Biden drama shadows upcoming GOP convention
Campaign Report
Campaign Report
<!–
The Big Story
Republicans prepare to meet as Biden drama looms
Both parties will be having discussions about the names at the top of their respective tickets next week — though the GOP may be doing so with more fanfare in Milwaukee than Democrats in D.C.
© Getty Images
Republicans will gather in Milwaukee next week to formally name former President Donald Trump as their pick for the GOP presidential nomination.
As they gear up for their revelry, President Joe Biden, and his name atop the Democratic ticket to face Trump again in November, has dominated the headlines.
Biden, 81, has faced questions within his own party about his capacity to win a presidential election and serve another four years in the White House in the aftermath of a shaky debate performance in which the president’s voice sounded raspy and he appeared to stumble over his words.
“I want him to do whatever he decides to do. And that’s, that’s the way it is. Whatever he decides, we go with,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a trusted Biden ally, said during an MSNBC appearance Wednesday morning. “I’ve said to everybody, ‘Let’s just hold off. Whatever you’re thinking, either tell somebody privately, but you don’t have to put that on the table until we see how we go this week.’”
Biden’s more staunch backers have pushed back on criticism of the president’s debate performance and age, arguing Trump’s track record — including his conviction on 34 criminal charges and continued legal challenges — is much worse.
Trump hasn’t yet named a running mate but he is expected to do so before the convention begins Monday. The Hill has the rundown on potential candidates here.
The party will gather in the Badger State through Thursday to build unity among candidates heading into the November elections — which not only will decide control of the White House, but could also shift party control of the currently split House and Senate.
Essential Reads
Key election stories and other recent campaign coverage:
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) unveiled a new ad campaign Thursday targeting vulnerable Democrats over President Biden’s health. The NRCC launched a new digital ad targeting 10 Democrats on Thursday titled “Cover Up” that takes aim at the lawmakers for meeting privately with Biden and not raising concerns about his “mental failures.” “Extreme House Democrats are complicit in hiding the president’s …
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) does not believe President Biden’s press conference after the NATO summit will be “political salvation” for his reelection campaign. “Neither the press conference tonight nor the NBC interview on Monday evening will offer the President the political salvation he seems to be seeking,” Torres said in a post to the social platform X on Thursday. Biden is scheduled to speak at a press …
Most U.S. adults say an unwillingness among some to accept election outcomes is a “major problem for America,” according to a poll released Thursday. In the Monmouth University poll, conducted June 6-10, 58 percent of U.S. adults agree with this assessment — including 74 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of independents. Among Republican respondents, nearly half (46 percent) agree that an unwillingness to accept election …
The Countdown
Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:
117 days until the 2024 general election 193 days until Inauguration Day 2025
On Our Watch
On the ground at RNC
© Getty Images
Shout out to The Hill campaign reporters Julia Mueller and Jared Gans, who will be hitting the streets of Milwaukee and the depths of Fiserv Forum for the Republican National Convention next week.
In Other News
Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
President Biden’s reelection campaign sees winning Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania as the clearest path to gaining 270 electoral votes in November, according to an internal memo obtained by the Hill. The memo, sent to the campaign team from chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, outlines that “what has changed following the debate is that the urgency and discipline with which we need to pursue” …
President Biden reelection campaign aides held a call Wednesday night with Republicans who supported former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) and expressed their concerns about Biden after his debate performance, multiple sources familiar with the meeting told The Hill. The call with was with the Haley Voters Working Group, which is made up of Haley supporters, and the aides on the call were Biden’s senior spokesperson Kevin …
Around the Nation
Local and state headlines regarding campaigns and elections:
‘We’ve created medical refugees.’ LGBTQ+ healthcare workers fight for gender-affirming care amid rise in anti-trans laws (LA Times)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to speak at locations across Michigan in promotion of new memoir (Detroit Free Press)
What We’re Reading
Election news we’ve flagged from other outlets:
Elsewhere Today
Key stories on The Hill right now:
President Biden is holding a rare press conference Thursday as he tries to shake off mounting calls for him to withdraw from the presidential race. Biden is holding the news conference as part of the NATO summit in Washington this week. The press event is seen as a key test for the president as he tries to convince voters, policymakers … Read more
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said Thursday that President Biden’s campaign believes former President Obama is behind growing calls for his former vice president to drop out of the 2024 race. “One thing that we do have to underline here — just so viewers can follow what’s going on behind the scenes — is the Biden campaign … Read more
What People Think
Opinions related to campaigns and elections submitted to The Hill:
Senate Democrats want a reckless spending spree after failing to fund the governmentThe media stops being polite to Biden and starts getting real
You’re all caught up. See you next time!