Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is not backing down from claims that Virginia is in play for former President Donald Trump, even after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race.

Biden announced he would not continue his run for president amid poor polling, which had him tied or trailing in blue states like Virginia, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the Democratic ticket. Youngkin, speaking with Bloomberg on Monday, said that voters would hold Harris accountable for the record of the Biden administration and that Virginia is “still in play” for Republicans.

Governor @GlennYoungkin: “I think Virginia is still in play. Virginians are stating that they want strong leadership, NOT weak leadership. They know that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden led this administration together, and that track record is her track record, and I think that… pic.twitter.com/SruUltw451

— Team Youngkin – Spirit of Virginia (@TeamYoungkin) July 22, 2024

“I think that Virginia is still in play. And what we’re seeing, of course, is Virginians are stating that they want strong leadership, not weak leadership,” Youngkin said.

“They know that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden led this administration together, and that that track record, it’s her track record, and I think that Americans are reflecting the same sentiment. They’re ready for strength in the White House, not weakness,” he added.

The Trump campaign has worked to tie Harris to Biden’s record after the president dropped out of the race, even referring to her as “Joe Biden 2.0” but adding that “her record is even worse and she is even further to the left.”

Youngkin also noted that Harris’s poll numbers against Trump are not significantly better than Biden’s, and that it stems from her connection to the president’s administration, which she is a part of.

“I think that reflects the fact that Virginians and Americans recognize that it was the Biden-Harris administration, and she owns the performance, and it’s not going to be any different than the one that Joe Biden had,” Youngkin said.

A poll from the Hill and Emerson College released prior to Biden’s announcement showed Trump leading Biden 45.4%-43.5% in Virginia, while in a hypothetical matchup between Trump and Harris, Trump leads the vice president 46.7%-44.5%.

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Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), is scheduled to hold a campaign event in Radford, Virginia, on Monday, a week after he was tapped to be the former president’s vice presidential nominee.

Harris, who appears to be the likely Democratic presidential nominee, has yet to name a running mate, but several names are being floated, including Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Roy Cooper (D-NC).

2024-07-22 18:34:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3094100%2Fyoungkin-believes-virginia-still-in-play-biden-dropping%2F?w=600&h=450, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is not backing down from claims that Virginia is in play for former President Donald Trump, even after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. Biden announced he would not continue his run for president amid poor polling, which had him tied or trailing in blue states like Virginia,

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is not backing down from claims that Virginia is in play for former President Donald Trump, even after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race.

Biden announced he would not continue his run for president amid poor polling, which had him tied or trailing in blue states like Virginia, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the Democratic ticket. Youngkin, speaking with Bloomberg on Monday, said that voters would hold Harris accountable for the record of the Biden administration and that Virginia is “still in play” for Republicans.

Governor @GlennYoungkin: “I think Virginia is still in play. Virginians are stating that they want strong leadership, NOT weak leadership. They know that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden led this administration together, and that track record is her track record, and I think that… pic.twitter.com/SruUltw451

— Team Youngkin – Spirit of Virginia (@TeamYoungkin) July 22, 2024

“I think that Virginia is still in play. And what we’re seeing, of course, is Virginians are stating that they want strong leadership, not weak leadership,” Youngkin said.

“They know that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden led this administration together, and that that track record, it’s her track record, and I think that Americans are reflecting the same sentiment. They’re ready for strength in the White House, not weakness,” he added.

The Trump campaign has worked to tie Harris to Biden’s record after the president dropped out of the race, even referring to her as “Joe Biden 2.0” but adding that “her record is even worse and she is even further to the left.”

Youngkin also noted that Harris’s poll numbers against Trump are not significantly better than Biden’s, and that it stems from her connection to the president’s administration, which she is a part of.

“I think that reflects the fact that Virginians and Americans recognize that it was the Biden-Harris administration, and she owns the performance, and it’s not going to be any different than the one that Joe Biden had,” Youngkin said.

