Former President Trump was briefed Tuesday about “real and specific threats” from Iran to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate, according to his campaign. 

Iran’s aim to assassinate Trump is part of the Islamic Republic’s efforts to “destabilize and sow chaos in the United States,” Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a press release. 

IRAN SPOUTS ‘PROPAGANDA’ FROM UN PODIUM, CALLS ON MIDDLE EAST TO UNITE BEHIND TEHRAN

“Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference,” Cheung said. 

“Make no mistake, the terror regime in Iran loves the weakness of Kamala Harris, and is terrified of the strength and resolve of President Trump. He will let nothing stop him or get in his way to fight for the American people and to Make America Great Again.” 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

The building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., is a place many commute to for work. 

There are a large range of jobs at the White House, some of which are not overly political in nature, such as the chef, and others who typically come equipped with a strong government background, like the chief of staff. 

Jobs within a president’s administration change every four to eight years, when a new president is elected into office. 

WORKING IN THE WHITE HOUSE DOES NOT REQUIRE A RESUME FULL OF POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS, EDUCATION 

There are approximately 4,000 political positions to fill in each presidential administration, according to the Center for Presidential Transition. 

Within these jobs, there are certain ones that require Senate confirmation, according to the source, and others that do not.

Examples of jobs that require approval from the Senate include Cabinet secretaries and agency heads, while roles like senior White House aides and advisors do not, per the source. 

BIDENOMICS STRIKES AGAIN: SHOCKING NUMBER OF FULL-TIME JOBS LOST OVER PAST 5 MONTHS 

There is no cohesive list where all open jobs for a president’s administration are listed.

Instead, each presidential administration has an online application through the White House website that can be filled out by prospective candidates. 

Since this is a general application, rather than one for a specific job, there are many opportunities through the application requiring potential candidates to note what area of work they are interested in. 

For example, in addition to uploading a resume, you will also have to choose your desired functions. 

BIDEN WHITE HOUSE BOASTS BIGGEST STAFF SINCE NIXON, HAS 77 PERCENT TURNOVER

As of September 2024, the desired functions listed on WhiteHouse.gov for the Biden-Harris Administration are communications/press, digital media, informative technology, intergovernmental affairs, legal, legislative, management/administration, policy, project management/operations, scheduling and speechwriting. 

Additionally, there is a desired policy areas of interest section, which includes agriculture, arts/humanities, budget, children and family, civil rights and liberties, criminal justice/justice, defense, education, environment, foreign policy, health care, housing, immigration, mental health and more. 

There is also a space to choose the desired department you wish to be a part of.

A question about why you want to work for the administration, your political party affiliation, government experience as well as management experience are also questions listed. 

Individuals who work in a president’s administration often spend many years working in government positions. 

HOW VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS GOT STARTED IN POLITICS 

Dana Perino, for example, worked as the press secretary at the White House under former President George W. Bush, the first female to hold the role in a Republican administration. 

Prior to joining the press office, she spent more than seven years in the Bush administration working at the Justice Department and the Council on Environmental Policy.

With the highly competitive nature of joining a president’s administration, one aspect that could benefit candidates is networking. 

One ideal way to network and gain experience is through internships. Internship opportunities offered at the White House are listed on the White House’s website. 

There is also the White House Fellows Program, which was founded in 1964 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson, per WhiteHouse.gov. The highly-esteemed program gives individuals the opportunity to work full-time, paid, for a year as a fellow to senior White House staff, Cabinet secretaries and other top-ranking government officials, according to the source. 

“The purpose of the White House Fellows program is to provide gifted and highly motivated emerging leaders with some first-hand experience in the process of governing the Nation and a sense of personal involvement in the leadership of society,” the White House states on its website. 

The White House Fellows is a non-partisan program. To apply, applicants must have “a record of remarkable professional achievement early in one’s career” as well as “evidence of leadership skills and the potential for further growth” and “a demonstrated commitment to public service,” per the White House website.

Also, candidates should have the skills they need to “succeed at the highest levels of the Federal government.”

Arizona Independent Senator Krysten Sinema criticized Vice President Kamala Harris after the presidential nominee voiced her support for eliminating the Senate filibuster in an effort to pass a law restoring abortio protections nationwide.

“To state the supremely obvious, eliminating the filibuster to codify Roe v Wade also enables a future Congress to ban all abortion nationwide,” Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in 2022, wrote on X.

“What an absolutely terrible, shortsighted idea,” she added.

