Biden hits out at Democrat ‘elites’ daring them to challenge him at convention: Live updates

President Joe Biden has written to congressional Democrats insisting he will remain in the race for the White House after more members of the party added their voices to calls for him to step aside on Sunday – an unwelcome distraction as the president prepares to host a major Nato summit in Washington DC this week.

In behind-closed-door crisis talks convened by House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, several representatives including Jerry Nadler, Susan Wild, Adam Smith, and Mark Takano suggested it was time for Biden, 81, to make way following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in Atlanta last month.

Five Democrats have now come forward publicly to say the same, with vice president Kamala Harris tipped to take over as the party’s 2024 nominee and praised by the influential Adam Schiff yesterday.

But the president insisted in an ABC interview on Friday that only “the Lord Almighty” could persuade him to go, saying he remains convinced he is the right man to challenge Trump. He also remained defiant in a call to the hosts of Morning Joe on Monday morning.

Biden spent his weekend on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, speaking at a church in Philadelphia yesterday before briefly meeting with campaign staff, union members and local Democrats, including senator John Fetterman.

Key Points

• More Democrats call for Biden to step aside from 2024 race in private ‘crisis talks’

• Fifth House Democrat calls publicly for president to drop out

• Schiff says Harris would be a ‘phenomenal’ president

• Biden prepares for Nato summit with eyes of the world upon him

• President continues campaign push in Pennsylvania

Recap: Several top House Democrats call for Biden to step aside in weekend ‘crisis talks’

17:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Several influential House Democrats joined a growing list of party members calling on Joe Biden to step aside and let someone else run in 2024 in a weekend crisis call, according to reports.

The House Democratic caucus convened for crisis talks with Hakeem Jeffries, the chamber’s minority leader, late Sunday afternoon as lawmakers prepare to face the media on Capitol Hill when Congress returns to business the next day.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

Several top Democrats call for Biden to step aside in weekend ‘crisis talks’

Trump campaign announces daily themes on Republican convention

17:10 , Oliver O’Connell

The Trump campaign has announced a program of themes for next week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The “Make America Great Once Again” convention runs from July 15-18 and has the following daily themes:

• Monday: Make America Wealthy Once Again

• Tuesday: Make America Safe Once Again

• Wednesday: Make America Strong Once Again

• Thursday: Make America Great Once Again

Donald J Trump for President 2024 senior advisors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a statement: “From the beginning of President Donald J Trump’s campaign to Make America Great Again, we’ve received an outpouring of support from everyday Americans who are ready to turn the page on the last four years of failure, disaster, and embarrassment at home and abroad. The 2024 Republican National Convention will showcase President Trump’s vision to turn our country around and launch our America First movement to victory come November.”

Whitmer shuts down 2024 presidential talk

17:00 , AP

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is releasing a new memoir at a particularly fraught moment, both for herself and for the Democratic Party.

Set to release Tuesday amid the frenzy over President Joe Biden’s recent debate performance, “True Gretch” won’t do much to dispel questions about her national ambitions. But in a pre-launch interview with The Associated Press, Whitmer did what she could to shut down such speculation, saying bluntly that she would not step into the election if Biden were to step down.

“It’s a distraction more than anything,” said Whitmer. “I don’t like seeing my name in articles like that because I’m totally focused on governing and campaigning for the ticket.”

16:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Nigel Farage set to be ‘Trump’s link to UK’ after victory: ‘He won’t talk to No 10’

Former VP candidate Tim Kaine says Biden will put country first

16:28 , Oliver O’Connell

Former vice presidential candidate for Hillary Clinton’s campaign and US Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine said today about Joe Biden: “He’ll put the country over his own needs when he makes this decision. If he has doubts he’ll level with the American public… he’s going to do what’s right for the country.”

Chair of Congressional Black Caucus sticking with Biden

16:12 , Oliver O’Connell

Where in the world is Trump?

16:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Former President Donald Trump hasn’t been seen on the campaign trail for more than a week as President Joe Biden has made 18 campaign appearances to shore up support after his dismal debate performance.

Trump has been staying uncharacteristically quiet as the fallout continues from the showdown in Atlanta on June 27, spending much of his time at his golf club in New Jersey.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump in hiding for 10 days while Biden makes 18 post-debate appearances

Watch: Biden dares Democrat ‘elites’ to challenge him at convention

15:40 , Oliver O’Connell

VP hopeful Rubio puts distance between Project 2025 and Trump

15:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Florida senator Marco Rubio, a possible contender to be Trump’s vice presidential pick, went to bat for the former president on Sunday by trying to distance the presumptive Republican nominee from Project 2025.

“Think-tanks do think-tank stuff, they come up with ideas, they say things,” he told CNN’s State of the Union when he was asked if he was “comfortable” with the policies outlined in the initiative spearheaded by the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Rubio downplayed the impact of the 920-page project, which proposes consolidating executive power and replacing impartial civil servants with ideologically-approved successors who have sworn a loyalty oath.

