Meghan Markle and Kate Middletons cry-fest over bridesmaid dresses leading up to the Duchess of Sussexs royal wedding marked the "beginning of the end" for their relationship.British royal expert Hilary Fordwich made the claim after royal author Tom Quinn revisited the alleged clash in his book "Yes, Maam: The Secret Life of Servants." May 19 also marks Markle and Prince Harry's seventh wedding anniversary."In isolation, this incident could be construed as either minor or irrelevant, but it became a flashpoint exposing far deeper tensions between Meghan Markle and Princess Catherine," Fordwich told Fox News Digital.MEGHAN MARKLES MESSIAH COMPLEX, FREQUENT HUGS SPARKED CLASH WITHIN PALACE BEFORE ROYAL EXIT: BOOK"Now, with the benefit of hindsight, it can be seen as the beginning of the end of their relationship. It was not, as it seemed at the time, the end of the beginning. The dress incident was not isolated. There were already many tensions."This private conflict, leaked to the press, became a media firestorm, marking a significant escalation in tensions and, over time, further amplified by the media, compounded and complicated by personal, cultural and institutional differences."After Markle said "I do" to Harry, reports surfaced that the sisters-in-law disagreed over the tailoring of Princess Charlottes bridesmaid dress, which caused Kate to cry. However, in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Markle claimed "the reverse happened." She also claimed Kate later apologized for making her shed tears.Quinn claimed a royal staffer gave an account of what really happened behind palace doors."You remember all the fuss about Meghan being accused of making Kate cry when they had a dispute about Charlottes bridesmaids dress?" said the staffer in an excerpt obtained by Fox News Digital."Well, I can tell you that all the papers and commentators got this wrong the truth is that, as with many of these spats between sisters, brothers, or even sisters-in-law, both sides were really upset.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER"The truth is that during the discussions about the bridesmaids dress, Meghan said a few things she regretted, and Kate said a few things she later regretted, but it was all in the heat of the moment.""Both women were crying their eyes out!" the staffer claimed. "The incident with the bridesmaids dress became a kind of marker for all the other problems that Meghan had with Kate and with William and other members of the family."WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED ROYAL LIFE WHILE MEGHAN MARKLE STRUGGLED FOR THIS REASON, AUTHOR SAYSFox News Digital reached out to Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Kensington Palace for comment. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital,"We dont comment on such books."The disagreement reportedly centered on how Princess Charlottes dress fit for the wedding, resulting in the women exchanging heated words.Fordwich pointed out that Kate had just given birth to Prince Louis and was described as "quite emotional" at the time. However, when Markle spoke out about the disagreement to Winfrey in an interview viewed by nearly 50 million people globally, it was "the last straw in the eyes of royal courtiers.""They are extremely protective of Princess Catherine," said Fordwich. "She has always been very forgiving, but Prince William is adamant regarding there being no further contact with Meghan."LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"Meghan and Princess Catherine came to blows over bridesmaid dresses," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard claimed to Fox News Digital."If this is their only personal upset, then they are doing pretty well! [But] emotions were running high in the lead-up to the wedding. From what I understand, all the bridesmaid dresses were huge, with very little time to make them good. No one would have wanted the bridesmaids, especially Princess Charlotte, to look like a laughingstock. Im sure both ladies shared a similar perspective, that they wanted the outfits to fit well.""Having said that, Princess Catherine has nothing in common with Meghan," said Chard. "Catherine is standing by her husband and following in the late Queen Elizabeth IIs footsteps keeping quiet and carrying on."During her sit-down with Winfrey, Markle told the media mogul that "it was a really hard week at the wedding" and Kate was "upset about something." However, she later "owned it" and "apologized.""She brought me flowers and a note apologizing," said Markle. "I think it's I don't think it's fair to her to get into the details of that because she apologized, and I've forgiven her."The former American actress said she found it "shocking" that the dispute hit the press several months after the wedding."I would have never wanted that to come out about her ever, even though it happened," she said.The interview, which detailed the couples struggles with royal life, highlighted explosive accusations. One of the claims made was that someone in the family questioned the skin color of Markles baby before he was born. Harry later clarified that the royal in question was not the late queen or his grandfather, Prince Philip.Following the tell-all, a statement was released by Buckingham Palace on behalf of the queen that read, "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members."Harry later wrote about the spat in his 2023 memoir "Spare." In it, he claimed that his sister-in-law texted Markle four days before the wedding that, "Charlotte's dress is too big, too long, too baggy. She cried when she tried it on at home."According to Harrys book, Markle directed Kate to see the tailor at Kensington Palace, but it was Kate who insisted "all the dresses need to be remade." After a "back and forth" between the women, Harry said he later found Meghan "on the floor, sobbing.""I was horrified to see her so upset, but didn't think it was a catastrophe," he wrote.MEGHAN MARKLE'S 'WILD ABOUT HARRY' COVER STORY ENGULFED ROYALS WITH DREAD, EMBARRASSMENT: EXPERTHarry added that the next day, Kate visited with flowers and a card to apologize.