President Joe Biden is facing even more pressure to quit the 2024 presidential race, with two key Democratic allies Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer reportedly privately telling him his time is up as he grapples with a Covid diagnosis and a resurgent Donald Trump going from strength to strength since surviving an assassination attempt.
The former House speaker and Senate majority leader have reportedly each held separate talks with the president in recent days, warning that he cannot beat Trump and risks dragging down the entire party in November.
While publicly Biden has vowed he will stay on the ticket, a source told CNN his defiance is softening and he is now “more receptive to calls of concern” about his prospects. Reporting by Axios goes as far as suggesting he could drop out as soon as this weekend.
On Wednesday, Biden was forced to pull out of a campaign stop in Las Vegas after he tested positive for the coronavirus.
The White House insists he is only experiencing “mild symptoms” but Biden was seen gingerly walking up the steps of Air Force One in Nevada.
The diagnosis came just hours after the president said he would bow out only “if doctors came to me and said you got this problem, that problem”.
Key Points
- Democrats make a fresh push for Joe Biden to drop out
- Biden tests positive for Covid-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas
- President says he would drop out of race if diagnosed with ‘medical condition’
- Biden ‘receptive’ to concerns about his future
- Pelosi tells Biden polls show he can’t win – report
Could Biden drop out of presidential race as soon as this weekend?
16:21
Oliver O'Connell
In a bombshell report by Axios, several top Democrats have privately told the outlet that “the rising pressure of party congressional leaders and close friends will persuade President Biden to decide to drop out of the presidential race, as soon as this weekend”.
Joe Biden is currently at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 while on the campaign trail in Nevada.
Democrats tell Axios that while he is publicly dug in and maintains he will remain at the top of the ticket, privately he’s resigned to mounting pressure, bad polls, and an inability to change the public perception of his age and mental acuity.
Biden is being told by party leaders, friends, and donors, that if he stays in the race, Donald Trump could win a landslide, destroy his legacy, and any chance of the party winning congressional majorities.
An AP poll shows nearly two-thirds of Democrats want the president to withdraw from the race.
Campaign spokesperson TJ Ducklo responded to the Axios report on X, writing: “Joe Biden is his party’s nominee. He’s the President of the United States. He’s running for reelection. Baseless conjecture from anonymous sources isn’t a scoop. Tonight a convicted felon will talk about how he’ll make people’s lives worse if he gains power. Let’s focus.”
Rally shooter’s phones held information about both Trump and Biden as well as rallies and DNC
16:15
Oliver O'Connell
The phones of the gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump held information about both the former president and his successor, President Joe Biden, FBI officials said in calls with members of Congress.
The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, used his phones to look for images of both Trump and Biden, as well as other public figures, according to The New York Times.
A person on conference calls with lawmakers told the paper the shooter also searched for the dates of Trump’s public events as well as for the Democratic National Convention.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Reports say Pelosi and Schumer separately told Biden he can’t win and should step aside
15:55
Oliver O'Connell
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have apparently told President Joe Biden behind closed doors that he cannot win the 2024 presidential election and should step aside – a sign that internal support for Biden may be hitting a wall.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke with Biden face-to-face on Saturday and apparently made the case that it would be best if the president dropped out of the 2024 race, according to ABC News.
Ariana Baio has the story.
COMMENT: If Joe Biden won’t pass the torch now, then when?
15:45
Oliver O'Connell
Sean O’Grady says the patriotic and statesmanlike path is clear – make the right call, Mr President…
Moment angry Republican lawmakers confront Secret Service boss
15:15
Oliver O'Connell
Republican senators got into a heated confrontation with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on the floor of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday as they demanded answers about the agency’s response to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
In a video posted to X by Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, a posse of GOP lawmakers are seen rounding on Cheatle and pursuing her through the Fiserv Forum while voicing their outrage over the shooting.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
First major poll since assassination attempt shows Trump leading Biden in seven swing states and nationally
15:00
Oliver O'Connell
More disastrous polling for the Democrats, both in key swing states and nationally, was published today by Emerson College.
In the first major poll since the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, nationally, a survey of 2,000 registered voters on July 15-16 put the former president at 46 per cent and Joe Biden at 42 per cent, with 12 per cent undecided, representing a two per cent drop in support for the president since earlier in the month.
