Archive for the ‘Democrat’ Category
Warner Is Working to Convene Democratic Senators to Talk About Biden’s Future – The New York Times
Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, is working to convene Democratic senators next week to discuss a path forward after President Bidens disastrous debate performance, and to discuss their concerns about him remaining as the nominee, according to five people with direct knowledge about the effort.
The push by Mr. Warner reflects a mounting sense of panic among some Democrats in the Senate about Mr. Bidens viability to continue in the presidential race, and growing frustration among senators that the president and those around him have not communicated directly with them about how they plan to address such concerns.
The people insisted on anonymity to discuss Mr. Warners efforts, and a spokeswoman for the senator did not respond to requests for comment. His outreach efforts were reported earlier by The Washington Post.
While some House Democrats have been outspoken in their harsh assessments of Mr. Bidens performance last week and three have called on him to end his candidacy most senators have so far been quieter about their concerns.
Mr. Warner, a centrist former governor who himself weighed a presidential run in 2008, has been reaching out to colleagues since the night of the debate last week to express anguish about Mr. Bidens performance and a sense of urgency for Democrats to figure out what to do about it. As chairman of the Intelligence Committee, he is a trusted voice in the Senate and has cultivated a reputation for bipartisanship.
While his conversations with Democratic senators have conveyed his dismay about the situation, Mr. Warner, according to one person who spoke with him on Friday, was not trying to organize an effort to persuade the president to withdraw from the race but was instead working to facilitate a discussion about the right way to proceed.
Mr. Biden told reporters on Friday that he had spoken to at least 20 members of Congress, and theyre telling me to stay in the race.
When a reporter said Mr. Warner was trying to get him to step aside, Mr. Biden responded that the senator was the only one considering that. No one else has called on me to do that.
Democratic Representatives Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Ral Grijalva of Arizona and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts have all called on him to do so this week.
Senators are scheduled to return to Washington on Monday after a weeklong recess.
Luke Broadwater and Carl Hulse contributed reporting.
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Warner Is Working to Convene Democratic Senators to Talk About Biden's Future - The New York Times
The UK’s new prime minister Keir Starmer hoping for a Democrat in the White House, preparing for Trump – The Conversation
Keir Starmer, the UKs new prime minister, was quiet on the question of relations with the US prior to his election, choosing to avoid, in particular, talk of how he would manage a second Donald Trump presidency.
Starmer is a centre-left politician the first to come to power in the UK for over a decade so his views are hardly aligned with Trumps. But the US presidential election is a few short months away and, depending on the result, the relationship between the UK and US could look very different on the other side of it.
After the first US election debate, and Joe Bidens dismal performance, the new British government will be focusing on how to plan for Trumps potential return to the White House in January 2025. And while Starmer has been silent in public, he and his top team have been preparing behind the scenes for some time.
Before arriving in government they put significant effort into building relationships with figures in the US leadership. This is a well-trodden path for UK Labour politicians and was most notable in the close relationship between Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and President Bill Clinton in the 1990s.
Impressively, Starmer and his foreign secretary, David Lammy, have been trying to build relationships on both sides of the aisle. Theyve spoken to Republicans as well as Bidens Democrats on visits to the US.
Lammy, who was the first black British man to study at Harvard Law School and spent time working as a lawyer in the US after graduating, recently said in a speech the special relationship is core not just to our own national security, but the security of much of the world.
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Responding to a question about past comments he had made about Trump, he said that the two sides must work together whoever is in the White House.
The questioner may have been referring to the time before he became a minister when Lammy called Trump a a racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser and said he would protest in the streets if Trump was allowed to come to the UK. Lammys cautious response to questioning now reflects his far more tempered language on the subject since it first started to look like Labour could actually win power, and he may be a member of the cabinet.
Starmer will be aiming to demonstrate the usefulness of the UK in the US-UK alliance. With Biden, this will be fairly routine. In the event of a Trump victory in November, however, Starmer would need to show this usefulness to those around Trump a more difficult task.
