Joe Biden has conceded he “screwed up” at last week’s disastrous CNN presidential debate against Donald Trump in Atlanta, Georgia, as pressure on him to step aside continues to mount amid a deluge of worrying polling, particularly related to key battleground states.
“I had a bad night,” the president told a Wisconsin radio host on Thursday.
“And the fact of the matter is that I screwed up. I made a mistake. That’s 90 minutes on stage, look at what I’ve done in three-and-a-half years.”
On Wednesday, Biden hotly denied he was dropping out and met with Democratic governors to reassure them about his readiness for the fight.
Meanwhile, a gloating Trump has posted a video to Truth Social in which he is seen falsely claiming that the embattled president has already quit the race for the White House, referring to him as “broken down pile of c***” and ridiculing his vice president Kamala Harris as “pathetic”.
The Republican presidential candidate has largely resisted the lure of the limelight in recent days, preferring to allow the crisis engulfing the Democrats over Biden’s health and fitness to serve another term to play out naturally.
Key Points
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Biden admits he ‘screwed up’ in first Trump debate
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Trump falsely claims ‘broken down’ Biden is quitting White House race and derides ‘pathetic’ Harris
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Biden insists ‘I’m not leaving’ as allies prepare for campaign end
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White House staffers preparing to move Kamala to the top of the ticket: ‘It’s a case of when, not if’
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Michelle Obama is the only Democrat who can beat Trump, new poll finds
White House issues readout of call between Biden and Netanyahu
18:45 , Gustaf Kilander
President Biden spoke this morning with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Prime Minister congratulated the United States on the occasion of Independence Day, and thanked the President for his continued and steadfast support for Israel’s security.
President Biden and the Prime Minister discussed ongoing efforts to finalize a ceasefire deal together with the release of hostages, as outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council, the G7, and countries around the world.
The leaders discussed the recent response received from Hamas. The President welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal.
President Biden reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security including in the face of threats from Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah.
Both leaders welcomed the meeting to take place on July 15 between their national security teams in the Strategic Consultative Group format.
White House
How the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling opened the door for a shocking question: Can presidents kill their rivals?
18:30 , Joe Sommerlad
It was an absurd hypothetical raised by an appeals court judge to point out the literally unbelievable and dangerous consequences of the legal argument from Donald Trump’s attorneys.
But it landed as a shocking warning from a Supreme Court justice in an earthquaking decision this week that shields Trump from accountability for crimes committed in office.
There has never been any legal precedent that would give a president such authority.
But according to legal scholars, attorneys and the Supreme Court’s liberal justices, the decision has seemingly opened the door to question whether the commander in chief can commit legal murder.
Alex Woodward reports.
A shocking question at the Supreme Court: Can presidents kill their rivals?
Recap: Biden admits he ‘screwed up’ debate
18:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Here’s another look at our top story today.
“I had a bad night,” the president told Wisconsin radio host Earl Ingram in an interview that aired this morning.
“And the fact of the matter is that I screwed up. I made a mistake.
“That’s 90 minutes on stage, look at what I’ve done in three-and-a-half years.”
Biden also used the interview to talk up his efforts on behalf of the Black community, declaring: “I picked a Black woman to be my vice president.
“I’ve appointed the first Black woman to be a Supreme Court justice. I’ve appointed more Black judges, more Black women judges, than every other president in American history combined.”
On Trump’s treatment of the same demographic, the president said: “I’m sorry to get so worked up.
“But he is just — he’s terrible things in the community, and he has about as much interest and concern for Black, minority communities as the man on the moon does.”
Here’s more from Andrew Feinberg.
Biden admits he ‘screwed up’ debate — but insists he can still ‘beat’ Trump
‘If you raise problems in parts of Bidenworld, it can be deemed disloyal’
17:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Here’s an interesting insight into the ongoing West Wing psychodrama from CNN’s pundits this morning.
“there is a culture within parts of Bidenworld that if you raise problems that it can be deemed as potentially disloyal.”
Fuller remarks here.
“Anita [Dunn] and Bob [Bauer] while there names are being out there and blamed, they are also the ones who have been around him for the… pic.twitter.com/AjbCE79ImF— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) July 4, 2024
McCarthy complains Biden offered him cookies
17:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Kevin McCarthy, the former Republican House speaker – ousted by his own side, lest we forget – was busy telling Fox News yesterday he found it “depressing” whenever the president of the United States offered him cookies in the White House, a weird remark that attracted a number of withering responses of which the following was unquestionably the most devastating.