Ariana Baio has more from “Liddle Marco”.

Rubio puts distance between Project 2025 and Trump as VP audition ramps up

15:04 , Oliver O’Connell

Biden admits he had a disappointing debate performance: “Look at my career, I’ve not had many of those nights. It was a terrible night, and I really regret it happened,” he says.

“How can you assure..fate’s not going to intervene on your way to go to work tomorrow?”

14:56 , Oliver O’Connell

“I don’t care what the millionaires think,” Biden says of their calls for him to withdraw from the race.

“I’m getting so frustrated by the elites in this party,” Biden said adding that if they think they can do better then: “Run against me … Challenge me at the convention.”

Watch: ‘I beat him last time. I will beat him this time’

14:54 , Oliver O’Connell

14:53 , Oliver O’Connell

Asked whether, after the debate, Biden did any testing for neurological issues, including “pre-Parkinson’s.”

“It drives me nuts people are talking about this,” Biden tells Morning Joe, asserting he’s been out since the debate “testing myself” by speaking with people.

“Where the hell has Trump been?”

“I’m not going to explain any more about what I should or shouldn’t do. I am running. I am running,” Biden says.

On Democrat critics: “I don’t care what those big names think. They were wrong in 2020. They were wrong in 2022 about the red wave. They’re wrong in 2024.”

New York congressman says mixed messaging from Democrats weakens Biden

14:50 , Oliver O’Connell

New York Democratic representative Ritchie Torres says that the mixed messaging from the party only serves to weaken Joe Biden further.

He released the following statement this morning:

Regardless of where one stands on the question of President Biden’s political future, the intra-party mixed messaging strikes me as deeply self-destructive.

Those publicly calling on President Biden to withdraw should ask themselves a simple question: what if the President becomes the Democratic nominee?

The drip, drip, drip of public statements of no confidence only serve to weaken a President who has been weakened not only by the debate but also by the debate about the debate.

Weakening a weakened nominee seems like a losing strategy for a presidential election. The piling-on is not so much solving a problem as much as it is creating and compounding one.

The process by which we decide how to move forward matters as much as the decision itself.

Biden calls in to ‘Morning Joe’

14:43 , Oliver O’Connell

President Joe Biden has followed up on his letter to congressional Democrats by calling into MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

He says he has been traveling “to make sure my instinct was right about the party still wanted me to be the nominee” and he believes that the party does.

“I’m confident they do,” Biden says.

“I am not going anywhere.”

Watch below:

Full story: Biden says ‘voters have spoken’ and refuses to consider standing down

14:40 , Oliver O’Connell

President Joe Biden is attempting to head off discussions of whether he should stand aside amid questions over his age and capacity with a defiant letter to Congressional Democrats in which he says exiting the race would be an affront to democracy.

Biden’s missive, which he released publicly on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday ahead of Congress’ return to Washington, opens with a declaration that he is “firmly committed” to remaining a candidate in this year’s presidential election and to “running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump.”

Andrew Feinberg reports from the White House.

Biden refuses to stand down in letter to Congress: ‘Voters have spoken’

House Republicans demand Biden’s doctor sits for interview

14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

House Oversight Committee chair James Comer has demanded Joe Biden’s doctor sits for an interview about his medical assessments and potential business dealings with the Biden family, amid the escalating controversy around the president’s mental and physical wellbeing.

In a letter addressed to the aforementioned Dr O’Connor on Sunday, the Republican lawmaker wrote that he is “concerned your medical assessments have been influenced by your private business endeavors with the Biden family”.

He asked Dr O’Connor to sit for a behind-closed-doors interview and hand over any communications he may have had with James Biden, the president’s brother, regarding Americore – a now bankrupt healthcare business.

Comer is giving the doctor until July 14 to contact staff to schedule the interview.

A White House spokesperson dismissed the letter as “crazy, discredited conspiracy theories” when reached for comment.

Ariana Baio reports.

Republicans demand Biden’s doctor sits for interview about medical assessments

Biden insists he will stay in race in letter to congressional Democrats

14:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Joe Biden has written to congressional Democrats insisting that he will stay in the race to keep hold of the White House.

Lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill from their July 4 recess amid concerns over the president’s ability to lead the party to victory in November.

Acknowledging these concerns, Biden writes: “I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.”

Second Gentleman tests positive for Covid days after joining Biden for July 4 celebrations

14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Kamala Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, has tested positive for Covid-19 after experiencing mild symptoms, his office announced on Sunday, a diagnosis coming just days after he joined Biden for July 4 celebrations at the White House.

Emhoff spokesperson Liza Acevedo said in a statement that the second gentleman “is fully vaccinated and three times boosted” and that he is “currently asymptomatic, continuing to work remotely, and remaining away from others at home.”

