July 8, 2024, presidential debate and election news

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Former President Donald Trump suggested in an interview aired Monday that he was waiting to see whether President Joe Biden would continue his reelection bid before announcing his running mate because it “might make a difference.” 

Trump said he would “probably” announce his running mate “a little before the convention, but not much,” but he said it “could even be during the convention.”

He added, “I think it would be a very interesting buildup and important for the convention. It would make it even more exciting.”

Trump again said he thought Biden would stay in the race but thinks Kamala Harris would be the Democratic nominee if Biden were to step aside. 

“Interestingly, [Biden]’s got a lot of power, because he’s got the delegates. You know, when you have the delegates, unless he says, ‘I’m getting out,’ they can’t do anything to get him out, other than the 25th amendment. If they want to do it in a different route, it would be the 25th Amendment,” Trump said.

Trump claimed people “cover” for Biden, “and they still are sort of covering, but now it’s getting very difficult to do that.”

Trump also described debating Biden at the CNN presidential debate and said, “He looked extremely pale, to put it nicely,” adding later, “When he started to speak, I don’t know, I thought his voice was, you know, weak. I didn’t know exactly what was happening. It was strange.”

Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, remains fully in support of President Joe Biden following a virtual meeting between Biden and the caucus Monday night despite calls for the president to step out of the race.

“Clearly, this president is fit to serve,” the Nevada Democrat told CNN’s Abby Phillip. “He has been fighting for the American people. I know more than 14 million Americans have already voted for him, including those in my state of Nevada. We need to honor and respect the will of the voters who have selected him as our Democratic nominee.”

The Congressional Black Caucus is arguably Biden’s strongest bloc of support on Capitol Hill and a key group for the president heading into Tuesday’s Democratic caucus meeting where lawmakers are expected to air out their concerns about Biden’s campaign behind closed doors.

No member of the Congressional Black Caucus has broken yet against Biden, and a source familiar said Biden received no pushback on the call from members in what was an overall positive discussion Monday night.

Horsford pushed back on calls for Biden to step aside, telling “NewsNight,” “What I find interesting is that the issue is more around ageism, ableism, and not what this president, President Biden, has done,” before listing off major victories for the Biden administration.

President Joe Biden’s doctor took the unusual step on Monday of releasing a letter offering some details about neurologist Dr. Kevin Cannard’s visits to the White House, following days of speculation about the president’s health, writing that “President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.” 

“Prior to the pandemic, and following its end, he has held regular Neurology Clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations,” the president’s physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote of Cannard. “Many military personnel experience neurological issues related to their service, and Dr. Cannard regularly visits the WHMU as part of this General Neurology practice.”

O’Connor described Cannard as the “neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals.”

“His findings have been made public each time I have released the results of the President’s annual physical,” O’Connor wrote. “President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.” 

O’Connor then cited sections of Biden’s last physical in February. Biden’s latest health report, released by O’Connor, indicated the president had been screened for a number of neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s, with negative results, as did two other physical reports from Biden’s time as president.

The letter comes the same day the White House struggled to answer questions about Biden’s neurological health after The New York Times first reported that Cannard, an expert in Parkinson’s disease, had visited the White House eight times in the past eight months, meeting at least once with O’Connor.

Earlier on Monday White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to confirm that or explain why, citing security reasons.

This post has been updated with additional information.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Nanette Barragán of California and Deputy Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York announced in a statement that they stand with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, pointing to key wins secured during the Biden administration that empowered Latino communities.

“President Biden and his Administration have worked closely with House Democrats to make historic investments to positively impact communities across the country, including Latinos, such as investments to combat climate change, lower healthcare costs, expand access to healthcare for our veterans, and create jobs with the Infrastructure bill,” the statement says.

It adds, “We look forward to our continued partnership on the road and legislative wins to benefit the American people.”

Arizona Republican Senate nominee Kari Lake released a new digital ad Monday seizing on President Joe Biden’s poor performance in the first presidential debate, an emerging trend in campaign messaging that highlights the potential fallout for Democrats.

