Biden faces growing pressure to withdraw from 2024 race

President Biden’s reelection bid is facing new obstacles. Even though the president told lawmakers he’s committed to staying in the race, that hasn’t stopped the drama inside the Democratic party. Many members are still unconvinced that Joe Biden can beat Donald Trump, and they’re unsure he’s fit to serve another four years. The first Democratic senator has called for the president to withdraw and more House Democrats are saying the same. Actor George Clooney, who’s a major Democratic donor, wrote in The New York Times that it’s time for a new nominee.

Biden campaign provided Black radio hosts with interview questions

The Biden campaign sent approved questions to two radio hosts who interviewed the president after his awful debate performance. Last week, Joe Biden was interviewed on two Black radio shows in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. It was part of the campaign’s effort to show that the president could answer questions and discuss his record. Over the weekend, Wisconsin host Earl Ingram said the Biden team gave him four questions in advance. Philadelphia radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders received a list of eight predetermined questions from the campaign and used four of them. She has since lost her job.

Democrats still divided over Biden’s path forward

More than a week after the presidential debate, Democrats remain divided over Joe Biden’s ability to campaign and win reelection. As lawmakers return to Capitol Hill following the Fourth of July recess, some Democrats in Congress are calling for President Biden to step aside while others argue he should remain the party’s choice. Over the past few days, Mr. Biden made personal calls to some lawmakers and joined a call with campaign surrogates. He says he has no plans to leave the race and believes he’s the best qualified candidate to beat Donald Trump.

With GOP convention a week away, Trump to announce his VP pick soon

Former President Donald Trump is expected to announce his running mate soon. With the Republican National Convention a week away, Trump is getting close to naming his choice for vice president. For weeks now, several names have been mentioned as potential finalists, including Senators J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is also a possibility. All the contenders have been making public appearances on behalf of the former president

Biden’s climate agenda dealt a legal setback

President Biden’s climate agenda was dealt a setback this week. Back in January, the Biden administration paused the approval of new liquefied natural gas exports. It said it wanted to study the effects of LNG on the climate. Sixteen Republican-led states challenged the administration in court and a federal judge has blocked the president’s decision to delay natural gas permits, which is a blow to the Biden White House. Officials in the red states raised constitutional questions about the administration’s action and argued it would have a negative economic impact.

Michigan governor disputes saying Biden can’t win her state

Michigan’s governor disputes that she told the Biden campaign that her state is unwinnable. Politico Magazine reported this week that Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer called the chairperson of the Biden campaign to say that, after the presidential debate, Michigan “was no longer winnable for [Joe] Biden.” But Whitmer’s office said the reported comment was false, and the governor insisted that the president can still win Michigan, which is a key battleground state. Democrats remain in disarray after Mr. Biden’s troubling debate performance.

New presidential polls show Trump expanding lead over Biden

The latest poll numbers are not kind to President Biden. The latest New York Times/Siena College poll shows a widening lead for Donald Trump and majorities of every demographic group saying Joe Biden is too old to be effective. According to the Times poll, the president is losing support from young voters and Hispanic voters. Meanwhile, a new Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump with a 6-point lead nationally and 80 percent of respondents saying that the president is too old to run for a second term.

White House, Biden campaign in damage control mode

It’s been all-hands-on-deck for the White House and the Biden campaign to reassure worried Democrats. A week after his dismal debate performance, President Biden is resisting calls from some fellow Democrats to drop out of the 2024 race. The White House said “absolutely not” when asked if the president is considering an exit. And that’s the message being shared with campaign staffers, Democrats in Congress, Democratic governors, and worried donors. The White House also has announced a ramped up schedule for Joe Biden that includes media interviews, campaign travel, and a news conference at next week’s NATO summit.

Two Civil War soldiers awarded posthumously with Medal of Honor

White House: Biden is “not dropping out of the race”

The White House says President Biden is “not dropping out” of the 2024 race. In response to swirling questions about Joe Biden’s candidacy following his dismal debate appearance, the White House made clear the president is not stepping aside. A spokeswoman said the president told his team that he’s in the 2024 race to the end. She said that a report that he’s considering an exit from the contest is false. As for why the president performed so poorly at last week’s debate, the White House says it was a combination of a head cold and jet lag.

More Democrats question Biden’s age, capacity after debate

A troubling debate performance by President Biden has forced lawmakers to grapple with a crisis that could upend the election. At this point, the White House and campaign have said Joe Biden has no intention of dropping out of the race against Donald Trump. But Democrats are asking urgent questions about his age and capacity to be president. With each passing day, more and more Biden allies in the Democratic party are openly questioning whether he should be on the ticket and, if not, then who.

Biden to meet with worried Dem governors, lawmakers

President Biden will meet with Democratic governors today [WED] in the wake of his dismal debate showing. The president will speak directly with worried governors as he attempts to solidify support among his party’s top leaders after last week’s troubling debate performance. A spokesperson says he will also hold calls with party leaders in Congress. The calls are part of the president’s attempt to calm fears among some Democrats who worry he may not be up to continuing a campaign — much less defeat Donald Trump.

Biden will give first post-debate interview to ABC News

President Biden will give his first post-debate interview to ABC News later this week. Following his much-criticized performance during last week’s debate, the president has agreed to sit for an extended interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. He is sure to be asked directly about the debate, his health, his age, and his fitness for another four-year-term in office. Word of the interview comes as many Americans, including Democrats, are questioning whether the 81-year-old president should continue his campaign.

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.