In seven key swing states, the survey consisting of 1,000 registered voters in each state conducted on the same dates, showed more bad news for the Biden team when third-party candidates are added in.
- Arizona: Trump 46%, Biden 36%, other candidates 8.2%
- Georgia: Trump 44%, Biden 39%, other candidates 9.3%
- Michigan: Trump 43%, Biden 40%, other candidates 8.3%
- Nevada: Trump 43%, Biden 40%, other candidates 9.2%
- North Carolina: Trump 47%, Biden 38%, other candidates 8.7%
- Pennsylvania: Trump 46%, Biden 40%, other candidates 6.3%
- Wisconsin: Trump 46%, Biden 43%, other candidates 6.5%
However, a “qualified Democratic candidate younger than Biden” leads former President Trump in all seven swing states by a margin of 7.4 percentage points – 53.7 per cent to 46.3 per cent.
Nationally, with third-party candidates, the poll results were Trump 44 per cent, Biden 38 per cent, and other candidates 8.4 per cent.
Since March, Trump has gained a point in five of the states, while gaining two points in Arizona and losing a point in Michigan.
For Biden over the same period, he has lost four points in North Carolina, two points in Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and one point in Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said: “Recent polling shows Biden losing support more significantly than Trump gaining it since the attempted assassination. This raises questions about whether Biden’s decline is still influenced by the debate or if Trump has reached his support ceiling.”
When asked if President Biden should withdraw from the race, 52 per cent nationally think he should and 48 per cent think he should not. Regarding whether former President Trump should withdraw, 56 per cent think he should not, and 44 per cent think he should.
Across the seven swing states, clear majorities believe Biden should withdraw, compared to those who think Trump should:
- Arizona: Biden 52%, Trump 45%
- Georgia: Biden 51%, Trump 45%
- Michigan: Biden 55%, Trump 45%
- Nevada: Biden 51%, Trump 47%
- North Carolina: Biden 57%, Trump 41%
- Pennsylvania: Biden 51%, Trump 44%
- Wisconsin: Biden 53%, Trump 45%
The poll was sponsored by Democrats for the Next Generation.
George Conway launches ‘Anti-Psychopath PAC’ focused on Trump’s mental health
14:45
Joe Sommerlad
For weeks, reports have abounded about President Joe Biden’s cognitive condition in the wake of his terrible performance at last month’s CNN presidential debate, with some Democrats going so far as to call for him to quit the presidential race.
But not nearly as much ink has been spilt on the mental condition of Donald Trump.
With the former president less than 24 hours away from accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for the third consecutive election, conservative attorney George Conway is determined to give him a diagnosis.
Andrew Feinberg has this one.
As Biden proposes overhaul of Supreme Court, how did we get here?
14:15
Joe Sommerlad
For years, a storm has been brewing at the US Supreme Court.
Unpopular rulings led by the court’s conservative majority, overturning decades-old legal precedents and allegations of ethical misconduct has seen approval ratings for the court plummet among Americans.
As the court has ruled to remove federal protections for abortion, effectively overturned affirmative action and more, increasing numbers of people have demand greater transparency from the nine justices.
In an effort to rein in the court, lawmakers have suggested legislation and even threatened impeachment to hold the justices accountable.
Now, President Biden is set to propose a major overhaul including term limits for justices and an enforceable code of ethics on the institution.
Here’s Ariana Baio on how we got here.
Trump shooter’s chilling final social media message revealed: ‘July 13 will be my premiere’
13:45
Joe Sommerlad
Thomas Matthew Crooks, Trump’s would-be assassin, posted a chilling final message on social media where he warned about his dark plans for the day that he carried out his deadly attack, it has been revealed.
Rachel Sharp reports.
Hundreds attend vigil for man killed at Trump rally
13:15
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s how Corey Comperatore is being remembered by his community in Pennsylvania.
Trump has called the widow of rally victim days after his killing
12:45
Joe Sommerlad
The Republican presidential nominee has now called the widow of the former fire chief who was fatally shot at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old father-of-two, was killed at the event while protecting his family amid the assassination attempt against Trump.
Days later, the former president spoke to Helen Comperatore over the phone, according to a screenshot of a Facebook post.
“President Trump called me to share his condolences. He was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead,” she wrote.
