Biden makes surprise appearance at White House briefing, says he may ask for more Helene response money
President Biden entered the White House briefing room on Friday to audible gasps from reporters as he unexpectedly took the podium and fielded questions. It was the first time that Biden, 81, made an appearance during a White House press briefing since he assumed office in 2021. The president spoke briefly about the averted port workers strike, Friday’s positive jobs numbers and announced that he may request additional money from Congress to fund Hurricane Helene relief efforts. “We’re going to have to deal with unforeseen cost what this hurricane is going to cost. It’s going to cost a lot of money and I’m probably going to have to ask the Congress before we leave for more money to deal with some of those problems,” Biden said. The Biden-Harris administration has come under fire from former President Trump for a purportedly inadequate response to the devastation left by Helene. The death toll in southeastern states hit hardest by the storm has risen past 215, with more than 100 dead in western North Carolina alone. BIDEN GETS DEFENSIVE WHEN PUSHED ON WHO’S ‘COMMANDING’ HURRICANE HELENE RESPONSE The White House has pushed back hard against these criticisms, emphasizing that Biden has coordinated the federal response, including approving emergency declarations and deploying 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support search-and-rescue efforts. More than 4,800 personnel from FEMA and other agencies have been deployed to North Carolina and neighboring states impacted by Helene. Additionally, FEMA has shipped over 8.5 million meals, more than 7 million liters of water, 150 generators and over 220,000 tarps to aid response efforts, according to the White House. As of Friday, the federal government has provided more than $45 million in Individual Assistance to survivors impacted by the storm, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, including in the form of one-time $750 payments from FEMA to qualified applicants in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. BUTTIGIEG’S MESSAGE ON RESTRICTING CIVILIAN DRONES NEAR HURRICANE HELENE DAMAGE PROMPTS OUTCRY, CLARIFICATION Biden’s surprise in-person appearance in the White House briefing room comes after an Axios report highlighted his absence from public view in the final months of his presidency. Axios reported Thursday that Biden had not scheduled a public event in 43 of the 75 days since he dropped out of the 2024 presidential election. He has participated in just one campaign event with Vice President Kamala Harris, who succeeded him as the Democratic nominee. TRUMP TARGETS BIDEN, HARRIS OVER FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HURRICANE: ‘INCOMPETENTLY MANAGED’ Critics, including many Republicans, have questioned whether Biden is able to handle the pressures of the presidency at his advanced age, noting that most of his public appearances are scheduled between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The president has also only given two interviews since July 21. White House spokesman Andrew Bates waved off criticism of Biden’s public schedule as part of the White House’s media strategy in a statement to Axios. “Being commander-in-chief is about far more than public events, which are scheduled at strategic times to reach the most Americans possible, like before 20 million Americans watch the national evening news,” Bates told the outlet. He added the president “works around the clock, long before and after these times, as the historic results he continues to achieve weekly for the American people demonstrate.”
Biden admin won’t extend parole for Venezuelan migrants in US via controversial flight program: report
The Biden administration has reportedly decided against extending parole for tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who came to the U.S. through a controversial Biden-era travel program that was temporarily halted due to discoveries of fraud in the program earlier this year. Officials have decided not to extend parole for Venezuelan nationals who came into the U.S. via the parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV), according to a CBS News report. The program was first implemented for Venezuelans in October 2022 and extended to the other nationalities in January 2023. It allows migrants to use the CBP One app to enter the U.S. on temporary parole and receive a work permit if they pass background checks and have a sponsor. NEW POLL REVEALS TRUMP HAS SIGNIFICANT LEAD ON IMMIGRATION, BORDER SECURITY IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE Through the end of August 2024, nearly 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans arrived lawfully on commercial flights and were granted parole under these processes, nearly 117,000 Venezuelans. The program has received furious opposition from Republicans, some of whom have described the administration as running migrant flights, but under this program, migrants must organize their own travel. However, the program was paused briefly in August when an internal report unearthed large amounts of fraud in applications of those sponsoring the program. It