‘Mr Gorbachev, tear down this coconut tree!’ Kamala memes explode amid Biden anxiety
16:40 , Joe Sommerlad
Alex Woodward surveys a resurgent “KHive”, the irony-poisoned jokers and exhausted voters who are only semi-ironically calling for a President Harris to take the stage before it’s too late.
Confused? Just remember you exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.
Or, you know, just watch this joyous thread.
Fan cams and coconut trees: Kamala Harris memes are resurrecting the KHive
GoFundMe for Stormy Daniels tops $800k as she reveals threats over Trump conviction
16:20 , Joe Sommerlad
A GoFundMe campaign for Stormy Daniels has raised more than $800,000 in the eight days since it launched in order to help the adult film star deal with the fallout of speaking out against Donald Trump.
Daniels – real name Stephanie Clifford – was the star witness at the Republican presidential candidate’s hush money trial this spring, which ended with Trump being convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in order to hide a $130,000 payment to silence her in the days before the 2016 election about an alleged sexual encounter in 2006.
Trump is set to be sentenced by Judge Juan Merchan on September 18, after he was granted a delay as he seeks to overturn his conviction in in light of the Supreme Court’s recent immunity ruling.
In a new interview on MSNBC this week, Daniels revealed she has received numerous threats from Trump supporters since testifying against him in the Manhattan trial, including on Facebook “from people in my own community” and from strangers warning “they were going to rape everybody in my family, including my young daughter, before they killed them”.
“Trump is trying to make, I believe, trying to make an example out of me,” she told Rachel Maddow.
Here’s our report.
GoFundMe for Stormy Daniels tops $800k as she reveals threats over Trump conviction
Jill Biden is still Joe’s biggest supporter – and she’s ‘all in’ for him staying in the race
16:00 , Joe Sommerlad
The 73-year-old Dr Jill has publicly painted a rosy picture of her husband’s performance in the debate, at odds with almost everyone else’s version of events.
“Joe you did such a great job,” she proclaimed in its immediate aftermath last Thursday, before adding: “You answered every question!”
In the days since, she has remained steadfast – both in public and in private – in her belief that he should remain in the race.
“[We] will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president,” Dr Biden told Vogue earlier this week.
Here’s James Liddell again with a look at the first lady’s role in this whole mess.
Jill Biden is ‘all in’ for Joe staying in the race
Biden tells Democrats he had a medical check-up after disastrous debate as he tries to keep party on side
15:40 , Joe Sommerlad
Here’s a little more on a line I mentioned earlier from the president’s call with governors – his revelation that he had a medical exam in the aftermath of last week’s events in Georgia and was given the all-clear.
James Liddell has this report.
Biden tells Democrats he had a medical check-up after debate disaster
Truth Social: Trump celebrates Independence Day by posting four-year-old clip of Mount Rushmore speech
15:20 , Joe Sommerlad
Who’s up for some pandemic nostalgia? No, me neither.
Although perhaps the above is preferable to what he posted earlier, a nasty video of a robbery on a train (in which two of the assailants are wearing red baseball caps) accompanied by a declaration that: “Biden Migrant Crime gets bloodier by the day.”
You can see that one here if you must.
Noem says Americans can’t relate to Harris
15:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Conservatives seem to absolutely despise “cackling” Kamala Harris but if there’s one person who should probably keep quiet about being “relatable”, it’s South Dakota governor Kristi Noem, who assumed that telling the world she had murdered her dog would be a guaranteed vote-winner.
How would replacing Biden actually work?
14:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Although the president’s campaign insists he is “absolutely not dropping out”, here is Eric Garcia with a look at the mechanics of replacing him at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, just in case.
What happens if Biden drops out of the race?
DNC committee member proposes alternative way to replace Biden
14:00 , Joe Sommerlad
James Zogby, a former adviser to Jesse Jackson and Bernie Sanders, has proposed a plan to have an open contest for the Democratic presidential nomination after the incumbent’s disastrous appearance in the first debate last week, writes Eric Garcia.
