Closing summary
Hello again, US politics blog readers, we’re going to close this blog now after a lively day and we’ll be back on Monday morning, Washington DC time. All of today’s stories on Joe Biden are on this Guardian US page.
Congress is back in session tomorrow and it will be another news-filled day at the start of what could be a make-or-break week for the US president’s re-election campaign, so do rejoin us then. This follows late developments this afternoon coming out of a virtual meeting between some House Democrats and their leader in that chamber, Hakeem Jeffries.
Here’s where things stand:
High-profile congressmen Jerry Nadler of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland are reportedly among a clutch of Democratic lawmakers who told Jeffries, the most senior Democrat in the House, that Biden should leave the presidential race.
More Democratic representatives, including Mark Takano of California, Adam Smith of Washington state, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Joe Morelle of New York and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania also reportedly told Jeffries they want Biden to quit the race. Maxine Waters and Bobby Scott reportedly said they support him. Jeffries did not reveal his hand.
Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are now in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for the third stop on this campaign swing through the swing state.
Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham believes both Joe Biden and Donald Trump should take a cognitive test. The South Carolina senator said that anyone standing for president and anyone in the line of succession should be subjected to a cognitive exam.
Biden heard words of encouragement from Pennsylvania Democratic US senator John Fetterman on his trip to the state today. Fetterman won office two years ago despite his own struggles in a debate against his Republican opponent. “I know what it’s like to have a rough debate and I’m standing here as your senator. There is only one guy that has ever beaten Trump and he is going to do it twice and put him down for good,” the senator said.
Biden told congregants at a church in Philadelphia this morning: “We must unite America again. That’s my goal. That’s what we’re going to do.” The supportive churchgoers chanted “Four more years!”
Updated
We can now add Pennsylvania congresswoman Susan Wild to the list of lawmakers who reportedly told House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries in a virtual meeting today that Joe Biden should quick his re-election campaign, CNN reports.
Representatives Maxine Waters and Bobby Scott reportedly told Jeffries they continue to support Biden as the presumptive nominee, as the caucus split, the outlet reported.
Many apparently agree that Kamala Harris should become the nominee instead.
More House Democrats want Biden to quit re-election campaign - report
Reports are coming through from the virtual meeting that House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries has been holding with fellow Democratic representatives, and it’s not looking good for Joe Biden.
High-profile congressmen Jerry Nadler of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland are reportedly among a clutch of Democratic lawmakers who told Jeffries, the most senior Democrat in the House, that Biden should leave the presidential race, CBS’s Ed O’Keefe has posted on Twitter/X.
NEWS: Reps. Jerry Nadler (N.Y.), Mark Takano (Calif.), Adam Smith (Wash.) and Joe Morelle (N.Y.) said Sunday that Biden should leave the presidential race during a zoom meetin between House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) and ranking Democrats on committees, according to…
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) July 7, 2024
He also includes congressmen Takano, Adam Smith, Morelle, Himes and Beyer.
The Guardian has not independently verified this reporting.
Updated
Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are now in Harrisburg for another event.
The city is the state capital of Pennsylvania, about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where the US president addressed a church service this morning.
In between he stopped at a campaign office, as hit the swing-state in an ongoing mini-blitz to persuade Democrats he is up to being their nominee for re-election this November.
Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham believes both Joe Biden and Donald Trump should take a cognitive test.
The South Carolina senator told CBS on Sunday that anyone standing for president and anyone in the line of succession should be subjected to a cognitive exam.
After Biden’s flop in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election, against Trump late last month, Graham said earlier today: “This is a wake-up call for the country. We need to make sure that the people who are going to be in the line of succession are capable of being commanders in chief under dire circumstances.”
He added: “I’m offended by the idea that he shouldn’t take a competency test, given all the evidence in front of us,” Graham said, adding that he thinks Biden is in denial and that’s dangerous.
Graham said: “What I’d like to see is President Biden take a cognitive test.” Asked if Trump should, too, Graham said: “Yes, yes, I think both.”
Updated
French voters appear to have blunted far right's hopes of election triumph
Meanwhile, there’s some big news breaking in France, where the hopes of the far right and their leader Marine Le Pen appear to have been dashed by resurgent support for leftwing parties in a snap election.
