Closing summary
In a make-or-break speech at the Nato anniversary summit in Washington DC, Joe Biden delivered a forceful speech about the importance of the alliance. Meanwhile, Democrats in Washington continued to scramble over the party’s prospects in November as focus remained on Biden’s ability to lead and keep the White House. But no groundswell has formed against the president, and it appeared most Democrats would remain quiet while Biden stayed on the ticket.
Here’s what has happened so far today:
After a Senate Democrats lunch meeting, Democrats tried to avoid most direct questions about Biden, with some saying they were united in defeating Donald Trump, sidestepping Biden’s role in that. Majority leader Chuck Schumer and Senator John Fetterman both reiterated they were with Biden, but it was far from a universal view. Vermont senator Peter Welch said “we’ve got a ways to go” to find a consensus.
The White House defended against repeated questions about Biden’s health and mental acuity, and the White House’s candor (or lack thereof) on these issues, in a press briefing. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said Biden is committed to serving a full four years again and is physically and mentally able to, according to his medical team. Several questions revolved around Parkinson’s disease, with reporters pressing over why Biden has not been screened for it. Jean-Pierre said his medical team doesn’t believe testing is warranted.
House Democrats left a meeting this morning about Biden’s fate downtrodden, with many not giving comment to waiting reporters. Some key players – like the Congressional Black Caucus and Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez – stood by Biden. But one representative, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, said that not only is the party not on the same page about Biden, but they are “not even in the same book”.
Biden and House speaker Mike Johnson both confirmed they will meet at some point this week with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy with the Nato summit in town.
Biden spoke at the Nato anniversary summit, and the imporance of an alliance that Trump has threatened to undermine. “The American people understand what would happen if there was no Nato,” Biden said. “They know we’re strong with our friends, and we understand this is a sacred obligation.” He awarded Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg the presidential medal of freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.
At a campaign event in Nevada, Kamala Harris doubled down on her support of Biden, describing the embattled president as a “fighter” as she warned Trump would turn the country from a democracy into a dictatorship if he were re-elected to the White House in November.
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Representative Maxine Waters, the most senior woman in the Congressional Black Caucus, remained supportive of Biden’s candidacy
“I’ve absolutely come to the conclusion that we have to move forward with Joe Biden,” Waters told Zerlina Maxwell on SiriusXM’s Mornings with Zerlina. “Number one, I think there is a problem with logistics and timing and all of that, and reorganizing what has been done with the Democratic National Committee. So there’s a practical problem, but the other problem is this, the man has been a good president.”
Maxwell praised Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his vice-president, as well as policies and reforms she said have benefitted Black Americans:
And with the Black community, you know, the man chose a Black woman to be vice-president. He put a Black woman on the United States supreme court for the first time in the history of this country. He supported and funded the HBCUs, our community colleges and universities. And so recognizing some of the health needs and the problems that we have, he put a cap on insulin … So I don’t have any complaints about him. If I have any complaints at all, it’s that he has not, and I, and others have not done enough to communicate his accomplishments. And so that’s where I am.
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