DNC committee member proposes alternative way to replace Biden
Biden insiders think there’s ‘no question’ Harris will move to top of ticket
13:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Campaign staffers are preparing to shift their focus to elevating, then electing, vice president Kamala Harris, sources have told The Independent, even as Biden vehemently denies any intention to stand aside.
Here’s the latest from Andrew Feinberg.
Biden insiders think there’s ‘no question’ Kamala Harris will move to top of ticket
‘Everybody wants him to quit’: Democrats continue to pounce on Biden as doubts swirl over his political future
13:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Despite the president’s best efforts, senior Democrats remain in “panic mode” after Biden insisted he would not abandon his presidential re-election campaign despite serious concerns growing over his mental fitness for office.
Anonymous lawmakers described the situation facing Biden and the Democratic party in a pointed interview with Politico.
“Everybody wants him to quit. There’s a sense of despair,” the unnamed lawmaker told the outlet.
“I think people don’t understand how we get out of this hole. And we’re hurtling toward losing to Trump.
“All my text chains in Congress go from a dark humor to ‘let’s take action’… I don’t find any discernible group of people who actually believe we’re going to win with Joe Biden.”
Mike Bedigan has the latest.
Democrats continue to pounce on Biden as doubts swirl over his political future
Michelle Obama is the only Democrat who can beat Trump, new poll finds
12:30 , Joe Sommerlad
The former first lady remains a popular choice for a Democratic presidential run among voters and beat Trump 50 per cent to 39 per cent in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Wednesday.
The same survey found Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer all narrowly losing out to the loudmouthed Republican felon in hypothetical matchups.
Obama has repeatedly declined any further involvement in politics and a spokesperson repeated that line to NBC yesterday, commenting: “As former first lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president.
“It’s got to be in your soul, because it is so important. It is not in my soul.”
Here’s Martha McHardy on the threat Obama would pose to Trump if she changed her mind.
Could Michelle Obama replace Biden – and beat Trump?
Biden’s interview with George Stephanopolous ‘could last just 15 minutes’
12:00 , Joe Sommerlad
The president’s forthcoming interview with the respected ABC News anchor has been hastily arranged in the aftermath of debategate to give Biden an opportunity to reassure voters about his fitness and will see Stephanopolous join him in Wisconsin as he campaigns in the crucial swing state to record the sit down.
But, according to The Daily Beast, their heart-to-heart, due to be filmed for Friday evening’s edition of World News Tonight, could last just a quarter of an hour.
That said, the White House has bluntly stated in response to the story: “False. The interview will be longer.”
But exactly how long – 15 minutes and one second? 30 minutes? An hour? – remains a mystery.
Here’s more on that from Martha McHardy.
How Biden’s ‘make or break’ interview with ABC News could fall short
Biden admits he ‘screwed up’ debate in Milwaukee radio interview
11:30 , Joe Sommerlad
“I had a bad night,” the president told Wisconsin radio host Earl Ingram yesterday in a pre-recorded interview set to air this morning, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“And the fact of the matter is that I screwed up. I made a mistake.
“That’s 90 minutes on stage, look at what I’ve done in three-and-a-half years.”
Biden also used the interview, which lasted 20 minutes, to talk up his efforts on behalf of the Black community, declaring: “I picked a Black woman to be my vice president.
“I’ve appointed the first Black woman to be a Supreme Court justice. I’ve appointed more Black judges, more Black women judges, than every other president in American history combined.”
On Trump’s treatment of the same demographic, the president said: “I’m sorry to get so worked up.
“But he is just — he’s terrible things in the community, and he has about as much interest and concern for Black, minority communities as the man on the moon does.”
Here’s more from Andrew Feinberg.
Biden admits he ‘screwed up’ debate — but insists he can still ‘beat’ Trump
Biden and Harris hosting Fourth of July barbecue for serving military personnel
11:00 , Joe Sommerlad
This is what the president had to say yesterday about the coming of Independence Day 2024.
Biden: Tomorrow is the fourth of July. Another reminder of why it’s so important to know our history, not to erase our history, to remember the sacred cause of American democracy. And not make up a lost cause to justify the evil of slavery… pic.twitter.com/JfORLqKV02
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 3, 2024
Today, he and the vice president are hosting a barbecue for active-duty military service members and their families on the South Grounds of the White House.
Let’s hope Robert F Kennedy Jr is not invited! “Sorry Bobby, no one wants to try your dog steaks… ”
In the evening, the president and the first lady will host a Fourth of July celebration on the South Lawn for serving military, veterans, caregivers and survivors, with Biden due to deliver remarks before viewing a fireworks display over the National Mall.
