Politics

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, are set to face off in an ABC News presidential debate in September.

Trump and Biden said they have both agreed to a prime-time debate at ABC News studios on Sept. 10.

Before that, they will participate in a CNN debate on June 27 in Atlanta. The debates were scheduled hours after Biden on Wednesday challenged the former president to two debates, which Trump said he was “ready and willing” to do, but pushed for more than two.

“We propose a debate in June, a debate in July, a debate in August, and a debate in September, in addition to the Vice Presidential debate,” said Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, with the Trump campaign, said in a memo. “Additional dates will allow voters to have maximum exposure to the records and future visions of each candidate.”

Biden announced Wednesday morning through his campaign that he is bucking the decades-old tradition of fall meetings organized by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates — and instead called on Trump to join him for two televised presidential debates in June and September organized by news organizations.

“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate,” Biden said in a video message his campaign posted to social media. “Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal.”

Trump, who skipped all four Republican National Committee-sanctioned 2024 primary election debates and pulled out of one of his three debates with Biden in 2020, said in response that he was willing to debate Biden during the proposed dates, but said there should be more than two debates.

“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September. I would strongly recommend more than two debates,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

He added, “Just tell me when, I’ll be there. ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!'”

The Biden campaign outlined some conditions for the debates.

The campaign said that the first debate should be hosted by “any broadcast organization that hosted a Republican Primary debate in 2016 in which Donald Trump participated, and a Democratic primary debate in 2020 in which President Biden participated — so neither campaign can assert that the sponsoring organization is obviously unacceptable,” Biden Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, obtained by ABC News.

Also, “the moderator(s) should be selected by the broadcast host from among their regular personnel, so as to avoid a ‘ringer’ or partisan.”

The Biden campaign said debates have been “structured like an entertainment spectacle and not a serious exchange of ideas that reflect the enormous stakes of the election.” With that in mind, the campaign said the debate should not have an in-person audience full of “raucous or disruptive partisans and donors, who consume valuable debate time with noisy spectacles of approval or jeering,” Dillon wrote in the letter.

“As was the case with the original televised debates in 1960, a television studio with just the candidates and moderators is a better, more cost-efficient way to proceed: focused solely on the interests of voters,” Dillon wrote.

The Biden campaign said all debates should be just between Trump and Biden — meaning it would bar Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an independent candidate, from participating.

Kennedy criticized the move, accusing Biden and Trump from “colluding” to keep him from debating.

“They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win,” Kennedy wrote in a statement on X. “Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy.”

Kennedy has been vocal about his desire to debate both candidates. But the early date of the CNN debate makes it incredibly unlikely Kennedy will meet that debate’s qualifications, which include registering at least 15% in certain national polls and having his name on the ballot in enough state ballots to reach the 270 electoral college threshold.

Addressing one of the cited issues with the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Biden campaign said, “There should be firm time limits for answers, and alternate turns to speak — so that the time is evenly divided and we have an exchange of views, not a spectacle of mutual interruption,” and that a candidate’s microphone should only be on when it is their turn to speak.

Both the Trump and Biden campaigns has expressed concerns with the organization of the debates by the Commission on Presidential Debates — one slated for September and two planned for October — saying that the scheduled debates don’t conclude until well after early voting has already started.

Earlier this month, the Commission on Presidential Debates pushed back, saying that, “as it always does, the CPD considered multiple factors in selecting debate dates in order to make them accessible by the American public,” including religious and federal holidays, early voting, and the dates on which individual states close their ballots.

On Sept. 16, the day of the first debate, Pennsylvania voters can receive, complete and return ballots at their county boards of elections, the commission noted. Minnesota is one of the first states to offer in-person early voting, and voters there can begin to cast ballots on Friday, Sept. 20.

In a statement to ABC News, the CPD said it will proceed with its scheduled debates.

“Our 2024 sites, all locations of higher learning, are prepared to host debates on dates chosen to accommodate early voters. We will continue to be ready to execute this plan,” the statement reads.

CPD had announced it plans to hold the first debate on Sep. 16 at Texas State University, the second on Oct. 1 at Virginia State University and the third on Oct. 9 at The University of Utah, Salt Lake City. It plans to hold a vice presidential debate on Sept. 25 at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.

