July 9, 2024, presidential debate and election news

Our live coverage has ended. Follow the latest 2024 election news or read through the updates below. 

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos was walking on a New York City street Tuesday when he was approached by a stranger who asked for his thoughts on President Joe Biden’s fitness for office.

Stephanopoulos had sat down with Biden a few days earlier for his first on-camera television interview following the CNN presidential debate. 

The blunt remark from Stephanopoulos — in a video that made its way to TMZ — served as the latest example of the news media turning on Biden, expressing strong concerns about whether he has the fortitude to defeat Donald Trump in November and then serve another term in office. 

On Tuesday night, Stephanopoulos expressed regret for his frank remark, saying through a spokesperson:

Notably, Stephanopoulos did not withdraw the viewpoint he articulated but said he shouldn’t have expressed it.

ABC News separately said that Stephanopoulos “expressed his own point of view and not the position of ABC News.”

Stephanopoulos is far from alone amongst his peers in the news media in sharing that opinion. In recent days, The New York Times editorial board and several prominent writers have called for him to step aside.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks at a NATO event in Washington, on July 9.

President Joe Biden saw a neurologist at the White House in January as part of his annual physical, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a new statement Tuesday evening, correcting her comment from earlier in the day that the specialist’s visit earlier this year had not been related to the president.

Jean-Pierre had been asked in Tuesday’s White House press briefing whether neurologist Cannard’s meeting with the president’s physician, O’Connor, on January 17 was “related to care for the president himself.” (CNN previously confirmed via White House visitors’ logs that the two men had met in January at the White House).

Jean-Pierre answered: “I can say that it was not.”

The reference in Jean-Pierre’s new statement blaming the fact that a specific date had not been mentioned in the reporter’s question does not pass muster. Cannard was listed on the White House visitors logs multiple times over the past year, but only once – in January – shown to have met with O’Connor. The reason for that particular visit had been a focus of multiple questions in Monday’s White House press briefing.

Jean-Pierre’s correction reveals that Cannard had not only met with O’Connor in relation to the president in January, but that he had examined the president during that visit as a part of his annual medical exam.

This is not the first time that Jean-Pierre’s answers to questions related to the president’s health since his disastrous debate performance last month have required clarification.

Biden was examined by his physician in the days following last month’s CNN presidential debate, the White House told CNN last week — despite having previously said that the president has had no medical exams since his February physical and had not been “checked out by the doctor” for his cold around the debate.

Sen. Michael Bennet appears on CNN on Tuesday, July 9.

During a lengthy lunch meeting held Tuesday in the Capitol between Senate Democrats, Sen. Michael Bennet said he does not think President Joe Biden is capable of winning reelection in November, he confirmed to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.

He said he believes former President Donald Trump is on track to win the election “and maybe win it by a landslide.”

The senator added that he is afraid Democrats will lose both chambers of Congress too. He called the potential scenario of losing the House and Senate to Republicans “an American tragedy.”

“The entire future of our country is at stake,” he said.

Many Democratic senators declined to talk to reporters after the private meeting in the Capitol. Up until now, no Democratic senators have publicly called for the president to step aside, despite many having serious concerns about his candidacy.  

Watch more of Bennet’s comments.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday deployed new attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris as some Democrats call on President Joe Biden to step aside from the 2024 campaign and float Harris as a potential successor.

Trump, who said in a Monday interview he thought Harris would be the Democratic nominee if Biden were to step aside, for the first time spent an extended portion of his campaign rally focused on attacking Harris and her record. He repeatedly mispronounced Harris’ first name and falsely claimed Harris had never visited the US-Mexico border as he sought to tie Harris to the border. Harris visited the border in June 2021. 

Vehicles line up for gas on Tuesday, July 9, along Northpark Drive after Hurricane Beryl made its way through the Greater Houston area on Monday as a Category 1 storm.

President Joe Biden told the Houston Chronicle Tuesday that federal officials had not been able to get in touch with the governor for days – leading to a delayed distribution of emergency-relief supplies in the wake of Hurricane Beryl.

The president told the Chronicle he has been trying to “track down” the governor to start the process of requesting aid, adding that he doesn’t have the authority to do so on his own.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has been in Asia for the past several days, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has assumed the role of acting governor during the state’s Beryl response in his absence. The White House told the paper that officials have tried to reach Patrick and Abbott “multiple times.”

CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.

Patrick rejected Biden’s characterization, accused him of politicizing the deadly storm.

State officials, Patrick wrote, had to determine Texas’ needs before asking the federal government for help – a process that required officials traveling to impacted areas.

Abbott, in his own post on X, took aim at Biden’s mental fitness.

“Biden’s memory fails again,” the governor wrote, adding that Biden has his number and “not once did he call me during Beryl.”

Nikki Carvajal contributed reporting.

Several Republican governors, including former presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, will appear as honorary guests at the Southern States Fest next week in Milwaukee as the Republican National Convention is taking place in the city, according to an invitation obtained by CNN. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Mike Johnson will also attend the event. 

It will be held July 17 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the American Family Field stadium. 

DeSantis, who will not have a speaking role at the RNC convention, will also attend a Moms for Liberty town hall discussion on July 16 in Milwaukee along with Sanders, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, according to a news release sent by the organization on Monday.

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at his golf resort in Doral, Florida, on Tuesday, July 9. 