“I told him the same thing I told everyone else. [Corey] left this world a hero and God welcomed in. He did not die in vain that day.”
Kelly Rissman has more.
Bill O’Reilly says Trump still ‘haunted’ by legacy of Jan 6
12:15
Joe Sommerlad
Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show on Tuesday to spar once more with former Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly, who made the surprising argument that Trump is “haunted” by the legacy of January 6, without which he might have been able to pull much further ahead of Biden in the polls.
Here’s our report.
Black Americans are ‘going to die’ because immigrants are taking their jobs, Trump claims
11:45
Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump and his allies have spent years amplifying a conspiracy theory that Democratic officials are intentionally letting people into the country illegally to “replace” the voting population.
But lately, the former president has been claiming that the “invasion” is specifically coming after Black Americans.
He now claims that “the Black population is going to die” without his violent immigration agenda in place, pitching his anti-immigration platform as a way to attract Black voters.
Alex Woodward reports.
Trump gloats over Democrats’ Biden crisis
11:15
Joe Sommerlad
Of course, he’s absolutely loving all of this.
From a political standpoint, an unprecedented event is happening - The Dems are trying, again, to get Biden off the ballot!!!@realDonaldTrump Donald Trump Truth Social 11:00 AM EST 07/17/24
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 17, 2024
Biden ‘receptive’ to concerns about his future and asks allies if they think ‘Kamala can win’
10:45
Joe Sommerlad
The president is being “more receptive to calls of concerns” following a spate of campaign setbacks, a senior Democratic source told CNN.
Though Biden has not made such remarks publicly, and has vowed previously he will stay in the presidential race until November, the network reports that in private, his attitude appears to have softened.
“The private conversations with the hill are continuing, [and] he is being receptive, not as defiant as he is being publicly,” the source said..
Mike Bedigan has more.
Biden’s call with Dems was ‘even worse than the debate’
10:15
Joe Sommerlad
The president held a call with moderate Democrats on Saturday that was “even worse than the debate” just an hour before the assassination attempt on his rival Donald Trump, it has been revealed.
The report by Puck citing people on the Zoom call with Biden comes hot on the heels of the aforementioned Schiff’s comments yesterday.
As in the debate, Biden is said to have lost his train of thought during the call.
Oh deary lord.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
President says he would drop out of race if diagnosed with ‘medical condition’
09:45
Joe Sommerlad
Biden said in a recent interview that he would consider dropping out of the 2024 election if he was diagnosed with a “medical condition” by a doctor.
I wonder if a bout of Covid is likely to affect his thinking?
The slight downgrading of the persident’s determination to stay in the race comes just as Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff joined 20 other House Democrats to call for the president to bow out, saying it was “time for him to pass the torch.”
Graig Graziosi has the story.
Joe Biden tests positive for Covid-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas
09:22
Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
If you’re just joining us, the big news overnight is that US President Joe Biden‘s fight to continue his re-election campaign amid concerns over his mental fitness has suffered a major blow after he tested positive for Covid.
Biden had to suddenly abandon his campaign stops in Las Vegas on Wednesday as news came through of his diagnosis while he greeted customers at a Mexican restaurant in the Nevada city.
The president was said to be looking “slower and less energetic than the previous day” by reporters as he was held up in the diner before the result was revealed.
It meant his immediate campaign schedule had to be ripped up with him cancelling a speech at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening.
Here’s the latest from Mike Bedigan.
RNC booth hosts AR-15 giveaway in wake of Trump shooting
07:45
Oliver O'Connell
Days after Donald Trump was shot with an AR-15-style weapon, at a campaign rally, attendees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee can get their hands on one for free.
The assault weapon is part of a giveaway at a booth for the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, an advocacy organization that promotes gun ownership for safety purposes.
Ariana Baio has the story.
‘I’m sick’, says Biden as he takes shots at Trump and Musk
07:28
Namita Singh
Joe Biden, who has tested positive for Covid-19, used his diagnosis to take a swing at his opponents.“I’m sick,” wrote the president.
But it was quickly followed by a post in a thread, which read, “of Elon Musk and his rich buddies trying to buy this election”.
He also used the attention garnered through his post to redirect social media users to his campaign’s fundraising efforts, as he shared a link to a donation site.