The ad features several clips of Biden during last month’s debate on CNN, appearing halting and leaving answers unfinished, and it includes clips of Vice President Kamala Harris’ interview with CNN moments after the debate, during which she defended Biden’s performance. 

And the ad proceeds to link Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, Lake’s opponent in Arizona’s critical 2024 Senate race, to Biden — saying that “Joe Biden is 100% gone, Ruben Gallego votes with Biden 100% of the time,” with the message, “Arizonans deserve better.”

A pair of pro-Trump outside groups have also launched TV ads that reference the pivotal debate, looking to capitalize on Biden’s vulnerability.  

One of the ads, from a nonprofit organization called America Next, leans into amplifying Biden’s disastrous performance. Saying that “Joe Biden’s debate was a joke,” the ad features several clips from the event, highlighting Biden’s confusing remark that “we finally beat Medicare” and accusing him of threatening prescription drug prices for seniors.

Another ad, from the leading pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc., makes a more limited reference to the debate, including a brief clip of Biden at the event while criticizing his record on immigration.

Biden’s campaign has also launched a TV ad featuring footage from the debate – though none of the president himself, choosing instead to focus on Trump’s “lies” during the showdown, while featuring sound from Biden’s rally in North Carolina the following day.

Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley, who is one of six lawmakers to call on President Joe Biden to step out of the presidential race, said he suspects more of his colleagues will join him over the coming week.

The Illinois Democrat told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that he talked to “quite a few” of his colleagues on the House floor Monday night that feel the same way he does about Biden.

Quigley said that his decision to come out was all focused on the “specter” of a second Donald Trump presidency.

“I was told this was a bad night and everything’s good. No. It’s a horrible night and nothing is good,” he said of the fallout from Biden’s poor debate performance.

“The polls are trending the exact wrong way in a hurry. A robust candidate would have a hard time turning this around. We have donors walking away at an absolutely critical time,” Quigley said, adding he is worried about a “red wave” affecting House and Senate races.

Rep. Bennie Thompson speaks during a House Homeland Security Committee meeting in January.

Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said President Joe Biden thanked members for their support and asked for their continued backing in a virtual meeting Monday night.

The Congressional Black Caucus is arguably Biden’s strongest bloc of support on Capitol Hill and a key group for the president heading into Tuesday’s Democratic caucus meeting where lawmakers are expected to air out their concerns about Biden’s campaign behind closed doors.

No member of the Congressional Black Caucus has broken yet against Biden.

“Obviously being a Democrat we have differences, but at some point, we come together,” Thompson added. “My plea to my Democratic colleagues is: Sure you can express yourself. But at some point, if Joe Biden continues to run the campaign and he’s a nominee, we all have to rally behind him.”

Biden met with the House and Senate caucus members for more than 30 minutes to ask for their support and thank them for playing a key role in his successes as president. He received no pushback on the call from members and overall it was a positive discussion, according to a source familiar. 

This post and headline have been updated with additional information.

After last month’s presidential debate, CNN’s John King spoke with voters in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, as part of “All Over the Map,” a project tracking the 2024 campaign through the eyes and experiences of the voters who will pick the next president.

Lisa Reissmann had to stop watching.

“He didn’t seem as strong as what he has been in the past,” she said of President Joe Biden’s performance at the CNN debate. “I was really having a hard time watching it.”

Her husband, fellow Biden voter Troy Reissmann, hung in to the debate’s end, reaching for the phone during former President Donald Trump’s closing statement.

The Reissmanns — civil, affable and politically minded — have a message for the candidate they both supported in 2020.

Lisa Reissmann agreed. “I think it is time. We just need fresh leadership, new leadership. … I like Joe Biden as a person, you know. I think he stands for good things. But I am just not sure he’s there anymore to lead the country.”

Keep reading what some Wisconsin voters are saying.

Following their return to Washington, DC, after a short break, Democratic lawmakers are looking to strike a position on how their party should move forward following President Joe Biden’s poor performance at a debate last month.

Here is what some of those lawmakers had to say Monday:

Read more lawmakers’ reactions from Monday. 