Former President Donald Trump continued to build suspense around his running mate, acknowledging the media presence at his Doral rally, where Florida Sen. Marco Rubio showed up tonight.

Rubio, one of the top VP contenders, spoke earlier at the rally and was in the audience behind Trump.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday challenged President Joe Biden to another debate this week without moderators as he mocked Biden’s debate performance.

“Tonight, I’m officially offering Joe the chance to redeem himself in front of the entire world,” Trump said during a campaign rally in Doral, Florida.

Referencing to the debate moment where Biden and he talked about golf, he also challenged the president to “an 18-hole golf match” at Doral. 

Remember: During CNN’s debate, a question about whether either Trump or Biden are fit to lead the country turned into a dispute about who is the better golfer. Trump said Biden couldn’t drive a golf ball 50 yards, and Biden challenged Trump to a golf match but only if Trump carries his own clubs. 

President Joe Biden speaks at a NATO event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the alliance, in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, July 9.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced plans to supply new air defenses to Ukraine in a speech opening the NATO summit – providing much-needed support for the country at a critical juncture in its defense against Russia’s invasion.

The US, Germany and Romania will each provide a Patriot battery of their own, while the Netherlands will work with other countries to enable an additional Patriot battery, each country announced in a joint statement. Meanwhile, Italy would also provide a SAMP-T long-range air defense system.

The statement said the air-defense systems “will help to protect Ukrainian cities, civilians, and soldiers, and we are coordinating with the Ukrainian government so that these systems can be utilized rapidly.”

Biden spoke from the Mellon Auditorium, where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949 – creating the alliance – and where former President Bill Clinton held the alliance’s 50th anniversary summit.

Biden’s remarks were scripted and read from a teleprompter, but the stakes were high for the president as many members of his own party and the public writ large are watching him closely following his poor debate performance late last month. Some members of his own party have recently said they want more evidence of his mental and physical fitness before deciding whether to back him for four more years.

Biden largely got through his speech without any major hiccups, though he did appear to accidentally read stage instructions from his prepared remarks while presenting Presidential Medal of Freedom to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Though foreign diplomats were horrified by Biden’s debate performance, the president has several more chances to prove himself this week – including during a solo press conference on Thursday.

Read more on the NATO summit or the presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Two young Nevada voters who attended Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign event in Las Vegas on Tuesday were split on whether President Joe Biden should step aside and not seek reelection.

Kyle Alamshaw, a 22-year-old who attends the University of Houston, said he believes Biden should withdraw because of his age and said the debate performance was concerning.

When asked if he would support Biden should he see his reelection bid through, Alamshaw said he would “vote for the Democratic candidate, no matter what.”

Carolyn Salvador Avila, a student at the University of Las Vegas and the National President for College Democrats of America, dismissed calls for Biden to step down.

Salvador Avila was on campus on December 6, 2023, when a gunman killed three faculty members and wounded a fourth in a roughly 10-minute rampage.

“So making sure that getting more gun violence prevention in place is super important and we’ve seen him (Biden) do that through the bipartisan Safer Communities Act. We’ve seen him fight for so many other things that are important for people my age,” she said.

Tuesday was an important day for President Joe Biden and his political future as several lawmakers told CNN that the conclusions drawn from meetings of Senate and House Democrats would likely seal the president’s fate.

Here are the key things to know about the 2024 race today:

Vice President Kamala Harris attends a campaign event focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, during a visit to Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday, July 9.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday admitted that the past few days for President Joe Biden are a reminder that being the commander in chief is “never easy,” but continued to defend him amid calls for him to step aside following his shaky debate performance, telling a crowd in Nevada “Joe Biden is a fighter.”

Many Democratic senators declined to talk to reporters after departing a lengthy private meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday where they wrestled with whether President Joe Biden should continue his reelection bid in the wake of a poor debate performance last month.

And for those that did, they refused to reveal if any of their colleagues had called on Biden to leave the race.  

Up until now, no Democratic senators have publicly called for the president to step aside, despite many having serious concerns about his candidacy.  

When asked if anyone called on Biden to step aside, he responded: “I’m not going to get into that.” 

Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the third-ranking Democrat, told reporters the meeting focused on the dangers of another Trump administration and the successes of the Biden administration, including how he brought jobs to her state.  

But when asked if any Democrats had called for Biden to leave the race she stopped: “No, I’m not going to. I’m not going to. This was a private family discussion.”

Pressed by CNN if her refusal to answer the questions was an acknowledgement that some of her colleagues had called for him to leave, she shot back but didn’t answer the question.  

“No, no. Actually, I’m just uh…It’s a pri…I’m not going to say anymore,” she said.  

Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a strong supporter of Biden’s, was asked if a consensus and been reached in the meeting but only said that “it was a constructive conversation.”

Other senators — who have raised concerns publicly about Biden’s fitness for office after the debate and urged him to demonstrate that he is up to the job — refused to speak about the closed meeting.  

Texas Rep. Marc Veasey speaks with CNN's Manu Raju on Tuesday, July 9.

Democratic Texas Rep. Marc Veasey expressed deep concern about President Joe Biden remaining his party’s 2024 nominee during the House Democrats meeting this morning.

Veasey said his concerns are shared by the American public and Democratic universe — that Biden will “not be able to rebound” from the disastrous debate performance.