later unfroze the program after installing what it said were additional vetting and protections against fraud. BIDEN ADMIN FREEZES CONTROVERSIAL MIGRANT FLIGHT PROGRAM AFTER FRAUD REVELATIONS It was expected that the administration would extend the parole status, as it has done with other parole populations, but CBS reported that DHS has decided against it, and Venezuelans would be told to either apply for another immigration status or leave the country — although Venezuela is currently not accepting deportations from the U.S. It is also unclear if the administration intends to stop bringing in new migrants via the program. DHS did not respond to a request for comment. If they arrived before July 2023, they may be eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which the Biden administration redesignated and extended for Venezuelans last year. The status of the other three nationalities will begin to expire in January next year if the administration makes a similar decision not to extend their parole status. The move will likely infuriate immigration activists, who have cried foul as the administration has moved away from more liberal policies as the election approaches. The administration threw its weight behind a bipartisan border security bill this year that would have allowed for a limit to be placed on asylum entries and given additional funding to border agencies. DHS DOCS REVEAL WHERE PAROLED MIGRANTS UNDER CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN FLIGHT PROGRAM ARE LANDING When that bill failed to pass, President Biden signed an order limiting asylum entries in June, which was followed by a sharp drop in arrivals at the border by more than 50%, leading to numbers lower than anything during the current administration. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The administration has also touted an increase in removals. Biden followed that up with a “parole in place” scheme for illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. But in the last week, he announced new measures to prevent that limit on arrivals at the border from being lifted. It comes as Vice President Harris battles with former President Donald Trump over who is the tougher candidate on border security. Harris has accused Trump of failing to back the border security bill for political reasons, while Trump has accused Harris of being responsible for the crisis at the border. Polling shows it to be a top 2024 issue for voters, with many polls showing Trump holding a significant lead over Harris on the topic.
Taiwanese people ready to fight as China ramps up aggression, ambassador says
Taiwan’s top official in the U.S. is warning that China has ramped up its aggression toward the island, and that its people are ready to fight. “Yes, of course,” Alexander Yui, the Taiwanese representative to the U.S., told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie when asked whether the island’s residents were willing to meet the moment, if China were to invade. “We’ve seen Ukraine.” Taiwan has been intensely watching the conflict in Eastern Europe as Kyiv’s forces have battled a Russian invasion for more than two years. TRUMP-ENDORSED HOUSE CANDIDATE SOUNDS ALARM ON CHINA’S GROWING INFLUENCE IN BATTLEGROUND STATE Yui said he hoped to not need help from U.S. troops, which Ukraine also does not have, but suggested they would be eagerly accepted if offered. “If your house is under fire, and they respond to help you with a bucket of water, would you say no?” Yui posed. The diplomat said Chinese President Xi Jinping has escalated regional tensions since former President Donald Trump left office, but he stopped short of blaming the Biden administration for emboldening China. WALZ APPOINTEE WITH APPARENT CCP TIES COULD EXPOSE POTENTIAL VEEP’S NATIONAL SECURITY WEAKNESS, LAWMAKER SAYS “XI Jinping has been emboldened because he wants to realize what he calls his China dream,” Yui said. “It’s not about which administration is in the United States . . . but rather, what are the thoughts of Xi Jinping?” Taiwan’s ministry of defense tracked eight Chinese military aircraft and two naval ships near the island earlier this week. The defense ministry said four of the eight planes crossed the median line dividing China and Taiwan’s territory in the Taiwan Strait – though Beijing, which claims ownership of Taiwan, does not recognize the geographic delineation. A week prior, on Sept. 25, Taiwan’s defense ministry said it had detected 43 Chinese military aircraft in a 24-hour period, with 34 having crossed the median line. The next day saw 41 Chinese military planes detected near Taiwan. REPUBLICANS PROPOSE BILL THAT WOULD DOUBLE TARIFFS ON CHINESE IMPORTS Xi is believed to be preparing his country for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027 – meaning the U.S. response would fall to whoever wins the presidency in November. Asked if he had a message for Americans about Taiwan ahead of Election Day, Yui said it was a “peace-loving nation.” “We believe in democracy and freedom. We have to share the same values. And we want to be incorporated in the world, because we’ve been isolated for many decades due to the conflict that we have . . . with mainland China,” he said.