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. They moved to California."I hope by now, as they are both adults and mothers too, that they can put all of this behind them," said royal expert Ian Pelham Turner about the wives. "I believe behind the scenes, they tried to do that. Meghan sent Kate a very kind message during her early days of cancer. If anyone can repair the damage its these two ladies."In March of this year, Quinn claimed to Fox News Digital that the Duchess of Sussexs frequent hugging had become a problem among the royal family. The over-familiarity was considered "rude" by staff, who claimed Kate, as well as William and King Charles III, would "flinch" when Meghan moved in for an embrace."Tension developed between William and Harry as a result of Meghans warm, friendly, hug-everyone approach," Quinn wrote."It made William uncomfortable because she hugged him virtually every time they bumped into each other; the hugging and cheek kissing fueled gossip among the staff that Meghan was flirting with William, which she was obviously not, but the tense atmosphere caused by all the touchy-feeliness (and the resultant gossip) deepened the rift between the brothers."PRINCE HARRY, PRINCE WILLIAMS FORMER PALACE AIDE GIVES RARE INTERVIEW ON SAD ROYAL RIFT BETWEEN BROTHERSQuinn told Fox News Digital that while all the staff he spoke to agreed that the rumors were untrue, Kensington Palace was also a "hothouse where gossip and rumors develop.""These rumors could become a life of their own," he said. "The senior royals have to stop them before they start. Meanwhile, Meghan was upset and felt that the royal family was pushing her away. I think the fact that Meghan felt slightly rejected was one of the reasons why this whole project [being senior royals] didnt work.""She was very warm," said Quinn. "Whenever she met other members of the family, she would hug them the royals just dont do that Meghan was astonished, for example, that Charles was so formal with his mother. It was as if she couldnt understand why the family was so cold. She came from a tradition where if you met someone close to you, you hugged them.""Yes, Meghan got very bad press in the U.K.," Quinn continued. "She was nicknamed the Duchess of Difficult by people who worked for her when she was a member of the royal family, and also by other members of the royal family."Markle also spoke about being a hugger in her 2022 Netflix series "Harry & Meghan.""Like I was a hugger, always been a hugger," said Meghan. "I didn't realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits."MEGHAN MARKLES AVALANCHE OF MISSTEPS MAKE IT A STRUGGLE TO WIN BACK THE PUBLIC: EXPERTS"I guess I'd start to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside, carried through on the inside," she said. "There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door, and you relax now. But that formality carries over on both sides, and that was surprising to me."

A recent declaration made by CNN anchor Jake Tapper about the cover-up of President Joe Biden's cognitive decline appears to go against his network's coverage during the 2024 presidential race.Tapper reported that Biden did not recognize Hollywood icon George Clooney, a prominent Democratic donor, while attending a star-studded L.A. fundraiser last year. He also reportedly struggled to finish thoughts so much that former President Barack Obama had to inject himself into the conversation.At the time, a video of Biden had gone viral showing him freezing on stage and being escorted offstage by Obama, something Tapper referenced during a CNN appearance last week promoting a new book about the cover-up of Biden's decline in office."The Biden White House falsely- when people showed that clip and asked what was going on- said it was a cheap fake. They did this all the time when there was video that seemed to show Biden acting in an odd or unusual, seemingly out-of-it way, they would call it a cheap fake. It was not fake. It was actual video," Tapper said on Wednesday.JAKE TAPPER'S PAST COVERAGE OF BIDEN'S COGNITIVE DECLINE UNDER SCRUTINY AHEAD OF HIS NEW BOOKIn the weeks leading up to the disastrous debate performance exposing his cognitive decline on the world stage, Biden went viral on multiple occasions in videos his critics said showed him losing his faculties. The first was of him appearing completely frozen while others danced around him at Juneteenth celebration at the White House. The second was of him appearing to wander off at the G-7 Summit away from other world leaders while trying to engage with parachutes, only to be corralled by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The third was Biden's freezing moment at the L.A. fundraiser.It wasn't until the latter that the Biden White House latched onto the term "cheap fakes" to describe the viral videos they said were misleading and peddled by right-wing foes of the then-presumptive Democratic nominee."I think you have all called this the cheap fakes video. And that's exactly what they are," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a press briefing last June. "They're done in bad faith."SHIELDING BIDEN: JOURNALISTS SHED LIGHT ON THE MEDIA'S COVER-UP OF A WEAKENED PRESIDENTSome at CNN quickly embraced the White House's narrative.CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz peddled the White Houses narrative, saying Biden had merely "looked out at the crowd for a few seconds" before walking offstage with Obama, adding that "Republicans and right-leaning media outlets" "used this moment to say that President Biden froze."Moments later during a panel discussion, CNN commentator and former Kamala Harris adviser Jamal Simmons called Biden's fundraiser moment "obviously selected video.""These are cheap fakes, [as] the White House and Biden people are calling them," Simmons told CNN's Erin Burnett.On a separate program, Saenz referred to the moment of Biden wandering at the G-7 summit as "selectively, deceptively cropped videos.""The news that a lot of Americans see and the manipulation