Veasey said he told Democratic lawmakers facing difficult reelection races to do “whatever we need to do” to get reelected.

Veasey said he didn’t think the Biden team’s efforts to right the ship after the debate have worked.

“Whatever I have seen so far hasn’t shown me that that’s going to be enough to get there, I just don’t think that dog is gonna hunt,” Veasey said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a daily news briefing at the White House on July 9 in Washington, DC.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday defended her answers to the press about President Joe Biden’s health, as the White House has faced an onslaught of questions about it as well as medical records following his halting debate performance last month. 

Jean-Pierre said the past few weeks have been an “unprecedented time” and that she was working to “meet the moment,” but acknowledged that on Monday what she had was “not the full information.” 

In a series of exchanges Monday that ranged from polite, to tense, to heated and adversarial, Jean-Pierre did not directly answer whether a Parkinson’s specialist whose visitor logs showed had visited the White House multiple times was there for reasons related to Biden. 

She said Tuesday a letter issued from the president’s doctor later Monday was part of her attempt to get the information to the public. 

The press secretary also defended her explanations to questions about Biden mistakenly looking for dead Congresswoman Jackie Walorski at an event in 2022 and Biden’s decision to skip the G7 leader’s dinner in Italy last month.

She stood by her answers on both occasions.  

In 2022, Jean-Pierre said Biden had Walorski “top of mind” when he was seeking her in the room after her death.

Jean-Pierre said that her “answer stays the same” as the one she previously gave in regard to Biden’s decision to skip the G7 dinner, that reporters shouldn’t “read too much into it.”

“It’s not the first time that he has a really busy schedule and there’s a lot going on as you know when the president is abroad he has continued to do domestic stuff as well as meeting with global leaders and so I truly would not read too much into it and I will leave it there.”

Sen. Michael Bennet speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on July 8, in Washington, DC. 

At the Senate Democratic lunch today, Sens. Michael Bennet, Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester said to their colleagues that they do not think President Joe Biden can win the election, according to a source familiar.

The approach from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was that it was kind of a fait accompli and there wasn’t much he could do, and if the senators thought Biden should get out, they should call the president, the source told CNN.

Another source confirmed that Schumer told senators they should speak with the White House directly.

Other senators also said they believed the administration is more receptive to hearing from senators directly. 

The post was updated with more details from the lunch.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to slam Project 2025 and former President Donald Trump during remarks at a campaign event in Las Vegas on Tuesday at 5:25 p.m. ET.

Project 2025 is a conservative group’s plan to radically reshape the federal government and American life should Trump win a second term. 

In a post to his social media site last week, Trump claimed he knew “nothing about Project 2025,” the name given to a playbook crafted by the Heritage Foundation to fill the executive branch with thousands of Trump loyalists and reorient its many agencies’ missions around conservative ideals.

The vice president is also expected to again blast the Supreme Court’s decision that Trump may claim immunity from criminal prosecution for some of the actions he took as president.

Sens. John Fetterman and Chris Coons insisted that President Joe Biden will still be the Democratic nominee, and doubled down in their support for him, after Senate Democrats met over lunch.

However, asked whether the conversation is over, Coons admitted “no,” it’s not.

Sen. Tim Kaine did not attend the lunch meeting, but agreed with Coons that discussions are ongoing. He added that he trusts Biden to decide on his own whether he is able to beat former President Donald Trump. “I’ve never once had reason to question whether he has the ability to put country first. And I think he always does,” said Kaine.

The mood in the meeting was “light,” Fetterman said. “There was no drama. No one was throwing chairs or anything.”

“The New York Times is probably going to be upset, but Joe Biden is the guy,” added Fetterman. “Joe Biden is a great president and he’s the only guy that kicked Trump’s ass in an election, and Joe Biden has the kind of record that you really be proud of.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill questions witnesses in a hearing on February 28, 2023, in Washington, DC. 

Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill called on President Joe Biden to not run for reelection, becoming the seventh House Democrat to publicly call on the president to step aside.

The New Jersey representative’s statement comes after House Democrats met behind closed doors on Tuesday where a number of lawmakers shared their concerns and left the meeting without a clear consensus on how to move forward. She told CNN she wanted to wait to voice her position on Biden until after the meetings.

“I had committed to people in my district to having the conversations I thought we needed to have. I wanted to hear from my colleagues here in Washington. And so, we had meetings this morning and I remain convinced that we need to do everything we can to defeat Trump,” Sherrill said.

The lawmaker added that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a “fantastic nominee” but left the door open on who she would support.

This post has been updated with additional comments from Sherrill.

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, declined to give many specifics from Tuesday’s lunch but did lay out one thing Democrats were united on: They need to see President Joe Biden out more on the campaign trail.

Pressed on what happens if Biden stumbles in those settings, King, who is 80, said, “It seems to me that’s a risk that they have to take. If he’s OK, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I saw the debate like everyone else. I do have concerns. That’s why I’d like to see him out in public, demonstrating that debate was an anomaly,” he added.

 Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy was asked if President Joe Biden’s scheduled press conference during the NATO summit in Washington DC on Thursday would help ease weary Democrats about his mental capacity.

A news conference would also highlight the contrast between Biden and former President Donald Trump, he said, warning of Trump’s potential impact on the world stage when talking about the NATO summit in Washington, DC.

