President Joe Biden is still dealing with the political fallout of his weak performance at the 2024 presidential debate, while former President Donald Trump is celebrating a “big win” after the Supreme Court’s ruling in his immunity case.
The two presumptive presidential nominees met face-to-face for the first time in the 2024 election cycle at a debate hosted by CNN last Thursday. Biden’s unsteady performance there has dominated the headlines since, leading some Democrats to privately question if he should step aside as the Democratic nominee.
On Monday, the Supreme Court handed Trump a victory when it released its opinion on Trump v. U.S., which declares that Trump has complete legal immunity for actions during his presidency that were “official” in nature, although not for those that were “unofficial.”
The ruling makes it highly unlikely that Trump’s trial on charges related to inciting the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, will take place before the November election. It also complicates his other ongoing legal proceedings, including his recent hush money conviction.
Follow along below for live updates on the presidential race:
House GOP Campaign Arm Takes Aim At Kamala Harris In New Ad
“Whether extreme House Democrats call on Joe Biden to step aside or not, Kamala Harris deserves the blame for many of the crises making life unsafe and difficult for American families -- and we plan to make her a prominent feature of the 2024 campaign," said NRCC spokesperson Will Reinert, who said the ad is "online/digital only."
Figures on how much money would be spent placing the ad or in what markets it would run were not immediately available.
The ad shows footage of Harris praising Biden as “a fighter, a leader with skill, vision, determination and compassion,” intercut with footage of Biden falling on the Air Force One steps and on a bicycle.
It also calls Harris Biden’s “enabler in chief” and includes footage of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), as well as Democratic Reps. Jim Clyburn (S.C.) and Steve Horsford (Nevada), praising Harris before the ad asks, “Is this who we want to be president?”
Business Executives Group Calls For Biden To Step Aside
They pointed out some of Biden's accomplishments, but then wrote, "What we witnessed Thursday night in the presidential debate was deeply concerning."
"We have heard from many individuals who share our deep concerns about the present course but fear speaking out. But speaking out is our duty in a democracy and the time to do it is now."
The group, which was founded by Harvard Business School alumni, didn't have member names on the statement.
Dem Consultants: What's Worse, Kamala Harris Or 'Dead Or Comatose' Biden?
Former Bill Clinton aide James Carville, in the conference call with SuperPAC American Bridge, told donors to cut off money to politicians who won't take their side over Biden.
Reid Hoffman adviser Dmitri Mehlhorn argued that Biden should stay in the race because swing voters like Vice President Kamala Harris even less than they like Biden.
“Kamala Harris is more threatening to those swing voters than a dead Joe Biden or a comatose Joe Biden,” he said. “So if Joe has to go, it’s gonna be Kamala and if it’s Kamala, it’s gonna be harder.”
The call shows how much wealthy donors are panicking and looking for guidance on what to do next. “What can we as donors do to encourage the change in the ticket?” asked one.
Biden Meeting With Dem Governors
Sen. Tammy Baldwin Will Not Attend Joe Biden’s Appearance In Wisconsin This Week
Julián Castro Calls For Joe Biden To Step Aside
“Joe Biden is a good man and has been a good president,” Castro wrote on X. “But last week’s debate disturbingly demonstrated that he is unable to effectively prosecute the case against Donald Trump — much less inspire and mobilize voters to the polls.”
The former mayor of San Antonio, Texas, went on to say defeating Trump was “too important for Democrats to do nothing.”
“Sadly, President Biden is not the campaigner he was in 2020,” he went on. “I am convinced that a number of other Democrats, including Vice President Harris, stand a better chance of winning.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin: Democratic Strategy To Defeat Trump A ‘Moving Target'
“Everybody is asking one question within the Democratic Party … which is how do we defeat Donald Trump, and how are we going to defeat the threat of authoritarianism?” Raskin told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
“I know this is a moving target, it’s got to happen quickly,” he went on. “But I can guarantee you … there will be massive unity and focus on that task when we get to the end of this process. And it’s happening very quickly I think.”
Barack Obama Tells Allies Biden’s Path Has Grown More Difficult: Report
Obama has remained steadfast behind his onetime vice president in recent remarks, but the Post added he remains worried about Trump’s strength going into the November election.
Dozens Of Democrats Preparing To Ask Biden To Step Aside: Reports
An aide told Reuters that 25 House Democrats are getting ready to make the call. Another aide told the outlet that moderate House Democrats in competitive districts are contemplating writing a letter to Biden expressing their concerns.
A Democratic lawmaker also told CBS News that a group of House Democrats are preparing the request. The group is “large” and covers “a broad swath of the Democratic caucus,” the outlet reported.
Democratic Congresswoman Says ‘Biden Is Going To Lose To Trump’
“About 50 million Americans tuned in and watched that debate. I was one of them for about five very painful minutes,” she said in an interview with Portland-area ABC News affiliate KATU. “We all saw what we saw, you can’t undo that, and the truth I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump. I know that’s difficult, but I think the damage has been done by that debate.”
Post-Debate Polls Spell Bad News For Joe Biden
Findings from a CNN poll conducted by SSRS after the debate show voters favor Trump over Biden by six points – the same as it found over the past several months. It would be a much tighter race between Harris and Trump, the poll found, with 45% for the vice president vs. 47% for the presumptive GOP nominee. That’s due in part to Harris having stronger support from women.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, two people that have been floated as possible Biden replacements, perform similarly against Trump as Biden, the poll found.
An OpenLabs poll leaked to Puck spelled more bad news for Biden’s campaign. The poll, conducted 72 hours after the debate, found that Harris, Buttigieg, Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer all outperformed Biden against Trump in every battleground state.
The OpenLabs poll also found that 40% of Biden voters surveyed think he should end his campaign. That’s up from around 25% who expressed that view in May.
Trump Has Hit Pause On Announcing His VP Pick In Biden Debate Aftermath: NYT
Trump has previously said he has chosen who his running mate will be. While reports in June indicated that Trump might announce his running mate ahead of the debate, The New York Times said he is now taking the timing of the Fourth of July holiday and the Republican National Convention into consideration.
Kamala Harris Says Not To Judge Joe Biden By One Bad Night
She acknowledged the “two elephants in the room,” referring to Biden’s debate performance and Trump (the Republican party uses the animal as a symbol of its party.)
“The debate, as the president said, not his finest hour. We all know that,” she said, according to a pool report.
But an election can’t be decided by “one day in June,” she added.
Biden To Visit Wisconsin, Pennsylvania This Week
Biden will visit Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday. On Sunday, he and the first lady will visit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Neither trip was included on the week ahead guidance sent by the White House Press Office on June 30. Biden's initial schedule stated he would travel to Delaware, where he has a home, on Friday.