Democratic governors pledge to back Biden after meeting with president
10:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Kathy Hochul, Wes Moore and Tim Walz, the governors of New York, Maryland and Minnesota, met with the embattled president at the White House yesterday and came out insisting they’re confidence had been restored, declaring emphatically: “We’ve got his back.”
Walz: President Biden has had our backs through covid, through all of the recovery, all the things that have happened. The governors have his back and we are working together just to make very, very clear on that. A path to victory is the number one priority… pic.twitter.com/UE5aB2CihS
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2024
Moore: We’re also honest about the fact that as the President continued to tell us and show us that he was all in.. That we said that we would stand with him because, as Governor Walz said the President has always had our backs. We’re going to have his back as well. pic.twitter.com/IOPYh5LDQP
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2024
Hochul: I’m here to tell you today that President Joe Biden is in it to win it. All of us said we would pledge our support to him because the stakes could not be higher… pic.twitter.com/PWVs4KZJ7Y
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2024
Reporter: Do you think he’s fit for office?
Walz: Yes. The President has three and a half years of delivering for us.. Thursday night was a bad performance but it doesn’t impact what I believe. He’s delivering pic.twitter.com/8BSRsevtYb
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2024
Here’s Alex Lang’s report.
Democratic governors pledge to back Biden after meeting with president
Watch: White House says Biden ‘staying in the race’ for re-election
10:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Here’s Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterating the president’s position.
White House says Biden ‘staying in the race’ for re-election
Biden insists ‘I’m not leaving’ as allies prepare for campaign end
09:30 , Joe Sommerlad
Contrary to Trump’s lies, President Joe Biden has insisted to his campaign staff that no one is pushing him out and that he’s “not leaving” his re-election campaign after multiple reports suggested on Wednesday that he is preparing to drop out if he fails crucial campaign tests in the days and weeks ahead.
“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running,” he reportedly told campaign staff on a call yesterday.
“No one’s pushing me out,” he said. “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Biden insists ‘I’m not leaving’ while allies prepare for end of his campaign
Trump falsely claims ‘broken down’ Biden is quitting White House race and derides ‘pathetic’ Harris
09:00 , Joe Sommerlad
Good morning – and happy Fourth of July!
Donald Trump has posted a video to his Truth Social platform in which he is seen falsely claiming that embattled president Joe Biden has already quit the 2024 race for the White House and deriding the prospect of vice president Kamala Harris succeeding him.
The Republican presidential candidate is seen slouched behind the wheel of a golf buggy alongside his teenage son Barron Trump and declaring to an unidentified third party: “How did I do with the debate the other night? I kicked that old, broken down pile of c***.
“He just quit, you know – he’s quitting the race… and that means we have Kamala. I think she’s going to be better,” Trump mutters sarcastically.
“She’s so pathetic, she’s so f***ing bad. Can you imagine… dealing with [Vladimir] Putin, the president of China – who’s a fierce person, he’s a fierce man, a very tough guy…” he adds, before driving off across the green.
Sitting next to his son Barron, Donald Trump claims that President Biden is “quitting the race.”
“Now we have Kamala. She’s so f—king bad.”
Unfit for office. pic.twitter.com/U9c3fV2jCA
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 4, 2024
Here’s our story.
Video reveals Trump saying ‘broken down pile of c***’ Biden is ‘quitting’ race
VIDEO: Broke Billionaire? Trump Delays Personal Financial Disclosures
08:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Biden insists ‘I’m not leaving’ while allies prepare for end of his campaign
07:00 , Alex Woodward
President Joe Biden has insisted to his campaign staff that no one is pushing him out and that he’s “not leaving” his re-election campaign after multiple reports have suggested that he is preparing to drop out if he fails crucial campaign tests in the days and weeks ahead.
“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running,” he reportedly told campaign staff on a call on Wednesday.
“No one’s pushing me out,” he said. “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
The president reportedly admitted that he will have to end his re-election campaign if he cannot convince voters that he is up for the job after his flailing performance at last week’s debate against Donald Trump.
A key ally to the president told The New York Times that while Mr Biden remains committed to the race, his next several crucial public appearances could shape his plans for 2024.
