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Will he stand, or will he stand down? Thats the question Joe Biden is facing as the July 4 holiday weekend begins.

Biden reportedly told a key ally that he is considering whether he should continue his run for reelection or not. In Wednesdays New York Times article, Biden allies said the president recognizes that his challenge in the days ahead is to convince voters, donors and the political class that his debate performance was an anomaly.

In response, White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President Andrew Bates posted on X: That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so.

At a White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielded sustained questioning about Bidens health, claiming his dreadful debate performance last week was down to jet lag and a cold. This was not an excuse, she said, but rather an explanation. Jean-Pierre claimed the White House had been transparent, but she refused to say if the White House would release more of Bidens medical information. The president, she said, was strong, resolute and as sharp as ever.

Despite the pushback from the White House regarding the swirling rumors, the hard questions remain. As Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi framed Bidens challenge, following his disastrous debate appearance last week: Is this an episode, or is this a condition?

The problem is that it is virtually impossible to do what the president apparently believes can be achieved through a series of TV interviews, phone calls with leaders, and public appearances over the next few days. He can go a long way to making it appear for the moment that his appalling debate performance was a one-off, but he cannot wipe from the minds of voters or supporters the prospect of a scenario that has terrified many Democrats for months.

It is a plausible sequence of events that has been frequently discussed behind the scenes as the effects of Bidens very natural and predictable aging has become increasingly apparent.

One of the Democratic Partys biggest donors put it this way to me in January, I love Biden. Ive supported him for years. But the stakes are too high for us to get this wrong. The country cant endure another Trump presidency.

Thats why, he said, what haunts me at night is the prospect that Biden does fine throughout the campaign, then, in October, days or weeks before the election, he gets sick. Or he stumbles and falls. Or he freezes up like Mitch McConnell did. There will be no coming back from that.

The fear is that not only would the media and the Trump campaign make a massive deal out of the storyremember Hillarys emails?but that it would be the late-in-the-campaign blow from which neither Biden nor the Democrats could recover. It could have a major effect on voters who are sitting on the fence and on turn outremember the Comey letter. It could easily decide the election in favor of Trump and the MAGA GOP.

Joe Biden delivers remarks on extreme weather at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center in Washington, DC on July 2, 2024.

The issue is not loyalty to Biden, as one Democratic strategist put it to me, It is about loyalty to the country and also to the party. If you see Trump as an existential threat to our democracy then the number one, two and three questions are how do you maximize your odds for beating him. Starting out with a candidate who is clearly not the man he used to be and who may blow up at any minute is a big risk.

Should the same questions be asked about Donald Trump? Definitely. Pelosi also addressed that when she pointedly concluded the statement quoted above by saying that questions about fitness were reasonable to ask about both candidates. Trump has shown many symptoms of mental decline and of instability that have had doctors and commentators buzzing. People have been saying it for years. And earlier this year, after Trump confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, Haley went so far as to say When youre dealing with the pressures of the presidency, we cantquestion whether theyre mentally fit to do thiswe cant.

Of course, Haley subsequently said she would support Trump which no doubt raises some questions about her own mental facilities. But that also brings us to a crucial factor for Democrats to consider. Republicans are not going to step away from Trump. Calling for him to step down because of his manifold flaws is a waste of breath. It will never happen. Condemning well-reported New York Times articles detailing both sides of the argument about Bidens mental acuity for not spending more time doing the same about Trumpas many Biden defenders have done on social mediais just not fruitful.

So, by all means, Trumps fitness must become an election issue. But the only way Democrats can make it one is by ensuring there is not a counter argument that targets their candidate. Indeed, because Trumps porridge-for-brains lunacy should be such a central argument of the Democrats Fall campaign, it is critical that from the standard bearer on down, Democrats are seen as credible critics of our once and potentially future malignant narcissist, pathological liar, cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs nutjob-in-chief.

The concerns about Bidens seeming decline and the perils of continuing with him as the candidate are coming from active Biden supporters.