Harris herself has tested negative and remains asymptomatic.

Acevedo said the veep was tested on Saturday “out of an abundance of caution” and the result was negative.

She is next scheduled to campaign in Las Vegas for Biden’s re-election on Tuesday.

Truth Social: Trump plays to his crowd with deluge of Biden memes

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

What’s Trump up to while Biden remains in a state of perma-crisis?

Flooding his social media echo chamber with favourable press clippings and polls claiming his recent felony conviction was rigged and otherwise engaging in meaningless trolling like the below.

He’s also heavily promoting his next rally in Florida tomorrow evening, which could swing the spotlight back his way.

Here’s Graig Graziosi with more on his latest taunts.

Trump trolls Biden urging ‘Sleepy Joe’ to ignore ‘critics’ and continue 2024 run

Biden’s woes worsen as Hunter plays adviser: ‘The s*** is going to hit the fan’

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s John Bowden on how the steady drip of Democratic dissent could be about to get a whole lot louder when Congress returns today, as the president’s troubled son continues to advise his old man to hang in there.

Biden’s woes worsen as Hunter plays adviser: ‘The sh*** is going to hit the fan’

Biden’s doctor ‘met with Parkinson’s specialist at the White House’

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Possibly a case of 2+2=5 here but The New York Post has reported that Dr Kevin O’Connor met with Dr Kevin Cannard, a leading specialist in Parkinson’s disease from the Walter Reed Medical Centre, at the White House on January 17 this year.

The Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid found that out by examining White House visitor logs, which do not disclose the reason for a guest’s visit and it is therefore a bit of a leap to assume Dr Cannard was there to assess the commander-in-chief’s mental health, although it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

This is the Post’s impossibly tasteless current frontpage, incidentally, in case you were wondering where its allegiances lie.

It’s also worth saying again that the Biden camp has continued to deny that the president is suffering from cognitive decline or any other degenerative mental condition and has insisted that his “bad night” on the debate stage was simply the result of a cold.

Biden himself told George Stephanopoulos on Friday that he had no interest in receiving further testing, despite the likes of CNN chief medical correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta urging him to do so.

Mike Bedigan brings us more on that.

CNN doc calls for Biden to undergo ‘detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing’

Harris avoids all mention of Biden’s flubs at campaign stop

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

US vice president Kamala Harris barely mentioned her own running mate on Saturday as she spoke to Black voters and talked about the 2024 race at the annual Essence Festival in New Orleans.

Harris has been seen by many Democrats as the obvious choice to pick up the mantle of the party’s 2024 nomination should Biden step aside in the coming days – a proposition the president has firmly denied will take place.

But, in Louisiana, she appeared ready to take on that role regardless as she hammered Trump and sought to lay out the stakes of the election.

She spoke for just under 30 minutes and only mentioned Biden directly one time, making no mention of the growing movement within her party for the preisident to bow out of the 2024 race.

Instead, she reserved the majority of her words for Trump, whom allies of the incumbent president argue the press has not held to the same standard – despite the seemingly endless coverage of his criminal trials, convictions and innumerable scandals.

Here’s more John Bowden.

Kamala Harris avoids all mention of Biden’s flubs at Essence Festival

In pictures: Biden campaigns in Pennsylvania over the weekend

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Biden prepares for Nato summit with eyes of the world upon him

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The president will shift his focus from campaigning for re-election this week to hosting a major Nato summit. But that won’t quiet the increasingly urgent questions about his precarious political situation, which is now threatening to consume his own party at the worst possible moment.

European leaders gather in Washington DC on Tuesday to celebrating the North Atlantic military alliance’s 75th anniversary. Biden will attend a series of official events and hold a news conference.

Congress is also heading back into session, meaning there will be face-to-face meetings where Democratic lawmakers can discuss concerns about Biden’s ability to stay in the presidential race for its final four months — not to mention handle another term in the White House.

The Nato gathering should at least grant the American some respite and another opportunity to look presidential on the world stage, but it comes with another key test.

The summit will focus on Russia’s war with Ukraine, but likely overshadowing all of Biden’s other duties during it is a news conference set for Thursday.

His performance there will be as closely scrutinized as his ABC interview on Friday for further signs of frailty or mental struggles after his disastrous debate against Trump late last month.

Also, those gathering for the summit have discussed “Trump-proofing,” or safeguarding, Nato against a possible return of Trump to the White House — and those discussions could heat up because of the concerns about Biden’s political future.

The gathering unfolds the week before Republicans gather in Milwaukee to formally nominate Trump, who during the debate simply shrugged when Biden asked him if he would “stay in Nato or you’re going to pull out of Nato?”

Here’s a little background on the alliance and this week’s DC summit.

What is the NATO military alliance and how is it helping Ukraine?

