White House defends Biden’s fitness, ramps up his schedule

The White House is defending President Biden’s ability to lead in the face of growing questions.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was repeatedly pushed by reporters about Joe Biden’s debate performance, his mental and physical health, and the uneasiness among Democrats and donors. She said the president had a “bad night” last Thursday, but is fit for office. Jean-Pierre also announced that in the coming days Mr. Biden will speak with Democratic lawmakers and governors, sit for an ABC News interview, travel to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and hold a press conference.

Trump’s NY criminal case sentencing postponed until September

Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York criminal case has been postponed until at least September.
The former president had been scheduled to face sentencing a week from Thursday on his conviction of felony charges. But the judge agreed to put it off while weighing the possible impact of a new Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. The new sentencing date of September 18th will be two months after Trump becomes the Republican party’s presidential nominee — and about seven weeks before Election Day.

Trump wants NY guilty verdict set aside after Supreme Court decision

Donald Trump wants his New York guilty verdict to go away after the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity. Trump’s lawyers have sent a letter to the New York judge in his criminal case seeking permission to file a motion to set aside his guilty verdict. The letter cites this week’s Supreme Court ruling and asks the judge to delay the former president’s sentencing next week. The Trump legal team previously argued that some evidence — including Trump’s social media posts during his time in office — should have been excluded from the trial because of immunity protections.

Early post-debate poll numbers aren’t good for Biden

Many Democrats remain worried about Joe Biden’s re-election chances even as the campaign pushes ahead. Team Biden says the campaign continues after the president’s disastrous debate showing, and that he’s fit for the job. But Democrats remain panicked, especially after seeing the early post-debate polls. Nearly three quarters of all registered voters in a CBS News poll don’t think Biden has the mental and cognitive health to be president. And a USA Today poll shows nearly half of registered Democrats don’t think the president should be running.

Biden tries to project normalcy after debate showing

With some Democrats still freaking out after Joe Biden’s debate performance, the president is returning to a typical schedule this week. The Biden campaign is trying to reset after the debate and reassure anxious state officials, donors, and rank-and-file members. At the White House, the public schedule is a return to business as usual. Over the next few days, the president will get a hurricane weather briefing, attend a fundraiser, host a Medal of Honor ceremony, and celebrate the 4th of July with military families. But behind the scenes, the Biden team is dealing with many supporters who want the president to step aside.

Appeals court allows part of Biden plan to lower student loan payments

A federal appeals court says the Biden administration can move ahead with a plan to lower monthly payments for millions of student loan borrowers. A week after federal judges in Kansas and Missouri blocked much of a Biden administration student loan repayment plan, a federal appeals court put part of the initiative back on track. The plan lowers from 10 percent of discretionary income to 5 percent the amount that some borrowers qualifying for a repayment plan need to pay. The appeals court ruling means the Education Department can move ahead with the reduced payments already calculated.

Biden calls Supreme Court immunity decision “dangerous”

President Biden says the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity sets a “dangerous precedent” for America. Hours after justices issued their historic 6-3 ruling granting former presidents broad protection from prosecution, President Biden said the principle that no one is above the law “fundamentally changed.” He said the public had a “right to know” about Donald Trump’s role in the January 6th U-S Capitol riot, but that voters probably won’t have that chance before the election.

Supreme Court rules that former presidents have some immunity

The Supreme Court has ruled that former presidents are entitled to some immunity from prosecution. In a historic 6-3 ruling, justices said former presidents have absolute immunity for official acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts. And the high court is sending Donald Trump’s immunity case back to a lower court to figure out how it applies to the former president. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that “The president is not above the law. But Congress may not criminalize the president’s conduct in carrying out” constitutional responsibilities. The immediate outcome means an extended delay in the Trump matter and the unlikelihood that a trial could be held before the November presidential election.

High court sends Trump immunity case back to lower court

The Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity will further delay Donald Trump’s case. Justices ruled that former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for their official acts and no immunity for unofficial acts. That means Trump is immune from some actions he took while trying to overturn the 2020 election results. But the Supreme Court is sending the matter back to a lower court to determine whether or not Trump will go to trial. If there were to be a trial, it’s highly unlikely that it would take place before the election.

Supreme Court sends two social media cases back to lower courts

The Supreme Court is sending two social media cases back to lower courts. Three years ago, Florida and Texas passed laws that aim to restrict the power of social media companies to curb what they deem as objectionable content. Tech industry trade groups had challenged the Republican-backed laws. But Supreme Court justices returned the cases to lower courts. The laws were signed in the months following decisions by Facebook and Twitter to suspend then-President Trump from their platforms because of his posts related to the January 6th Capitol riot.

