Nancy Pelosi gives cagey response on Joe Biden’s future: ‘Whatever he decides we go with’
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Washington is breathlessly awaiting the first press conference given by Joe Biden, not just since his disastrous presidential debate against Donald Trump amplified questions about his age and capability, but in eight months.
While the president routinely responds to a handful of shouted questions while on the move, Biden has not handled such a formal event since November 2023 when he spoke with reporters after meeting with President Xi Jinping of China.
At that appearance, the president called on reporters from four news organizations, one of whom asked two questions. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tried to end the press conference after questions from a fourth reporter, the president continued to answer nine more questions.
How Biden performs tonight is seen as a make-or-break moment for many Democratic lawmakers, with 14 members of Congress and one sitting senator having already publicly called for him to step aside in favor of a younger candidate for the 2024 election.
Politico reports that another half-a-dozen lawmakers could go public if Biden underperforms this evening, while Axios says he could face a “deluge” of calls urging him to drop out regardless of his performance. Many Americans appear to agree.
Trump campaign debuts how they’ll run against a Biden replacement
In today’s Trump campaign Palm Beach Playbook, the Trump campaign offered a glimpse of how they might run against any replacement candidate of President Joe Biden, should he step aside.
Here’s what they wrote:
So the scale of panic on Team Biden has reached the stage where Biden’s own campaign aides say “he needs to drop out.” What’s astonishing is that it took 3 and half years for Democrats and the mainstream media to admit publicly what we’ve all known – Joe Biden is unfit for office.
The ultimate problem for Democrats, though, is that they have no real alternative. President Trump will win in a landslide no matter who they put up. Each of the Democrats being discussed has the same failed Biden-agenda and is complicit in the cover-up of Biden’s decline, which has severely threatened our national security.
For those reasons and more, they should all be considered unfit for office, whether it be Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, or someone else.
One of Biden’s earliest 2020 supporters say time for him to step aside
Democrat Congressman Greg Stanton, who represents Arizona’s 4th district and was formerly the mayor of Phoenix, adds his name to the roster of lawmakers calling on Joe Biden to step aside for a younger generation of candidate.
He wrote on X: “I was one of President Biden’s earliest supporters in 2020, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made for Arizona.
“However the stakes in this election could not be higher. For our country’s sake, it is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.”
California rep says he’s ‘all-in’ for Kamala ‘if/when’ Biden passes torch
California Rep Jared Huffman tweets: “VP Harris is on fire. She’s vetted, tested, and has been Democrats’ strongest messenger throughout this campaign. She’s next up if we need her, and we might.”
He adds: “Let me be very clear: if/when President Biden passes the torch, I’m all-in for Kamala Harris!”
Another House Democrat joins calls for Biden to drop out
Hawaii Democrat Rep Ed Case of Hawaii is the twelfth House Democrat to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race as the party’s candidate, John Parkinson of ABC News reports.
“My guidepost is what is the best way forward for our country. I do not believe President Biden should continue his candidacy for re-election as President,” Case says.
New York Times editorial board declares Donald Trump ‘unfit to lead’
“He has demonstrated an utter lack of respect for the Constitution, the rule of law and the American people,” the article on Thursday argued. “Instead of a cogent vision for the country’s future, Mr. Trump is animated by a thirst for political power: to use the levers of government to advance his interests, satisfy his impulses and exact retribution against those who he thinks have wronged him.”
Josh Marcus reports as we all await the response from Mar-a-Lago… 🫣
Don Jr to speak before Trump VP pick at RNC, report says
The significance of this is that it may indicate that Donald Trump is about to choose Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his choice given that his eldest son has been a booster of Vance over other favorite contenders North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.
After saying Clooney has ‘valid point’, Michael Douglas admits it’s ‘hard to imagine’ Biden in a second term
The 79-year-old Hollywood actor voiced his concerns over Biden’s re-election bid while on the red carpet at the premiere of his upcoming documentary America’s Burning in New York City. It marks a complete U-turn from his formerly staunch support of the president — including hosting a fundraiser for Biden in April.
Former President Donald Trump Mocks Joe Biden at Campaign Rally
Former President Donald Trump continued his pattern of attacking and mocking President Joe Biden at a campaign rally on Tuesday, where he claimed victory in their previous debate and criticized Biden’s performance. Trump’s remarks came amidst growing turmoil within the Democratic Party over Biden’s reelection bid, with calls for him to step aside following a decline in polls.