It is fascinating and telling that almost every article written or statement made about this issue by Democrats and even by independent commentators begins with a statement noting Bidens success during his first term as president and often, the admiration or fondness the writer has for Biden himself. This is another key to understanding this story. The concerns about Bidens seeming decline and the perils of continuing with him as the candidate are coming from active Biden supporters. They are not about a lack of appreciation for him. They are about the nuts and bolts issue of winning in November.

It is similarly revealing that one eventthe debatecould have triggered such an uproar and an increasingly deadly serious discussion about whether Biden is the right candidate to lead the Democrats to victory in November. That is, of course, because it is not one event that is triggering it. Rather, the debate, has brought the discussion that even the presidents most enthusiastic supporters were having behind closed doors for many months now into the open.

I personally have countless times, almost daily, heard questions about whether or not Biden should seek a second term since before his first term beganinside the Beltway and far from it, across the U.S. and around the world, from political insiders and from regular people who dont much get involved in politics. And increasingly, given the risks associated with a Trump victory in November, the questions raised have less to do with whether Biden could be expected to be an effective president in four years when he was 86 years old and more to do with whether or not Biden could become his own worst October surprise.

Is it fair to judge a man of demonstrated strengths and massive achievements by a few off moments that all people who are aging encounter? Perhaps not. But it is a political reality with which Joe Biden, the White House, the Democratic Party and the country are desperately and appropriately grappling right now.

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The Biden Scenario That Terrifies Big Democrat Donors and Candidates - The Daily Beast

President Joe Biden has an electability problem. To counter that reality evident for months but put on the spotlight by a dismal debate performance last week his campaign on Monday touted a poll finding that eight other Democrats would lose to former President Donald Trump at similar margins as the incumbent.

Team Biden would have you believe that the poll shows that he has the best chance at beating Trump. Yet if the poll is meant to answer the question of which Democrat would fare best against Trump, the answer, evidently, is nearly anyone else.

The post-debate Data for Progress poll tested the odds of eight Democrats who have been floated as possible alternatives to Biden, including Vice President Kamala Harris and multiple Democratic governors. Bidens self-proclaimed advantage is tempered by the lack of name recognition so far for the other options. Aside from Harris, prospective voters were so unfamiliar with these Democratic leaders that between 39 and 71 percent of respondents said they hadnt heard enough about them to have an opinion. Even so, each potential candidate performed the same or even better than Biden.

For instance, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is losing to Trump by 2 points, compared to Bidens 3 despite the fact that 56 percent of voters do not know enough about her to share any particular opinion. Others, like Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, like Biden, trail Trump by 3, despite having little name recognition. Harris had the same result as Biden.

Since the poll results come without any concentrated campaign by any of the officials, they can be read as a reflection of floors rather than ceilings for each of the alternative Democrats. Given mass voter discontent with the choice between Trump and Biden, the polling suggests that voters could readily get behind someone else.

A Reuters poll conducted as far back as January found that about half of Democrats and 75 percent of independents thought Biden should not run for president again; it also found that 31 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of independents said Trump shouldnt run again. A NewsNation poll conducted around the same time found that 59 percent of Americans wouldnt be enthusiastic about a Biden-Trump rematch. The trend has continued in recent polling: A post-debate USA Today poll found that 41 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of independents wanted Biden replaced, with 63 percent of independents wanting Trump replaced. A CBS poll similarly found nearly half of Democrats want Biden to step aside.

In the aftermath of the debate, a CNN poll found 75 percent of all voters thought Democrats would have a better chance at winning the election with someone other than Biden at the top of the ticket. It suggested Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were all doing slightly better than the presiden, with Harris within the margin of error of Trump. (Harriss net-approval rating average is also 9 points better than Bidens).

This polling suggests there are substantial numbers of disenchanted Democrats, independents, and even Republicans who could be enthused by an alternative, while those still standing by Biden are just as likely to support any Democratic alternative to Trump. A Democratic presidential campaign thats been shedding support could instead be one thats gaining momentum.

In nearly every way, Biden is carrying baggage that no alternative Democrat would inherit. Aside from a five-day stretch, Biden has trailed Trump in national polling averages for the better part of the campaign. Trumps margin widened again after last weeks debate. Biden has been underperforming Democratic Senate candidates in a range of states, including ones he will need to win in 2024, such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, and even Ohio. Post-debate polls show Biden sinking in these states and even bringing others like New Hampshire and New Mexico into play. His approval rating is about the lowest its ever been during his presidency, at a net negative of 19.

