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Dem Senators Reportedly Strategizing How To Oust Biden Despite Defiant Letter

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Democrats don’t care what Biden wants…

On Monday, President Joe Biden sent a letter to Democrats on Capitol Hill saying he would not drop out of the race despite calls from colleagues to step aside following his debate performance.

“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” the president wrote in the letter.

Biden posted the letter himself to his X account.

Biden followed up his defiant letter with a testy phone call to Morning Joe during which he asserted that “the average voter” still wants him to be president despite numerous polls of data indicating that is not the case.

“I’m getting so frustrated by the elites,” declared Biden during his interview.

However, according to a report from PBS NewsHour’s Lisa Desjardins Democrat lawmakers are disregarding Biden’s letter and plan to move forward on a path to remove him as nominee.

Desjardins continued:

Dems are seeing internal polling, per three sources, that shows serious, growing issues now in MN, NM, VA and WI for Biden. There is frustration and questions about the WH messaging that seems to deny a deeper problem exists. One senator told me, everyone here has campaigned and, politically, “You know a death spiral when you see it.” For now, worried senators are expressing dismay privately/directly to the WH and campaign. They are carefully sorting out next steps.

It had previously been reported that Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) was planning on convening a group of likeminded colleagues who hoped Biden would step aside this week.

Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reported that multiple ranking Democrats on House committees expressed their desire for Biden to step aside during a virtual meeting convened by Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries over the weekend

“I made clear publicly the day after the debate that I support President Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket,” Jeffries said. “My position has not changed.”. 

Biden Remains Defiant In Letter Shared With Congressional Democrats

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

He’s in it to win it…

Despite a bevy of public pleas, President Joe Biden informed colleagues that he would not bow out of the race according to a letter sent to Congressional Democrats.

“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” the president wrote in the letter.

Biden posted the letter himself to his X account.

Biden, 81, said he’s had “extensive” talks with Democrat leaders and he’s heard the “concerns” about his chances at beating Trump amid concerns about his age.

Numerous lawmakers have publicly called for Biden to remove himself from the ballot this November.

Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Member of Congress to publicly encourage Biden to step down earlier this week. In a more damning appearance, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi switched from accusing Trump of having dementia to validating questions about Biden’s mental acuity, further fueling the debate over his capacity to lead. 

Last Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) seemed to signal support for the idea of Biden stepping away from the race and seemed to promote himself as an alternative candidate. 

Read the full text of the letter below:

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.
July 8, 2024

Fellow Democrats,

Now that you have returned from the July 4th recess, I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump.

I have had extensive conversations with the leadership of the party, elected officials, rank and file members, and most importantly, Democratic voters over these past io days or so. I have heard the concerns that people have — their good faith fears and worries about what is at stake in this election. I am not blind to them. Believe me, I know better than anyone the responsibility and the burden the nominee of our party carries. I carried it in 2020 when the fate of our nation was at stake. I also know these concerns come from a place of real respect for my lifetime of public service and my record as President, and I have been moved by the expressions of affection for me from so many who have known me well and supported me over the course of my public life. I’ve been grateful for the rock-solid, steadfast support from so many elected Democrats in Congress and all across the country and taken great strength from the resolve and determination I’ve seen from so many voters and grassroots supporters even in the hardest of weeks.

I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.
We had a Democratic nomination process and the voters have spoken clearly and decisively. I received over 14 million votes, 87% of the votes cast across the entire nominating process. I have nearly 3,900 delegates, making me the presumptive nominee of our party by a wide margin. This was a process open to anyone who wanted to run. Only three people chose to challenge me. One fared so badly that he left the primaries to run as an independent. Another attacked me for being too old and was soundly defeated. The voters of the Democratic Patty have voted. They have chosen me to be the nominee of the party.

Do we now just say this process didn’t matter? That the voters don’t have a say?

