Biden news: President assesses storm damage in California as classified documents scandal hurts polls
President Biden’s visit comes as White House remains adamant it will not interfere in the ongoing investigation into classified documents
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
President Joe Biden assessed storm damage in Santa Cruz County, California on Thursday accompanied by Governor Gavin Newsom. Mr Biden met first responders and locals impacted by the succession of storms that struck the region.
“If anybody doubts the climate is changing, then they must’ve been asleep for the last couple years,” the president said during remarks from a storm-damaged beach in the town of Capitola.
During the California tour, Mr Biden continued to defend how his office handled classified material, amid ongoing investigations from the DoJ.
“I think you’re going to find there’s nothing there. There’s no there there,” he said.
His visit comes a day shy of his second anniversary in the White House, and as the US hits the debt ceiling forcing the government to take “extraordinary measures to make payments on the national debt”.
Joe Biden, the ‘consistently inconsistent’ ally for racial justice and civil rights
Biden insists there’s no ‘there there’ over classified papers as poll suggests scandal has hurt him
Biden links California storm damage to climate change as he surveys damage
Classified documents case is starting to become a problem for Biden, poll finds
Biden, the ‘consistently inconsistent’ ally for racial justice and civil rights
Josh Marcus reports on how the president has struggled to turn progressive stances on capital punishment, policing, and voting rights, into lasting actions.
Why Joe Biden has been a ‘consistently inconsistent’ ally for civil rights so far
The president has struggled to turn progressive stances on capital punishment, policing, and voting rights, into lasting actions, experts tell Josh Marcus
Meanwhile, still no comment on national security risks of Biden docs
White House reporters are hitting dead ends when trying to establish if there was any national security risk from the classified documents found in the office formerly used by President Biden and at his Delaware home.
Fox News’s Jacqui Heinrich tweets that both the White House and White House counsel referred her to the Department of Justice, where she was referred to the Special Counsel, which then declined to comment citing “longstanding practice”.
Biden given aerial tour of damage from ‘unprecedented storms'
Joining President Joe Biden aboard Marine One for an aerial tour of impacted areas of California are: Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Alex Padilla, Administrator Deanne Criswell of FEMA, Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff, and Liz Sherwood-Randall, Assistant to the President & Homeland Security Advisor & Deputy National Security Advisor.
‘Actions speak louder than words’
Richard Hall explains how Joe Biden faced a test of his pro-union claims in late 2022 — but did he fail it?
Labour movement loses patience over Biden’s ‘lip service’
Joe Biden faced a test of his pro-union claims with a threatened strike on the railroad. Some believe he failed it, Richard Hall reports.
Trump bemoans ‘two standards of justice’, claiming Biden gets ‘white glove’ treatment
In a new campaign-style video address, former president Donald Trump bemoans what he sees as two standards of justice in the US — one for him and the general public, and one for the “corrupt political class”.
Mr Trump trotted out many of the gripes he has voiced about the investigation into the trove of classified documents recovered from his Palm Beach home (which he maintains is “ultra-secure” despite operating as a members club) and what he sees as the “white-glove” treatment of President Joe Biden after the discovery of a small number of documents at an office and in his garage (”which was probably very wet and damp as many garages are”).
The former president also criticised special counsel Jack Smith who is investigating on behalf of the “Injustice Department” claiming Mr Biden has weaponised the department against him.
If he returns to the White House he promises to end partisan investigations.
Watch below:
Does Biden’s $369bn green plan live up to its hype?
Can the Inflation Reduction Act deliver on the emissions cuts it promised and that are so desperately needed?
Lousie Boyle investigates.
Biden’s $369bn green plan was hailed as a triumph – but does it live up to the hype?
The Inflation Reduction Act has been lauded as a major victory for the Biden administration, writes senior climate correspondent Louise Boyle. But can it deliver the emissions cuts so desperately needed?
House intel committee requests national security assessment of Biden documents
House Intelligence Committee Chair MikeTurner has requested a national security “damage assessment” of the classified documents found at two properties related to President Joe Biden.
Fox News’s Jacqui Heinrich reports that there has not been a response yet from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the request was made nine days ago on 10 January.
In a deeply divided DC, here’s how Biden the dealmaker took action
Andrew Feinberg reports on how Joe Biden — known as the dealmaker in the Obama administration — has continued in that role as president.
How Biden the dealmaker faced down a deeply divided DC
Joe Biden was the Obama administration’s top dealmaker as vice president. Experts tell Andrew Feinberg he’s continued that streak as president
McCarthy invited on California trip by White House
Jennifer Jacobs of Bloomberg News reports that House Speaker and California Rep Kevin McCarthy was invited to join the president on his trip to California to assess the damage from the succession of storms that battered the state. He was not on Air Force One earlier.
It is not clear if Mr McCarthy may have travelled to the West Coast separately.
View from the ground in Capitola, California
CBS Sacramento’s Madisen Keavy is in Capitola awaiting the arrival of President Joe Biden.
She notes there is a sense of excitement but also sadness at the damage.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments