Post Biden-Trump debate poll finds 4 in 10 Democrats think party should replace president as 2024 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
• US Supreme Court awards Trump some immunity from prosecution

[1 July 2024 21:35 · Kelly Rissman and Gustaf Kilander]

Giuliani spokesperson calls bankruptcy proceedings ‘partisan and politically motivated’

Last month, the judge in former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani’s bankruptcy case slammed his failure to comply with deadlines and inability to keep bookkeepers to manage his “mess” of financial records.

Giuliani’s bookkeeping was heavily criticized during a three-hour-long hearing in his high-profile Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. Judge Sean Lane also heard heated arguments from Giuliani’s creditors, who want a trustee to seize control of his finances and force the disgraced mayor to file monthly operating reports on time.

“There are reasons to be concerned here,” the bankruptcy court judge declared, conceding that the former mayor’s records appear to be a “mess.”

“At a certain point, a failure to comply with [court] orders means my voice will take on a decided edge,” the judge warned at the time. “If people don’t obey court orders, it’s a profound problem.”

On Monday, a spokesperson for Giuliani said: “Mayor Giuliani is simply following available options to combat an entirely partisan and politically motivated proceeding. Make no mistake, this is directly connected to the Biden regime’s ongoing efforts to take down President Trump and anyone willing to stand up against them.

“I can promise you this. No matter what they do, they can’t take away Mayor Giuliani’s most important assets— integrity, courage and love for America. And just like Steve Bannon and others, they’re trying to silence Mayor Giuliani. Well, good luck with that.”

[1 July 2024 21:20 · Ariana Baio, Alex Woodward]

Supreme Court grants Trump immunity for ‘official’ acts in landmark ruling that will delay trial

Former presidents have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday – extending the delay in the criminal case against Donald Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, and all but ending prospects he could be tried before the November election.

In a 6-3 decision released on Monday, the court rejected Trump’s suggestion of total immunity but said some of the actions laid out in the federal election interference indictment related to his official acts and are protected.

“The president enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the president does is official. The president is not above the law. But Congress may not criminalize the president’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the executive branch under the constitution,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority.

The court’s conservative majority granted him “presumptive immunity” for actions that the former president claims were in the “outer perimeter” of his official duties.

[1 July 2024 20:50 · Gustaf Kilander]

VIDEO: Biden campaign raises $27M in days since lackluster debate performance

[1 July 2024 20:20 · Oliver O'Connell]

‘Americans should be scared’

President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign has shifted into a full-court press against Donald Trump in response to the incumbent’s disastrous debate performance last week.

On a press call Monday, Biden campaign surrogates including former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, and deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks warned that American democracy would disappear in November if Democrats and concerned Americans did not rally behind the president. The call was organized in response to the Supreme Court’s decision granting Trump and all US presidents limited immunity from prosecution for official acts. It also appears to be in response to newfound concerns from his own party that Biden isn’t a strong enough candidate to win the presidential election.

Notably, the Biden campaign team only took questions from four journalists on the call, only one of whom was a White House beat reporter.

John Bowden and Andrew Feinberg report from Washington, DC.

[1 July 2024 19:50 · Oliver O'Connell]

Hunter Biden sues Fox News for defamation

Hunter Biden is suing the Fox News network, just a little over a year after the right-wing news channel was forced to reach a historic settlement and admitted its anchors had spread false claims about a voting machine company to please its pro-Trump audience.

John Bowden reports.

[1 July 2024 19:20 · Oliver O'Connell]

Whitmer warns Biden’s team he can’t win Michigan after debate flop

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has warned that PresidentJoe Biden’s chances of winning the state are now over following his dismal debate performance last week.

Biden had hoped to silence critics who have questioned his age and mental sharpness when he took on Donald Trump on stage during the first televised debate of the 2024 election on Thursday evening.

But instead of putting concerns to rest, the 81-year-old reinforced the stereotype with a bumbling, stumbling performance that is said to have left members of his party divided on whether he is the right candidate to run for the White House.

James Liddell reports.

[1 July 2024 18:50 · Oliver O'Connell]

[1 July 2024 18:20 · Joe Sommerlad]

If Biden stepped down as the Democratic candidate, who could replace him?

US vice president Kamala Harris, transport secretary Pete Buttigieg and state governors Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Wes Moore and JB Pritzker have all been named as possible emergency successors.

John Bowden reports.

[1 July 2024 17:50 · Joe Sommerlad]

‘I’m still processing what happened’: Democrats stew over Biden’s performance

Here’s Eric Garcia with a roundup of the reaction to last week’s debate from Capitol Hill.

[1 July 2024 17:20 · Joe Sommerlad]

Biden’s debate debacle against Trump watched by 51m viewers

Last week’s presidential debate was watched by 51.27m viewers, according to CNN.

he 90-minute event, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia, was hosted by that network but carried live by 22 of its competitors.

CNN said on Friday that the debate drew the highest audience on its network with 9.53m viewers, followed by 9.276m on right-wing Fox News.

Meanwhile, ABC News drew 9.21m viewers and MSNBC got 4.122m.

However, the number of people watching dropped more than 30 per cent from 2020 when 73m tuned in the first presidential debate between Biden and Trump.

Graeme Massie has more.