JOE MANCHIN SAYS HE WON’T ENDORSE HARRIS OVER SUPPORT FOR ELIMINATION FILIBUSTER

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.), a strong supporter of the filibuster, echoed Sinema’s comments, saying that the filibuster is the “Holy Grail of democracy.”

“Shame on her,” Manchin said at the Capitol, CNN reported. “She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy. It’s the only thing that keeps us talking and working together. If she gets rid of that, then this would be the House on steroids.”

Sinema’s sharp criticism came after Harris voiced her thoughts about ending the filibuster on Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).

The filibuster is a Senate rule that allows a minority to block legislation pending a supermajority vote, so ending it would make it easier to pass laws related to abortion rights.

“I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe,” Harris said during a WPR interview Tuesday. “And get us to the point where 51 votes would be what we need to actually put back in law the protections for reproductive freedom and for the ability of every person and every woman to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do.”

DEMS LOOK TO FORCE VOTES ON EMERGENCY ABORTION AS ABORTION PILL DEATHS MAKE HEADLINES

In the interview Harris also said it was “it is well within our reach” to keep a Democratic Senate majority and “take back the House.”

“I would also emphasize that while the presidential election is extremely important and dispositive of where we go moving forward, it also is about what we need to do to hold onto the Senate and win seats in the House,” Harris said.

Harris, who has made abortion access a central issue in her campaign, said in 2022 that Congress needed to codify Roe v Wade into law and, “if the filibuster gets in the way, the Senate needs to make an exception to get it done.”

“With just two more seats in the Senate, we can codify Roe v. Wade, we can put the protection of Roe into law,” Harris said in September 2022. “With two more seats in the United States Senate, we can pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Two more seats.”

ENIGMATIC VOTER GROUP COULD SPLIT TICKET FOR TRUMP, DEM SENATE CANDIDATE IN ARIZONA

“You know, our President, Joe Biden, he’s been clear. He’s kinda done with those archaic Senate rules that are standing in the way of those two issues,” Harris said of the Senate filibuster in 2022. “He’s made that clear and has said that he will not allow that to obstruct those two issues. And, you know, for me, as vice president, I’m also president of the Senate.… I cannot wait to cast the deciding vote to break the filibuster on voting rights and reproductive rights. I cannot wait! Fifty-nine days.”

Democrats would need to maintain control of the Senate to change rules affecting the filibuster.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Harris campaign and Sen. Sinema’s office for comment.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s happening…

-Biden defends Afghanistan withdrawal in last UN General Assembly address…

-Harris calls for ending filibuster to get Abortion law through congress…

-Trump reveals foreign leader he’ll call on day one…

Vote-by-mail data in three key states shows the edge Democrats enjoyed in 2020 has plummeted, something one expert said is a great sign for Republicans and former President Donald Trump.

“It’s great news that Republicans are starting to early vote,” Jimmy Keady, the founder and president of JLK Political Strategies, a Republican consulting firm, told Fox News Digital. 

The comments come as the Democratic edge in vote-by-mail requests has shrunk significantly in Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, according to data by Decision Desk HQ, signaling a shift in voter habits that have defined the last two elections….Read more

FINAL FAREWELL: Biden defends Afghanistan withdrawal in last UN General Assembly address as president …Read more

ROE-ING BACK THE CLOCK: Harris calls for ending filibuster to pass law reinstating 1973 abortion ruling …Read more

DOOM AND GLOOM: Biden to address UN as wars dominate globe but authoritarian leaders are no shows …Read more

‘NOT THE MOMENT’: GOP senator opposes Electoral College change in state that could impact Trump’s ability to win …Read more

MONEY MATTERS: GOP leader contender flexes fundraising chops as battle to succeed McConnell ramps up …Read more

SHUTDOWN THROWDOWN: Johnson to sidestep GOP rebels on government funding, seek Dem support …Read more

WHAT’S BEING DONE?: GOP urges ‘transparency’ on whether Walz admin removing noncitizens from Minnesota voter rolls …Read more

KREMLIN CRONY?: Senate to vote on Arctic nominee with deep ties to China and Russia …Read more

CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Fani Willis crisscrosses country fundraising for re-election with Democrat allies in DC, LA …Read more

‘UNACCEPTABLE’:  Red state Dem hit with ad targeting key demographic after refusing to endorse Harris …Read more

NAIL-BITING RACE: Tar Heel State a toss-up as Missouri, North Carolina begin early voting …Read more

SURVEY SAYS: New battleground poll shows who has edge in ‘Blue Wall’ state …Read more