White House Downplays Hunter Biden's Presence In Meetings
In response to question about an NBC News report that Hunter Biden had become something of a regular presence in meetings with senior White House advisors, Jean-Pierre said the president's son attended only one meeting ahead of last week's debate.
"He came back with his dad from Camp David," Jean-Pierre. "He walked him to the speech prep and he was in the room."
President Biden has always kept his family close and has stood by Hunter amid legal troubles connected to a past crack cocaine addiction. Hunter wrote in his 2021 memoir that he and his late brother Beau Biden strongly encouraged their father in his presidential runs.
Hunter Biden and other family members have reportedly urged Joe Biden to stay in the presidential race during a family meeting on Sunday following Biden's bad debate performance against Donald Trump last week.
Jean-Pierre did not directly respond to a question about whether Hunter Biden is participating in meetings with other advisors, but suggested he'd be around.
"It is a week where there will be more family members that are going to come to the White House," she said. "I am sure you will see some of them on the Fourth of July."
Rep. Clyburn Says He’d Support Harris If Biden Stepped Aside
“We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether she’s his second place or at the top of the ticket,” Clyburn, who is the co-chair of the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign, said in an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday.
“I want this ticket to continue to be Biden-Harris, and then we’ll see what happens after the next election,” he added.
Clyburn said he’s spoken with people who have expressed concern about Biden’s debate performance, which Clyburn has told CNN he suspects is related to “preparation overload.” But overwhelmingly those he’s spoken with have “dug in” and want to see Biden continue.
“When you’re 81 years old, you’re not as nimble as you are at 21,” Clyburn said, while noting that he’s almost three years older than Biden and sometimes makes his own mistakes.
Joe Biden’s Lapses Have Become More Common: NYT Report
“In interviews, people in the room with him more recently said that the lapses seemed to be growing more frequent, more pronounced and more worrisome,” the Times reported.
Read the whole story here.
Hunter Biden Joining Post-Debate White House Meetings: Report
A Delaware jury found the president’s son guilty last month on gun-related charges. He has also been indicted on tax-related felonies, to which he’s pleaded not guilty.
Biden To Give First Post-Debate Interview
A “first look of the interview” will air on “World News Tonight with David Muir” on Friday at 6:30 p.m EST, followed by portions of it released during “Good Morning America” on Saturday and Sunday.
The extended interview will air Sunday on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and again on “Good Morning America” on Monday, July 8, the network said.
First Democrat Member Of Congress Calls On Joe Biden To Step Down
“Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw,” Doggett said in a statement. “I respectfully call on him to do so.”
"Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory," he continued, adding: "President Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020. He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024."
Dem Senator Calls Out Biden's 'Dismissive Attitude' Since Debte
“I really do criticize the campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion. That’s just facing the reality that we’re in,” Welch told Semafor on Monday. “But that’s the discussion we have to have. It has to be from the top levels of the Biden campaign to precinct captains in the southside of Chicago.”
Welch added that party donors had growing concerns about Biden in the days since.
Jen Psaki Defends Biden's Debate Prep Team
"It was a bad debate," Psaki wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "I have no doubt they were tough, strategic and direct. (Believe me I have seen them in action) but prep does not always determine the outcome."
"Biden was bad. Important convos about what happens next. But if you are directing your ire at 'prep' you are not talking about the right things," Psaki continued.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Says He Was ‘Horrified’ After Debate
“I think people want to make sure that this is a campaign that’s ready to go and win,” Whitehouse told WPRI, a local CBS affiliate in Rhode Island. “That the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition, that this was a real anomaly and not just the way he is these days.”
Debate Moderator Jake Tapper Shares Serious Concern About Joe Biden
“There is a pattern, a discernible pattern, of Democratic officials seemingly trying to convince you, the public, to not believe what you saw and what you heard with your eyes and with your ears on Thursday night,” Tapper said at the opening of CNN's “The Lead.”
“But behind the scenes, make no mistake, most Democratic officials witnessed the same shocking spectacle that you did,” he continued.
Tapper had Biden national co-chair Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) on later in the episode. When Tapper asked about Biden’s dearth of press conferences, Coons tried to pivot the conversation to Trump’s lies during the debate.
“This is not the discussion that we’re having,” Tapper stopped him, then said Biden could settle concerns about his age and cognitive fitness by holding a lengthy press conference.
“The fact that you haven’t done that says quite a bit to me,” Tapper said.
Post-Debate Poll Shows Donald Trump Slightly Besting Joe Biden In New Hampshire
The Saint Anselm College poll, released Monday and conducted June 28-29, shows Trump besting Biden 44% to 42%.
The last Saint Anselm poll, conducted in December 2023, showed Trump trailing Biden by 10 points.
In the new poll, Trump had a 42% favorability rating among polled voters while Biden had 39% favorability rating.
Biden was the top choice of those who said they dislike both candidates, however, with 30% of these voters choosing Biden and 13% choosing Trump.
“If the election were held today, Trump would edge out Biden in New Hampshire with support at 44% versus 42%,” the poll concluded.
Biden won New Hampshire in the 2020 general election, garnering 52.9% of the vote while Trump picked up 45.5%.
Bloomberg Reports DNC May Nominate Biden As Early As July 21; DNC Spokesperson Denies Report
The move could be an attempt to solidify Biden as the party’s nominee following concerns over his debate performance and calls for him to drop out of the presidential race, Bloomberg also reported.
However, prior to the debate the committee had already voted in favor of meeting virtually that day, according to a June 21 report from the Ohio Capital Journal. The DNC is planning a virtual roll call vote on the nomination to make sure the incumbent president appears on the Ohio general election ballot.
If the official nomination does come during the virtual meeting, it would arrive 10 days after Trump’s scheduled sentencing for his hush money case on July 11 and a few days after Trump’s likely acceptance of the Republican official nomination during the Republican National Convention.
DNC spokesperson Rosemary Boeglin denied Bloomberg's assertion that the virtual vote would come early because of Biden's debate performance and the ensuing backlash.
"This is false," Boeglin wrote on X. "We've said for weeks that the DNC would hold a virtual roll call in the lead-up to our in-person convention as a result of the OH GOP's bad-faith attempts to keep Joe Biden off of their general election ballot. This is not new, as you note in your own reporting."
Biden's Schedule This Week
On Tuesday, Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks on extreme weather and get a briefing at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center. He will give remarks at a Medal of Honor Ceremony on Wednesday, and on Thursday he'll celebrate Independence Day with a barbecue and Fourth of July Celebration with members of the military and their families.
Biden is scheduled to travel to Delaware on Friday.
Iowa Democrat And Fellow Ex-Senator Says Joe Biden Should Step Aside
The Iowa Democrat, himself a former presidential candidate, sent a letter to friends and supporters describing the president’s debate performance as “a disaster from which Biden cannot recover.” Harkin’s remarks were first reported Friday in journalist Julie Gammack’s column, Iowa Potluck, before being confirmed by the Des Moines Registerand CNN.
