Joe Biden struck a combative tone in his latest campaign reset interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on Monday night following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last month, which led panicked Democrats to call on the president to drop out of the 2024 race.
Biden rejected the idea he should debate Trump again before the Democratic National Convention in August but admitted it had been a “mistake” to use the word “bullseye” during a campaign call with supporters urging them to focus on Trump’s agenda just prior to the attempted assassination of the former president on Saturday.
“It was a mistake to use the word,” Biden told Holt.
“I didn’t say ‘crosshairs’. I said ‘bullseye.’ Focus on what he’s doing. Focus on his policies. Focus on the number of lies he told in the debate.”
During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend, the newly-confirmed Republican presidential nominee was clipped in the right ear by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, whose motive remains a mystery.
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi is meanwhile reportedly “convinced Biden will lose” in November and “working the phones” behind the scenes to plot his removal for the Democratic ticket.
Key Points
- ‘Combative’ Biden defends mental fitness but rejects new Trump debate before DNC
- President admits saying ‘bullseye’ was a ‘mistake’ when discussing Trump agenda
- Pelosi ‘convinced Biden will lose’ and working behind scenes to plot his ouster
- Judge dismisses Trump’s classified documents case
Democrats launch first paid media campaign aimed at Trump-Vance ticket
14:15
Oliver O'Connell
NEW: @DNC launches its first paid media campaign hitting the Trump-Vance ticket
— Julia Manchester (@JuliaManch) July 16, 2024
16 billboards and a mobile billboard in the Milwaukee area as the RNC takes place this week pic.twitter.com/zAysXALVY7
Trump campaign data identified shooter’s dad as a strong Republican
14:00
Joe Sommerlad
The father of the 20-year-old would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks was previously identified by the former president’s campaign team as one of the voters in his area most likely to respond favorably to pro-gun messaging.
That’s according to confidential data obtained by the UK’s Channel 4 News, which said 53-year-old Matthew Crooks– who legally purchased the AR-15 rifle used by his son to fire at the Republican – was covertly profiled by the Trump team in 2016 as “a strong Republican, likely gun owner and ‘hunter.’”
The campaign’s private database analyzed 6.7m people in the Keystone State, a crucial battleground in the race for president, listing Crooks Sr, a registered Libertarian, as among the top 20 prospects of 19,000 residents in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park, Channel 4 reported.
He scored highly “across a range of gun-related [data] models,” according to the outlet, and was flagged by the Trump team as a voter “who could be susceptible to political messages about gun-rights.”
Justin Rohrlich reports.
Eric Trump says ‘they’ tried to kill his father as Ivanka claims late mother’s influence saved his life
13:30
Joe Sommerlad
The president’s middle son, clearly still emotional over Saturday’s near-miss, has rather unhelpfully claimed that “they” – presumably meaning shadowy establishment forces – tried to kill his father, rather than a troubled loner with his own agenda.
The “they” in the last sentence is a 20-year-old registered Republican who a neighbor said had pro-Trump signs in his yard until recently. https://t.co/ARhhv6YTnS
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 15, 2024
His sister Ivanka meanwhile suggested their late mother Ivana must have had an otherworldly role in her ex-husband’s lucky escape, a belief Eric has also alluded to on social media.
Mike Bedigan has more on how the junior Trumps are coping with Saturday’s shock.
MTG faces calls to resign after wild statement on Trump shooting
13:00
Joe Sommerlad
Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is facing calls to resign after she blamed Democrats for the attempted assassination on Trump by saying that Republicans are in a “battle” against the “party of pedophiles.”
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Secret Service head addresses ‘unacceptable’ Trump shooting
12:30
Joe Sommerlad
“It was unacceptable, and it’s something that shouldn’t happen again,” Kimberly Cheatle said in an interview with ABC News on Monday.
“It was obviously a situation that as a Secret Service agent, no one ever wants to occur in their career. The buck stops with me... and I need to make sure that we are performing a review and that we are giving resources to our personnel as necessary.”
Io Dodds reports.
The unanswered questions from Saturday’s Trump rally shooting
12:00
Joe Sommerlad
In the two days since Trump’s right ear was grazed by a gunman’s bullet at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, a complete picture of the 20-year-old suspect is yet to emerge publicly—and details of what led up to the stunning event remain unclear.