Democrats urging President Joe Biden to end his campaign and allow the party to select another nominee before – or during – August’s national convention are unlikely to find allies in the ranks of Chicago-bound delegates, who are increasingly closing ranks around Biden.

Ten days after the president’s debate debacle, following an initial surge of Democratic anxiety and calls for him to stand down, a host of party leaders and rank-and-file members selected to formally nominate Biden said they were loath to consider any other option.

Their concerns over the prospect of Biden bowing out are twofold. A host of pledged delegates warned that the process for replacing the president would do more damage than even the worst-case scenario with Biden atop the ticket. Biden-aligned delegates also expressed, often privately, a lack of confidence in the alternatives, arguing that the president remains a better bet than any of the names whipping around the gossip circuit.

For the most part, though, Biden’s most ardent delegates were singing from the same hymn sheet.

Chris Anderson, chair of the delegate selection process in Tennessee and a local government official, argued – as Biden’s campaign has done – that voters aren’t as interested in the president’s debate performance as the political media are.

Read more about the convention delegates’ reactions.

As lawmakers return to Washington after a weeklong recess, Democrats are facing questions over the future of President Joe Biden’s campaign.

Here’s what Democratic lawmakers have said Monday:

Read more lawmakers’ reactions from Monday.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal told CNN that the caucus will be meeting with President Joe Biden later this week, and warned against “jumping too quickly” to push him aside.

“I’m still listening to lots of members and constituents and still believe that we need to be really thoughtful about this,” the Washington Democrat said. 

Jayapal would not say if she has confidence in Biden. “Right now, he’s our nominee, and, you know, I’ve worked closely with him – and I think I said everything else in the statement.”

However, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford insisted that he is backing Biden, ahead of their virtual meeting with the president tonight. The caucus is arguably Biden’s strongest group of support on Capitol Hill, and a key group for the president heading into Tuesday’s Democratic caucus meeting where lawmakers are expected to air out their concerns about Biden’s campaign behind closed doors.

“He is the nominee, and it’s time for us to focus on Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress who are trying to roll back our freedoms, our rights and our opportunities,” Horsford, a Nevada Democrat, said. 

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who is a member of both the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus, would not say whether or not Biden is their best choice, repeating over and over, “Joe Biden is the nominee.”

“I think we’re losing the plot here,” the Massachusetts Democrat added. “I’m not focused on a 90-minute debate. I’m focused on the potential of 90 years of horror for the world and the country that my 16-year-old daughter stands to inherit.”

A number of key House Democrats in leadership dodged reporters instead of answering whether they still support President Joe Biden’s campaign on their way in and out of a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday. 

Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who is running for governor in Virginia, would not answer questions from CNN about whether she still supports Biden as her party’s nominee. Spanberger is the battleground representative in House Democratic leadership.

Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, who serves on the key Democratic policy committee,  asked Spanberger about her Fourth of July to give the Virginia Democrat an opportunity to ignore questions from reporters as the pair waited for an elevator. Underwood then ignored reporters when the same question was posed to her.

Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California, who serves as vice chair of the Democratic caucus, repeatedly told CNN “no comment” when asked for his position on Biden.

And Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse, the House assistant Democratic leader, also avoided reporters.

CNN’s Haley Talbot contributed to this post.

On Monday evening, many Democratic senators were grappling in real time with what to do about their presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden. 

“Voters have legitimate questions about all of this,” Sen. Sherrod Brown, a vulnerable Democrat who is up for reelection in Ohio, told reporters. That sentiment was echoed by Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. 

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, said that she expects a fulsome discussion during lunch Tuesday and that her constituents have concerns about Biden and what his candidacy could mean for the results of the election. 

While many senators tap-danced around questions about whether Biden was the strongest nominee, few offered unabashed support for the president, sometimes revealing more by what they weren’t saying. 

Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania who spent time with Biden on the campaign trail over the weekend, wouldn’t directly answer when asked whether he was comfortable with Biden’s mental acuity, his ability to run the race or do the job. 