The Biden campaign proposed a vice-presidential debate in late July after the Republican National Convention.

ABC News’ Sarah Beth Hensley, Isabella Murray and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday challenged Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, to participate in two 2024 presidential debates. The former president responded that he’s “ready and willing” to debate Biden.

“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate,” Biden said in a video message his campaign posted to social media. “Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal.”

Biden announced through his campaign that he is bucking the decades-old tradition of fall meetings organized by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates — and instead called on Trump to join him for two televised presidential debates in June and September organized by news organizations.

Trump, who skipped all four Republican National Committee-sanctioned 2024 primary election debates and pulled out of one of his three debates with Biden in 2020, said in response that he is willing to debate Biden during the proposed dates, but said there should be more than two debates.

“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September. I would strongly recommend more than two debates,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

He added, “Just tell me when, I’ll be there. ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!'”

In a post on X Wednesday morning, Biden announced he accepted an invitation to debate on June 27 with CNN and challenged Trump to accept.

“I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place.”

The Biden campaign outlined some conditions for the debates. The campaign said that the first debate should be hosted by “any broadcast organization that hosted a Republican Primary debate in 2016 in which Donald Trump participated, and a Democratic primary debate in 2020 in which President Biden participated — so neither campaign can assert that the sponsoring organization is obviously unacceptable.”

Also, “the moderator(s) should be selected by the broadcast host from among their regular personnel, so as to avoid a ‘ringer’ or partisan.”

The Biden campaign said all debates should be 1:1 — meaning it would bar Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an independent candidate, from participating.

Addressing one of their cited issues with the Commission on Presidential Debates, the campaign says, “There should be firm time limits for answers, and alternate turns to speak — so that the time is evenly divided and we have an exchange of views, not a spectacle of mutual interruption,” and that a candidate’s microphone should only be on when it is their turn to speak.

Both the Trump and Biden campaigns has expressed concern with the organization of the debates by the Commission on Presidential Debates — one slated for September and two planned for October — saying that the scheduled debates don’t conclude until well after early voting has already started.

Earlier this month, the Commission on Presidential Debates pushed back, saying that, “as it always does, the CPD considered multiple factors in selecting debate dates in order to make them accessible by the American public,” including religious and federal holidays, early voting, and the dates on which individual states close their ballots.

On Sept. 16, the day of the first debate, Pennsylvania voters can receive, complete and return ballots at their county boards of elections, CPD notes. Minnesota is one of the first states to offer in-person early voting, and voters there can begin to cast ballots on Friday, Sept. 20.

Additionally, the Biden campaign proposed a vice-presidential debate in late July after the Republican National Convention.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — More than 100 years after the nation’s deadliest race massacre, the Senate is considering a bipartisan bill to grant national monument status to Greenwood, Oklahoma, also known as “Black Wall Street.”

In 1921, Black Wall Street was burned to ashes by white mobs who attacked the then-thriving and predominantly Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The state of Oklahoma originally recorded 36 deaths from the massacre; however, a 2001 state commission reported that the number killed was likely as high as 300 people.

The bill has gained bipartisan support and has been introduced by Sens. Cory Booker and James Lankford. Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, Tulsa Race Massacre descendants were on Capitol Hill advocating for the monument status. The group, led by Tiffany Crutcher, head of the Terence Crutcher Foundation, and Reuben Gant, executive director of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, met with lawmakers. Their written testimony has been added to the congressional record.

The Historic Greenwood District Black Wall Street National Monument Coalition said it believes the national monument designation would “help catalyze the resurgence of this economic and cultural hub after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre gutted one of the most remarkable success stories that America has ever seen.”

“May 31, 2024, marks 103 years since the start of a ruthless effort to wipe Black Wall Street off the map — and a state-sponsored campaign to erase it from America’s memory,” the group said. With one voice, we stress to this subcommittee that the time is now to help us preserve the rich heritage and lessons that make this community such an indelible part of our nation’s story.”

There are two remaining survivors of the century-old massacre” Viola Fletcher, known as “Mother Fletcher,” who turned 110 this month, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, known as “Mother Randle.” She is 109.