INSIDE LOOK: JD Vance debate prep strategy includes tapping prominent lawmaker to play Walz …Read more

YOUTH VOTE SURGE: New poll indicates whether Harris or Trump is making gains with younger voters …Read more

‘TALK ABOUT A FLIGHT RISK’: Trump assassination attempt suspect may have been planning Mexico escape …Read more

‘I AM OUTRAGED’: Arizona rancher fumes at gap in border wall left open by Biden admin …Read more

‘PARTY OF WAR’: Pennsylvania gov slammed for autographing missile with Zelenskyy …Read more

‘BIOLOGICAL REALITY’: AGs urge leading pediatrics group to withdraw support for trans youth surgeries …Read more

THEIR OWN BACKYARD: Migrant crime crisis comes to ultrawealthy playground for rich and powerful …Read more

‘GLOBAL SHOWDOWN’: Zelenskyy warns against Vance’s plan to grant seized land to Russia, says it will prompt war …Read more

‘HONOR THE DEAL’: Trump reveals foreign leader he’ll call first to press on trade …Read more

GO AHEAD: Missouri’s Supreme Court, governor reject calls to stop execution of man convicted for 1998 murder …Read more

SHOTS FIRED: Gunfire reported at Tempe, Arizona Democratic Party campaign office …Read more

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

In the weeks following the nearly back-to-back assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump, the Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation that would boost Secret Service protection to major presidential candidates.

Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced the Protect Our President Act, which will enhance U.S. Secret Service (USSS) protection for presidential nominees to the same level currently provided for a sitting president. However, a nominee is free to decline this. 

It would additionally extend that presidential-level protection to vice presidential nominees, in this case to Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn.

RICK SCOTT LEADS EFFORT TO UP SECRET SERVICE PROTECTIONS AFTER 2ND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP

Additionally, the bill would require regular reporting from the Secret Service to leaders of the House and Senate on the status of candidates’ protection. 

Such reports would include threat levels, security measures, costs, amount of personnel assigned and any needs that are unmet. 

Former President Trump on Tuesday is vowing to “launch a historic buildup of American manufacturing muscle and might” through an economic and tax deal he says he will be offering to “every major company and manufacturer on Earth.” 

Trump, speaking during a campaign event in Savannah, Georgia, said his plan for the U.S. economy – which is centered around a “15% Made in America” corporate tax rate – will “create millions and millions of jobs, massively raise wages for American workers, and make the United States into a manufacturing powerhouse like it used to be many years ago.” 

“Here is the deal that I will be offering to every major company and manufacturer on Earth — I will give you the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs, the lowest regulatory burden. And free access to the best and biggest market on the planet,” Trump said. “But only if you make your product here in America. It all goes away if you don’t make your product here. And hire American workers for the job. If you don’t make your product here, then you will have to pay a tariff, a very substantial tariff.” 

TRUMP GIFTS PENNSYLVANIA MOM OF THREE WITH $100 AT GROCERY STORE CHECKOUT: ‘COMPLETE SURPRISE’ 

Trump argued that “with the vision I’m outlining today, not only will we stop our businesses from leaving for foreign lands, but under my leadership, we are going to take other countries’ jobs. 

“We’re going to take their factories,” Trump continued. “We’re going to bring thousands and thousands of businesses and trillions of dollars in wealth back to the good old USA.” 

“Under my plan, American workers will no longer be worried about losing your jobs to foreign nations. Instead, foreign nations will be worried about losing their jobs to America and to bring them back,” he declared. 

“And we will take in hundreds of billions of dollars into our treasury and use that money to benefit the American citizens, and it will not cause inflation, by the way,” Trump said.

The current U.S. corporate tax rate is at 21%. Lowering the corporate tax rate to 15% for all businesses would lower tax revenue by $460 billion per a dynamic analysis by the Tax Foundation, to $673 billion, according to the Tax Foundation’s static analysis. The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that tax revenue would be $595 billion lower over a decade under the policy. 

EARLY MAIL-IN VOTING DATA SIGNALS GOOD NEWS FOR REPUBLICANS, TRUMP: EXPERT 

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed raising the corporate tax rate to 28% from the current 21%, after she had previously supported a 35% corporate tax rate during her short-lived presidential campaign in the 2020 cycle. The Harris campaign has described this as a “fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people and ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.” 

The CRFB’s analysis found that increasing the corporate tax rate to 28% would raise tax revenue by $1 trillion from fiscal 2026 to fiscal 2035. The Tax Foundation’s analysis also projected that it would raise taxes by $1 trillion, while the Penn Wharton Budget Model estimated it would raise $1.2 trillion in revenue in that period. 