During the rally, Trump also targeted Vice President Kamala Harris, asserting that it did not matter who the Democrats nominated as their candidate because he was confident in his ability to win in a landslide victory. Trump reiterated many of the unfounded claims he made during the debate, including baseless accusations about Biden’s mental acuity and fear-mongering about immigration at the southern border.
Trump’s persistent lies and narcissistic behavior pose a significant threat to democracy, as they undermine the trust and integrity of the political process. By spreading misinformation and sowing division, Trump’s actions erode the foundation of a fair and transparent electoral system (source: [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/donald-trump)).
The Conservative Blueprint for the Next Republican President: Project 2025 and Trump’s Involvement
In a recent revelation, it has come to light that former President Donald Trump has been distancing himself from Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for the next Republican president. Despite his claims of ignorance about the project, it has been found that many individuals closely associated with Trump were involved in its creation, including former Cabinet secretaries and ambassadors.
The extensive overlap between Project 2025 and Trump’s circle of allies and advisers raises questions about his attempts to disassociate himself from the controversial policies outlined in the project. With ties to over 240 people connected to both Project 2025 and Trump, it is clear that his efforts to distance himself from the project are met with skepticism and credibility challenges.
Donald Trump’s habit of lying and distorting the truth not only undermines the credibility of his own statements but also poses a threat to democracy. By spreading misinformation and falsehoods, he erodes trust in institutions and creates a climate of uncertainty and division, ultimately weakening the foundations of a democratic society. [Source: CNN](https://www.cnn.com/politics/president-donald-trump-45)
ATLANTA — Democratic President Joe Biden delivered a shaky performance at Thursday’s debate while his Republican rival Donald Trump battered him with a series of often false attacks, as the two oldest presidential candidates ever exchanged deeply personal insults ahead of November’s U.S. election.
The two men traded barbs on abortion, immigration, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, their handling of the economy and even their golf games as they each sought to shake up what opinion polls show has been a virtually tied race for months.
A hoarse-sounding Biden stumbled over his words on several occasions during the debate’s first half-hour, but he found his footing at the halfway mark when he attacked Trump over his conviction for covering up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, calling him a “felon.”
In response, Trump brought up the recent conviction of Biden’s son, Hunter, for lying about his drug use to buy a gun.
Moments later, Biden noted that almost all of Trump’s former cabinet members, including former Vice President Mike Pence, have not endorsed his campaign.
“They know him well, they served with him,” he said. “Why are they not endorsing him?”
Two White House officials said Biden had a cold. But his up-and-down evening could deepen voter concerns that the 81-year-old is too old to serve another four-year term. Some Democrats were already publicly fretting about Biden’s uneven performance before the debate had even concluded.
Trump, meanwhile, unleashed a barrage of criticisms, many of which were well-worn falsehoods he has long repeated on the campaign trail, including claims that migrants have carried out a crime wave, that Democrats support infanticide and that he actually won the 2020 election.
Biden and Trump, 78, were both under pressure to display their fitness for office. Biden has been dogged by questions about his age and sharpness, while Trump’s incendiary rhetoric and sprawling legal woes remain a vulnerability.
Asked about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, the former president refused to accept any responsibility and claimed that many of those arrested were innocent.
“This guy has no sense of American democracy,” Biden scoffed in response.
Biden also blamed Trump for enabling the elimination of a nationwide right to abortion by appointing conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court, an issue that has bedeviled Republicans since 2022.
Trump countered that Biden would not support any limits on abortions and said that returning the issue to the states was the right course of action.
Trump said Biden had failed to secure the southern U.S. border, ushering in scores of criminals.
Studies show immigrants do not commit crimes at a higher rate than native-born Americans.
The televised clash on CNN was taking place far earlier than any modern presidential debate, more than four months before the Nov. 5 Election Day.
The two candidates appeared with no live audience, and their microphones automatically cut off when it was not their turn to speak – both atypical rules imposed to avoid the chaos that derailed their first debate in 2020, when Trump interrupted Biden repeatedly.
The two men – who have made little secret of their mutual dislike – did not shake hands or acknowledge each other before or after the debate.
But there were plenty more moments in which their bad blood was evident. Each called the other the worst president in history; Biden referred to Trump as a “loser” and a “whiner,” while Trump called Biden a “disaster.”
At one point, the rivals bickered over their golf games, with Trump bragging about hitting the ball farther than Biden and Biden retorting that Trump would struggle to carry his own bag.
•••
POLARIZED NATION
The first questions focused on the economy, as polls show Americans are dissatisfied with Biden’s performance despite wage growth and low unemployment.