I decline to do that. I feel a deep obligation to the faith and the trust the voters of the Democratic Party have placed in me to run this year. It was their decision to make. Not the press, not the pundits, not the big donors, not any selected group of individuals, no matter how well intentioned. The voters — and the voters alone — decide the nominee of the Democratic Party. How can we stand for democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party? I cannot do that. I will not do that.

I have no doubt that I — and we — can and will beat Donald Trump. We have an historic record of success to run on. From creating over 15 million jobs (including 200,000 just last month), reaching historic lows on unemployment, to revitalizing American manufacturing with 800,000 jobs, to protecting and expanding affordable health care, to rebuilding America’s roads, bridges, highways, ports and airports, and water systems, to beating Big Pharma and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, including $35 a month insulin for seniors, to providing student debt relief for nearly 5 million Americans to an historic investment in combatting climate change.

More importantly, we have an economic vision to run on that soundly beats Trump and the MAGA Republicans. They are siding with the wealthy and the big corporations and we are siding with the working people of America. It wasn’t an isolated moment for Trump to stand at Mar-A-Lago and tell the oil industry they should give him $1 billion and he will do whatever they want.

That’s whose side Trump and the MAGA Republicans are on. Trump and the MAGA Republicans want another $5 trillion in tax cuts for rich people so they can cut Social Security and Medicare. We will never let that happen. It’s trickle-down economics on steroids. We know the way to build the economy is from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down. We are finally going to make the rich and big corporations pay their fair share of taxes in this country. The MAGA party is also still determined to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which could throw 45 million Americans off their coverage. We will never let that happen either. Trump got rich denying rental housing to Black people. We have a plan to build 2 million new housing units in America. They want to let Big Pharma charge as much as they want again. What do you think America’s seniors will think when they know Trump and the MAGA Republicans want to take away their $35 insulin — as well as the $2,000 capon out-of-pocket prescription costs we Democrats just got them? Or what do you think American families are going to think when they find out Trump and the MAGA Republicans want to hit them with a new $2,500 national sales tax on all the imported products they buy.

We are the ones lowering costs for families — from health care to prescription drugs to student debt to housing. We are the ones protecting Social Security and Medicare. Everything they’re proposing raises costs for most Americans — except their tax cuts which will go to the rich.

We are protecting the freedoms of Americans. Trump and the MAGA Republicans are taking them away. They have already for the first time in history taken away a fundamental freedom from the American people by overturning Roe v. Wade. They have decided politicians should make the most personal of decisions that should be made by women and their doctors and those closest to them. They have already said they won’t stop there — and are going after everything from contraception to IVF to the right to marry who you love. And they have made it clear they will ban abortion nationwide. We will let none of that happen. I have made it clear that if Kamala and I are reelected, and the nation elects a Democratic House and Senate, we will make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again. We are the ones who will bring real Supreme Court reform; Donald Trump and his majority want more of the same from the Court, and the chance to add to the right-wing majority they built by subverting the norms and principles of the nomination and confirmation process.

And we are standing up for American democracy. After January 6th, Trump has proven that he is unfit to ever hold the office of President. We can never allow him anywhere near that office again. And we never will.

My fellow Democrats — we have the record, the vision, and the fundamental commitment to America’s freedoms and our Democracy to win.

The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end. We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump. We have 42 days to the Democratic Convention and 119 days to the general election. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Biden Jr.
President of the United States of America

Judge Approves Delay In Classified Documents Case

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Another win for Trump…

The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida has granted his request to further delay deadlines in the case.

The Friday filing by Trump’s legal team with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon marked the latest move by the former president to seize on the Supreme Court’s landmark immunity ruling to sideline his lingering criminal cases. According to reports from Politico, Trump asked Cannon for a chance to argue the immunity issue before her between now and early September, effectively pausing all other proceedings in the case by two months.

Trump has argued that his decision to transmit classified documents to his Florida home as he prepared to leave the presidency should be treated as an “official act” and be removed from special counsel Jack Smith’s case against Trump for allegedly hoarding national security secrets at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Now, he says, the Supreme Court’s ruling requires that the case be put on hold until the immunity issue is resolved.