Schiff says Harris would be a ‘phenomenal’ president

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Influential California representative Adam Schiff has said that US vice president Kamala Harris would make a “phenomenal” president and could “overwhelmingly” beat Trump in the 2024 race.

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, the House Democrat expressed some anxiety about the incumbent remaining in this year’s presidential race, hinting that other options, such as Harris, could be a better option for their party.

However, he stopped short of calling Biden to step aside, saying that the decision is ultimately up to the president.

“I think the vice president would be a phenomenal president, I think she has the experience, the judgment, the leadership ability to be an extraordinary president,” Schiff said.

“But before we get into a decision about who else should be, the president needs to make a decision whether it’s him.”

Here’s more from Ariana Baio.

Schiff says Kamala would be ‘phenomenal’ president as he slams Biden interview answer

Fifth House Democrat calls for Biden to ‘step aside’ from 2024 race

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Over the weekend, Minnesota congresswoman Angie Craig became the fifth Democrat to publicly call for the president to drop out of the 2024 race, warning that there is “simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency”.

Writing on X, she said: “I have great respect for President Biden’s decades of service to our nation and his steadfast commitment to making our country a better place.

“However, given what I saw and heard from the president during last week’s debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the president himself following the debate, I do not believe the president can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump.”

Ariana Baio has more.

Fifth House Democrat calls for Biden to ‘step aside’ from 2024 race

More Democrats call for Biden to step aside in weekend ‘crisis talks’

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

President Joe Biden continues to face intense pressure to quit the race for the White House after more of his fellow Democrats added their voices to calls for him to step aside on Sunday – an unwelcome distraction as the president prepares to host a major Nato summit in Washington DC this week.

In behind-closed-door crisis talks convened by House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, several representatives including Jerry Nadler, Susan Wild, Adam Smith and Mark Takano suggested it was time for Biden, 81, to make way following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in Atlanta last month.

Here’s John Bowden’s report.

Several top Democrats call for Biden to step aside in weekend ‘crisis talks’

Radio station cuts ties with host who revealed Biden campaign gave her questions prior to interview

08:00 , Graig Graziosi

A Philadelphia radio station has cut ties with its host after she revealed that Joe Biden’s campaign team sent a list of pre-approved questions prior to an interview with the president.

Sara Lomax, the president and CEO of WURD Radio, posted a statement to the company’s website on Sunday announcing that the station and radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders had “mutually agreed to part ways”.

On Saturday, Lawful-Sanders told CNN that four of the questions she asked Biden were provided to her by his team.

“The questions were sent to me for approval, I approved of them,” Lawful-Sanders said.

“I got several questions. Eight of them. And the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved.”

WURD issued a statement titled “Accountability, Access, and A Path Forward: Why Black Media Matters,” which claims that Lawful-Sanders negotiated the interview on her own without the knowledge of the radio station.

Lomax insisted that “WURD Radio remains an independent voice that our audience can trust will hold elected officials accountable.”

“As Pennsylvania’s only independent Black-owned talk radio station, WURD Radio has cultivated that trust with our audience over our 20-year history,” Lomax wrote. “This is something we take very seriously. Agreeing to a pre-determined set of questions jeopardizes that trust and is not a practice that WURD Radio engages in or endorses as a matter of practice or official policy.”

Rubio tries to put distance between Project 2025 and Trump

06:00 , Ariana Baio

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a possible contender for Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, went to bat for the former president on Sunday by trying to distance the presumptive Republican nominee from Project 2025.

“Think tanks do think tank stuff they come up with ideas, they say things,” Rubio told CNN’s State of the Union when he was asked if he was “comfortable” with the policies outlined in the project headed by the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Ariana Baio reports:

Rubio puts distance between Project 2025 and Trump as VP audition ramps up

Watch: Democrat Adam Schiff urges Biden to ‘make the right decision’ when deciding to stay in or leave 2024 race

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Fetterman backs Biden: ‘I know what it’s like to have a rough debate’

02:00 , Ariana Baio

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has thrown his full support behind President Joe Biden, telling Biden campaign staffers that the president is the best option to defeat Donald Trump.

“I know what it’s like to have a rough debate and I’m standing here as your senator,” Fetterman said.

Biden’s woes worsen as Hunter plays adviser: ‘The s** is going to hit the fan’

01:00 , Rachel Sharp

Joe Biden’s problems got even worse on Sunday as he completed a short campaign swing through battleground state Pennsylvania.

Congress remains out of session until Monday, when many lawmakers will face their first real pressure to answer questions about the president’s future. But already the first hints of a landslide were visible as Democrats issued statements calling on the president to step aside — or at least have a serious conversation about doing so.

That list got longer on Sunday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the head of the House Democratic caucus, convened a call with his members as the weekend drew to a close.

