Trump hush money sentencing delayed after Supreme Court gives ex-president substantial immunity: Live

Twice-impeached convicted felon and Republican presidential candidate handed huge win by conservative-majority bench

President Joe Biden addresses the nation after the Supreme Court’s ruling

Manhattan prosecutors will not oppose Donald Trump’s request to delay his sentencing in his hush money trial after the Supreme Court ruled that the former president has “absolute” immunity from criminal prosecution for “official” acts as president.

In a letter to Justice Juan Merchan on Tuesday, prosecutors with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Trump’s arguments are “without merit” but they do not oppose his request to push back the sentencing date as he files his legal arguments.

Joe Biden slammed the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity from criminal prosecution during an address to the nation from the White House on Monday evening.

“For all practical purposes, today’s decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do,” the Democrat said.

“This is a fundamentally new principle. And it’s a dangerous precedent.”

The 6-3 majority decision was opposed by all three liberal justices on the bench, with Sonia Sotomayor warning in her dissent: “The president is now a king above the law.”

Biden is still struggling to calm Democrats following his disastrous debate performance last week. There are concerns with the party about his electability and impact on down-ticket candidates.

Key Points

• New poll: Most voters think Democratic Party has better 2024 chance without Biden
• Supreme Court awards Donald Trump some immunity from prosecution
• Trump says SCOTUS decision should end all cases against him
• Where do the Trump prosecutions stand after Monday’s dramatic ruling?
• Dissenting liberal justice: ‘The president is now a king above the law’
• Congressman promises constitutional amendment to ‘reverse’ immunity ruling

[2 July 2024 18:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Texas congressman is first Democrat to call for Biden to drop out of 2024 race

Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas has called for President Joe Biden to end his re-election campaign, marking the first time a sitting Democratic member of Congress has supported the president dropping out of the race after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump.

Biden has run “substantially behind” other Democratic candidates in high-stakes races, has trailed Trump in most polls, and then “failed” to expose his Republican rival’s lies during the debate, according to Doggett.

Alex Woodward reports.

[2 July 2024 18:20 · Oliver O'Connell]

Biden staffers are ‘scared s***less of him’ and ‘worry about setting him off’

Members of Joe Biden’s staff are said to be “scared s***less” of him, leading advisors to carefully curate their briefings to ensure they don’t “set him off”, according to a senior official.

Biden’s close-knit group of advisors and spin doctors have worked tirelessly to portray a positive public image for the oldest president in US history.

In his first two years in office, he gave the fewest interviews since Ronald Reagan’s presidency – with critics suggesting that he’s faced fewer moments of public accountability for his comments and actions.

James Liddell has the story.

[2 July 2024 18:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

What pathways are still open to Jack Smith after Trump immunity ruling?

The folks over at Just Security have come up with this hand infographic to demonstrate what pathways are still open to Jack Smith in his prosecution of Donald Trump for election interference and what the ruling means for presidents going forward.

[2 July 2024 17:48 · Oliver O'Connell]

New poll: Most voters think Democratic Party has better 2024 chance without Biden

A new CNN/SSRS poll shows that most US voters believe the Democratic Party would have a better chance of holding on to the presidency in 2024 without President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket.

In the first poll conducted by the network since Biden’s disastrous debate performance, the president’s approval rating also hit a new low of 36 per cent, with 45 per cent saying they strongly disapprove of his performance.

Voters nationwide prefer Donald Trump over Biden 49 per cent to 43 per cent — though this has not changed since the last poll in April.

Kamala Harris fares better against Trump in a head-to-head match-up with the former president getting the support of 47 per cent of registered voters to the vice president’s 45 per cent. Harris has stronger support among women and independents than Biden does according to the poll.

Other Democrats mentioned as possible replacements for Biden have similar levels of support to the president with Trump leading. These include California Governor Gavin Newsom (48:43 per cent), Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (47:43 per cent), and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (47:42 per cent).

Most Democrats and Democratic-leaning registered voters (56 per cent) say the party has a better shot at the presidency with someone other than Biden, while 43 per cent say the party stands a better chance with him.

When all registered voters are considered, 75 per cent think the party would do better without Biden atop the ticket.

[2 July 2024 17:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump inches past Biden in crucial swing state

Donald Trump is leading Joe Biden by two points in the crucial swing state of New Hampshire, according to a survey conducted days after the president’s disastrous debate performance.

The new poll, from Saint Anselm College, found that 44 percent of voters in the Granite State would vote for Trump over Biden if the election were held today.

It constitutes a massive 12-point boost for Trump after a nearly identical poll in December gave Biden a 10-point lead in the state.

Ariana Baio reports.

[2 July 2024 17:23 · Oliver O'Connell]

Pelosi says legitimate to question capability of both Trump and Biden

Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi was asked about Joe Biden’s health and capabilities by MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell and said it was “a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition”.

However, she says the question should be asked of both candidates, Donald Trump and Biden, stressing the latter’s legislative accomplishments.

”It's going to be up to Joe Biden to do what he thinks... I'm not a doctor, I can't say what happens three, four years down the road, in my experience he will continue to be a great president of the United States.”

Pelosi wants Biden to sit for interviews with “serious journalists” in the wake of his disastrous debate performance in order to reassure the public.

“My recommendation is for him to have some interviews with serious journalists. Serious journalists, no-holds-barred, any question is fair, and just sit there and be Joe,” she says.

“Not one, maybe two. I think that is essential for them to do that.”

[2 July 2024 17:20 · Oliver O'Connell]

Watch: 72 per cent believe Biden should not be running

[2 July 2024 17:09 · Oliver O'Connell]

White House discussing meeting with Democratic governors, report says

The White House is discussing holding a meeting with Democratic governors tomorrow and having President Joe Biden travel to the battleground states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania on Friday and Sunday respectively in an attempt to calm fears and move past his disastrous debate performance, according to The New York Times.

Governors would attend both in person and virtually following their own meeting on Monday, as earlier reported by CNN. Some of those on the call have been widely talked about as possible replacements for Biden, including Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Wes Moore of Maryland.

Many are said to be frustrated by the current situation and the lack of any contact with Biden.

[2 July 2024 17:05 · Oliver O'Connell]

Biden campaign rakes in $127m in June

The Biden presidential campaign raked in $127m in June, including $33m since the disastrous debate against Donald Trump last Thursday.

It was the single largest monthly fundraising haul of his campaign thanks to notable events such as the Hollywood fundraiser hosted by former President Barack Obama which brought in $30m.

The campaign said it raised $264m in the second quarter and now has $240m on hand to spend, up from the $212m at the end of May.

Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez called the totals “a testament to the committed and growing base of supporters standing firmly behind the president.”

The announced totals come as Biden’s campaign continues to scramble to quell panic among some Democrats, who have questioned whether the president can win November’s election after a debate where he appeared raspy, trailed off and at times gave convoluted answers. Some of the campaign’s top leaders have held multiple calls since the debate, preaching patience to donors and top surrogates.

Campaign officials nonetheless insist there’s been no discussion “whatsoever” of Biden exiting the race nor of any staff shakeups.

With reporting from the Associated Press

[2 July 2024 16:56 · Oliver O'Connell]

President is ‘probably in better health than most of us’ says Biden campaign chair

Biden Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said on a Zoom call with around 500 donors on Monday that President Joe Biden is “probably in better health than most of us” as the campaign tried to quash concerns about the 81-year-old’s age and fitness following his terrible debate performance.

O’Malley Dillon told members of the Biden campaign’s National Finance Committee that the team is “clear-eyed, not pollyannish” regarding the less than stellar debate performance, according to CNN.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.