“I was with him this weekend, and I’ve been with him a lot over the years. I know him well,” he said. 

Asked whether Biden was the strongest candidate, Casey said, “I’m supporting him, and that’s I think an indication of what I believe.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a rally in Washington on June 27.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries insists he is still behind President Joe Biden, despite divisions in his caucus about Biden’s viability in November.

While the New York Democrat supported Biden immediately after the president’s poor debate performance, he did not share on a call with House Democrat ranking members Sunday where he stood on whether Biden should continue running for reelection, CNN reported.

Jeffries dismissed concerns that Biden could hurt Democrats in down-ballot races or even block them from taking back the House majority in November.

“We’re going to win the House of Representatives,” he told CNN.

Many House Democrats have told CNN that Jeffries carries with him with the goodwill of colleagues, and though he has allowed lawmakers to openly discuss Biden’s future, his position could go a long way in deciding whether the Democratic caucus gets on board with the president.

This post has been updated with additional information.

House Democratic Reps. Gerry Connolly and Jimmy Gomez both warned that President Joe Biden needs to avoid more “missteps,” or else he will risk growing calls for his ouster.

“I support Joe Biden, but I also believe that he has to use this time, especially this week, to reassure people in a convincing way,” Connolly told CNN, noting that with campaign appearances and the NATO summit this week, Biden will have plenty of chances to prove he is up for the job.

“Those will all be tests of whether what happened at the debate was an anomaly or whether it was something deeper than that,” he said, later adding, “I believe that we have to have a family conversation if that test is not met.”

However, the Virginia Democrat still insisted that Biden could beat Trump – provided he doesn’t slip up. “I believe the Democratic coalition is quite capable of beating Donald Trump,” he said. “At the moment, President Biden is leading that coalition, so yes. Is it a little steeper climb today than it was a few weeks ago, yeah, but we have a long way to go between that and November.

Gomez warned that his concerned colleagues need to “calm down,” for Biden to retain control. 

The California Democrat also argued that Biden can’t have another blunder like he did on the debate stage. “He has to keep that up. If he – if there is another misstep, I think he might have some bigger problems,” he said.

Sen. Chris Coons arrives for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on May 8.

Sen. Chris Coons, a co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, said Monday that during a series of conversations with President Joe Biden last week, the president asked for guidance on how to court senators who are having doubts about him headlining the ticket.

“He called and followed up with me directly about ‘who do I need to talk to in the Senate? Where are you hearing concerns? What more do I need to do?’” Coons said. 

Coons also said he has heard a pattern of concerns across his Democratic caucus. 

“It’s been a pretty consistent message across the senators I’ve spoken to,” the Delaware Democrat said. “‘We need to see you, Mr. President.’”

Coons highlighted Biden’s recent campaign events, his high-profile interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and his planned Thursday press conference during the NATO summit as some examples of Biden engaging in additional public events to assuage Senators’ and voters’ fears. 

Democrats are facing questions over the future of President Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign amid growing calls for him to exit the race.

Here’s what Democratic lawmakers have said Monday:

Read more lawmakers’ reactions.

This post has been updated with additional reactions.

So far, six congressional Democrats — all members of the House — have publicly called for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.

They are:

And behind closed doors, more than a handful of House Democratic ranking members called for Biden to step aside in a call Sunday with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Those members, according to sources, include Reps. Jerry Nadler, Mark Takano and Joe Morelle.

Democrats are facing questions over the future of President Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign amid growing calls for him to exit the race.

Here’s what Democratic lawmakers have said Monday:

Read more lawmakers’ reactions here.

Congressional candidate Michael B. Moore speaks at a rally outside the Supreme Court in October 2023.

Democrat Michael Moore, who is running for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, is calling for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race and take more of an “emeritus” role to usher in a new candidate.

“I just believe that having the president in this sort of emeritus almost kind of a role, but in guiding the next person, I think that would be the best way that he can help Democrats win in November,” Moore told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Moore said he does not have a dream presidential ticket to replace Biden in November.