Biden acknowledged that inflation had driven prices substantially higher than at the start of his term but said he deserves credit for putting “things back together again” following the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump asserted that he had overseen “the greatest economy in the history of our country” before the pandemic struck and said he took action to prevent the economic freefall from deepening even further.
The debate took place at a time of profound polarization and deep-seated anxiety among voters about the state of American politics. Two-thirds of voters said in a May Reuters/Ipsos poll that they were concerned violence could follow the election, nearly four years after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Trump took the stage as a felon who still faces a trio of criminal cases, including to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The former president, who persists in falsely claiming his defeat was the result of fraud, has suggested he will punish his political enemies if returned to power, but he will need to convince undecided voters that he does not pose a mortal threat to democracy, as Biden asserts.
Michael Douglas Expresses Concern Over Joe Biden’s Ability to Beat Donald Trump
In a recent appearance on “The View,” actor Michael Douglas expressed his doubts about President Joe Biden’s ability to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election. Douglas, who previously held a fundraiser for Biden, admitted to feeling “deeply, deeply concerned” about the current state of the race.
Following Biden’s lackluster performance in the presidential debate against Trump, calls for Biden to drop out of the race have been growing among Democrats. Even longtime strategists like James Carville have urged Biden to step down and make way for a new nominee who can energize voters. The concerns about Biden’s candidacy have been echoed by other prominent figures, including George Clooney, who wrote an op-ed for The New York Times expressing his disappointment in Biden’s debate performance.
Donald Trump’s consistent pattern of lies and deceit poses a significant threat to democracy. By spreading misinformation and sowing doubt in the electoral process, Trump undermines the foundation of a fair and transparent democratic system. This behavior erodes trust in institutions and creates a dangerous environment where the truth is constantly under attack (source: [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/)).
Trump went to other topics when asked if he would accept the results of the 2024 election and had to be asked the question several times.
The former president finally responded, “If it’s a fair and legal and good election absolutely,” before adding that he would have accepted the last election if not for “the fraud.” There was no evidence of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election.
Biden pushed back that Trump’s fraud claims were debunked by courts, telling him, “You can’t stand the loss.”
“I doubt you’ll accept it because you’re a whiner,” he said.
Local Leaders Stand Up Against Election Denialism: A Critical Battle for Democracy
Donald Trump’s continued promotion of the false notion that the 2020 election was fraudulent has had a toxic impact on the nation’s political landscape. His refusal to accept the results of the election and his spreading of misinformation has led to a wave of election denialism among elected officials across the country.
This dangerous trend has prompted concerned citizens like Joy Banks to step up and run for office in order to combat election denialism at the local level. Organizations like Contest Every Race are working tirelessly to recruit candidates who will challenge election deniers and uphold the integrity of our democratic process.
Trump’s narcissistic lying poses a serious threat to democracy by eroding trust in our elections and undermining the foundation of our country. If left unchecked, this behavior could lead to a complete breakdown of our democratic institutions. (Source: [Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/))
They passed on a handshake at the start, and from there, Biden and Trump went right to mixing it up on policy — and each other — in their first 2024 presidential debate on Thursday night.
Biden arrived with a raspy voice and spoke softly, the result, his campaign said, of a cold. Biden sometimes mumbled, got tongue-tied or lost his train of thought, a performance unlikely to calm anxiety among Democrats and many Americans about the 81-year-old president.
The 78-year-old Trump, as he often does, spoke with force but with plentiful falsehoods.
Here’s a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump’s first debate
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
This combination of photos shows Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Trump falsely represented the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as a relatively small number of people who were ushered in by police and misstated the strength of the economy during his administration.
Biden, who tends to lean more on exaggerations and embellishments rather than outright lies, misrepresented the cost of insulin and overstated what Trump said about using disinfectants to address COVID.
