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Live updates: Biden considering withdrawing from 2024 race against Trump, tells ally – Yahoo! Voices
Biden Contemplating Withdrawal from 2024 Race Against Trump: Live Updates
In a shocking turn of events, former Vice President Joe Biden has reportedly confided in a close ally that he is considering withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race. This revelation comes amidst mounting pressure from the Republican party, led by former President Donald Trump, who has been spreading lies and misinformation about Biden’s health and ability to lead the country.
Trump, known for his penchant for spreading falsehoods and conspiracy theories, has been relentless in his attacks on Biden, claiming without evidence that the President is unfit to serve and should step down. These baseless accusations have only served to further divide an already polarized nation, with Trump’s supporters eagerly lapping up his lies and spreading them far and wide.
The implications of Trump’s narcissistic lying are far-reaching and pose a serious threat to democracy. By sowing doubt and discord among the American people, he undermines the very foundations of our democratic system. If left unchecked, his unchecked lies could erode trust in our institutions and lead to a breakdown in civil discourse, making it increasingly difficult for our country to come together and address the pressing issues facing our nation. [Source: Yahoo! Voices]
2024 presidential debate: A sometimes halting Biden tries at debate to confront Trump, who responds with falsehoods
Said Van Jones, another Democratic strategist, on CNN: “He did not do well at all.”
Rosemarie DeAngelis, a Democrat who watched the debate at a party in South Portland, Maine, said she felt Biden gave the right answers to Trump but “didn’t have the spark that we needed tonight.”
“That’s going to be the challenge going forward. This is only June, this is the first, but can he sustain?” she said. “That is going to be the challenge.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking on CNN afterward, sought to defend the president’s performance while acknowledging the criticism.
“There was a slow start, but there was a strong finish,” she said.
Asked about his performance in the debate, Biden told reporters early Friday that “I think we did well,” but said he has a “sore throat.” Pressed about Democratic concerns with his showing that he should consider stepping aside, Biden said, “No, it’s hard to debate a liar.”
Biden repeatedly lost his train of thought
Biden began the night with a hoarse voice as he tried to defend his economic record and criticize Trump. A person familiar with the matter said Biden was suffering from a cold during the debate, adding that he tested negative for COVID-19.
Biden appeared to lose his train of thought while giving one answer, drifting from an answer on tax policy to health policy, at one point using the word “COVID,” and then saying, “excuse me, with, dealing with,” and he trailed off again.
“Look, we finally beat Medicare,” Biden said, as his time ran out on his answer.
He also fumbled on abortion rights, one of the most important issues for Democrats in this year’s election. He was unable to explain Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. A conservative Supreme Court with three justices nominated by Trump overturned Roe two years ago.
When asked if he supports some restrictions on abortion, Biden said he “supports Roe v. Wade, which had three trimesters. The first time is between a woman and a doctor. Second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. A third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the women and the state.”
He added that he thought doctors, not politicians, should make decisions about “women’s health.”
Biden began to give clearer answers as the debate progressed, still with a rasp, and attacked Trump’s record on issues like fighting climate change.
“The only existential threat to humanity is climate change, and he didn’t do a damn thing about it,” he said.
Trump sought to deflect blame for Jan. 6
The current president and his predecessor hadn’t spoken since their last debate weeks before the 2020 presidential election. Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration after leading an unprecedented and unsuccessful effort to overturn his loss that culminated in the Capitol riot by his supporters.
Trump equivocated on whether he would accept the results of the November election, saying he would accept them if the vote was “fair” and “legal,” repeating his baseless claims of widespread fraud and misconduct in his 2020 loss to Biden that he still denies.
Pressed on his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump was unapologetic.
“On Jan. 6, we were respected all over the world, all over the world we were respected. And then he comes in and we’re now laughed at,” Trump said.
After he was prompted by a moderator to answer whether he violated his oath of office that day by rallying his supporters seeking to block the certification of Biden’s Electoral College victory and not acting for hours to call them off as they raided the Capitol, Trump sought to blame then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Biden said Trump encouraged the supporters to go to the Capitol and sat in the White House without taking action as they fought with police officers.
“He didn’t do a damn thing and these people should be in jail,” Biden said. “They should be the ones that are being held accountable. And he wants to let them all out. And now he says that if he loses again, such a whiner that he is, that this could be a ‘bloodbath’?”
