RNC notes ‘turbulent political climate’ amid new heat regulations

NEWS AND OPINION:

Here’s some impeccable timing. The Republican National Committee has cited a few factors that may not be particularly helpful to President Biden’s reelection campaign. The committee offered a terse comment Tuesday — the same day that the White House proposed new regulations to protect workers from excessive heat on the job.

“As President Biden delivers remarks on extreme weather, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley released a statement on the turbulent political climate that is crippling Biden’s campaign,” the committee announced in a written statement.

“President Trump advanced conservation and environmental stewardship while promoting economic growth for families across the country. If Joe Biden cared about the environment, he would stop jetting his wife across the country and lighting money on fire to bolster his flailing campaign that has him losing in his own internal polls,” Mr. Whatley said.

But there’s some strategy afoot, apparently.

“Joe Biden’s week is going so bad that he’s forcing down this new rule hoping to change the subject to this weak effort to raise costs on businesses,” said Daniel Turner, founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization Power the Future.

“Prices for everything are too high already and yet, Joe Biden feels the best response is to impose fees and regulations on small businesses. This is nothing more than the latest failed proposal from the Department of Please Change the Subject,” Mr. Turner said in a written statement.

Power the Future’s mission statement calls itself “a national organization that promotes and protects the men and women working in America’s energy space whose jobs, communities and quality of life are threatened by well-funded, misleading, and politically motivated efforts.”

Find the group at PowertheFuture.com.

THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN HAS A SAY

President Biden’s reelection campaign is raising a lot of money these days. We can get a clue about this from a fundraising message sent out Tuesday by the Biden campaign.

“Over 1.5 million donors contributed more than $264 million to help fund this campaign last quarter alone. That’s incredible,” the message said — and it included a number of quotes from Mr. Biden himself.

“I’m told that $38 million of that fundraising came in the four days directly following my debate against Donald Trump — and a whopping $30 million of that came in the form of grassroots donations from those pitching in under $200 a piece. I am sharing these fundraising numbers with you because they’re much more than just that,” the president said in the fundraising pitch.

“They’re proof that what we’re building together is bigger than me. It’s bigger than Kamala. It’s bigger than any one of us. You’re not just seeing it in the grassroots money we’re raising, you can feel it in the energy on the ground,” he continued, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Last week, our campaign hosted nearly 4,000 grassroots events across the country — and nearly 10,000 new volunteers took action with us! And we just kept going. After the debate, our volunteer sign up rate in battleground states increased by three times,” the message said, and of course requesting a donation from the reader.

“While Donald Trump is collecting big checks from oil barons and billionaires to run his campaign of revenge and retribution, this campaign is being funded by teachers, nurses, and scientists pitching in what they can when they can,” the pitch concluded.

FOX NEWS WINS AGAIN

Fox News Channel finished the second quarter of 2024 — that’s April, May and June — as cable TV’s most-watched network throughout the day and in prime time, according to Nielsen Media Research. This marks the 90th consecutive quarter, a total of 270 nmonths and more than 20 years that Fox News has been top.

In the daytime during this period, Fox News averaged 1.3 million viewers per day; cable news rivals MSNBC had an audience of 810,000 and CNN 473,000. In prime time, the Fox News audience numbered 2 million, compared with MSNBC with 1.2 million and CNN with 618,000.

The recent presidential debate yielded a substantial audience, even though the event was televised by CNN.

“FOX News Media and FOX Network’s simulcast of the CNN presidential debate drew the largest audience in linear television, digital and streaming — averaging 13,421,000 viewers,” the network said in a statement to Inside the Beltway.

Meanwhile, “The Five” continued to be a viewer favorite among regular programming, averaging 3.1 million daily viewers while “Jesse Watters Primetime” drew an audience of 2.7 million, “Hannity” 2.4 million and “The Ingraham Angle” 2.1 million.

Late-night favorite “Gutfeld” — hosted by the funny and clever Greg Gutfeld — garnered an average audience of 2.3 million. besting CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and “After Midnight,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”

BACK ON CAMERA

“President Joe Biden is ready to meet the press following his disastrous debate performance last week,” the Hollywood Reporter stated.

“ABC News has scored the first, exclusive post-debate sit-down with the president, who is seeking to reassure voters about his health and reelection candidacy. Biden is facing calls to step down in the wake of his faltering live 90-minute performance last Thursday against Donald Trump, which raised questions about his mental capacity,” the media and entertainment news outlet said.

“The president will be interviewed on the campaign trail Friday by ’Good Morning America’ co-anchor and ’This Week’ anchor George Stephanopoulos. ABC News is planning a staggered rollout of the interview, with segments airing on Friday and Saturday. The extended interview will air Sunday on ’This Week With George Stephanopoulos’ and on ’Good Morning America’ on Monday,” the Reporter said.

POLL DU JOUR

• 45% of registered U.S. voters say inflation is the “most important” issue to them personally.

• 15% cite immigration.

• 10% cite abortion.

• 8% cite crime.

• 8% cite climate change.

• 4% cite racial equity.

• 4% cite gun control.

• 2% cite the Israel-Hamas conflict.

• 2% cite parental rights in schools.

SOURCE: A Harvard University Center for American Political Studies poll of 2.090 registered U.S. voters conducted online by the Harris Poll and HarrisX. Respondents were given a list of issues from which to choose.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.