Justin Rohrlich has the latest.
Musk to donate $45m a month to pro-Trump PAC after shooting
11:30
Joe Sommerlad
Elon Musk, one of the world's richest people, is planning to donate roughly $45m every single month to a PAC backing Trump's presidential campaign, according to reports.
The Tesla and SpaceX boss, who also owns the social media platform X, had already reportedly donated a "sizeable amount" to a pro-Trump fundraising group, but the amount was unknown.
Now, The Wall Street Journal has reported the longtime electric vehicle advocate will be donating the staggering monthly sum to a new pro-Trump super PAC alongside coal billionaire Joe Craft, Palantir co-founder Jo Lonsdale and the Winklevoss twins.
MSNBC discusses Elon Musk’s role in Trump’s campaign following Musk’s commitment to donate $45M/month to a Pro-Trump super PAC.@SRuhle: “I spoke to a CEO in the AI space, who said Elon Musk — if he goes full throat behind Donald Trump — he could be like a shadow president.” pic.twitter.com/dB2i71i6gS
— The Recount (@therecount) July 16, 2024
Io Dodds has more.
Judge dismisses Trump’s classified documents case
11:00
Joe Sommerlad
Another bombshell development from yesterday, and another major win for Trump, was Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to throw out the criminal case against the Republican nominee after he was charged with hoarding government documents and classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago compound after leaving office, then obstructing law enforcement attempts to get them back.
Judge Cannon’s ruling argues that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the US Constitution and “usurps” the role of Congress in funding that office and finds that Smith did not have the authority to bring the indictment against Trump last summer.
This was Trump’s response to the decision on Truth Social:
As we move forward in Uniting our Nation after the horrific events on Saturday, this dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts — The January 6th Hoax in Washington, D.C., the Manhattan…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 15, 2024
Alex Woodward reports on the latest in a string of blows suffered by those hoping to see Teflon Don face the consequences for at least one of the many, many bad things he has done.
Follow our dedicated liveblog for all the latest from the RNC
10:45
Joe Sommerlad
Yesterday was a momentous day for Donald Trump, who was officially named the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee, unveiled Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate and was met with a hero’s welcome when he arrived, sporting a bandage over his right ear, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee to greet delegates.
You can follow all the latest from the RNC via our dedicated liveblog below.
For all other US political matters – and the fallout from Trump’s shooting – stick with us right here.
Pelosi ‘convinced Biden will lose’ and working behind scenes to plot his ouster
10:33
Joe Sommerlad
Despite the president being given a brief reprieve from the feverish speculation about his future by Trump’s spectacular return to the headlines, Politico’s Jonathan Martin writes that there’s still plenty going on behind closed doors in DC:
“Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, convinced Biden will lose, has been working the phones since June 27 in hopes of finding a way to ease him off the ticket.
“One of her colleagues was struck to see her chatting, furtively but openly, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries last week in a corner of the House Democratic cloakroom in plain sight of a dozen lawmakers.
“The extent of Pelosi’s behind-the-scenes role hasn’t been fully revealed and may never be if the former speaker has her way. But I’m told by people familiar with the exchanges that she’s stage-managed phone calls to Jeffries, plotted strategy with the biggest names in Democratic politics and told one former elected official bluntly that Biden’s legacy can’t be destroying their party.”
Pelosi has certainly been cagey in her public remarks about Biden since the debate, calling on him to make a decision without actually explicitly saying that it should be for him to drop out, or emphatically endorsing him.
Here’s Gustaf Kilander on what she had to say to MSNBC last week.
‘Combative’ Biden defends mental fitness but rejects new Trump debate before DNC
10:00
Joe Sommerlad
The president rejected the idea he should debate Trump again before the Democratic National Convention in August during last night’s interview and also fired back at Holt’s questions about his mental fitness and accused news outlets of failing to treat Trump’s false statements during their debate with the same level of scrutiny.
Biden insisted that he is control of his faculties in yesterday’s interview and committed to staying in the race against his Republican rival despite calls from voters and Democratic Party officials to step aside in the aftermath of his disastrous debate performance.
Holt: You appeared to be confused.
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 16, 2024
Biden: Lester, look. Why don't you guys ever talk about the lies that he told. Where are you on this? pic.twitter.com/hhC2HWyr7m
Lester Holt asks Biden if he wants to “get back on the horse” in terms of debating Trump again soon.