Read on…

Biden’s woes worsen as Hunter plays adviser: ‘The sh** is going to hit the fan’

Democratic rep says it’s Biden choice to remain or leave 2024 race

Monday 8 July 2024 00:00 , Ariana Baio

Democratic Representative Adam Schiff expressed some hesitations about President Joe Biden remaining in the 2024 presidential race, hinting that other options like the vice president could “overwhelmingly” win but said that decision was ultimately up to Biden himself.

“I think the vice president would be a phenomenal president, I think she has the experience, the judgment, the leadership ability to be an extraordinary president,” Schiff told Meet the Press on Sunday

“But before we get into a decision about who else should be, the president needs to make a decision whether it’s him,” he added.

The California rep acknowledged the public’s apprehensions about Biden remaining in the race, saying he too has some concerns after the president’s disappointing debate performance and underwhelming ABC News interview.

Biden’s appearance during the debate escalated fears that he is not physically or mentally well enough to defeat Donald Trump in November. His hoarse voice and stumbling responses gave the impression of a confused elderly man rather than a strong confident leader.

Schiff said Biden’s debate performance “rightfully” raised questions about his mental acuity.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff tests positive for Covid

Sunday 7 July 2024 23:00 , Ariana Baio

Doug Emhoff, the Second Gentleman, has tested positive for Covid-19, according to his communications director.

Emhoff is currently asymptomatic though he previously experienced “mild symptoms” according to a statement from his office.

Out of caution, Vice President Kamala Harris was also tested but is currently negative.

Hakeem Jeffries holds meeting about Biden’s future

Sunday 7 July 2024 22:36 , Ariana Baio

House Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries held a virtual call Sunday afternoon where ranking Democratic lawmakers expressed their concerns about President Joe Biden’s path to victory in the 2024 election, with some top leaders calling for Biden to step aside.

According to reports, a handful of ranking members, including New York Rep Jerrold Nadler, Washington Rep Adam Smith, California Rep Mark Takano and New York Rep Joseph Morelle all said Biden should withdraw from the race.

The meeting was convened at a time of heightened tension for the Democratic Party after Biden’s disappointing and concerning debate performance at the end of June.

While five House Democratic members have publicly called for Biden to drop out, no ranking Democratic leaders have done so.

Bernie Sanders urges Biden to focus on working class

Sunday 7 July 2024 22:00 , Ariana Baio

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is backing President Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate for president but said in order to win he needs policies that benefit the working class.

“Biden and Democrats can win this election if they address the needs of the working class,” Sanders said in a press release on Sunday.

“They have to take on the greed of corporate America and massive income and wealth inequality; raise the minimum wage to a living wage; expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing; lower childhood poverty by making the child tax credit permanent; make the very rich pay their fair share into Social Security so we can expand benefits and extend its solvency; cancel medical debt; and build the low income and affordable housing we desperately need.”

House Oversight Committee asks Biden’s doctor for interview

Sunday 7 July 2024 21:00 , Ariana Baio

The House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer is asking President Joe Biden’s doctor to sit for an interview to discuss his examination of Biden after his debate performance.

In a letter sent to Dr. Kevin O’Connor on Sunday, Comer expressed concerns that “medical assessments have been influenced by your private business endeavors with the Biden family.”

The House Oversight Committee believes Dr. O’Connor provided Biden’s brother, James Biden, with counsel regarding Americore Health – a now-bankrupt healthcare company.

“To understand the extent of your involvement in the Biden family’s financial activity, we request that you produce all documents and communications in your possession regarding Americore and James Biden. Additionally, the Committee requests you make yourself available for a transcribed interview with Committee counsel,” the letter states.

Biden arrives in Harrisburg

Sunday 7 July 2024 20:45 , Ariana Baio

President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman are in Harrisburg to speak with union members, according to a White House pool report.

Connecticut Senator says Biden needs to ‘do more’

Sunday 7 July 2024 20:30 , Ariana Baio

Trump VP hopeful claims ex-president is ‘clearly a good husband’

Sunday 7 July 2024 20:00 , John Bowden

One of Donald Trump’s leading running mate contenders declared on Sunday that the former president, who was found liable by a jury for sexually abusing a woman and also paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover up affairs with a porn star and a Playboy model, is “clearly a good husband”.

Republican Senator JD Vance appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press for a wide-ranging interview with moderator Kristen Welker where he seemingly conducted his latest audition for the role of Trump’s vice president.

“I grew up in a broken family, Kristen,” said Vance. “And I just wanted to be a good husband and dad and certainly Barack Obama, despite my many political disagreements with him, he’s clearly a good husband and a father.”

He added: “By the way, I’d say the same thing about Donald Trump, whose children love him.”