Trump ripped Harris during his speech in Savannah on Tuesday, calling her the “tax queen.” 

“They love her in other countries because she forces everybody out of our country into their hands. The tax queen is demanding a 33% tax hike on all domestic production,” he said. “Now, you know you can hate companies and all that, but they still fuel growth and they fuel jobs, they fuel everything.” 

Trump also announced Tuesday that “we will set up special zones of federal land with ultra-low taxes and regulations for American producers” which will be “ideal spots for relocating entire industries that we’ve taken in from other countries. 

He added that he will “appoint a manufacturing ambassador whose sole task… will be to go around the world and convince major manufacturers to pack up and move back to America, where they want to be.” 

FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report. 

Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly planning on a visit to the southern border in Arizona, as immigration remains a top election issue and her campaign attempts to present her as tough on border security — but critics say any border visit is just a “political stunt.”

Multiple outlets reported that Harris’ campaign is considering a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday, although details have not been decided. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Should Harris visit the border, it would be her first since she visited El Paso, Texas in 2021 as she faced pressure over the then-escalating crisis at the southern border and her role overseeing root causes of migration — which led her to being dubbed the “border czar.”

VIDEO RESURFACES OF HARRIS CHANTING ‘DOWN WITH DEPORTATION’ AT 2018 PARADE WITH DISGRACED ACTOR 

It comes as a number of polls show she trails former President Donald Trump significantly on the issue of illegal immigration and border security, in the wake of a massive migrant crisis which shattered records as millions flooded to the border each year under the Biden administration’s watch.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 46% preferred Trump on immigration over the 36% who preferred Harris.

Republicans tied the surge to the “open borders” policies of the administration and the rolling back of Trump-era policies, including wall construction and the Remain-in-Mexico policy. The Biden administration says it needs more funding and reforms from Congress, and has pointed to a sharp drop in encounters since President Biden signed an executive order in June putting limits on asylum entries.

They have also pointed to both Harris’ role in the administration as it oversaw the enormous migrant crisis, and also her past policy positions as a senator and a presidential candidate in 2019. Fox News Digital reported Monday on video of her chanting “down, down with deportation” at a parade in 2018.

HARRIS SHIFTS KEY POSITIONS ON BORDER, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AS CAMPAIGN PROMISES ‘PRAGMATIC’ APPROACH

Harris also has repeatedly called for various forms of amnesty for illegal immigration, including the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) by executive order. She also said she would use parole authority to create a “parole in place” program to put those illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. She still backs an “earned pathway to citizenship” for illegal immigration by Congress. She had also backed cuts to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

However, since becoming a presidential candidate this summer, her campaign confirmed to Fox earlier this month that she changed her positions on a number of immigration and border-security policies, including decriminalizing illegal crossings and closing immigration detention centers.

Republicans have pushed back against the push to reframe her positions. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., dismissed the visit to the border as a “political stunt.”

“She is not going when it was at its height, She’s going to probably get a totally cleaned up photo op. And my guess is…she’s going to probably get the same treatment some others get,” he said. “They’re going to clean up the desert, clean everything up so it looks clean for her, instead of as bad as it is environmentally, as well as a danger for the people coming across.”

“This isn’t even being cynical. It’s just being a realist. I mean, she’s going down there so she can get some pictures taken over at the border looking like she knows what’s going on,” he said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

A Harris campaign adviser told Fox this month that her positions have been “shaped by three years of effective governance as part of the Biden-Harris administration.”

The campaign says now that she is “continuing to ensure sufficient resources to enforce our laws and prioritize detention and removal for individuals who pose threats to public safety and national security, as well as ensure compliance with immigration proceedings and decisions, including removal.”

She has also repeatedly supported a bipartisan border security bill that would increase funding for the border while also placing a limit on asylum entries into the U.S. — and has hammered former President Trump for torpedoing the bill amid conservative claims that it would only make the crisis worse. She has also emphasized her record as a prosecutor targeting members of transnational criminal organizations.

“As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that [Trump] killed, and I will sign it into law. I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system. We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border,” she said at the Democratic National Convention.

But Republicans and immigration hawks have pushed back against the framing by the Harris campaign, arguing that while there may be a short-term drop in apprehensions, the way to solve the border crisis is to change strategy.

Fox Digital asked Biggs what he hopes Harris learns on any trip to the border.