Deb Moore of Saco, Maine, reacts to a comment by Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate with President Joe Biden, during a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Lynn Miller shouts at the TV after a comment by Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate with President Joe Biden, during a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Angela Jensen and Nicholas Jordan, supporters of former President Donald Trump, watch coverage of the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Trump, at Brewvies Cinema Pub on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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A crowd watch the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, at a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Migrants waiting to apply for asylum watch the presidential debate in a shelter for migrants, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Tijuana, Mexico. Migrants who wait to seek asylum in the U.S. at a shelter in this Mexican border city looked on via a translated broadcast as U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, Donald Trump, met Thursday for the first general election debate of the 2024 season. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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A patron puts their hand to their face as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks about how he would handle the Israel-Hamas war as people watch the presidential debate at Hula Hula, a tiki themed karaoke bar, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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Roger Strassburg, of Scottsdale, Ariz., wears a cowboy hat as he watches the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a debate watch party Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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Liquor bottles are placed on a back bar at the Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood, Calif., Thursday, June 27, 2024, as a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, is broadcast. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Deb Moore of Saco, Maine, reacts to a comment by Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate with President Joe Biden, during a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Deb Moore of Saco, Maine, reacts to a comment by Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate with President Joe Biden, during a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Lynn Miller shouts at the TV after a comment by Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate with President Joe Biden, during a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Lynn Miller shouts at the TV after a comment by Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate with President Joe Biden, during a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Angela Jensen and Nicholas Jordan, supporters of former President Donald Trump, watch coverage of the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Trump, at Brewvies Cinema Pub on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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Angela Jensen and Nicholas Jordan, supporters of former President Donald Trump, watch coverage of the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Trump, at Brewvies Cinema Pub on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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A crowd watch the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, at a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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A crowd watch the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, at a watch party at Broadway Bowl, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Migrants waiting to apply for asylum watch the presidential debate in a shelter for migrants, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Tijuana, Mexico. Migrants who wait to seek asylum in the U.S. at a shelter in this Mexican border city looked on via a translated broadcast as U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, Donald Trump, met Thursday for the first general election debate of the 2024 season. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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Migrants waiting to apply for asylum watch the presidential debate in a shelter for migrants, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Tijuana, Mexico. Migrants who wait to seek asylum in the U.S. at a shelter in this Mexican border city looked on via a translated broadcast as U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, Donald Trump, met Thursday for the first general election debate of the 2024 season. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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A patron puts their hand to their face as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks about how he would handle the Israel-Hamas war as people watch the presidential debate at Hula Hula, a tiki themed karaoke bar, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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A patron puts their hand to their face as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks about how he would handle the Israel-Hamas war as people watch the presidential debate at Hula Hula, a tiki themed karaoke bar, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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Roger Strassburg, of Scottsdale, Ariz., wears a cowboy hat as he watches the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a debate watch party Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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Roger Strassburg, of Scottsdale, Ariz., wears a cowboy hat as he watches the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a debate watch party Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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Liquor bottles are placed on a back bar at the Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood, Calif., Thursday, June 27, 2024, as a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, is broadcast. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Liquor bottles are placed on a back bar at the Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood, Calif., Thursday, June 27, 2024, as a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, is broadcast. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Biden campaign insists the president ‘started slow but finished strong’
The Biden campaign is insisting that the president “started slow but finished strong” as it tries to claim victory in the debate.
In a memo, Biden advisers argued that the Trump’s performance reminded independent voters “why they dislike him,” while suggesting that Biden improved as the night wore on.
Vice President Kamala Harris made similar suggestions in TV appearances after the debate.
Biden’s voice was particularly raspy in the debate’s early going, and he repeatedly cleared his throat throughout the night. But the president was also hard to understand in his closing statement, undermining suggestions that he made much improvement.
Trump’s supporters, by contrast, were giddy, arguing that Biden looked befuddled and confused and that their candidate was the clear winner.
Nikki Haley said Biden ‘will not be the Democrat nominee’
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is weighing in on Biden’s debate performance, repeating her campaign trail line that the Democratic president won’t ultimately be his party’s 2024 nominee.
Trump’s final competitor in the Republican primary, who dropped out in March, said on X after the debate, “Mark my words….Biden will not be the Democrat nominee.”
Haley repeatedly said during her own presidential campaign that Biden would not end up representing his party in this year’s election, making critiques of the president’s age and her perceptions of his stumbles in office.
Debate takeaways: Jan. 6, the low road and the border
Roger Strassburg, of Scottsdale, Ariz., wears a cowboy hat as he watches the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a debate watch party Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Thursday’s presidential debate was a rerun that featured two candidates with a combined age of 159, but it went especially poorly for one of them, President Joe Biden.
The debate covered a wide range of topics and included a former president — Trump — not backing down from his vows to prosecute members of Congress and even the man he was debating. But the overarching theme was the difference between the candidates’ performance.
President Joe Biden, center, greet supporters at a Waffle House in Marietta, Ga., Friday, June 28, 2024, following a presidential debate in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
While picking up his order, he said of his performance: “I think we did well.” Biden also said of his opponent, “It’s hard to debate a liar.”
His voice was raspy and he said he had a sore throat.
A potential VP pick on who Trump will choose
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential Trump vice presidential pick, says he doesn’t know yet whom Trump will pick to join him on the Republican ticket.