“Of course, Trump’s answers were meandering, gobbledygook and full of lies,” Harkin wrote. “BUT they were said with force and directness.”
The 84-year-old reportedly encouraged all incumbent Democratic senators, as well as some governors, to ask Biden to release his delegates and step out of the presidential race so that the Democratic National Convention can choose another candidate, a move Harkin said could “energize the party at all levels and capture the general public’s attention — many of whom would like an alternative to Trump.”
“This is a perilous time and is more important than Joe Biden's ego or desire to stay president,” Harkin wrote.
Top Democratic Donor Rips Biden Advisers In Charge Of Debate Prep
In several posts on X, formerly called Twitter, John Morgan went after White House senior adviser Anita Dunn, as well as her husband and Biden’s personal attorney, Bob Bauer, saying that Biden’s team had “failed him” when it came to the debate.
“Format was a disaster for him and a plus for Trump. He over practiced and was drained… who wouldn’t be,” Morgan wrote in one of his posts on Sunday. “Biden has for too long been fooled by the value of Anita Dunn and her husband. They need to go… TODAY. The grifting is gross. It was political malpractice.”
Morgan later told The New York Times that he also blames adviser and former White House chief of staff Ron Klain for not preparing Biden well enough for the debate. The Times reported that Biden himself still trusts Klain, Dunn and Bauer.
On Saturday, Dunn said on MSNBC’s “This Weekend” that Biden’s supporters and donors are still excited about his campaign and that she did not have a discussion with him about potentially dropping out of the race following the debate.
Biden Allies Assemble On Sunday Shows For Debate Damage Control
“Look, I think it was a weak debate performance by President Biden. He had a … scratchy, rough voice. He answered a few questions in ways that were not the most forceful,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday. “But I think side by side, Donald Trump had a horrifying debate performance where, yes, he spoke plainly, but what he said was lie after lie after lie that left most of those who watched either confirmed in their opinion to vote for Joe Biden or alarmed at the prospect of Donald Trump.”
Read more about the response from Biden’s allies here.
Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Jamie Raskin Say Dems Are Discussing Biden’s Political Future
“We’re in the process of having conversations with various parts of the House Democratic Caucus that’s ongoing. That will continue,” Jeffries told MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” adding that discussions will be had over the phone and virtually due to the House going into recess for the Fourth of July.
Speaking to MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, Raskin also said that there are “very honest and serious, rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party.” The Maryland Democrat implied that it’s normal for a political party with diverse perspectives to have such conversations, as compared to the apparent lack of discussion in the Republican Party after Trump was convicted.
New Poll Says 72% Of Voters Don’t Think Joe Biden Has Mental, Cognitive Health To Serve
Report: Top Democrats Privately Express Reservations About Biden
"So far, the party’s top leaders have offered public support for Biden, including in tweets posted by former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Senior congressional Democrats, including Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Nancy Pelosi of California, have privately expressed concerns about his viability, said two sources apprised of those discussions, even as they all publicly back the president."
Read the full story here.
NBC News: Biden Expected To Discuss Future Of Campaign With Family On Sunday
The trip had been planned before Thursday's debate, in which Biden gave a disastrous performance that has left Democrats on edge.
According to NBC News sources, "there is an understanding among top Democrats that Biden should be given space to determine next steps."
Insiders reportedly "believe only the president, in consultation with his family, can decide whether to move forward or to end his campaign early."
Read the full report at NBC News.
Demonstrators Outside Biden Hamptons Fundraiser
David Remnick Calls For Biden To Drop Out Of Presidential Race
In a scathing editorial, Remnick said Biden’s age can no longer be ignored, and that watching him fumble during the debate was an “agonizing experience.”
“You watched it, and, on the most basic human level, you could only feel pity for the man and, more, fear for the country,” Remnick wrote.
While Remnick acknowledged that finding a new nominee would be an “admittedly complicated process,” he argued that it would still be the more “rational course.”
“To stay in the race would be pure vanity, uncharacteristic of someone whom most have come to view as decent and devoted to public service,” Remnick added.
Read the full editorial at The New Yorker.
New Report Suggests Reason Biden Appeared Sluggish At Debate
Thursday night’s debate was five hours after that window. Quite simply, it might have been too late in the day for him to present his best self.
Axios reported that the staffers have seen “flashes of an absent-minded Biden” akin to the version who took long pauses and delivered meandering sentences in a low, hoarse voice onstage this week. But they reportedly dismiss these moments because he is alert and engaged at other times.
International travel is also particularly tiring for the president, the outlet said.
Biden Tours Fundraising Events Amid Wealthy Donors’ Worries: Reports
But donors do appear to have deep concerns.
The New York Times reported Saturday that Silicon Valley executives were discussing among themselves how Biden could be forcibly removed as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, or how they could get to Jill Biden and convince her to tell him to drop out. The Times said at least one Silicon Valley donor called off a fundraiser for Biden that was expected to be held later this summer.
Reid Hoffman, a venture capitalist and Democratic Party donor, reportedly wrote in an email that he has received “a lot” of questions about a potential pressure campaign to get Biden to drop out after his “(very) bad debate performance.” Hoffman said it “certainly delivered a blow to the mood among donors and organizers,” according to the Times.
Other news outlets, like USA Today and Variety, have also reported that Democratic donors are wary of Biden continuing his candidacy.
Joe Biden’s Childhood Neighbor: ‘It’s Time To Go’
“I write to you urgently, as your old neighbor from Scranton,” Jay Parini, now a Middlebury College instructor, wrote for CNN. “My mother was your babysitter, and you and I sat at my kitchen table many decades ago. I’ve been your admirer for years, sending you checks, knocking on doors and writing pieces supporting you.”
Parini praised Biden’s record, listing a number of accomplishments and stating that “few leaders in American history have had your big heart.”
“But you’re an old man now, like me,” Parini wrote.
He continued: “Sadly, that was evident to me from the moment you walked — dazed and confused — onto the debate stage Thursday in Atlanta against former President Donald Trump. You seemed ancient, pale and fragile.”
“You’re a man of huge integrity, Joe, and you must — you MUST — stand down,” he said.
Read the piece here.
Nikki Haley Says Republicans Should Prepare For ‘Vibrant’ Biden Replacement
“They are going to be smart about it: they’re going to bring somebody younger, they’re going to bring somebody vibrant, they’re going to bring somebody tested,” she told the outlet. “This is a time for Republicans to prepare and get ready for what’s to come because there is no way that there will be a surviving Democratic Party if they allow Joe Biden to continue to be the candidate.”
Addressing the president’s debate performance, Haley told the Journal, “It was shocking, I think, for a lot of people.”