that's distorting the 2024 election. That's tonight on NewsNight," CNN host Abby Phillip began her show at the time. "The November choice is between two old men. We know that. But tonight, I want to talk to you about the Joe Biden that Republicans want you to see and the pipeline of videos that aren't telling the full truth. And those videos are probably right now clogging the public consciousness as Americans start to think about their votes."JAKE TAPPER ADMITS HE DIDN'T COVER BIDEN'S COGNITIVE DECLINE ENOUGH, CLAIMS TO LOOK BACK ON IT WITH HUMILITYCNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter offered an explainer of what "cheap fakes" are and sounded the alarm on their impact on the 2024 race."We've been worried for years about AI deep fakes, that computer-generated images are going to trick people into believing something that's totally false," Stelter said. "Cheap fakes are a little bit similar. They're cheap. They're just distorted out-of- context videos chopped up in certain ways, constructed in certain ways. That's what we're seeing. That's what the Biden administration, the Biden campaign, is so worried about right now. But make no mistake, they are worried about this. This is a real problem. This is not some made-up fiction. The videos are oftentimes made up. But the problem is real."CNN anchor Dana Bash, who co-moderated Biden's ill-fated debate alongside Tapper, pushed the "cheap fakes" narrative just days before Biden took the stage."A lot of memes and what the White House is calling cheap fakes, which means that there are videos that are being put out on social media and then amplified on conservative media that in some cases are just not right and in other cases are highly, highly misleading about President Biden," Bash said.EX-CNN JOURNALIST SPEAKS OUT ON BIDEN COVER-UP, SAYS WHITE HOUSE AIDES MADE IT DIFFICULT ON PRESSBash admitted her own concern about drawing attention to the Biden videos, turning to liberal Hollywood icon Barbra Streisand for advice, quoting her post on X that read, "We must stay vigilant to the ongoing and pervasive spread of misinformation maybe now more than usual in the lead up to this presidential election.""Her argument was don't amplify it," Bash told the panel before explaining the concept of the famed "Streisand Effect."Perhaps Biden's strongest defender on CNN regarding the false "cheap fakes" narrative was the network's then-media reporter Oliver Darcy, who has since left the network.Just two days before the debate, Darcy authored a story with the headline, "Right-wing media figures are desperately pushing conspiracy theories about Biden ahead of the debate.""For years, and particularly over the last few months,MAGA Mediahas portrayed Biden as a senile, mentally incapacitated elderly man who cannot remember what he had for breakfast, let alone run the federal government To support the narrative, these outlets and personalities have seized on Bidens verbal gaffes (while ignoring Trumps) and presented out-of-context video clips to their large audiences a deceptive, but effective strategy that the Biden campaign has struggled to meaningfully rebut," Darcy wrote.Darcy appeared on-air after the viral L.A. fundraiser moment, denouncing the attention it was receiving from conservatives."These outlets are wrapping these videos in very misleading context, right? Saying that this is evidence that Biden was freezing. He's not able to walk offstage on his own, and that's obviously not the case, but that's how it's been portrayed in right-wing media," Darcy told CNN's Kaitlan Collins. "And it plays into this years-long narrative where they have tried to portray Biden as a senile old man incapable of governing the country. And this is just the latest example. These attacks are obviously ramping up in the lead-up to the November election."Tapper and co-author Alex Thompson are out with the new book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," this week.CNN did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

President Donald J. Trumps Middle East swing was one big, beautiful business trip and America foreign policy will never be the same.As we saw over and over again, Trump believes international relations work best when they consist of sharp-elbowed business deals. When countries are busy trading, launching construction projects, developing AI, etc., then ideology and military confrontation diminish and tolerance thrives. Of course, Trumps battering of the Houthis with aircraft carriers and bombers greatly facilitated this trip.But make no mistake. This is peace through strength: economic strength. Commerce, not conflict.TRUMP WRAPS MOMENTOUS MIDDLE EAST TRIP WITH ECONOMIC DEALS, SYRIA SANCTIONS RELIEF AND WARNING TO IRANWay back in 1987, when the U.S. Navy was protecting oil tankers from Iran, Trump spent $95,000 on a full-page ad in the New York Times to tell America to stop paying to defend countries that can afford to defend themselves. "We are protective of Saudi Arabia. They should pay for it," Trump said to Larry King on CNN on Sep. 2, 1987. Forty years later, as a second-term president, Trump has swept away tenets that drove American foreign policy for the last hundred years.President Woodrow Wilson making the world safe for democracy as he led America into World War I in 1917? Gone.Foreign aid soft-power culture projects? All over. TRUMP MAKES HISTORIC UAE VISIT AS FIRST US PRESIDENT IN NEARLY 30 YEARSSecretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama rabble-rousing the Arab spring of 2011 and ditching friends like Hosni Mubarak of Egypt? Not anymore.Russian military bases in Syria and China cutting deals across the Middle East? Not so fast.And you already know the new deal with NATO, an alliance dating from 1949. Going forward, America will remain the lead security partner deterring Russia, but trade deals will be squared up.Adding to the shock and awe, Trump expanded the roster of his national security team for this away game. The secretaries of State, Defense, Treasury and Commerce were joined by businessmen: Tesla CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp and others. Why? Trump is putting businessmen on the field to run plays that boost the U.S. and knock back China.TRUMP CONDEMNS 'INTERVENTIONALISTS,' PITCHES 'MORE HOPEFUL FUTURE' IN MIDDLE EAST SPEECHAnd not a moment too soon. For it is the rise of China and the technology threat of AI that has made Trumps shift urgent. Here are six major scores from his Middle East trip. Trump raked in over $2 trillion in investment pledges from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. This is real money, coming directly to America. Check out the UAE investing $1.4 trillion in the U.S., ranging from natural gas in Texas to data centers to the first new U.S. aluminum smelting facility in 35 years. Long-term, this may be the single most valuable outcome of Trumps trip. You dont want a world where China rules in artificial intelligence, and Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others end up in Xi Jinpings lap. Trump has made AI leadership a priority for U.S. foreign policy. TRUMP TARGETS MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN FIRST MIDDLE EAST TRIPThe UAE is going full AI and will import 500,000 Nvidia chips per year for AI datacenters. Allowing sales to Mideast partners will help U.S. companies gain global market share over China. You can bet Commerce has ways to monitor how chips are used, and restrictions remain on the most advanced chips, but let me be clear. It was us or China. Im glad Jensen Huang, and not Xi Jinping, got that deal.Playing to an American export strength, the trip yielded a gigantic order from Qatar Airways for 130 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 30 777-9s, and options for 50 more jets, making this the biggest widebody order ever.Boeing says the order supports 400,000 American jobs throughout the supply chain. Qatar will also purchase some extremely advanced "Desert Viper" F-16 Block 60 fighter jets with upgraded engines, the AN/APG-80 AESA radar and more. Saudi Arabia restocks vital AIM-120 missiles, with a big order that will also help the U.S. speed up production for our own stockpile to deter China. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONThe 30-minute meeting with Syrias President Ahmad Al-Sharaa was a direct application of Trumps new policy. Al-Sharaa is a radical-turned opportunist, and by lifting sanctions, Trump is calculating that a better Syrian economy will be stabilizing. "Its not going to be easy anyway. So, it gives them a good, strong chance," Trump told leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh. TRUMP'S 17TH WEEK BACK IN OFFICE TO FOCUS ON MIDDLE EAST TRIP, ADMIN LEADERS IRONING OUT CHINA TRADE TALKSIs Syria an ally or an enemy, wondered NBC News. Wrong question. Syria is neither; lifting sanctions is a chess move. "We do not want to be stuck with China being the only choice for Syria,"Dr. Sharvan Ibesh of the Bahar Organization, a humanitarian NGO active in Syria,told Gordon Chang on May 7. Dont forget that U.S. Central Commands A-10s, B-52s and F-15Es knocked the stuffing out of ISIS weapons caches in Syria last winter. "Iran can have a much brighter future," Trump said in Riyadh. You know the ayatollah gasped when Syria got its sanctions lifted. All the business deals were a vivid message to Iran. Dump the weapons program and "nuclear dust" as Trump calls it and reap the economic benefits. Of course, Trump is keeping U.S. aircraft carriers, bombers and more pointed straight at Iran.Every move made by Trump in the Middle East is a tactical loss for China and Russia. Trumps deals are far better than Chinas underhanded Belt and Road projects. Bonus points for pouring cold water on Chinas overtures in Syria. And Putin is writhing over the loss of Russian bases in Syria, which his Wagner Group cronies used to support military operations in Africa. Foreign leaders know what they are getting with Trump, and it works for them. "At the end of the day, President Trump is a businessman," UAE Foreign Trade Minister Dr. Al Zeyoudi commented to Gulf News on Friday. He wants to strike a deal. He is looking at added value to the U.S."Golden age foreign policy has just begun. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REBECCA GRANT

If past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, Meta has given parents every reason to be distrustful.On more than one occasion, Metas social media products, which include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, have endangered children. Its fixes come late or only after external attention and pressure.Their parental controls often fall short, are extremely cumbersome, or dont keep pace with evolving technology and new features. If Meta truly cares about child safety or about salvaging its reputation related to child safety a new path that includes parents must be charted.As a mother, I am tired of seeingreportafterreportof Metas willingness to place engagement metrics and company growth ahead of basic child safety. Whether pushinguntested technologiesthat harm childrens mental health or exposing young users to inappropriate and extreme sexual content, the company has shown a dangerous willingness to look the other way.SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT HIT WITH SCATHING AD CAMPAIGN AMID ANGER OVER AI CHATBOTS SEXUALLY EXPLOITING KIDSWith Metas recent launch of AI "digital companions" a new controversy was born. These interactive chatbots allegedly designed to simulate friendly, personalized conversations were marketed broadly and made available to users as young as 12. As the Wall Street Journalreported, however, the chatbots were soon caught engaging with minors in graphic, sexually explicit exchanges, including simulated predatory scenarios. The company claimed it restricted those features from children, but Meta staffers found that "within a few prompts, the AI will violate its rules and produce inappropriate content even if you tell the AI you are 13."Dr. Nina Vasan, a Stanford psychiatrist and director of Stanford Brainstorm, hascalledthe rise of AI companions among children "a potential