“I don’t know the answer to that and no one’s told me that I am,” he said on CNN after the debate from the spin room. “But we’ll know who it is at some point during the next two weeks.”
Rubio said that he thinks there are eight or nine people who could do a good job in the role and that, “It really comes down to who the president thinks would do a good job.”
“That’s his decision to make,” he says.
Mr. Biden goes to Waffle House
Biden, and his wife, Jill, are on the way to a Waffle House restaurant to pick up food for the plane before they fly to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a postdebate rally later Friday, the White House says.
Harris continues to draw contrasts between Trump and Biden
By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICÓN
Vice President Harris in an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow again acknowledges it was a slow start, “but I thought it was a strong finish.”
“What we had in Joe Biden is someone who wanted to have a debate based on facts, based on truths, and in Donald Trump, we have what we’ve come to expect, which is someone who is going to push lies and distract from the reality of the damage he has created and continues to create in our country,” Harris said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom says concern over Biden’s performance is ‘unhelpful’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters in the spin room after a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024.
In an interview on MSNBC after the debate, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said “there shouldn’t be” panic in his party.
“I think it’s unhelpful. And I think it’s unnecessary. We’ve got to go in, we’ve got to keep our heads high. And as I say, we’ve got to have the back of this president. You don’t turn back because of one performance,” Newsom said. “What kind of party does that?”
He continued defending Biden, saying, “This president has delivered. We need to deliver for him.”
Biden departs the watch party
More than 50 minutes after he arrived at his watch party, Joe Biden finally departed near midnight to whoops from an emptying hotel ballroom.
Biden shook hands and took pictures with many supporters along a rope line.
President Joe Biden is still working the crowd of supporters at the hotel in Atlanta. He spoke briefly after the debate and has been chatting with people for more than 40 minutes.
President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Jill Biden speak at a presidential debate watch party, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WATCH: Biden responds to his debate with Trump
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Joe Biden briefly appeared at a watch party in Atlanta after Thursday’s debate, greeting supporters and asking them to help beat former President Donald Trump in November.
Biden’s busy schedule
Biden has another packed day on Friday.
After he leaves Atlanta, Biden will touch down in Raleigh, North Carolina, to be in place for a post-debate campaign rally on Friday afternoon.
After that, he’ll head to New York and New Jersey for campaign fundraisers on Friday and Saturday.
Trump is ‘on offense’
Trump co-campaign chief Chris LaCivita called the debate “added rocket fuel” for Trump’s upcoming visit to Virginia. A state Trump has lost twice, LaCivita said it’s now in play.
He said he thinks Minnesota, another state Trump has lost twice, could also be in play. “We’re on offense, make no mistake about it,” LaCivita said.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with President Joe Biden, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
LaCivita dismissed chatter about whether Democrats would try to nominate someone other than Biden. “There’s so many political experts on X, so we’ll hear a lot from them, I’m sure, in the next few days because they’ve all run so many campaigns,” LaCivita said sarcastically.
“But the only way that happens is if Joe Biden voluntarily steps down, and he’s not going to do that.”
WATCH: Presidential debate watch party viewers weigh in on Biden and Trump’s performances
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Voters at presidential debate watch parties in Michigan and Las Vegas weighed in on their reactions to the debate. (AP video by Mike Householder and Ty ONeil)
CNN’s moderators didn’t do much moderating tonight
CNN’s Dana Bash, left, and Jake Tapper listen as they moderate a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jake Tapper and Dana Bash asked questions and not much more, as the two candidates essentially carried the show on their own.
Rarely did the moderators jump in and cut off or challenge a statement from Trump or Biden, and the candidates only fleetingly interacted directly with Bash and Tapper other than listening to (and only sometimes answering) their questions.
It was a stark contrast from debates in previous presidential election years when other candidates — particularly Trump — jostled at times with moderators.
For 90 minutes, Trump and Biden were largely left to do their thing.
Harris says she thinks the choice is not the debate, but November
Harris seemed annoyed by the focus on Biden’s performance, telling CNN’s Anderson Cooper: “I got that this is the after play for the debate, this conversation that I’m in, and I understand why everyone wants to talk about it.”
“But I think it’s also important to recognize that the choice in November between these two people that were on the debate stage involved extraordinary stakes. And there’s one person on that stage who has the endorsement of their vice president, and that’s Joe Biden. Mike Pence is nowhere to be found.”
When is the next presidential debate?
Wondering how the second debate might differ from tonight’s? You’re going to have to wait awhile.
Biden and Trump’s second debate is scheduled for Sept. 10 on ABC. The network hasn’t yet released details on the format.