A poll from the Hill and Emerson College released prior to Biden’s announcement showed Trump leading Biden 45.4%-43.5% in Virginia, while in a hypothetical matchup between Trump and Harris, Trump leads the vice president 46.7%-44.5%.

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Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), is scheduled to hold a campaign event in Radford, Virginia, on Monday, a week after he was tapped to be the former president’s vice presidential nominee.

Harris, who appears to be the likely Democratic presidential nominee, has yet to name a running mate, but several names are being floated, including Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Roy Cooper (D-NC).

, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is not backing down from claims that Virginia is in play for former President Donald Trump, even after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. Biden announced he would not continue his run for president amid poor polling, which had him tied or trailing in blue states like Virginia, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the Democratic ticket. Youngkin, speaking with Bloomberg on Monday, said that voters would hold Harris accountable for the record of the Biden administration and that Virginia is “still in play” for Republicans. Governor @GlennYoungkin: “I think Virginia is still in play. Virginians are stating that they want strong leadership, NOT weak leadership. They know that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden led this administration together, and that track record is her track record, and I think that… pic.twitter.com/SruUltw451 — Team Youngkin – Spirit of Virginia (@TeamYoungkin) July 22, 2024 “I think that Virginia is still in play. And what we’re seeing, of course, is Virginians are stating that they want strong leadership, not weak leadership,” Youngkin said. “They know that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden led this administration together, and that that track record, it’s her track record, and I think that Americans are reflecting the same sentiment. They’re ready for strength in the White House, not weakness,” he added. The Trump campaign has worked to tie Harris to Biden’s record after the president dropped out of the race, even referring to her as “Joe Biden 2.0” but adding that “her record is even worse and she is even further to the left.” Youngkin also noted that Harris’s poll numbers against Trump are not significantly better than Biden’s, and that it stems from her connection to the president’s administration, which she is a part of. “I think that reflects the fact that Virginians and Americans recognize that it was the Biden-Harris administration, and she owns the performance, and it’s not going to be any different than the one that Joe Biden had,” Youngkin said. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin arrives on third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) A poll from the Hill and Emerson College released prior to Biden’s announcement showed Trump leading Biden 45.4%-43.5% in Virginia, while in a hypothetical matchup between Trump and Harris, Trump leads the vice president 46.7%-44.5%. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), is scheduled to hold a campaign event in Radford, Virginia, on Monday, a week after he was tapped to be the former president’s vice presidential nominee. Harris, who appears to be the likely Democratic presidential nominee, has yet to name a running mate, but several names are being floated, including Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Roy Cooper (D-NC)., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/glenn-youngkin-virignia-donald-trump.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Jack Birle,

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) is considering reregistering as a Democrat and running for the party’s presidential nomination, after President Joe Biden announced he would end his reelection campaign on Sunday.

Manchin had previously weighed a third party presidential run, but is now considering a run for the Democratic nomination, a source familiar with Manchin’s thinking confirmed to the Washington Examiner.

The West Virginia senator, who registered as an independent earlier this year after previously being a registered Democrat, called on Biden to “pass the torch to the new generation” on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday prior to Biden’s announcement that he would drop his campaign.

When asked on State of the Union about how Biden would “pass the torch,” Manchin said on the network it should be an “open process.”

“I think that we have a lot of talent on the bench, a lot of good people, and I’m partial to governors, because a governor can’t afford to be partial. They can’t afford to be partisan strictly, because that pothole or that bridge doesn’t have a D or an R on it,” Manchin said on CNN.

“I have got two tremendous governors right next door to me, in Andy Beshear in Kentucky and Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania, who are operating with legislatures evenly split or completely opposite of their party affiliation,” he added. “They haven’t divided their state. They haven’t made you pick a side and demonize the other side. They have brought people together. This is what an open process would do, I think. It would bring more people out in a process that could bring Democrats like me back.”