Diplomatically, Starmer can help US administrations manage relations with Nato, encouraging more reluctant members, such as Germany, whilst restraining some of the more proactive NATO members pushing to expand the alliance. Given Trumps stated commitment to reevaluating the purpose of Nato, Starmer will also need to coordinate with European allies to demonstrate Natos relevance to the US.
Militarily, the UK has to demonstrate intent to restore the armed forces, especially after the US declared that the UK military was no longer a top-tier military partner.
Doing so would make it clear that the new British government is listening to its American allies but would also show that the UK intends to be able to deploy its military in support of US and Nato operations. Trump has repeatedly referred to his reluctance to deploy the US military, and his expectation that allies carry more of the military burden.
Until the presidential election in November, Starmer will be dealing with President Biden. The two met at the recent D-Day commemorations and less than a week after taking office, Starmer will meet Biden again, this time as prime minister at a Nato summit.
Like every other world leader, Starmer will have to tread carefully here. Given Trumps overt dislike for his successor, proximity to the Biden administration creates the potential for difficulties when trying to build good relations with any incoming Trump administration.
Biden has been clear in his foreign policy priorities since entering office: competition with China, and guardrails on the relationship with Russia. These guardrails flew off when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Yet, the Biden administration has been able to coordinate international support for Ukraine, and had a clear set of priorities.
In contrast, Trump has given little insight into how he would approach foreign policy. He has declared he would end the Ukraine conflict but given scant detail on how. What we do know is that he intends to stop funding Ukraines defence efforts and wants European allies to pay to restock US military supplies. He has also pledged to fully support Israels war with Hamas in Gaza, which has been a point of division within Starmers party since before the election.
Democratic leaders from around the world struggled to deal with Trump during his first term. Typically, they either had to ignore controversies that swirled around him or become an apologist for Trump. The former US presidents preference for strongmen was repeatedly on show.
It would be near impossible for Starmer to emulate those who do what Trump likes best by rolling out the red carpet and lining the streets with applauding crowds. Freedom of speech in the UK means that Starmer would not be able to prevent protests against Trump if he were to come to the UK and such protests are practically inevitable given what happened last time he visited. Starmer would do best to try to avoid a state visit from Trump which would include meeting the king.
The implications of the year ahead for the special relationship are clear: demonstrating the UKs value will be far easier for Starmer in a Biden presidency than in a Trump presidency. Starmer would feel compelled to react against the damage Trump would do to US credibility rather than be able to support it but this would further degrade the US-UK alliance.
The UKs new government has been preparing for a relationship with either a Republican or Democratic president. As will be the case for many world leaders, Starmer will be hoping for the predictability of Biden, whilst planning for the chaos of Trump.
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The UK's new prime minister Keir Starmer hoping for a Democrat in the White House, preparing for Trump - The Conversation
Fourth Democratic House member calls on Biden to exit 2024 race after clips of ABC interview released – New York Post
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) on Friday became the fourth Democratic member of the House of Representatives to call on President Biden to end his re-election effort.
The Illinois Democrat made a direct plea to the 81-year-old president during an appearance on MSNBC, after clips of Bidens much-anticipated interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos aired.
Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this, Quigley said during an appearance on All In with Chris Hayes.
The congressman argued that with Biden off the ticket, Day One were back in a dogfight with former President Donald Trump.
All of the sudden, all the things were talking with President Biden weve got a lot more we can talk about with Trump, Quigley said, claiming that the 78-year-old presumptive GOP nominee has cognitive issues.
Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) had previously called on Biden to step aside.
Earlier this week, Reuters reported that as many as 25 Democrats in the House are preparing to call for the president to end his campaign.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) has also reportedly been working to organize a meeting between the president and Democratic Senators, where they would ask Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, according to the Washington Post.
Biden, in his interview with Stephanopoulos, could not definitively remember if he watched a replay of his June 27 showdown with Trump.
I dont think I did, no, he told the This Week host.
Trump campaign adviser Steven Cheung mocked Bidens answer on social media.
How the hell do you not know if you re-watched the debate? Cheung wrote on X.
Quigley said he found Bidens response to the question disturbing, during an appearance on CNN.