“I think people came into this season concerned about, again, about women’s reproductive freedom, jobs, the economy, the environment and the like. But I think now that this really acute focus on the president and his health has taken over, I think people are just really afraid,” the businessman said on “The Lead.”

President Joe Biden will meet virtually with the Congressional Black Caucus on Monday night, two sources told CNN.

The CBC — arguably Biden’s strongest group of support on Capitol Hill — is a key group for the president heading into Tuesday’s Democratic caucus meeting where lawmakers are expected to air out their concerns about Biden’s campaign behind closed doors.

NBC was first to report on the meeting. 

No member of the Congressional Black Caucus has broken against Biden, and the group’s chair, Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford, issued his own statement of support for the president Monday morning.

Other caucus members, including Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio and Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida, were quick to defend Biden on Sunday from their colleagues calling on the president to step aside. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also a member of the caucus, has not shared where he falls.

Beatty, former chair of the CBC, said that Democrats “shouldn’t be going rogue against our own president” and that Black voters are loyal and will continue to support Biden.

Rep. Adam Smith speaks at the US Capitol, in Washington, DC, on July 12, 2022.

Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington on Monday publicly called for President Joe Biden to leave the presidential race, becoming the latest congressional Democrat to come out against the party’s presumptive nominee.

But, Smith added later, “The president has shown he is not capable of delivering that message in an effective way.”

Smith becomes the latest Democratic lawmaker to call for Biden to exit the race after more than a handful of top House Democrats told Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday that Biden needs to step aside amid concerns about down-ballot Democratic races.

Looking at the choices for president, between Donald Trump and Biden, Smith said that Biden is “far and away the best candidate, but I know in my heart and my soul and my brain that we can do better. And I know what the stakes are.”

This post has been updated with additional information.

A top Parkinson’s disease specialist held a meeting with President Joe Biden’s physician at the White House earlier this year, according to records, though the circumstances of the meeting are unclear.

Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, met with White House physician Kevin O’Connor at the White House in mid-January, according to White House visitor logs.

Cannard has visited the White House three times this year, according to the visitor logs: a January 17 meeting with O’Connor, and with another staffer on January 26 and March 28. Cannard has visited the White House at least eight times over the past year, according to the logs, beginning last August and ending with the March 28 meeting. Only the January 17 meeting lists O’Connor as the person who was visited.

Asked about the visit between Cannard and O’Connor, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said, “A wide variety of specialists from the Walter Reed system visit the White House complex to treat the thousands of military personnel who work on the grounds.”

Those visits include one from a neurologist each year for Biden’s physical, Bates said. Biden has not been seen by a neurologist during his time as president outside the context of his annual physical, he added.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later repeated Biden had been seen by a neurologist three times during his presidency – once during each of his physicals – but declined to name them or explain why Cannard had visited the White House eight times over the past year.

Jean-Pierre added Biden has never been treated for, or taken any medicine to treat, Parkinson’s.

Read more about records regarding Biden’s health.

This post has been updated with additional information.

President Joe Biden is rejecting any idea that he would step aside as the Democratic nominee, a decision that is his alone.

When we asked readers what questions they have about Biden, they expressed some confusion about the process that made him the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Some of the questions include: whether anyone can force Biden to step down as candidate, if convention delegates are required to support Biden, and whether it warrants impeachment if Biden purposefully hid that he has a debilitating cognitive condition.

You can read answers to those reader questions here.

Rep. Mark Takano attends a news conference on Friday, April 12.

As lawmakers return to Washington after a weeklong recess, Democrats are facing questions over the future of President Joe Biden’s campaign amid growing calls for him to step aside.

Here’s what lawmakers have said Monday:

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby speaks alongside White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a daily news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on July 8, in Washington, DC.

The White House on Monday pushed back on the idea that President Joe Biden will have to reassure US allies of his fitness for office ahead of the president’s first major international event since his widely criticized debate performance. Dozens of world leaders are set to convene in Washington, DC, for the NATO 75th anniversary summit this week.

Kirby said the administration was “not picking up any signs of that from our allies at all.”