Chuck Schumer Reportedly Signaled He Was Open To Replacing Biden As Candidate
While that predication seemed to come true after Biden’s lethargic and at times confusing debate performance, Schumer is reportedly still sticking with Biden for now.
"Leader Schumer has always supported and continues to support President Biden as the nominee and believes he will be re-elected," a Schumer spokesperson told Axios.
James Carville Says Joe Biden Should Be Taken Off Election Ticket
“I never thought this was a nifty idea," Carville said of Biden's run. He added that Biden “doesn’t have advisers. He has employees.”
Carville, 79, also told NOLA.com that both Biden and Trump are too old to run for president.
“There’s nothing I saw last night that would dissuade me of that opinion at all,” Carville said of Thursday’s debate. “I still think what I thought. I can’t be any simpler.”
Jill Biden Tells Fundraising Crowd What Her Husband Told Her After Debate
“As Joe said earlier today, he’s not a young man,” Jill Biden continued, per the Post. “After last night’s debate, he said, ‘You know, Jill, I don’t know what happened. I didn’t feel that great.’”
The room reportedly erupted into applause when she suggested that a 90-minute debate could never define her husband’s entire term as president.
“What my husband does know how to do is tell the truth,” the first lady continued, the Post said. “When he gets knocked down, Joe gets back up, and that’s what we’re doing today.”
NYT Editorial Board Calls On Biden To Drop Out Of Race
“The president appeared on Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant,” the board wrote. “He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans. More than once, he struggled to make it to the end of a sentence.”
The board said it would still endorse Biden over Trump if another Democratic challenger doesn’t step forward.
“If the race comes down to a choice between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, the sitting president would be this board’s unequivocal pick. That is how much of a danger Mr. Trump poses,” the board wrote. “But given that very danger, the stakes for the country and the uneven abilities of Mr. Biden, the United States needs a stronger opponent to the presumptive Republican nominee.”
Read the board’s full piece here.
Donald Trump Praises CNN Moderators
“I shouldn’t knock CNN, because I actually thought they treated me very fairly last night. Very professional, both of them, Jake and Dana,” he said of Tapper and Bash during a Virginia campaign rally. “They treated us very fairly. They abused me for years, but last night – right? What happened? They treated me very fairly.”
Bash and Tapper stuck solely to questions last night, foregoing any live fact-checking. That was despite Trump lying about numerous things from his time in office, including his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. They didn’t stop either candidate from going off-topic when asked a question, telling them they could use their time how they pleased.
Elton John Joins Biden To Commemorate New Stonewall Education Center
John thanked Biden for taking "concrete action to make our lives better," and lamented the hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills that have been introduced in state legislatures this year.
"Disgraceful," John said.
He went on: "Do we stand up for our vision and values? Or let misinformation and ceaseless scapegoating turn back the clock? No. Fucking. Way."
Barack Obama Defends Joe Biden's Debate Performance
“But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit,” Obama said.
“Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November," he concluded, dropping in a link to Biden's campaign website.
Joe Biden, Donald Trump Debate Ratings Take A Huge Dip From 2020
The numbers are significantly fewer than the first 2020 presidential debate between the same candidates, which gained a viewership of more than 73 million across all television networks, and the first 2016 debate between Trump and Hilary Clinton, which hit a record for most watched U.S. debate with 84 million viewers.
Thursday’s debate was simulcast across a total of 22 other networks. CNN gained 9.04 million viewers, while Fox News drew 8.8 million viewers, ABC News got 8.7 million viewers and MSNBC drew 3.968 million viewers.
A Newly Energized Joe Biden Addresses The Elephant In The Room
The president spoke with renewed gusto at a North Carolina rally before an animated crowd. It was a stark difference from his demeanor at last night’s debate, when Biden fumbled several times in the CNN studio without a live audience.
“I spent 90 minutes on the stage debating a guy who has the morals of an alley cat,” Biden said Friday, saying Trump probably set “a new record for the most lies told in a single debate.”
Biden also addressed the elephant in the room, speaking in a clear, booming voice many of his supporters were hoping to hear last night.
“Let me close with this. I know I'm not a young man,” Biden, 81, said. “I don't walk as easy as I used to, I don't speak as smoothly as I used to, I don't debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth, I know right from wrong, I know how to do this job, I know how to get things done, I know, like many of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up."
Jill Biden Makes A Clear Fashion Statement At Joe Biden's First Post-Debate Rally
"What you saw last night on the debate stage was Joe Biden: A president with integrity and character," she said to the crowd. "He told the truth. And Donald Trump told lie after lie after lie."
Biden Campaign Raises $14 Million From Debate: Report
Read more here.
Speaker Johnson Suggests Biden 'Not Up To The Job'
"Everyone can see the objective fact that we have been discussing here for a long, long time, that President Biden is not up to the job," he said to reporters on Capitol Hill.
He said Trump's performance "won on every metric of measurement, I think, on the issues, on his stamina, on his temperament."
Trump was also lambasted repeatedly for remarks he made at the debate.
Joe Scarborough On Biden: 'Can He Run For President In 2024?'
"If he were CEO and he turned in a performance like that, would any corporation in America, any Fortune 500 corporation in America keep him on as CEO?" Scarborough asked.
Scarborough particularly took issue with Biden's inability to challenge Trump's falsehoods during the head-to-head debate.
"Trump lied over and over and over and over again and Joe Biden couldn't respond to any of those lies," he said.
Biden is reportedly a loyal viewer of Scarborough's "Morning Joe" show.
Psaki Cites 2012 Obama Example To Prove Biden Can Turn Things Around
Psaki cited former President Barack Obama as an example, saying he "bombed" the first debate of the 2012 campaign cycle even though he ended up winning that year's presidential race.
"Anybody who is running for president is competitive," Psaki said. "Joe Biden is a competitive person. Barack Obama is a competitive person. When their back is against the wall, maybe he will bring his best self forward."
Van Jones: 'It's Not Just Panic, It's Pain'
"I love that guy," Jones said of Biden. "That's a good man. He loves his country. He's doing the best that he can but he had a test to meet tonight to restore confidence of the country and of the base and he failed to do that."
Jones added that some people will want to see Biden consider dropping out of the 2024 presidential race following the debate.
"That was not what we needed from Joe Biden, and is personally painful for a lot of people," he said. "It's not just panic, it's pain."
Symone Sanders Says Biden Has No Plan To Drop Out
"Folks, the facts are if Joe Biden was going to step aside he would have did so a long time ago," Sanders wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "That’s not my opinion that’s literally the facts. So no, he won’t be stepping aside tomorrow morning. He’s the nominee and a number of Dems I suspect will be out defending him over the next few days."
Joe Biden On His Debate Performance: 'I Think We Did Well'
According to a White House pool report, Biden told reporters "I think we did well."