“Our allies should be freaked out. Donald Trump is going to fundamentally alter our relationship with NATO,” he said, adding that Trump would “very likely” pull the US out of the defense alliance. “He’s gonna have no adults in the White House to stop him from doing the most dangerous things that he wanted to do in his first term. America will retreat from the world if Donald Trump is elected.” 

First lady Jill Biden attacked former President Donald Trump for his position on abortion and reproductive care during a call with reporters ahead of Trump’s rally in Florida.

Jill Biden focused her brief remarks during the campaign press call on the consequences of Trump appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices, all of whom sided with the majority opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade two years ago. She spoke about meeting women struggling to find adequate reproductive health care since the court’s ruling and chastised Trump for attempting to soften his message around abortion access. 

The first lady was joined by Florida Rep. Veronica Escobar, a co-chair of the Biden campaign.

At his first news conference since the CNN presidential debate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refused to engage in questions regarding President Joe Biden’s fitness as the party’s nominee.

Schumer was asked several times about Biden, but he would only say this: “As I said before, I’m with Joe.”

CNN’s Manu Raju asked the New York Democrat if he agrees with fellow Democratic Sen. Patty Murray’s sentiment that Biden needs to demonstrate that he’s strong enough to defeat Donald Trump. Schumer once again would only respond by saying “I’m with Joe.”

Separately, Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware on Tuesday touted Biden’s performance at a bill signing at the White House earlier in the day. He said Biden spoke “literally without notes” nor a teleprompter for “probably close to an hour” at the signing of a bipartisan nuclear energy bill.

Asked about his own support for Biden, Carper answered “I’ve known him for 50 years. I’m not going anywhere.”

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has qualified for Minnesota’s presidential ballot, a state elections official told CNN on Tuesday.

Kennedy’s campaign submitted more than 3,000 signatures to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office last month. Independent presidential candidates are required to submit 2,000 valid signatures to appear on the state’s ballot.

Kennedy’s petition was determined to be valid and confirmed he will appear on the state’s ballot in November, a spokesperson for Minnesota Secretary of State told CNN on Tuesday. 

Remember: Minnesota is the eighth state where Kennedy has officially gained ballot access. He’s also qualified in Michigan, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Delaware, California, Hawaii and Utah. In total, Kennedy is eligible to receive 110 electoral votes.

The Kennedy campaign has either gained ballot access, submitted paperwork or completed signature collecting in 27 states.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre could not say Tuesday whether the president has watched last month’s CNN presidential debate, after President Joe Biden told ABC News “I don’t think I did, no.”

The press secretary did say that she will follow up with the president on that question. 

People wait in line at the Crowne Plaza to hear presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speak in Asheville, North Carolina, in October 2023.

North Carolina’s elections board found some voters who signed petitions to help independent presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West gain ballot access did not understand the purpose of those petitions, potentially affirming part of the objections filed by Biden allies seeking to block ballot access for the two candidates in a key battleground state. 

In a North Carolina State Board of Elections hearing on Tuesday, staff shared they had reached out to voters who signed petitions to help the minor parties established by both candidates gain ballot access in the state. They found some of them “were not told the purpose and intent or did not understand the purpose and intent” of the petitions they signed.

The new finding lends credence to one of the claims made by pro-Biden super PAC Clear Choice in its objections to both Kennedy and West’s ballot access that both candidates were “misleading” voters who signed their petitions, arguing the candidates violated a state law that requires newly formed political parties to inform signers of the “general purpose and intent” of the party.

Democratic Caucus chairman Rep. Pete Aguilar.

Democratic Caucus chairman, Rep. Pete Aguilar, said the focus of the House Democrats’ meeting this morning was not “to get on the same page,” but to discuss the best tactics to beat Donald Trump this November.

At a news conference, Aguilar and Caucus Vice-Chair Rep. Ted Lieu repeatedly sounded alarms about a Trump second term.

Aguilar also said he and his fellow Democrats will be watching Biden’s moves for the duration of the week, including a high-profile news conference he is scheduled to host on Thursday, as further evidence to be considered in the caucus’ calculation of Biden’s viability. 

Aguilar did not expressly endorse Biden, instead opting to support “the Democratic ticket.”

Aguilar also said beating Trump was one of two “twin goals” for Democrats this November, along with “getting 218 votes for Hakeem Jeffries on January 3rd,” to elect him as House Speaker.  

Some Democrats in competitive districts and states have been uncertain about publicly expressing full support for the incumbent president for fear it may cost them on election day. Biden has also been consistently polling behind Democrats in competitive statewide Senate races – a gap that many political analysts and lawmakers have deemed untenable.

The caucus chair declined to disclose the contents of conversations he’s had with candidates in vulnerable districts, but he has encouraged them “to just continue to press ahead.” 

In the closed-door meeting, which just ended, Senate Democrats expressed their “deep concerns” about how the presidential race is shaping up — and how their constituents fear that President Joe Biden may lose to former President Donald Trump, according to one senator.

The senator said that a wide range of views were expressed about the best path forward. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer didn’t lay out his views in detail, the source added.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 9.

The meeting between a neurological specialist and Joe Biden’s physician in January was not related to care for the president, the White House said Tuesday.

The two doctors, specialist Dr. Kevin Cannard and Dr. Kevin O’Connor, met at the White House on January 17, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Cannard has visited the White House eight times in the past year, according to the visitor logs. Three of those visits occurred in 2024: the January 17 meeting with O’Connor and meetings with another staffer on January 26 and March 28. 