“Quite the contrary,” he said. “The conversations that we’re having with them in advance is they’re excited about this summit.”

However, former key US diplomat Kurt Volker on Monday confirmed some political concerns from NATO allies heading into the summit.

Kirby said that he was “not aware” of conversations among allies voicing concern for the president’s health and that there had been “certainly none with us.”

CNN reported Friday that Biden’s showing at the debate was met with shock and concern by diplomats around the world. The president is now under immense pressure to perform well at the high-stakes NATO gathering this week and show that he is still a viable competitor to former President Donald Trump, multiple diplomats told CNN.

Former President Donald Trump leaves a campaign rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, on June 28.

The panel charged with crafting a platform for the Republican National Committee quickly approved on Monday a scaled-back document that softened language on abortion and same-sex marriage.

Former President Donald Trump earlier Monday approved the updated platform, which is called “American First: A Return to Common Sense.”

The new platform reflects Trump’s broader policy agenda as the presumptive GOP nominee continues to reshape the party in his third run for the presidency. 

On abortion, the language in the new platform mirrors Trump’s position that restrictions should be left to the states.

After the platform was made public, a leading anti-abortion group, SBA Pro-Life America, released a statement saying it reaffirms the party’s “commitment to protect life through the 14th Amendment.”

The new GOP platform also no longer defines marriage as between “one man and one woman.”

Instead of putting an emphasis on reducing the national debt, the platform calls to “end inflation” and “Make America Affordable Again.” The document outlines Trump’s position on Social Security and Medicare, affirming the former president’s stance against cutting benefits. 

The platform was approved by an overwhelming vote of 84-18, according to a source. The platform will be taken up at the full party convention, which begins in Milwaukee next week.

This post has been updated with more details of the platform proposal.

President Joe Biden told top donors Monday that he is not exiting the race and that he believes he’s still the best candidate to beat Donald Trump, according to three participants on a donor call.

During the Q&A portion of the call, Biden fielded a question from a donor about what he needs to do in the second debate – scheduled for September 10 – to perform better than the first.

Biden outlined the strategy simply, two participants said: “Attack, attack, attack.”

“My one job is to beat Donald Trump,” Biden said, according to one of the call participants, who said the president thanked donors and renewed his pledge to keep the fight alive.

Another participant on the call, who has been critical of Biden over the past week, praised the president’s words Monday and said the campaign seemed to “finally” grasp the seriousness of the moment.

The ultimate test, this donor said, would be whether congressional leaders urge Biden to reconsider his bid this week – and whether the president’s support eroded in campaign polling following the holiday weekend.

DNC Finance Chair Chris Korge, who was among the final speakers on the call, was “begging us to stay in line,” one of the participants said.

Another participant said of the president’s determination to continue running: “He ain’t budging an inch.”

The call began roughly 40 minutes behind schedule as the campaign processed a last-minute rush of RSVPs due to the late announcement of Biden’s participation. More than 300 members of the campaign’s National Finance Committee dialed into the Zoom call, a participant told CNN.

This post has been updated with additional information.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during his weekly news conference on Capitol Hill November 15, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Most House leaders have to wait until becoming speaker for defining moments. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, still an achingly few five seats away from the majority, will spend this week navigating his biggest test so far even before he gets the gavel — and in a way that could define whether he ever will.

The young, Black leader of diverse Democrats across the country is in a key spot, many of his colleagues believe: If he stands in support of President Joe Biden, he could prove the barricade that holds back the restless revolt; if he tells Biden that support has collapsed, that will be more resounding than any poll or campaign fundraising email.

Colleagues both who want the president to stay and who want the president to go — including those infuriated that Biden has called their quiet deference proof that he has their support — are counting on Jeffries to step up and get them all on the same page.

That is not the approach the New York Democrat has taken so far, according to CNN’s conversations over the weekend with two dozen Democratic members of Congress and top aides, many of whom were granted anonymity to discuss their private conversations with their leader and with one another.

As they land back in Washington on Monday, those lawmakers’ emotions are about to explode into public even more than they did on Jeffries’ Sunday evening call with ranking members on top committees.