public mental health crisis requiring preventive action rather than just reactive measures." According to Vasan, these bots are failing "the most basic tests of child safety and psychological ethics."TEENS ARE NOW USING AI CHATBOTS TO CREATE AND SPREAD NUDE IMAGES OF CLASSMATES, ALARMING EDUCATION EXPERTSShes right, and it should not take a task force to see that. Anyone raising children in the digital age understands the emotional and developmental risks these technologies pose. If Meta cared about, or even considered child safety, that much would be obvious.Unfortunately, Meta has a well-documented history of flouting child safety. In 2024, the WSJfoundMetas Instagram platform recommendation system pushing sexually explicit videos to accounts set up as 13-year-olds within minutes. Another investigationrevealedthat Instagram "helps connect and promote a vast network of accounts openly devoted to the commission and purchase of underage-sex content." In other words, its algorithm is actively amplifying pedophile networks. Metas own internal reviews haveadmittedthe companys subscription tools have been used to promote sexualized child modeling accounts to suspected predators.SCAMMERS ARE TARGETING TEENS WITH THESE NASTY TRICKSEach time these failures come to light, the company insists it has made fixes, patched programs, or installed parental controls. Parents are expected to take their word for it. But why should we when a mountain of evidence suggests otherwise?I, for one, dont buy what Meta is selling. Thats why, as executive director of American Parents Coalition, our organization sent a letter to the Senate and House committees with oversight in this area urging them to open a full investigation into Metas repeated failures and its pattern of child endangerment.Whether or not there is congressional intervention, Meta can start making changes today. One such step would be creating an external parental advisory committee. While expert voices are welcome, whats really missing are the parents in the trenches "real" parents who are raising kids in the real world, arent steeped in the latest techno-babble and can truly "red-team" new features, navigate parental controls, and provide feedback. HOW TO (KINDLY) ASK PEOPLE NOT TO POST YOUR KIDS' PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIAThis board should have access to product development, the power to flag risks, and the authority to make public recommendations. If Meta is serious about addressing these dangers, it should welcome outside oversight.Themounting datain support of delaying or forbidding access to smartphones and social media is convincing. Its a route our family has chosen and one that I encourage others to follow. However, not every family will make that choice. Many will rely on parental controls and others still will allow unfettered access. Regardless of a familys path, parents cannot stand guard over every algorithm, every software update, every hidden risk embedded in the platforms our children access.PARENTS TRUST AI FOR MEDICAL ADVICE MORE THAN DOCTORS, RESEARCHERS FINDThe mental and physical safety of the next generation should be of paramount concern to our technological leaders and elected representatives alike. Accountability should begin with a thorough congressional investigation into Metas conduct, including its product safety practices and repeated failures to establish basic child protection measures. That alone, however, wont be a long-term fix. Real change requires Meta to bring parents into the fold and with a permanent seat at the table. Until these changes occur, no parent should take Meta at its word and should suspend their childs access to these platforms.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ALLEIGH MARR

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said that former President Joe Biden should have exited the presidential race sooner, saying theres "no doubt" the Democratic Party would have been better served had he done so."Obviously, in retrospect, the president should have gotten out of the race earlier. There's no doubt that the Democratic Party would have been better served by having the ability to have an open primary," Murphy told NBC "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker Sunday.Biden abruptly dropped out of the presidential race in July 2024 following a disastrous debate with now-President Donald Trump in which he repeatedly appeared confused and flustered. Vice President Kamala Harris quickly took over as the nominee, with less than four months left to campaign.DAVE PORTNOY RIPS DEMOCRATS AND LIBERAL MEDIA FOR BIDEN COGNITIVE DECLINE 'COVER-UP'Bidens fitness to serve in office has come under intense scrutiny in recent days with the publication of CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Politico reporter Alex Thompsons book "Original Sin" which described the senior staff of the president attempting to hide his alleged cognitive decline from the public. Recordings of Bidens Oct. 2023 testimony to Special Counsel Robert Hur were released, which showed Biden struggling to recall the date of his son Beaus death.JOE BIDEN DIAGNOSED WITH 'AGGRESSIVE FORM' OF PROSTATE CANCER WITH METASTASIS TO THE BONEMurphy said judging Bidens cognitive abilities via that recording wasnt fair to the former president, since it is a "very emotional topic" for him. However, the Democratic lawmaker said voters clearly wanted a different candidate in 2024. However, he stopped short of saying that Biden was in decline while he was in office, saying that he saw a president who was "in control."Murphy said it was a mistake for the Democratic Party to not heed the calls from voters to nominate somebody younger and more competitive, in light of Trumps victory.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE"By 2024, theAmerican people have decidedthey wanted somebody new, theywanted somebody younger, and itwas a mistake for Democrats tonot listen to the votersearlier and set up a processthat would have gotten us in aposition where we could havebeen more competitive thatfall," he said.