Cannard, a neurologist at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, is also a top Parkinson’s disease specialist.

The president’s physician, O’Connor, took the unusual step Monday night of releasing a letter offering some details about Cannard’s visits to the White House, following days of speculation about the president’s health. He wrote that “President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.”

Most Senate Democratic lunch meetings last until about 2:15 p.m. but this one is still ongoing.

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester also said it was “constructive.”

The post was updated with Tester’s comment.

President Joe Biden, right, listens as Sen. John Fetterman speaks at a campaign office in Philadelphia on Sunday, July 7.

Sen. John Fetterman, who has been a strong advocate for Joe Biden, left the Democratic lunch moments ago and said the president is the guy and the only candidate with a proven track record of beating “Trump’s a**.”  

Pushed on whether there was any consensus though, he did not answer. 

“We concluded that Joe Biden is old; we found out, and the polling came back that he’s old,” Fetterman told CNN. “But we also agreed that he’s our guy.”

Fetterman reiterated his staunch support for Biden during a conversation with reporters Tuesday afternoon. But he is not calling on his fellow senators to voice similar support.

Rep. Dean Phillips speaks at a campaign event ahead of the New Hampshire presidential primary election in Nashua, New Hampshire, on January 20.

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips didn’t directly answer when asked by CNN on Tuesday if he feels vindicated in his Democratic primary bid, which was rooted in concerns about the president’s age.

Phillips said he would “let that question be answered by others.”

Phillips ended his campaign in March, after significantly trailing Biden in several primaries.

At the time, he voiced his support for Biden and said he would do whatever it takes to help defeat Donald Trump. 

Asked by CNN if he was still all in for Biden, Phillips responded, “I’m not going to make any more comments than the ones I just shared,” adding he would be “sharing perspectives soon.”

Phillips, who had urged Biden to debate him and Democratic candidate Marianne Williamson during the primary, has been mostly quiet since the first presidential debate. The day after the debate he posted on X the Mahatma Gandhi quote, “Speak only if it improves upon the silence.”

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries brushed off questions on if the caucus can get on the same page, insisting that candid conversations will continue among members.

The 2-hour meeting this morning was characterized by many members leaving as a listening session and a family discussion. No major decisions were made and no consensus was reached, according to members. 

After the meeting, several House Democrats refused to say whether they supported keeping President Joe Biden as their party’s 2024 nominee, a sign of the lingering divide over his electoral viability.

Several Democratic senators reiterated their continued support for President Joe Biden but admitted that there are lingering concerns within the caucus about his debate performance.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that he is “very encouraged” that Biden has been campaigning more “aggressively,” telling reporters that “these last couple of days have been really heartening and encouraging to Biden supporters.”

The Connecticut Democrat added that Biden still has his support, but he encouraged the president to continue to engage with voters one-on-one and keep a busy campaign schedule.

Sen. Chris Coons, a key Biden ally on Capitol Hill, declared that Biden is absolutely the best candidate to beat former President Donald Trump, though he acknowledged that his colleagues have some concerns.

Sen. Maggie Hassan added that Democrats need to shift their focus towards beating Trump, rather than Biden’s viability. 

Sen. Chris Van Hollen added that Biden “understands the stakes in this election, and I trust him to make the best decision.”

A State Department spokesperson said he was not aware of any world leaders expressing concerns about President Joe Biden to Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his meetings so far this week for the NATO summit. 

Blinken met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba today and will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg this afternoon.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Global Black Economic Forum on July 6 in New Orleans.

Vice President Kamala Harris has spoken with elected officials over the last week, urging the party to stay united, according to a Harris aide.

The calls come amid speculation about President Joe Biden’s future and her name being raised as a potential replacement if Biden were to step aside as the party’s candidate.

Harris’ team has kept their heads down amid the party fallout, following a mandate from senior officials to stay the course. But that hasn’t kept some Democrats from floating her name to lead the party’s ticket.

On Sunday, during a call held by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with House Democratic ranking members, it was generally acknowledged the nominee should be Harris, CNN previously reported.

While Biden meets with world leaders in Washington, DC, for the NATO summit this week, Harris is hitting the campaign trail again, heading to Las Vegas and Dallas for events.

Over the weekend, Harris made no mention of the growing concerns over Biden’s candidacy during a moderated conversation with President & CEO of Essence Ventures Caroline Wanga, instead outlining the stakes of the upcoming election and a potential second Trump term. 

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced that she would vote for former President Donald Trump during an event at the Hudson Institute on May 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. 

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said Tuesday that she is releasing her delegates to the Republican National Convention and urging them to support former President Donald Trump.

The move, which was first reported by Politico, comes after Haley made clear in a May speech that she would vote for Trump, despite their acrimonious differences in the Republican presidential primary.

Haley is not planning on attending the convention in Milwaukee, aides said.

“She was not invited, and she’s fine with that,” spokesperson Chaney Denton told CNN. “Trump deserves the convention he wants. She’s made it clear she’s voting for him and wishes him the best.”

Haley earned 95 delegates during the primary process, according to CNN’s delegate estimate. However, due to state party rules, delegate estimates don’t always translate directly to how delegates vote during the roll call.

Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Tuesday the launch of a new outreach effort aimed at mobilizing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) voters, communities, and leaders across the country.