Read more about Jeffries’ key role as the Democratic Party navigates the turmoil.

The Trump campaign, along with the Republican National Committee, on Monday released the program themes for next week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, calling it the “Make America Great Once Again” Convention.

Though the release does not announce speakers for the convention, it does list daily themes that the campaign will focus on each evening.

House Democrats will meet Tuesday morning at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in a highly anticipated caucus-wide meeting, according to four sources.  

This comes as Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries has remained mum on the future of Joe Biden’s reelection campaign as more of his members have called for the president to step aside. 

The meeting is expected to be members only and phones will not be permitted inside, per two sources. 

CNN previously reported that Tuesday will be consequential, and one member said they anticipate that is the day when the dam will break.

Important to note: Democrats regularly meet as a caucus on Tuesdays, but this meeting will be the first time they are gathering since last month’s debate.

First lady Dr. Jill Biden speaks at Hi-Wire Brewing in Wilmington, North Carolina on Monday.

First lady Jill Biden offered a public message of support to her husband, President Joe Biden, saying he is “all in” and so is she.

Jill Biden remains one of her husband’s fiercest supporters and surrogates. Her remarks came during a campaign event launching the “Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris” coalition in Wilmington, North Carolina — the first of three battleground states she’s visiting Monday. The first lady is also expected to make stops in Florida and Georgia.

“For all the talk out there about this race, Joe has made it clear that he’s all in,” she said to chants of “four more years” from the crowd. 

Jill Biden added, “That’s the decision that he’s made. And just as he’s always supported my career, I am all in, too.”

She told the crowd that they cannot “take anything for granted.”

A former key US diplomat on Monday confirmed some political concerns from NATO allies heading into this week’s summit in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s debate performance. 

Kurt Volker, former US ambassador to NATO and US special representative for Ukraine negotiations, told CNN the allies will be focused on two areas when they meet in Washington, DC.

The second concern, Volker said, is about the possibility of a second Trump administration after the former president cast doubt on the future of US support for the alliance: “Then they worry — if he doesn’t do that and it’s former President Donald Trump coming back, what does that mean for US support for NATO, US support for Ukraine?”

Many Europeans have also signaled concerns about what a Trump presidency could mean for the alliance, especially as Ukraine fights off Russia’s invasion.

“We are all anxious about your US presidential elections,” a European diplomat said, noting comments from Trump and his campaign suggesting he will “encourage if not force” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. 

There is concern that if Trump is reelected, US support to Ukraine will be conditioned on Kyiv entering into negotiations. If the US takes that position, it will be difficult for Europe to maintain its support, the diplomat said.

Amber Rose attends the 65th Grammy Awards on February 5, 2023 in Los Angeles.

Amber Rose, a reality television personality who shocked fans by endorsing Donald Trump for president earlier this year, is expected to speak at the Republican Convention next week, a source familiar tells CNN.

Earlier this year, Rose faced backlash after posting a picture of herself with Trump and Melania Trump with the caption “Trump 2024.”

It was not immediately clear what night Rose would be speaking.

President Joe Biden is expected to join the campaign’s National Finance Committee call today, a senior Democratic adviser told CNN, to urge donors to move beyond the crisis enveloping the party and rally behind his candidacy.

The call is scheduled to take place at 12 p.m. ET.

Adding the president to the call underscores one of the biggest concerns inside the campaign: If Biden stays in, will donors continue to back him or redirect their money to House and Senate campaign efforts?

Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford, a frontline member who also chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, issued a statement in support of President Biden Monday morning.

The congressman representing Nevada’s 4th District is one of more than a two dozen members Democrats have identified as running in competitive seats. 

In Horsford’s statement, he stresses Nevada voters have made their choice. 

Sen. Marco Rubio speaks to reporters in the spin room following the CNN Presidential Debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump at the McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus on June 27 in Atlanta. 

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, one of the top contenders being considered as Donald Trump’s running mate, will be attending Trump’s rally on Tuesday in Doral, Florida, according to a source familiar. 