I'm sick
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 17, 2024
Mr Musk, an admirer of the Republican presidential nominee, took to X to support Trump after he survived an assassination attempt last weekend.“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Mr Musk wrote.
Multiple failures, multiple investigations: Unraveling the attempted assassination of Donald Trump
07:15
Colleen Long, Mike Balsamo, Michael R. Sisak
The young man was pacing around the edges of the Donald Trump campaign rally, shouldering a big backpack and peering into the lens of a rangefinder toward the rooftops behind the stage where the former president would stand.
His behavior was so odd, so unlike that of the other rallygoers, that local law enforcement took notice, radioed their concerns and snapped a photo. But then he vanished.
The image was circulated by officers stationed outside the security perimeter on that hot, sunny Saturday afternoon. But the man didn’t appear again until witnesses saw him climbing up the side of a squat manufacturing building that was within 135 meters (157 yards) from the stage.
Democrats make a fresh push for Biden to drop out
07:10
Namita Singh
Democrats worried about president Joe Biden’s ability to win this November are making a renewed push for him to reconsider his reelection bid, using mountains of data, frank conversations and now, his own time off the campaign trail after testing positive for Covid-19, to encourage a reassessment.
Mr Biden has insisted he is not backing down, adamant that he is the candidate who beat Republican Donald Trump before and will do it again this year. But publicly and privately, key Democrats are sending signals of concern, and some hope he will assess the trajectory of the race and his legacy during this few days’ pause.
Over the past week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have spoken privately to the president, candidly laying out the views of Democrats on Capitol Hill, including their concerns.
Separately, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Representative Suzan DelBene of Washington, spoke with the president last week armed with fresh data. The campaign chief specifically aired the concerns of frontline Democrats who are seeking election to the House.
And on Wednesday, California Representative Adam Schiff, a close ally of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, became the highest-profile House Democrat to call for Mr Biden to drop his reelection bid, saying that while the decision is the president’s alone to make, he believes it’s time to “pass the torch.”
President Joe Biden tests positive for Covid-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas
07:08
Namita Singh
President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 while travelling on Wednesday in Las Vegas and is experiencing “mild symptoms” including “general malaise” from the infection, the White House said.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr Biden will fly to his home in Delaware, where he will “self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.”
The news had first been shared by UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguïa, who told guests at the group’s convention in Las Vegas that president had sent his regrets and could not appear because he tested positive for the virus.
Dr Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, said in a note that Mr Biden, 81, “presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise.”After the positive Covid-19 test, Mr Biden was prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and has taken his first dose, Dr O’Connor said.
The president’s diagnosis comes amid intense scrutiny of his health and stamina after a disastrous debate with former president Donald Trump that sparked a flurry of concern among Democrats that Mr Biden is not up to the rigors of winning another presidential term.
Mr Biden gingerly boarded Air Force One and told reporters traveling with him, “I feel good.” The president was not wearing a mask as he walked onto Air Force One.
Disgraced NJ Senator Bob Menendez to resign after bribery conviction, report says
06:45
Alex Woodward
Senator Bob Menendez is reportedly set to resign from Congress after a jury convicted the longtime New Jersey lawmaker on federal corruption charges.
The Democratic senator had previously rejected calls for his resignation after he was placed at the center of a years-long scheme to wield his political influence to help the Egyptian government while sitting on a powerful foreign relations committee.
The senator has now reportedly told allies that he plans to resign, according to NBC News.
Local cop who interrupted Trump rally shooter saved ex-president’s life, sheriff insists
06:15
Oliver O'Connell
A sheriff in Butler County, Pennsylvania defended local police officers who confronted the shooter before he opened fire, crediting them with saving Donald Trump’s life.
After the assassination attempt against the former president, local law enforcement has been the subject of criticism, including from the Secret Service.
It emerged that Trump’s would-be assassin was able to start shooting even after having been briefly confronted by officers.
But Butler Township Manager Tom Knights defended local police.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Heavily armed security boats patrol winding Milwaukee River during GOP convention
05:45
Sophia Tareen
Instead of kayakers and tour boats, the summertime scene on the Milwaukee River has taken on a solemn tone this week during the Republican National Convention: Around-the-clock patrol boats, some with heavily armed officers.