In 2021, the two women, along with Mother Randle’s brother, Hughes “Uncle Red” Van Ellis, who died in October, testified in front of the Senate in 2021 about their memories of the incident and the aftermath of the experience as they tried to appeal to the senate for reparations and an acknowledgment of what happened to them.

Mother Fletcher, who was just 7 at the time of the massacre, told lawmakers: “I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire.”

She added, “I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams. I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot. I will not, and other survivors do not. And our descendants do not.”

The coalition urged Congress on Wednesday to act quickly on the effort.

“Fortunately, there are still massacre survivors who are alive and eager to witness Congress take a historic step toward making the Greenwood community whole. But we’re running out of time,” the coalition said.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday challenged Donald Trump to participate in two 2024 presidential debates.

“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate,” Biden said in a video message his campaign posted to social media. “Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal.”

Though Biden announced through his campaign that he is bucking the decades-old tradition of fall meetings organized by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates — and instead called on Trump to join him for two televised presidential debates in June and September organized by news organizations.

Trump, who skipped all four Republican National Committee-sanctioned 2024 primary election debates and pulled out of one of his three debates with Biden in 2020, said in response he is willing to debate Biden during the proposed dates but said there should be more than two debates.

“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September. I would strongly recommend more than two debates,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

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(WASHINGTON) — Fallout continues on Capitol Hill over President Joe Biden’s pause of a bomb shipment to Israel, and his warning the U.S. won’t supply weapons that could be used in an invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million civilians have sought shelter.

The House plans to vote this week on a Republican-led bill that would force the Biden administration to continue the transfer of certain weapons to Israel and would condemn Biden’s decision to hold back some American-made heavy bombs to Israel.

The measure, titled the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, urges the “expeditious delivery” of defense articles and services to Israel and would withhold funds for certain administration officials like secretary of defense and secretary of state until such articles are delivered.

The legislation also reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense and calls on the Biden administration to allow all previously-approved arms transfers to Israel to “proceed quickly.”

The measure was introduced by Republican Reps. Ken Calvert of California, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and David Joyce of Ohio.

“Unlike the Administration, House Appropriators will not waver in our ironclad support for Israel,” the group of co-sponsors said in a statement. “The House and Senate acted on the will of the people, overwhelmingly providing Israel with the firepower to send a message: the U.S. and our allies will not cower to terrorist organizations like Hamas.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., also took aim at the administration, saying it’s “not President Biden’s job to dictate to Israel how they should go about defending their right to exist and deterring violence against their people.”

“House Republicans stand unequivocally with Israel in its war against terrorists and those that threaten its freedom,” Scalise said.

The chamber is expected to hold a vote on the bill either Wednesday or Thursday.

While it’s likely to garner overwhelming support among Republicans, the bill will force a difficult vote for Democrats — and clearly show the divide on where the party stands regarding Israel.

The measure could garner Democratic support specifically from the 26 lawmakers who wrote a letter to the White House last week raising concerns over Biden’s decision to halt sending bombs to Israel amid fears of civilian casualties in case of a large-scale invasion into Rafah.

But some Democrats have already voiced opposition to the legislation.

New York Rep. Dan Goldman, a pro-Israel Jewish Democrat, called it a “misleading” measure brought by Republicans he said were seeking to score election-year political points.

Goldman said the “Republicans’ latest messaging bill does nothing to materially help Israel’s security, fundamentally mischaracterizes the President’s statements and steadfast support for Israel since October 7, and simply requires commitments that the Administration has repeatedly made.”

“As an American Jew, I am offended by the politicization and partisan manipulation of these very serious issues,” Goldman said.

In a statement, the White House on Tuesday said it “strongly opposes” what it called an “unnecessary and unwise” bill and that the Biden would veto it.

The White House ramped up the rhetoric last week against Israel’s expected invasion of Rafah. In addition to Biden’s pointed warning, 3,500 bombs were withheld from Israel over fears that they could be used in a large-scale ground offensive in Rafah.

The move prompted outrage from Republicans, who deemed it a betrayal of a longtime U.S. ally during wartime. Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “senior moment” on Biden’s part, and expressed anger Congress wasn’t informed ahead of time.