— The Recount (@therecount) July 16, 2024
“I’m on the horse. Where have you been?” Biden responds. pic.twitter.com/s86QxN8tqk
Biden admitted he’s “old” and that concerns about someone his age in the White House are “legitimate.”
“But I’m only three years older than Trump, number one, and number two, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good,” he said.
“I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long time in three-and-a-half years. I’m willing to be judged on that.”
He added: “I understand why people say, ‘God, he’s 81 years old. Whoa. What’s he gonna be when he’s 83 years old, 84 years?’ It’s a legitimate question to ask.”
Alex Woodward has more.
Biden admits saying ‘bullseye’ was a ‘mistake’
09:31
Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
Let’s start by recapping Joe Biden’s big interview with Lester Holt on NBC News last night.
In his latest attempt at a big reset in the wake of disastrous debate performance in Atlanta last month, the president admitted it was a “mistake” to use the word “bullseye” during a campaign call with supporters urging them to focus on Donald Trump’s agenda prior to the attempted assassination of the former president on Saturday.
“It was a mistake to use the word,” Biden told Holt during their interview at the White House on Monday.
“I didn’t say ‘crosshairs’. I said ‘bullseye.’ Focus on what he’s doing. Focus on his policies. Focus on the number of lies he told in the debate.”
Lester Holt, asking Biden about the use of heated political rhetoric: “You said, "It’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.’”
— The Recount (@therecount) July 15, 2024
Biden: “It was a mistake to use the word.” pic.twitter.com/EaFQXbciMd
HOLT: What can you and will you do to lower down the temperature?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2024
BIDEN: Continue to talk about the things that matter to the American public. It matters whether you accept the outcome of elections. pic.twitter.com/S9KqeBfLE7
During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekened the newly-confirmed Republican presidential nominee was clipped in the right ear by a sniper’s bullet by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, whose motive remains a mystery.
Asked if the shocking attack on Trump had “changed the trajectory” of the presidential race, Biden told Holt: “I don’t know – and you don’t know either.”
He continued: “I’ve thought less about the trajectory of the case [than] two things: one, what his health is and number two what happens from here on, in terms of the kind of coverage that the president and vice president and former president and new vice president get.”
Here’s more from Alex Woodward.
Melania Trump urges Americans to come ‘together as one’ after assassination attempt on Donald Trump
08:15
Oliver O'Connell
Melania Trump has broken her silence over the assassination attempt on her husband Donald Trump, making an impassioned plea for Americans to come “together as one”.
“When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change,” the former first lady wrote in a statement shared on X on Sunday.
“I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband,” she said.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Dozens of Democrats call on Biden to end reelection bid
08:00
Namita Singh
Nearly two dozen of Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats in Congress have called on him to end his reelection bid and allow the party to pick another standard bearer.
The focus this week will be squarely on Donald Trump.
Having consolidated party control, Trump could seize on the opportunity to deliver a unifying message or paint a dark portrait of a nation under siege by a corrupt leftist elite, as he has done at times on the campaign trail.
Trump has frequently turned to violent rhetoric in campaign speeches, labeling his perceived enemies as “vermin” and “fascists.”
Mr Biden has cast Trump as a threat to US democracy, comments that some Republicans say helped foster an atmosphere that prompted the shooting even though authorities have yet to determine the motive for the assassination attempt.
Following Saturday’s shooting, Mr Biden sought to lower the temperature after months of heated political rhetoric.
“There is no place in America for this kind of violence,” Mr Biden said in an address from the White House on Sunday.
In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Mr Biden said it was a “mistake” to tell donors last week it was “time to put Trump in the bullseye” but noted that Trump has often used incendiary words.
Has Trump pushed Biden into the background?
07:32
Namita Singh
The assassination attempt on Donald Trump, followed by the RNC convention, has pushed Joe Biden to the background after weeks of speculation about whether he might drop out of the race following a disastrous debate performance last month.
Mr Biden again rejected the notion on Monday when pressed by NBC’s Lester Holt, focusing instead on the myriad falsehoods Trump unleashed during the debate.
The president has stepped up his unscripted appearances to try to demonstrate his capability but has yet to assuage some Democrats’ fears about his reelection chances.