Blackface photo shakes up toss-up House district in NY
A close House race in New York was rocked by an October surprise when photos surfaced of the incumbent Republican congressman in blackface as part of a Halloween costume years ago. Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., who is white, is pictured dressed like pop sensation Michael Jackson, complete with bronzer to darken his face in an October 2006 photo reported by the New York Times. Lawler does not dispute the photo’s authenticity and has issued an apology to anyone who has taken offense, though he said it was not his intention to dress in blackface. “As has been well-documented – most recently by the Daily Beast – I was a so-called ‘Super Fan’ of Michael Jackson, so much so that I was mentioned by name in his biography for my outspoken support of him and the Jackson Family. I loved Michael’s music, was awed by him as a performer, and by his impact on pop culture,” Lawler said in a statement. “One of my greatest memories is attending his concert at Madison Square Garden before his untimely death. “When attempting to imitate Michael’s legendary dance moves at a college Halloween party eighteen years ago, the ugly practice of black face was the furthest thing from my mind. Let me be clear, this is not that. Rather, my costume was intended as the sincerest form of flattery, a genuine homage to one of my childhood idols since I was a little kid trying to moonwalk through my mom’s kitchen. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: HARRIS TICKS UP AND SENATE REPUBLICANS TAKE CHARGE “I am a student of history and for anyone who takes offense to the photo, I am sorry. All you can do is live and learn, and I appreciate everyone’s grace along the way,” he said. The 38-year-old Lawler, a moderate first-term lawmaker from the Hudson Valley, is seen as a rising star in the GOP conference who is running for re-election in a suburban swing district. His Democratic opponent in New York’s 17th Congressional District is former Rep. Mondaire Jones, a Black man. The Jones campaign did not respond to a request for comment. The race is one of 22 toss-up contests that may well determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year, according to Fox News’ Power Rankings. Lawler is not the first politician to be wrapped up in recent controversy over a costume that resembled blackface. Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, faced calls to resign after a photo from his medical school yearbook surfaced which pictured men in Ku Klux Klan robes and blackface. Northam denied he was in the photo but admitted he once used shoe polish to darken his face for a dance contest in the 1980s in which he too dressed like Jackson. NEW YORK REPUBLICAN WRANGLES WITH CNN HOST HITTING TRUMP’S ECONOMIC POLICIES Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also faced controversy in 2019 when photos surfaced of him wearing blackface in 2001. The prime minister said in an interview after the fact that he could not give a definitive number on how many times he had worn blackface. Lawler was photographed in his Jackson costume in New York City when he was a sophomore at Manhattan College, now Manhattan University, a Catholic school in the Bronx where only three percent of the student population is Black, according to the New York Times. Lawler, who was class valedictorian in 2009, was well-known for his love of Michael Jackson, the paper reported. When Lawler was a high school senior in 2005, he flew from New York to California to attend parts Jackson’s criminal trial. The musician had faced allegations of molesting a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch, though Jackson was eventually acquitted. FORMER DEMOCRATIC REP MONDAIRE JONES LAUNCHES COMEBACK BID FOR CRUCIAL SEAT THAT HELPED GOP TAKE HOUSE Jackson biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli recounted in his book how he helped get Lawler into the courtroom, according to the Daily Beast. Taraborrelli wrote in “Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story” that the teen had been “so disgusted” by testimony against Jackson “that he couldn’t help but mutter something derogatory under his breath.” In Taraborrelli’s account, Lawler was overheard by court officials and “tossed right out of the courtroom.” The photos in question were posted to Facebook and depict Lawler dressed in a jacket reminiscent of the one Jackson wore in the “Thriller” music video. The New York Times cited a person familiar with the costume who said that Lawler had used bronzer borrowed from female classmates to darken his skin. Lawler’s 2022 victory was one of several Republican victories in crucial New York districts, despite the state’s status as reliably blue overall. The 17th includes stretches through four suburban counties outside of New York City: Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Emily Robertson contributed to this report.
