Trump claims ‘exoneration’ after immunity ruling as Biden blames exhaustion for debate disaster: Live

Twice-impeached convicted felon and Republican presidential candidate handed huge win by conservative-majority Supreme Court as president struggles to soothe Democratic fears about his health

President Joe Biden addresses the nation after the US Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity

Donald Trump has claimed the US Supreme Court’s ruling this week that he has “absolute” immunity from criminal prosecution for “official” acts carried out during his presidency represents a “total exoneration” of his conduct, despite being twice impeached by Congress, convicted on 34 felony counts by a New York jury and found liable for offenses in two further civil cases.

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

But the Republican presidential candidate is continuing to crow about the outcome and on Tuesday secured a two-month delay in the sentencing at his hush money trial, which will not now take place until September 18.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden is continuing to struggle to convince the Democratic Party that he is in good health and remains the right man to lead his side into November’s election following his disastrous debate performance last week, blaming his lacklustre showing on jet lag and exhaustion yesterday.

Democratic state governors have demanded a meeting with the White House to discuss the crisis as new polling shows support nosediving in key swing states.

Key Points

• Trump claims ‘total exoneration’ after Supreme Court’s immunity ruling
• Former president’s hush money sentencing delayed until September
• Biden blames jet lag for debate debacle: 'I almost fell asleep on stage’
• Democrat governors demand meeting with White House over Biden’s debate
• Biden support nosedives in swing states after Trump debate disaster

[3 July 2024 11:35 · Joe Sommerlad]

Biden staffers are ‘scared s***less of him’

Members of Biden’s staff are said to be “scared s***less” of him, prompting advisers 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 but that appears to be unravelling as his campaign remains mired in crisis.

James Liddell has the story.

[3 July 2024 11:15 · Joe Sommerlad]

Stormy Daniels: ‘All you had to do was hear my very PG-rated version on the stand. I had to relive it!’

The adult film actress, who starred at Trump’s hush money trial, gave an interview to Rachel Maddow on MSNBC last night in which she expressed a fear the Republican would “try to make even more of an example out of me” if he returns to the White House and said of the prospect of a second term: “Shouldn’t we all be worried about that?”

She was certainly on rare old form.

[3 July 2024 10:55 · Joe Sommerlad]

Biden support nosedives in swing states after Trump debate disaster

The president’s polling numbers have begun to fall in key swing states following his dismal debate performance last week.

That’s according to a confidential polling memo obtained by Puck News.

It reveals that states where Biden was clearly ahead, such as New Mexico, Virginia, and New Hampshire, may now be winnable for Trump.

Biden is now behind other possible candidates in the polls looking at possible matchups with Trump, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, the memo from OpenLabs shows.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

[3 July 2024 10:35 · Joe Sommerlad]

Democrat governors demand meeting with White House over Biden’s debate

A group of Democratic governors has demanded a meeting at the White House to get reassurances from Biden and advisers in the wake of that disastrous first debate.

The group, which contains some of the president’s most ardent supporters and some potential successors, has been startled by their lack of contact with the president following the debacle, according to The New York Times.

Mike Bedigan reports.

[3 July 2024 10:15 · Joe Sommerlad]

White House denies Biden has ‘any form of dementia’

Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said yesterday her boss does not have Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia or any another degenerative illness that would explain his rambling, meandering performance during last week’s presidential debate against Trump.

Jean-Pierre was asked directly by The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg if the president’s reported lapses in memory and struggles during public events was the result of such an illness during the daily White House press briefing, the first since Biden turned in a shockingly dismal performance in his first face-to-face meeting with Trump since they last debated during the 2020 election.

Here’s our report.

[3 July 2024 09:55 · Joe Sommerlad]

Biden blames jet lag for debate debacle: 'I almost fell asleep on stage’

The president, 81, is continuing to struggle to convince the Democratic Party that he is in good health and remains the right man to lead his side into November’s election following his disastrous debate performance last week, blaming his lacklustre showing on jet lag and exhaustion yesterday.

“I decided to travel around the world a couple of times... shortly before the debate... I didn’t listen to my staff... and then I almost fell asleep on stage,” he said on Tuesday.

Not everyone is buying it, however...

Mike Bedigan reports on Biden’s not-exactly-reassuring remarks.

[3 July 2024 09:35 · Joe Sommerlad]

Trump’s hush money sentencing delayed to September

The judge presiding over Trump’s hush money trial is postponing the former president’s sentencing to September 18 after Manhattan prosecutors said they would not oppose the convicted felon’s request to delay in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision granting him “absolute” immunity from criminal prosecution for “official” acts.

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.

Trump was initially scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.

Alex Woodward has the details.

[3 July 2024 09:15 · Joe Sommerlad]

Truth Social: Trump claims ‘total exoneration’ after Supreme Court’s immunity ruling

Just as he did with the Mueller report, Trump is crowing that the conservative-majority Supreme Court’s partial immunity ruling in his favour this week counts as a “total exoneration” of his crooked conduct.

Now, as then, it very much doesn’t.

Meanwhile, he’s been flooding his social media feed with favourable polling numbers and mocking Biden over, get this, spray tan.

I know, I know...

This is the picture he posted of the president from Monday, alleging he’s been hitting the bronzer since looking pale and ill on the CNN debate stage in Atlanta last Thursday.

You sure you want to go there Don?

[3 July 2024 08:45 · Oliver O'Connell]

Biden staffers have witnessed at least 15 incidents like ‘horror show’ debate in last two years, reporter says

Staffers for Joe Biden have witnessed at least 15 incidents in the last year and a half “where the president has appeared like he did at that horror show” of a debate, Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein said this week.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

[3 July 2024 07:45 · Oliver O'Connell]

‘My pick would be Gavin Newsom’: Bill Maher calls on Biden to step aside

Comedian Bill Maher has urged Joe Biden to step aside as the Democratic candidate for president amid his disastrous debate performance last week.

In an op-ed for The New York Times, Maher said that the first debate between Biden and Trump was like the “worst episode of The Golden Bachelor ever.”

He added that following the debate, he and others can no longer “ignore the obvious” about Biden’s age.

Martha McHardy has the story.