Watch: Rep. Angie Craig calls for Biden to drop out of race

Sunday 7 July 2024 19:30 , Ariana Baio

Schiff hits out at ‘concerning’ Biden interview answer

Sunday 7 July 2024 19:00 , Ariana Baio

The California rep acknowledged the public’s apprehensions about Biden remaining in the race, saying he too has some concerns after his disappointing debate performance and underwhelming ABC News interview.

Read more here:

Schiff says Kamala would be ‘phenomenal’ president as he slams Biden interview answer

Trump expected to announce VP pick at convention

Sunday 7 July 2024 18:30 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump is expected to announce his vice presidential pick on the first day of the Republican National Committee convention on July 15th, with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Ohio Senator JD Vance topping the list.

According to a recent Washington Post report, Trump has largely narrowed his decision down to Vance and Rubio – though that could change and the former president is known to throw other names around.

His running mate decision is one of the more closely-watched aspects of the 2024 presidential election.

Bernie Sanders tells people to ‘focus on policy’

Sunday 7 July 2024 18:00 , Ariana Baio

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders encouraged people to focus more on policy than on age when thinking about voting this November.

“What we are talking about now is not a Grammy award contest for best singer. Biden is old. He is not as articulate as he once was. I wish he could jump up the steps on Air Force One. He can’t,” Sanders told Face the Nation on Sunday.

“What we have got to focus on is policy. Who’s policy have and will benefit the mass majority of people in this country,” he added.

Biden says he is ‘optimistic’ about America’s future

Sunday 7 July 2024 17:45 , Ariana Baio

While giving remarks at a church in Philadelphia on Sunday, President Joe Biden said he had confidence in America’s future so long as the nation sticks together.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I honestly to God have never been more optimistic about America’s future — if we stick together,” Biden told the congregation at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ.

“We have to bring back dignity and hope in America,” Biden added.

“We must unite America again — that’s my goal.”

Kamala Harris avoids all mention of Biden campaign crisis as she tries to win over Black voters

Sunday 7 July 2024 17:30 , John Bowden

Vice President Kamala Harris barely mentioned her own running mate on Saturday as she spoke to Black voters and talked about the 2024 race at the annual Essence Festival in New Orleans.

The nation’s first Black vice president has been seen by many Democrats as the obvious choice to pick up the mantle of the party’s 2024 nomination should Joe Biden step aside in the coming days — a proposition the president has firmly denied will take place.

But, on Saturday, she clearly appeared ready to take on that role regardless as she hammered former president Donald Trump and sought to lay out the stakes of the election.

John Bowden reports:

Kamala Harris avoids all mention of Biden’s flubs at Essence Festival

Harris re-directs attention to Supreme Court immunity ruling

Sunday 7 July 2024 17:00 , Ariana Baio

In an attempt to re-direct media attention away from criticisms about President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris reminded a crowd of people on Saturday evening that the Supreme Court handed Donald Trump a potentially dangerous win in his immunity appeal.

“Sadly the press has not been covering it as much as they should in proportion to the seriousness of what just happened,” Harris said at the 30th annual Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans.

“When the United States Supreme Court essentially told this individual who has been convicted of 34 felonies that he will be immune from essentially the activity he has told us he is prepared to engage in if he gets back into the White House,” Harris added.

She reminded attendees that they get to decide the fate of the country in the November election.

Watch: Philly Priest Defends Biden Over Age As Pressure Grows For Him To Exit 2024 Race

Sunday 7 July 2024 16:45 , Ariana Baio

In photos: Biden arrives at Philadelphia church

Sunday 7 July 2024 16:15 , Ariana Baio

Biden met with campaign co-chairs for feedback, report

Sunday 7 July 2024 16:00 , Ariana Baio

President Joe Biden met with campaign co-chairs on Saturday for feedback on his recent ABC News interview and performance during the debate, according to a New York Times report.

In a 75-minute call, allies of the president, including Delaware Senator Chris Coons, discussed Biden’s recent appearances and how to generate more support after his disastrous debate performance.

Coons told the newspaper that, “nobody among the co-chairs” is recommending “anything other than we keep going.”

The Delaware Senator said that Biden expressed understanding for concerns about his age and mental acuity and wants to do more interviews in the future to settle any nerves.

PA Senators meet Biden in Pennsylvania

Sunday 7 July 2024 15:45 , Ariana Baio

Biden campaign slams Trump for trying to distance himself from Project 2025

Sunday 7 July 2024 15:30 , Ariana Baio

The Biden campaign is pushing back against Donald Trump’s claim that he knows “nothing” of Project 2025 – the presidential transition project headed by The Heritage Foundation and several allies of the former president.

”We can always rely on Donald Trump for one thing: to lie to the American people in the pursuit of power,” a statement from the Biden campaign said.

Over the weekend, Trump claimed he did not know about Project 2025 nor the people who authored it. He disagreed with some of its policies in an attempt to distance himself from the project which has gained negative attention on social media

The campaign claimed Project 2025 was “written for” Trump “by those closest to him.”