We have a live blog covering the results as they come in, and you can follow it here:
Updated
Pennsylvania senator Fetterman – no stranger to rough debates – defends Biden
During his unscheduled stop at a Philadelphia campaign office, Joe Biden heard some words of encouragement from Democratic senator John Fetterman, who won office two years ago despite his own struggles in a debate against his Republican opponent.
The senator’s performance in the debate against Mehmet Oz was hampered by the auditory processing disorder that afflicted him after suffering a stroke. Fetterman nonetheless defeated Oz in the 2022 midterm elections, and, as he appeared alongside the president today, compared his comeback to Biden’s current troubles following his tired performance at his first debate against Donald Trump.
“I know what it’s like to have a rough debate and I’m standing here as your senator,” Fetterman said.
“There is only one guy that has ever beaten Trump and he is going to do it twice and put him down for good.”
Here’s a look back on Fetterman’s own struggles in his Senate campaign:
Updated
Joe Biden has made an unscheduled stop at the Roxborough Democratic Coordinated campaign office in Philadelphia.
He is joined there by Pennsylvania’s Democratic senator John Fetterman, and the city’s mayor Cherelle Parker.
Updated
Here are some more images from inside the event at the church in north-western Philadelphia a little earlier.
Addressing the congregation.
Mingling:
More:
Updated
Here are some images related to Joe Biden’s appearance in Philadelphia on Sunday, to speak at a church.
A handful of people outside held signs urging the president to drop out of his re-election campaign.
And this:
Biden meets voters.
Updated
Joe Biden’s address at Mount Airy church of God In Christ in north-west Philadelphia went down well with the congregation.
Mike Johnson, 69, described the president’s remarks as “outstanding” and predicted he would be re-elected in November. “This country needs him,” he told the Guardian after Sunday’s service. “Democracy needs him.”
Paul Johansen, a teacher from Massachusetts, 58, praised a “rousing speech” that touched both on politics and religions.
“It was lovely to see a president who’s clearly a man of faith in a house of God,” he said. Biden “reads the Bible”, he added, and is “not at all interested in selling Bibles”.
Biden’s age is nevertheless “a difficult issue”, Johansen acknowledged. “He has a lifetime of service that I respect and appreciate. That is not undone by a bad night.
“Having said that, I appreciate the fact that the federal government is a big entity and he’ll have a lot of people helping him.”
Phyllis White, 79, said: “He’s still thinking about the people, not the position … His ability is what it has been for the last four years. He will carry on in God’s name – not someone who’s out for the rich people.”
Updated
The day so far
Joe Biden is campaigning in must-win Pennsylvania as he seeks to regain the trust of both voters and Democratic officials following his uneven performance in his first debate against Donald Trump late last month. He is headed to the state capital Harrisburg in the afternoon after appearing at a predominantly Black Philadelphia church, where he joked about his age and promised to “unite America again”. Meanwhile, several prominent Democratic lawmakers appeared on the Sunday talk shows and were asked if they believed the president should step aside. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, signaled he still supported Biden, but called for him to double down on progressive policies, while congressman Adam Schiff said Biden needs to either “win overwhelmingly” or “pass the torch” to someone who can. The most prophetic comments came from senator Chris Murphy, who said Biden faced a “critical week” to quell voters’ concerns.
Here’s what else has happened today:
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House minority leader, is convening high-ranking lawmakers from the party to discuss Biden’s campaign.
Murphy also said that Biden’s recent interview on ABC News did not quell doubts about his ability to continue his presidential campaign.
Biden’s next stop today will take him to a state capital where Democrats have shown strength in recent elections.
Updated
At his speech before a predominantly African American church in Philadelphia today, Joe Biden gave subtle signs that he is looking for ways to recover his public standing after he struggled in his first debate against Donald Trump.
In an address that otherwise focused on his administration’s priorities and his promises to Black voters, the president cracked a joke about his age and, at the conclusion of his remarks, jogged over to shake hands with church officials.
See the highlights here:
Updated
Joe Biden is scheduled to campaign later today in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital city.
His campaign has devoted much focus to turning out voters in Philadelphia and its suburbs, a region expected to be crucial to determining if the state’s electoral votes go to Biden in the November election.
Harrisburg is a smaller city situated in the state’s more conservative center, and home to the state legislature where Democrats have seen a resurgence in strength in recent elections. They currently control the state house by two seats, but are in the minority in the senate.
Joe Biden’s speech at Philadelphia’s Mt Airy Church of God in Christ wrapped up after about 10 minutes of the president highlighting his administration’s accomplishments, particularly as they applied to Black Americans.