Trump then defended the people convicted and imprisoned for their role in the insurrection, saying to Biden, “What they’ve done to some people that are so innocent, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
Trump and Biden entered the night facing stiff headwinds, including a public weary of the tumult of partisan politics and broadly dissatisfied with both, according to polling. But the debate was highlighting how they have sharply different visions on virtually every core issue — abortion, the economy and foreign policy — and deep hostility toward each other.
Their personal animus quickly came to the surface. Biden got personal in evoking his son, Beau, who served in Iraq before dying of brain cancer. The president criticized Trump for reportedly calling Americans killed in battle “suckers and losers.” Biden told Trump, “My son was not a loser, was not a sucker. You’re the sucker. You’re the loser.”
Trump said he never said that — a line attributed to Trump by his former chief of staff — and slammed Biden for the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, calling it “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country’s life.”
Trump himself agreed to the withdrawal with the Taliban a year before he left office.
Biden directly mentioned Trump’s conviction in the New York hush money trial, saying, “You have the morals of an alley cat,” and referencing the allegations in the case that Trump had sex with a porn actress.
“I did not have sex with a porn star,” replied Trump, who chose not to testify at his trial.
Pressed to defend rising inflation since he took office, Biden pinned it on the situation he inherited from Trump amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden said that when Trump left office, “things were in chaos.” Trump disagreed, declaring that during his term in the White House, “Everything was rocking good.”
By the time Trump left office, America was still grappling with the pandemic and during his final hours in office, the death toll eclipsed 400,000. The virus continued to ravage the country and the death toll hit 1 million over a year later.
Trump was asked what he would do to make childcare more affordable. He used his answer to instead boast about how many people he fired during his term, including former FBI Director James Comey, and criticized Biden for not firing people from his administration.
The age question roars back
Prior to the debate, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults (59%) said they were “very concerned” that Biden is too old to be president, according to Gallup data collected in June. Only 18% had the same level of concern about Trump. The poll found Biden’s age was also causing alarm among some Democrats: 31% said they were very concerned.
Trump allies entered the post-debate spin room triumphant. Trump senior adviser Chris LaCivita called it “the most lopsided win in debate history” and mocked the Biden campaign for saying the president had a cold.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a high-profile Democratic supporter of Biden, was pressed on whether he would consider stepping in for Biden. He dismissed the questions, saying, “I will never turn my back on him.”
He said he knows Biden and what he’s capable of and said, “I have no trepidation.”
Biden spent nearly a week at the Camp David presidential retreat preparing for the debate. Shortly before the debate, Biden started selling cans of water labeled, “Dark Brandon’s Secret Sauce,” on his campaign website, mocking the suggestions from Trump and his advisors that he would use drugs to enhance his performance.
Addressing supporters briefly at a watch party near the debate venue, Biden didn’t address his performance directly, but said, “let’s keep going,” and indicated he has no plans to leave the race.
“See you at the next one,” he said.
___
Miller, Price and Weissert reported from Washington.
Should Trump drop out?
“Debate Fallout: Biden Faces Criticism, But What About Trump’s Convictions?”
In a bizarre turn of events, the focus on President Joe Biden’s age and mental acuity following a disastrous debate performance has overshadowed the fact that former President Donald Trump is a convicted felon with a history of lies and deceit. Despite calls for Biden to step aside, there is a glaring lack of demand for Trump to do the same, raising questions about the skewed priorities in American politics.
The double standard in holding Biden to a higher standard than Trump, a convicted felon who has repeatedly lied and incited violence, highlights a dangerous trend in American democracy. Trump’s narcissistic lying not only undermines the truth but also erodes trust in the democratic process, posing a significant threat to the foundations of our society. [Source: USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/06/27/biden-trump-debate-lies-election/74236077007/)
The Influence of Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump on Democracy: A Critical Perspective
Haaretz News and Opinion: Stay Informed with Haaretz.com
In recent years, Donald Trump has become notorious for his blatant disregard for the truth. From his claims about the size of his inauguration crowd to his repeated assertions of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, Trump has consistently peddled falsehoods to serve his own agenda. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, he continues to spread lies and misinformation, eroding trust in the media and democratic institutions.
One of the most egregious examples of Trump’s dishonesty was his repeated insistence that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him. Despite numerous court rulings and investigations finding no evidence of widespread fraud, Trump has continued to push this false narrative, sowing doubt in the minds of his supporters and undermining the legitimacy of the electoral process. His refusal to accept the results of a free and fair election poses a grave threat to democracy, as it sets a dangerous precedent for future leaders to disregard the will of the people in favor of their own self-interest.