The race between Trump and Mr Biden remains close, according to public opinion polls, though Trump leads in several swing states likely to decide the election.
Monday began with the latest in a string of recent legal victories for Trump, when US District Judge Aileen Cannon threw out federal charges in Florida accusing him of illegally retaining classified documents.
Trump is due to be sentenced in New York in September for trying to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the weeks before his 2016 election victory.
07:12
Alex Lang
What we know about attempt on Trump’s life
06:41
Namita Singh
Officials are demanding to know how an armed man was able to get to the top of a building and shoot former president Donald Trump. A report of a suspicious man had reached police and witnesses pointed and shouted at an armed man on a roof nearby where Trump was speaking.
The attempted assassination left Trump and two other men wounded. A former fire chief, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, was killed while protecting his family. Investigations will be launched in Congress — in addition to a review ordered by president Joe Biden.
Here’s a look at what we know so far about the attempt on Trump’s life and its aftermath:
Trump rally shooter was bullied ‘loner’ who never shared political views, classmates say
06:15
Oliver O'Connell
Former classmates of the 20-year-old gunman authorities identified as the would-be assassin who fired several rounds at former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday remembered him as a somewhat unremarkable teen who enjoyed video games and didn’t make much noise about politics.
Justin Rohrlich has the story.
Final tragic tweet of fire chief killed in Trump rally
05:00
Namita Singh
The 50-year-old father and retired fire chief killed at Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday made his final post on X just hours before he was shot dead.
“Trump rally! Butler, PA,” Corey Comperatore wrote on X in response to a question about users’ weekend plans.
Comperatore died at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally after Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a nearby rooftop in an assassination attempt against the former president. The 20-year-old was killed by Secret Service agents soon after opening fire.
Katie Hawkinson reports:
Widow of ex-chief killed in Trump rally shooting reveals his final words
05:00
Namita Singh
The bystander who died to an assassin’s bullet at a Trump rally on Saturday used his last breaths to tell his family to take cover, his widow has said.
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former volunteer fire chief from Sarver, Pennsylvania, was in the stands near Donald Trump’s podium when a gunman opened fire from a rooftop, meaning to kill the former president.
Comperatore reportedly threw his body over those of his wife and two children to shield them from the gunfire, and was shot in the head. His last words, his widow said, were simply “get down!”
“He’s my hero,” Helen Comperatore told The New York Post at the couple’s home on Monday. “He just said, ‘get down!’ That was the last thing he said.”
More in this report:
Border arrests plunge by 29 per cent in June to the lowest of Biden’s presidency
04:50
Namita Singh
Arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico plunged 29 per cent in June, the lowest month of Joe Biden‘s presidency, according to figures released Monday that provide another window on the impact of a new rule to temporarily suspend asylum.
Arrests totaled 83,536 in June, down from 117,901 in May to mark the lowest tally since January 2021, US Customs and Border Protection said.
A seven-day average of daily arrests fell more than half by the end of June from Mr Biden’s announcement on 4 June that asylum processing would be halted when daily arrests reach 2,500, which they did immediately, said Troy Miller, acting Customs and Border Protection commissioner.
Report:
Secret Service head breaks silence after Trump shooting
04:49
Namita Singh
The head of the Secret Service has admitted that it was “unacceptable” for an armed assassin to come so close to killing former president Donald Trump.
In her first public comments since Saturday’s shooting, agency director Kimberly Cheatle said the gunman should never have been allowed to get in a position to take his shot and that “the buck stops with [her]”.
“It was unacceptable, and it’s something that shouldn’t happen again,” Cheatle said in an interview with ABC News on Monday.
My colleague Io Dodds reports:
Trump rally shooting victim’s widow has no ‘ill-will’ towards Biden
04:45
Alex Lang
The widow of Corey Comperatore, the firefighter gunned down at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, says despite being a staunch Republican, she has no “ill-will” against president Biden.
Helen Comperatore told The New York Post that she had refused a call from the president following the incident, because her husband would not have wanted her to talk to him.
But, she said: “I don’t have any ill-will towards Joe Biden.
“I’m not one of those people that gets involved in politics. I support Trump, that’s who I’m voting for but I don’t have ill-will towards Biden.
“He didn’t do anything to my husband. A 20-year-old despicable kid did.”
