(WASHINGTON) — The Democratic National Committee announced on Saturday that they’ve drafted their 2024 party platform. The platform outlines priorities for Democrats to “finish the job” under the Biden-Harris administration, but also distinctly emphasizes their differences with former President Donald Trump.
The document was released following two drafting committee meetings this week that included input from voters. It outlines symbolic plans for the party ahead of the next four years but notably draws direct comparisons between their own planks and the Republican National Committee platform rubber-stamped by Trump.
The DNC’s announcement of the platform draft also compares their own language against Project 2025 — a plan to overhaul the federal government proposed by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative group closely aligned with the former president, though Trump has tried to distance himself from the blueprint.
“Architects of Project 2025 at the helm of the RNC Platform Committee to help him implement his extreme agenda to institute a national abortion ban, give handouts to his billionaire donors on the backs of middle-class Americans, make cuts to Medicare and Social Security, and ensure he can be a dictator on day one,” the Democrats’ press release reads.
The 80-page Democratic platform draft is significantly longer than the 16-page Republican platform approved by a party committee this week at their summer meeting, which will be voted on Monday at the RNC convention.
The draft of the Democratic platform will be voted upon on Tuesday by the DNC’s Platform Committee.
While the Trump-backed GOP platform includes 20 fixed statements focused on the immigration, tax-cuts, ending the “weaponization of the government” against Americans and certain social issues, among other points, the Biden-backed Democratic platform draft was announced under nine headers, all rolled out with direct contrast to “Donald Trump’s Project 2025 Plans.”
The headers emphasize Biden’s plans to grow the economy, tackle the climate crisis, strengthen democracy, secure the border and more.
In a statement, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison accused the RNC of using their “extreme MAGA” platform to implement the “toxic and dangerous” Project 2025.
“Our Drafting Committee incorporated a diverse set of expertise and perspectives, inviting Democrats from across the nation to participate in our process and contribute to our Platform. The breadth and depth of this Platform is rooted in our collective experience and reflects a bold agenda that affirms Democrats’ commitment to protecting fundamental freedoms,” Harrison said in a statement.
Days after Trump sought to distance himself from Project 2025 on social media, his former adviser Stephen Miller also appeared to back away from Project 2025. He asked the project’s organizers to remove his organization — America First Legal — from a list of advisory board members for the project. Representatives for Project 2025 have not commented to ABC News on Miller and Trump’s apparent repudiation of the plan.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is facing a critical point in his reelection bid as Democratic calls for him to exit the 2024 race continue to mount despite his efforts to shut them down.
A poor debate performance against Donald Trump reignited questions about Biden’s age and fitness to carry out his campaign and serve another four years. Biden has defiantly insisted he is staying the course, telling lawmakers this week he is not going anywhere.
Biden held his first news conference since the debate Thursday evening — taking multiple questions about his political future.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Jul 12, 2024, 9:46 PM EDT
Congresswoman voices support for Biden after Michigan rally
Rep. Haley Stevens, a Michigan Democrat, said after President Biden’s Detroit rally that Biden “is the only candidate with a proven ability to beat Donald Trump.”
Amid concerns from some who have witnessed the president behind closed doors about his ability to serve four more years, Stevens’ pledge of support comes after she spent the morning with the president on Air Force One, where, she said, “he demonstrated his leadership and wisdom, yet again.”
“Now is the time to stay the course, work hard, ensure we beat Donald Trump, and protect our democracy for generations to come,” she said.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie
Jul 12, 2024, 8:50 PM EDT
Biden delivers rousing defense of his candidacy at Michigan event
President Biden took the stage in this key battleground state intent on proving his critics wrong.
Before an amped-up crowd of 2,000 in Detroit, a fired-up President Biden railed against Donald Trump in pointed attacks, challenged the press, outlined his first 100 days in office and tried to make clear to his doubters, he isn’t going anywhere.
“Folks, I’m the nominee!” Biden roared as the crowd erupted.
“I’m the nominee as part because 14 million Democrats like you voted for me in the primaries. You made me the nominee. No one else, not the press, not the pundits, not the insiders, not donors. You the voters, you decided, no one else. And I’m not going anywhere,” Biden said.
The president also framed his agenda by announcing his plan for his “first 100 days in office.”
Biden pledged to codify Roe v. Wade, passing an assault weapons ban, passing the John Lewis Voting rights act and to make sure the rich pay their “fair share in taxes.”
-ABC News’ Mary Bruce, Molly Nagle and Will McDuffie
Jul 12, 2024, 8:15 PM EDT
Biden addresses ‘confusing names,’ says Trump gets a ‘free pass’
President Joe Biden came out strong against Donald Trump at his campaign event in Detroit, Michigan Friday.
Addressing his gaffes during the NATO conference Thursday, Biden said, “They’ve been hammering me because I sometimes confuse names. I say, that’s Charlie, instead of Bill.”
On Thursday, Biden referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During his press conference Thursday, Biden referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as Donald Trump.
Drawing attention to Trump’s history of name gaffes Biden said, “Donald Trump has gotten a free pass.”
“I guess they don’t remember that Trump called Nikki Haley Nancy Pelosi,” Biden said.
“Donald, no more free passes,” Biden continued, adding, “Today, we’re going to shine a spotlight on Donald Trump.”
Jul 12, 2024, 7:48 PM EDT
Biden at Michigan campaign event: ‘I am running’
During a campaign event in Michigan Friday night, Biden reiterated his commitment to the race.
“As you’ve probably noticed, there’s been a lot of speculation lately: What’s Joe Biden going to do?” he told the crowd. “Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out?”
“I am running and we’re going to win,” he continued.
Biden said he’s going to beat Trump again.
“I know him. Donald Trump is a loser,” he said.
Jul 12, 2024, 7:48 PM EDT
Some progressive say they’re sticking with Biden, but do express concerns
Progressive-leaning Democratic voters who attended the Netroots Convention in Baltimore Maryland Friday told ABC News they still plan to vote for Biden in November amid calls for the president to step aside.
First-time voter Emily Kolonder, 19, from New York says she believes Biden is the candidate who best aligns with her views on abortion access and climate change.
“Knowing both candidates’ policies, I will still be voting for Biden. But do I think someone of that age and that mental ability should be able to be President? No. But, when you have these two options, I think he [Biden] is the better of the two candidates,” Kolonder said.
Kolonder said that while she would support a different Democratic candidate if Biden were to pull out of the race. However, she is not confident Kamala Harris can beat Donald Trump.
“I don’t think she can get enough votes. I would personally support her, but I don’t think she can win,” she said.
Davonna Williams, a 30-year-old voter from Kansas City, Missouri said that while she believes in Biden’s abilities as president, she thinks he’s a “hard sell” to disenchanted voters following his most recent gaffes.
“I think what should have happened is that there should have been some planning, like a year, two years out, because we knew this point was coming. We knew it was happening. And I just feel like there was a lack of planning on the Democratic side,” Williams said.
Williams said she worries the calls for Biden to step aside may result in low voter turnout as infighting continues to grow.
“I certainly don’t think it helps. I think if anything, it’ll make folks just say ‘I’m just not going to vote,” she added.
-ABC News’ Briana Stewart and Emily Chang
Jul 12, 2024, 5:57 PM EDT
Biden call with Congressional Hispanic Caucus went ‘off the rails,’ member says
Biden’s talk with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus did not go smoothly, according to multiple sources who had knowledge of the meeting.
One member who was on the call with the president told ABC News it was “frustrating,” saying it went “off the rails” at one point.
The president was an hour late to the call, three sources said.
When it finally started, Bold PAC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus campaign arm, who organized the virtual meeting said only two members would be allowed to ask questions, but Biden ended up taking three questions.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who strongly implied Biden should resign in a statement released Thursday, and Rep. Gabe Vasquez both tried to ask questions by using the raise-hand feature on Zoom but it kept being taken down, according to a source.
This source blamed campaign staff who the source felt were trying to control the call.
Rep. Mike Levin was not on the list of ‘pre-selected’ members to ask questions, but when Biden opened it up the call to others, Levin told him it was time to step aside and allow someone else to lead the Democratic ticket.
Biden responded at length, according to two sources, with, “That’s why I’m going out and letting people touch me, poke me, ask me questions. I think I know what I’m doing because the truth of the matter is I’m going to say something outrageous: No president in three years has done what we have in three years other than Franklin Roosevelt, because of your help.”
“That’s not hyperbole, that’s a fact. No president. And so, that doesn’t answer the question,” Biden added, according to the sources.
“That was great when you were feeling good, ‘Biden, are you OK now?'” Biden continued, talking in the third person, the sources said. “That’s what’s underlying. That’s what people are worried about. ‘I’ve got a grandfather who’s 85 years old, and he can’t walk.’ It’s a legitimate concern for people, but that’s why I think it’s important I get out and show people everything from how well I move to how much I know and that I’m still in good charge.”
Biden tried to take another question and then the meeting ended abruptly, according to one person on the call and another person who was briefed after the 30-minute call.
Two congressional members who were on the call, however, described a more cordial call.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar D-Tex said in a post on X “It was a great conversation.”
“I am focused on what we need to do to win in November. Donald Trump is an existential threat, especially to our Latino communities. And I remain proud to be #RidingWithBidenHarris2024,” she said in her post.
Sen. Alex Padilla said in a post on X that “POTUS engaged with us on strategy and demonstrated once again that he is clear-eyed on the path forward to defeating Trump and MAGA extremism.”
“He’s had our communities’ backs over the last three years and we’ll have his this November,” the senator said in his post.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Mariam Khan and MaryAlice Parks
Jul 12, 2024, 6:12 PM EDT
Biden to Detroit crowd ‘I promise you, I’m OK’
Speaking to supporters at a grill in Detroit before his rally Friday evening, Biden tried to allay fears about his age.
“For the longest time I was too young, because I was the second youngest man ever elected to the United States Senate, and anyway, and now I’m too old, but I know hopefully with a little bit of age comes a little bit of wisdom,” he said.
He made the contrast with Donald Trump stating, “And hopefully that in this in this moment, I think the alternative is not much of an alternative. And I do think ethics matter. I do think decency matters.”
Biden ended by assuring the crowd, “I promise you, I’m okay. Thank you.”
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Fritz Farrow
Jul 12, 2024, 4:55 PM EDT
Whitmer won’t attend Biden Detroit rally
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will not attend Biden’s campaign event in Detroit on Friday, her spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.
Whitmer, who is the Biden campaign co-chair, is in Sun Valley, Idaho, for the annual Sun Valley Conference, an exclusive, private retreat of tech and media power players.
She’s had that travel planned for several weeks, the spokesperson said. Biden officially announced his Michigan rally this week.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who is running for the state’s open Senate seat, will also skip the rally, according to her spokesperson.
“The congresswoman had previous commitments outside Michigan today,” a spokesperson told ABC News.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Jul 12, 2024, 2:45 PM EDT
19th House Democrat calls on Biden to bow out of race
California House Democratic Rep. Mike Levin released a statement Friday calling on Biden to stand aside and not run for reelection.
“It is time to move forward. With a new leader. Together,” he said.
Levin is the 19th House Democrat to call on Biden to leave the race.
Levin said he has been vocal about his views with his colleagues and has heard from “several hundred” of his constituents who expressed worry about the election.
“We must prevail against the incalculable threat Donald Trump poses to the American institutions of freedom and democracy,” he said.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 12, 2024, 4:17 PM EDT
2 Iowa Democratic House candidates join call for Biden to step aside
Two Democrats looking to flip red seats in Iowa said Friday that Biden needed to end his reelection bid.
Sarah Corkery, who is running for the state’s 2nd District seat which represents 22 counties in the state including Cedar Rapids, told the Des Moines Register that “now is the time for him to pass the baton to Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She will continue the fight to keep our democracy alive,” Corkery told the paper.
Fellow Democrat Christina Bohannan, who is vying to flip the state’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Iowa City, echoed the call for Biden to bow out.
Bohannan said in a statement posted on X that she’s heard from a lot of voters who are concerned about Biden’s viability.
The district is being heavily targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which lists it among 33 Republican-held or open seats it considers in play this November.
“It is time for President Biden to withdraw from this campaign and pass the torch to a new generation of leadership,” Bohannan said.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Jul 12, 2024, 2:21 PM EDT
Biden to speak with progressive, moderate Democrats this weekend: Sources
President Biden is expected to speak with members of the New Democrat Coalition, a large group of self-styled moderates in the House, over the weekend, multiple Democratic sources told ABC News.
The group includes several Democrats who have called for him to withdraw from the race, including Reps. Adam Smith, Pat Ryan, Mikie Sherrill, Mike Quigley, and Jim Himes.
It’s not clear how many of those members will join the call. But it could be an opportunity for some of them to make their case directly to Biden.
The president plans to also meet with members of the Progressive Caucus on Saturday, according to sources.
-ABC News’ Ben Siegel and Rachel Scott
Jul 12, 2024, 12:29 PM EDT
Biden to speak with Congressional Hispanic Caucus: Sources
Biden will be speaking with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Friday, two sources familiar with the planning told ABC News.
The meeting was technically set up through the BOLD PAC, which supports Hispanic and progressive candidates and includes members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, according to sources.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott
Jul 12, 2024, 11:00 AM EDT
Ron Klain says Biden news conference a ‘more typical’ performance than debate
Ron Klain, a senior adviser to Biden and former White House chief of staff joined MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday to discuss Biden’s high-stakes news conference.