He also brushed off the calls for him to step aside to let a younger Democratic candidate run instead.
"It’s hard to debate a liar. The New York Times pointed out he lied 26 times," he said, according to the pool report.
When asked if he was sick, as his campaign indicated during the debate, Biden said he had a sore throat.
Kamala Harris Makes The Rounds Defending Joe Biden’s Debate Performance
“This was not a strong performance tonight from President Biden. I want to hear your assessment and how you respond to those critics,” Maddow said.
“It was a slow start,” Harris admitted, leaning on the same phrasing she used with Cooper. “There's no question about that. But I thought it was a strong finish.”
She continued: “When you look at the two sides of the ledger, what we had in Joe Biden is someone who wanted to have a debate based on facts, based on truth, and in Donald Trump, we had what we have 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.”
Kamala Harris Spars With Anderson Cooper Over Biden’s Debate Performance
“He was a very different person on the stage four years ago when you debated him,” Cooper said. “You must — I mean, that's certainly true, is it not?”
Harris responded with a list of the Biden administration's successes.
“I'm not going to spend all night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when I've been watching the last three and a half years of performance,” Harris said.
Cooper kept pushing back. “I mean, you can't honestly say — I mean, can you say that you are not concerned at all having watched the president's performance tonight?”
"It was a slow start,” Harris acquiesced. “That's obvious to everyone. I'm not going to debate that point. I'm talking about the choice in November, about one of the most important elections in our collective lifetime.”
Biden Surrogates Do Damage Control
Joe Biden Finally Brings Up The Energy At Debate Watch Party
“I can’t think of one thing he said that was true," Biden said of Trump on the watch party stage.
The president made no mention of his own performance at the debate.
“We’re going to beat this guy. We need to beat this guy,” Biden told the crowd, who welcomed him on stage by cheering, "Four more years!"
"You are the reason America is as good as we are," the president said to the lively crowd of supporters. "We're the finest nation in the whole damn world!"
Moderators Didn’t Press Candidates About LGBTQ+ Rights At All During Presidential Debate
“This will be an enormous slight to our community if LGBTQ questions are not asked during this debate,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of the LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD, ahead of tonight’s debate. “Our community is deeply affected by where these candidates stand.”
Nearly half of states have passed bans on gender-affirming care for minors and bans on transgender youth participating in school sports. Federal agencies have noted a spike in hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in recent years and advocates have warned that anti-trans rhetoric pushed by Republicans, including Trump himself, has fueled this violence.
The ability for young trans people to access gender-affirming care now hangs in the balance as the conservative-leaning Supreme Court is set to weigh Tennessee’s state ban this fall.
The stakes could not be higher for the LGBTQ+ community in this election. Biden has enacted executive orders to expand federal funding for gender-affirming care and this spring issued guidance to ensure Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination are inclusive to LGBTQ+ students in federally funded educational institutions.
But that could all change if Trump wins this November. The former president has promised to undo all of Biden’s progressive policies, including reversing current Title IX policies on “day one.” And in Project 2025, a 1,000-page document that lays out a road map for a second Trump presidency, Trump’s allies have promised to upend LGBTQ+ rights by reinstating the ban on trans people serving in the military, rolling back federal discrimination protections and erasing the legal recognition of transgender identity.
“We are poised to be the decisive voting bloc in the 2024 election, which is what we were in the 2020 election,” Ellis said. “So we have to be a part of this conversation.”
MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace Says 'Conversations' Happening Among Democrats About Joe Biden’s Performance
“There is a conversation happening inside Biden’s circle, and certainly a much more frank conversation happening inside the Democratic coalition,” she said.
Asked by fellow MSNBC host Rachel Maddow what those conversations were, Wallace said they ranged from “whether he should be in this race tomorrow morning, to what was wrong with him.”
She added that she spoke directly with a Biden aide, who said, “We can’t necessarily spin too much what people did see and hear.”
And We’re Done With The First Presidential Debate
Trump Uses Closing Statements To Attack Biden: We Are 'Living In Hell'
"He doesn't do anything, all he does is make our country unsafe," Trump said, after calling Biden a "complainer."
Donald Trump Won’t Say If He Will Accept Election Results
Asked if he would denounce political violence in any form, Trump answered: “Well I shouldn’t have to say that, but of course I believe that.”
The Republican’s answers kept veering into jabs at Biden’s tenure in the White House, leading Bash to repeat her question and give him another opportunity to say whether he would accept the results.
Trump eventually said that he would “absolutely” accept the results, as long as the election is “fair” and “legal” in his eyes. The candidate claimed he would rather be anywhere else, but decided to run again because he believes Biden has done a poor job as president.
In response, Biden said that he does not believe Trump would accept the election results, saying he continues to push the lie that the 2020 election was rigged.
“I doubt you’ll accept it because you’re a whiner,” Biden said. “Something snapped in you when you lost last time.”
Joe Biden Makes His Closing Statements
“We have to make sure we have a fairer tax system,” Biden said, adding about Trump: “This guy has increased your taxes because of the deficit, increased inflation because of the debacle he left after the way he handled the pandemic.”
He also promoted his administration’s work to lower the cost of insulin from $400 a month down to $35.
“We're going to bring down inflation and give people a break,” Biden promised.
Donald Trump Falsely Claims He Never Called Neo-Nazis 'Very Fine People'
“It’s been debunked all over the place,” Trump said. “Every reasonable anchor has debunked it.. Just the other day it came out where it was fully debunked. It’s a nonsense story and he knows that.”
When Trump said “just the other day” he was likely referring to an article on Snopes, the typically reliable fact-checking site, which published a confusing, hair-splitting article claiming Trump hadn’t actually called neo-Nazis in Charlottesville “fine people.” Snopes argued that while Trump did say at a 2017 press conference that there were “very fine people” among the protesters and counter-protesters at the “Unite The Right” rally, he also said white nationalists and neo-Nazis should be “condemned totally” during the same press conference. For Snopes, this was enough to absolve Trump.
But, as noted by Parker Malloy in The New Republic, what Snopes failed to understand was that this was a classic case of Trump doublespeak. The fact is — as HuffPost reported from the ground — all of the participants in the “Unite The Right” rally were either white supremacists, or far-right extremists who had noproblem marching alongside obvious, swastika-flag carrying white supremacists. So when Trump said they were “very fine people,” that’s who he was talking about.
That Trump cited Snopes during the debate is ironic, given that the site has debunked thousands of the former president’s claims.
Donald Trump Boasts About His Cognitive Health – And His Waistline
“I took two cognitive tests. I aced them, both of them, as you know. We made it public. He took none. I'd like to see him just take one, a real easy one. Go through the first five questions, he couldn't do it,” Trump charged against Biden.
The creator behind one of the cognitive tests Trump took has said some of the ex-president’s comments about the test don’t line up with what’s actually in the exam.