Elon Musk: LA residents recoil at mention of Trump’s name
Billionaire business tycoon Elon Musk quipped in a post on X that when he mentions former President Donald Trump in Los Angeles, people recoil in response. “If I bring up Trump in LA, people react like they got shot with a dart containing rabies and crystal meth,” Musk wrote, adding the face with tears of joy emoji. The post has earned more than 25 million views so far, as well as scads of comments. ELON MUSK’S PRO-TRUMP SUPER PAC LAUNCHES WEBSITE TO INCREASE CANVASSERS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah replied, “Maybe that’s because they’re already rabid and high on meth.” “LOL,” Fox News contributor Sara Carter wrote when responding to Musk’s comments, “Californian’s [sic] often behave this way even when you don’t mention Trump – it’s in the water.” In another recent post, Musk joked that the planet “will literally explode if DJT loses!” adding in a followup tweet, “But, seriously, Trump must win or America is in deep trouble.” TRUMP SPEAKS WITH ELON MUSK ABOUT MAKING STARLINK AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE POST-HURRICANE HELENE Musk, a celebrity business magnate who has endorsed the Republican presidential hopeful during the 2024 election cycle, is slated to attend a Trump campaign rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the former president was nearly assassinated in July. “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk tweeted in July on the heels of the shocking attempt on the prominent politician’s life. In a press release last week, the Trump campaign noted, “President Donald J. Trump will return to Butler, Pennsylvania to hold a rally on the very same ground where he came within a quarter of an inch of losing his life less than three months ago.” In addition to backing Trump, Musk has been a vociferous critic of the Democratic Party. In a post last month he asserted, “The reason the Democratic Party is so soft on criminals is that criminals vote overwhelmingly Democrat – they don’t want to offend their customers!” Musk continued, claiming that the “Democrat Party is literally the party of criminals.” ELON MUSK PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR SECOND AMENDMENT: ‘TYRANTS’ DISARM THE PEOPLE Musk suggested in a July tweet that, “the Democratic Party has moved so far left that the Republican Party is now closest to the center.”
Most New York City residents want indicted Mayor Eric Adams to resign: poll
With New York City Mayor Eric Adams under federal indictment for corruption, most residents of the Big Apple want to see him go, according to a new Marist poll. A majority of city residents, 69%, say the mayor should resign from office after prosecutors accused him of accepting bribes and soliciting illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals. Adams, a former cop, could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all charges. There is no good news for the mayor in the survey findings. Though the Democratic mayor has resisted calls to resign, 71% of New York City Democrats think he should step down, according to the survey. Only 30% of city residents said he should serve out the remainder of his term, while 2% were unsure. The survey of New York City adults was conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. ERIC ADAMS LIKELY TO FACE MORE CHARGES AS EMBATTLED MAYOR ACCUSES BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION If Adams refuses to resign, 63% of survey respondents say Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul should take action to remove the mayor. A 65% majority of residents, including 68% Democrats, think Adams did something illegal. Another 24% think the mayor did something unethical but not illegal. “It’s hard to imagine how Mayor Adams could be faring any worse in the court of public opinion,” says Dr. Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. “Not only do New York City residents think he has done something illegal, but they think he should resign or have Governor Hochul start the process of removing him from office.” The mayor’s job approval rating is underwater at 26%, with 74% saying they disapprove. The vast majority of New York City residents, 81%, say Adams should not run for re-election, according to the poll. Adams was in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday for a hearing in his corruption case. The mayor’s defense lawyers have asked the court to toss at least one charge and punish the government for leaks of confidential information. ERIC ADAMS CALLS OUT ALLEGED COLLUSION BETWEEN FEDS AND MAINSTREAM MEDIA, ASKS JUDGE FOR ‘CONSEQUENCES’ Prosecutors said it is “quite likely” that additional charges will be filed — against additional defendants and possibly in new cases. The investigation is ongoing, they said. But the defense scored a minor win, demanding the Justice