Klain framed the debate as a “bad night” and said the preparations were better than the real-time showing. Klain also said that what Americans saw on Thursday is more representative of Biden’s abilities.
“Last night, the press conference we saw … was much more typical to what we saw in the debate preparations,” Klain said, adding: “And I think that the president showed showed what he’s capable of last night in this press conference, and voters see it every day as he governs and leads the country and campaigns around the country.”
-ABC News’ Gabrielle Abdul-Hakim
Jul 12, 2024, 11:03 AM EDT
Jeffries, Schumer privately sympathetic to view that Biden on path to lose to Trump, source says
According to a senior Democratic source, at the Biden campaign briefing on Thursday with Democratic senators, only three senators spoke up to say Biden should stay in the race. The senators also asked for Anita Dunn (a senior adviser to Biden) to be at the briefing and she did not come.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are both sympathetic to the view Biden is on a path to lose to Trump and it would be best if he moved on, the source said. But, the source said, “This is a private play, not a public one.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also spoken to Barack Obama about this — although it is important to say, they talk regularly.
-ABC News’ Jonathan Karl
Jul 12, 2024, 10:45 AM EDT
Another House Democrat calls on Biden to step aside as candidate
“Joe Biden saved our country once, and I’m joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again,” Colorado Rep. Brittany Pettersen said in a statement.
The congresswoman urged Biden to “pass the torch” to “one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump.”
There are now 18 congressional Democrats calling on Biden to step aside as the party’s candidate.
Jul 12, 2024, 10:36 AM EDT
Hakeem Jeffries met with Biden on Thursday to discuss the path forward
The House Democratic leader, in a letter to colleagues on Friday, said he met with President Biden privately on Thursday evening.
“Over the past several days, House Democrats have engaged in a thoughtful and extensive discussion about the future of our country, during a time when freedom, democracy and the economic well-being of everyday Americans are on the line,” Jeffries wrote. “Our discourse has been candid, clear-eyed and comprehensive.”
“In my conversation with President Biden, I directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together,” Jeffries added.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
9:23 AM EDT Clyburn ‘all in’ for Biden but notes there’s still time before convention for president to change his mind
“I am all in. I’m ridin’ with Biden no which direction he goes, no matter what method he takes. I’m with Joe Biden,” Rep. Jim Clyburn said on NBC News in his first post-press conference interview.
“And if he were to change his mind … I would be all in for the vice president,” Clyburn said.
The congressman, whose endorsement was key to saving Biden’s primary campaign in 2020, said Biden has “earned” the right to make his own determination on his political future.
“I am going to give him that much respect,” Clyburn said. “If he decides to change his mind later on, then we would respond to that. We have until the 19th of August to open our convention and so I would hope we spend our time now focusing on the record that we would lay out for the American people, remind the American people what is in store if Project 2025 were to become the law in any form. That is where our focus ought to be.”
1:21 AM EDT President to visit Detroit following heavily scrutinized press conference
In his first public event since taking questions from reporters in an open presser on Thursday night, President Joe Biden is heading to the Motor City.
Biden will head to Detroit, Michigan, for campaign-related activities on Friday.
After a day of events, Biden will then travel to the Dover, Delaware, airport as he makes his way to his home in Rehoboth Beach.
11:22 PM EDT Fmr. Rep. Harman says ‘chaos’ in the party ‘plays right into Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s playbooks’
Former Democratic House Rep. Jane Harman called President Biden’s press conference Thursday night a “solid” performance.
“I thought Biden’s performance tonight was solid. Yes, there was one gaffe and there was a gaffe earlier today. I don’t think it’s been a secret for 40 years that he is gaffe prone, so I wouldn’t judge him that way. I thought his answers on China and on Ukraine were nuanced and thoughtful and proved what experience he has and what a nuanced mind he has,” Harman told ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis. “Having said that, I’m not going to pretend that the poll numbers are great, and I’m not going to pretend that some of the concerns are invalid, but … I think we have to be pretty practical here.”
Harman then pointed out Biden’s desire to stay in the race, his record, which she called “excellent,” and the uncertainty of what would happen with the Democrats if he left the race.
“Chaos plays right into Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s playbooks. And let’s not forget, there could be malign influence going on here,” she told Davis. “And a lot of the information out there could be domestically driven, or it could be foreign, malign influence.”
Regardless, Harman said she thinks Democrats will have a “private conversation soon.”
“I’m guessing Nancy Pelosi will be in the room, and she’s a highly respected vote counter,” Harman continued. “I give her a lot of credit. I served with her for a long time, and we’re still in active touch. And we’ll see; I mean, he said if he can’t win, he will leave the race. If he can’t win, he has to be persuaded of that. But if he can’t win, who can win? This is not a conversation about Biden leaving. It’s a conversation about the Democratic ticket winning.”
10:54 PM EDT First Dem. Rep. to call for Biden to step aside unchanged in opinion after presser
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, the first sitting House member to call for President Biden to step aside, told ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis that following Thursday’s press conference, his opinion hasn’t changed.
“I thought the president did a good job. I think he clearly is the most qualified person to handle our international relations. But the question before us — is he the most qualified person to turn around the undecided and the independents who have refused to join him over the past year and now complicated by the setback when we needed a surge that he had during the debate,” Doggett said. “Every time there’s a slip, a Vice President Trump instead of Harris, a Putin instead of Zelensky, people will focus on something that might not have even been noticed at past times. And to the extent over the coming months that all the attention is on whether he is fit and able to do this job instead of on Trump’s lies, we will be set back.”
Doggett, directing his comments to Biden, said the polls don’t support a top-of-the-ticket win.
“And, Mr. President, just as you deal with the reality of conflict around the world, deal with the reality of the numbers here. And when you look at those numbers, we don’t see a path forward for a Democratic Congress and a White House that is occupied by someone of President Biden’s skill, but is instead occupied by a criminal and his gang.”
10:37 PM EDT Biden campaign staffers fired up by press conference: Source
A source familiar with the thinking at the Biden campaign Thursday night told ABC News that following the president’s presser in front of the media, staffers were reminded why they moved to Wilmington, Delaware, to work on his campaign. They believe no one will fight harder for the American people than Biden. Those at the campaign believe the press conference showed off Biden’s deep policy experience, going above and beyond expectations, the source expressed.
Jul 11, 2024, 10:26 PM EDT ‘One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon’: Biden corrects calling VP Harris ‘Trump’
President Joe Biden addressed saying “Vice President Trump” instead of “Vice President Harris” at his post-NATO press conference in a post on X late Thursday night.
“By the way: Yes, I know the difference,” read the post on the president’s account. “One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon.”
Jul 11, 2024, 10:26 PM EDT Rep. Eric Sorensen joins chorus of Dems calling for Biden to ‘step aside’
Adding to the list of Democratic representatives calling for Biden to exit the presidential race, Rep. Eric Sorensen of Illinois released a statement following the NATO press conference Thursday.
“In 2020, Joe Biden ran for President with the purpose of putting country over party. Today, I am asking him to do that again,” Sorensen said.
“I am hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for President,” he said.
Rep. Sorensen becomes the 17th House Democrat to call for Biden to step aside and the third to do so following the NATO press conference.
Jul 11, 2024, 9:39 PM EDT Post-press conference, House Dem Rep. Scott Peters calls on Biden to step aside
Not long after the conclusion of President Joe Biden’s first solo press conference in eight months, California’s House Dem Rep. Scott Peters is calling for Biden to leave the race.
After praising the president for “saving us from a second term of a Trump Presidency in 2020 and for leading with his huge heart and a steady hand in challenging times,” Peters said he does not believe that Biden’s record would “translate into similar success in his reelection campaign.”
Peters said the Democrats were already down in the polls before the debate, and Biden’s performance during the event, “raised real concern among elected leaders, supporters, and voters that the President will not be able to wage a winning campaign. This was not a blip. And while the Biden campaign claims the post-debate national polls remain relatively unchanged, polling in the swing states has worsened alarmingly.
“Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign,” Peters continued. “The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the President and those around him.”
Jul 11, 2024, 9:08 PM EDT Democratic Rep. Jim Himes calls on Biden to ‘step away’ after NATO press conference
Following Biden’s press conference, Connecticut Democratic Rep. Jim Himes released a statement calling on Biden to “step away from the presidential campaign.”
Himes serves as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
“The 2024 election will define the future of American democracy, and we must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s MAGA authoritarianism,” Himes said.
Jul 11, 2024, 9:06 PM EDT Biden ends 50-minute q and a with a shot at Trump
Biden ended his unscripted q and a portion of his news conference, which lasted 50 minutes, taking a question about a Truth Social post made by Trump during the press conference.
The former president mocked Biden’s age and memory for a gaffe early on where he said Vice President Trump instead of Harris.
When asked how he would combat that criticism, Biden smiled and said “Listen to him,” before walking off the stage.
Later, Biden’s campaign posted a screenshot of Trump’s post on X and with the statement “By the way: Yes, I know the difference. One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon.”
Jul 11, 2024, 9:04 PM EDT Biden: No poll says there’s ‘no way’ he can win
Toward the end of the presser, when asked if he would reconsider staying in the race if his team showed him data that showed Vice President Kamala Harris would fare better against Trump, Biden said: “No, unless they came back and said, There is no way you could win.”
He continued in a whisper, “No one’s saying that. No poll says that.”
Jul 11, 2024, 8:33 PM EDT Biden cedes ‘others could beat Trump’ but believes he’s most qualified
“I think I am the best qualified to win,” Biden said as his news conference neared an end. “But there are other people who could beat Trump, too.”
“But it would be hard to start from scratch,” he quickly added. “We talk about money raised. We are not doing bad. We’ve got about $220 million in the bank. We are doing well.”
Jul 11, 2024, 8:31 PM EDT Biden on cognitive test: ‘No matter what I did, not everyone is going to be satisfied’
Asked if he is going to take a cognitive test before the election amid questions about his mental fitness in the wake of the debate, Biden said that if his doctor told him he needed to, he would.
Biden said he has taken three “significant” neurological exams during his presidency, most recently in February.
“They say I am in good shape,” he said, reiterating that he is tested “every single day” on his neurological capacity in his job.
The president added, “No matter what I did, not everyone is going to be satisfied.”
Biden said he is going to make the case to the American people that there are things his administration needs to finish, and the dangers posed by a Trump presidency.
“Do you think our democracy is under siege based on this [Supreme] Court? Do you think democracy is under siege based on Project 2025? Do you think he means what he says when he says he is going to do away with the civil service and eliminate the Department Education?”
“I mean, we’ve never been here before … I’ve gotta finish this job because there’s so much at stake,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 8:21 PM EDT Biden on Israel-Hamas conflict ‘It’s time to end this war’
Biden addressed his administration’s response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and reiterated that he wants a cease-fire and ultimately a two-state solution.
The president touted his multiple talks with the Israeli government and Arab leaders but acknowledged that more work needs to be done.
“I have been disappointed that some of the things that I have put forward have not succeeded, like the port in Cyprus. I was hoping that would be more successful,” he said.
Biden reiterated that he has pushed Israeli leaders not to make the same mistake America did in its hunt for Osama bin Laden and occupy a territory.
“Don’t think that’s what you should be doing. We will help you find the bad guys,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 8:19 PM EDT Biden pressed on past comment he saw himself as ‘bridge’ to next generation of leaders
A reporter noted Biden made a statement during his 2020 campaign that he wanted to be a “bridge” candidate to help usher in a younger generation of Democratic leaders.
“I wanted to know –what changed?” she asked.
“What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited, in terms of the economy, our foreign policy and domestic division,” Biden responded.
“What I realized was my long time in the Senate equipped me to have the wisdom to how to deal with Congress and get things done,” he continued. “We got more major legislation passed that no one thought would happen and I want to get that finished.”
Jul 11, 2024, 8:16 PM EDT Biden on strategy to interrupt partnership between China and Russia
Asked what his strategy is to interrupt the partnership between China and Russia and if he would be able to negotiate with Xi and Putin, Biden said he has “spent more time with Xi Jinping than any world leader has.”
“We have to make it clear and China has to understand that if they are supplying Russia with information and capacity, along with working with North Korea and others to help Russia, that they are not going to benefit economically as a consequence of that by getting the kind of investment they are looking for,” he said.
Biden added that after the Chinese “spy balloon” incident the U.S. and Chinese militaries have “direct access” to one other and “we contact one another.”
Jul 11, 2024, 8:08 PM EDT Biden ready to deal with Putin, Xi ‘now and three years from now’
Biden was asked if he will be able to deal with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping in two or three years from now, should he be reelected.
“I’m ready to deal with them now and three years from now,” he said.
He said he is dealing with Xi right now and that he has “no good reason” to speak with Putin right now.
“There isn’t any world leader I’m not prepared to deal with,” Biden said.
Jul 11, 2024, 8:01 PM EDT ‘I’m not hearing my European allies say ‘Joe don’t run,” Biden says
The president responded to a question about whether European allies should prepare for U.S. disengagement if Trump wins by contending that he has their support in the U.S. election.
“I’m not hearing my European allies coming up to me and saying, ‘Joe, don’t run,'” he said. “What I hear them saying is, ‘You’ve got to win. Don’t let this guy — it would be a disaster.'”
Biden pointed out Trump has an “affinity to people who are authoritarian.”
