First Democratic senator calls for Biden to drop out: Highlights

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in an interview tonight that it wouldn't hurt for Biden to take a cognitive test as many of his critics have urged him to do.

“I don’t think that it'd hurt, to be honest,” Whitmer, a Democrat, said on CNN when she was asked whether Biden should take a cognitive test and challenge Trump to do the same.

Whitmer went on to praise Biden, saying that in spite of his debate performance he shows up and fights for the American people.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, said in an interview that he had unanswered questions about Biden's health and needed answers before he could vote for him.

“I’m asking the same questions that I know millions and millions of Americans are asking themselves, which is ‘What is the physical and mental state of health of the president of the United States?’” Golden told Maine Public Broadcasting. “And I will not vote for someone if I don’t think they are physically or mentally equipped to lead this nation. And I don't know the answer to that question at this time.”

Golden predicted in an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News last week that Trump will win the election.

A Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling will allow the expanded use of ballot drop boxes. NBC News correspondent Shaq Brewster joins "Meet the Press NOW" to explain what it means for the elections in November and shares what he’s hearing from officials in Milwaukee, the host city for the Republican National Convention.

Biden delivered brief remarks praising NATO at tonight's dinner at the White House.

"We are neighbors because we all share common beliefs in dignity, equality, democracy, freedom, and we’re all neighbors because we’re there for one another," he said.

"To NATO and to our neighborhood of nations," Biden added later, toasting the alliance. "May we continue to grow stronger and closer in all the years ahead.” 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg echoed Biden's remarks in a toast, as well.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, one of the finalists to be Trump’s running mate, excoriated increased immigration into the U.S., mocked Vice President Kamala Harris and praised leaders at a conference today in Washington, D.C.

Vance, addressing the National Conservatism Conference, opened by joking that he had expected to be mobbed by reporters — armed with questions about being Trump's running mate — at the Capitol on Monday.

"When I got to the Capitol, I sort of, in a bit of hubris, expected all the reporters to swarm me and ask me a bunch of questions about you probably can guess," he said. "And they were totally uninterested, because there's nothing the media loves more than a good death watch."

Biden’s superpower inside the Democratic Party has been the belief he can beat Trump — a belief that helped him prevail in the crowded 2020 primary campaign. But electability is quickly becoming his potential kryptonite as members of his party worry he’s poised to lose re-election and bring down everyone else with him.

“Live by the electability, die by the electability,” said Seth Masket, the director of the Center on American Politics at Denver University and author of a book about recent Democratic presidential primary campaign.

Several Democrats held their fire after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, waiting to see how the criticism would play out in the polls. As the numbers have trickled in, the picture is complicated — meaning it neither quieted nor supercharged the calls for him to set aside.

Read the full story here.

Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont today became the first Senate Democrat to call for Biden to bow out of the race.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Welch emphasized his respect for Biden, but he said that "for the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race."

"We have asked President Biden to do so much for so many for so long," Welch wrote. "It has required unmatched selflessness and courage. We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now."

Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, a senior Democrat and the dean of his state's delegation, called on Biden to end his re-election bid.

“While this is a decision for the president and the first lady, I hope they will come to the conclusion that I and others have: President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee," Blumenauer said in a statement today. "It is a painful and difficult conclusion but there is no question in my mind that we will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms."

Blumenauer is the ninth House Democrat to publicly call on the president to leave the race.

At a news conference about wildfire response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom today reiterated that he would not campaign against Harris if Biden were to drop out of the race.

Asked whether he stood by his previous comments on the issue, he said, "Of course, yes."

Newsom, a prominent Biden campaign surrogate, said in a "Meet the Press" interview last year that if Biden did not run, "the vice president is naturally the one lined up."

Asked during that interview whether he could imagine running against Harris, he responded, "Of course not."

Biden is holding a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the NATO summit, just days after Starmer and his Labour Party coasted to victory in the U.K. elections.

Biden said the two countries are "the best of allies," joking that they can start by talking about soccer.

Both men said today's NATO meeting was good, and Biden said he felt optimistic.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., told reporters that he found former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments about Biden "strange."

Rep. Pelosi, D-Calif, said today on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that "we're all encouraging [Biden] to make that decision because time is running short." Biden has repeatedly said he's staying in the race.

"It’s a strange thing to say," Fetterman told reporters. "You know, the president has been really, really clear that, that, you know, 'I’m staying in this.'"

The GOP-led House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas today for three White House aides, requesting depositions to discuss President Joe Biden’s cognitive state.