Biden insists ‘I’m not leaving’ while allies prepare for end of his campaign
How the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling opened the door for a shocking question: Can presidents kill their rivals?
06:00 , Alex Woodward
Can a president order a rival’s assassination and get away with it?
It was an absurd hypothetical raised by an appeals court judge to point out the literally unbelievable and dangerous consequences of the legal argument from Donald Trump’s attorneys.
But it landed as a shocking warning from a Supreme Court justice in an earthquaking decision this week that shields Trump from accountability for crimes committed in office.
There has never been any legal precedent that would give a president such authority. But according to legal scholars, attorneys and the Supreme Court’s liberal justices, the decision has seemingly opened the door to question whether the commander in chief can commit legal murder.
A shocking question at the Supreme Court: Can presidents kill their rivals?
VIDEO: How much does charisma matter in politics and should it?
05:00 , The Independent
Some of Biden’s wealthiest donors are privately turning on the president
04:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Some of Joe Biden’s biggest donors are privately turning their backs on him – but most of them are keeping their powder dry, worrying that any move against the president may backfire, according to The New York Times.
Late on Tuesday, donors were monitoring the most recent polls following Biden’s dismal debate performance last week against Trump, where he mumbled and appeared to lose his train of thought at times.
The Times reported on Wednesday that Biden has told an ally that he may end his re-election campaign if he cannot convince voters over the next few days that he’s up to the job.
Some of Biden’s wealthiest donors are privately turning on the president
Biden insiders think there’s ‘no question’ Kamala Harris will move to top of ticket
03:00 , Andrew Feinberg
Campaign staffers are preparing to shift their focus to elevating, then electing, Vice President Kamala Harris, sources have told The Independent, even as Joe Biden vehemently denies any intention to stand aside from the 2024 election race.
A steady stream of Democrats have begun calling for Biden to withdraw his candidacy after he spent the 90-minute face-off against former President Donald Trump delivering a number of rambling, nonsensical answers and appearing to lose his train of thought on multiple occasions, leaving supporters aghast at his condition.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spent much of Wednesday’s press briefing telling reporters that it is Biden’s intention to stay in, and he reportedly told campaign staff on a conference call earlier in the day that he intends to remain on the ballot in this year’s election. A Biden campaign spokesperson, Seth Schuster, told The Independent that Biden is “absolutely not dropping out.”
Biden insiders think there’s ‘no question’ Kamala Harris will move to top of ticket
Obama privately told allies that he’s concerned about Biden’s path to re-election
02:00 , Ariana Baio
Barack Obama has privately raised concerns about Joe Biden’s path to re-election after his shaky debate performance, a sharp deviation from his public comments.
The former president has told allies that he is worried about Democrats’ ability to defeat Donald Trump in November and has warned Biden in recent months about the challenges ahead, according toThe Washington Post.
Before the first presidential debate last week, Obama reminded his friend and former vice president about the stakes of the campaign. This echoes his long-held concerns about Trump’s political strength going into the 2024 election, the report says.
Obama privately told allies that he’s concerned about Biden’s path to re-election
VIDEO: Democrats concerned over Biden’s wellbeing
01:00 , Gustaf Kilander
DNC committee member proposes alternative way to replace Biden
Thursday 4 July 2024 00:00 , Eric Garcia
One member of the Democratic National Committee has proposed a method to replace President Joe Biden, should he decide to not seek re-election.
Insiders told The Independent that they believe there is “no question” Vice President Kamala Harris would receive the baton if Biden chose not to run in November. The White House strongly denied that the president is considering bowing out of the race, however.
This scramble comes after Biden’s poor performance against former president Donald Trump during last week’s debate in Atlanta.
DNC committee member proposes alternative way to replace Biden
How would replacing Biden actually work? DNC memo outlines a possibility
Wednesday 3 July 2024 23:00 , Eric Garcia
President Joe Biden seemed to give mixed signals about the future of his presidential campaign after his poor performance during last Thursday’s debate. While the campaign jumped to announce that it had outraised Donald Trump’s campaign in June, pulling in $127 million to Trump’s $118 million, it was also clear that rumors were swirling about whether Biden could effectively continue in the race.
One clear sign emerged on Wednesday that Biden is at least weighing the idea of stepping aside: he and Vice President Kamala Harris lunched and Harris received the President’s Daily Brief, which she only receives occasionally alongside the president.