“That worries Europe. That worries Poland,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:56 PM EDT Biden says he needs to ‘pace’ himself when asked about schedule
Biden said he needs to “pace himself” when pressed on how he is up to the 24/7 nature of the presidency — while taking a crack at Trump’s schedule compared to his own.
“Where has Trump been? Riding on his golf cart and filling out his scorecard?” Biden said. “He has done virtually nothing. I’ve had roughly 20 major events, some with thousands of people showing up.”
Biden said he has always had an inclination to “keep going” but “I just have to pace myself a little more.”
“In the next debate, I’m not going to be traveling in 15 time zones the week before,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:50 PM EDT Biden touts Harris is ‘qualified to be president’
Biden addressed his previous statements that Vice President Kamala Harris “would be ready on Day One.”
The president touted Harris’ work with women’s reproductive health issues and her time in the Senate.
“I wouldn’t have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be president. From the very beginning, I made no bones about that. She is qualified to be president. That’s why I picked her,” he said.
Biden was asked to address his gaffe earlier Thursday in which he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting about the Ukraine Compact at the NATO summit as Russia’s President Putin, and if other world leaders needing to step in and make excuses is “damaging” to America’s standing in the world.
“Do you see any damage by me leading this conference?” Biden responded. “Have you seen a more successful conference? I was talking about Putin and at the very end I said, I’m sorry, Zelenskyy.”
“I thought it was the most successful conference I’ve attended in a long time,” he later said.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:44 PM EDT Biden: ‘I’m not in this for my legacy’
One reporter asked the president, “Have you spent time thinking about what it would mean for your legacy, which you’ve worked decades to build, if you stay in the race, despite the concerns that voters say they have, and you lose to someone who yourself have argued is unfit to return to the Oval Office?”
Biden replied, “I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started.”
Jul 11, 2024, 7:43 PM EDT Biden says he will ‘keep moving’ despite criticisms
Biden began his question and answer session by responding to a question about the growing calls for him to step aside from his campaign.
The president said there was “a long way to go in this campaign.”
“So, I am just going to keep moving, keep moving, because look, I’ve got more work to do, more work to finish,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:40 PM EDT Biden mixes up Trump and Harris when asked about his VP’s viability
Asked about what concerns he had about Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability to beat Donald Trump, if she were ever to appear on the top of the ticket, Biden confused her with Donald Trump.
“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn’t think she was not qualified to be president. So I’ll start there,” Biden said.
“The fact is that the consideration is that I think I’m the most well-qualified person to run for president. I beat him once and I will beat him again,” he added.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:36 PM EDT Biden says ‘future’ of America’s foreign policy up to the people
“Now, the future of American policy is up to the American people,” Biden said. “This is much more than a political question. It’s more than that. It’s a national security issue. Don’t reduce this to the usual testament that people talk about, issues of being a political campaign.”
“It is far too important,” he continued. “It’s about the world we live in for decades to come. Every American must ask himself or herself. Is the world safer with NATO? Are you safer? Is your family safer?”
Jul 11, 2024, 7:35 PM EDT Biden, giving remarks on NATO, makes reference to Trump
With the NATO banner and American flags displayed behind him, Biden recounted this week’s NATO summit in Washington and touted the strength of the alliance in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While he didn’t use Donald Trump’s name, he invoked him during the remarks.
“Meanwhile, my predecessor, has made it clear he has no commitment to NATO,” Biden said. “He has made it clear that he would feel no obligation to honor Article Five. He’s already told Putin, I quote, ‘Do whatever the hell you want.'”
“In fact, the day after Putin invaded Ukraine, here’s what he said: It was genius. It was wonderful. Some of you have forgotten that, but that’s exactly what he said. Well, I made it clear, a strong nato is essential to American I believe the obligation of Article Five is sacred,” Biden added.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:28 PM EDT Biden takes the stage
Biden is at the podium to answer reporter questions in his first solo press conference since November 2023, a critical moment for him as he faces growing Democratic pressure to step aside from his campaign.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:23 PM EDT Top officials in the room for Biden’s press conference
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby are in the room as are Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National security adviser Jake Sullivan.
This is Biden’s first solo press conference since the APEC Summit in California eight months ago.
Jul 11, 2024, 6:42 PM EDT Biden soon to take reporter questions in high-stakes moment
Biden, facing a political crisis as Democrats question the viability of his campaign, is minutes away from holding his first solo press conference of the year — and since the debate two weeks ago.
It’s an opportunity for Biden to change the narrative after his poor performance that night triggered a drumbeat of concerns in his own party that he might be too weakened to win against Donald Trump this November.
But any stumbles in the unscripted setting will only add fuel to the fire, despite Biden’s repeated attempts to rebuff his critics and his insistence that he is staying in the race.
Jul 11, 2024, 6:20 PM EDT ‘It would be a big mistake to underestimate the president,’ German chancellor says
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed Biden’s viability and future during an interview Thursday on the PBS NewsHour, saying, “it would be a big mistake to underestimate the president.”
“I just can tell you from my perspective, as someone that is speaking with Biden, he is very focused and he is very, intensely doing what the president of the United States has to do for leading [NATO],” Scholz said.
Scholz said that had not seen moments in his most recent interactions with Biden that indicated the president is not up for another four years.
-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel and Will Gretsky
Jul 11, 2024, 6:28 PM EDT Biden introduces Zelenskyy as Putin at NATO summit
Biden introduced Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President Putin at a meeting about the Ukraine Compact at the NATO summit Thursday evening.
Biden quickly corrected himself, saying that he was “so focused on beating Putin.”
Zelenskyy laughed off the gaffe.
“I’m better,” Zelenskyy said.
“You are a hell of a lot better,” Biden replied.
The exchange came shortly before Biden was scheduled to hold his first solo news conference since the presidential debate.
President Joe Biden accidentally called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by the name of his rival, President Vladimir Putin, when introducing him at the NATO summit.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
Jul 11, 2024, 5:26 PM EDT 14th House Democrat pushes Biden to step aside, questions ‘fitness to do the job’
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., has become the 14th House Democrat to call for Biden to end his campaign and even questioned if he should remain in office.
Gluesenkamp Perez, who flipped a district in 2022, said in her statement Thursday she had spoken with constituents in the last two weeks and they expressed worry about Biden’s age and health.
“Like most people, I represent in Southwest Washington, I doubt the President’s judgment about his health, his fitness to do the job, and whether he is the one making important decisions about our country, rather than [an] unelected advisors,” she said.
“The crisis of confidence in the President’s leadership needs to come to an end,” the congresswoman added.
Senate Democrats met with top Biden campaign officials behind closed doors Thursday for about two hours trying to lay out the path to victory for the president.
One senator said the meeting was ‘tense’ at times.
A number of senators expressed concerns about the president being shielded by his advisers, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told ABC News.
Some senators stated they were being put in “difficult,” “impossible” or “untenable” positions by having to defend the president to constituents back home after the debate, especially for those senators in tough races, according to the sources.
No Biden campaign polling was shared with senators but instead Biden’s advisers laid out a strategy, including showcasing the president’s record, going after Trump, campaigning on a second-term agenda and building out the coalition of voters, sources said.
One senator who spoke to ABC News said, “I needed to see hard data that showed a path to success in November and we did not get that.”
“I continue to have concerns that only Joe Biden can address, not his campaign staff,” the senator said.
Senate Democrats met with top Biden campaign officials behind closed doors Thursday for about two hours trying to lay out the path to victory for the president.
One senator said the meeting was ‘tense’ at times.
A number of senators expressed concerns about the president being shielded by his advisers, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told ABC News.
Some senators stated they were being put in “difficult,” “impossible” or “untenable” positions by having to defend the president to constituents back home after the debate, especially for those senators in tough races, according to the sources.
No Biden campaign polling was shared with senators but instead Biden’s advisers laid out a strategy, including showcasing the president’s record, going after Trump, campaigning on a second-term agenda and building out the coalition of voters, sources said.
One senator who spoke to ABC News said, “I needed to see hard data that showed a path to success in November and we did not get that.”
“I continue to have concerns that only Joe Biden can address, not his campaign staff,” the senator said.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott and Allison Pecorin
Jul 11, 4:40 PM EDT 13th House Democrat calls on Biden to bow out
Arizona Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton became the 13th House member to openly call on Biden to leave the race Thursday.
Stanton touted Biden’s years of work in his statement but said the president’s “most defining legacy, though, is as a fierce defender of American democracy.
“The Democratic Party must have a nominee who can effectively make the case against Trump, and have the confidence of the American people to handle the rigors of the hardest job on the planet for the next four years,” Stanton said.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 11, 4:17 PM EDT 12th House Democrat joins calls for Biden to step aside
Democratic Rep. Ed Case of Hawaii became the latest House member to call on the president to cease his reelection run.
Case released a statement Thursday saying, “Difficult times and realities require difficult decisions.”
“This has nothing to do with his character and record. If it did, there would be no decision to make,” he said. “This is solely about the future, about the President’s ability to continue in the most difficult job in the world for another four-year term.”
-ABC News’ John Parkinson
Jul 11, 3:38 PM EDT Macron says he’s ‘happy’ to have Biden as president
A foreign pool reporter at the third working session at the NATO summit taking place in Washington asked French President Emmanuel Macron what his impression of Biden was.
“I don’t understand your question about President Biden. He is my counterpart, he is the President of the United States, and we are happy to have him as the president of the United States,” Macron replied.
Macron spent ample time with Biden just a month ago during his visit to France.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
Jul 11, 3:34 PM EDT Wisconsin radio station admits it edited Biden interview at request of campaign
The Wisconsin radio station that hosted Biden last week for an interview edited the conversation at the request of the campaign, cutting out two of Biden’s soundbites, the station said in a statement Thursday.
“On Monday, July 8th, it was reported to Civic Media management that immediately after the phone interview was recorded, the Biden campaign called and asked for two edits to the recording before it aired. Civic Media management immediately undertook an investigation and determined that the production team at the time viewed the edits as non-substantive and broadcast and published the interview with two short segments removed,” Civic Media said.
Specifically a line from the interview “… and in addition to that, I have more Blacks in my administration than any other president, all other presidents combined, and in major positions, Cabinet positions,” was removed.
A piece of dialogue referencing Donald Trump’s call for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, “I don’t know if they even call for their hanging or not, but he—but they said […] convicted of murder,” was also removed.
The station acknowledged that the moves fell short of “journalistic interview standards,” but the station said it stands by host Earl Ingram, who conducted the interview.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin, Will McDuffie, Fritz Farrow and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Jul 11, 1:57 PM EDT Jeffries refuses to comment on Biden’s candidacy, says House Democrats’ conversations ongoing
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries remained tight-lipped on Biden’s candidacy as he continued to take the temperature of the House Democratic caucus.
“Throughout this week, as House Democrats, we have engaged in a process of talking to each other. Those conversations have been candid, comprehensive, and clear eyed and they continue until that process concluded,” Jeffries said during a news conference Thursday.
“House Democrats, Senate Democrats and President Biden are unified on the affirmative agenda that we have for the American people,” the New York congressman added.
Jeffries responded “no” when asked if Biden is a liability for vulnerable House Democrats.
Jul 11, 12:56 PM EDT More House Democrats signal doubt on Biden
New York Rep. Ritchie Torres posted a statement on X Thursday expressing more doubts about Biden’s viability on the presidential ticket.
Torres, who represents the Bronx, said the president “simply had one bad debate performance reflects a continuing pattern of denial and self-delusion
“The notion that the President is going to be saved by this interview or that press conference misses the forest for trees,” he said.
Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman said he is inching “close and closer” to calling on Biden to step aside in an interview Thursday on CNN.
“It’s becoming increasingly likely that this is, this may be just too high of a hill for him to climb,” he said.
Landsman said Biden’s letter to congressional Democrats on Monday did not help.
“The question is about the future of the country,” he added.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 11, 12:55 PM EDT Biden campaign lays out path forward in new internal memo
The Biden campaign is laying out what it sees as its path forward to Joe Biden winning reelection in a new memo shared internally with campaign staff on Thursday by Jen O’Malley Dillon and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a source familiar with the campaign told ABC News.
The memo, first reported by the AP, acknowledges anxieties but claims they still have “multiple pathways to 270 electoral votes.”
The memo was revealed after Democrats had demanded Biden and his campaign show how it planned to win despite Biden’s poor poll numbers.
The campaign said it will focus on winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and believes that the “sunbelt states are not out of reach.”
The memo states the race remains a margin-of-error race in key battleground states, despite calls for Biden to step down citing internal data.
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie
Jul 11, 12:31 PM EDT Senators discuss upcoming briefing by top Biden campaign officials
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. spoke with ABC News Thursday morning about Thursday’s scheduled lunch between Democratic senators and top Biden campaign officials.
Welch, who is, so far, the only Democratic senator to call for Biden to step aside, said the path forward involved the president persuading voters, not advisers persuading senators.
“It’s a show me not tell me issue. I think for Americans it’s not so much about individual senators or members of Congress,” Welch said. “It’s really about the challenge of everyday campaign.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told ABC News he’s putting a bit more weight into Thursday’s meeting with the Biden officials.
“We are very interested to hear how they make their case,” he said.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott and Allison Pecorin
Jul 11, 11:29 AM EDT 10th House Democrat calls on Biden to step aside
Michigan Rep. Hillary Scholten has added her name to the growing list of House Democrats who are calling on Biden to end his presidential election bid.