The rally comes nearly a week ahead of the Republican National Convention where Trump will be nominated as their presidential candidate and when his vice president pick is expected to be announced.

President Joe Biden called in to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Monday as he looks to turn the tide on mounting criticism from members of his own party and do more “off-the-cuff,” unscripted engagements to quell concerns about his age. 

A defiant Biden pledged he wasn’t going anywhere and derided those Democrats calling for him to step down as part of the “elite.”

Biden offered a confusing response to a question about his letter to Hill Democrats calling for unity, lambasting former President Donald Trump for being on the golf course after the debate. Trump has largely stayed under the radar while Biden battles the news cycle. 

“Well, look – Democrats – Joe, let me say it this way, the reason I’ve been on the road so much, all over the country, while Trump is riding around in a golf cart, filling out his golf card before, golf card before he even hits the ball – but anyway, he hasn’t been anywhere in 10 days, I’ve been all over the country No. 1,” he said. 

He continued: “And I’ve gone over a country for several reasons. One, to make sure my instinct was right about the party still wanting me to be the nominee. And all the data, all the data shows that the average Democrat out there who voted, 14 million of them who’ve voted for me, still want me to be the nominee, No. 1.”

The president was also asked to respond to criticism of a response he gave to ABC News Friday to a question about how he’d feel in January if Trump won.

“I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the good as job as I know I can do, that’s what this is about,” Biden said Friday.

He dismissed the growing concerns from those who have said it was not a satisfactory answer. 

“It’s not an option and I’ve not lost and I haven’t lost. I beat him last time, I beat him this time. Look at his performance at debates,” Biden said. “He’s just a liar, and he hasn’t done a damn thing since the debate.”

Asked how he would reassure voters that he wouldn’t have another night like his performance in the presidential debate, he said, “Look at my career,” adding that he has “not had many of those nights.” 

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, July 5.

President Joe Biden told congressional Democrats in a letter on Monday that he will continue his reelection bid despite mounting concerns about the president’s mental fitness and the viability of his campaign.

Meanwhile, the president will continue his outreach to Democratic lawmakers, a campaign official tells CNN, during a critical week for his candidacy as the party’s 2024 nominee while all House Democrats are set to convene Tuesday to discuss growing questions over the path forward.

Congress returns to Washington on Tuesday for the first time since the June 27 debate on CNN that prompted widespread concern over Biden’s ability to secure a victory for Democrats in November and to serve an additional four years in office.

The north portico and fountain of The White House is seen on June 11, in Washington, DC.

As President Joe Biden’s political future hangs in the balance, many inside the White House – still rattled by the president’s disastrous debate performance last month – are now gripped with anxiety and unease about whether Biden will continue his reelection campaign.

The mood since Biden’s dismal showing at CNN’s presidential debate on June 27 has been somber, multiple sources inside and outside the White House tell CNN, as staffers ranging from younger junior aides to more seasoned officials have struggled to make sense of Biden’s halting 90-plus minutes on the debate stage.

Inside the White House, where TV screens are always on and set to four cable news channels – CNN, MSNBC, Fox and CNBC – the devastating headlines casting doubt on Biden’s political future have been unavoidable. The latest blow came Sunday, when more than a handful of House Democratic ranking members told Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a call that Biden needs to step aside, according to sources familiar.

In the tumultuous days since the debate, many senior administration officials have had check-ins with their teams and individual direct reports, sources said. These conversations have been intended to offer staff emotional support and encourage aides to keep their heads down and continue the Biden administration’s work.

Read more about what it’s like in the White House.

The Biden campaign has launched a new, 30-second ad tying former President Donald Trump to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, an issue it believes will be potent to mobilizing voters this November.

This ad will run as part of a previously-announced $50 million ad buy on high-impact programs like the Olympics, the Republican National Convention, and “The Bachelorette” season premiere as the campaign pushes forward in the fallout from the debate.

“Ask yourself: Who do you want in the White House? The man proud to overturn Roe v. Wade, or the president fighting for your rights?” the ad says.