Trump also took the question as an opportunity to boast about his physical health.
“I think I'm in very good shape. I feel that I'm in as good a shape as I was 25-30 years ago. Actually, I'm probably a little bit lighter,” he said.
Debate Devolves Into Bickering About Candidates' Golf Game
“By the way, I told you before, I’m happy to play golf if you carry your own bag. Think you can do it?” Biden asked.
Trump began to answer, with Biden appearing ready to hit back, until the moderators began to interject — prompting Trump to say, “Let’s not act like children.”
As Donald Trump And Joe Biden Spar, RFK Jr. Debates A Jumbotron
Kennedy's campaign livestreamed this solo debate performance on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on TheRealDebate.com as counter-programming to the official presidential debate.
The independent candidate's livestream featured an altered version of CNN's debate split screen of Biden and Trump, adding a third box with a video stream of Kennedy.
Donald Trump Finally Said 1 True Thing At The Presidential Debate
Asked if he’d take any action to address the climate crisis if reelected, Trump painted himself a champion of clean water.
“I want absolutely immaculate clean water and I want absolutely immaculate clean air. And we had it. We had H2O,” he said. “We had the best numbers ever.”
One thing is true: the U.S. did have H20 during his presidency. But during Trump’s first term, Trump rolled back decades of clean water protections.
“I don’t know where the hell he’s been,” Biden said in response. “The cleanest water? The cleanest water? He hasn’t done a damn thing for the environment.”
Joe Biden Says His Record In Office Overcomes Concerns About His Age
“First of all, I spent half of my career being criticized for being the youngest person in politics,” the president said. “I was the second-youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate. Now, I'm the oldest. This guy's three years younger and a lot less competent.”
“Look at my record, look at what I’ve done,” Biden added. “I’ve turned around the horrible situation he left me.”
CNN Moderators Offer Little Pushback During Rambling, Falsehood-Filled Debate
As the debate nears the end, Trump is increasingly turning his time reserved for answering questions into his usual rant full of falsehoods, insults and racism. Despite this being central to the former president’s personality, CNN appears unwilling to combat it with accountability and fact-checking.
Biden himself is also not immune, starting sentences that trail off while buying into Trump’s name-calling bait and returning the insults. It’s unclear what the point of debate is, if neither candidate is held accountable for answering the actual question posed to them with facts.
FACT CHECK: Joe Biden Lowered Insulin Prices — Not Donald Trump
Uh, not quite.
Trump introduced a program under which the private insurance companies that handle prescription coverage would offer insulin for $35. But it was a pilot program with a time limit and it was voluntary, and it didn’t have to apply to all insulin products.
Biden’s initiative -- which is part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) -- is permanent and mandatory, and applies to all insulin products in Medicare.
This briefing and graphic from the non-partisan research organization KFF illustrates the differences nicely.
By the way, the insulin change was just one of several drug pricing initiatives in the IRA. Among the others is a provision allowing the federal government to negotiate the prices of some drugs directly with manufacturers, which is how other countries keep their drug prices so low.
As president, Trump talked a lot about bringing down drug prices and introduced a few initiatives, but when legislation in Congress had a chance to pass, Trump wouldn’t or couldn’t get it through.
Donald Trump Completely Ignores Question On Cost Of Child Care — Twice
Tapper did not push back, merely thanking Trump for his response.
Given a chance to respond, Biden first hit back on Trump’s accusations, saying, “We are the most admired country in the world. We're the United States of America. There's nothing beyond our capacity. We have the finest military in the history of the world.”
The president then addressed child care, saying he would like to increase the child care tax credit.
Given one more chance to answer the question on child care, Trump failed. He claimed Biden wanted to raise taxes.
Donald Trump, Joe Biden Didn't Speak Or Look At Each Other During The Break
The pool report said Biden and Trump did not say anything or make eye contact. Trump took a sip of water, and Biden smiled at the photographers.
FACT CHECK: No, Joe Biden Never Called Black People ‘Super Predators’
“What he's done to the black population is horrible,” Trump said, “including the fact that, for 10 years, he called them ‘super predators’ in the 1990s. We can't forget that. ‘Super predators’ was his name, and they've taken great offense to that.”
But Biden neverused those words. That was Hillary Clinton, who used the term in a 1996 speech in support of a crime bill that’s since been heavily criticized for disproportionately imprisoning Black Americans.
Then-Sen. Biden actually pushed back against that term the following year, saying “most of the youth involved in the system are not the so-called ‘super predators.’”
Biden appeared outraged and looked around the debate stage while Trump made the accusation.
Donald Trump Claims U.S. Had ‘Immaculate’ Air And Water Despite Efforts To Roll Back Climate Protections
“I want absolutely immaculate clean water and I want absolutely immaculate clean air,” he said. “We had the best numbers ever and we were using all forms of energy, everything.”
“During my four years I had the best environmental numbers ever," he continued.
In fact, the Trump administration rolled back more than 100 environmental rules and withdrew the U.S. from the landmark Paris climate agreement. Many of those rules were meant to protect air quality and waterways. The Trump White House also expanded drilling access and touted polluting fossil fuels.
Biden has rolled back many of those plans and reinstated the U.S.’ participation in the Paris climate deal.
Donald Trump Says The 1 Sentence We Never Thought We'd Hear At A Presidential Debate
Trump rejected those claims.“I didn’t have sex with a porn star,” the former president said. “That case was started and moved and they moved a high ranking official into the Manhattan DA's office to start that case. That case will be appealed and won.”
Joe Biden Finally Reminds Everyone Of Donald Trump's Legal Woes
Last month, Trump was criminally convicted of 34 felonies for falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to a porn star just before the 2016 election.
While discussing the Jan. 6 Capitol riot nearly 45 minutes into the debate, Biden finally reminded everyone about some of his opponent's legal troubles.
“Trump is a convicted felon,” Biden said.
Trump defended his recent legal woes, reiterating his past remarks on how the system is rigged, and took a dig at Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted earlier this month on three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018.
“His son is a convicted felon… Joe could be a convicted felon with all that he’s done,” Trump retorted. “This man is a criminal. I did nothing wrong.”
NBC: Sources Say Joe Biden Has A Cold
Donald Trump Says His Irish American Opponent Is ‘Like A Palestinian’
Biden was asked by Tapper about his ongoing support for Israel’s military campaign, which has so far killed more than 37,000 Palestinians in retaliation for Hamas’ attack on Israel that killed 1,200 on Oct. 7 and took hundreds hostage. The president answered by saying the U.S. continues to send weapons to Israel while working to broker a cease-fire deal.
“The only one who wants the war to continue is Hamas,” Biden falsely said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he would continue the war even after reaching a potential cease-fire deal.
Trump also refuted Biden’s claim, but doing so in support of Netanyahu and his far-right government essentially wiping Gaza off the map.