“That they could stop this almost immediately by reinstating Title 42, reinstating Remain-in-Mexico. They need to stop the CBP One app because in the last 15 months, 815,000 roughly, they brought in. They need to stop the Cuba, Haiti Nicaragua, Venezuela (CHNV) program. There are things they could do now, almost immediately shut us down. And I want her to understand that. And I don’t think she’s going to understand that.”

RJ Hauman, President of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) and visiting adviser at The Heritage Foundation, was also dismissive of the visit, asking: “What is Kamala Harris planning to do, oversee the installation of ballot drop boxes? Shake hands with illegal aliens as they cross?”

“Her entire campaign is built on gaslighting the American people — that she doesn’t believe what she actually believes, that she didn’t do what she actually did. The immigration issue is a shining example of this,” he said. “Until she goes door to door apologizing to angel families, or heads back to Washington and hands Biden a pen, the American people won’t be fooled by this final stretch nonsense.”

Democrat-defector Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., said he won’t endorse Vice President Harris in the presidential election after she revealed her support for doing away with the filibuster to pass abortion laws. 

Harris, a former senator herself, told Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) on Tuesday, “I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe.” 

DEMS LOOK TO FORCE VOTES ON EMERGENCY ABORTION AS ABORTION PILL DEATHS MAKE HEADLINES

Manchin told Fox News, “I’m not endorsing her,” stressing the importance of the legislative threshold. 

“I’ve been very, very, very clear on how strongly I believe that when you go down that slippery path, you don’t just do it for one issue,” he explained. 

JOHN CORNYN FLEXES FUNDRAISING CHOPS AS BATTLE TO SUCCEED MITCH MCCONNELL RAMPS UP

Manchin has devoted his last several years to protecting the filibuster, which prevents most measures from proceeding to a vote if they cannot clear a procedural hurdle with 60 votes. He has previously described it as crucial to democracy and said if Democrats successfully did away with it, it would be “the saddest day in the history of the United States of America.” 

ENIGMATIC VOTER GROUP COULD SPLIT TICKET FOR TRUMP, DEM SENATE CANDIDATE IN ARIZONA

The West Virginia senator and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., both of whom decided not to seek re-election, were largely credited with preventing Democrats from taking down the filibuster with their slim majority in 2021. Both senators subsequently left the Democrat Party and registered as independents, despite still caucusing with Democrats in the Senate. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, Manchin said, “This threshold stabilizes our democracy, promotes bipartisan cooperation and protects our nation from partisan whiplash and dysfunction. I have always said: ‘if you can’t change your mind, you can’t change anything’ and I am hopeful that the Vice President remains open to doing just that.”

Manchin further specified to Fox News that he wouldn’t be backing former President Trump in the election either. “I’m not endorsing anyone,” he said. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., avoided getting involved during the Democrat leadership press conference, telling reporters, “It’s something our caucus will discuss in the next session of Congress.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken could be held in contempt of Congress after a key House committee advanced the penal measure on Tuesday.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a contempt resolution against the top Biden administration Cabinet secretary, setting it up for a House-wide vote after Congress returns from a six-week recess. A secretary of state has never in history been held in contempt.

“We have a duty of oversight, and no one’s above the law,” McCaul told Fox News Digital Tuesday morning.

HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News Digital, “I’m sure we will,” when asked if there would be a House-wide vote on holding Blinken in contempt when Congress returns in November.

If the House votes to hold Blinken in contempt, he would be automatically referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal charges.

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS BLINKEN OVER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL 

The House GOP majority has already held another Biden official in contempt – Attorney General Merrick Garland. The DOJ declined to prosecute, however. 

House Republicans also voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, though it was quickly dismissed by the Senate.

McCaul has accused Blinken of stonewalling his committee’s probe into President Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

Blinken was absent from the hearing portion due to a full schedule at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, however.

In a letter sent to McCaul over the weekend, Blinken urged McCaul to withdraw his subpoena and efforts to hold him in contempt, saying he was “disappointed” with the Texas Republican.

“As I have made clear, I am willing to testify and have offered several reasonable alternatives to the dates unilaterally demanded by the Committee during which I am carrying out the President’s important foreign policy objectives,” Blinken wrote.

But McCaul dismissed the Biden official’s arguments.

“I gave him any day,” McCaul challenged. “Any day in September, and he refuses.”

“He doesn’t have one day in the whole month of September to show up before Congress? I mean, I’ve been very flexible with him since May to try to get cooperation.”

It comes after McCaul’s committee released an explosive report detailing Biden administration shortfalls that led to the hasty military withdrawal from Kabul following a lightening-fast takeover of the country by the Taliban.