According to multiple reports, Cannon ruled that DOJ special counsel Jack Smith had until later this month to respond to the legal arguments from Trump’s request for a deadline. Additionally, Cannon delayed two other deadlines that is believed to cause a minor delay.

The Hill reports more:

On Saturday, Cannon, a Trump appointee, said prosecutors and special counsel Jack Smith had until July 18 to respond to the Trump argument requesting for a delay.

Cannon also postponed two deadlines in the case, which is only expected to cause a minor delay.

Trump Seeks New Pause In Classified Documents Case

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

Donald Trump is seeking another pause in his classified documents case.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity ruling Donald Trump’s legal team argued he has blanket immunity from prosecution for his “official acts” as president which should result in a monthslong pause of his criminal proceedings in Florida.

The Friday filing by Trump’s legal team with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is the latest move by the former president to seize on the high court’s landmark immunity ruling to sideline his lingering criminal cases. According to Politico, Trump is asking Cannon for a chance to argue the immunity issue before her between now and early September, effectively pausing all other proceedings in the case by two months.

Trump has argued that his decision to transmit classified documents to his Florida home as he prepared to leave the presidency should be treated as an “official act” and be removed from special counsel Jack Smith’s case against Trump for allegedly hoarding national security secrets at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Now, he says, the Supreme Court’s ruling requires that the case be put on hold until the immunity issue is resolved.

Trump also used his Friday filing to point to President Joe Biden’s July 1 remarks panning the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. It was the most explicit commentary by Biden about the criminal charges Trump is facing brought by the special counsel.

“The remark explicitly connected the Special Counsel’s Office with President Biden’s misuse of the criminal justice system to communicate with voters prior to the election,” Trump’s attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote.

Disney Heiress Threatens To Cut Off Democrat Donations

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Jrobertiko, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The latest in a long line of concerned Democrats…

A Disney heiress is threatening to stop donating to The Democrat Party until Joe Biden steps down from the 2024 race.

“I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket.  This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,” Abigail Disney, granddaughter of The Walt Disney Company co-founder Roy O. Disney, told CNBC Thursday.

“If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire,” she added.

Disney is a longtime Democratic donor, contributing nearly $2 million to federal Democratic candidates, committees and groups since 1992, according to The Hill’s analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) contributions

She’s donated a combined $63,000 so far this cycle, including a $50,000 contribution to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC in April. 

Disney donated $343,460 during the 2020 election cycle, according to FEC contribution data.

On Wednesday, Texas Democrat Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first sitting Member of Congress to publicly encourage Biden to step down. In a more damning appearance, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi switched from accusing Trump of having dementia to validating questions about Biden’s mental acuity, further fueling the debate over his capacity to lead. 

On Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) seemed to signal support for the idea of Biden stepping away from the race and seemed to promote himself as an alternative candidate. (RELATED: Potential Biden Replacement Pitches Himself After ‘Very Bad’ Debate)

Watch:

Report: Trump Sentencing Date Delayed

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

On Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan delayed Donald Trump’s sentencing in the criminal hush money case until September.

On Monday, Trump moved to overturn his criminal conviction in the Manhattan case after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a former president has substantial immunity for official acts committed while in office.

Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

He also requested to delay his sentencing, which was set for July 11 — just days before the Republican National Convention where he is set to be formally nominated the 2024 GOP presidential nominee. 

Bragg, on Tuesday morning, said Trump’s request to toss the verdict was without merit, but did not oppose the request to delay sentencing. 

Judge Merchan on Tuesday afternoon delayed Trump’s sentencing date to Sept. 18. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged the former president in May with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts in the Manhattan case.  

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

House Democrat Becomes The First To Publicly Call On Biden To Withdraw

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President Joe Biden delivers remarks in National Statuary Hall on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, January 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)

There’s no going back now…

On Tuesday, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) became the first sitting Democrat U.S. Congressman to call on Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential contest.

“Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump’s many lies,” Doggett said in a statement.

“I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw,” he later said. “President Biden should do the same.”

Doggett, who is 77, praised the president’s legislative achievements in his years in Washington but argued that now is a moment to pass the torch in the Democratic Party.

“While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional,” Doggett said. “He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process.”

“My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved,” he continued.

“Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.”

On Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) seemed to signal support for the idea of Biden stepping away from the race and seemed to promote himself as an alternative candidate. (RELATED: Potential Biden Replacement Pitches Himself After ‘Very Bad’ Debate)

Watch:

Poll Shows New Trump Advantage In New Hampshire

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

More good news for Trump…

A new poll conducted by St. Anselm College in New Hampshire indicates Biden’s poor debate performance is resonating with voters.

According to the poll, Trump now holds a two-point lead (44%-42%) over Biden. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is mounting an independent bid for the presidency after initially running in the Democratic primary, earned the support of just 4% of voters.

Neil Levesque, the director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm, declared that the poll shows “that New Hampshire is really a competitive state in the presidential election.”

“Events like a presidential debate like we saw last week are pivot points in politics, and at this point, with the amount of change we’ve seen with the presidential contest, certainly the debate had an effect,” he added.

Among voters who were aware of the debate, 54% said Trump won, while just 6% said Biden won and 39% said there was no winner. The poll showed that 81% of those who watched the debate said it won’t affect their vote in November, so the trend might have started before the end of last week.

“I think people are very partisan,” Levesque said. “So, they’re in their camps and they say, ‘Well, I watched the debate, but it doesn’t affect how I’m going to vote.’ But certainly, events like a presidential debate like we saw last week are pivot points in politics, and at this point, with the amount of change we’ve seen with the presidential contest, certainly the debate had an effect.”

Report: Rudy Giuliani Disbarred In New York

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has officially been disbarred in the Empire State.

On Tuesday, a state appeals court disbarred Giuliani “effective immediately” for his efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election.

The Hill reports:

A panel of judges in New York’s Appellate Division, First Department wrote that Giuliani “flagrantly misused” his position as an attorney for former President Trump and his campaign to make “intentionally” false statements to courts, lawmakers and the public.  

“In so doing, respondent not only deliberately violated some of the most fundamental tenets of the legal profession, but he also actively contributed to the national strife that has followed the 2020 Presidential election, for which he is entirely unrepentant,” it says. 

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Trump Files To Overturn Latest Conviction After SCOTUS Ruling

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

On Monday, former President Donald Trump moved to overturn his criminal conviction in the Manhattan hush-money case after the Supreme Court ruled presidents have immunity for “official acts” committed while in office.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged the former president in May with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts in the Manhattan case.  

Lawyers for Trump had filed a motion to dismiss the verdict hours after the Supreme Court’s ruling. 

Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The motion came on the same day that the district attorney’s office sent sentencing recommendations to Judge Juan M. Merchan – who presided over the Manhattan trial – though it remains unclear whether that will be seen by the public, per reporting from The New York Times.  
Judge Merchan has received a letter from Trump’s lawyers, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News Digital

The letter asks for permission to file a motion to vacate the jury’s Manhattan verdict, asks for a delay of the July 11 sentencing, and cites the high court’s decision in arguing that evidence was included at trial that should not have been admitted. 

To file a motion in New York, defendants must first request permission from the judge in the case. 

On Tuesday, Manhattan prosecutors agreed with Donald J. Trump’s request to postpone his criminal sentencing so that the judge overseeing the case could weigh whether a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling might impact his conviction, according to The New York Times.

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that a former president has absolute immunity for his core constitutional powers.

Former presidents are also entitled to at least a presumption of immunity for their official acts. There is no immunity, the court holds, for unofficial acts.

The Supreme Court returned the case to the trial court to determine what is left of special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment against the former President.