“Project 2025 should scare every single American. It would give Trump limitless power over our daily lives and let him use the presidency to enact ‘revenge’ on his enemies, ban abortion nationwide and punish women who have an abortion, and gut the checks and balances that make America the greatest democracy in the world.”

Biden to make Philly campaign stop today

Sunday 7 July 2024 15:00 , Ariana Baio

President Joe Biden will stop at a church in northwest Philadelphia today as part of his campaign in Pennsylvania, it arrives after he canceled a speech at the annual National Education Association conference.

After stopping at the church, Biden will head to Harrisburg – the capital – where he will speak with union leaders and local Democrats.

Donald Trump has the largest lead over Biden in Pennsylvania out of all the swing states.

Top Democrats to ‘hold crisis meeting’ later today

Sunday 7 July 2024 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is set to meet virtually with committee ranking members at 2pm on Sunday afternoon, three sources told NBC News.

The meeting, which was abruptly scheduled on Friday night, is not part of any regular scheduled gatherings and comes just one day before Congress returns to session after the July 4 holiday.

One of the insiders told the outlet that the meeting will focus on Biden’s future as the Democratic party’s candidate to take on Donald Trump in November’s 2024 election, in the wake of his disastrous debate performance last week.

Read more here

CNN’s top doc calls for Biden to undergo ‘detailed cognitive testing’

Sunday 7 July 2024 13:00 , Mike Bedigan

CNN’s chief medical correspondent has called for Joe Biden to undergo “detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing” after observing the president’s “concerning” behavior in recent weeks.

Dr Sanjay Gupta said that following Biden’s disastrous performance in last week’s debate against Donald Trump, he had received “dozens” of calls and messages from fellow medical professionals.

“From a neurological standpoint, we were concerned with his confused rambling; sudden loss of concentration in the middle of a sentence; halting speech and absence of facial animation, resulting at times in a flat, open-mouthed expression,” Gupta wrote in an article for CNN.

Mike Bedigan reports:

CNN doc calls for Biden to undergo ‘detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing’

Democratic senators split on Biden’s future

Sunday 7 July 2024 12:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Virginia Senator Mark Warner is looking to lead a group of Democratic senators that want President Joe Biden to step aside before November’s election, The Washington Post reported.

Warner is reportedly saying to colleagues that Biden can’t stay in the race following his dismal debate performance and that he’s worried that Biden cannot run a campaign that will defeat former president Donald Trump.

In a statement to The Post, a spokesperson for the senator said: “Like many other people in Washington and across the country, Senator Warner believes these are critical days for the president’s campaign, and he has made that clear to the White House.”

Senators are now discussing the best way to share their thoughts with the president. One idea is a meeting with Biden at the White House. Some senators wish Biden to remain on the ticket, but those who argue for the meetings say it could be a venue to share their concerns.

No sitting senator, including Warner, has publicly called for Biden to step aside but in private they have spoken about their rising unease.

Trump trolls Biden urging ‘Sleepy Joe’ to ‘ignore his many critics’

Sunday 7 July 2024 11:00 , Graig Graziosi

Donald Trump offered Joe Biden some sarcastic encouragement on Truth Social on Saturday in light of recent calls by some — including a few Democrats — for the president to bow out of the 2024 race following his highly criticised debate performance.

Trump’s post — filled with numerous misrepresentations about the president’s policies — “encouraged” Biden to ignore his critics and to continue his 2024 candidacy.

“Crooked Joe Biden should ignore his many critics and move forward, with alacrity and strength, with his powerful and far reaching campaign,” Trump said, before dropping the guise of genuine encouragement.

He said Biden should be “sharp, precise, and energetic, just like he was in The Debate.”

Trump then went on to falsely accuse Biden of having an open border policy, of ending Social Security and encouraging what he described as a “woke military”.

Michael Cohen warns Trump will run US ‘like the Führer’ if reelected

Sunday 7 July 2024 10:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump’s former lawyer and one-time fixer Michael Cohen has warned that his ex-boss will run the country “like the Führer” if he is re-elected in November, thanks to the recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

Citing the Trump vs US ruling, Cohen told The Daily Beast that the former president could now wield his power in whatever way he wants if he takes back the White House this November.

“He’ll run the country like a king, like a supreme leader, like a monarch, like a dictator, like the Führer,” Cohen said, invoking the German word strongly associated with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Read more:

Michael Cohen warns Trump will run US ‘like the Führer’ if reelected

Biden campaign mocks Trump’s claim he knows ‘nothing’ of Project 2025

Sunday 7 July 2024 08:00 , Ariana Baio

The Biden campaign mocked Donald Trump for claiming he does not know about Project 2025 or who created it by referencing Star Wars.

“A desperate and lying Trump claims he knows ‘nothing’ about his Project 2025 agenda, even though his top aides are the ones behind the plan,” Biden-Harris HQ wrote on X.