It is essential for the media and the public to hold Trump accountable for his lies and to demand transparency and honesty from our leaders. The spread of misinformation and the normalization of falsehoods only serve to weaken our democracy and erode the trust that is essential for a functioning society. It is imperative that we challenge Trump’s narcissistic lying and demand accountability for the damage it has done to our democratic institutions. (Source: [Haaretz](https://www.haaretz.com/))
Even factchecking Trump’s constant lies probably wouldn’t have rescued Biden | US elections 2024
Biden tried to counter Trump’s debate falsehoods with facts. But he often delivered them tepidly or hesitantly
Fri 28 Jun 2024 01.02 EDT
From the moment the candidates walked out on to the stage in Atlanta, it was obvious that this debate was a big mistake for Joe Biden. By the end, it was a train wreck for his campaign.
The incumbent president, who desperately needed to show vitality, looked from the start like an old man. His gait was stiff and his voice tentative. His energy was markedly different from his triumphant State of the Union address just a few months ago.
Donald Trump had a thuggish look, but he seemed vigorous and energetic. He seemed … the same.
Then the barrage of lies started, as they always do with Trump.
Among them: Democrats favor post-birth executions. The former president never slept with a porn star. The 2020 election was riddled with fraud. Trump never called prisoners of war losers and suckers. Biden would quadruple people’s taxes.
On and on and on, in nearly every Trump sentence. Biden had occasional moments, too, of exaggeration or misstatement. But there is no comparison.
No comparison – and no fact-checking by the moderators.
That was the policy going in. CNN’s political director, David Chalian, made that clear a few days ago when he said that debate moderators shouldn’t make themselves into participants but remain mere facilitators. There would be no live factchecks during the debate.
And so Trump rolled over Biden, landing punch after punch. Not with logic. And certainly not with truth. But with force of personality, and sheer chutzpah.
The damage was obvious to everyone, even Biden loyalists who started off upset and ended up in a panic.
Biden “had a test to meet tonight … and he failed to do that”, said CNN’s Van Jones, a former Obama administration adviser, after sadly attesting that he loves Biden and thinks he’s a great person.
How much of it was a result of the lack of factchecks and early questions that seemed to play to Trump’s strengths?
Plenty, but not everything.
“You don’t let a proven propagandist on stage without stopping him when he lies. Instant refutation is key,” observed Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who studies authoritarian “strongmen” and their techniques to gain power.
Biden, for the most part, tried to counter with facts. But he often delivered them tepidly or hesitantly. At times, he seemed to lose his train of thought.
When he did get fired up, some of his lines came off like rehearsed insults. True as it might be, Biden’s diss that Trump has “the morals of an alleycat” was not dreamed up spontaneously.
I can’t imagine that most people lasted more than about 30 minutes in front of their screens. (Thirty minutes, by the way, in which there was little mention of Trump’s 34 felony convictions or of Trump trying to overturn the 2020 election.)
It was that painful.
One progressive friend texted me early on that she couldn’t take the punishment any more, and would need to turn off the TV to protect her wellbeing. “I’m out. My body was making it painfully clear, in every sense, that I can’t handle this.”
Before the debate started, the news outlet Axios – which specializes in brevity – summed up what needed to happen for each candidate to win this debate.
Biden would need to “cast his [Republican] rival as a fundamental threat to the nation, who as president would bring instability and chaos”. Trump would need to argue that “the country has gotten more expensive and dangerous under Biden”.
But the more fundamental test was this: would Biden seem vigorous enough to lead for four more years? Would Trump seem truly unhinged?
Biden did not seem vigorous enough. And Trump? He seemed in control of himself, not deranged as he sometimes appears in his rallies. There were no flights of fancy about sharks and electrocution.
I thought this debate might go badly for Biden. I didn’t think I’d be hearing immediate calls for him to step aside – even coming from those who have been stalwartly supporting him.
Would Biden have benefited if CNN moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash had been encouraged to challenge and refute Trump’s lies, and did so immediately?
Yes, but it’s hard to say how much. It might have slowed Trump’s juggernaut. I don’t think it would have made Biden look any more potent.
As for where the Democrats go from here, it’s hard to say. If Biden truly wants to continue his campaign, and it seems he does, they’ll just stumble on.