Signs of trouble at Trump rally were evident before gunman opened fire
04:39
Namita Singh
Signs of trouble were evident in the minutes before shots rang out at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania: Police had a report of a suspicious man pacing near the magnetometers and were apparently exchanging photos of the suspect. Witnesses pointed and shouted at an armed man on a nearby roof.
When a police officer climbed up to the roof to investigate, the gunman turned and pointed his rifle at him. But the officer did not — or could not — fire a single shot.
Report:
In video: JD Vance and RFK Jr to receive Secret Service protection after Trump shooting
04:37
Namita Singh
Biden admits saying ‘bullseye’ was a ‘mistake’
04:36
Namita Singh
President Joe Biden said it was a “mistake” to use the word “bullseye” during a campaign call urging supporters to focus on Donald Trump’s agenda, as the former president’s allies attempt to cast blame on Mr Biden for the attempt on Trump’s life on Saturday.
Last week, Mr Biden told supporters on a private call to shift focus away from his poor debate performance last month and “put Trump in a bullseye” instead.
“The truth of the matter was, and I guess [what] I was talking about at the time was, there was very little focus on Trump’s agenda,” Mr Biden said in an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt on Monday.
Funeral services planned for former fire chief killed at Trump rally
04:26
Namita Singh
The Pennsylvania man killed when a sniper attempted to assassinate former president Donald Trump will have a private funeral after a public visitation later this week, according to the obituary posted on Monday afternoon by a funeral home.
Corey D Comperatore’s services will be led by his pastor at some point after an event for friends to celebrate his life and pay respects on Thursday in Freeport, Pennsylvania.
The obituary said the 50-year-old Comperatore, who was killed on Saturday, was born in Natrona Heights and spent a decade in the US Army Reserves.
More here:
‘I’m old’: Biden defends his mental fitness during interview on campaign future and Trump shooting
04:20
Namita Singh
President Joe Biden fired back at questions about his mental fitness and accused news outlets of failing to treat Donald Trump’s false statements with the same level of scrutiny during an interview with NBC News on Monday.
In an interview from the White House with anchor Lester Holt, the president insisted that he is in control of his faculties and committed to staying in the race against his Republican rival despite calls from voters and Democratic party officials to step aside in the aftermath of his disastrous debate performance between the candidates.
Mr Biden admitted he’s “old” and that concerns about someone his age in the White House are “legitimate.”
Alex Woodward reports:
Musk is donating $45m a month to Trump PAC in shooting’s aftermath
04:18
Namita Singh
Elon Musk, one of the world’s richest people, is planning to donate roughly $45m every single month to a PAC backing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, according to reports.
The Tesla and SpaceX boss, who also owns the social media platform X, had already reportedly donated a “sizeable amount” to a pro-Trump fundraising group, but the amount was unknown.
Now, The Wall Street Journal has reported the longtime electric vehicle advocate will be donating the staggering monthly sum to a new pro-Trump super PAC alongside coal billionaire Joe Craft, Palantir co-founder Jo Lonsdale and the Winklevoss twins, citing anonymous sources.
Report:
Campaign data identified Trump shooter’s father as ‘strong Republican’
04:16
Namita Singh
The father of 20-year-old would-be Donald Trump assassin Thomas Crooks was previously identified by the former president’s campaign as one of the voters in his area most likely to respond favorably to pro-gun messaging.
That’s according to confidential data obtained by Britain’s Channel 4 News, which said 53-year-old Matthew Crooks—who legally purchased the AR-15 rifle used by his son to fire at Trump as he spoke at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday—was covertly profiled by the Trump team in 2016 as “a strong Republican, likely gun owner and ‘hunter.’”
Justin Rohrlich has more:
In video: Conspiracy theorists claim government behind Trump assassination attempt
04:15
Namita Singh
Trump fundraises off assassination attempt as Biden suspends campaign ads
04:15
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s campaign has begun soliciting donations in the wake of his attempted assassination even as Joe Biden’s campaign halted all TV ads while the nation reels from the attack at a rally in rural Pennsylvania.
One day after a bullet grazed Trump’s ear in the shooting that left one spectator dead, his campaign sent at least two text message-based fundraising appeals which contain links to WinRed, the GOP-affiliated fundraising platform run by the ex-president’s allies.
Andrew Feinberg and Justin Rohrlich report.