The president did not mention the debate, or the prospect of him dropping out, but did make light of his advanced age.
“I know I only look like I’m 40 years old, but I’ve been around longer,” Biden said. “You know, I’ve been doing this a long time, and I, honest to God, have never more optimistic about America’s future if we stick together.”
Biden pledges to 'unite America again' in second term
“We must unite America again,” the president said. “That’s my goal. That’s what we’re going to do.”
And with that, Biden concluded his remarks as the congregation chanted: “Four more years!”
Updated
Biden has started to address the congregation in Philadelphia. “It’s good to be home,” he began.
“I’ve always felt the power of my faith, in good times and tough times,” the president said.
He went on to recite some of the achievements and goals of his administration, from healthcare and student debt relief to initiatives to address crime and inequality. “Black history is American history,” the president said.
“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Biden added. “And I’ve honest to God never felt more optimistic about America’s future.”
“Never count Joseph out,” Felton concluded, suggesting people are “jealous” of the president.
“You have a dream. I have a dream. The president has a dream,” he continued. “It’s a tough race. It’s a tough battle. But we’re getting out of the pit.”
“President Biden is coming back,” said Fulton. “He’s comeback kid. He’s a fighter. He’s a champion. He’s a winner.”
“I know the media says president Biden is visiting a black church,” said Felton.
“There’s nothing on our program that says a black church.”
“Our president is a man of vision and integrity,” continued Felton.
During the TV debate with Trump last month, Biden “was accused of never firing anybody,” said Felton. “He fired the one who accused him of never firing anybody.”
The bishop attacked Donald Trump, Biden’s predecessor and opponent, for lying. “We saw it happen,” he said of January 6.
“God knew Biden needs some love,” said J Louis Felton, the church’s senior pastor, who noted that the president had been due to speak today at a National Education Association conference in Philadelphia.
When the NEA’s union announced a strike on Friday, the president cancelled his speech.
The congregation got to its feet. “Don’t get amnesia and forget,” that Biden “brought us back to prosperity,” said Felton.
Biden, introduced as “our honored guest”, has arrived at the Mt Airy Church of God in Christ in Northwest Philadelphia, to rapturous applause from the congregation.
Also on stage is a gospel choir and live band. “Let‘s give a hand for our president,” said the vocalist.
If congregants stand together, “there is no election that we cannot win,” the pastor began. “We love our president. We pray for our president.”
Biden is set next to the church’s founding bishop Ernest Morris Sr, who is 91.
“Since you are only an octogenarian, sitting next to a nonagenarian, don’t let anyone talk about your age,” said the pastor. “You’re a young whippersnapper.”
Also present is Pennsylvania’s Democratic senator Bob Casey, who Republicans hope to oust from his seat in the November election.
Updated
Joe Biden is set to speak at a church service in northwest Philadelphia shortly, one of two events scheduled today in Pennsylvania.
It is Biden’s tenth visit to the crucial swing state in the run-up to the election, according to his campaign.
He is appearing as part of what his aides have billed as a “voter outreach blitz,” as supporters and donors question the strength of his candidacy following last month’s disastrous TV debate against Donald Trump.
One demonstrator outside church on Sunday morning underlined the conflicting views within the Democratic Party. He carried a sign reading: “Thank you Joe, but time to go”
Independent senator Sanders signals support for Biden amid debate fallout
Bernie Sanders, the independent senator who caucuses with Democrats, signaled his continued support for Joe Biden, despite concerns over his ability to win the election following his lackluster debate performance.
“What we are talking about now is not a Grammy Award contest for best singer. Biden is old. He’s not as articulate as he once was. I wish he could jump up the steps on Air Force One – he can’t,” said Sanders, who advised the president to double down on progressive economic policies:
What we have got to focus on is policy, whose policies have and will benefit the vast majority of the people in this country, who has the guts to take on corporate America, who is talking about expanding Medicare so we cover dental, hearing and vision, who’s talking about raising the cap on the taxes that people pay into Social Security so we can raise social security benefits and extend the life of Social Security for 75 years, who’s talking about a permanent child tax credit to cut childhood poverty in America by 50%.
Those are the issues he’s talked about. He’s got to bring them up in the fall. He’s got to promise the American people that if they give him a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House, re-elect him, he’s going to do that in the first 100 days. That’s what I think the American people want.