Not long after that, Democratic insiders told The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg that they believe it’s a case of when, not if Harris goes to the top of the ticket, saying they think there’s “no question” it will happen.
What happens if Biden drops out of the race?
What was on Kamala Harris’ schedule today?
Wednesday 3 July 2024 22:49 , Gustaf Kilander
Georgia election workers who won $148M judgment against Giuliani want his bankruptcy case thrown out
Wednesday 3 July 2024 22:30 , Dave Collins
Rudy Giuliani‘s creditors, including two former Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation judgment against him, are opposing his attempt to convert his bankruptcy into a liquidation, saying they’ll likely ask that the case be thrown out instead because of what they call his flouting of bankruptcy laws.
The comments came Wednesday during a status hearing on Zoom before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane in White Plains, New York.
The former New York mayor and Donald Trump adviser filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in December, days after the former election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, won their defamation case. They said Giuliani’s targeting of them because of Trump’s lies about the 2020 election being stolen led to death threats that made them fear for their lives.
Georgia election workers who won $148M judgment against Giuliani want his bankruptcy case thrown out
‘I am not a church boy,’ RFK Jr says after ex-nanny claims he assaulted her in 1998
Wednesday 3 July 2024 22:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has defended himself against allegations of sexual assault by a former babysitter saying, “I am not a church boy.”
Kennedy spoke on the Breaking Points podcast after former babysitter Eliza Cooney alleged he assaulted her at his home in 1998, according to a Vanity Fair article.
“The article is a lot of garbage,” Kennedy said.
“Listen, I have said this from the beginning. I am not a church boy. I am not running like that,” he added. “I had a very, very rambunctious youth. I said in my announcement speech that I have so many skeletons in my closet that if they could all vote, I could run for king of the world.”
‘I am not a church boy,’ RFK Jr says after ex-nanny claims he assaulted her in 1998
Second House Democrat calls for Biden to step aside
Wednesday 3 July 2024 21:33 , Gustaf Kilander
A second House Democrat has called for President Joe Biden to step aside.
Rep Raúl Grijalva of Arizona told The New York Times: “If he’s the candidate, I’m going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere.”
He added: “What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
Right-wing leader warns of ‘second American Revolution’ that will remain ‘bloodless if the left allows it to be’
Wednesday 3 July 2024 21:30 , Kelly Rissman
The president of the right-wing Heritage Foundation made a cryptic threat to the “radical left” while warning of a second “revolution” sweeping the country.
“We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be,” Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts told Real America’s Voice on Tuesday.
The conservative think tank Roberts helms is behind Project 2025, a right-wing roadmap for a potential second Trump administration that would grant the president unprecedented control over federal agencies and empower Trump loyalists. It’s stated aim is “to start undoing the damage the Left has wrought and build a better country for all Americans in 2025.”
Right-wing leader offers ominous warning of ‘second American Revolution’
VIDEO: Biden Seeks to Reassure Amid Debate Critique and Fitness Doubts
Wednesday 3 July 2024 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Biden had scheduled naps during debate prep after he blames jet lag for disastrous performance
Wednesday 3 July 2024 20:30 , Mike Bedigan, Andrew Feinberg, Gustaf Kilander
Joe Biden claims his poor performance at last week’s presidential debate was due to being tired after traveling “around the world a couple of times” in the days before the debate.
The 81-year-old said he “almost fell asleep on stage” during his Thursday clash with Donald Trump.
Biden was exhausted from back-to-back trips to Europe, prompting his team to cut his debate preparation sessions by two days to allow him to rest at his Delaware beach house. The preparations lasted for six days, never beginning before 11am and Biden was afforded time for a nap in the afternoon each day, one source told The Times.
It comes as many, including those from his party, have further questioned the president’s cognitive ability and whether he would be up to the role for four more years, should he be re-elected in November.
Biden had scheduled naps during debate prep after he blames jet lag
Trump campaign issues statement on ‘total collapse’ of the Democrats
Wednesday 3 July 2024 20:18 , Gustaf Kilander
Every Democrat who is calling on Crooked Joe Biden to quit was once a supporter of Biden and his failed policies that lead to extreme inflation, an open border, and chaos at home and abroad.
Make no mistake that Democrats, the mainstream media, and the swamp colluded to hide the truth from the American public – Joe Biden is weak, failed, dishonest, and not fit for the White House.