Security planners have had to contend with the winding waterways through Milwaukee near the Fiserv Center RNC convention site, along with securing downtown streets. Roughly half a dozen police departments, along with state and federal agencies, have boats patrolling the river 24-hours-a-day until the convention ends this week.
“They’re committed to working those long shifts, throughout the days and nights,” U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Joe Neff said. “They’ve been all on board for making sure public safety is priority.”
Hundreds gather to remember former fire chief fatally shot at Trump rally in Pennsylvania
05:15
Michael Sisak
Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday to remember the former fire chief shot and killed at a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump, and were urged to seek unity and healing in the rural area of Pennsylvania shaken by the violence perpetrated by a local 20-year-old man.
Outside Lernersville Speedway in Sarvar, Pennsylvania, where the vigil was being held for Corey Comperatore, a sign read: “Rest in Peace Corey, Thank You For Your Service,” with the logo of his fire company.
On the rural road to the auto racing track — lined with cornfields, churches and industrial plants — a sign outside a local credit union reads: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Comperatore family.”
America’s dark history of presidential assassination attempts
04:45
Oliver O'Connell
The assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday has shocked the world. The former president was bundled bloodied from the stage by secret service agents after a bullet clipped his ear.
The gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crookes, was killed at the scene, while one other person was killed.
The former president was treated and later described feeling the bullet “ripping through the skin”. His rival, President Joe Biden, condemned the attack and warned there was “no place in America for this kind of violence”.
The attack is the latest in a list of political violence targeting presidents, former presidents and major party presidential candidates since the nation’s founding in 1776:
Pelosi tells Biden polls show he can’t win and will lose Democrats the House: report
04:35
Gustaf Kilander
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told President Joe Biden during a private call that polling shows he can’t win the election in November and that he could take the Democrats’ chances of winning back the House down with him, according to CNN.
The president reportedly responded by saying that he has seen polls that indicate that he can win, with one source telling the network that he got defensive about the surveys. One source said the call took place within the last week.
In an interview last week, Pelosi said: “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.”
A White House spokesperson told CNN, “President Biden is the nominee of the party. He plans to win and looks forward to working with congressional Democrats to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families.”
A spokesperson for Pelosi told the network that she hasn’t spoken to Biden since Friday.
Republicans air mixed feelings about Kamala Harris at the RNC
04:15
Oliver O'Connell
Are Republicans worried about running against Vice President Kamala Harris?
The short answer: No. They don’t even see it as a possibility.
Major figures in and around Trumpworld who spoke to The Independent laughed off the prospect of Biden stepping aside, which they said he’d never do. And none saw any possibility in the idea that the criticism coming from the president’s party would grow loud enough to force him out.
John Bowden reports from Milwaukee.
First Democratic California mayor calls on Biden to drop out
03:58
Gustaf Kilander
The first Democratic mayor in California has called on President Joe Biden to step aside.
It comes as California Rep and Senate candidate Adam Schiff said Biden should “pass the torch.”
Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said in a statement shared with Politico, “It’s clear that the American people want another candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket.”
“Now, the American people want, and need, real change. I hope the President will meet this moment and heed this call,” he added.
Trump’s campaign clarifies that his adviser does not carry a weapon when around ex-president
03:45
John Bowden
Donald Trump’s senior adviser Chris LaCivita has clarified that he does not carry a gun when he’s around the ex-president, who was the target of an apparent assassination attempt on Saturday.
Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to the campaign and Trump’s de facto campaign manager, made remarks on Tuesday at a 2nd Amendment event on the outskirts of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee. LaCivita was being interviewed by a representative of the US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA), which advocates for such laws across the country.
Counselor said there were no reports of school bullying for Trump shooter but ‘something evil happened’ that led to shooting
03:29
Mike Bedigan
Donald Trump rally shooter Thomas Crooks’ former school guidance counselor has said there was no official record that he was bullied, and that “something evil happened” which caused him to snap and decide to shoot the former president.
Jim Knapp, who retired from Bethel Park in 2022, said the school took a “proactive approach” towards bullying and mental health.
Crooks opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in an attempt to kill the former president. His bullets clipped Trump but killed another man, Corey Comperatore, who was protecting his family from the attack.
Biden says he would drop out of race if diagnosed with ‘medical condition’
03:15