Department file quick replies to motions filed earlier this week as the mayor is standing by his right to a speedy trial. The presiding judge gave prosecutors an Oct. 18 deadline to do so. Adams is accused of turning unlawful bribes and campaign contributions around to rack up taxpayer cash in the form of “matching” grants that pay out $8 to 1. ERIC ADAMS DEFENSE HINGES ON SUPREME COURT RULING IN HEARTLAND TRUCKING CASE The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is alleging that Adams used his position in government to obtain benefits like luxury travel and fine dining from wealthy business leaders, including at least one Turkish government official. In exchange, Adams allegedly provided favors, including helping Turkey get fire department approvals to open a new diplomatic high-rise in Manhattan despite concerns about fire safety. Adams’ defense has countered that he had no authority over the Manhattan building at the time, when he was Brooklyn’s borough president, and therefore could not and did not provide the alleged “official act” required to prove the case against him. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Adams has described the investigation as retaliation for his criticism of the Biden-Harris administration’s border policy. The mayor previously blamed the White House for a migrant crisis in New York City that overwhelmed its shelter system. The influx of illegal immigrants coincided with a spike in robberies in the Big Apple, city police said earlier this year. Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Launch of the flagship ‘Always Care: Animal Care Centre’ at Manavta Mahotsav on Param Gurudev Namramuni Maharaj Saheb’s
Param Gurudev, who is a renowned sadhak of the very powerful Jain mantra Shree Uvasaggaharam Stotra, conducted a soul-stirring mantra sadhana on this occasion, one that takes place only once every year. Devotees were blessed with the auspicious Mantra Kalash charged with the vibrations of the sadhan
Taiwan official warns China, Russia, Iran forming ‘alliance’ after Blinken says ‘no axis’ exists
Taiwan’s de facto U.S. ambassador is warning that China, Iran and Russia are forming an “alliance” that the rest of the world should be ready for. It comes days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the three autocratic countries were working together but not an “axis,” as they have so often recently been called. “They’re working together, that’s for sure, whether that’s an axis or an alliance” Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., told Fox News this week. “And as you know, it’s up to anyone to define it. But there were certainly there are symptoms, signs that they’re working together.” BIDEN ADDRESSES UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR LAST TIME AS DICTATORS, DESPOTS COME TO NEW YORK During the interview, Yui also suggested that Taiwan’s government was in touch with both Vice President Harris and former President Trump’s circles to be prepared for whatever comes next in U.S. relations. “The whole world is watching, and I’m sure the diplomatic community here in Washington, D.C., is also watching closely and [trying] to reach out to both candidates or to the people around the candidates,” Yui said. Blinken penned an op-ed in Foreign Affairs Magazine on Oct. 1 that said world powers were in competition to set the stage for a “new age” of international relations. HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF US RESEARCH DOLLARS MAY HAVE AIDED CHINESE MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, GOP-LED REPORT SAYS “A small number of countries — principally Russia, with the partnership of Iran and North Korea, as well as China — are determined to alter the foundational principles of the international system. While their forms of governance, ideologies, interests, and capabilities differ, these revisionist powers all want to entrench autocratic rule at home and assert spheres of influence abroad,” the Biden administration official wrote. “While these countries are not an axis, and the administration has been clear that it does not seek bloc confrontation, choices these revisionist powers are making mean we need to act decisively to prevent that outcome.” Meanwhile, national security hawks on the right and left have warned that those four regimes were forging an unholy alliance not seen since WWII. Both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called them a new “axis of evil.” Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., House Democrats’ former majority leader, said after President Biden’s address on Israel and Ukraine in October 2023, “We face a new axis of evil today. The dictators, despots, and dealers of destruction leading Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Iranian proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah stand together in their assault on democracy.”