Top House Democrat to convene high-level meeting on Biden's candidacy - report
We may hear more from Democratic lawmakers later today, after House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries convenes an unusual Sunday meeting to discuss Joe Biden’s candidacy.
According to the New York Times, Jeffries will meet with the ranking members on committees in the House, which is currently controlled by Republicans.
The timing of the meeting is not clear, but we’ll let you know what we hear about it.
Count Adam Schiff among the ranks of House Democrats who won’t say whether they think Joe Biden should end his campaign.
But Schiff did encourage the president to seek an array of opinions on whether he should stay in the race:
I think Joe Biden should take the time talk to people outside of his immediate circle, talk to people he respects, people with objectivity, people with distance, and make the right decision for the country.
House Democrat Schiff predicts Kamala Harris could win 'overwhelmingly' if Biden drops out
Adam Schiff, a House Democrat who is likely to become California’s next senator in the November election, said he thought Kamala Harris could win the election, if Joe Biden drops out.
“The interview didn’t put concerns to rest. No single interview is going to do that,” Schiff said on NBC News. “And what I do think the president needs to decide is, can he put those concerns aside? Can he demonstrate the American people that what happened on the debate stage was an aberration?”
Referring to the vice-president, Schiff said, “I think she very well could win overwhelmingly, but before we get into a decision about who else it should be, the president needs to make a decision about whether it’s him.”
He added: “Either he has to win overwhelmingly, or he has to pass the torch to someone who can.”
Democratic senator Chris Murphy also made clear that Joe Biden’s Friday interview with ABC News did not do enough to quell doubts about his fitness to serve.
“I think that Friday night’s interview did not answer all the questions that you know people in my state have. They want to believe that this is still the old Joe Biden, but they need to see more from the president, and I hope that we see that this week,” Murphy said.
Here’s more on what the president told interviewer George Stephanopoulos:
Democratic senator Murphy says Biden faces 'critical week' to calm voters' concerns
In an interview with CNN, Democratic senator Chris Murphy declined to say whether he thought Joe Biden should drop out, but said “the clock is ticking” for the president to quell doubts about his fitness to continue to serve.
“I think that he’s got to go out there this week and show the American public that he is still that Joe Biden that they have come to know and love. I take him at his word. I believe that he can do it, but I think that this is a really critical week. I do think the clock is ticking,” Murphy said.
Should the president succeed in doing that, the Connecticut lawmaker predicted that he could get his campaign on track – but warned of the consequences if he fails to do so:
I think the President needs to answer those questions that voters have. If he does that this week, I think he will be in a very good position, and we can get back to what this campaign needs to be, a contrast between Joe Biden, a decent, honorable man of character, and Donald Trump, a pathological liar who has advertised that he wants to endorse and mainstream political violence in this country. But again, if the President is unwilling to do the things necessary to restore voters’ confidence or answer voters’ questions, then of course, he has a decision to make about what the best path forward is for the country, but if he answers those questions this week, there’s no doubt that he can win this race.
As pressure to drop out mounts, Biden campaigns in Pennsylvania with eye to reassuring Democrats
Good morning, US politics blog readers. More than a week has passed since Joe Biden’s weak performance in his first debate against Donald Trump, and things do not seem to have improved for the president. While the president has insisted he has no plans to abandon his re-election bid, the ranks of Democratic lawmakers and party luminaries calling for him to drop out continues to grow, albeit slowly. It’s anyone’s guess if that group will expand to include the veteran legislators considered most influential with the president – a group that includes the Senate’s Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and South Carolina congressman James Clyburn – but Biden is not staying idle. Today, he is traveling to Pennsylvania, a must-win swing state where he spent his childhood, and has two campaign events planned that will see him appear before supporters in Philadelphia, and the capital Harrisburg. As with just about everything Biden does in the wake of his tired appearance on the debate stage, these events will be opportunities to prove to the public that he has what it takes to continue serving as president for another four years. We’ll let you know how they go.
Here’s what else is going on:
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives, reportedly plans to convene a meeting of top lawmakers today to discuss Biden’s campaign.
The Sunday talk shows have several Democratic representatives and senators booked, and they could use the opportunity to weigh in on if they think the president should withdraw.
Kamala Harris appeared in New Orleans yesterday amid speculation that she is poised to take over from Biden, if he abandons his campaign. Here’s how it went.