Thursday’s faceoff was the earliest general election presidential debate ever. The second one is also early, and will be held more than six weeks before Election Day.
Civil rights organizations looked onto the debate with dismay
Trump and Biden used issues of race, immigration and crime to trade personal barbs that often distorted facts and sidestepped issues central to the concerns of many Black and Hispanic voters.
“As Black Americans face some of the most challenging obstacles of our time, we need candidates who are less focused on attacking each other and more focused on attacking the issues,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
“There have been some comments here from Donald Trump that our members here have rejected outright,” said Juan Proaño, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Biden’s secret sauce
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 in the days leading up to the debate that Biden would appear firey and perhaps even use drugs to enhance his performance.
“The secret to a good debate performance? Staying hydrated,” Biden’s campaign website still read after the debate.
Harris weighs in on Biden’s performance
Vice President Kamala Harris is weighing in on the presidential debate.
“Listen, first of all, what we saw tonight is the president making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people,” she said.
“Yes there was a slow start but it was a strong finish.”
Asked if she’s concerned in wake of Biden’s debate performance, she repeated: “It was a slow start. That’s obvious to everyone.
“I’m not going to debate that point. I’m talking about the choice in November. I’m talking about one of the most important elections in our collective lifetime.”
Trump’s aides erupted into loud applause and cheers after he stepped off the debate stage, according to a video shared by an aide.
“President Trump emerges from the stage victorious,” political director James Blair wrote on X, the platform formerly called Twitter.
Trump’s aides are extremely happy about the former president’s performance Thursday night.
Chris LaCivita, Trump’s senior adviser, called it “the most lopsided win in debate history” and mocked the Biden campaign for saying the president had a cold. “I loved it, right? Classic.”
How will the two candidates tackle the high cost of child care?
When Trump was asked how he would lower the cost of child care, he ignored the question and went back to defending his decision to fire John Kelly as his chief of staff, who confirmed that Trump had made disparaging remarks about military veterans. He was given another chance to answer the question and instead pivoted to talking about Biden’s poll numbers.
Biden, in jumbled remarks, talked about child care in ways that were at times difficult to follow, even as the White House tries to make the case that Biden’s record investments in child care brought women back to the workforce.
When he was asked what he had to say to Black voters who were “disappointed he hadn’t made more progress” on closing racial disparities, he said, “We got to make sure we provide for child care costs … because when you provide those child care protections, you create economic growth because more people can be in the job market.”
Biden said his opponent has “done virtually nothing” on child care. “We should significantly increase the child care tax credit. We should significantly increase the availability of women and men, er, single parents to be able to go back to work.”
Rewatch the full debate
You can rewatch the full CNN presidential debate using the livestream below.
Biden says: ‘We’re going to beat this guy.’
Biden told supporters in his brief appearance after the debate: “Look we’re going to beat this guy. We need to beat this guy and I need you in order to beat him.”
“God love you all,” he said before stepping off the stage to greet some of those supporters.
Biden continued to work the crowd at his watch party in downtown Atlanta for more than 15 minutes after making a brief statement.
All of Biden’s top surrogates marched into the spin room en masse, creating a massive media scrum. One by one, they all gave their takes on Biden’s performance before entertaining shouted questions from the dozens of reporters gathered around them.
California Governor Gavin Newsom told reporters that he was proud of Biden. “Tonight I think Joe Biden not only asserted himself, he reminded people of his accomplishments and his vision for the future.”
Donald Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, told reporters that her uncle has “one policy position — to keep himself out of prison.” She called him a traitor to his country and noted that “the people who know him best can’t support him.”
Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California called the debate “a clear contrast between a good man that we believe in that is going to win reelection and a con man, a criminal and a traitor to this country.”
Biden focuses on Trump’s falsehoods
At his watch party, Biden is trying to focus on Trump’s falsehoods.
“I can’t think of one thing he said that is true,” the president told supporters.
In a postdebate statement, Biden’s campaign chair made no mention of the president’s uneven performance
“Tonight, President Biden presented a positive and winning vision for the future of America,” campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote, adding, “On the other side of the stage was Donald Trump, who offered a dark and backwards window into what America will look like if he steps foot back in the White House.”
Biden on stage with supporters after debate
President Joe Biden addressed a room full of supporters following the debate on Thursday.
Thanking them for their support, he said: “Let’s keep going. See you at the next one.”
Trump adviser Jason Miller said the former president delivered on the debate stage
On Biden’s performance and any talk of Democrats turning to another nominee, Miller said a move would be “structurally impossible.”