When Stephanopoulos asked if he knew how poorly he was performing at the time, Biden launched into a rambling statement.
The whole way I prepared, nobodys fault, mine. Nobodys fault but mine. I I prepared what I usually would do sitting down as I did come back with foreign leaders or National Security Council for explicit detail, the president said.
And I realized partway through that, you know, all I get quoted the New York Times had me down ten points before the debate, nine now or whatever the hell it is. The fact of the matter is, what I looked at is that he also lied 28 times. I couldnt I mean, the way the debate ran, not my fault, nobody elses fault, no one elses fault, he added.
This is a pretty incoherent answer, pollster Nate Silver wrote on X.
Im there now, theFiveThirtyEight founder added, indicating that based on Bidens ABC News interview, he now believes the president should drop out of the presidential race.
Something is clearly wrong here, Silver said.
ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl reported after the full interview aired that for some Democrats Bidens sitdown raised new concerns.
Particularly concerning, according to Karl, was Bidens response when asked how he would feel if Trump defeats him in November.
Ill feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the goodest job as I know I can do thats what this is about, the president said.
Karl reported that a prominent Biden ally responded, Wow, when they heard the presidents response.
With the greatest respect, all that really matters is avoiding a second Trump presidency, Quigley said in reaction to Bidens bizarre answer.
The congressman also said that it appeared as if the president was in absolute denial about polling indicating that he stands to lose the election to Trump.
David Axelrod, a political consultant and former adviser to President Barack Obama, said he didnt believe Biden did enough in the interview to change the minds of Democratic voters who are concerned about his November chances.
Some of it I found sad, Axelrod said during an appearance on CNN.
He seems not able to compute the fact people have these questions about him, the ex-Obama adviser said, reffering to questions about Bidens cognitive abilities.
In response to Bidens insistence that he takes a full neurological test every day because of his duties as commander in chief, Axelrod noted that 75% of the American people say he fails those daily tests, referring to polling where large majorities of voters say Biden is not fit for office.
Axelrod argued that Biden is hiding from reality by refusing to heed warnings from Democratic lawmakers, strategists and polls that say Trump is pulling away in the race, and the reality is grim right now.
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer described the interview as the worst of all worlds for Democrats.
Biden committed no real flubs. He didnt do anything to force himself out of the race. But he appears old, weak, tentative and hes losing to Trump, the former Bush White House official wrote on X.
So Biden will dig in and stay. The Ds are stuck, he added.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) likened the interview to a therapy session, arguing that Stephanopoulos was begging President Biden to get out of the race.
What we saw tonight was chilling, Graham tweeted.
If you believe President Biden is as fit now as he was when he took office, as he claims, you need a cognitive test.
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Fourth Democratic House member calls on Biden to exit 2024 race after clips of ABC interview released - New York Post
Biden to Democrats calling for him to quit: Im staying in the race – Roll Call
President Joe Biden on Friday vowed to continue his reelection bid and dismissed worries about his age from some fellow Democrats who he said are trying to push me out.
Theres been a lot of speculation, Biden told supporters in Wisconsin, referring to a poor debate showing that sparked calls for him to end his bid for a second term. Heres my answer: I am running and I am going to win again.
Bidens typical campaign rally speech got a facelift, with the usual laundry list of accomplishments repackaged to take on his Democratic critics while also acknowledging his age.
I know I look 40, the 81-year-old president said with a grin. I keep seeing all those stories about being too old. Let me say something. I wasnt too old to create over 15 million new jobs. To make sure 21 million Americans are insured under the Affordable Care Act. To beat Big Pharma, the first one to ever do that [by] lowering the cost of insulin to $35.
Was I too old to relieve student [loan] debt for 5 million Americans? he said to cheers. Too old to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court of the United States of America? Was I too old to sign the most significant gun safety law in 30 years?
The president, speaking in Madison, was much sharper and more energetic than he appeared last week in his debate with former President Donald Trump. Biden repeatedly drew loud cheers Friday as he mocked and criticized Trump, the expected Republican nominee, at one point labeling the twice-impeached and once-convicted former president a one-man crime wave, and adding, I can hardly wait to again defeat Trump in November.