In the Senate, Sen. Lindsey Graham led a group of GOP lawmakers in introducing a resolution condemning any actions by the Biden administration to withhold or restrict ammunition to Israel. Their resolution, though, is unlikely to advance in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

“I think Israel is in a fight for its life [and] that the reason so many Palestinians have been killed is because Hamas has command centers under hospitals. Don’t reward their behavior,” Graham said in a press conference last week.

The White House on Monday attempted to turn down the temperature when it came to the Israel-Hamas conflict. National security adviser Jake Sullivan, in lengthy remarks at the daily press briefing, said he wanted to get back to the “basics” as he reiterated the administration’s view on the war, including that Israel has a right to defend itself from the threat posed by Hamas but also it’s their duty to protect civilians and the need to secure a cease-fire deal in exchange for the release of hostages.

Previous presidents, including Republicans, have withheld aid to send a clear message to Israel and other allies.

On weapons transfers specifically, Sullivan said the administration is “continuing to send military assistance and we will ensure that Israel receives the full amount provided in the supplemental. We have paused the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs because we do not believe they should be dropped in densely populated cities. We are talking to the Israeli government about this.”

“The president was clear that he would not supply certain offensive weapons for such an operation were it to occur. It has not yet occurred,” Sullivan said. “And we are still working with Israel on a better way to ensure the defeat of Hamas, everywhere in Gaza, including in Rafah.”

Sullivan also sought to make clear that Biden’s “commitment to Israel is ironclad.”

“Ironclad doesn’t mean you never disagree, it means you work through your disagreements as only true friends can do. That’s exactly what we’ve done for the past seven months, and that’s what we’ll keep doing,” he said.

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(WASHINGTON) — Voters headed to the polls in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia on Tuesday to set up several key down-ballot races.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks won the Democratic nomination in Maryland’s marquee Senate race, while Republicans in West Virginia appointed candidates likely to take over one of the state’s Senate seats and governor’s mansion.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump sailed to victory in their respective primaries, while restlessness in their respective bases persisted.

Here are five takeaways from Tuesday night’s results:

Machine overcomes money in contentious Maryland Senate primary

Alsobrooks won the Democratic Senate primary in Maryland, defeating Rep. David Trone in one of the most consequential nominating contests of the year.

The race marked a battle between local machine and money. Alsobrooks had the backing of many prominent Maryland politicians, while Trone, the wealthy founder of Total Wine & More, had the support of congressional leaders while dumping tens of millions of his own dollars into his campaign.

While Trone’s money was able to help him blanket the airwaves and deliver loads of mail advertisements to voters’ homes, some voters who spoke to ABC News in Maryland said they were supporting Alsobrooks because they trusted her endorsers, including people like Rep. Jamie Raskin, D.

In the end, machine won with more ease than expected.

With 46% of the estimated vote in, Alsobrooks won by about 10 points, a stunning victory for a candidate who faced such a yawning spending deficit.

Now, Alsobrooks will try to make history. Maryland has never elected a Black senator, and only three Black women have served in the Senate from any state.

First, though, she will have to defeat popular former Gov. Larry Hogan, who won the GOP Senate primary Tuesday. Though Maryland is one of the nation’s bluest states, his candidacy makes the race competitive — with nothing less than Senate control at stake.

“On November 5, 2024, we are going to defeat Larry Hogan, keep Maryland blue, and keep our Senate under Democratic control — spread the word,” Alsobrooks wrote on X.

Hogan sails through primary — now comes the hard part

Hogan, who took over 60% of the primary vote with about two-thirds of the estimated ballots counted, is a popular former two-term governor who left office in 2023 with impressive approval ratings. It remains to be seen if he can replicate the formula that sent him to the governor’s mansion.

His first two statewide campaigns were fueled by support from Republicans, independents and disaffected Democrats.

While his popularity instantly makes the race competitive, he’ll need to duplicate his past coalition to actually defeat Alsobrooks, who will likely benefit from a draft off the top of the ticket, given that Biden won the state by over 30 points in 2020.

Republicans point to his track record of electoral success to suggest he has as good a chance as ever.