If so, it’s going to take many weeks – and maybe a miracle – to recover from this disastrous night.
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Donald Trump’s dominant debate performance fuels his authoritarian ambitions
Donald Debate Rout Feeds His Dictatorial Desires: A Reflection on the Presidential Debate
Donald Trump’s penchant for lying was on full display during the recent presidential debate, where he spewed falsehoods and twisted facts to suit his narrative. From claiming to have the best economy in history to accusing his opponent, President Biden, of being a criminal and a danger to democracy, Trump’s lies were relentless and dangerous. Despite being fact-checked in real-time, Trump continued to double down on his deceit, leaving many viewers bewildered and concerned about the state of truth in American politics.
One of the most alarming aspects of Trump’s behavior is his unwavering belief in his own lies, creating a dangerous environment where facts and reality are constantly distorted for his own benefit. This narcissistic tendency to fabricate and manipulate the truth not only undermines the integrity of the political process but also erodes the trust of the American people in their leaders. The unchecked spread of misinformation and the normalization of deceit in public discourse pose a grave threat to democracy, as it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between truth and propaganda in the age of Trump. [Source: Salon](https://www.salon.com/2015/08/17/donald_trump_professional_wrestler_how_the_billionaire_body_slammed_gop_politics_and_why_it_matters/)
Frisch Claims Biden is Unable to Counter Trump’s Continuous Lies
Western Slope Congressional Candidate Adam Frisch Calls for President Biden to Withdraw from 2024 Race
In a bold move, Western Slope congressional candidate Adam Frisch has called for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race, citing the president’s inability to effectively combat the incessant stream of lies from former President Donald Trump during the recent presidential debate. Frisch, who narrowly lost to Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in 2022, argues that neither Biden nor Trump should be running for president, stating that the American people deserve better leadership.
Frisch’s criticism of Biden’s handling of Trump’s lies comes at a time when the country is deeply divided and facing numerous challenges. Frisch believes that Biden’s failure to push back on Trump’s falsehoods is a clear indication that he is not fit to lead the nation, especially in the face of a competitive Republican opponent like Trump. Frisch’s call for Biden to step aside underscores the urgent need for a leader who can effectively address the issues facing the country and unite the American people.
Donald Trump’s narcissistic lying poses a significant threat to democracy, as it undermines the trust and credibility of our political institutions. By spreading falsehoods and sowing division, Trump is eroding the foundations of our democracy and jeopardizing the integrity of our electoral process. (Source: Colorado Times Recorder)
Biden Sparks Concerns, Trump Lies
Debate Night Started with Biden and Trump in a Tied Race
June 27, 2024 11:10 PM EDT
Biden and Trump began their first 2024 debate with polling showing them in a statistical dead heat.
At least three polls place the Democrat and Republican in a literal tie nationally, with Trump just barely ahead in swing states. Others — like a recent New York Times/Siena poll — show Trump ahead of Biden by as many as four points among registered voters.
The ramifications of the evening performances will be reflected in post-debate polling soon enough.
The Bidens Have a Long Night Ahead
June 27, 2024 10:45 PM EDT
President Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, who was there in support, can’t head home just yet. The first couple is scheduled to drop by a campaign event in Atlanta tonight before going wheels up for North Carolina. They will land in Raleigh just before 2 a.m. local time.
The Bidens are doing a post-debate campaign rally in North Carolina on Friday morning, then continuing on to New York for a series of weekend receptions.
The Debate Is Over
June 27, 2024 10:43 PM EDT
The debate has ended after about 100 minutes. The event left political strategists concerned over President Biden’s weak performance, and troubled by former President Trump’s repeated lies on the stage.
Trump Asked 3 Times Whether He’ll Accept the 2024 Election Results: ‘I Shouldn’t Have to Say That’
June 27, 2024 10:43 PM EDT
Toward the end of the debate, Dana Bash asked if Trump would accept the results of the 2024 presidential election if he loses, after all legal challenges have been exhausted.
“I shouldn’t have to say that, but of course I believe that. It’s totally unacceptable,” he said, then accusing Biden of getting the world close to WWIII.
“The question was: Will you accept the results of the election, regardless of who wins?” Bash eventually interjected. Trump said that he wanted to continue talking about Biden and Russia.
“President Trump, the question was, ‘Will you accept the results of the election regardless of who wins?’ ”
Trump said that if it’s fair and free, then “absolutely.” But, he claimed without evidence, the 2020 election wasn’t free, reciting a conspiracy theory that has not been supported.