The congresswoman said in a statement posted on X Thursday that it “is essential that we have the strongest possible candidate leading the top of the ticket — not just to win, but to govern.”
“The people of Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District elected me to represent them with integrity. They elected a Congresswoman they trust to speak the truth, even when it’s hard. They voted for someone who would put America’s future first and stand up for what is right. That’s what I am doing now,” Scholten, who represents Grand Rapids, said.
She is the 10th sitting House Democrat to call for Biden to step aside.
Scholten noted that if Biden stayed in the race, she would “respect his decision,” and still vote for him.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 11, 10:07 AM EDT Biden press conference slides back an hour
The White House announced Thursday morning that the much-anticipated Biden’s press conference will now start at 6:30 p.m. local time in Washington, instead of the previous 5:30 p.m. start time.
Biden has a busy day of meetings tied to the NATO summit ahead of the press conference, including a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The presser will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and is his first solo press conference in eight months.
Jul 10, 9:39 PM EDT White House confirms time Biden will speak to media Thursday
President Joe Biden will take questions from the media on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET, his first press conference since the controversy over his candidacy erupted following his debate performance.
Biden has had fewer pressers with the media than his predecessors and the last time he took questions solo was back in November 2023.
The upcoming press briefing is being held at the Washington Convention Center, where Biden will spend a third day at the 2024 NATO Summit.
Jul 10, 2024, 7:35 PM EDT First senator joins growing calls for Biden to drop out
Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont called for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race in a Washington Post op-ed published Wednesday evening.
Welch is the first Senate Democrat to officially call for Biden to step aside.
“I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again. But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not,” Welch wrote.
“I deliver this assessment with sadness. Vermont loves Joe Biden. President Biden and Vice President Harris received a larger vote percentage here than in any other state. But regular Vermonters are worried that he can’t win this time, and they’re terrified of another Trump presidency,” he said.
Jul 10, 2024, 6:47 PM EDT Ninth Democrat calls for Biden to withdraw from the race
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., became the ninth Democrat to call on Biden to end his reelection bid.
Blumenauer, a senior member of the House Ways and Means and Budget committees, commended the president for his accomplishments, claiming in a statement released Wednesday that Biden “will be recorded in history as the most successful president in the last 50 years.”
However, the congressmen added that, in his mind, “We will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms.”
“The next six months will be critical in the implementation of President Biden’s landmark accomplishments that will define his legacy for generations to come. He should devote his energy and undivided attention to issues of war and peace, the climate crisis, and rebuilding and renewing America,” Blumenauer said, in part.
Jul 10, 2024, 6:39 PM EDT AFL-CIO calls on Democrats to unite behind Biden
The AFL-CIO for the second time in a week put out a statement in support of President Joe Biden after unanimously voting to reaffirm their support for the Biden-Harris ticket, saying that they are the “most pro-union administration in our lifetimes.”
The union, which endorsed the Biden-Harris campaign in June 2023, urged Democrats to support Biden saying, “The labor movement is united behind President Biden and Vice President Harris. We urge his party and the American people to join us.”
“The message from today’s meeting couldn’t have been clearer: Right now, it’s time to come together around a vision of a country where everyone has a fair shot with a living wage, affordable health care, retirement security, and time to do the things we love like spending time with family and friends and pursuing our interests and passions. These are fundamental to, as the president reiterated to our meeting, building the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not the top down,” the AFL-CIO Executive Council said in a statement.
Jul 10, 5:46 PM EDT Newsom says he won’t challenge Harris, reiterates support for Biden
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was again asked about the future of President Biden’s campaign and whether he’d challenge Vice President Kamala Harris if she took the ticket during a news conference on the ongoing wildfires Wednesday.
Newsom stood by comments he made in 2023 when he said he would not run against Harris.
The governor reiterated that he is still backing Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee.
“I think I’ve had 100 media outlets asking the same question, and I think that I’ve amply answered my support for the president and the support I saw on the ground was demonstrable,” he said.
Newsom said he didn’t read the full comments that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave on MSNBC where she said, “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run.”
He also said he had not read George Clooney’s New York Times op-ed that called on Biden to bow out.
Jul 10,4:48 PM EDT Morale ‘very low’ at White House as staff frustrated by Clooney op-ed: Source
Morale “is very low in the building,” a person who works regularly with senior level White House staff told ABC News Wednesday.
Some in President Joe Biden’s inner circle, including senior adviser Anita Dunn and chief of staff Jeff Zients, are said to be very frustrated and upset by George Clooney’s op-ed in the New York Times in which he calls on Biden to step aside, the source said.
The donor class is also deeply divided, a Democratic adviser told ABC News.
Although small donations continue to pour in and the very largest donors are doubling down, the huge swath of donors in the middle are holding back, according to the adviser. That group of donors, which gives anywhere from five to eight figures, are on pause, which is very damaging since they’re a major part of the donor ecosystem, the adviser said.
This adviser adds that the hand-wringing in the meantime has been very harmful to the campaign.
Another Democratic fundraiser says while a strong performance at the solo press conference Thursday could help the situation, many donors believe the crisis around Biden just won’t go away.
The doubts raised by members of Congress, the comments from Nancy Pelosi, and the op-ed from George Clooney are all fueling a flurry of discussions among donors about what to do if Biden drops out.
-ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Selina Wang
Jul 10, 3:33 PM EDT Biden to hold one-on-one interview with NBC’s Lester Holt
President Joe Biden will hold a one-on-one interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt Monday, the network announced.
This will mark the second TV interview Biden has held since last month’s presidential debate.
Holt will interview Biden earlier in the day while he’s in Austin, Texas, and the full interview will air at 9 p.m. ET, the network announced.
Jul 10, 3:24 PM EDT Republican presses top officials on Biden’s mental fitness
In back-to-back House Financial Services Committee hearings with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, both regular, annual hearings on their agency’s policies, Republican Mike Lawler of New York redirected from questions about inflation and tariffs on Russia to ask each official about their personal interactions with the president.
Yellen said she wouldn’t describe the content of her meetings with the president or say when she last met with him because it was “private,” but she called Biden “extremely effective.”
“The president is extremely effective in the meetings that I’ve been in with him, that includes many international meetings that are multi hour, like his meetings with President Xi [Jinping of China],” she said.
“Madam secretary, have there been any discussions among Cabinet secretaries about invoking the 25th Amendment?” Lawler asked.
“No,” Yellen said resolutely. The 25th Amendment states that the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet can together remove power from the president if he or she is incapacitated.
Powell, asked by Lawler if he’s “noticed any mental or cognitive decline” in meetings with the president, said “no.”
But Powell noted that he’d only interacted with the president twice in the last two years — once for a meeting and once to shake his hand at a state dinner, which Powell said was normal for presidents and Federal Reserve chairs, given the independence of the agency.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Jul 10, 3:23 PM EDT Concern over Biden’s future grows among Democratic senators
Multiple Senate Democrats spoke candidly with ABC News about concerns they have about Biden’s viability and said they want to continue discussions about the best path forward.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he is worried about “an existential threat to the country if Donald Trump wins,” and added “every day is critical” as Biden weighs his path forward.
“I have confidence in Joe Biden doing what’s right for America. What he believes is right for America is to defeat Donald Trump and he’ll be a pretty good judge of whether that will be possible,” Blumenthal said. “We can all advise him we can raise concerns ultimately the decision is his and I am going to continue to raise concerns but I do think we need to ultimately unify because the existential threat here is Donald Trump.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, associated himself with the comments of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi made on MSNBC Wednesday, in which she appeared to leave the door open for the president to step aside.
“I thought Speaker Pelosi nailed it pretty well this morning,” Whitehouse told ABC News. He repeatedly avoided answering additional questions about whether Biden should resign before reiterating his support for Pelosi’s comments.
Although Sen. Dick Durbin told ABC News Durbin he was “very concerned” about Biden’s chances, he added that he’s always known the race would be close.
“I believe we wage the right campaign and make a point of what we’ve achieved under this president we will see him reelected,” Durbin said.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who expressed worries about Biden’s future during a closed-door meeting among Senate Democrats Tuesday, told ABC News he was hearing legitimate concerns from voters.
“My job is to listen to them my job is to go to hearings like this to fight for lower drug prices to fight for Ohio workers,” Brown said.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Rachel Scott
Jul 10, 2:07 PM EDT 8th House Democrat calls on Biden to step aside
New York Rep. Pat Ryan, a moderate Democrat, is now calling on Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee.
“Trump is an existential threat to American democracy; it is our duty to put forward the strongest candidate against him,” Ryan wrote on X. “Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump. For the good of our country, I am asking Joe Biden to step aside — to deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.”
Ryan is the eighth House Democrat to publicly call on Biden to step aside.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 10, 2:03 PM EDT Biden gives a fist pump when asked about Pelosi’s comments
Despite her remarks, Biden suggested he still has Pelosi’s support to continue his reelection campaign.
“Is Nancy Pelosi still behind you?” Biden was asked after taking a family photo with NATO leaders.
The president didn’t say anything, but flexed his arm and fist in the air.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Jul 10, 1:58 PM EDT Debate over future of Biden’s candidacy continues
After a day of closed-door Democratic meetings where lawmakers appeared to be absorbing the sober reality that Biden would stay as the party’s presumptive nominee, new comments on Wednesday stirred fresh debate on Biden’s viability and path forward.
First, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was noncommittal on whether she wanted Biden to continue to run despite Biden insisting repeatedly that he had decided to stay in the race.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” Pelosi said on MSNBC. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.”
Then, George Clooney, in a stinging New York Times op-ed, said Biden should step aside.
“It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010,” Clooney wrote. “He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
(WASHINGTON) — The Republican National Convention is set to kick off Monday in Milwaukee — during which former President Donald Trump will accept his party’s presidential nomination.
During the four-day convention, GOP heavyweights are set to fire up the base, the party’s official platform will be finalized and Trump’s yet-to-be-named running mate will make an appearance.
Here’s what to know about the RNC and how to follow along with all of the action.
When and where is the RNC?
The 2024 Republican National Convention will take place July 15-18 in Milwaukee.
Activities will take largely at the Fiserv Forum — the home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. The nearby Baird Center and Panther Arena will also host events.
There is a strategic opportunity in having the RNC in Milwaukee. Wisconsin is a crucial battleground state that both Trump and President Joe Biden are looking to win in November.
Trump narrowly won Wisconsin over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Biden then won it over Trump in 2020, also by a small margin.
What is the RNC schedule?
Each day of the convention will have a “theme,” as the Trump campaign announced in conjunction with the RNC earlier this week. The themes will play off of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Monday’s theme is “Make America Wealthy Once Again;” Tuesday’s is “Make America Safe Once Again;” Wednesday’s is “Make America Strong Once Again” and Thursday’s is “Make America Great Once Again.”
The RNC has released a detailed master calendar, which includes a list of events throughout the week.
Who is set to speak at the RNC?
The RNC has not yet released a detailed schedule of its speakers, which often include key players and rising stars in the Republican Party.
Trump’s vice presidential pick is expected to speak at the RNC — though it’s not yet clear what day that speech will occur, nor who Trump’s No. 2 will be.
Several celebrities are expected to speak at the event in support of Trump — including TV personality Savannah Chrisley, UFC President Dana White and Rapper and model Amber Rose, a source familiar told ABC News.
Former first lady Melania Trump is expected to attend the RNC, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News, through it’s not clear whether she’ll speak at the event.
Can I attend the RNC?
The RNC is a credentialed event, which means it is not open to the general public.
The credentialed attendees include delegates, politicians, media and volunteers. Volunteer opportunities for the event have closed, according to the RNC.
How can I watch the RNC?
The Republican National Committee will stream convention events online.
ABC News will have special coverage of the RNC — including primetime coverage from 10 p.m. until 11 p.m. ET on ABC every day of the conventions, and on ABC News Live from 7 p.m. until 12 a.m. ET.
Hulu will also have live reports available all day, and ABC News Live will have robust coverage each day of the convention.
ABC News Digital and 538 will live blog the latest from the convention and provide analysis as the convention events unfold.
What is the GOP party platform?
During the event, the full RNC will vote to approve the GOP’s 2024 platform. The 2024 platform committee voted 84-14 earlier this week to adopt a platform, which softens language on the issue of abortion.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and other anti-abortion conservatives have slammed the platform for the change in the abortion stance.
The full RNC vote on the platform is set to take place on the convention floor on Monday.
What about the Democratic National Convention?
The Democratic National Convention is set to take place from Monday, Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
(WASHINGTON) — Anxious Democrats are looking for signs of Joe Biden’s thinking from his Thursday press conference as the debate over the president’s future roils the party.
Biden sounded bullish Thursday, insisting he’s best situated to defeat former President Donald Trump this November and that he’s staying in the race despite his shaky performance in last month’s debate.
“No, unless they came back and said, ‘There’s no way you can win,'” Biden said Thursday when asked if he would consider dropping out if his team showed data suggesting he could lose.
“No one is saying that,” Biden said, doubling down. “No poll says that.”
However, that hypothetical earthly impetus marked a slight departure from the more divine push Biden said he would need to drop out when asked a similar question last week by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos.
“If you can be convinced that you cannot defeat Donald Trump, will you stand down?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“It depends on if the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me that, I might do that,” Biden said.
Normally, such a distinction wouldn’t make waves, but for a party that is still trembling in the fallout of last month’s debate, operatives were looking intensely for signs of Biden’s thinking and if he’s softening his stance on staying in the race.
