Trump and Biden gearing up for first 2024 presidential debate as SCOTUS leaves Trump immunity for another day: Live updates
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Donald Trump and Joe Biden are due to face each other on the debate stage in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday evening in their first head-to-head of the 2024 election cycle.
The encounter will take place at 9pm ET and be broadcast live from CNN’s studios, with the network’s anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash serving as moderators.
The debate promises to be every bit as bad-tempered as their two face-offs in the run-up to the Covid-blighted 2020 election and the Republican has wasted no time in getting his blows in early, sneering on Wednesday that the president should be thrilled there will be no fact-checkers present because he is a “lying machine”.
This comes as the Supreme Court issued four major rulings, but left the question of Trump’s immunity from prosecution in his federal election interference case for a future date.
Meanwhile, new polling shows Trump up by just five points in a head-to-head matchup with Biden among likely voters in Texas. Trump received 48 percent to Biden’s 43 percent in the poll conducted between 11 and 20 June by the University of Texas at Tyler.
Classified documents judge rejects Trump’s request for hearing
The judge in the classified documents case in Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon, has rejected Trump’s request for a “Franks hearing” to determine if a search warrant should not have been issued.
A 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago found hundreds of classified documents at Trump’s Florida club and residence.
Trump’s legal team unsuccessfully argued that the search warrant contained inaccurate information.
Cannon granted Trump an evidentiary hearing to determine the specificities in his motion to suppress.
VIDEO: Countdown to presidential debate
Supreme Court issues major rulings, but decision on Trump’s immunity will gave to wait
The Supreme Court issued four major rulings on Thursday but left the question of Trump’s immunity in his federal election interference case for another day.
The court overturned a Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan which would have seen billions of dollars go to helping to counteract the U.S. opioid crisis but would have shielded the Sackler family who owns the firm from future lawsuits, according to The Washington Post.
The court also ruled against in-house Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) tribunals, and it rejected an air-quality initiative spearheaded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the appeals process.
The court also ruled to allow emergency abortions in Idaho while the case is processed by the courts.
But other rulings, including on whether Trump is immune in his federal election interference case, will have to wait for another day.
The court usually ends its term in June but this year, it will continue into July.
‘Do not normalize him’: Former Republican Rep lashes out at Trump
Former Republican Illinois congressman Joe Walsh lashed out at Trump on X on Thursday morning ahead of the debate.
“Do not normalize him. He lies as he breathes,” he wrote. “He’s the only president in American history who lost an election and refused to concede. He tried to overthrow an American election.”
He added: “I don’t care about his debate strategy. I don’t care about his VP pick. Do not normalize him.”
Mitch McConnell defies Trump by admitting Biden is a ‘good guy'
Outgoing Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s floundering relationship with former President Donald Trump isn’t about to recover any time soon.
While McConnell has endorsed Trump, he recently broke with the leader of his party, saying that President Joe Biden is a “good guy.”
“I know Joe Biden pretty well. He’s a good guy, I like him personally,” McConnell told and audience in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday, according to The Hill.
McConnell and Biden spent decades together in the Senate and Biden would often be dispatched by President Barack Obama to deal with congressional Republicans during his time as vice president.
But the Republican senate leader also said, “I never thought he was moderate in the Senate, but he ran as a moderate.”
He added: “But as soon as the president got elected, he pretty much signed up with the far left of the Democratic Party, which has created another set of a problem for all of you who are in business.”
“This has been a regulatory nightmare by this administration,” he claimed.
Trump launches last-ditch attack against Biden ahead of debate
If you missed this earlier, Trump has shared a scathing anti-Biden video in a last-ditch attack on the president before tonight’s debate, branding his enemy as sleep-inducingly boring.
James Liddell reports.
Trump launches last-ditch attack against Biden ahead of debate
Former and sitting president will go head-to-head in first of two televised debates
Clinton warns debating Trump means facing a blizzard ‘nonsense’ and ‘blather’
Hillary Clinton, the former US first lady and secretary of state who has debated both of tonight’s combatants, took to the pages of The New York Times this week for an op-ed in which she advised Biden on what to watch out for from Trump.
Here’s Kelly Rissman on what she had to say.
Hillary Clinton previews Trump-Biden debate: ‘He starts with nonsense’
Hillary Clinton slammed Donald Trump, saying ‘expectations for him are so low that if he doesn’t literally light himself on fire on Thursday evening, some will say he was downright presidential’
Biden campaign tries to use Trump’s second-term blueprint against him as debate looms
With just hours to go until President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump meet for their first debate in four years, Biden’s campaign is looking to use the massive amounts of attention being lavished on the rhetorical prizefight to remind voters of Trumpworld’s plan to reshape government in the felonious ex-president’s image should he be returned to the White House next year.
The Biden campaign is rolling out a seven-figure paid digital and print-media campaign, which includes homepage takeovers at Buzzfeed, USA Today, CNN, El Tiempo Latino, Telemundo, theGrio, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution to highlight what they describe as “the dangers of electing Trump to a second term.”
The president’s campaign is also launching a new website that takes aim at Project 2025, the blueprint for a second Trump term that has been put forth by the right-wing Heritage Foundation think tank.
Biden campaign tries to use Trump’s second-term blueprint against him as debate looms
Biden also plans to highlight the January 6 attack on the Capitol as a way of painting Trump as a threat to the American way of life
Trump sees low poll numbers in Texas
Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in Texas by five points, according to a new poll conducted by the University of Texas at Tyler.
In a head-to-head matchup, the poll of likely voters gave Trump 48 percent to Biden’s 43 percent.
Trump won Texas in 2020 by 5.58 percent, the lowest margin for a Republican candidate since 1996. The last Democrat to win the state on the presidential level was Jimmy Carter in 1976.
When other candidates were included in the question, the poll of likely voters conducted between 11 and 20 June gave independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr eight percent support, while Biden got 41 percent to Trump’s 47 percent.
A poll of registered voters found that 38 percent supported Biden while 46 percent backed Trump. Kennedy got 12 percent of registered voters.
In a head-to-head matchup of registered voters without third-party and independent candidates, 40 percent backed Biden and 46 percent supported Trump.
Voices: ‘Trump, Biden or anybody but them… who will America choose?’
The presidential debate will be the last chance for both men to make their case before party nominations are formalised, says Mary Dejevsky.
But after a campaign full of senior moments, voters may seize the opportunity to demand fresher faces.
Trump, Biden or anybody but them… who will America choose?
The presidential debate will be the last chance for both men to make their case before party nominations are formalised, writes Mary Dejevsky. But after a campaign full of senior moments, voters may seize the opportunity to demand fresher faces
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