Still, Biden did appear to mix up the 2020 election cycle and the current one, and he slurred some words and stopped thoughts mid-sentence, things Republicans and some Democrats have called signs of mental decline. As he was still on stage, The Washington Post alerted an article citing anonymous sources saying that Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, was looking to assemble a group of Democratic senators to ask Biden to step aside.
Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, told reporters on Air Force One on Friday that Biden is staying in the race. Hes not going anywhere. She jousted with reporters who pressed about Bidens age and mental condition with pointed questions. Jean-Pierre said the 81-year-old president is planning to strike a balance with his schedule by doing less after 8 p.m., while also saying he works around the clock. She said Biden is thinking clearly and plans to do the job in a full-throttle mode.
The president was in Wisconsin for the rally and a sit-down interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, a former communications director to President Bill Clinton. Some pundits said the unscripted sit-down Biden spoke off a teleprompter at the campaign rally would go a long way to deciding whether he can put down calls from within his party to drop out.
Three House Democrats, so far, have called on Biden to exit the race: Reps. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Raul M. Grijalva of Arizona and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts. Others have publicly expressed concerns about his debate performance and signs of aging.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of the Badger State, which Biden won in 2020, edging Trump 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent.
A Marquette University Law School survey released June 26, the day before the debate showing, put the candidates tied among registered voters. But it gave Trump a narrow lead among likely voters, 51 percent to 49 percent.
A national poll from Siena College and The New York Times conducted after the debate and released Wednesday gave Trump a 3 percentage bump and a 49 percent to 43 percent lead.
Biden on Friday vowed to win Wisconsin and the general election.
Ill beat Donald Trump. Ill beat him again in 2020, Biden said, then seemed to catch the gaffe immediately. By the way, were going to do it again in 2024.
Biden began his remarks by poking fun at a misstatement of American history Trump once uttered as president.
If you wonder whether Trump has it all together, did you ever hear how he explained the Fourth of July when he was president? He said in his Fourth of July speech five years ago, he said George Washingtons army won the Revolution by taking control of the airports from the British.
They talk about me misspeaking. Its true he is a stable genius, this man, Biden added, referring to how Trump once described himself amid Democrats questioning his mental state.
Bidens selection of Wisconsin came as part of his ongoing efforts to rebuild the 2020 electoral map that put him in the White House, including the so-called blue wall battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. He is slated to hold a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvanias largest city and media market, on Sunday.
We still believe that Biden needs to carry all of the Blue Wall trio, Kyle Kondik, an analyst with the University of Virginias Center for Politics, wrote this week, and hes really no better than 50-50 in each of them at the moment.
That is among the reasons why many Democratic lawmakers and strategists have spent the week urging Biden and his top aides to get him in front of voters pronto.
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., told CNN on Wednesday that Biden talking to Democratic lawmakers and governors as he did on Wednesday would do little to salvage his candidacy. Thats because he is not, to Welch, in a tell me situation, hes in a show me situation.
Notably, Biden has kept Vice President Kamala Harris, who would be among those expected to seek the nomination should he step aside, close this week. She was with him Wednesday at a meeting with Democratic governors and again to view Independence Day fireworks at the White House.
And today, as we celebrate freedom, as we celebrate the promise of America, we also celebrate and express our gratitude to our service members, to our veterans, to our military families, she said to applause at the July Fourth event Thursday.
And we give thanks to our commander in chief, Harris said, appearing to almost refer to him as the vice president, a job he held for eight years, the president of the United States, the extraordinary president of the United States, Joe Biden.
Hours earlier, Biden delivered remarks to military personnel and at several points spoke in half-sentences, at one point seeming unable to finish an anecdote about the Declaration of Independence. But on Friday, he repeatedly dismissed calls to drop out.
Theyre trying to push me out of the race, he said. Well, let me say it as clearly as I can: Im staying in the race.
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Biden to Democrats calling for him to quit: Im staying in the race - Roll Call