Every one of them has lied about Joe Biden’s cognitive state and supported his disastrous policies over the past four years, especially Cackling Copilot Kamala Harris.
President Trump will beat any Democrat on November 5th because he has a proven record and an agenda to Make America Great Again.”
Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles / Trump campaign
Press secretary reiterates that Biden isn’t dropping out
Wednesday 3 July 2024 20:13 , Alex Woodward and Gustaf Kilander
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked on Wednesday why she didn’t mention Biden’s grueling travel schedule yesterday when she simply said his poor debate performance was because of a cold.
“That is my bad. That is definitely part of the explanation of what occurred. I did know that. I was so focused on the cold so that’s what I wanted to talk about,” she said during a press briefing.
Asked about what occurred at today’s lunch between Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Jean-Pierre said: “They regularly have lunch. I’m not going to get into private conversations.”
She reiterated that Biden isn’t dropping out.
“He traveled, and then he got a cold,” she added.
Biden was in France in early June, in Italy on June 12, in Los Angeles for a fundraiser on June 15, then back in Washington on June 16. The debate was nearly two weeks after that.
Asked if Biden feels like he let people down, the press secretary said, “He’s very sensitive to how people feel … He has that IQ … to feel people’s pains, feel people’s concern … That’s what makes this president so unique”
How the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling opened the door for a shocking question: Can presidents kill their rivals?
Wednesday 3 July 2024 20:00 , Alex Woodward
Can a president order a rival’s assassination and get away with it?
It was an absurd hypothetical raised by an appeals court judge to point out the literally unbelievable and dangerous consequences of the legal argument from Donald Trump’s attorneys.
But it landed as a shocking warning from a Supreme Court justice in an earthquaking decision this week that shields Trump from accountability for crimes committed in office.
There has never been any legal precedent that would give a president such authority. But according to legal scholars, attorneys and the Supreme Court’s liberal justices, the decision has seemingly opened the door to question whether the commander in chief can commit legal murder.
A shocking question at the Supreme Court: Can presidents kill their rivals?
Trump lashes out at Biden over Iran
Wednesday 3 July 2024 19:30 , Gustaf Kilander
Would somebody please inform our WORST President in history, Crooked Joe Biden, who doesn’t have a clue, that while he dithers around and illegally attacks his political opponent, ME, and is always trying to blame everyone else for the MANY, MANY, MANY mistakes he has made, IRAN IS RAPIDLY BUILDING A LARGE SCALE ARSENAL OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
Once they have them, which will be soon, all negotiations STOP. That’s when our incompetent fool of a President will drop to his knees and beg IRAN for mercy.
“Please, Please, Please, Mr. Ayatollah, SIR, I will give you everything, I will do anything you demand. Don’t hurt us!” This is the position that this stupid fool has put us in.
Three years ago, under “TRUMP,” Iran was BROKE — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS, OR PROSPECTS. BIDEN HAS MADE THEM RICH, AND HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO DO.
They started the attack on Israel and desperately want to become openly involved. “Death to Israel,” they chant. DON’T LET IRAN HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS!
Donald Trump on Truth Social
Biden insists ‘I’m not leaving’ while allies prepare for end of his campaign
Wednesday 3 July 2024 19:12 , Alex Woodward
President Joe Biden has insisted to his campaign staff that no one is pushing him out and that he’s “not leaving” his re-election campaign after multiple reports have suggested that he is preparing to drop out if he fails crucial campaign tests in the days and weeks ahead.
“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running,” he reportedly told campaign staff on a call on Wednesday.
“No one’s pushing me out,” he said. “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
The presdident reportedly admitted that he will have to end his re-election campaign if he cannot convince voters that he is up for the job after his flailing performance at last week’s debate against Donald Trump.
Biden insists ‘I’m not leaving’ while allies prepare for end of his campaign
Trump moves ahead of Biden in new CBS post-debate poll
Wednesday 3 July 2024 19:00 , Eric Garcia
A new poll from CBS News shows that Donald Trump has taken a slight lead over President Joe Biden. The former president slightly trailed Biden last month.
The poll comes after Biden’s lackluster debate performance against Trump in Atlanta, which sent Democrats into a panic. Some Democrats have even speculated that Biden might need to be replaced.