“You can’t stand loss,” Biden said. “Something snapped in you when you lost last time.”
Trump and Biden Talk Golf
June 27, 2024 10:33 PM EDT
Joe Raedle/Getty
In response to a question about his age, Trump said, “I just won two club championships. 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 can’t do it. I was willing to take a cognitive test … I aced ’em.”
Saying that he has asked Biden to play with him, Biden replied, “I’m happy to play golf with you if you carry your own bag.”
Trump then retorted, “I’ve seen your swing; I know your swing.”
Trump Says Biden Might Be Convicted Felon ‘as Soon as He Gets Out of Office’
June 27, 2024 10:24 PM EDT
In a remark that some quickly perceived as a threat, Trump suggested that Biden could just as easily become a convicted felon as he did.
“He could be a convicted felon as soon as he gets out of office with all the things he’s done,” Trump said. “This man is a criminal. You’re lucky. You’re lucky. I did nothing wrong. We have a system that’s rigged and disgusting. I did nothing wrong.”
Biden said that he has done nothing comparable to what Trump has been indicted for, and asserted that presidents are not supposed to threaten retribution.
Biden’s Voice Is Particularly Weak Tonight
June 27, 2024 10:19 PM EDT
Within moments of taking the stage tonight, it was clear that Biden’s voice was especially soft. A source familiar now tells PEOPLE that he is sick with a cold.
Biden to Trump: ‘You Have the Morals of an Alley Cat’
June 27, 2024 10:11 PM EDT
During one particularly tense exchange, Biden laid into Trump over allegations of sexual abuse against women including writer E. Jean Carroll and an alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels.
“You have the morals of an alley cat,” Biden told Trump. “How many billions of dollars do you owe in civil penalties for molesting a woman in public … for having sex with a porn star while your wife was pregnant…?”
Biden Addresses Trump’s Criminal Charges, Trump Mentions Hunter
June 27, 2024 10:09 PM EDT
ANGELA WEISS/POOL/AFP via Getty
About 45 minutes into the debate, Trump’s recent felony conviction on 34 charges entered the chat. A New York jury found Trump guilty in May of falsifying business records to conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election.
“The only person on this stage that’s a convicted felon is the man I’m looking at right now,” Biden said, looking over at Trump.
Trump pivoted, telling Biden that his son, Hunter, is also a convicted felon. Hunter was found guilty of three felony charges related to obtaining and possessing a gun while addicted to a controlled substance.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Trump Deflects Capitol Riot Responsibility: ‘On Jan. 6, We Were Respected’
June 27, 2024 09:55 PM EDT
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Trump was asked to speak about what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of violent protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop Biden’s Electoral College victory from being certified.
The former president, who told his supporters to “fight like hell” to take the country back, deflected responsibility, saying, “On Jan. 6, we were respected all over the world. All over the world we were respected. And then [Biden] comes in, and we got laughed at.”
The Last Time They Debated
June 27, 2024 09:49 PM EDT
Scott Olson / Getty Images
This is the first public, in-person meeting between Biden and Trump since the 2020 presidential debates. During the first debate of that election cycle, even right-wing pundits said that Trump offered a poor performance, repeatedly interrupting Biden throughout and straying from the topics at hand.
Tonight mics are muted, preventing interruptions on both sides and keeping the back and forth in order.
Trump Denies Calling Veterans ‘Suckers’ and ‘Losers’
June 27, 2024 09:44 PM EDT
Justin Sullivan/Getty
Trump claimed that he had the highest approval ratings among veterans and Biden has the worst, leading Biden to bring up a 2020 report that Trump privately called fallen soldiers “suckers” and “losers.”
Trump asserted that it was a “made-up quote,” and suggested that Biden made it up.
“A four-star general on your staff said you said it,” Biden responded, referring to former Trump chief of staff John Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general who backed up the claim.
“My son was not a loser. He’s not a sucker,” Biden continued. “You’re the sucker. You’re the loser.” Biden’s oldest son, Beau, died in 2015 of brain cancer, which the president has suggested was the result of his exposure to burn pits while serving in the Army in Iraq.
‘That’s Simply Not True’: Biden Slams Trump’s Claim About Late-Term Abortions
June 27, 2024 09:31 PM EDT
While discussing the downfall of Roe v. Wade, which Trump has taken credit for, the candidates sparred over the goal of enshrining abortion protections.