In a follow-up tweet, they posted a photo of a fake Truth Social post from Emperor Palpatine, a villainous character in Star Wars, who issued a deadly military order known as “Order 66”.

Trump throws a Clarence Thomas-sized wrench into Mar-a-Lago case

Sunday 7 July 2024 06:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump wants to pause his classified documents case in Florida for several months so he can argue that his charges should be thrown out under the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential “immunity.”

The former president’s attorneys also pointed to an opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas, who appeared to agree with Trump’s argument that special counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutionally appointed and funded — a claim at the center of Trump’s attempts to have the case dismissed.

Friday’s filings in the Mar-a-Lago case arrived just days after the Supreme Court declared that no president can be criminally prosecuted for any “official” act in the executive office, likely granting the former president some protection in his federal election interference case.

Trump now wants the judge in his classified documents case to hear arguments that he should be immune from those charges at some point between now and September, which would effectively grind the rest of Florida proceedings to a halt while they debate whether the Supreme Court’s ruling applies.

Trump’s attorneys separately argued that Thomas’s argument “adds force” to Trump’s claim that Smith’s appointment and funding is unconstitutional and raises “grave separation-of-powers concerns.”

Thomas wrote his own separate concurring opinion in the immunity decision to specifically take aim at the special counsel’s office, days after Trump’s attorneys made the same arguments to Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

Watch: Manhattan DA agrees to delay Trump’s hush money sentencing

Sunday 7 July 2024 04:00 , Ariana Baio

Joe Biden refuses to step down and insists he’ll win against Trump in ‘2020 election’

Sunday 7 July 2024 02:00 , Ariana Baio

Classified documents judge hands Trump a win, agrees to consider immunity argument

Sunday 7 July 2024 00:00 , Alex Woodward

The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s classified documents case has handed him yet another win as she has agreed to consider hearing arguments that the criminal charges should be dropped based on the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential “immunity.”

In an order filed on Saturday, Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon said she was temporarily granting Trump’s motion to stay proceedings, pushing back several filing deadlines in a case that has already been plagued by delays and is yet to have a trial date.

Read more here

Top Democrats to ‘hold crisis meeting’ this weekend

Saturday 6 July 2024 23:00 , Rachel Sharp

Democratic leaders are said to be planning to hold a crisis meeting this weekend to discuss Joe Biden’s future on the presidential ticket after his make-or-break ABC News interview did little to dampen concerns within his party.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is set to meet virtually with committee ranking members at 2 p.m. on Sunday, three sources told NBC News.

The meeting, which was abruptly scheduled on Friday night, is not part of any regular scheduled gatherings and comes just one day before Congress returns to session after the July 4 holiday.

One of the insiders told the outlet that the meeting will focus on Biden’s future as the Democratic party’s candidate to take on Donald Trump in the November 2024 election, in the wake of his disastrous debate performance last week.

Democrat insiders give verdict on Biden’s make-or-break ABC News interview: ‘A huge opportunity missed’

Saturday 6 July 2024 22:00 , Ariana Baio

President Joe Biden’s make-or-break interview with ABC News appears to have done little to win over skeptics in his party, with Democratic insiders believing he has failed to undo the damage caused by his dismal debate performance.

In evaluating Biden’s sit-down conversation with George Stephanopoulos on Friday evening, one longtime Democratic donor bundler told The Daily Beast it was a “huge opportunity missed.”

“This was his Alamo, and he’s going down like Davey Crocket,” the unnamed individual said.

Read more here

Cohen warns Trump will run US ‘like a dictator’

Saturday 6 July 2024 21:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump’s former lawyer and one-time fixer Michael Cohen has warned that his ex-boss will run the country “like the Führer” if he is re-elected in November, thanks to the recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

Citing the Trump vs US ruling, Cohen told The Daily Beast that the former president could now wield his power in whatever way he wants if he takes back the White House this November.

“He’ll run the country like a king, like a supreme leader, like a monarch, like a dictator, like the Führer,” Cohen said, invoking the German word strongly associated with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

“If re-elected in November, in light of the Supreme Court ruling, his worst impulses will be magnified a hundredfold.”

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump, and other presidents, have absolute immunity from prosecution for actions that fall under a president’s “core” powers – or those directly given by the US Constitution.

Trump’s lead in swing states narrows

Saturday 6 July 2024 20:00 , Ariana Baio

The lead Donald Trump took over Joe Biden in key swing states after the president’s disastrous debate performance appears to be narrowing, a new poll shows.

Trump only holds a 3-point lead over Biden in Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina as well as a one-point lead over Biden in Georgia, according to a Morning Consult and Bloomberg poll.

The survey shows that Biden has a lead over Trump in Michigan and Wisconsin.

However, he is the furthest behind Trump in Pennsylvania.