CBS News surveyed 2,826 registered voters between in the days after the debate between June 28 and July 2, with a margin of error of 2.3 points.
The poll showed that 51 per cent of voters would pick Trump compared to 48 percent of voters who would pick Biden. The numbers are a reversal from last month, when 50 percent of voters said that they would pick Biden and 49 percent said they would pick Trump. That poll came days after a jury in New York found the former president guilty on 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records as part of a conspiracy to corruptly influence the 2016 election results.
Trump moves ahead of Biden in new poll after disastrous debate
Biden: ‘I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end’
Wednesday 3 July 2024 18:54 , Gustaf Kilander
On a campaign call on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said, “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running … no one’s pushing me out,” according to Politico.
He added: “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
Biden staffers preparing to move Kamala Harris to the top of the ticket: ‘It’s a case of when, not if’
Wednesday 3 July 2024 18:51 , Andrew Feinberg
Staffers working on President Biden’s re-election effort are preparing for the campaign to elevate Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the ticket. Sources say Biden will step aside but finish out his term after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump nearly one week ago.
One Democratic strategist who worked on Biden’s 2020 campaign and still speaks regularly to senior campaign officials told The Independent on Wednesday that there’s “no question” that Harris would be passed the torch.
They said campaign officials have been counseling prominent Democrats to refrain from explicitly calling for Biden to withdraw his candidacy in favor of letting him make the decision on his own.
Biden insiders: ‘It’s a case of when, not if’ Kamala Harris steps up
Trump leads by six points among likely voters, poll shows
Wednesday 3 July 2024 18:50 , Gustaf Kilander
Trump now leads Biden by six points among likely voters, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll.
The poll comes after Biden’s debate debacle last week which reignited concerns that he’s too old to govern.
The former president is ahead by 49 to 43 percent – increasing his lead by three points compared to the previous week, ahead of the debate.
Among registered voters, Trump’s lead is eight points – 49 to 41 percent.
Meanwhile, 74 percent of voters see Biden as too old to be president, an increase of five points since the debate.
VIDEO: How Trump has molded the RNC to fit his MAGA agenda
Wednesday 3 July 2024 18:40 , Gustaf Kilander
Biden and Harris take part in call to rally White House staff
Wednesday 3 July 2024 18:25 , Gustaf Kilander
Biden and Harris are rallying the staff, discussing the stakes of the election and reassuring them that they are staying on the ticket together, per sources
— Tyler Pager (@tylerpager) July 3, 2024
Who could replace Joe Biden? Debate performance has Democrats in crisis talks
Wednesday 3 July 2024 18:20 , John Bowden
“Sleepy” Joe Biden gave the Democratic Party a wake-up call last week. And the concerns about the incumbent president’s age and mental fitness are not going away.
Last week’s debate in Altanta, Georgia, was the president’s shot to bat away concerns about whether he can effectively serve a second term, one that would end well into his 80s.
Instead, apparently battling a cold, Biden appeared raspy and hoarse onstage, forgetting words at times and at other points seemingly losing track of his point altogether.
Democratic sources who spoke to The Independent and a wide range of other media outlets immediately after the debate were in panic mode, with some openly fretting about whether it was possible for their party to do the unthinkable: replace a sitting, incumbent president on the ticket after he breezed through primary season virtually uncontested.
Who could replace Joe Biden? Debate performance has Democrats in crisis talks
White House chief attempts to rally staffers during all-hands meeting after debate debacle
Wednesday 3 July 2024 18:06 , Gustaf Kilander
During an all-hands meeting on Wednesday, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients said President Joe Biden “didn’t have a great night but that was one night and what we all know is he is a great president,” in reference to the debate.
“Put your head down. Execution. Execution. Execution,” he added, according to Axios. “At the same time, hold your head high. There’s so much the President has accomplished for the American people.”
Zients continued: “As almost everybody knows … I’m obsessed with teams … we need to stay together as a team and have each other’s back.”
“The president and his team have been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and you know what? That will continue, and the only way to get through it is as a team,” he said. “There’s so much to be proud of and so much more we can do together”
“This is a period of intense noise out there. People are looking for chatter. Tune it out,” he added.
Zients quoted Biden’s words from the day after the debate – “When you get knocked down, you get back up.”
“That’s what he is doing and that’s what we all need to do … follow the president’s lead,” Zients said, according to The Washington Post.