Manchin, a Senate centrist, declined to run for reelection to his seat in November, but has not publicly ruled out running for public office in the future.

Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. Harris has the backing of several key Democrats, including Biden, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and both Bill and Hillary Clinton, but several other Democrats have not endorsed her – including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and former President Barack Obama.

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Biden is the first incumbent to not seek a second term since then-President Lyndon Baines Johnson did so in 1968. After Johnson decided against running for a second term, his vice president, Hubert Humphrey, was the Democratic nominee, but lost to former Vice President Richard Nixon.

The uncertainty with the Democratic Party’s ticket comes less than a month before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The convention is scheduled for Aug. 19-22.

Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.

2024-07-21 23:45:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3093252%2Fmanchin-considering-democratic-run-for-president%2F?w=600&h=450, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) is considering reregistering as a Democrat and running for the party’s presidential nomination, after President Joe Biden announced he would end his reelection campaign on Sunday. Manchin had previously weighed a third party presidential run, but is now considering a run for the Democratic nomination, a source familiar with Manchin’s thinking,

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) is considering reregistering as a Democrat and running for the party’s presidential nomination, after President Joe Biden announced he would end his reelection campaign on Sunday.

Manchin had previously weighed a third party presidential run, but is now considering a run for the Democratic nomination, a source familiar with Manchin’s thinking confirmed to the Washington Examiner.

The West Virginia senator, who registered as an independent earlier this year after previously being a registered Democrat, called on Biden to “pass the torch to the new generation” on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday prior to Biden’s announcement that he would drop his campaign.

When asked on State of the Union about how Biden would “pass the torch,” Manchin said on the network it should be an “open process.”

“I think that we have a lot of talent on the bench, a lot of good people, and I’m partial to governors, because a governor can’t afford to be partial. They can’t afford to be partisan strictly, because that pothole or that bridge doesn’t have a D or an R on it,” Manchin said on CNN.

“I have got two tremendous governors right next door to me, in Andy Beshear in Kentucky and Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania, who are operating with legislatures evenly split or completely opposite of their party affiliation,” he added. “They haven’t divided their state. They haven’t made you pick a side and demonize the other side. They have brought people together. This is what an open process would do, I think. It would bring more people out in a process that could bring Democrats like me back.”

Manchin, a Senate centrist, declined to run for reelection to his seat in November, but has not publicly ruled out running for public office in the future.

Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. Harris has the backing of several key Democrats, including Biden, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and both Bill and Hillary Clinton, but several other Democrats have not endorsed her – including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and former President Barack Obama.

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Biden is the first incumbent to not seek a second term since then-President Lyndon Baines Johnson did so in 1968. After Johnson decided against running for a second term, his vice president, Hubert Humphrey, was the Democratic nominee, but lost to former Vice President Richard Nixon.

The uncertainty with the Democratic Party’s ticket comes less than a month before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The convention is scheduled for Aug. 19-22.

Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.

, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) is considering reregistering as a Democrat and running for the party’s presidential nomination, after President Joe Biden announced he would end his reelection campaign on Sunday. Manchin had previously weighed a third party presidential run, but is now considering a run for the Democratic nomination, a source familiar with Manchin’s thinking confirmed to the Washington Examiner. The West Virginia senator, who registered as an independent earlier this year after previously being a registered Democrat, called on Biden to “pass the torch to the new generation” on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday prior to Biden’s announcement that he would drop his campaign. When asked on State of the Union about how Biden would “pass the torch,” Manchin said on the network it should be an “open process.” “I think that we have a lot of talent on the bench, a lot of good people, and I’m partial to governors, because a governor can’t afford to be partial. They can’t afford to be partisan strictly, because that pothole or that bridge doesn’t have a D or an R on it,” Manchin said on CNN. “I have got two tremendous governors right next door to me, in Andy Beshear in Kentucky and Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania, who are operating with legislatures evenly split or completely opposite of their party affiliation,” he added. “They haven’t divided their state. They haven’t made you pick a side and demonize the other side. They have brought people together. This is what an open process would do, I think. It would bring more people out in a process that could bring Democrats like me back.” Manchin, a Senate centrist, declined to run for reelection to his seat in November, but has not publicly ruled out running for public office in the future. Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. Harris has the backing of several key Democrats, including Biden, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and both Bill and Hillary Clinton, but several other Democrats have not endorsed her – including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and former President Barack Obama. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Biden is the first incumbent to not seek a second term since then-President Lyndon Baines Johnson did so in 1968. After Johnson decided against running for a second term, his vice president, Hubert Humphrey, was the Democratic nominee, but lost to former Vice President Richard Nixon. The uncertainty with the Democratic Party’s ticket comes less than a month before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The convention is scheduled for Aug. 19-22. Marisa Schultz contributed to this report., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/joe-manchin-biden-2024-election.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Jack Birle,