“For eight years, Governor Hogan delivered results for Maryland by reaching across the aisle. Marylanders know they can trust Governor Hogan to keep their communities safe and achieve results in Washington,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines.

Still, Hogan is now running in a presidential year for a federal office with Senate control and a contentious White House race at stake, possibly limiting his crossover appeal.

A campaign event in Baltimore County on Monday drew both Republicans and independents enthusiastic for Hogan. But as his campaign was setting up, one voter approached Hogan’s team to tell them they wanted Trump to take power in Washington before walking away.

Protest votes linger for Trump, Biden

Trump and Biden coasted to primary wins in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia. But warning signs remained for both men.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the GOP presidential primary over two months ago, snagged around 20% of the vote in Maryland and Nebraska, though she did garner only about 10% in West Virginia, one of the nation’s Trump-friendliest states.

The results echoed those of other recent primaries in which Haley has been able to draw support, particularly in the suburban areas that cost Trump in 2020.

On the Democratic side, about 10% of voters in Maryland backed “uncommitted” in an apparent protest vote over Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza. And Jason Palmer, a little-known contender who won the American Samoa primary, took about 11% of the vote in West Virginia.

Biden has been dogged by the Israel-Hamas war and disgruntlement over U.S. support for Israel’s military, bursting out into the open in protests on college campuses across the country. However, polls cast doubt that the war in Gaza is a top motivating issue for young voters.

Republicans get their man in West Virginia

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice won the GOP Senate primary, setting him up as the overwhelming favorite to take the seat of retiring Sen. Joe Manchin, D.

Justice handily dispatched with Rep. Alex Mooney, who had cast himself as the true conservative in the race compared to Justice, a former Democrat who switched parties in 2017.

Justice had the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and former President Donald Trump, handing him immense institutional support. Mooney was endorsed by the anti-tax Club for Growth, which had vowed to spend millions in support of their candidate but ultimately didn’t invest as significantly after Justice became the odds-on primary favorite.

The governor is expected to coast to victory in November in blood-red West Virginia, handing Republicans a likely easy flip in their quest for Senate control.

“Thank you, West Virginia, for placing your support and trust in me. I am truly humbled and will work every day to win in November so we can flip the Senate and deliver on our America-First agenda!” Justice wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won the GOP primary for the chance to replace Justice in the governor’s mansion. That primary, also resembling more of a coronation in the GOP bastion, morphed into an ugly battle over culture war issues like transgender rights.

AIPAC-backed candidate defeats Jan. 6 Capitol Hill police officer

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a heavy spender in the 2024 cycle thus far, scored a victory in a contentious Democratic House primary in Maryland.

State Sen. Sarah Elfreth won the Democratic nomination in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, fending off a crowded field including Harry Dunn, a police officer who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

An AIPAC-affiliated super PAC spent over $4 million on her behalf, though it said it didn’t explicitly get involved to block Dunn, who had also expressed support for Israel. However, the race grew combative after Dunn called out AIPAC’s extensive involvement, often raising the group’s support for Republican candidates this year.

Elfreth is expected to handily win in November. Retiring Rep. John Sarbanes, D, won reelection in 2022 by about 40 points.

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(KYIV, Ukraine) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, promised the U.S. will quickly deliver badly needed arms, touting Washington and the West’s alliances with Kyiv.

Blinken is the first senior U.S. official to visit since Congress, after months of dispute, in April passed and President Joe Biden signed a $60 billion aid package that includes artillery and other weapons systems vital to Ukraine’s defense.

After meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, America’s top diplomat told an audience of Ukrainians “you are not alone,” but acknowledged that “delay” in approving new arms “left you vulnerable to Russian attacks.”

Blinken’s fifth trip to the country comes amid consistent shelling of Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, as the Russians conduct an offensive in Ukraine’s east.

Zelenskyy, who said “a tough period for the east of our country” is unfolding for Ukraine’s armed forces, thanked the United States and allies for their military support.

“The decision of the package was crucial for us,” Zelenskyy said.

It is still unclear how costly the delay was for Ukraine as the Russians threaten Kharkiv — but the U.S. says it’s rushing critical weapons to the frontlines.