The subpoenas, first reported by Axios, are for first lady Jill Biden’s senior adviser Anthony Bernal, White House deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini and White House senior adviser Ashley Williams.

The letters accompanying the subpoenas alleged that the aides have “firsthand knowledge of the extent to which President Biden is personally carrying out the duties of his office and whether he is capable of doing so.”

Read the full story here.

President Joe Biden’s campaign has already suffered a major slowdown in donations and officials are bracing for a seismic fundraising hit, with the fallout from a debate nearly two weeks ago taking a sizable toll on operations, according to four sources close to the re-election effort. 

“It’s already disastrous,” one of the sources close to Biden’s re-election said of fundraising. 

“The money has absolutely shut off” to the Biden campaign, another source close to Biden’s re-election said.

Read the full story here.

Local officials in Washoe County, Nevada, voted today against certifying the results of two recounted primary races, after a prominent election denier claimed the results were fraudulent and demanded hand counts of the results.

Robert Beadles, a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has promoted election conspiracy theories, spent $150,000 to recount three local races in Washoe County’s June primary. One candidate later withdrew the request for a recount, but officials spent days re-tabulating the thousands of votes cast and found a two-vote difference — one vote in each race — that had no effect on the significant margin of victory in the two remaining races.

But at a contentious Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting today, dozens of people spoke for and against certification, with many of the latter demanding a recount by hand instead of by machine.

Democratic lawmakers have held closed-door meetings on Capitol Hill as they expressed concerns about Biden's chances of winning a second term. NBC News’ Ali Vitali reports on the president's vow to stay in the election race. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has told worried members that he plans to relay their concerns to Biden, four sources confirmed today to NBC News.

When asked by NBC News about these plans, Jeffries dodged, saying: “We’re having conversations with ourselves. It’s a family discussion, that’s important. We are a separate and co-equal branch of government. We have the right and the responsibility on behalf of the people that we represent to have these conversations with ourselves about the path forward and the best interest of the American people, and that’s all we’re doing right now.”

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., said during an MSNBC interview today that Jeffries is publicly backing Biden because he is the nominee, but confirmed that Jeffries and others were conveying members' concerns privately to the White House.

New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado said that Biden should withdraw from the presidential race in a statement posted today on X .

Delgado, a Democrat, said that Biden "deserves eternal gratitude" for his accomplishments, including defeating Trump in 2020 and leading the U.S. out of the pandemic.

"I have immense respect and admiration for his deep and abiding commitment to the American people and our founding democratic ideals. He can add to his legacy, showing his strength and grace, by ending his campaign and making room for a new leader," Delgado said in the statement.

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., suggested this afternoon that Democrats' prospects this November are worse than before, telling reporters that it "was an uphill race," but "now closer to an up-mountain race."

Asked if Biden needs to drop out, Welch said, “I think he’s really got to seriously consider with all the post-debate evidences, he can do as he’s always done, make the best decision for the American people.”

“I have to believe we’ll win in November, you’re hearing my aspirations," Welch said when asked if Biden can win in November. "You know, it was an uphill race. It’s now closer to an up-mountain race.”

NBC News anchor Lester Holt will sit down with President Biden on Monday for an exclusive one-on-one interview in Austin, Texas.

The full interview will air in its entirety during a prime-time special that evening at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on NBC. The special will also stream at 9 p.m. ET on NBC News NOW.

Portions of the interview will air earlier in the day on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT, and coverage will be available on NBCNews.com. The full interview and unedited transcript will also be available following the primetime special on NBCNews.com.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said “yes” when asked if Biden can win in November.

Asked about Pelosi's comments on MSNBC this morning, Jeffries said he had not spoken to the former speaker.

Asked if Biden’s decision is final to stay in the race, Jeffries said: “That’s a question that you have to ask President Biden. His decision has been well articulated in a variety of different ways throughout the last few weeks.”

He added, "We look forward to continuing to have candid, comprehensive and clear-eyed discussions with members of the House Democratic Caucus over the next day or so, while we are together, and then we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna win.” 

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas was one of nearly 200 Democratic mayors on a video call with Biden last night and joined Ana Cabrera to discuss what was talked about in the meeting amid concerns over Biden’s candidacy.

Rep. Pat Ryan, a moderate New York Democrat, today joined some of his other colleagues in calling on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

“Trump is an existential threat to American democracy; it is our duty to put forward the strongest candidate against him. Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump. For the good of our country, I am asking Joe Biden to step aside — to deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders,” Ryan wrote in a post on X.

