Sen. Mark Warner: We need ‘a conversation about the strongest path forward’ for 2024
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said today that Biden needs to “make his case more aggressively” to voters and that a discussion is needed about how best to proceed.
“With so much at stake in the upcoming election, now is the time to discuss the strongest path forward,” Warner said in a statement this afternoon. “As these conversations continue, I believe the President owes it to the American people to make his case more vigorously and to listen directly to a broader range of voices about how we can best prevent President Trump’s lawlessness from returning to the White House.”
A source with direct knowledge of the discussions said Warner canceled plans yesterday to meet privately today to discuss Biden’s prospects after Democratic lawmakers return to Capitol Hill. Warner and others decided it would be best to wait until tomorrow to discuss the 2024 election, which Democratic lawmakers plan to discuss during their regularly scheduled private lunch.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown: Voters have ‘legitimate doubts’ about Biden
Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat in a tough Ohio race, said today that he had spoken with people in the state who had “legitimate questions about whether the president should continue to campaign.”
The comments, made during an event in Youngstown and confirmed to NBC News by Brown’s campaign, have not directly addressed whether Biden should drop out of the race. Brown, who is seeking a fourth term, has avoided directly addressing whether Biden should drop out of the race.
“I’m not going to criticize people in my party or what they’re saying or what Republicans are saying. I’m not a pundit,” Brown said today. “I’ve spoken to people across Ohio, and they have legitimate questions about whether the president should continue to campaign, and I will continue to listen to people.”
Brown will face Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in the fall in a race that will determine whether Democrats will retain their Senate majority. Trump twice won Ohio by 8 percentage points.
Schumer: “I support Joe”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters this afternoon that he still supports Biden.
“As I’ve said before, I support Joe,” the New York Democrat told reporters as he arrived at the Capitol this afternoon.
Biden and Schumer spoke by phone today, according to three sources familiar with the conversation. When asked by reporters last week about Biden’s job performance, Schumer said he supported Biden and believed the president was capable of doing the job.
Biden to meet with Congressional Black Caucus tonight
Biden is scheduled to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus this evening, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
It is unclear whether the meeting will be in-person, virtually, by phone or a hybrid of these.
CBC President Steven Horsford and other members of the influential group have backed Biden and offered his struggling candidacy a helping hand as other Democrats call for him to withdraw.
White House officials say the NSC did not conceal information from Biden late at night.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked at the White House’s regular press briefing today whether the NSC has ever withheld information late at night out of concern that the president might not be able to process it.
“No,” Kirby said.
The report comes after Biden suggested to Democratic governors last week that they might limit evening events after 8 p.m. to allow them to get more sleep.
Biden tells donors he’s “not going anywhere”
Biden took part in a video call with major campaign donors and fundraisers on Monday afternoon, where he reiterated his commitment to continuing the campaign and asserted himself as the best candidate to beat Trump, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The president told donors he was “not going anywhere,” but some in attendance told NBC News they wished the president’s personal, direct message to this group of supporters had come a week ago instead of now.
Biden took several questions, including one from a donor who asked how he plans to prepare for the upcoming debate with Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. Biden said he would try to be in more “attack” mode than he was onstage in Atlanta, according to two of the people.
Trump stressed the need to “move on” and suggested he didn’t want to talk any more about his poor performance in the debate, one of the people said.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore opened the meeting by saying he staunchly supports the president, citing Biden’s “true character.”
Towards the end of the debate, Biden campaign co-chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon previewed the president’s upcoming schedule, which includes a NATO summit in Washington and visits to Michigan and Texas.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s super PAC promotes Republican anti-abortion sentiment with billboards in Milwaukee
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s super PAC, Think Big America, is putting up billboards around the city as Republicans arrive in Milwaukee ahead of next week’s Republican National Convention.
The ads accuse Republicans of restricting abortion, with one sign urging onlookers, “MAGA extremists are coming to town this week to nominate a president who wants to ban abortion nationwide. Stop them and vote!”
Another slammed “MAGA extremists” for “the end of reproductive rights as we know them.”
Pritzker, a Democrat, has been a key supporter of Biden’s reelection campaign and has backed efforts to put abortion rights measures on the ballot in states across the country this year. He was also a key driver of the Democratic National Committee’s plans to hold its convention in Chicago next month.
Montana Sen. Jon Tester says Biden must ‘prove’ he can hold the presidency for another four years
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who faces a tough re-election campaign in November, expressed concern about Biden’s candidacy, saying in a statement to NBC News that “the President must prove to me, and to the American people, that he can serve another four years in the job.”
“As I have always done, I will stand up to President Biden when he’s wrong and protect Montana’s way of life,” he added.
The remarks were his first comments on the issue since last month’s debate.
Tester’s race is crucial for Senate Democrats as they seek to hold on to their slim majority. Tester is set to face Republican Tim Sheehy in a general election that is polling closely.
White House says tests show no signs of Parkinson’s disease
White House spokesman Andrew Bates said Biden’s medical exam “did not reveal any signs of Parkinson’s disease and he is not receiving any treatment.”
This comes after NBC News confirmed a New York Post report that, according to publicly available visitor records, Parkinson’s disease experts from Walter Reed Hospital visited the White House at least eight times over an eight-month period, including one in January with Dr. Kevin O’Connor, President Biden’s physician. The nature and reasons for those meetings were not immediately clear.
“As the reports state, tests did not reveal any symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and the President is not receiving treatment for Parkinson’s disease,” Bates said. “We are not disclosing the dates or names of the specialists who participated in the President’s physicals, but he has not been seen by a neurologist beyond his three annual physicals.”
The White House also confirmed that specialists from Walter Reed Hospital regularly visit the White House “to treat the thousands of military personnel serving on the grounds.”
The Parkinson’s expert is Dr. Kevin Canard, a neurologist who has recently published at least one paper on the disease. NBC News has reached out to him for comment.
Trump campaign announces program, theme for Republican National Convention
The Trump campaign has officially released its first program for the “Make America Great Again” rally in Milwaukee next week.
In a campaign email sent to supporters this morning, the Trump campaign outlined daily themes such as “Make America Rich Again” and “Make America Strong Again.”