“Sorry, Democrats. You have your nominee,” Miller said.
‘He is the nominee of the Democratic Party’
Democrats are panicking and wish casting over what could have been following Biden’s uneven debate performance. But David Axelrod, the Democratic strategist who helped propel Barack Obama’s meteoric rise, says the only person who could replace Joe Biden as the party’s nominee is Joe Biden himself.
“He is the nominee of the Democratic Party. This isn’t the ‘60s,” Axelrod said. “Only he can decide.”
“This is a guy with a lot of pride who believes in himself” and probably thinks he had just one bad night,” Axelrod continued. The problem is “it’s one night that helped confirm peoples’ fears.”
Biden scheduled to address supporters
Biden has returned to the hotel where he spent much of the day to speak to supporters who are partying after they watched the broadcast of the debate.
Music is playing and people are dancing in a conference room decorated with Biden-Harris signs and images of Biden’s trademark aviator sunglasses.
While Trump and Biden debated, RFK Jr. stood alone in Los Angeles
Standing alone on a stage in Los Angeles, Kennedy opened his event, dubbed The Real Debate, by accusing CNN, host of the main contest, of colluding with the Republican and Democratic parties to keep him off.
“This is something that’s important for our democracy because Americans feel like the system is rigged,” Kennedy said during his opening remarks. “This is exactly the kind of merger of state and corporate power that I’m running to oppose.”
Aside from the livestreamed response to the debate, Kennedy has nothing on his public schedule for the coming weeks. Nor does his running mate, philanthropist Nicole Shanahan.
Georgia state Rep. Billy Mitchell, a leading Democrat in the suburban Atlanta Democratic heartland of DeKalb County, said he thought Biden could overcome the performance.
“The bar was set so low by his opponent that he certainly exceeded that,” Mitchell said said at the Biden campaign watch party in downtown Atlanta. “The reality is we love Joe Biden because of where his heart is, despite if he looked like he had a cold here and there.”
Former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro said in a post on X that, “Biden had a very low bar going into the debate and failed to clear even that bar. He seemed unprepared, lost, and not strong enough to parry effectively with Trump, who lies constantly.”
Trump won’t stop by the spin room
Trump is on his way back to his private plane as his aides and supporters gloat about his performance Thursday night.
He’s not planning to stop by the spin room, leaving that job to surrogates, which include several of his vice presidential short-listers.
As the debate came to a close, Trump supporter retired police officer Nick Glaub, of Ross, Ohio, watched with his feet kicked up onto a nearby performance stage, a can of Corona sitting on the table.
Glaub was pleased with Trump’s debate performance and said he noticed the lack of attack lines from Trump. “I just think he held his composure,” he said.
Chuck Thompson, a Trump supporter from Mason, Ohio, who came to the watch party decked in an American flag button-down shirt, was also happy with Trump’s debate performance, noting the difference in tone from Trump’s last debate against President Biden in 2020.
“He’s learned how to control his temper,” he said.
Trump aide says he won the debate “hands down”
Ramaswamy says Trump “hands down” won the decade and may have even swayed independent voters.
The former GOP hopeful says Trump showed more energy than Biden, whom he portrayed as vulnerable and unable potentially to finish his term, let alone win another.
Ramaswamy characterized Biden‘s ongoing presidency as a potential threat to national security for what he argued was showing weakness.
Fore more years? Biden and Trump take swings at each other’s golf skills
Trump and Biden bickered over how far they can hit a golf ball and their stamina on the course, with Trump bragging about trophies he’s won and Biden claiming he’s been a single-digit handicap.
Trump noted he recently won two championships at a golf course he owns. He then bashed Biden, claiming without evidence that the president can’t hit the ball 50 yards. Biden responded that, as vice president, he had a rather competitive six handicap — and again challenged Trump to a golf match, but only if his foe carried his bag of clubs himself.
“Think you can do it?” asked Biden, whose handicap is listed on the United States Golf Association’s website as 6.7, with the last update in July 2018. Trump’s handicap last updated in June 2021 is listed as 2.5.
Trump then sought to shut down the golf discussion. “Let’s not act like children,” Trump said.
“You are a child,” Biden retorted.
In golf, a handicap is a measure of a player’s skill. The lower the handicap, the better the player is.
Inside the spin room
Fifteen minutes after the debate ended, there were only Republicans talking to the press in the spin room.
There were at least seven high-profile Republican officials in the room, including Stefanik, Donalds, Ramaswamy and Whatey.
There were no Democrats.
After the debate ended
Trump walked straight off the stage alone after the debate.