“The burden is on him to show he has a path to bring these people back into line. He’s attempting to show that but also now in a place where he realizes he has a choice to make if he can’t,” said one former Democratic House aide who’s still in tune with the party’s thinking on Capitol Hill.
About 20 Democrats in Congress have now called on Biden to drop out, worried over his chances of beating Trump after the debate laid bare concerns about his age and mental fitness.
However, even more Democrats have privately expressed concerns over Biden’s chances this November and were perturbed by Biden’s interview with Stephanopoulos, both over his answer about dropping out and his explanation that he could live with a loss if he campaigned his hardest.
“My guess is that he realized the almighty thing was a ridiculous bar that generated resentment, so he decided on a more reasonable bar that also directly addressed voters’ concerns about whether he could beat Trump,” said one source familiar with the Biden campaign’s strategy. “He knows that is the bar voters are using so wanted to show that he is using the same one.”
Still, it’s unclear if the remarks indicated a change in thinking or were a distinction without a difference.
Biden himself has been adamant that he’s staying in the race, including in a strongly worded letter to House Democrats on Monday that temporarily stemmed the tide of lawmakers calling for the end of his campaign.
His team laid out the path forward in an internal memo Thursday that was obtained by ABC News. In it, campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez insisted that a path to victory still exists, particularly through the Rust Belt “blue wall” states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
“We know, both from election results and from research, that when the choice is between Donald Trump’s extremism and Joe Biden’s record of delivering for the American people — and when Democrats have an operation capable of persuading and mobilizing voters on the ground — we win,” O’Malley Dillon and Chavez Rodriguez wrote.
And other Democrats believed that Biden is in it for the long haul, as long as pressure for his ouster fails to reach a breaking point.
When asked about Biden’s remarks about his staff giving him dour news about his chances, one informal campaign advisor told ABC News Friday, “He doesn’t think it’s going to happen.”
(WASHINGTON) — Days after former President Donald Trump sought to distance himself from Project 2025, former Trump adviser Stephen Miller is following suit, aiming to distance himself and his organization from the controversial plan for Trump’s potential next term.
As Democrats intensify their efforts to spotlight the connections between Trump and Project 2025 ahead of next week’s Republican convention, Miller’s organization, America First Legal, reached out to Project 2025, requesting removal from the website’s list of advisory board members, sources familiar with the situation told ABC News.
As recently as Thursday, America First Legal was among the numerous conservative groups listed on the advisory board webpage for Project 2025, a 922-page plan to overhaul the federal government led by the Heritage Foundation.
Project 2025 did not respond to request for comment from ABC News.
Despite Trump’s public attempts to distance himself from Project 2025, reports continue to highlight their intertwined relationship. Miller, who recently assisted Trump with his debate preparation and served as a surrogate in the spin room following the CNN presidential debate earlier this month, was also featured in Project 2025’s educational “presidential administration academy” video.
America First Legal was first approached by the Heritage Foundation to join Project 2025 over a year ago, according to a source familiar with the matter. Miller, who publicly denied involvement with the group despite appearing in the video, was surprised to find his organization listed on Project 2025’s website, the source said.
But even as Trump and Miller seek to distance themselves from Project 2025, the connections remain abundant. As ABC News previously reported, when Republicans gather in Milwaukee next week to vote on the first new Republican Party platform since 2016, the platform will have been shaped and influenced by individuals with deep ties to Project 2025.
Both the RNC platform committee’s policy director Russ Vought and deputy policy director Ed Martin have notable connections to Project 2025.
(WASHINGTON) — As Joe Biden and Donald Trump continue to trade barbs over their fitness to be president, an unexpected area of dispute has arisen: golf.
“He can’t hit a ball 50 yards,” former President Trump said of President Biden during the recent presidential debate. “He challenged me to a golf match; he can’t hit the ball 50 yards.”
“I’d be happy to have a driving contest with him,” Biden fired back.
“I’m happy to play golf if you carry your own bag. Think you can do it?” Biden added in an exchange that sparked a barrage of jokes on the internet.
Then at a campaign event on Tuesday, Trump challenged Biden to an 18-hole match, offering to pay $1 million to a charity of Biden’s choice if he wins.
While Trump, who owns several golf courses and hits the links on a regular basis, might be the odds-on favorite in such a match, there’s one golf pro who likes Biden’s chances: Earl Cooper, a golf instructor who previously gave Biden lessons.
Golf is “a great way to unveil the individual’s character, because it is one of the few sports that is solely relying on you,” Cooper, who is also the cofounder of modern golf apparel company Eastside Golf, said in an interview with ABC News.
Cooper, who was approached by Ron Olivere, the father of Beau Biden’s widow, to give Biden golf lessons in 2015, told ABC News that Biden “wanted to get better at golf.”
“It was something that I appreciated because he took it very seriously,” Cooper said. “It wasn’t just a showman thing.”
Cooper, a former PGA professional with the Wilmington Country Club in Delaware, where Biden is a member, confirmed that Biden once held a single-digit handicap — a claim Trump questioned during the debate.
“[Biden] was shooting in the 70s, which is good — a single-digit handicap is a really good golfer in general,” Cooper said.
During the debate, the candidates’ golfing gloating occurred after they started trading jabs about their physical fitness.
When asked by CNN’s Dana Bash to respond to voters who have concerns about his ability to serve through the end of a next term, when Trump would be 82, Trump touted his accomplishments on the links.
“I’m in very good health. I just won two club championships, not even senior, two regular club championships,” Trump said. “To do that, you have to be quite smart and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way. And I do it. He doesn’t do it.”
“I’ve seen your swing, I know your swing,” Trump later needled Biden.
At Thursday’s NATO press conference, Biden jabbed back at Trump.
“And where’s Trump been? Riding around in his golf cart, filling out his scorecard before he hits the ball?” Biden said of the former president, who’s previously been accused of creative scorekeeping on the course.
According to Cooper, Biden — who drove his own golf cart — enjoyed playing golf at the country club “because it was the only time that he could drive himself.”
“Secret Service [was] driving him everywhere,” Cooper said. “So this was the one time that he could get in a golf cart, and drive himself.”
Cooper said that, after watching the CNN debate, “There’s no doubt [Biden] is slowing down” — but he still believes Biden could beat Trump in a golf match.
“I like the president’s chances, because I know golf, and I’m not sure about his competitor following all the rules,” Cooper said.
The Biden campaign this week addressed Trump’s golf challenge, releasing a statement that read in part, “Donald Trump hasn’t been seen in public for 12 days, now he’s … challenging the President of the United States to golf.”
“Donald Trump is … only out for himself,” the statement said. “Par for the course.”
Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system over the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel, on July 8, 2024. — Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — As Republicans look toward their party convention in Milwaukee next week, the new Donald Trump-style approach to national security represents a dramatic departure from the GOP’s past.
Eight years ago, the party called for a military large enough to fight more than two major wars at once and wanted tougher sanctions against Russia. Now, the new 2024 GOP platform talks of avoiding conflict because “wars breed inflation.”
Official GOP policy also calls for a American-built national missile defense system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome – something the military hasn’t asked for and experts say could have limited utility for the United States.
“PREVENT WORLD WAR THREE, RESTORE PEACE IN EUROPE AND IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND BUILD A GREAT IRON DOME MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD OVER OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY — ALL MADE IN AMERICA,” the 2024 GOP platform states of the party’s new goals.
So, where did this talk of a U.S. Iron Dome come from? And is it even realistic?
Here’s what to know:
Trump wants ‘the greatest dome of them all’
Iron Dome was developed by Israel to zap rockets and mortar fire out of the sky — acting as a kind of shield over a country under the near-constant threat of short-range and medium-range missile attacks.
The multi-billion system played a major role in successfully defending Israel last April when Iran launched some 300 missiles and drones at the Jewish state in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike that killed a top Iranian commander.
Iron Dome’s success caught the attention of Trump, who had already been tossing out the idea at campaign rallies that the U.S. could build its own version of the technology considering the U.S. had spent some $3 billion to help Israel manufacture and maintain the system.
Trump’s comments on a U.S. Iron Dome often prompted loud cheers from his supporters, much as it had in 2016 when he called for building a wall at the U.S. southern border with Mexico.
“In my next term, we will build a great Iron Dome over our country, a dome like has never seen before, a state -of-the-art missile defense shield that will be entirely built in America,” Trump said at a June rally in Wisconsin as the crowd applauded.
“We’re going to build the greatest dome of them all,” he promised.
The military hasn’t asked for an Iron Dome, and it wouldn’t protect against the latest threats anyway
On its surface, experts say replicating an Iron Dome system for the U.S. wouldn’t make much sense. With allies north and south of the U.S., and oceans on either side, the U.S. doesn’t face the same kind of short-range missile threat as Israel.
But what about a nation-wide missile defense system that’s like the Iron Dome but tailored for the U.S.?
According to a U.S. defense official, U.S. Northern Command — the military combatant command charged with defending the homeland from foreign missiles — has not expressed interest in a nationwide missile defense system.
The military already employs multiple systems “that together provide agility in responding to potential threats, which increases available options for the nation’s leaders,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Among those systems is Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program, which was designed to knock down rogue long-range missiles from a country like North Korea. It would, however, have more limited utility if there were ever a large-scale attack from a country with a hefty arsenal like Russia.
Expanding that system to cover every inch of the U.S. though would likely cost billions of dollars at a time when the country also is trying to protect against attacks in cyber and space. China and Russia are now pursing hypersonic weapons, while administration officials this spring acknowledged Russia’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities in space, greatly complicating what it means for any one system to keep the U.S. safe.
“You can’t defend the entire United States. It’s unrealistic, unaffordable and unachievable,” said Gen. Glen VanHerck, who retired this year as head of U..S Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Instead, he said, whoever is in the White House next year should develop clearer policy on what U.S. assets to defend beyond critical military infrastructure — something he said he pressed for during his tenure as head of NORTHCOM.
“Ultimately, it goes back to policy. What are your priorities? What do you want us to do? And then we can make realistic decisions with the force we have today, and we can then budget and resource for the forces of the future,” he said.
Party platforms and campaign rhetoric tend to be more political crowd-pleasers than pragmatic blueprints for how to run a country.
In 2016, for example, Trump called for a “big, beautiful” wall along America’s southern border with Mexico; when he left office, only about a quarter of the border had new fencing — most of which replaced smaller existing structures. Trump’s demands for a border wall were essentially shorthand for hardline immigration policies.
Military analyst Steve Ganyard, a retired Marine Corps colonel and an ABC contributor, said calling for an Iron Dome over the U.S. probably doesn’t make much sense from a strategic standpoint considering the new threats from space. More notable, he said, is what’s missing from the document.
For the first time in decades, the party isn’t calling for increased spending for a bigger fighting force or extending U.S. military reach globally.
“It just strikes me as how isolationist it is, particularly in comparison to past Republican platforms,” Ganyard said.
For former Trump advisers, refocusing US spending on homeland security is a good thing.
“It’s a very strong document that has sound common-sense principles that include building up the American military base,” Elbridge Colby, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development during the Trump administration, said of the new GOP platform.
The platform forces on protecting the homeland, “not looking for monsters to destroy,” Colby said.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 9, 2024 in Doral, Florida. — Joe Raedle/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump stands at the doorstep of his third nomination for the presidency with an advantage in trust to handle top issues in the election, yet challenges — including his felony convictions — that so far have prevented him from fully capitalizing on President Joe Biden’s missteps.
As reported Thursday, the two run evenly in the latest ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, even as two-thirds of Americans say Biden should step aside given his debate performance, 85% say he’s too old for another term and Trump leads by wide margins in perceived mental sharpness and physical health.
Trump’s own shortcomings help explain why. Among them, 59% of Americans say he was rightfully convicted of 34 felonies in a New York court; many fewer, 38%, accept his claim that the convictions were unjust. Indeed, 49% think he should be sentenced to prison for those crimes, while 47% think not.
In a potential risk, 22% of Trump’s backers say that if he were jailed, they’d reconsider (16%) or drop (6%) their support for him. That said, about as many in April said they’d reconsider or give up on Trump if he were convicted of those felonies. He was; his support has held up regardless — but did not advance, even with Biden’s difficulties.
A criminal record isn’t Trump’s only problem in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, with fieldwork by Ipsos. He trails Biden in personal popularity, in being seen as honest and trustworthy, and, more narrowly, in “protecting American democracy.” And polarization is such that among people who don’t support Trump now, 90% say they wouldn’t consider doing so.
Biden faces essentially the same rejection among those who don’t back him already, and the level of discontent with both candidates is remarkable. Seventy-one percent of Americans say they’re dissatisfied with the choice of Biden or Trump as the major party presidential nominees. That blows away the number who were dissatisfied with the Trump-Hillary Clinton matchup in 2016, 58% — a race that then took the cake for unpopular candidates.
Strengths
Trump’s support is deeper than Biden’s — 57% of Trump supporters strongly favor him, while just 34% of Biden’s supporters strongly back their candidate. And Biden’s strong support is down 10 percentage points from April after his widely criticized performance in the June 27 debate.
Notably, three in 10 Biden supporters say they’re mainly motivated not by support for Biden but by dislike of Trump. In contrast, just 12% of Trump’s supporters mainly dislike Biden. Given that dislike can be a motivator, this result helps Biden counter Trump’s strong support.
To be sure, not all of Trump’s supporters are thrilled with the contest: Fifty percent say they’re dissatisfied with the choice of Biden or Trump. But among Biden’s supporters, dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates soars to 82%.