And its not just the polling. Biden has faced a historic protest vote campaign in the form of the Uncommitted movement, which has netted hundreds of thousands of votes nationwide, including in key battleground states, expressing discontent with Bidens almost-unconditional support for Israels war on Gaza. His handling of the war has also birthed a historic nationwide movement of campus and community protests that could continue into the fall.

With concerns surrounding his age and mental fitness hanging over his campaign, one fact bears acknowledgment: Biden is not getting any younger.

Efforts to challenge Biden earlier in the cycle did not take off in part because the political establishment had put up a united front around Biden. But even as Bidens advisers try to tamp down concerns, the list of people who have expressed concern about Bidens performance or suggested he step aside in order to maximize the odds of beating Trump range only grows. They range from Never Trump Republicans Bill Kristol and Sarah Longwell and hosts of the former Obama staffer-led Pod Save America, to Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Gabe Amo, to the editorial boards of the Chicago Tribune, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the New York Times, former Obama Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julin Castro, and several Democratic members of Congress and committee leaders nationwide including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call on Biden to step aside.

For now, the possible alternative candidates have stayed quiet and reiterated their support for Biden. Whitmer reportedly called a senior Biden campaign official to express that she hated she was being floated as a possible replacement, while also sharing concern about how much more difficult the campaign will now be for Biden. She later released a statement affirming her 100 percent support for Bidens fight against Trump.

Newsom, who one California columnist has described as waiting in the wings, maintained his tune as an avid Biden surrogate even while being swarmed by reporters after the debate. On Thursday night, he expressed his disgust at Trumps debate performance and his pride in Biden on the substance.

If the president is meant to be a messenger for the wider governing structure he represents, Biden, as evidenced by his debate performance, falls short. While Trump spouted lies and racist remarks like clockwork, Biden fumbled to not only respond to those comments, but even to maintain a coherent positive message. If the president is meant to actively craft and execute responsive policy, just look to Bidens remarkable intransigence in supporting Israels war or his timidness in the face of an out-of-control and unaccountable Supreme Court as signs of a politicaland an electoral liability. If the role of a president is some combination of both, Bidens recent record appears all the worse.

Despite their hesitance to jump in, alternative candidates have the possibility to not only more effectively contrast themselves against Trump but also against Bidens inability to do so. And in a race in which the American public is disenchanted not just with Biden, but with Trump too, the question is whether other Democrats have a better chance than the incumbent against someone who ought to be among the most beatable candidates in presidential election history.

After all, Trump is now the first former president to be a convicted felon and still faces several other criminal proceedings. He appointed three of the Supreme Court justices who not only helped overturn decades-old abortion rights in the U.S., but recently freed corporate America from regulation and ruled that homeless people can be considered criminals for sleeping outside, while crime-committing presidents can be immune from prosecution for nearly any misdeed. He is the face of a movement that sought to overturn an election, that has pursued book bans and mass deportations and infringements on peoples abilities to love whoever they do.

In 2020, Biden had the benefit of challenging a historically unpopular incumbent and garnering the volunteer energy to do so, and still, he won narrowly. If he takes seriously his own warnings of what dangers Trumps re-ascendance may unleash, he would act accordingly. By every single metric, he is faring much worse in 2024 than he did four years ago, while those same factors suggest nearly any prominent Democratic alternative could perform better.

Read more:
Is Joe Biden the Worst Option for Democrats to Beat Trump? - The Intercept

The Biden campaign wasted no time slamming former President Donald Trump and making a plea for campaign donations, minutes after the guilty verdict in Trump's New York hush money trial.

"In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law," Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement on Thursday evening. "There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box."

"A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans' freedoms and fomenting political violence and the American people will reject it this November," Tyler added.

President Joe Biden's reelection effort echoed that statement on social media, with a link to the Democratic incumbent's donation page.

The campaign doubled down on that fundraising pitch in a text message blast to voters, asking for $20 donations: "If you have been waiting for the perfect time to make your first donation to Joe Biden's reelection campaign, we're here to tell you today is the day."