“Let him finish the job,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “[Biden] doesn’t wanna do it, he’s become like a Palestinian. But they don’t like him because he’s a very bad Palestinian, he’s a weak one.”
Joe Biden Hits Back At Donald Trump Over Threat To Use Government To Persecute Enemies
Over the course of his response, Trump said both “I did nothing wrong” and “I didn’t have sex with a porn star,” a reference to his New York criminal hush money trial. Trump suggested Biden may end up a convicted criminal for all the “horrible” things he has done.
Biden replied: “The idea that I did anything wrong relative to what you're talking about is outrageous. It is simply a lie.”
He added that it was “simply wrong” that any president had the right to seek “retribution.”
Donald Trump Dodges Questions On Role In Jan. 6 Insurrection
“On Jan. 6 we had a great border. On Jan. 6 we were energy independent, we had the lowest taxes ever, we had the lowest regulation ever,” Trump said. “We were respected all over the world. And then he comes in, we’re now laughed at.”
When Tapper asked again, Trump said he didn’t egg his supporters on, instead attempting to lay blame on then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
It took the moderators 40 minutes to bring up the capitol insurrection.
The riot resulted in several deaths and hundreds of injuries. More than 1,000 people have since been charged in connection to the riot.
In connection to his role in the Jan. 6 effort to overturn the election results, Trump has been charged with two felony counts (including one conspiracy count) of obstructing an official proceeding, one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and another felony count of conspiracy against rights.
The trial was originally set for March 2024 but has since been postponed until an unknown date.
Donald Trump Claims To Have Spoke To Vladimir Putin About ‘Dream’ To Invade Ukraine
“We left American citizens behind," Trump said of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
"When Putin saw that, he said, ‘You know what? I think we're gonna go in and maybe take my …’ This was his dream. I talked to him about it. His dream,” Trump went on. He claimed that Putin would “never” have invaded Ukraine with him as president. It is unclear whether Trump ever spoke to Putin about invading Ukraine as he suggested — or when it would have happened.
Biden Kicks Off Name-Calling By Slinging 2 Insults At Trump
“My son was not a loser and was not a sucker,” the president said, referring to his late son Beau who served in Iraq. “You’re the sucker, you’re the loser.”
Trump denied that he ever said that veterans are suckers and losers, and demanded the president apologize to him. Biden condemned “the idea that I have to apologize to you for anything.”
Joe Biden Blunders Just Minutes In
The Truth About Trump’s Tariff And What It’d Do To Average Americans
The comment came towards the end of a conversation about the economy, with Biden and Trump arguing over whether the inflation of Biden’s first years were his fault -- and what else Biden had or hadn’t done to bring down prices.
Once that was done, Tapper turned to Trump with a followup. Wouldn’t his proposed tariff raise prices on those imports?
Trump said no: “They’re not going to drive prices higher.”
Economists disagree. Just last month, the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics issued an analysis of Trump’s proposal. Here’s what they concluded:
“A lower-bound estimate of costs to consumers indicates that the tariffs would reduce after-tax incomes by about 3.5 percent for those in the bottom half of the income distribution; tariffs would cost a typical household in the middle of the income distribution at least $1,700 in increased taxes each year. If executed, Trump’s latest tariff proposals would increase manifold the distortions and burdens created by the rounds of tariffs levied during the Trump administration (and sustained during the Biden administration), while inflicting significant collateral damage on the US economy. Domestic job creation claims for the 2018–19 return to protectionism have simply proved false, as discussed below.”
So…. $1,700 in increased costs for the typical middle class family, while “inflicting significant collateral damage on the U.S. economy.”
Sure sounds like higher prices!
Donald Trump Repeats His Same Lies About Abortion
He also insisted that Democrats want to “take the life of a child in the eighth month, the ninth month, and even after birth.” Abortions in the end stages of pregnancy are extremely rare, and no child is killed after being born. That is homicide and illegal nationwide.
Biden responded that abortions later in pregnancy only take placer when the mother’s “life is in danger, if she's going to die.”
Trump Plays Up Immigration Fears Without Evidence
The First Question Is About The Economy And Cost Of Living Crisis
The president went on to talk about his efforts to lower the price of essential goods and the price of prescription drugs.
Trump responds and sticks to the question, and says the economy was “rocking good” under his tenure.
“He has not done a good job, he’s done a poor job, and inflation is killing our country,” Trump said. “It’s killing us.”
His economy “rewarded the wealthy” Biden replied, noting Trump left the U.S. with the a historic deficit.
Here We Go
They did not shake hands, instead walking directly to their respective lecterns.
Here’s What Gov. Gavin Newsom Said Before The Debate
“This has an impact around the globe. This is about electing the leader of the free world. America matters. It’s about our moral authority, not just our formal authority,” Newsom said when he arrived, NBC News reported.
“You got someone that brings a moral voice in the work as president and someone that did just the opposite and has no moral compass whatsoever,” he added.
During CNN’s pre-debate coverage, CNN’s Erin Burnett asked Newsom to address rumors that Biden and Trump are considering not shaking hands.
“If we’re getting into this kind of nitty-gritty, we’re running out of punditry,” he said, adding that he hoped they would shake hands.
Meet Your Moderators: Dana Bash And Jake Tapper
Neither of them have many qualms with calling out Trump’s questionable behavior, but Tapper especially has a long history of criticizing the former president, saying he tried to “kill democracy” after losing the 2020 election to Biden.
The two were highly critical of a chaotic Biden-Trump debate Fox News hosted in 2020, with Tapper calling it a “hot mess inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck” and Bash branding it “a shitshow” and comparing it to a “bad reality TV show.” The moderator of that debate, Chris Wallace, is now their CNN colleague.
Biden Campaign Has Best-Ever Fundraising Hour: Report
Tonight Will Be The First Debate Without An In-Person Audience Since 1960
The last time two candidates faced off without one was in 1960 when Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy appeared in the first televised debates between presidential contenders. Their first appearance was a turning point in Kennedy’s campaign and he went on to surge to victory.
There were no ensuing presidential debates until 1976, but since then, every single one has included a live audience. That includes 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden’s camp demanded there be no audience, according to The New York Times, to avoid cheers or boos that have long been a feature of any event Trump appears at.
These Are The Rules For Tonight's Presidential Debate
— The debate will be 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
— Candidates are not allowed to interact with their campaign staff during the breaks.
— There will be no audience and podium positions are determined by a coin flip.
— Microphones will be muted except when it’s a candidates turn to speak.
— Participants are not allowed any pre-written notes, only a pen, pad of paper and bottle of water.
CNN said moderators will use “all tools at their disposal” to ensure a “civilized discussion.”