He first shared his stance in a phone interview with The New York Times.

Read the full story here.

Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz's campaign says his political operation brought in big money from April through June as the Republican gears up for what could be a tight re-election.

A new press release from the Cruz camp adds his political operation closed the second fundraising quarter with $22.1 million in cash on hand. However, the campaign notes that these totals include money raised into "all entities," committees that Cruz doesn't have direct control over, but which will be supporting his bid.

His Democratic opponent, Rep. Colin Allred, hasn't yet announced his second-quarter fundraising but has established himself as a strong fundraiser too.

Campaigns have to file their second-quarter fundraising reports to the FEC by later this month, so the numbers aren't verifiable until then. But those reports will include a full picture of the Senate fundraising landscape.

Senate Democrats will hear from Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon and senior advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti during a special caucus lunch tomorrow, according to a Senate Democratic leadership source. The meeting is slotted for 12:30 p.m. at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Wednesday introduced articles of impeachment against Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

"The unchecked corruption crisis on the Supreme Court has now spiraled into a Constitutional crisis threatening American democracy writ large," she wrote. She cited Thomas and Alito's financial and personal entanglements as a "grave threat to American rule of law" and the "integrity of our democracy."

She added that these instances are "one of the clearest cases for which the tool of impeachment was designed."

AOC is expected to deliver remarks on the impeachment articles from the House floor at 6 p.m.

Biden spoke earlier today at the NATO summit being held in Washington, D.C., touting his administration's support for the alliance and telling member nations that his administration has "already invested $30 billion in defense manufacturing to restart or expand production across 35 of our states."

The effort is part of an alliancewide push to strengthen defense manufacturing, but Biden also framed the initiative as positive for the U.S. economy, saying it will lead to, "stronger supply chains, stronger economy, stronger military and a stronger nation."

The president added: "Every NATO member is committed to doing their part to keep the alliance strong. We can and will defend every inch of NATO territory, and we'll do it together." 

Biden spoke for a few minutes at the AFL-CIO headquarters this morning and said that he was warned "not to take too much time with y’all today in terms of talking."

He claimed that major economists have praised his administration's economic plans and have said that Trump's proposals are "going to bankrupt our country."

Biden said there are a "whole range of things we're going to get done in a second term" and he's "never been more optimistic about America’s chances not because of me, but because of what we’re doing together."

“We’re the fastest growing economy in the world, that’s a fact … food prices are still too high because of corporate greed … we need more housing …," Biden said, calling on the union's help to get more done.

Hours after Pelosi said in an MSNBC interview that "time is running short" for Biden to make a decision about his 2024 election plans, her spokesperson issued a new statement reiterating that the former speaker "fully supports whatever President Biden decides to do."

“Speaker Pelosi fully supports whatever President Biden decides to do. We must turn our attention to why this race is so important: Donald Trump would be a disaster for our country and our democracy," the spokesperson, Ian Krager, said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Pelosi said during the interview on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" that "it’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short."

Ahead of Biden's press conference tomorrow evening, a White House official told NBC News that the president is preparing for the event all week, comparing the upcoming presser with those he does at the end of foreign trips.

Biden will face intense scrutiny tomorrow, following last month’s poor debate performance. A separate official pointed out that preparation for a news conference is different than that for a debate because, this official says, the subjects during a debate are “less rooted in the news cycle” and the structure of a debate is more rigid — 90 minutes with defined time periods for answers. 

These officials say the president is focused on hammering home the contrast with Trump and making clear his policy positions and what he says he has already accomplished for the American people.

Actor and Democratic donor George Clooney published a guest essay in The New York Times today expressing his concerns about Biden's ability ahead of the upcoming election, writing "We need a new nominee."

In the essay, Clooney details his longtime support of the Democratic Party and his friendship with Biden.

"The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe "big F-ing deal" Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote. "He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."

Accusing conservative Supreme Court justices of placing “a crown on Donald Trump’s head” that allows him to commit crimes with impunity, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that he’s eying a legislative response to last week’s court ruling.

“We Democrats will not let the Supreme Court’s decision stand unaddressed. The Constitution makes plain that Congress has the authority to check the judiciary through appropriate legislation. I will work with my colleagues on legislation classifying Trump’s election subversion acts as unofficial acts not subject to immunity,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor.

Schumer spoke as the Senate returned from recess, a week after the Supreme Court handed Trump a big win in a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines that said presidents have legal immunity from prosecution for “official acts” carried out on the job but not unofficial acts. The terms are subject to interpretation, and Schumer is seeking to define Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results as being outside the scope of his presidential duties.

