For the first time, a Democratic member of Congress has called on Joe Biden to drop out of the race for president following his shaky debate performance last week. Biden’s team maintains the president is still fit for office.

Washington

The 2024 United States presidential election between Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump is set to take place this November. 

U.S. Presidential Election

For the first time, a Democratic member of Congress has called on Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race following his debate performance with Donald Trump. Representative Lloyd Doggett from Texas issued a statement urging Biden to step down, suggesting that the president might be unfit for office. The statement came after a widely criticized debate performance and concerns over Biden's cognitive abilities.

The White House has responded to these growing calls with reassurance that Biden remains fit for office. They acknowledged that Biden's performance in the debate was less than ideal, attributing it partly to the president having a cold. The administration confirmed that Biden has not been on medication or had any neurological scans.

Biden's campaign released an advertisement emphasizing his resilience and ability to lead despite setbacks. The White House also scheduled an on-camera interview with ABC News and a full press conference to demonstrate Biden's continued competence.

Meanwhile, news about Donald Trump's legal troubles continues to unfold. Trump's legal team is challenging a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, arguing it could impact the evidence used in his guilty verdicts in the hush money trial involving Stormy Daniels. The sentencing for Trump has been postponed to allow for further arguments.



Calls grow for Biden to leave presidential race

As White House briefings go, this was a remarkable one. We understand the concerns. We get it. The president did not have a great night. It was a bad night. And he did, on top of that, he had a cold. We're not taking away from what you all saw, what the American people saw. We understand. It was a bad night. Question after question on the mental and cognitive ability of the U.S. president after Joe Biden's debate last week with Donald Trump, a performance deemed by so many to be a stumbling disaster. Was he on meds? No. Is the White House hiding anything? No. Since the debate, has Biden had a neurological scan? A neurological scan? Look, what I can say is that, just to take a step back, it was a bad night. We understand that it was a bad night. And the president has spoken to this. And he understands that. All of this as whispers by Democrats that Biden may well be unfit for office and should quit his bid for reelection turned public. Representative Lloyd Doggett from Texas, in a statement, writing, I'm hopeful that Biden will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so. Folks, I know I'm not a young man, but I know how to do this job. Biden's campaign has already countered naysayers with this new ad, pulling comments from a rally the day after the debate. When you get knocked down, you get back up. And as if to demonstrate Biden's mental agility, the White House also announcing an on-camera interview with ABC News this week and a full press conference next week. And while all that is happening, Paul, more news on that other candidate for the White House, Donald Trump. Yeah, more fallout from yesterday's Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity and how that might apply to Trump's guilty verdicts in the so-called hush money trial involving adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump's lawyers now arguing the whole thing should be tossed out because under that ruling, they say some of the evidence would not have been allowed in. Trump was to have been sentenced next Thursday. That's now put off to September so that lawyers for both sides can have their say on whether the guilty verdicts stand. All right, Paul Hunter in Washington, thank you.

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Council of the City of Sydney

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Moscow

UK General Election

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Cancún

Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Mexico near Cancun

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People in Mexico’s popular Yucatan Peninsula are bracing for Hurricane Beryl as it roars toward them after smashing through the Caribbean and killing at least 10 people. The system has strengthened to a Category 3 storm.

Yucatan

Hurricane Beryl regains strength as it approaches Mexico

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Beijing

E.U. imposes tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles

Keir Starmer will be Britain's next prime minister with his Labour Party set to win a massive majority in a parliamentary election, an exit poll on Thursday (July 4) indicated, while Rishi Sunak's Conservatives are forecast to suffer historic losses. The poll showed Labour would win 410 seats in the 650-seat parliament, ending 14 years of Conservative-led government.

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Acre

Tensions at Israel-Lebanon border

Hezbollah launches rocket and drone barrage on Israel

Britons were voting on Thursday (July 4) in a parliamentary election that is expected to bring Keir Starmer's Labour Party to power, sweeping away Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives after 14 often turbulent years.

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Canberra

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Kingston

Hurricane Beryl: Jamaica hit by powerful storm

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Watford

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Hurricane Beryl churns toward Jamaica as Category 4

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Bridgetown

Widespread destruction across Jamaica after Storm Beryl

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

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More than 100 people were killed in a stampede at a religious gathering in India's state of Uttar Pradesh over the weekend. Officials say the commotion from overcrowding and extreme afternoon heat contributed to the stampede.

Hathras

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Rafah

Israel-Gaza War

Palestinians flee Khan Younis as Israeli forces approach

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Climate Crisis

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U.S. Presidential Election