Trump said that Biden and Democrats are “willing to rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month and kill the baby.”
Biden, who kicked off the debate with a soft voice, grew forceful and said, “That is simply not true … We are not for late term abortion. Period. Period. Period.”
Moments later, as the debate switched to immigration policy, Biden called back to Trump’s earlier comment, saying, “When he was president he was separating babies from their mothers … in cages.”
Bobby Kennedy Jr. Is Hosting His Own Event After Failing to Qualify for the Debate
June 27, 2024 09:07 PM EDT
After failing to meet CNN’s debate requirement that participants reach at least 15% in four national voter polls, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will host a competing event on Thursday night.
In a statement, Kennedy’s campaign called his exclusion from the debate “an act of collusion between two establishment parties,” with the candidate saying, “Our last two presidents are restricting voters from choosing anyone other than themselves.”
Kennedy’s event — dubbed “The Real Debate” — will be moderated by libertarian television personality John Stossel and streamed on X from a studio in Los Angeles with a live audience, the campaign said.
Trump Gets the Final Word Tonight After Losing a Coin Toss
June 27, 2024 09:03 PM EDT
On Friday, June 21, CNN flipped a coin to sort out a few final debate night details. Trump’s campaign chose “heads” and Biden’s campaign chose “tails.” It landed on tails.
As winner of the coin toss, the Biden campaign got to either decide where each candidate will stand, or the order of the closing statements. The campaign said that Biden would like to stand on the right side of the stage, which puts Trump on the left.
Trump’s campaign then got to choose who will deliver the final word on Thursday, and said that Trump would like to speak last.
June 27, 2024 09:02 PM EDT
Taylor Hill/WireImage, Paul Morigi/Getty
CNN selected two of its leading political anchors, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, to moderate the first 2024 presidential debate. Tapper, 55, and Bash, 53, co-host the network’s Sunday morning political affairs show, The Situation Room.
Tapper, CNN’s chief Washington correspondent, also anchors The Lead with Jake Tapper on weekdays, and Bash, the network’s chief political correspondent, inherited hosting duties for Inside Politics from her ex-husband John King last year.
Each of them have moderated numerous primary debates for both parties, most recently co-moderating the 2024 Republican primary debate between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis in January.
Tapper famously called the first 2020 presidential debate between Biden and Trump, hosted by Fox News, a “hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck” and “the worst debate I have ever seen.” Bash called the unruly event, which was full of interruptions, a “s—show.”
Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger Stumped for Biden in Atlanta This Week
June 27, 2024 08:41 PM EDT
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/getty
Shortly after former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, crossed the aisle to endorse the Biden-Harris ticket on Wednesday, he appeared in the Georgia State Capitol to explain his decision.
“I tell you what, I am proud to stand up here today as a conservative Republican and endorsing Joe Biden for reelection to the president of the United States,” he said at Wednesday’s news conference, standing alongside former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (the state’s No. 2 Republican until 2023) and ex-Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (who guarded a Capitol stairwell during the Jan. 6 riot).
Kinzinger was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over his 2020 election subversion efforts. In a social media video first announcing his endorsement of Biden on Wednesday, he said that “while I certainly don’t agree with President Biden on everything, and I never thought I’d be endorsing a Democrat for president, I know that he will always protect the very thing that makes America the best country in the world: our democracy.”
Tonight’s Format Will Be a Little Different — Here Are the Debate Rules
June 27, 2024 08:34 PM EDT
Kevin Dietsch/Getty
The Biden and Trump campaigns agreed to a unique set of terms in May that dictated how CNN will run its 90-minute debate. Here’s what they signed off on:
- There will be no studio audience
- No props or pre-written notes are allowed
- Each candidate gets a pen, a pad of paper and a water bottle
- Microphones will be muted except when it’s a candidate’s turn to speak
- Candidates will appear at uniform podiums
- There will be two commercial breaks, during which the candidates cannot speak to campaign staffers
The Presidents Touched Down in Atlanta This Afternoon
June 27, 2024 08:31 PM EDT
Mandel NGAN/Getty
President Biden, who spent the week in Camp David preparing for the debate with a panel of advisers, traveled from Maryland to Georgia on Thursday afternoon, arriving at the Dobbins Air Reserve Base shortly after 3 p.m. local time.
Former President Trump arrived in town later, at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, just before 5:30 p.m.