicating that major Democratic donors would pause contributions totaling an estimated $90 million to the largest pro-Biden super PAC if he remained the nominee.
Endorsements for Harris have rolled through from party lawmakers since the announcement, but some have proposed a “mini primary process” to select a nominee ahead of the Democratic convention in August.
(Featured image credit: Screen Capture/CSPAN)
More than $2.6 million has been raised for a suburban Sydney shop owner who put himself directly in the line of fire to stop a terrorist during last Sunday’s attack at Bondi Beach, a moment of raw courage that has resonated far beyond Australia’s shores.
The GoFundMe campaign for Ahmed al Ahmed surpassed the $2.6 million mark by Sunday morning, fueled by more than 45,000 donations after video of his actions spread rapidly online. The footage shows Ahmed charging one of the attackers, tackling him to the ground, wrenching a shotgun from his hands, and turning the weapon back on the would-be killer to prevent further carnage.
Ahmed, you are an Australian hero.
You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist.
In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that's exactly what we saw on Sunday night.
On behalf of every Australian, I… pic.twitter.com/mAoObU3TZD
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 16, 2025
Ahmed, 44, is a father of two young daughters, ages five and six, and owns a small shop in suburban Sydney. His intervention came at a brutal cost. As he fought to disarm the first attacker, a second terrorist opened fire on him, shooting him multiple times in an effort to stop him from taking control of the gun. Ahmed survived, but only narrowly.
The overwhelming financial support has turned Ahmed into an unlikely national figure — not because he sought attention, but because he acted when others couldn’t. The outpouring of donations has unfolded alongside growing public anger toward Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government, which has faced mounting criticism over its handling of rising antisemitic violence across Australia in the wake of recent terror incidents.
For many Australians, the contrast has been impossible to miss: ordinary citizens stepping up with courage and clarity while political leaders scramble after the fact. Ahmed didn’t wait for instructions or statements. He saw a threat, moved toward it, and stopped it — and millions of people around the world have now responded in kind.
Business
Some Of The Wackiest Things Featured In Rand Paul’s New Report Alleging $1,639,135,969,608 In Gov’t Waste
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul released the latest edition of his annual “Festivus” report Tuesday detailing over $1 trillion in alleged wasteful spending in the U.S. government throughout 2025.
The newly released report found an estimated $1,639,135,969,608 total in government waste over the past year. Paul, a prominent fiscal hawk who serves as the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement that “no matter how much taxpayer money Washington burns through, politicians can’t help but demand more.”
“Fiscal responsibility may not be the most crowded road, but it’s one I’ve walked year after year — and this holiday season will be no different,” Paul continued. “So, before we get to the Feats of Strength, it’s time for my Airing of (Spending) Grievances.”
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The 2025 “Festivus” report highlighted a spate of instances of wasteful spending from the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spent $1.5 million on an “innovative multilevel strategy” to reduce drug use in “Latinx” communities through celebrity influencer campaigns, and also dished out $1.9 million on a “hybrid mobile phone family intervention” aiming to reduce childhood obesity among Latino families living in Los Angeles County.
The report also mentions that HHS spent more than $40 million on influencers to promote getting vaccinated against COVID-19 for racial and ethnic minority groups.
The State Department doled out $244,252 to Stand for Peace in Islamabad to produce a television cartoon series that teaches children in Pakistan how to combat climate change and also spent $1.5 million to promote American films, television shows and video games abroad, according to the report.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) spent more than $1,079,360 teaching teenage ferrets to binge drink alcohol this year, according to Paul’s report.
The report found that the National Science Foundation (NSF) shelled out $497,200 on a “Video Game Challenge” for kids. The NSF and other federal agencies also paid $14,643,280 to make monkeys play a video game in the style of the “Price Is Right,” the report states.
Paul’s 2024 “Festivus” report similarly featured several instances of wasteful federal government spending, such as a Las Vegas pickleball complex and a cabaret show on ice.
The Trump administration has been attempting to uproot wasteful government spending and reduce the federal workforce this year. The administration’s cuts have shrunk the federal workforce to the smallest level in more than a decade, according to recent economic data.
Festivus is a humorous holiday observed annually on Dec. 23, dating back to a popular 1997 episode of the sitcom “Seinfeld.” Observance of the holiday notably includes an “airing of grievances,” per the “Seinfeld” episode of its origin.
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