Read the full story here.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., spoke supportively today of Biden while also seeming to leave the door open to him no longer being the nominee.

Asked about his openness to someone else, Blumenthal said, “Biden deserves at least some period of time to continue vigorously and effectively making his case to the American people about the contrast between him and Donald Trump.”

Pressed further on his leaving the door open to a new candidate, Blumenthal didn’t deny it. But asked by NBC News how much longer this back and forth can go on, he said, “I think that this kind of internal debate will end at some point.”

When asked if he agrees with Sen. Bennet's concerns about Biden's ability to win in the 2024 election, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., told NBC News, "No."

Casey, who is currently fighting to keep his Senate seat in battleground Pennsylvania, said he believes Biden could win in November. Asked if he thought Biden could win the election in November, Casey said simply: "Yes."

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said in a post on X this morning that he's concerned about the effect the Democratic nominee will have on down-ballot races.

Torres didn't explicitly say that he thinks that Biden will have a negative effect, but he implied that he has concerns.

ABC News journalist George Stephanopoulos said he regrets talking to a passerby and appearing to say he doesn’t think Biden can serve another four years.

TMZ posted video of the encounter, which it said was on a New York City street, in which Stephanopoulos was asked, “Do you think Biden should step down?”

Stephanopoulos appears to say, “I don’t think he can serve four more years,” though the audio of the response is a little difficult to hear.

One of the correct clichés about American political campaigns is if you’re fighting the last war, you’re most likely losing.

But what if there’s disagreement over how you won (or lost) the last war?

Ultimately, one of the reasons Biden’s campaign is locked in this moment of postdebate uncertainty is his inner circle’s complete misinterpretation and misunderstanding of both the 2020 and 2022 elections, including how Biden ended up as the head of the Democratic Party. And that misunderstanding has led to a cascading series of potentially fatal positions for the party as a whole in 2024.

Read the analysis here.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the former House speaker, was pressed on whether Biden has her support to be the head of the Democratic presidential ticket amid calls from some Democrats for him to step aside after his lackluster June debate performance.

During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Pelosi said that “it’s up to the president to decide if he’s going to run.”

“We’re all encouraging him to to make that decision because time is running short,” she said. 

“The, I think, overwhelming support of the caucus — it’s not for me to say, I’m not the head of the caucus anymore — but he’s beloved, he is respected and people want him to make that decision.”

Facing a heavy dose of skepticism from Democrats about whether he should stay in the presidential race, Biden is finding support from an important faction in the party that he has sometimes clashed with: progressives.

Members of the House’s left-leaning “squad” and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., are expressing support for Biden and using the turmoil to try to nudge him closer to their economic vision for the country in the race against Trump.

“I spoke with the president extensively this weekend. He has made abundantly clear that he is in this race. He has made abundantly clear that he is not leaving the race. He is the nominee. I am making sure that I support him and making sure that we win in November,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told reporters.

Read the full story here.

Trump discussed the timing of the decision in an interview with NBC WTVJ, the network's Miami station, yesterday. 

When asked specifically about Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as a potential running mate and whether he would play a role in a Trump administration if he isn't picked to join the ticket, Trump said, “Well, he certainly will, and he’s a fantastic guy, and he’s a friend of mine, and he is one of the top people.”

Trump added that his announcement of a running mate will probably come over the next week or so, and maybe even at the convention.

Facing intense scrutiny, Biden welcomed world leaders to Washington as he continues to face open doubts from members of the Democratic Party over his ability to serve. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports for "TODAY."

Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado last night became the first Senate Democrat to publicly say that Biden can’t win the election, he but stopped short of calling for him to withdraw from the race.

In an appearance on CNN, Bennet was asked whether he and Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, had told their colleagues during a private meeting on Capitol Hill that Biden can’t defeat Trump in the fall. He confirmed that he had made those remarks.

“Well, it’s true that I said that, and I did say that behind closed doors. And you guys and others asked whether I had said it, and that is what I said. So I figured I should come here and say it publicly,” said Bennet, who ran against Biden in the 2020 presidential primary campaign.

Biden is scheduled to attend numerous events today, mainly focused around the NATO summit in Washington. But first, the president will visit the AFL-CIO headquarters.

After that, Biden will spend more than four hours at the summit before hosting a bilateral meeting with the new British prime minister, Keir Starmer. The president and first lady then host an official arrival ceremony for NATO allies and partners at the White House, followed by a dinner.