Trump can win on these 3 key issues, Michigan voters tell Fox
Michigan voters attending former President Donald Trump’s Saginaw rally Thursday told Fox News Digital that the former president needs to focus on the economy to win the critical swing state, particularly job creation and curbing inflation. “Opening up the pipelines to get the jobs back,” one voter who attended Trump’s rally on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University said when asked which issue the former president needs to focus on to win Michigan. The comments come as Trump made yet another visit to the crucial swing state of Michigan, a state that could play a decisive role in determining who wins November’s election. It also marked the second time the former president visited mid-Michigan in just a few weeks, a blue collar area of the state where the campaign believes it can make inroads with voters in what promises to be a close race. TRUMP’S 2ND TERM FOREIGN POLICY LIKELY TO FOCUS ON ‘STRENGTH’ AND ‘DETERRENCE’: EXPERT Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit the same area of the state Friday, signifying the importance of Michigan as the clock nears the end of a dramatic election season. Polls show Michigan as a toss up as of Wednesday, with the Real Clear Politics Polling average giving Harris a thin lead of just 0.7 points in the state. However, polls also showed Trump trailing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Biden in Michigan by 5.3 and 5.7 points respectively, numbers that turned out much more favorable to Trump on election day. Trump narrowly won Michigan in 2016 before dropping it to Biden in another close race in 2020, but voters in mid-Michigan believe Trump’s focus on the economy should help put him over the top in 2024. VOTERS IN CRITICAL MICHIGAN COUNTY FOCUSED ON ECONOMY, CANDIDATE CHARACTER AS 2024 RACE TIGHTENS “Bring inflation down and safety and security in the state of Michigan,” one voter told Fox News Digital. “Illegal border crossings and the economy,” another voter said. “Keeping jobs in America, lowering inflation.” However, other voters signaled that Trump could win on a range of issues, including national security and reducing crime in inner cities. “Our national security does come first. But if the people at home, if they can’t make ends meet, they’re living in misery, that’s just as important,” a voter told Fox News Digital. “Being truthful to the American people, which he has been.” “Focusing on the inner cities. Putting together ways to decrease the violence,” another voter said. Meanwhile, one voter who said she was at the rally to support Trump said that the former president could lead the charge in helping Michigan residents see the issue of abortion differently. “I think one of the bigger things to look at has been abortion… Michigan has been one of the stronger states in supporting that,” the voter told Fox News Digital. “He can do a very good job in getting us to just see the value of life.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Melania Trump’s pro-choice stand isn’t that different from other Republican first ladies
Melania Trump is not the only first lady to express pro-choice views. She joins several former Republican first ladies who have shared similar perspectives, often in their memoirs, despite this stance historically contrasting with the GOP platform. Other spouses of Republican presidents, such as Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush, have been recorded either during or after their husbands’ tenure in office expressing pro-choice views. “I feel very strongly that it was the best thing in the world when the Supreme Court voted to legalize abortion and, in my words, bring it out of the backwoods and put it in the hospital where it belongs,” Betty Ford said in a CBS News’ “60 Minutes” interview in 1975, two years after Roe v. Wade was handed down. MELANIA TRUMP’S ABORTION VIEWS IN NEW MEMOIR SPUR OUTRAGE FROM PRO-LIFERS: ‘SHE IS WRONG’ Following Ford’s comments on premarital sex, marijuana and abortion during the CBS interview, then-President Gerald Ford reportedly joked that she had cost him votes. As a more conservative first lady, Nancy Reagan avoided taking a public stance against abortion that would put her at odds with former President Ronald Reagan. However, she later revealed her personal position on the issue. “I’m against abortion, I don’t believe in abortion,” Reagan said at George Washington University in 1994, five years after her husband left the Oval Office. “On the other hand, I believe in a woman’s choice. So, it puts me somewhere in the middle, but I don’t know what you’d call that.” Barbara Bush, former President George H. W. Bush’s wife, was more reserved in her public statements about abortion and was at odds with her husband’s anti-abortion stance. While she was not as outspoken as Betty Ford, she wrote in her 1994 memoir, “I hate abortions, but I just could not make that choice for someone else.” Former first lady Laura Bush, wife of former President George W. Bush and daughter-in-law to Barbara Bush, also differed with the former Presidents Bush on abortion. PRO-LIFERS BLAST TRUMP ‘BETRAYAL’ WITH SHIFTING ABORTION STANCE, ANSWER ON FLORIDA AMENDMENT 4 “I think it’s important that it remain legal, because I think it’s important for people for medical reasons and other reasons,” she said in an interview with Larry King Live in 2010. Pat Nixon, then-President Richard Nixon’s wife, told reporters during a 1972 press conference – as Roe v. Wade arguments were being considered by the Supreme Court – that she supported the right to choose an abortion, but opposed “wholesale abortion on demand.” Trump, wife of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, wrote the memoir entitled “Melania” that is scheduled to come out on Oct. 8, per the Amazon release date. In the book, according to a preview by The Guardian, she expresses a viewpoint closely aligned with that of former first ladies before her. “It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” Trump reportedly wrote. VANCE, WALZ SPAR OVER ABORTION AND IMMIGRATION IN FIRST AND ONLY VP DEBATE “Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes. “Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.” The former first lady drew criticism from pro-life advocates on social media after the excerpts were published just a month away from Election Day. This year, the Republican Party’s official platform also softened its language on abortion, as former President Trump also said he would not support a federal abortion ban.