To kick off the initiative, Harris is set to headline an event this afternoon in Las Vegas with television host, writer and executive producer Padma Lakshmi. Harris, the first Black and first South Asian American vice president, is expected to highlight the stakes of the election and tout the Biden administration’s efforts for AANHPI communities.

Harris also released a new video outlining the importance of ensuring AANHPI voices are heard at the ballot box in November.

“Like so many, we were raised — all of us — to understand the value of hard work, the importance of community and the duty we all have, to have some level of concern and care about the well-being of other people and our duty then to do something about it,” Harris said, adding that AANHPI people should be “represented in all levels of government.”

Following the launch, Biden-Harris 2024 campaign co-chair Sen. Tammy Duckworth released a statement saying in part, “The Biden-Harris administration has made it clear that AANHPIs are not ‘others’: We belong. And that’s why we’ll rally around the only candidate who belongs in the White House again come November: Joe Biden.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence in Ankeny, Iowa, on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday called the 2024 Republican party platform a “profound disappointment” to anti-abortion Republicans and is urging delegates at the GOP convention next week to “restore language” that recognizes “the sanctity of human life.”

The former vice president said in a statement Tuesday that the new platform “removed historic pro-life principles that have long been the foundation of the platform” and argues that the 14th Amendment won’t do enough to halt abortion “without further federal action.”

He called on delegates attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee “to restore language to our party’s platform recognizing the sanctity of human life and affirming that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed.”

Pence, who has long opposed abortion, called the GOP platform “part of a broader retreat in our party, trying to remain vague for political expedience.”

What the platform says: The panel that crafts the platform for the Republican National Committee on Monday adopted a scaled-back document that softened language on abortion, mirroring former President Donald Trump’s position that it should be left to individual states. The new platform does not mention a national abortion ban, which Pence has advocated for, with exceptions to the procedure for cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother.

House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks during a House Republican Leadership press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday that Democrats have helped cover up President Joe Biden limitations for three and a half years.

He added there are multiple examples of times when leading Democrats on the Hill have “misled the American people.”

“They’ve been saying things I think most of them understand is simply not true. And they’ve misled the American people. And this is dangerous,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said it’s important to project strength from the White House during a very dangerous time in the world as the NATO summit begins in Washington. 

“What we’re projecting from the White House is not strength right now, at a very dangerous time in the world. And that’s why the American people are so alarmed by this, that’s why the polls say that most of the American people understand that Joe Biden is not fit for that office … Democrats have misled us, and they need to be held accountable for that,” he said.

The co-chair of Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is making the case for Democrats to stick with the president as their 2024 nominee. Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, one of Biden’s most vocal supporters in Congress, said the president is “doing what he needs to do,” pointing to Biden’s various campaign events and the NATO summit this week in Washington, DC.

“The bottom line is: He’s not just the president, he’s our president. He’s got strong support in the Senate Democratic Caucus, in the House Democratic Caucus,” Coons told CNN Tuesday afternoon, adding that he believes Biden is the party’s best candidate.

When asked about the public doubts voiced by several of his Democratic congressional colleagues, Coons said he respected their opinions but continued touting Biden’s record.

Pressed further on polls showing Biden facing significant headwinds, Coons downplayed the challenge, saying the president is the “only Democrat who beat Donald Trump, and he will do it again” and that it is too early in the race to “get conclusive polls.”

Tech investor David Sacks is slated to speak about the economy at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

Sacks, who co-hosts the popular “All-In” podcast, held a fundraiser for former President Donald Trump alongside other Silicon Valley venture capitalists at his San Francisco home last month.

President Joe Biden and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stand on stage at the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center grand opening ceremony in New York on June 28.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told reporters she supports President Joe Biden multiple times on Tuesday as she walked to a vote.

“I believe Biden is still the best candidate to beat Trump,” Gillibrand said, referring to Biden’s legislative accomplishments.

Asked if there was anything Biden could to do lose her support, she again said, “I support President Biden.”

After reportedly privately expressing doubts about President Joe Biden as Democrats’ 2024 nominee, Rep. Jerry Nadler said Tuesday that he “enthusiastically” supports Biden, pointing to the “disaster” that he said a second Trump term would represent.

Nadler — who on a call Sunday reportedly told fellow House Democrats he thought Biden should step aside — was asked if he was “resigned” to Biden as the nominee, and he said he disagreed.

Asked about his message to fellow Democrats during their call on Sunday, Nadler demurred.

“I’m not going to comment on what I said on a private call,” he said.

Rep. Jim Clyburn talks with reporters in the US Capitol about the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, on Friday, June 28. 

As top Joe Biden ally Rep. Jim Clyburn left the House Democratic Caucus meeting, he described the atmosphere as “very positive” but did not dive into further detail.

CNN reported other members describing the room as filled with “sadness.” 

In response to a variety of questions from reporters, the South Carolina congressman repeatedly gave a brief four-word answer:

Clyburn was among the first House Democrats to receive a call from the president last week as Biden made efforts to consolidate his post-debate support among lawmakers.

President Joe Biden will join Democratic mayors for a virtual meeting Tuesday night, a source familiar with the meeting says, part of the president’s effort to shore up support outside of Washington as some in his party continue to have doubts about the future of his candidacy. 