A senior U.S. official said the American aid package focused “primarily on capabilities that can be delivered in the next 12 months,” and that key systems like longer-range ATACMS missiles, which the U.S. acknowledged it dispatched to Ukraine for the first time in April, “are already on the frontlines.”

The fighting in Kharkiv is intensifying, a Pentagon spokesperson said Monday, assessing “that Russia has launched an offensive in and around Kharkiv,” where “cross-border fire [will] likely increase.”

Vovchansk, a city in Kharkiv, has seen 7,000 people flee as the city is “almost destroyed,” its top administrator said Tuesday. Russia has not taken the city but has penetrated on the outskirts, the local official said.

Zelensky said “air defense [is] the biggest deficit for us,” adding his forces “really need” two batteries of U.S. Patriot missile systems in Kharkiv.

“Civilians and warriors — everybody — they are under Russian missiles,” the Ukrainian president said.

The U.S. aid package appropriates munitions for the Patriot systems, but it doesn’t fund new systems.

Blinken praised the Patriots as crucial security systems which “create umbrellas of safety,” but he didn’t say whether the U.S. will provide them.

The secretary echoed his Pentagon counterpart in promising the U.S. would work with allies — and not act unilaterally — to procure air defenses for Ukraine.

“I would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on April 26. “I would say that it’s going to be the integrated air and missile defense, as we said so many times before, that really turns the tide.”

Blinken said he came to Kyiv to highlight “Ukraine’s strategic success,” including positive developments for its democracy, industrial independence, and economic ties with the west — all threads that will help it interlock with the U.S. and Europe, and “get closer to, and into, NATO.”

A Ukraine that stands “strongly on its own feet,” militarily and economically over the long term, is one that will sustain strong defenses against Russia, Blinken said. He said the U.S. and its allies were committed to seeing that happen.

The secretary of state said the boost should come “not after the war but right now,” praising Ukraine’s efforts to meet western standards ahead of a July NATO summit in Washington.

Ukrainians “have as much experience as any on Earth in fighting the wars to come,” he said. “You have a lot to teach the alliance, and NATO will be more secure with your military by our side.”

Ukraine’s anti-corruption work is “absolutely critical” to potential NATO accession, Blinken said.

“Winning on the battlefield will prevent Ukraine from becoming part of Russia. Winning the war against corruption will keep Ukraine from becoming like Russia,” he said.

Blinken conceded that the election-year standoff in Congress over the aid might leave Ukrainians “wondering whether you can count on America to sustain its commitment.”

He made the case that the wide bipartisan vote by which the package eventually passed Congress “I think demonstrates you can.”

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(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump’s entourage continued to grow when more high-profile politicians attended his New York hush money criminal trial on Tuesday — including House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Johnson, the highest-ranking Republican in Congress, was in criminal court with Trump on Tuesday morning. After commuting with Trump in his motorcade from Trump Tower, the speaker read a statement in nearby Collect Pond Park where he said he was “deeply concerned” about “this sham of a trial.”

“I told him I wanted to be here myself to call out what is a travesty of justice,” Johnson continued, “President Trump is a friend and I wanted to be here to support him.”

His appearance comes less than a week after Trump helped save Johnson’s speakership after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch Trump ally, attempted to oust him. Trump spoke privately to Greene and urged her to drop her push to oust Johnson — though Greene went on to trigger a vote to oust him, which Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly rejected.

Throughout his remarks, Johnson stuck to Trump’s script where he discussed the length of the trial preventing Trump from the campaign trail.

“They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail,” Johnson said.

In addition to Johnson, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy, and GOP Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills also attended court Tuesday and also spoke to reporters in Collect Pond Park.

Burgum, who never commented on any of Trump’s criminal charges while on the primary presidential campaign trail, was quick to call the trial “election interference.”

“I think one thing that we’ve all known is this was a sham trial, but when you have an opportunity to see it up close and personal, you can see it’s actually a scam trial,” Burgum said, speaking on his time spent in the courtroom this morning.

“I think the only conclusion, of course, is its election interference, and it’s tying up the president for being out on the campaign trail.”

Ramaswamy promised to continue supporting Trump if he is found guilty — later saying others should do the same.