Issues
The long hangover from 2022’s 40-year high in inflation may be Trump’s best calling card. Forty-two percent of Americans say they’re in worse shape financially now than when Biden took office; only 17% are better off. Four in 10 or more have felt worse off steadily since February 2023 — the most, for the longest period, in available data since the Reagan years.
Given the inflation burn, 89% of Americans call the economy highly important in their vote, and 85% say the same about rising prices in particular, the two top issues out of 11 tested in this survey. Trump leads Biden by 10 points in trust to handle the economy, 11 points on inflation.
Trump also leads, by 14 points, in trust to handle immigration, though many fewer, 66%, cite this as a top issue; by 9 points in trust to handle the Israel/Hamas war (last in high importance) and 7 points on crime and safety.
Biden, for his part, leads by double digits on a single issue tested — 13 points on access to abortion, second to last on the importance list. He has 6-point leads on protecting democracy and handling health care and 4 points on appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Still, it’s notable that Trump did not improve on any of these measures in the aftermath of the debate two weeks ago. The only meaningful shift was in the other direction, on protecting American democracy — from a dead heat in April to Biden’s +6 now.
Methodology
This ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll was conducted online via the probability-based Ipsos KnowledgePanel® July 5-9, 2024, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 2,431 adults. Partisan divisions are 32%-29%-27%, Democrats-Republicans-independents. Results have a margin of sampling error of 2 percentage points, including the design effect, for the full sample. Sampling error is not the only source of differences in polls.
(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden is facing a critical point in his reelection bid as Democratic calls for him to exit the 2024 race continue to mount despite his efforts to shut them down.
A poor debate performance against Donald Trump reignited questions about Biden’s age and fitness to carry out his campaign and serve another four years. Biden has defiantly insisted he is staying the course, telling lawmakers this week he is not going anywhere.
Biden held his first news conference since the debate Thursday evening — taking multiple questions about his political future.
Here’s how the news is developing:
1:21 AM EDT President to visit Detroit following heavily scrutinized press conference
In his first public event since taking questions from reporters in an open presser on Thursday night, President Joe Biden is heading to the Motor City.
Biden will head to Detroit, Michigan, for campaign-related activities on Friday.
After a day of events, Biden will then travel to the Dover, Delaware, airport as he makes his way to his home in Rehoboth Beach.
11:22 PM EDT Fmr. Rep. Harman says ‘chaos’ in the party ‘plays right into Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s playbooks’
Former Democratic House Rep. Jane Harman called President Biden’s press conference Thursday night a “solid” performance.
“I thought Biden’s performance tonight was solid. Yes, there was one gaffe and there was a gaffe earlier today. I don’t think it’s been a secret for 40 years that he is gaffe prone, so I wouldn’t judge him that way. I thought his answers on China and on Ukraine were nuanced and thoughtful and proved what experience he has and what a nuanced mind he has,” Harman told ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis. “Having said that, I’m not going to pretend that the poll numbers are great, and I’m not going to pretend that some of the concerns are invalid, but … I think we have to be pretty practical here.”
Harman then pointed out Biden’s desire to stay in the race, his record, which she called “excellent,” and the uncertainty of what would happen with the Democrats if he left the race.
“Chaos plays right into Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s playbooks. And let’s not forget, there could be malign influence going on here,” she told Davis. “And a lot of the information out there could be domestically driven, or it could be foreign, malign influence.”
Regardless, Harman said she thinks Democrats will have a “private conversation soon.”
“I’m guessing Nancy Pelosi will be in the room, and she’s a highly respected vote counter,” Harman continued. “I give her a lot of credit. I served with her for a long time, and we’re still in active touch. And we’ll see; I mean, he said if he can’t win, he will leave the race. If he can’t win, he has to be persuaded of that. But if he can’t win, who can win? This is not a conversation about Biden leaving. It’s a conversation about the Democratic ticket winning.”
10:54 PM EDT First Dem. Rep. to call for Biden to step aside unchanged in opinion after presser
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, the first sitting House member to call for President Biden to step aside, told ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis that following Thursday’s press conference, his opinion hasn’t changed.
“I thought the president did a good job. I think he clearly is the most qualified person to handle our international relations. But the question before us — is he the most qualified person to turn around the undecided and the independents who have refused to join him over the past year and now complicated by the setback when we needed a surge that he had during the debate,” Doggett said. “Every time there’s a slip, a Vice President Trump instead of Harris, a Putin instead of Zelensky, people will focus on something that might not have even been noticed at past times. And to the extent over the coming months that all the attention is on whether he is fit and able to do this job instead of on Trump’s lies, we will be set back.”
Doggett, directing his comments to Biden, said the polls don’t support a top-of-the-ticket win.
“And, Mr. President, just as you deal with the reality of conflict around the world, deal with the reality of the numbers here. And when you look at those numbers, we don’t see a path forward for a Democratic Congress and a White House that is occupied by someone of President Biden’s skill, but is instead occupied by a criminal and his gang.”
10:37 PM EDT Biden campaign staffers fired up by press conference: Source
A source familiar with the thinking at the Biden campaign Thursday night told ABC News that following the president’s presser in front of the media, staffers were reminded why they moved to Wilmington, Delaware, to work on his campaign. They believe no one will fight harder for the American people than Biden. Those at the campaign believe the press conference showed off Biden’s deep policy experience, going above and beyond expectations, the source expressed.
Jul 11, 2024, 10:26 PM EDT ‘One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon’: Biden corrects calling VP Harris ‘Trump’
President Joe Biden addressed saying “Vice President Trump” instead of “Vice President Harris” at his post-NATO press conference in a post on X late Thursday night.
“By the way: Yes, I know the difference,” read the post on the president’s account. “One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon.”
Jul 11, 2024, 10:26 PM EDT Rep. Eric Sorensen joins chorus of Dems calling for Biden to ‘step aside’
Adding to the list of Democratic representatives calling for Biden to exit the presidential race, Rep. Eric Sorensen of Illinois released a statement following the NATO press conference Thursday.
“In 2020, Joe Biden ran for President with the purpose of putting country over party. Today, I am asking him to do that again,” Sorensen said.
“I am hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for President,” he said.
Rep. Sorensen becomes the 17th House Democrat to call for Biden to step aside and the third to do so following the NATO press conference.
Jul 11, 2024, 9:39 PM EDT Post-press conference, House Dem Rep. Scott Peters calls on Biden to step aside
Not long after the conclusion of President Joe Biden’s first solo press conference in eight months, California’s House Dem Rep. Scott Peters is calling for Biden to leave the race.
After praising the president for “saving us from a second term of a Trump Presidency in 2020 and for leading with his huge heart and a steady hand in challenging times,” Peters said he does not believe that Biden’s record would “translate into similar success in his reelection campaign.”
Peters said the Democrats were already down in the polls before the debate, and Biden’s performance during the event, “raised real concern among elected leaders, supporters, and voters that the President will not be able to wage a winning campaign. This was not a blip. And while the Biden campaign claims the post-debate national polls remain relatively unchanged, polling in the swing states has worsened alarmingly.
“Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign,” Peters continued. “The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the President and those around him.”
Jul 11, 2024, 9:08 PM EDT Democratic Rep. Jim Himes calls on Biden to ‘step away’ after NATO press conference
Following Biden’s press conference, Connecticut Democratic Rep. Jim Himes released a statement calling on Biden to “step away from the presidential campaign.”
Himes serves as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
“The 2024 election will define the future of American democracy, and we must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s MAGA authoritarianism,” Himes said.
Jul 11, 2024, 9:06 PM EDT Biden ends 50-minute q and a with a shot at Trump
Biden ended his unscripted q and a portion of his news conference, which lasted 50 minutes, taking a question about a Truth Social post made by Trump during the press conference.
The former president mocked Biden’s age and memory for a gaffe early on where he said Vice President Trump instead of Harris.
When asked how he would combat that criticism, Biden smiled and said “Listen to him,” before walking off the stage.
Later, Biden’s campaign posted a screenshot of Trump’s post on X and with the statement “By the way: Yes, I know the difference. One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon.”
Jul 11, 2024, 9:04 PM EDT Biden: No poll says there’s ‘no way’ he can win
Toward the end of the presser, when asked if he would reconsider staying in the race if his team showed him data that showed Vice President Kamala Harris would fare better against Trump, Biden said: “No, unless they came back and said, There is no way you could win.”
He continued in a whisper, “No one’s saying that. No poll says that.”
Jul 11, 2024, 8:33 PM EDT Biden cedes ‘others could beat Trump’ but believes he’s most qualified
“I think I am the best qualified to win,” Biden said as his news conference neared an end. “But there are other people who could beat Trump, too.”
“But it would be hard to start from scratch,” he quickly added. “We talk about money raised. We are not doing bad. We’ve got about $220 million in the bank. We are doing well.”
Jul 11, 2024, 8:31 PM EDT Biden on cognitive test: ‘No matter what I did, not everyone is going to be satisfied’
Asked if he is going to take a cognitive test before the election amid questions about his mental fitness in the wake of the debate, Biden said that if his doctor told him he needed to, he would.
Biden said he has taken three “significant” neurological exams during his presidency, most recently in February.
“They say I am in good shape,” he said, reiterating that he is tested “every single day” on his neurological capacity in his job.
The president added, “No matter what I did, not everyone is going to be satisfied.”
Biden said he is going to make the case to the American people that there are things his administration needs to finish, and the dangers posed by a Trump presidency.
“Do you think our democracy is under siege based on this [Supreme] Court? Do you think democracy is under siege based on Project 2025? Do you think he means what he says when he says he is going to do away with the civil service and eliminate the Department Education?”
“I mean, we’ve never been here before … I’ve gotta finish this job because there’s so much at stake,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 8:21 PM EDT Biden on Israel-Hamas conflict ‘It’s time to end this war’
Biden addressed his administration’s response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and reiterated that he wants a cease-fire and ultimately a two-state solution.
The president touted his multiple talks with the Israeli government and Arab leaders but acknowledged that more work needs to be done.
“I have been disappointed that some of the things that I have put forward have not succeeded, like the port in Cyprus. I was hoping that would be more successful,” he said.
Biden reiterated that he has pushed Israeli leaders not to make the same mistake America did in its hunt for Osama bin Laden and occupy a territory.
“Don’t think that’s what you should be doing. We will help you find the bad guys,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 8:19 PM EDT Biden pressed on past comment he saw himself as ‘bridge’ to next generation of leaders
A reporter noted Biden made a statement during his 2020 campaign that he wanted to be a “bridge” candidate to help usher in a younger generation of Democratic leaders.
“I wanted to know –what changed?” she asked.
“What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited, in terms of the economy, our foreign policy and domestic division,” Biden responded.
“What I realized was my long time in the Senate equipped me to have the wisdom to how to deal with Congress and get things done,” he continued. “We got more major legislation passed that no one thought would happen and I want to get that finished.”
Jul 11, 2024, 8:16 PM EDT Biden on strategy to interrupt partnership between China and Russia
Asked what his strategy is to interrupt the partnership between China and Russia and if he would be able to negotiate with Xi and Putin, Biden said he has “spent more time with Xi Jinping than any world leader has.”
“We have to make it clear and China has to understand that if they are supplying Russia with information and capacity, along with working with North Korea and others to help Russia, that they are not going to benefit economically as a consequence of that by getting the kind of investment they are looking for,” he said.
Biden added that after the Chinese “spy balloon” incident the U.S. and Chinese militaries have “direct access” to one other and “we contact one another.”
Jul 11, 2024, 8:08 PM EDT Biden ready to deal with Putin, Xi ‘now and three years from now’
Biden was asked if he will be able to deal with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping in two or three years from now, should he be reelected.
“I’m ready to deal with them now and three years from now,” he said.
He said he is dealing with Xi right now and that he has “no good reason” to speak with Putin right now.
“There isn’t any world leader I’m not prepared to deal with,” Biden said.
Jul 11, 2024, 8:01 PM EDT ‘I’m not hearing my European allies say ‘Joe don’t run,” Biden says
The president responded to a question about whether European allies should prepare for U.S. disengagement if Trump wins by contending that he has their support in the U.S. election.
“I’m not hearing my European allies coming up to me and saying, ‘Joe, don’t run,'” he said. “What I hear them saying is, ‘You’ve got to win. Don’t let this guy — it would be a disaster.'”
Biden pointed out Trump has an “affinity to people who are authoritarian.”
“That worries Europe. That worries Poland,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:56 PM EDT Biden says he needs to ‘pace’ himself when asked about schedule
Biden said he needs to “pace himself” when pressed on how he is up to the 24/7 nature of the presidency — while taking a crack at Trump’s schedule compared to his own.
“Where has Trump been? Riding on his golf cart and filling out his scorecard?” Biden said. “He has done virtually nothing. I’ve had roughly 20 major events, some with thousands of people showing up.”
Biden said he has always had an inclination to “keep going” but “I just have to pace myself a little more.”
“In the next debate, I’m not going to be traveling in 15 time zones the week before,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:50 PM EDT Biden touts Harris is ‘qualified to be president’
Biden addressed his previous statements that Vice President Kamala Harris “would be ready on Day One.”
The president touted Harris’ work with women’s reproductive health issues and her time in the Senate.
“I wouldn’t have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be president. From the very beginning, I made no bones about that. She is qualified to be president. That’s why I picked her,” he said.