The meeting with the Democratic Mayors Association is expected to take place via Zoom. The president will deliver remarks and participate in a question-and-answer session, the source said. 

On Monday, Biden participated in similar virtual meetings with the Congressional Black Caucus and top donors who are part of his campaign’s National Finance Committee.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin arrives for a vote in the Capitol in Washington, DC, on Thursday, June 20.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin said she would convey the concerns her constituents have about President Joe Biden in today’s Senate lunch, when Democrats are meeting. 

“I expect we’ll spend some time talking about what we’ve been hearing” from constituents, she told CNN.

She reiterated she had “a lot of constituents convey concern” about Biden in her home state over the July 4 holiday. 

Several House Democrats refused to say whether they supported keeping President Joe Biden as their party’s 2024 nominee, a sign of the lingering divide over his electoral viability.

The members, including Reps. Hillary Scholten, Sean Casten, Lucy McBath and Josh Gottheimer, would not say if they wanted a change at the top of the ticket.

Casten told CNN’s Manu Raju he felt “great sadness” about the party’s predicament as he drew contrasts between Biden and former President Donald Trump.

McBath, Scholten and Gottheimer all refused comment. 

Other Democrats did offer more support for Biden, including Rep. Maxine Waters.

“I don’t have a take that I can share with you. All I can tell you is I’m a big supporter of Biden,” Waters said. “The team Biden has is going to win, win, win.” 

The House Democratic Caucus meeting has wrapped after lasting nearly two hours, according to members leaving the room.

New York Rep. Gregory Meeks called it a “listening session.”

Around 30 Democrats spoke at the open mics during the closed-door meeting.

With no consensus, factions of the Democratic caucus plan to meet throughout the day. The Congressional Black Caucus and the New Democrats both have meetings scheduled today, Ivey said.

In the meeting, some members brought up polling and concerns they were hearing from their districts, but Ivey said given the format of the meeting, it never got testy. 

When asked what the mood in the room was, Virginia Rep. Jennifer McClellan said, “Ready to win.”

After President Joe Biden’s reelection efforts spiraled into chaos following his debate fiasco late last month, Democrats who have both stood by and abandoned Biden since then see Tuesday as a decisive day for the president’s political future. 

Numerous Democrats inside Biden’s administration and others close to the White House and campaign have told CNN over the past few days that the conclusions drawn within this morning’s House Democratic caucus meeting — followed by a Senate Democrats’ gathering in the afternoon — will likely seal the president’s fate. 

While Biden has said only the “Lord Almighty” could drive him to abandon his campaign, top Democrats tell CNN the decision ultimately lies with party leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. 

Schumer and Jeffries both publicly backed Biden on Monday, after the president launched an offensive across airwaves, campaign calls, and congressional caucus meetings to shore up support. But both leaders will face the onslaught of their entire caucuses, which have seen support erode from senior members of committees. The degree of that erosion could force Democrats’ hand to decide one way or another. 

There remains a significant amount of skepticism that Biden could be replaced seamlessly on the ticket without more hand-wringing and a lot of red tape. 

“The fantasy that we could swap in a person, and they could run away with a nomination at the convention is just that — a fantasy,” a senior Democrat told CNN. “And the chattering in the interim isn’t helping.”

One Democratic member attending the party meeting this morning told CNN there is a sense of “sadness” when asked to characterize the mood. 

The member said there are lawmakers inside who are solidly making the case for President Joe Biden to step aside and many who are dejected to be in this position — and sad for the President. 

When exiting the Democrats’ caucus meeting, Rep. Greg Landsman emphasized the need for privacy as House Democrats debate the future of President Joe Biden’s candidacy.

Landsman also said that Biden needs to “prove he can” run a campaign that will beat Donald Trump – a common message among Democrats who have expressed skepticism about Biden’s viability.

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton, one of the six Democrats to publicly call for President Joe Biden to step aside from the 2024 campaign, told CNN he shared his position in the closed-door meeting with his colleagues. 

Inside the House Democratic Caucus room, lawmakers are making their respective cases about President Joe Biden’s future, one member told CNN. 

The member said leadership has been clear they don’t want leaks so members can freely make the case for what to do going forward. 

This member said there is no consensus yet.

In addition, Rep. Steve Cohen, when leaving the caucus meeting, said there was no agreement on Biden’s viability as the Democratic nominee.

He said that no one spoke out against Biden but said that “there were different talks about the process,” adding that it was “typical congressional talk.”

President Joe Biden is set to hold a news conference on Thursday — a must-see event for Democrats who are demanding he do more to prove he is fit to serve a second term that would end when he is 86. 

White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre announced the news conference last week, noting it’ll come during the NATO summit in Washington, DC, which begins today.

This will be the president’s first press conference since his dismal performance during the CNN-hosted presidential debate at the end of June. 

According to CNN’s count, Biden lags behind his most recent predecessors in formal press conferences. He has held three press conferences so far this year. 

Biden has held 36 press conferences, including 14 solo press conferences and 22 joint press conference alongside a world leader, since taking office. Biden’s most recent formal press conference was alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in June.

Rep. Maxwell Frost during a press conference discussing gun violence prevention on Capitol Hill on June 13 in Washington, DC.

Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of Congress, said he feels “very reassured by the president’s plan,” following President Joe Biden’s Monday night virtual meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus and discussions with high-level campaign officials,

The combination of large ad buys and plans for more campaign events in swing states have reassured the Florida Democrat about Biden’s viability.