Democrats’ post-debate panic grows after DNC call

Post-debate concern is growing among some Democratic officials. Over the weekend, dozens of DNC members from across the country joined a phone call with the party’s chairman and some of them came away even more worried. Participants on the call said they felt that Biden campaign officials and DNC leaders are not taking seriously enough the impact of the president’s troubling debate performance. Members described the call as a one-sided conversation that ignored pervasive fears among the committee’s rank and file about Joe Biden’s ability to win in November.

Trump immunity decision expected from the Supreme Court

President Biden is facing a growing chorus of calls to step aside — calls from some of his biggest fans. The list is a long one and it includes op-ed writers, pundits, and organizations that like and support Joe Biden. But after last week’s struggling debate performance by the president, even his biggest fans say it’s time for a change on the Democratic ticket. The calls for him to withdraw from the race have appeared in articles and columns in The Atlantic, from Biden’s biographer and some of his former White House staffers, and from The New York Times Editorial Board. So far, the president’s campaign is resisting those calls. GC, Wash.

Some of Biden’s biggest fans say he should step aside

President Biden is facing a growing chorus of calls to step aside — calls from some of his biggest fans.
The list is a long one and it includes op-ed writers, pundits, and organizations that like and support Joe Biden. But after last week’s struggling debate performance by the president, even his biggest fans say it’s time for a change on the Democratic ticket. The calls for him to withdraw from the race have appeared in articles and columns in The Atlantic, from Biden’s biographer and some of his former White House staffers, and from The New York Times Editorial Board. So far, the president’s campaign is resisting those calls. GC, Wash.

Biden tells worried donors he’s up to the challenge of beating Trump

President Biden is telling Democratic donors he’s up to the challenge of another term in office. With many Democrats rattled by the president’s troubling debate performance Thursday night, Joe Biden is trying to reassure donors that he’s fully up to the challenge of beating Donald Trump. At fundraisers this weekend, the president told attendees he didn’t have a great debate night, but he’s going to fight harder. Both he and the first lady are making the case to press forward with the presidential campaign despite calls for him to step aside.

Supreme Court to issue Trump immunity ruling this week

The Supreme Court will issue its ruling tomorrow [MON] on the Trump immunity case. It’s perhaps the most anticipated decision of the court term — whether former presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts they took in office. The high court has previously ruled that former presidents can’t be sued in civil cases for what they did in office, but it has never weighed in on criminal immunity. At stake is the criminal case against Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th U-S Capitol riot.

Biden tries to reassure worried Democrats after debate

Top Democrats still backing Biden after poor debate showing

Panicked Democrats question Biden’s presidential run

Democrats are panicking about the election following President Biden’s shaky debate performance. Throughout this election campaign, the 81-year-old president has faced consistent questions about whether he’s too old for another four years on the job. On the debate stage here in Atlanta, Mr. Biden ‘s performance was marked by repeated stumbles and awkward moments of silence. Afterwards, there was a heightened level of concern about his fitness for office. The president’s outing was so rough that Democrats are publicly and privately questioning whether he should be the party’s presidential nominee

Trump, Biden to hold post-debate rallies in key states

Presidential debate featured sparring on every issue

The presidential debate in Atlanta offered sharply opposing views on every issue. President Biden slammed his predecessor for encouraging rioters on January 6th, while former President Trump said he would only accept the 2024 results if it’s a fair, legal, and good election. Trump repeatedly pointed to immigration and border chaos, which Biden struggled to defend. And the two candidates hurled personal insults at each other. Trump called Biden the worst president in American history. Biden reminded voters that Trump is a convicted felon. GC, at the presidential debate in Atlanta.

Trump, Biden tangle over abortion at first debate

Joe Biden and Donald Trump tangled over abortion during their debate in Atlanta. The president pledged to restore Roe v. Wade if re-elected, while Trump argued against a nationwide constitutional right to abortion. Asked about abortion pills, Trump said that he wouldn’t block the medications.

Biden, Trump face questions about age concerns, fitness

President Biden and former President Trump were asked about voter concerns about their advanced age.
At the CNN presidential debate, Trump declared his physical and mental fitness for office. And Joe Biden said he’s demonstrated his ability to serve as president. But the president’s hoarse voice and halting delivery likely reinforced voters’ concerns about his age.

Biden and Trump faced each other in a debate rematch

Biden, Trump return to the debate stage in a 2020 rematch