“I am ashamed as an American citizen to sit here in a courtroom watching the former leader of the free world, and let’s be honest, likely next leader of the free world, sitting with the indignity in this dingy third rate courtroom,” Ramaswamy said outside the courthouse.

Eric Trump, one of Trump’s sons, has been attending court to support his father. On Tuesday, his wife and RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump joined him for the proceedings.

“They view this as a scam,” Trump said about his court guests after court proceedings finished on Monday. “I think it’s a terrible thing that’s happening to democracy in this country.”

Trump was flanked with guests on a pivotal day in his court proceedings as his former-fixer Michael Cohen resumes his testimony. Cohen testified on Monday as well.

Johnson attacked Cohen’s credibility.

“This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge, and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth,” Johnson said.

Trump’s show of force comes as he has attempted to maximize his campaigning abilities while he sits in the courtroom with his guests giving statements attacking the case and witnesses, something Trump is barred from doing under his gag order, while also pushing out campaign talking points.

Some of those guests will also spend the evening with Trump at a Manhattan fundraiser hosted by billionaire financier Howard Lutnick. The fundraiser will also feature vice-presidential hopefuls, including Sens. Tim Scott, Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, and Govs. Doug Burgum and Kristi Noem.

The increase in guests to court comes as Trump previously complained about the lack of supporters surrounding the courthouse, blaming the lack of attendance on security procedures. While supporters are allowed in the park across from the courthouse, few have shown up.

ABC News’ Kendall Ross and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday will announce new tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, including a sharp tax hike on electric vehicles, to help protect his administration’s investments in key sectors in the United States.

“The president’s actions ensure that American businesses and workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in industries that are vital to our future such as clean energy and semiconductors,” National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters.

The targets of the tariffs include EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum, semiconductors, advanced batteries, critical minerals, solar and medical products.

Biden will give remarks on the decision in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday afternoon.

The election-year actions come as Biden looks to project himself as tougher on China than his predecessor, and expected 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump. Trump imposed some $300 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods during his administration, many of which are expected to remain in place.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday will announce new tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, including a sharp tax hike on electric vehicles, to help protect his administration’s investments in key sectors in the United States.

“The president’s actions ensure that American businesses and workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in industries that are vital to our future such as clean energy and semiconductors,” National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters.

The targets of the tariffs include EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum, semiconductors, advanced batteries, critical minerals, solar and medical products.

Biden will give remarks on the decision in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday afternoon.

The election-year actions come as Biden looks to project himself as tougher on China than his predecessor, and expected 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump. Trump imposed some $300 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods during his administration, many of which are expected to remain in place.

Tariffs on certain steel and aluminum products will increase from 7.5% to 25%, according to the White House. Semiconder tariffs will double from 25% to 50% and certain medical equipment (including PPE, surgical gloves and respirators) will be subject to a 25% tariff.

The biggest increase will be on Chinese EVs, which will quadruple from a 25% tariff to 100%.

Brainard said the hike was to “offset China’s unfair practices and subsidies and level the playing field for U.S. automakers and auto workers.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday requested the judge overseeing ex-Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s criminal contempt of Congress case to order that he begin his four-month prison sentence, after an appeals court last week upheld his conviction.

Prosecutors said there is no legal basis for Judge Carl Nichols to continue the stay on Bannon serving his sentence after the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ conclusive ruling that rejected the basis for Bannon’s appeal on all grounds.

“Consequently, there is no longer a ‘substantial question of law that is likely to result in a reversal or an order for a new trial,'” prosecutors wrote in their filing Tuesday.

It’s not immediately clear when Nichols will rule on the request.

“I’m shocked they want to silence the voice of MAGA,” Bannon told ABC News in regards to Tuesday’s news.

Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison for contempt in October 2022, but Nichols agreed to postpone the jail term while Bannon appealed the decision.

The three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said in its opinion Friday, “We conclude that none of the information sought in the trial subpoenas was relevant to the elements of the contempt offense, nor to any affirmative defense Bannon was entitled to present at trial.”

“The judgment of conviction and sentence [is] affirmed,” the judges concluded.

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