Biden was asked to address his gaffe earlier Thursday in which he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting about the Ukraine Compact at the NATO summit as Russia’s President Putin, and if other world leaders needing to step in and make excuses is “damaging” to America’s standing in the world.
“Do you see any damage by me leading this conference?” Biden responded. “Have you seen a more successful conference? I was talking about Putin and at the very end I said, I’m sorry, Zelenskyy.”
“I thought it was the most successful conference I’ve attended in a long time,” he later said.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:44 PM EDT Biden: ‘I’m not in this for my legacy’
One reporter asked the president, “Have you spent time thinking about what it would mean for your legacy, which you’ve worked decades to build, if you stay in the race, despite the concerns that voters say they have, and you lose to someone who yourself have argued is unfit to return to the Oval Office?”
Biden replied, “I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started.”
Jul 11, 2024, 7:43 PM EDT Biden says he will ‘keep moving’ despite criticisms
Biden began his question and answer session by responding to a question about the growing calls for him to step aside from his campaign.
The president said there was “a long way to go in this campaign.”
“So, I am just going to keep moving, keep moving, because look, I’ve got more work to do, more work to finish,” he said.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:40 PM EDT Biden mixes up Trump and Harris when asked about his VP’s viability
Asked about what concerns he had about Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability to beat Donald Trump, if she were ever to appear on the top of the ticket, Biden confused her with Donald Trump.
“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn’t think she was not qualified to be president. So I’ll start there,” Biden said.
“The fact is that the consideration is that I think I’m the most well-qualified person to run for president. I beat him once and I will beat him again,” he added.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:36 PM EDT Biden says ‘future’ of America’s foreign policy up to the people
“Now, the future of American policy is up to the American people,” Biden said. “This is much more than a political question. It’s more than that. It’s a national security issue. Don’t reduce this to the usual testament that people talk about, issues of being a political campaign.”
“It is far too important,” he continued. “It’s about the world we live in for decades to come. Every American must ask himself or herself. Is the world safer with NATO? Are you safer? Is your family safer?”
Jul 11, 2024, 7:35 PM EDT Biden, giving remarks on NATO, makes reference to Trump
With the NATO banner and American flags displayed behind him, Biden recounted this week’s NATO summit in Washington and touted the strength of the alliance in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While he didn’t use Donald Trump’s name, he invoked him during the remarks.
“Meanwhile, my predecessor, has made it clear he has no commitment to NATO,” Biden said. “He has made it clear that he would feel no obligation to honor Article Five. He’s already told Putin, I quote, ‘Do whatever the hell you want.'”
“In fact, the day after Putin invaded Ukraine, here’s what he said: It was genius. It was wonderful. Some of you have forgotten that, but that’s exactly what he said. Well, I made it clear, a strong nato is essential to American I believe the obligation of Article Five is sacred,” Biden added.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:28 PM EDT Biden takes the stage
Biden is at the podium to answer reporter questions in his first solo press conference since November 2023, a critical moment for him as he faces growing Democratic pressure to step aside from his campaign.
Jul 11, 2024, 7:23 PM EDT Top officials in the room for Biden’s press conference
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby are in the room as are Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National security adviser Jake Sullivan.
This is Biden’s first solo press conference since the APEC Summit in California eight months ago.
Jul 11, 2024, 6:42 PM EDT Biden soon to take reporter questions in high-stakes moment
Biden, facing a political crisis as Democrats question the viability of his campaign, is minutes away from holding his first solo press conference of the year — and since the debate two weeks ago.
It’s an opportunity for Biden to change the narrative after his poor performance that night triggered a drumbeat of concerns in his own party that he might be too weakened to win against Donald Trump this November.
But any stumbles in the unscripted setting will only add fuel to the fire, despite Biden’s repeated attempts to rebuff his critics and his insistence that he is staying in the race.
Jul 11, 2024, 6:20 PM EDT ‘It would be a big mistake to underestimate the president,’ German chancellor says
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed Biden’s viability and future during an interview Thursday on the PBS NewsHour, saying, “it would be a big mistake to underestimate the president.”
“I just can tell you from my perspective, as someone that is speaking with Biden, he is very focused and he is very, intensely doing what the president of the United States has to do for leading [NATO],” Scholz said.
Scholz said that had not seen moments in his most recent interactions with Biden that indicated the president is not up for another four years.
-ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel and Will Gretsky
Jul 11, 2024, 6:28 PM EDT Biden introduces Zelenskyy as Putin at NATO summit
Biden introduced Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President Putin at a meeting about the Ukraine Compact at the NATO summit Thursday evening.
Biden quickly corrected himself, saying that he was “so focused on beating Putin.”
Zelenskyy laughed off the gaffe.
“I’m better,” Zelenskyy said.
“You are a hell of a lot better,” Biden replied.
The exchange came shortly before Biden was scheduled to hold his first solo news conference since the presidential debate.
President Joe Biden accidentally called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by the name of his rival, President Vladimir Putin, when introducing him at the NATO summit.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
Jul 11, 2024, 5:26 PM EDT 14th House Democrat pushes Biden to step aside, questions ‘fitness to do the job’
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., has become the 14th House Democrat to call for Biden to end his campaign and even questioned if he should remain in office.
Gluesenkamp Perez, who flipped a district in 2022, said in her statement Thursday she had spoken with constituents in the last two weeks and they expressed worry about Biden’s age and health.
“Like most people, I represent in Southwest Washington, I doubt the President’s judgment about his health, his fitness to do the job, and whether he is the one making important decisions about our country, rather than [an] unelected advisors,” she said.
“The crisis of confidence in the President’s leadership needs to come to an end,” the congresswoman added.
Senate Democrats met with top Biden campaign officials behind closed doors Thursday for about two hours trying to lay out the path to victory for the president.
One senator said the meeting was ‘tense’ at times.
A number of senators expressed concerns about the president being shielded by his advisers, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told ABC News.
Some senators stated they were being put in “difficult,” “impossible” or “untenable” positions by having to defend the president to constituents back home after the debate, especially for those senators in tough races, according to the sources.
No Biden campaign polling was shared with senators but instead Biden’s advisers laid out a strategy, including showcasing the president’s record, going after Trump, campaigning on a second-term agenda and building out the coalition of voters, sources said.
One senator who spoke to ABC News said, “I needed to see hard data that showed a path to success in November and we did not get that.”
“I continue to have concerns that only Joe Biden can address, not his campaign staff,” the senator said.
Senate Democrats met with top Biden campaign officials behind closed doors Thursday for about two hours trying to lay out the path to victory for the president.
One senator said the meeting was ‘tense’ at times.
A number of senators expressed concerns about the president being shielded by his advisers, two sources with knowledge of the meeting told ABC News.
Some senators stated they were being put in “difficult,” “impossible” or “untenable” positions by having to defend the president to constituents back home after the debate, especially for those senators in tough races, according to the sources.
No Biden campaign polling was shared with senators but instead Biden’s advisers laid out a strategy, including showcasing the president’s record, going after Trump, campaigning on a second-term agenda and building out the coalition of voters, sources said.
One senator who spoke to ABC News said, “I needed to see hard data that showed a path to success in November and we did not get that.”
“I continue to have concerns that only Joe Biden can address, not his campaign staff,” the senator said.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott and Allison Pecorin
Jul 11, 4:40 PM EDT 13th House Democrat calls on Biden to bow out
Arizona Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton became the 13th House member to openly call on Biden to leave the race Thursday.
Stanton touted Biden’s years of work in his statement but said the president’s “most defining legacy, though, is as a fierce defender of American democracy.
“The Democratic Party must have a nominee who can effectively make the case against Trump, and have the confidence of the American people to handle the rigors of the hardest job on the planet for the next four years,” Stanton said.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 11, 4:17 PM EDT 12th House Democrat joins calls for Biden to step aside
Democratic Rep. Ed Case of Hawaii became the latest House member to call on the president to cease his reelection run.
Case released a statement Thursday saying, “Difficult times and realities require difficult decisions.”
“This has nothing to do with his character and record. If it did, there would be no decision to make,” he said. “This is solely about the future, about the President’s ability to continue in the most difficult job in the world for another four-year term.”
-ABC News’ John Parkinson
Jul 11, 3:38 PM EDT Macron says he’s ‘happy’ to have Biden as president
A foreign pool reporter at the third working session at the NATO summit taking place in Washington asked French President Emmanuel Macron what his impression of Biden was.
“I don’t understand your question about President Biden. He is my counterpart, he is the President of the United States, and we are happy to have him as the president of the United States,” Macron replied.
Macron spent ample time with Biden just a month ago during his visit to France.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
Jul 11, 3:34 PM EDT Wisconsin radio station admits it edited Biden interview at request of campaign
The Wisconsin radio station that hosted Biden last week for an interview edited the conversation at the request of the campaign, cutting out two of Biden’s soundbites, the station said in a statement Thursday.
“On Monday, July 8th, it was reported to Civic Media management that immediately after the phone interview was recorded, the Biden campaign called and asked for two edits to the recording before it aired. Civic Media management immediately undertook an investigation and determined that the production team at the time viewed the edits as non-substantive and broadcast and published the interview with two short segments removed,” Civic Media said.
Specifically a line from the interview “… and in addition to that, I have more Blacks in my administration than any other president, all other presidents combined, and in major positions, Cabinet positions,” was removed.
A piece of dialogue referencing Donald Trump’s call for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, “I don’t know if they even call for their hanging or not, but he—but they said […] convicted of murder,” was also removed.
The station acknowledged that the moves fell short of “journalistic interview standards,” but the station said it stands by host Earl Ingram, who conducted the interview.
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin, Will McDuffie, Fritz Farrow and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Jul 11, 1:57 PM EDT Jeffries refuses to comment on Biden’s candidacy, says House Democrats’ conversations ongoing
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries remained tight-lipped on Biden’s candidacy as he continued to take the temperature of the House Democratic caucus.
“Throughout this week, as House Democrats, we have engaged in a process of talking to each other. Those conversations have been candid, comprehensive, and clear eyed and they continue until that process concluded,” Jeffries said during a news conference Thursday.
“House Democrats, Senate Democrats and President Biden are unified on the affirmative agenda that we have for the American people,” the New York congressman added.
Jeffries responded “no” when asked if Biden is a liability for vulnerable House Democrats.
Jul 11, 12:56 PM EDT More House Democrats signal doubt on Biden
New York Rep. Ritchie Torres posted a statement on X Thursday expressing more doubts about Biden’s viability on the presidential ticket.
Torres, who represents the Bronx, said the president “simply had one bad debate performance reflects a continuing pattern of denial and self-delusion
“The notion that the President is going to be saved by this interview or that press conference misses the forest for trees,” he said.
Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman said he is inching “close and closer” to calling on Biden to step aside in an interview Thursday on CNN.
“It’s becoming increasingly likely that this is, this may be just too high of a hill for him to climb,” he said.
Landsman said Biden’s letter to congressional Democrats on Monday did not help.
“The question is about the future of the country,” he added.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 11, 12:55 PM EDT Biden campaign lays out path forward in new internal memo
The Biden campaign is laying out what it sees as its path forward to Joe Biden winning reelection in a new memo shared internally with campaign staff on Thursday by Jen O’Malley Dillon and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a source familiar with the campaign told ABC News.
The memo, first reported by the AP, acknowledges anxieties but claims they still have “multiple pathways to 270 electoral votes.”
The memo was revealed after Democrats had demanded Biden and his campaign show how it planned to win despite Biden’s poor poll numbers.
The campaign said it will focus on winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and believes that the “sunbelt states are not out of reach.”
The memo states the race remains a margin-of-error race in key battleground states, despite calls for Biden to step down citing internal data.
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie
Jul 11, 12:31 PM EDT Senators discuss upcoming briefing by top Biden campaign officials
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. spoke with ABC News Thursday morning about Thursday’s scheduled lunch between Democratic senators and top Biden campaign officials.
Welch, who is, so far, the only Democratic senator to call for Biden to step aside, said the path forward involved the president persuading voters, not advisers persuading senators.
“It’s a show me not tell me issue. I think for Americans it’s not so much about individual senators or members of Congress,” Welch said. “It’s really about the challenge of everyday campaign.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told ABC News he’s putting a bit more weight into Thursday’s meeting with the Biden officials.
“We are very interested to hear how they make their case,” he said.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott and Allison Pecorin
Jul 11, 11:29 AM EDT 10th House Democrat calls on Biden to step aside
Michigan Rep. Hillary Scholten has added her name to the growing list of House Democrats who are calling on Biden to end his presidential election bid.
The congresswoman said in a statement posted on X Thursday that it “is essential that we have the strongest possible candidate leading the top of the ticket — not just to win, but to govern.”
“The people of Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District elected me to represent them with integrity. They elected a Congresswoman they trust to speak the truth, even when it’s hard. They voted for someone who would put America’s future first and stand up for what is right. That’s what I am doing now,” Scholten, who represents Grand Rapids, said.
She is the 10th sitting House Democrat to call for Biden to step aside.
Scholten noted that if Biden stayed in the race, she would “respect his decision,” and still vote for him.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 11, 10:07 AM EDT Biden press conference slides back an hour
The White House announced Thursday morning that the much-anticipated Biden’s press conference will now start at 6:30 p.m. local time in Washington, instead of the previous 5:30 p.m. start time.
Biden has a busy day of meetings tied to the NATO summit ahead of the press conference, including a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The presser will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and is his first solo press conference in eight months.