Should the government be involved in setting prices for consumers? Fox News Digital asked people from Houston, Texas to Detroit, Michigan to weigh in afterPresident Donald Trump ordered pharmaceutical companies to lower drug costs this week.In an executive order signed on Monday, Trump instructed drug companies to reduce prices of prescription drugs to be on par with the lowest prices in other developed countries, or face consequences."The principle is simple whatever the lowest price paid for a drug in other developed countries, that is the price that Americans will pay," Trump said at the White House on Monday. "Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced almost immediately by 50 to 80 to 90%."People across the nation who spoke to Fox News Digital reacted positively to Trumps plan to slash prices for consumers, but had mixed reactions to getting the government involved to achieve this goal.TRUMP SAYS HE WILL SLASH DRUG PRICES WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER"Lowered drug costs will help the elderly and folks that are challenged with certain incomes and have medical needs," John, from Houston, said.Krishna, from Detroit, said he personally knows people who have to buy their life-saving medication overseas because it is "a tenth of the cost that it is in the United States.""The drug prices in Canada, in Mexico, are way, way lower than in the U.S.," Emmanuel from Houston agreed."Our healthcare, we say it's the best in the world, correct? But the medicines, people cannot afford it," he added.DEMS DIVIDED ON TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER AIMED AT SLASHING DRUG PRICESTrump said the order will save Americans money by stopping the U.S. from "subsidizing" the healthcare of foreign countries."We're subsidizing others healthcare, the countries where they paid a small fraction of what for the same drug that what we pay many, many times more for and will no longer tolerate profiteering and price-gouging from Big Pharma," Trump said at the White House on Monday."Even though the United States is home to only 4% of the world's population, pharmaceutical companies make more than two thirds of their profits in America. So think of that with 4% of the population, the pharmaceutical companies make most of their money. Most of their profits from America. That's not a good thing," Trump continued. Those who spoke to Fox News Digital were supportive of Trump's plan to take on Big Pharma, while others were leery of the federal government regulating prices for consumers.TRUMPS WRONG-HEADED EFFORT TO LOWER DRUG COSTS AMOUNTS TO PRICE CONTROL: EXPERT"I think when the government gets too involved into markets, I think they tend to make things worse than they actually are," Alec from Detroit said. "I think usually when the markets themselves work things out, it tends to be better. Obviously that's not always the case with every market, such as the medical industry. So I think in some cases they should get involved minimally. Some cases they shouldnt.""I just think less government is better than a lot of government," said James from Knoxville, Tennessee.Others were fine with it as long as the government was minimally involved."Not too much, maybe some basic controls just so things don't get out of whack," said Karisa, also from Knoxville."Minimal kind of control, because I do believe we need some kind of freedom to be able to sell what we need," Aiden from Detroit said.Others said the government should step in to stop companies from taking advantage of consumers."I suppose, yeah, because you don't want corporations gouging the public," Wyatt from Detroit said. "So if they're going to jack up the prices, then the government should get involved and set a fair price for things.""The government ought to be involved in everything. They ought to get up off its hiney and do something about everything," Olanwonzer from Houston responded."The freer the market is, the more it hurts individuals and individual consumers in America," Krishna said. "I think that the number one goal of a company is to make as much money and so it doesn't really matter how much money, how much wealth they can extract from the general American. And so regulating that is obviously the best thing for both companies and also the consumers involved."Trump's executive order says if drug manufacturers don't comply with offering Americans comparable pricing to those in other countries, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will "propose rules that impose most-favored-nation pricing; and take other aggressive measures to significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs to the American consumer and end anticompetitive practices."Fox News Diana Stancy and Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Kid Rock has dubbed President Donald Trump the "dragon slayer" for forcing wokeness, including DEI and cancel culture, to "exit the building.""I think wokeness and DEI and cancel culture is starting to exit the building, and we can thank President Trump for leading that charge once again. I call him the dragon slayer in that regard, 'cuz he just came and slit the throat of DEI and wokeness," Kid Rock told Fox News Digital at his "Rock N Rodeo" event in Texas on Friday.During his interview, the musician acknowledged that there will always be a certain level of cancel culture in society, but he wont be participating."There's always gonna be cancel culture at some level, somebody getting butt sore about this, wants to protest and not buy a product or whatever. You know, me personally, I'm not into seeing people lose their jobs over some corporate decision that was made.COUNTRY STAR CHRIS JANSON SEES EYE TO EYE WITH TRUMP SUPPORTER KID ROCK"But sometimes there needs a little spanking there, like Bud Light had from me and some other people, but at the end of the day, we forgave them, said, It's all good. Let's get back on track," he said.Kid Rock shared his own opinion on how society should be run.WATCH: Kid Rock hails Trump as 'dragon slayer' battling wokeness and cancel culture"I do think it's exiting the building right now, and hopefully it stays gone, but we should be a merit-based system. The best and hardworking rises to the top. I don't know how we got here, because to me, that's just common sense, that's just the ultimate, highest level of common sense that just the best and the hardest workers rise to the top. It doesn't matter, anything else," he said.WATCH: Kid Rock fires back at Springsteens anti-Trump rantKid Rock, a longtime supporter of the sitting president, praised Trump for being the "greatest president ever.""My thoughts on President Trump's presidency. Greatest president ever. I can sum it up like that. Not only because of our friendship and all the laughs we share on the golf course or hanging out at UFC fights or whatever it might be, but just the tenacity this man has. You know, the most resilient," he said.Kid Rock continued, "You know I call myself the American bad---, but I think I got to ride shotgun on that moniker when I'm with the president. Just somebody who loves this country unapologetically, and fights for it every single day."Kid Rock said hes thankful the president won in a "landslide victory," which he predicted.WATCH: Kid Rock says Donald Trump is the 'greatest president ever'"I mean, to the tune of two assassination attempts. I remind him all the time that I'm so glad he won in a landslide victory, which I was happy to predict, even though the media convinced us that he