© AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta |
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A strong contingent of House Democrats emerged from a closed door meeting Tuesday saying they stand behind President Biden’s candidacy, although plenty of internal divisions and questions remain about the best way forward.
The rebellion against Biden appears to be on life support for now, but the situation is fluid and dynamics could change if the president meets disaster at another public forum in the coming days. He’s set to hold a rare press conference Thursday, one that Democrats and the media will be watching closely. But a day after Biden issued a forceful rebuke to those calling on him to step aside, reality is setting in among Democrats that he’s in for the long haul.
That’s a tough draw for swing Democrats, who fear Biden is headed for a historic defeat that could drag downballot candidates with him.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) captured the dilemma Democrats face in a statement to reporters as he left the House campaign headquarters. Cohen was asked if Democrats are on the same page.
“We’re not even in the same book,” Cohen said.
The Hill’s congressional team was on the spot to get reaction from Democrats in their own words as they left the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
Democrats fall into three camps: |
This was the public message from a strong majority of House Democrats on Tuesday.
Biden has strong backing from Democratic leadership, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the “Squad” and Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who helped save Biden’s primary campaign in 2020. “We’re riding with Biden,” Clyburn told reporters.
“The matter is closed,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who privately called on Biden to drop out over the weekend, reversed course on Tuesday.
“I will simply say that the president yesterday made it very clear, he’s running. I’m fully supportive of him. I plan to campaign for him, and it’s essential that he wins.” |
Only six House Democrats thus far have publicly stated Biden should leave the race. No Senate Democrats have followed suit.
These numbers are larger when Democrats are speaking off the record to reporters, but the broader dynamics won’t change unless lawmakers put their names on it.
Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) said Monday he’s “getting pretty close” to calling on Biden to drop out, but that has yet to materialize.
Several of the House Democrats who called on Biden to drop out, including Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), reiterated their stance at the DCCC meeting on Tuesday.
“I shared the position that you all know well…and that’s exactly the kind of debate and discussion that we should be having as a party.” |
Many Democrats are straddling the issue, releasing statements about how the party must change course to defeat President Trump but stopping short of calling on Biden to drop out.
Rep. Ami Becerra (D-Calif.) said: “I think folks see that he’s the nominee until he’s not the nominee and if that’s the case, we’ve got to stand behind him.”
Senate Democrats also met Tuesday, and while none have called on Biden to step away, the concern about Biden at the top of the ticket is clear.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said “now is the time for conversations about the strongest path forward.”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said Biden “must seriously consider the best way to preserve his incredible legacy and secure it for the future.”
“We need to see a much more forceful and energetic candidate on the campaign trail in the very near future in order for him to convince voters he is up to the job,” she added. Related coverage: |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Jonathan Easley, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the job market has “cooled considerably.“
Jury selection is underway in Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” trial.
Former Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), the once-mayor of Tulsa who served in both the House and the Senate, has died at age 89.
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© Brandon Bell/Getty Images |
Trump returns to the campaign trail
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Former President Trump will hold a rally at Trump National Doral in Miami this evening, his first public appearance since a rally the day after his debate last month against President Biden.
Trump has kept a low profile as Democrats combust over Biden’s debate performance.
Trump’s Monday interview with Sean Hannity was a low-key affair, with Trump musing on the state of the race for Biden.
“It looks to me like he very well may stay in. He’s got an ego, and he doesn’t want to quit.”
Trump, who has been through a similar situation with Republicans revolting against him, seemed to have empathy for Biden, who is being pressured to drop out by some in his own party.
“Nobody wants to give that up that way. He’s going to feel badly about himself for a long time. It’s hard to give it up that way — the way where they try to force him out.” Trump will have air cover as the campaign season kicks into high gear.
A well-monied super PAC with ties to GOP mega-donor Miriam Adelson is set to unleash $61 million in TV and digital attacks on Biden going directly after his Blue Wall in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Biden’s likeliest path back to the White House is by winning all three states, but that looks tougher by the day. A new bipartisan poll of Wisconsin sponsored by the AARP found Trump leading Biden 50 to 45. Biden is running 10 points behind Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who leads her GOP challenger Eric Hovde by 5 points. Related coverage: |
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Trump extends national lead over Biden
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A handful of new national polls show former President Trump leading President Biden after the debate. -
The latest Emerson College poll finds Trump ahead 46 to 43. He led in the same poll last month by only 1 point. Trump has a 6 point lead over Vice President Harris in the poll.
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A new poll from a top Democratic pollster finds Trump leading Biden 43 to 42. Harris runs ahead of Trump by 1 point in the same poll.
The national polls show a close race for the White House, although Trump leads in most or all of the battlegrounds that will determine the outcome of the election.
Democrats have historically overperformed in the national vote and underperformed in the Electoral College, so polls showing Trump leading nationally are a big concern for Biden’s campaign.
Semafor’s David Weigel looked back at the RealClearPolitics polling average from the last 20 years and found that this is the first time a Republican has been in the lead at this point of the race: 2024: Trump +3.3 2020: Biden +9.0 2016: Clinton +4.7 2012: Obama +2.5
2008: Obama +4.2 2004: Kerry +2.0 |
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President Biden faces a big test with the NATO summit in Washington this week.
The summit will be capped by a Thursday press conference, which could be a make-or-break moment for Democrats who are on the fence about Biden’s candidacy.
The White House is bracing for every potential flub or misstatement to be magnified by the press. Reporters and press secretary Karine Jeane-Pierre had a heated discussion during Monday’s briefing, with press saying they’d been misled about Biden’s health. -
Jean-Pierre was besieged by tough questions and some shouting about a Parkinson’s specialist, Dr. Kevin Cannard, who has been visiting the White House on a monthly basis.
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The White House late Monday night released a letter from Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, who said Cannard had conducted routine neurological exams of Biden once a year as part of his physical.
- The letter said Biden is not receiving any other kind of neurological treatment, and that Cannard was not brought in to examine Biden because of his specialty.
- The White House says it will not reveal the purposes of Cannard’s other trips out of privacy concerns for the more than 1,000 military members who receive treatment from the White House medical unit.
Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that Biden is committed to serving out a second term in full if he wins in November.
Related coverage: |
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Round-up from Capitol Hill
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There was some action on Capitol Hill today separate from the Biden drama… |
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Pundits, columnists roast Biden
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The pundit class’s turn on President Biden has been swift and merciless. It has continued for almost two weeks now. Democrats have traditionally been able to count on support from editorial boards and late-night talkers to buoy them through hard times, but that’s evaporated following the debate.
Carville is an especially interesting case. After spending some time away from the lime light, he was a ubiquitous presence on the airwaves in 2020 warning Democrats they must nominate Biden or face steep losses with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at the top of the ticket. Now he’s warning Democrats they face disaster if they stick with the incumbent.
Perspectives: |
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“Project 2025 is Trump’s foresworn manifesto,” by James D. Zirin for The Hill. “It’s only going to get harder for Biden from here,” by Michael Baharaeen for The Liberal Patriot. “Will NATO exist in 25 years?,” by Andrew Latham for The Hill. |
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6 days until the Republican National Convention. 41 days until the Democratic National Convention. 63 days until the second presidential debate.
119 days until the 2024 general election. 195 days until Inauguration Day 2025. |
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Tuesday - Biden delivers remarks on the 75th anniversary of NATO at 5 p.m.
- Trump holds a campaign rally at 7 p.m. in Doral, Fla.
Wednesday - Biden attends NATO summit events and a meeting at the AFL-CIO.
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