Campaigns Plot Dueling Debate Ad Segments Featuring Abortion, Capitol Riot, Biden’s Stairway Stumble
Trump’s team says it plans to air two ads around the debate. One features imagery of Biden stumbling on a staircase to question his fitness for office at age 81. (Trump is 78.) Another asks voters whether they are better off now than when Trump left office in January 2020.
CNN’s editorial standards, however, stipulate that the political ads are not shown during the debate. The Biden and Trump ads can only be shown before and after the main event, although other networks airing the debate are not subject to these rules.
Trump Deplanes Ahead Of Debate
Biden’s Spin Room Lineup Features A Trump Family Member
Mary Trump, the former president’s outspoken niece, will be among the campaign supporters who will speak to “the startling contrast between each candidate’s character,” according to a Biden campaign official. Mary Trump released a book in 2020, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
In a statement, she warned against giving her uncle another term.
"I’m in Atlanta tonight to remind everyone who Donald is as a person and how he would rule as a president because the stakes are far too high for us to get this wrong: We cannot afford to allow Donald Trump anywhere near the levers of power again,” she said.
She continued: "Donald cannot be trusted and we must recognize that his last administration was simply a warm-up for much worse to come just as January 6th was a dress rehearsal for a man who will stop at nothing to ascend, once again, to this country’s highest office.”
Other Biden surrogates include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), former Atlanta Mayor Kesha Lance-Bottoms, former Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), and Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.)
Trump Posts Talking Points Ahead Of The Debate — And They're From An Ex-Coal Lobbyist
Among other things, Wheeler, a former coal and energy lobbyist, urged Trump to tout how “CO2 emissions went down” on his watch while the U.S. “became more energy dominant.”
“If you get push back during rebuttal and you need another point:” Wheeler added, “Joe Biden is shutting down U.S. energy, canceling pipelines, stopping federal leases.”
While Republicans have relentlessly accused Biden of being “at war with” fossil fuels and destroying so-called Trump-era “energy dominance,” U.S. production of crude oil and exports of natural gas have soared during the president’s tenure.
It is also worth noting that during his time at the helm of EPA, Wheeler sought to have it both ways on carbon emissions, as HuffPost previously reported. When emissions fell from 2016 to 2017, he argued it was because Trump’s deregulatory agency had spurred innovation in the energy sector. When they rose sharply in 2018, Wheeler attributed it primarily to Trump having triggered “an uptick in manufacturing and industrial output.”
Trump’s decision to share debate talking points ahead of time seemingly left the Biden camp scratching its head.
“Donald Trump is just posting his debate talking points,” Ammar Moussa, a Biden campaign spokesperson, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Thanks I guess.”
Joe Biden Meets Supporters After Arriving In The Beast
Biden shook hands and posed for photos with his supporters after greeting Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a top campaign surrogate, according to the report.
Pool reporters said they passed a small group of Trump supporters while leaving the air base.
Inside The Arena Where Reporters Are Watching The Debate
That’s where a few hundred reporters will be watching tonight’s debate from what normally serves as a basketball arena at the Georgia Institute of Technology in midtown Atlanta, all while Trump and Biden meet at a CNN studio down the street.
No reporters — except for the two moderators and a number of still photographers — will be present in-person for the debate, although the White House Correspondents Association is pushing for the network to allow a print pool reporter into the debate studio. (Not even the pool reporters who follow Biden around throughout most of the day are currently allowed inside.)
Reporters are gathered at the school’s McCamish Pavilion, stationed at tables fanned out across an upper level above empty stadium seating. Roads are shut down for blocks around the pavilion and CNN’s headquarters in anticipation of Biden’s and Trump’s motorcades.
It’s the first time since 1960 that two presidential candidates have debated without a live audience. Both Trump and Biden agreed to this setup to avoid the distraction of a live audience.
Here’s How You Can Watch The Debate Tonight
Some networks have also agreed to simulcast the event live both on TV and through streaming, including CBS, NBC and PBS. The 90-minute debate is expected to have two commercial breaks.
If watching the debate isn’t an option, stay tuned to HuffPost — we'll be live-blogging throughout the event, so you don’t miss any notable moments.
Reporters Denied Access To Debate Studio Speak Out
CNN is only allowing one print reporter access to the studio during a commercial break, despite WHCA asking the network to allow at least one in for the duration of the debate.
“That is not sufficient in our view and diminishes a core principle of presidential coverage,” the organization said. “The White House pool has a duty to document, report and witness the president’s events and his movements on behalf of the American people.
Pool members have been allowed in the studio for the duration of past debates, the organization noted.
See the WHCA’s full statement here.
Biden Shares Video Of Former Trump Staffers Saying He’s Unfit For Office
The 38-second clip features former Vice President Mike Pence; former Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley; Trump communications director Alyssa Farah; Trump’s Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper; and Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton, among others.
“I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump,” Pence says in the clip. (Recall that Trump allegedly cheered on the mob on Jan. 6, 2021 —as supporters called for his own vice president to be hanged — and said that “Mike Pence deserves it.”)
Pence is followed by a speech excerpt from Gen. Milley, who references Trump as “a wannabe dictator,” and Farah, who says, “We worked with him. We knew him. This man is unfit to be president.”
Watch the clip, below:
Trump Spends Time Before Debate Ranting About Women, Fox News, Biden
In one post, Trump called Biden a “NIGHTMARE FOR WOMEN,” conveniently ignoring his pivotal role in denying women access to reproductive healthcare.
In a second, Trump attacked Fox News for speaking with Michael Tyler, a Biden communications director, writing: “WHY DOES FOXNEWS PUT ON SO MANY BIDEN PEOPLE, LIKE MICHAEL TYLER, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR BIDEN, WHO SPEWED LIES WITH VERY LITTLE PUSHBACK? AMAZING!!!”
And in a third, Trump, who attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election, accused Biden of being “A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY.”
Supreme Court Decides To Sit On Trump Immunity Ruling
Trump has argued that former presidents are entitled to absolute immunity for their official acts, thus clearing him of any legal repercussions for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
In one particularly absurd hearing, Trump lawyer Jack Sauer argued a president could order the assassination of a political rival and not be prosecuted for it.
Voters Have Higher Expectations For Trump Than Biden: NYT Poll
Trump has attempted to raise expectations for Biden by claiming, without any evidence, that the current president will be on drugs during the debate.
Trump’s made the same wholly unsubstantiated claim in previous debates, going back to his 2016 debates with Hillary Clinton.
RFK Jr. Didn’t Qualify For Tonight’s Debate, Vows To Answer The Questions Anyway
CNN offered the independent candidate a podium if he could both exceed 15% in four high-quality national polls, and earn a spot on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win 270 electoral votes.
Unlike CNN’s forum, Kennedy will answer questions in front of a live — and presumably quite friendly — audience.
Stay Tuned For Debate Updates
Stay tuned!