probably couldn't win again. Hes just gonna kick a-- for this country and gave up so much to do that.LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"I remind him every day that, don't forget Mr. President. I was like, We can deal with reasonable people on the left. That's no problem, I go, But there's a lot of bad actors. Their goal, at the highest level, is to lock you up and take everything you had. I go, and that we can't forget. Those people need to be dealt with. But other than that, love everybody. Let's bring this country together," he said.During his interview with Fox News Digital, Kid Rock addressed his viral White House outfit that he had worn while President Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office."I had dinner with Bill Maher, we knew that it was on the books, that's what I was going to DC. The White House reached out and said, you know, come to the Oval Office early, say hello to the President, get a photo op, and I'm like, Oh, sweet."So, I already had that outfit in the works for the 250th anniversary of America, I don't know what for, it was for some shows, a photoshoot, whatever, and that outfit was done, made by the legendary Manuel out of Nashville, Tennessee, rodeo clothing designer, old friend, 94 years old, just a great patriot," Kid Rock said, referencing his bright-colored and patriotic outfit.WATCH: Kid Rock talks about his viral, patriotic White House outfit"So, I go, Man, I'm gonna wear that in there for the photo op, and then I'll take a suit and change for dinner. So that day, I was unaware that they were surprising me with an executive order on the ticketing issues I've been trying to solve. So, I just found out about that when I was at the White House, and I got this freaking outfit on. You know, where Peter Doocy [Fox News White House correspondent] said it looked like I was getting shot out of a cannon, which was hilarious."I had no idea I was going to be standing there for an hour in a press conference. I might have chosen a different outfit, but you know what? I'm glad I didn't. It turned out to be so much fun," Kid Rock said.The musician spoke to Fox News Digital about why he had decided to create an event that combined rock 'n' roll and the rodeo."Rock and roll, and rodeo, and cowboys. You know, of course, we sprinkle a little hip-hop and country music in there, too, but it's just Americana at the highest degree," he said.WATCH: Kid Rock promotes 'Rock N Rodeo' eventKid Rock said his "Rock N Rodeo" came about in the last four to eight years once he saw woke culture "infecting" other sports."It really came to fruition, too, during the last four or eight years, where all this wokeness just infected all these pro sports at the high levels. When I was at these rodeos, I was like, This is the most professional patriotic sport going, hands down and I go But it needs to be bigger it needs, to be bigger."NASCAR is great, baseball is great, but you know they started getting infected with this wokeness and DEI cr--," he said.Kid Rock told Fox News Digital that he had made it clear, when he signed his deal with Professional Bull Riders (PBR), that woke culture was never welcomed at his "Rock N Rodeo.""When I did the deal with PBR, I go, You guys already don't let any of this in, but I want a firm handshake that we are never going to let this in. As a matter of fact, we're going to attack it head-on, and we're going to be anti-that, and everything pro-American about this," he said."Kid Rock's Rock N Rodeo" held an event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on May 16."Experience the electrifying fusion of rock, country and hip-hop with Kid Rock performing live in concert at this revolutionary new rodeo event during the PBR World Finals!" the website stated. "Known for mega-hits like 'Bawitdaba', 'All Summer Long', and 'Cowboy,' Kid Rock transforms every stage into a powerhouse of energy. Dive into the world of this multi-platinum phenomenon and get ready to rock with one of music's most dynamic and enduring superstars!"CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Pope Leo XIV on Monday held a private meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, according to the Holy See Press Office.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette, were also at the private meeting, according to Vatican News.Vance, Rubio and their wives had attended the pope's inaugural mass on Sunday.POPE LEO SAYS FAMILY BASED ON UNION BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN, DEFENDS DIGNITY OF UNBORNAfter the private audience with the first American pope on Monday, Vance met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, the Holy See Press Office said.Vance and Gallagher had "cordial" talks in the Secretariat of State, where they reiterated good bilateral relations between the U.S. government and the Holy See.POPE LEO XIV VOWS TO WORK FOR UNITY, PEACE DURING INAUGURAL MASSThe two also discussed the collaboration between the Church and the U.S. government as well as "some matters of special relevance to ecclesial life and religious freedom.""Finally, there was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved," the Holy See Press Office said.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said that former President Joe Biden should have exited the presidential race sooner, saying theres "no doubt" the Democratic Party would have been better served had he done so."Obviously, in retrospect, the president should have gotten out of the race earlier. There's no doubt that the Democratic Party would have been better served by having the ability to have an open primary," Murphy told NBC "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker Sunday.Biden abruptly dropped out of the presidential race in July 2024 following a disastrous debate with now-President Donald Trump in which he repeatedly appeared confused and flustered. Vice President Kamala Harris quickly took over as the nominee, with less than four months left to campaign.DAVE PORTNOY RIPS DEMOCRATS AND LIBERAL MEDIA FOR BIDEN COGNITIVE DECLINE 'COVER-UP'Bidens fitness to serve in office has come under intense scrutiny in recent days with the publication of CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Politico reporter Alex Thompsons book "Original Sin" which described the senior staff of the president attempting to hide his alleged cognitive decline from the public. Recordings of Bidens Oct. 2023 testimony to Special Counsel Robert Hur were released, which showed Biden struggling to recall the date of his son Beaus death.JOE BIDEN DIAGNOSED WITH 'AGGRESSIVE FORM' OF PROSTATE CANCER WITH METASTASIS TO THE BONEMurphy said judging Bidens cognitive abilities via that recording wasnt fair to the former president, since it is a "very emotional topic" for him. However, the Democratic lawmaker said voters clearly wanted a different candidate in 2024. However, he stopped short of saying that Biden was in decline while he was in office, saying that he saw a president who was "in control."Murphy said it was a mistake for the Democratic Party to not heed the calls from voters to nominate somebody younger and more competitive, in light of Trumps victory.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE"By 2024, theAmerican people have decidedthey wanted somebody new, theywanted somebody younger, and itwas a mistake for Democrats tonot listen to the votersearlier and set up a processthat would have gotten us in aposition where we could havebeen more competitive thatfall," he said.