Frost said that he had discussions with young voters, during which he said he heard concerns about Project 2025 — a playbook from the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation for a potential Trump presidency — not about Biden’s age. Former President Donald Trump has sought to distance himself from Project 2025, claiming he doesn’t know anything about it.

Frost added that he plans to head to New Hampshire this weekend to continue engaging with young voters.

Frost said he is convinced Biden will secure a second term this November and help Democrats regain control of the House.

The Democrat also highlighted Trump’s light campaign schedule in recent days, saying, “I’ve seen Donald Trump on his a** riding around in a golf cart, disrespecting people.”

Rep. Jerry Nadler leaves a news conference in New York, on Monday, July 8. 

Rep. Jerry Nadler signaled support for President Joe Biden’s reelection effort on Tuesday, telling CNN ahead of a meeting with House Democrats:

The New York congressman was one of several members who said they would like Biden to step aside from the campaign during a call among top Democrats, according to sources, CNN previously reported.

House Democrats are beginning to arrive for what is expected to be a lengthy meeting at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 

Divisions are already clear as members enter the meeting.

Asked what he hopes what is accomplished in this meeting, Rep. Bennie Thompson said: “Eventually? To get everyone on the same page. But you gotta hear everyone out.” 

Moments later, Rep. Mike Quigley — one of the members that has asked Biden to step aside — vehemently argued that the president can’t win and colleagues need to recognize that.

Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Congressional Black Caucus member, expressed confidence in President Joe Biden after previously voicing concern over Biden’s debate performance to local media.

“Democrats will not be able to attract others to the light if we keep hanging out in the darkness of discontent and doubt,” Cleaver said on “CNN News Central” with John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner.

Cleaver said his change from concern to full backing of Biden is because he’s “had the opportunity to be around the president since then and be in conversation since then,” before citing various aspects of Biden’s presidential record.

“President Biden has already won the nomination,” Cleaver added.

Cleaver argued that the race is Biden’s to “win or lose,” and “if he continues campaigning in the way he is presently, I think they’re going to be people coming back aboard who may have fled after the disastrous debate.”

Cleaver previewed today’s meeting with House Democrats, saying he expected it to be “very candid; it’s going to be direct” and that there could be “tensions,” but he believes “there’s not one single member in there who would walk to a microphone and say the president has lost it, because he hasn’t.”

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. 

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby defended President Joe Biden’s capacity to serve as commander-in-chief at all hours of the day – comments that come after Biden told governors last week that he needed more sleep and planned to stop scheduling events after 8:00 p.m.

Kirby continued: “My experience here and I’ve seen it firsthand on the road and here in Washington, DC: If the national security team needs to get to the president, they get to the president, and it doesn’t matter what the hour on the clock says, he’s always there, he’s always available, and they have ready access to him.”

He said Biden is “constantly peppering the team with questions around the clock.”

The comments come as Biden prepares to attend the NATO summit in Washington on Tuesday, where leaders from the alliance will discuss issues facing the group, including Russia’s war on Ukraine.

A new pro-Trump super PAC has reserved more than $13 million worth of ad time in a trio of key battleground states over the coming weeks, looking to capitalize on President Joe Biden’s vulnerability in the wake of his poor debate performance late last month.

According to AdImpact data, the super PAC, Preserve America, spent $13.3 million on the new bookings yesterday, with more than $8 million targeting Pennsylvania, about $3 million targeting Michigan, and nearly $2 million targeting Wisconsin — the critical “blue wall” states that Trump was able to swing to the GOP column in 2016, but also which helped deliver Biden’s win in 2020.

The ad reservations are set to begin in late July and run through early September, targeting broadcast stations around the time that the Paris Summer Olympics will air, giving the pro-Trump group an opportunity to reach an elevated audience in typically quieter summer months.

Preserve America has not yet released any of its advertising content. But other pro-Trump outside groups have amplified Trump’s focus on key issues including immigration and crime in their ads — and over the last week, a few of those other groups have also incorporated clips from the first presidential debate into their ads, seizing on Biden’s poor performance to criticize his fitness for office.

GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson is reportedly set to make major contributions to Preserve America, which was originally created during the 2020 election cycle, and has been resurrected to play an influential role in final months of the campaign, according to Politico.

Joe Biden is betting on himself.

In the president’s telling, the pundits have always doubted him. The Washington class has always scoffed at his approach. He was never the darling of Democratic donors. The polls that show moribund approval ratings and widespread unease with his age don’t capture his true standing.

The defiance Biden has thrust into public view at the start of a critical week is a feature, not a bug.

Biden’s public comments, which echoed a Monday morning letter to Democratic lawmakers, revealed flashes of what animates the president and his team, now staring down a moment of peak political peril. His closest advisers have long carried a similar boulder-size chip on their shoulders, with ready examples of their boss being doubted, dismissed or derided over the years.

If Biden’s life has been defined by resilience in the face of immense personal tragedy, the consistent element of his hardly linear path to the Oval Office has been a relentless belief that at its core — whether on politics, policy or legislating — his approach will work.

Read the full story.

President Joe Biden speaks with White House Physician Kevin O'Connor as he arrives back at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 28, 2023.

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.” 

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

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.

President Joe Biden during an event at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia on Sunday.

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.

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.