Post Biden-Trump debate poll finds 40% of Democrats think party should replace president as nominee: Live

Biden and Republican challenger squared off last week at CNN-moderated debate in Atlanta, Georgia, that went badly for the commander-in-chief as he pursues a second term in the White House aged 81

Biden addresses debate performance: ‘I don’t debate as well as I used to’

Joe Biden should be removed as the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, according to 41 percent of Democratic voters surveyed in a new poll by USA Today/Suffolk University, the latest blow to his ailing campaign.

The president, 81, met with his family at Camp David in Maryland on Sunday to discuss his political future in the wake of his frail, confused appearance in Atlanta last week, which only heightened doubts about his cognitive ability and sparked calls for him to drop out of the race for the White House.

Biden’s family reportedly encouraged him to stay the course as he spent Sunday with First Lady Jill Biden, his children, and grandchildren, with the possibility of firing campaign advisers said to have been discussed.

Top Democrats are believed to have been in crisis talks over the last three days amid speculation the party could move to replace Biden with another candidate.

US Vice President Kamala Harris, Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Governors Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Wes Moore, and JB Pritzker have all been named as possible emergency successors.

Key Points

• Post-debate poll finds four in 10 Democrats think party should replace Biden as 2024 nominee
• President meets family at Camp David as calls mount for him to quit US presidential race
• Biden clan tries to blame campaign staff for disastrous debate performance
• Top Democrat admits party is having ‘serious’ talks about dropping Biden

[1 July 2024 11:30 · Joe Sommerlad]

Biden clan tries to blame campaign staff for disastrous debate performance

The president’s family has blamed his campaign team for his disastrous debate performance on Thursday, questioning whether top advisers should be fired while insisting he should remain in the White House race.

James Liddell has more.

[1 July 2024 11:00 · Joe Sommerlad]

Raskin admits Democrats are having ‘serious’ talks about dropping Biden

One of the president’s most influential allies in the House of Representatives, Jamie Raskin, became the first elected Democrat to admit to a news program on the record this weekend that his party is having “serious conversations” about whether Joe Biden should continue as the Democrats’ presidential nominee.

Raskin appeared for an interview with Ali Velshi on MSNBC and explained that the party would be unified in the fall — whether it was behind Biden, or another nominee he indicated the party could possibly choose before then.

“Obviously, there was a big problem with Joe Biden’s debate performance,” Raskins said.

“And there’s also just a tremendous reservoir of affection and love for Joe Biden in our party. So this makes it a difficult situation for everybody, but there are very honest and serious, rigorous, conversations taking place at every level of our party.

“One thing I can tell you is that regardless of what President Biden decides, our party is going to be unified... And so whether he’s the candidate or someone else is the candidate, he is going to be the keynote speaker at our convention, he will be the figure that we rally around to move forward and beat the forces of authoritarianism and reaction in the country.”

John Bowden reports.