By contrast, the White House Counsel's Office spokesperson, Ian Sams, was relatively tight-lipped, saying only, "We respect the rule of law, and have no additional comment."

Trump on Thursday became the first former president to be convicted of felonies after a 12-person jury found him guilty of all 34 charges of falsifying business records in his New York hush money trial.

The Biden campaign's reaction marks a pivot to offense for the president's reelection team, and breaks President Joe Biden's weeks-long silence, as the hush money trial played out and the possibility of acquittal still existed.

President Joe Biden wears sunglasses given to him by supporters after speaking on the PACT Act, which expands coverage for veterans exposed to toxic substances, at the Westwood Park YMCA in Nashua, New Hampshire, on May 21, 2024.

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

The campaign's attacks amplified a chorus of Democratic criticism from lawmakers across Capitol Hill.

"Despite his efforts to distract, delay, and deny justice arrived for Donald Trump all the same," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Ca., said in a post on X.

Manhattan District AttorneyAlvin Bragg, a Democrat whose office prosecuted the case, took his own victory lap at a press conference in Manhattan with the rest of his legal team after the verdict.

"Today we have the most important voice of all, and that's the voice of the jurors. They have spoken. Donald J. Trump has been convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records," he said.

In response to a question about the possibility of Trump serving jail time, Bragg pointed to Trump's July 11 sentencing: "We will speak in court at that time."

Trump, meanwhile, denounced the trial as "rigged" and a "witch hunt" that he falsely claimed had been ordered by President Joe Biden.

Original post:
Biden, Democrats react to Trump guilty verdict - CNBC

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Some Maryland Democrats have a soft spot for Larry Hogan, their former two-term Republican governor in a heavily blue state. But they dont want to turn an open Senate seat and possibly control of the chamber over to the GOP this year.

Party voters in Tuesdays primary will decide which candidate they think is in the best position to beat Hogan in November in a state that hasnt elected a Republican senator in more than 40 years. David Trone, who's in his third term as a congressman, and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are the leading contenders among the 10 candidates.

After leaving an early voting center at a recreational facility in Annapolis, John Fischer said he voted for Trone. It was a tough choice for the 75-year-old retired federal employee. In the end, he went with the candidate he felt had more experience.

I also think that he can probably beat Larry Hogan, who I actually like, except I dont intend to put a Republican majority in the Senate if I can help it," said Fischer, who voted for Hogan for governor in 2014 and 2018.

Lisa Hartman, 65, voted at the same site for Alsobrooks, noting the candidate's long list of high-profile supporters, including Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer and former Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

She had the backing of almost everyone in the Democratic Party, and David Trone I got so tired of hearing all of his commercials," said Hartman, who also had voted for Hogan for governor.

Trone, who owns a national chain of liquor stores called Total Wine & More, has put more than $61 million of his own money into his primary bid in what could become a record for a self-funded Senate campaign.

Hartman said Trone's ads have been relentless. "I feel somewhat like hes trying to buy an election, she said.

Hartman said she would have considered supporting Hogan in November under other circumstances. But given that Democrats are defending a narrow majority in the Senate and have twice the number of seats on the line this year as Republicans, she thinks the stakes are too high.

I would love to, in the next race, vote for him, but I wont because of that situation," Hartman said, though she added later that she could change her mind.

In this government town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the nation's capital, people tend to understand the political ramifications of the race.

You just hear it all over town, any time you go to a gathering of any type," Hartman said.

Maryland Democrats have had to endure a barrage of negative campaigning. One Trone ad included a local Prince George's official who said, The U.S. Senate is not a place for training wheels.

The attack ads worry prominent Democrats, who say party unity is crucial in an election that normally should go their way, given that Republicans are outnumbered 2-to-1 statewide.

Trone points out that he has won elections in a part of the state with more Republican voters than most of Maryland's other congressional districts.

Voters across Maryland know that Im in the best position to beat Larry Hogan in November," Trone said in a statement Friday. "Throughout this campaign, weve built a broad coalition led by working people who are excited for change.

Alsobrooks is being outspent, but she said in an interview that she will have the support she needs to win in November with an appeal that she thinks will inspire Marylanders.

If the message is to just vote against Larry Hogan, that is not the most persuasive way forward," she said Friday. "What I offer is a real positive message that will bring people together and I believe thats going to be what will help us win in the general election.

She said her campaign was based on growing economic opportunity, investing in education, making communities safer and protecting abortion rights.

Preserving reproductive freedom is an issue that Maryland Democrats hope will help them in November, as it has in other states since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the constitutional right to abortion. A constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion is on the Maryland ballot in November.

Trone supports abortion rights, too. In fact, broad similarities between the candidates on policy matters may push identity politics to the forefront. Alsobrooks would be Marylands first Black U.S. senator in a state that is 29% Black, the nations largest percentage of any state outside the Deep South.

That matters to Donna Gathright, 69, who cited the historic significance and Alsobrooks' extensive experience as a local official as top reasons for voting early for her in Annapolis.

She was someone who I knew of more than the other people, and being a Black female, I also feel more seen and heard by people who are like me, Gathright said. I felt that she might have the interests of women and minority women more in the forefront.

Maryland long has had women in its congressional delegation. Today, it has none.

Alsobrooks is the chief executive of Maryland's second-largest jurisdiction, and Prince George's is home to the state's highest number of registered Democrats in the Washington suburbs. She has highlighted the donations Trone has made to Republican candidates in the past, including to some who supported abortion bans.

He has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat good Democratic candidates," Alsobrooks said in a televised debate last month.

The money Trone has spent in this campaign has forged connections with some voters.

Ive been listening to his ads for a couple of years now, and Ive just supported a lot of the issues that he has been strong on, said Anne Hamilton, 47, an early voter in Annapolis.

Trone has criticized Alsobrooks for taking big donations from special interests, something he hasnt felt the need to do because of his wealth.

Im the only candidate on this stage that doesnt take money from Exxon, Trone said in the debate. Theyre not helping us in the environment, I dont think. Im the only candidate here that doesnt take money from Pfizer. Pfizer is not helping us bring health costs down.

Trone, who describes himself as a progressive Democrat willing to work with Republicans, has highlighted his endorsement by the state teachers union, which has about 75,000 members and considerable political clout. He is supported by some prominent Prince Georges officials as well as Attorney General Anthony Brown, a former congressman from Alsobrooks' home county.

Some Democratic leaders worry that the fierceness of the campaign could make the race against Hogan harder. Six former Maryland Democratic Party chairs voiced support for Alsobrooks in a joint announcement Wednesday and said Trones negative ads could jeopardize unity among Democrats.

It is simply wrong to accept that a self-funder is the answer to keeping the Maryland Senate seat blue, said a statement signed by Kathleen Matthews, Terry Lierman, Susie Turnbull, Peter Krauser, Ike Leggett and Yvette Lewis. In fact, we need a nominee who can inspire women and voters of all ages and backgrounds.

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Ex-GOP Gov. Hogan is popular with some Maryland Democrats, but not enough to put him in the Senate - Yahoo! Voices

Zellnor Myrie, an Afro-Latino state senator from Brooklyn known for backing progressive causes, announced on Wednesday that he is moving to challenge Mayor Eric Adams in next years Democratic primary in New York City.

Mr. Myries announcement is further indication that Mr. Adamss path to re-election is expected to be more challenging than is typical for Democratic mayors in New York. Mr. Adams, who faces record low poll numbers and a federal investigation into his campaign fund-raising, now must contend with at least two challenges from his own party.

In an interview, Mr. Myrie said that the mayor had shown a failure of competence and that his administration did not have a full grasp of the nuts and bolts of how city government should work. He also criticized the mayors cuts to libraries, parks and schools, arguing that they were driving families out of the city.

For too many New Yorkers that I speak to, theyre tired of the showmanship, he said. What people want to see are results. They want to see their government working relentlessly to make this city affordable, to make this city safe, to make it livable.

Mr. Myrie, 37, who is often called Z, opened an exploratory committee on Wednesday to begin raising money for his campaign.

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Zellnor Myrie Emerges as 2nd Democrat to Likely Run Against Mayor Adams - The New York Times