Jul 10, 9:39 PM EDT White House confirms time Biden will speak to media Thursday
President Joe Biden will take questions from the media on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET, his first press conference since the controversy over his candidacy erupted following his debate performance.
Biden has had fewer pressers with the media than his predecessors and the last time he took questions solo was back in November 2023.
The upcoming press briefing is being held at the Washington Convention Center, where Biden will spend a third day at the 2024 NATO Summit.
Jul 10, 2024, 7:35 PM EDT First senator joins growing calls for Biden to drop out
Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont called for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race in a Washington Post op-ed published Wednesday evening.
Welch is the first Senate Democrat to officially call for Biden to step aside.
“I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again. But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not,” Welch wrote.
“I deliver this assessment with sadness. Vermont loves Joe Biden. President Biden and Vice President Harris received a larger vote percentage here than in any other state. But regular Vermonters are worried that he can’t win this time, and they’re terrified of another Trump presidency,” he said.
Jul 10, 2024, 6:47 PM EDT Ninth Democrat calls for Biden to withdraw from the race
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., became the ninth Democrat to call on Biden to end his reelection bid.
Blumenauer, a senior member of the House Ways and Means and Budget committees, commended the president for his accomplishments, claiming in a statement released Wednesday that Biden “will be recorded in history as the most successful president in the last 50 years.”
However, the congressmen added that, in his mind, “We will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms.”
“The next six months will be critical in the implementation of President Biden’s landmark accomplishments that will define his legacy for generations to come. He should devote his energy and undivided attention to issues of war and peace, the climate crisis, and rebuilding and renewing America,” Blumenauer said, in part.
Jul 10, 2024, 6:39 PM EDT AFL-CIO calls on Democrats to unite behind Biden
The AFL-CIO for the second time in a week put out a statement in support of President Joe Biden after unanimously voting to reaffirm their support for the Biden-Harris ticket, saying that they are the “most pro-union administration in our lifetimes.”
The union, which endorsed the Biden-Harris campaign in June 2023, urged Democrats to support Biden saying, “The labor movement is united behind President Biden and Vice President Harris. We urge his party and the American people to join us.”
“The message from today’s meeting couldn’t have been clearer: Right now, it’s time to come together around a vision of a country where everyone has a fair shot with a living wage, affordable health care, retirement security, and time to do the things we love like spending time with family and friends and pursuing our interests and passions. These are fundamental to, as the president reiterated to our meeting, building the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not the top down,” the AFL-CIO Executive Council said in a statement.
Jul 10, 5:46 PM EDT Newsom says he won’t challenge Harris, reiterates support for Biden
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was again asked about the future of President Biden’s campaign and whether he’d challenge Vice President Kamala Harris if she took the ticket during a news conference on the ongoing wildfires Wednesday.
Newsom stood by comments he made in 2023 when he said he would not run against Harris.
The governor reiterated that he is still backing Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee.
“I think I’ve had 100 media outlets asking the same question, and I think that I’ve amply answered my support for the president and the support I saw on the ground was demonstrable,” he said.
Newsom said he didn’t read the full comments that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave on MSNBC where she said, “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run.”
He also said he had not read George Clooney’s New York Times op-ed that called on Biden to bow out.
Jul 10,4:48 PM EDT Morale ‘very low’ at White House as staff frustrated by Clooney op-ed: Source
Morale “is very low in the building,” a person who works regularly with senior level White House staff told ABC News Wednesday.
Some in President Joe Biden’s inner circle, including senior adviser Anita Dunn and chief of staff Jeff Zients, are said to be very frustrated and upset by George Clooney’s op-ed in the New York Times in which he calls on Biden to step aside, the source said.
The donor class is also deeply divided, a Democratic adviser told ABC News.
Although small donations continue to pour in and the very largest donors are doubling down, the huge swath of donors in the middle are holding back, according to the adviser. That group of donors, which gives anywhere from five to eight figures, are on pause, which is very damaging since they’re a major part of the donor ecosystem, the adviser said.
This adviser adds that the hand-wringing in the meantime has been very harmful to the campaign.
Another Democratic fundraiser says while a strong performance at the solo press conference Thursday could help the situation, many donors believe the crisis around Biden just won’t go away.
The doubts raised by members of Congress, the comments from Nancy Pelosi, and the op-ed from George Clooney are all fueling a flurry of discussions among donors about what to do if Biden drops out.
-ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Selina Wang
Jul 10, 3:33 PM EDT Biden to hold one-on-one interview with NBC’s Lester Holt
President Joe Biden will hold a one-on-one interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt Monday, the network announced.
This will mark the second TV interview Biden has held since last month’s presidential debate.
Holt will interview Biden earlier in the day while he’s in Austin, Texas, and the full interview will air at 9 p.m. ET, the network announced.
Jul 10, 3:24 PM EDT Republican presses top officials on Biden’s mental fitness
In back-to-back House Financial Services Committee hearings with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, both regular, annual hearings on their agency’s policies, Republican Mike Lawler of New York redirected from questions about inflation and tariffs on Russia to ask each official about their personal interactions with the president.
Yellen said she wouldn’t describe the content of her meetings with the president or say when she last met with him because it was “private,” but she called Biden “extremely effective.”
“The president is extremely effective in the meetings that I’ve been in with him, that includes many international meetings that are multi hour, like his meetings with President Xi [Jinping of China],” she said.
“Madam secretary, have there been any discussions among Cabinet secretaries about invoking the 25th Amendment?” Lawler asked.
“No,” Yellen said resolutely. The 25th Amendment states that the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet can together remove power from the president if he or she is incapacitated.
Powell, asked by Lawler if he’s “noticed any mental or cognitive decline” in meetings with the president, said “no.”
But Powell noted that he’d only interacted with the president twice in the last two years — once for a meeting and once to shake his hand at a state dinner, which Powell said was normal for presidents and Federal Reserve chairs, given the independence of the agency.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
Jul 10, 3:23 PM EDT Concern over Biden’s future grows among Democratic senators
Multiple Senate Democrats spoke candidly with ABC News about concerns they have about Biden’s viability and said they want to continue discussions about the best path forward.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he is worried about “an existential threat to the country if Donald Trump wins,” and added “every day is critical” as Biden weighs his path forward.
“I have confidence in Joe Biden doing what’s right for America. What he believes is right for America is to defeat Donald Trump and he’ll be a pretty good judge of whether that will be possible,” Blumenthal said. “We can all advise him we can raise concerns ultimately the decision is his and I am going to continue to raise concerns but I do think we need to ultimately unify because the existential threat here is Donald Trump.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, associated himself with the comments of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi made on MSNBC Wednesday, in which she appeared to leave the door open for the president to step aside.
“I thought Speaker Pelosi nailed it pretty well this morning,” Whitehouse told ABC News. He repeatedly avoided answering additional questions about whether Biden should resign before reiterating his support for Pelosi’s comments.
Although Sen. Dick Durbin told ABC News Durbin he was “very concerned” about Biden’s chances, he added that he’s always known the race would be close.
“I believe we wage the right campaign and make a point of what we’ve achieved under this president we will see him reelected,” Durbin said.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who expressed worries about Biden’s future during a closed-door meeting among Senate Democrats Tuesday, told ABC News he was hearing legitimate concerns from voters.
“My job is to listen to them my job is to go to hearings like this to fight for lower drug prices to fight for Ohio workers,” Brown said.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Rachel Scott
Jul 10, 2:07 PM EDT 8th House Democrat calls on Biden to step aside
New York Rep. Pat Ryan, a moderate Democrat, is now calling on Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee.
“Trump is an existential threat to American democracy; it is our duty to put forward the strongest candidate against him,” Ryan wrote on X. “Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump. For the good of our country, I am asking Joe Biden to step aside — to deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.”
Ryan is the eighth House Democrat to publicly call on Biden to step aside.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jul 10, 2:03 PM EDT Biden gives a fist pump when asked about Pelosi’s comments
Despite her remarks, Biden suggested he still has Pelosi’s support to continue his reelection campaign.
“Is Nancy Pelosi still behind you?” Biden was asked after taking a family photo with NATO leaders.
The president didn’t say anything, but flexed his arm and fist in the air.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Jul 10, 1:58 PM EDT Debate over future of Biden’s candidacy continues
After a day of closed-door Democratic meetings where lawmakers appeared to be absorbing the sober reality that Biden would stay as the party’s presumptive nominee, new comments on Wednesday stirred fresh debate on Biden’s viability and path forward.
First, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was noncommittal on whether she wanted Biden to continue to run despite Biden insisting repeatedly that he had decided to stay in the race.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” Pelosi said on MSNBC. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.”
Then, George Clooney, in a stinging New York Times op-ed, said Biden should step aside.
“It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010,” Clooney wrote. “He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden, under the microscope as Democrats debate his political future, tried to make the case that he is best suited to take on Donald Trump this November and finish what he’s started in a second term.
In a nearly hourlong solo press conference, Biden faced a room full of reporters for the first time since his poor debate performance two weeks ago sent his party into a panic about his mental fitness and ability to carry out his campaign.
Almost all questions posed to the president focused on those issues, with Biden on defense on everything from his cognitive health to whether he believes his vice president could take on the role.
The president remained adamant that he believes he is the most qualified person to go up against Trump.
“I beat him once, and I will beat him again,” Biden said.
Here are several key takeaways from Biden’s press conference.
The gaffes continue
Answering the first question of the night, Biden made a glaring error when he confused Vice President Kamala Harris with Trump.
“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, if I didn’t think that she’s not qualified to be president, so let’s start there, number one,” Biden said after being asked if he had concerns about Harris’ ability to beat Trump if she ever found herself at the top of the ticket.
He also addressed the mistake he made earlier Thursday during the NATO summit when he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin.”
A reporter asked him about the gaffe and whether, when paired with some reports that world leaders privately expressed concern about his age, America’s standing on the world stage was being damaged.
“Do you see any damage by me leading this conference?” Biden responded. “Have you seen a more successful conference? I was talking about Putin and I said — at the very end — I said, ‘Putin. I’m sorry, Zelenskyy.'”
Biden: ‘I’ve gotta finish the job’
Biden said he realizes the importance of allaying fears and plans to do so by letting the American people see him out on the trail making the case for why he should get a second term.
He spent considerable time railing against gun violence, attacks on reproductive rights, and the broader dangers that he said would be posed by a Trump presidency.
“Do you think our democracy is under siege based on this [Supreme] Court? Do you think democracy is under siege based on Project 2025?” Biden said. “Do you think he means what he says when he says he is going to do away with the civil service and eliminate the Department of Education?”
“I mean, we’ve never been here before,” Biden said. “And that’s the other reason why I didn’t, as you say, ‘hand off to another generation.’ I’ve got to finish this job. I’ve got to finish this job. Because there’s so much at stake.”
Biden says he needs to ‘pace’ himself
Biden said he needs to “pace myself a little more” when pressed on how he is up to the 24/7 nature of the presidency, but argued that he is kept busy while his 2024 rival is not.
“Since I made that stupid mistake in the campaign — in the debate, I mean, my schedule has been full-bore,” Biden said.
“Where has Trump been? Riding on his golf cart and filling out his scorecard?” Biden said. “He has done virtually nothing. I’ve had roughly 20 major events, some with thousands of people showing up.”
Biden said he has always had an inclination to “keep going” and that his staff is always adding events.
Biden cedes others could beat Trump but argues he’s most qualified
Biden’s long argued that he alone can defeat Trump after having done so in 2020.
“I think I am the best qualified — I know — I believe I’m the best qualified to govern,” Biden said. “And I think I am the best qualified to win.”
“But there are other people who could beat Trump, too,” he acknowledged before quickly adding that it would be “hard” for Democrats to start from the beginning.
A reporter then followed up by asking Biden if he would reconsider his decision to stay in the race if his team showed him polling data that Vice President Harris would fare better against Trump.
“No, unless they came back and said there is no way you could win. Me,” Biden said. “No one’s saying that. No poll says that.”
A new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found Biden continues to run evenly with Trump: Americans were divided 46-47% between Biden and Trump if the election were held today. Were Harris to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, the poll found Harris leading Trump 49-46% among all adults and 49-47% among registered voters.
On taking a cognitive test, Biden says ‘No one’s going to be satisfied’
Asked if he was going to take a cognitive test before the election, Biden said that he would take one if his doctor advised him he needed one.
Biden said he has taken three “significant” neurological exams during his presidency, most recently in February.
“They say I am in good shape,” he said. He then reiterated that he is tested “every single day” on his neurological capacity by simply doing his job as commander-in-chief.
“And I’ll ask you another question, no matter what I did, no one’s going to be satisfied,” Biden said. “Did you have seven [doctors]? Did you have two? Who’d you have? Did you do this? How many times did you — so, I am not opposed if my doctors told me I should have another neurological exam, I’ll do it. But that’s where I am.”
Biden takes tough stance on Russia, China
The press conference came off the heels of a weeklong gathering of NATO leaders in Washington, and Biden took the opportunity to emphasize his leadership on the world stage during several exchanges.
On Russia and China, Biden said he is “ready to deal with them now and three years from now.”
Biden said no world leader has spent more time with Chinese President Xi Jinping than him, and that they will continue to negotiate. When it comes to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said he saw “no good reason” to speak with him now but would be prepared to do so.
“There isn’t any world leader I’m not prepared to deal with,” Biden said.
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso and Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