Should the government be involved in setting prices for consumers? Fox News Digital asked people from Houston, Texas to Detroit, Michigan to weigh in afterPresident Donald Trump ordered pharmaceutical companies to lower drug costs this week.In an executive order signed on Monday, Trump instructed drug companies to reduce prices of prescription drugs to be on par with the lowest prices in other developed countries, or face consequences."The principle is simple whatever the lowest price paid for a drug in other developed countries, that is the price that Americans will pay," Trump said at the White House on Monday. "Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced almost immediately by 50 to 80 to 90%."People across the nation who spoke to Fox News Digital reacted positively to Trumps plan to slash prices for consumers, but had mixed reactions to getting the government involved to achieve this goal.TRUMP SAYS HE WILL SLASH DRUG PRICES WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER"Lowered drug costs will help the elderly and folks that are challenged with certain incomes and have medical needs," John, from Houston, said.Krishna, from Detroit, said he personally knows people who have to buy their life-saving medication overseas because it is "a tenth of the cost that it is in the United States.""The drug prices in Canada, in Mexico, are way, way lower than in the U.S.," Emmanuel from Houston agreed."Our healthcare, we say it's the best in the world, correct? But the medicines, people cannot afford it," he added.DEMS DIVIDED ON TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER AIMED AT SLASHING DRUG PRICESTrump said the order will save Americans money by stopping the U.S. from "subsidizing" the healthcare of foreign countries."We're subsidizing others healthcare, the countries where they paid a small fraction of what for the same drug that what we pay many, many times more for and will no longer tolerate profiteering and price-gouging from Big Pharma," Trump said at the White House on Monday."Even though the United States is home to only 4% of the world's population, pharmaceutical companies make more than two thirds of their profits in America. So think of that with 4% of the population, the pharmaceutical companies make most of their money. Most of their profits from America. That's not a good thing," Trump continued. Those who spoke to Fox News Digital were supportive of Trump's plan to take on Big Pharma, while others were leery of the federal government regulating prices for consumers.TRUMPS WRONG-HEADED EFFORT TO LOWER DRUG COSTS AMOUNTS TO PRICE CONTROL: EXPERT"I think when the government gets too involved into markets, I think they tend to make things worse than they actually are," Alec from Detroit said. "I think usually when the markets themselves work things out, it tends to be better. Obviously that's not always the case with every market, such as the medical industry. So I think in some cases they should get involved minimally. Some cases they shouldnt.""I just think less government is better than a lot of government," said James from Knoxville, Tennessee.Others were fine with it as long as the government was minimally involved."Not too much, maybe some basic controls just so things don't get out of whack," said Karisa, also from Knoxville."Minimal kind of control, because I do believe we need some kind of freedom to be able to sell what we need," Aiden from Detroit said.Others said the government should step in to stop companies from taking advantage of consumers."I suppose, yeah, because you don't want corporations gouging the public," Wyatt from Detroit said. "So if they're going to jack up the prices, then the government should get involved and set a fair price for things.""The government ought to be involved in everything. They ought to get up off its hiney and do something about everything," Olanwonzer from Houston responded."The freer the market is, the more it hurts individuals and individual consumers in America," Krishna said. "I think that the number one goal of a company is to make as much money and so it doesn't really matter how much money, how much wealth they can extract from the general American. And so regulating that is obviously the best thing for both companies and also the consumers involved."Trump's executive order says if drug manufacturers don't comply with offering Americans comparable pricing to those in other countries, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will "propose rules that impose most-favored-nation pricing; and take other aggressive measures to significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs to the American consumer and end anticompetitive practices."Fox News Diana Stancy and Greg Norman contributed to this report.