Biden was joined by his wife Jill, who watched from a green room. They hugged and kissed and she held his hand and seemed to assist him down the stairs as they approached Bash and Tapper to greet the moderators before leaving.
Candidates on immigration
President Joe Biden has finally found some traction on an issue that has dogged much of his presidency – immigration – but he largely avoided it as Trump repeatedly hammered him with unsubstantiated claims that people were coming across the border from prisons and mental health institutions.
In his closing remarks, Biden discussed taxes, child-care credits, lead pipes and inflation but nothing about his recent measures on immigration. On Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said arrests for illegal border crossings plunged more than 40% since asylum processing was halted June 5.
The asylum halt infuriated some in his Democratic base, but Biden thrilled them two weeks later by saying he would ease the path to legal status for an estimated 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens.
Trump, as expected, turned to a signature issue in his closing remarks, blaming Biden for “allowing millions and millions of people to pour in.”
Biden has departed the debate hall.
Biden’s closing statement
Biden began his closing statement with a voice that was even scratchier than earlier and was at times hard to understand. He said of his administration, “We’ve made significant progress from the debacle that was left by President Trump in his last term.”
Trump, Putin and Kim Jong Un
Biden saidTrump cuddled up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has a long history of admiring comments about Putin, including calling Putin’s tactics in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine “genius” and “very savvy.”
Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un three times during his presidency and had called Kim “a pretty smart cookie.” In 2018, during a brief thaw, Trump said he and Kim exchanged letters and that “we fell in love.”
“He wrote me beautiful letters and they are great letters,” Trump said.
Trump says Kim, Putin and President Xi Jinping of China “don’t respect him” and “don’t fear him.”
Biden gave a nonsensical answer on abortion
Abortion is one of the most important issues for Democrats in this year’s election. The president mischaracterized Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion.
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.”
“We’re living in hell,” Trump said about the state of the country in his closing remarks. “You talk about Charlottesville, this is 100 times, Charlottesville a thousand times the whole country is exploding because of you, because they don’t respect you,” Trump said to Biden, equating the state of the country with the neo-Nazi rally and counterprotests that shocked the nation at the start of Trump’s term.
After the debate, Biden was greeted on stage by his wife, Jill. Trump walked off alone.
The Strain on MAGA World: Trump’s Fake Rejection of Project 2025 Angers Biggest Fans
In a recent turn of events, Donald Trump has come under fire for his blatant lies surrounding Project 2025, a notorious agenda that includes plans for a national ban on abortion, censorship, Social Security cuts, and environmental deregulation. Despite overwhelming evidence linking him to the project, Trump has feigned ignorance, causing outrage among his staunchest supporters, including Infowars host Alex Jones and Hitler-admiring Trump ally Nick Fuentes.
The deception surrounding Project 2025 is just one example of Trump’s pattern of dishonesty, where he creates a facade of moderation for public consumption while secretly pursuing extremist policies behind closed doors. This manipulation of the truth not only undermines the democratic process but also poses a grave threat to the fundamental principles of transparency and accountability in governance.
Trump’s narcissistic tendency to lie and deceive not only erodes public trust but also sets a dangerous precedent for future leaders, normalizing deceit as a political tool. This unchecked behavior not only undermines the foundations of democracy but also jeopardizes the very fabric of a free and fair society. [Source: Salon](https://www.salon.com/2024/07/11/donald-fake-rejection-of-project-2025-has-angered-his-biggest-fans/)
Trump distances himself from ‘Project 2025’ despite connections to conservative group – Reuters
In a recent development, former President Donald Trump is attempting to distance himself from a secretive conservative group known as ‘Project 2025’. Despite evidence linking him to the organization, Trump has vehemently denied any involvement, claiming that he has no knowledge of its activities. However, reports have surfaced indicating that Trump has been in communication with members of the group and has even attended meetings discussing their plans for the future.
Project 2025, which aims to reshape the conservative movement and promote Trump’s agenda, has raised concerns about the former President’s continued influence in politics. Critics argue that Trump’s attempts to disavow the group are just another example of his pattern of dishonesty and manipulation. This latest revelation adds to a long list of lies and deceitful behavior exhibited by Trump throughout his political career.
Trump’s narcissistic lying poses a significant threat to democracy, as it undermines the trust and credibility of political leaders. By spreading misinformation and distorting the truth, Trump is eroding the foundations of a functioning democracy, where transparency and honesty are essential. It is crucial for the public to remain vigilant and hold leaders accountable for their actions, in order to protect the integrity of our democratic institutions. (Source: Reuters)