The Republican-led paper opens by hearkening back to President Biden’s urgency to withdraw from the Vietnam War as a senator in the 1970s. That, along with the Afghanistan withdrawal, demonstrates a “pattern of callous foreign policy positions and readiness to abandon strategic partners,” according to the report.

The report also disputed Biden’s assertion that his hands were tied to the Doha agreement former President Trump had made with the Taliban establishing a deadline for U.S. withdrawal for the summer of 2021, and it revealed how state officials had no plan for getting Americans and allies out while there were still troops there to protect them.

Two recent House contempt votes that resulted in criminal charges were those against former Trump administration advisers Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. Both were held in contempt by the previous House Democratic majority for failing to comply with subpoenas from the now-defunct House select committee on Jan. 6.

Biden Cabinet members praised the president for his “exceptionally effective” leadership and believe he is still fit for office after he handed over the reins of a Cabinet meeting to his wife, Jill Biden, just days ago.

Among the 10 Cabinet officials who sent Fox News Digital statements, there was a general agreement of confidence in Biden’s leadership and his ability to continue serving out his term as president.

“President Biden continues to be an exceptionally effective president, and his focus on delivering results—like record job creation, major infrastructure development, and increased domestic manufacturing—is something he demonstrates every time we interact,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told Fox News Digital. 

FLASHBACK: BIDEN’S CABINET DOUBLES DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT FOLLOWING DEBATE 

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo went a step further and called Biden “one of the most accomplished presidents in American history and continues to effectively lead our country with a steady hand.”

“As someone who is actually in the room when the President meets with the cabinet and foreign leaders, I can tell you he is an incisive and extraordinary leader,” Raimondo said.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra – one of Biden’s staunch defenders – said Biden “has done more as president for this country than any other president whom I have worked with since 1992.”

“So yes, not only can he do the job, but he has been doing it,” he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And we are fortunate to have someone who continues to use all of his experience to take us further. If you recall where we were four years ago, the depth of a pandemic, Americans losing their jobs, Americans losing their health care. Today, more Americans are employed than ever before. Today, more Americans have health coverage than ever before. No President in the history of this country has ever placed 700 million vaccines in the arms of Americans to keep them alive and keep them healthy. The result? Our economy is healthy.”

“Is he fit? He’s proving it,” Becerra added. 

Biden’s apparent declining mental acuity first made headlines during the summer before his poor debate performance against former President Trump. Less than a month after the June debate, Biden faced pressure from his Democratic base to drop out of the race and allow VP Kamala Harris to run as the party’s candidate. 

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER PRESIDENT THROWS TO JILL BIDEN TO SPEAK AT CABINET MEETING: ‘ALL YOURS, KID’

“Throughout President Biden’s term, Americans have benefited from his leadership and experience. He led a productive Cabinet meeting on Friday and clearly laid out his expectations for the months ahead,” Adrianne Todman, acting secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, told Fox News Digital.

“President Biden charged us with not only continuing to get the historic levels of funding he secured out the door, but ensuring that those funds are being put to work to help the American people. I look forward to continuing to work with the President, and the entire Administration, to expand affordable housing for all,” she said. 

Biden convened his Cabinet on Friday for the first time since Oct. 2, 2023 – this time with the first lady joining him to speak about the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. 

The president explained Jill Biden’s presence there, saying, “Here and across previous administrations, first ladies have attended these meetings for specific reasons. This is the first time Jill has joined us, and it goes to show how important the issue is, which she is about to speak to.” 

The New York Post reported that Jill Biden, seated at the head of the Cabinet Room’s board table, “read from a binder about maternal health initiatives for four-and-a-half minutes after her husband spoke for just two minutes off the top of the meeting.” 

‘ACCESS GRANTED’: BIDEN’S FREE VACATION AT FRIEND’S CALIFORNIA MANSION DRAWS IRE OF CRITICS

The president traditionally sits at the center of the table with Cabinet members seated in order of the founding of their departments. The last sitting first lady to attend her husband’s Cabinet meeting appears to be Hillary Clinton.

The amount of influence the first lady has over Joe Biden, and therefore his administration, has been a frequent source of controversy, and numerous commentators took to social media to criticize her presence at the meeting.

The New York Post said Jill Biden is “considered by insiders to be the most influential first lady since Edith Wilson, who tightly controlled access to her husband, President Woodrow Wilson, after he suffered a debilitating stroke in October 1919.” 

Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall and Greg Norman contributed to this report.