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) may not be House Democrats’ leader anymore, but members of the caucus are reportedly flocking to her with their concerns about President Joe Biden‘s candidacy.

An unnamed House Democrat representing a swing district talked to Pelosi about concerns over Biden’s candidacy and said it appeared Pelosi believed Biden should exit the race, according to Politico. The former House speaker also reportedly said she would talk with other concerned members of Congress but that she would not start the conversations.

“She’s the political voice of the Democratic caucus right now,” a different unnamed House Democrat told the outlet of Pelosi. “She’s been exclusively focused on winning the House for the last 20-odd years.”

Pelosi has not publicly called on Biden to step aside, but when asked last week, she did insist that the conversations should be delayed until after last week’s NATO summit. The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday caused nearly all political conversations to halt for several days, but Biden appears to be back in the hot seat from his party.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a close Pelosi ally, publicly called on Biden to step aside Wednesday, arguing that “the stakes are just too high.”

Pelosi is reportedly “trying to be respectful,” according to one of the sources, and not overshadow House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who now leads the House Democratic caucus.

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Multiple outlets reported Wednesday that Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) were behind efforts to delay the Democratic Party’s nominating process as calls for Biden to step down multiply.

Biden has resisted calls to step aside, which have grown since his stumbling debate performance on June 27. No Democratic leadership has publicly called for Biden to step aside, but Biden has admitted he would step down if his doctors advised him to do so.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle clarified her comments about responsibility for securing the rally where former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated after she appeared to delegate responsibility to local police.

The shooting at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killed one attendee, Corey Comperatore, 50, and injured Trump and two other attendees. Cheatle told CNN on Tuesday that the Secret Service was “solely responsible” for securing the area where Trump spoke.

“At that particular site, we divided up areas of responsibility, but the Secret Service is totally responsible for the design and implementation and the execution of the site,” Cheatle said.

Cheatle also clarified comments she made to ABC News where she claimed local law enforcement “were responsible for the outer perimeter of the building” where the shooter took aim from. When speaking with CNN, Cheatle said she had tried to say the Secret Service was working alongside local police.

“What I was trying to stress was that we just divided up areas of responsibility, and they provided support to those areas of responsibility,” Cheatle told CNN.

She pushed back on claims that the security perimeter was too small but did say the agency will take lessons from the attempted assassination.

“What happened is a terrible incident and should never happen,” Cheatle said. “And we are obviously going to make sure move forward we take whatever any lessons that come out of this and adjust accordingly.”

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Cheatle has said the agency will cooperate with the independent investigation ordered by President Joe Biden into the security failings, along with any congressional investigations.

Trump made his first public appearance since the incident Monday during the first night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and again appeared on the second night of the convention Tuesday. He had a bandage covering his right ear, which had been grazed in the shooting.

A federal appeals court upheld a ruling striking down a Minnesota law restricting public handgun permits from those under the age of 21.

The U.S. Appeals Court for the 8th Circuit panel of three judges ruled 3-0 in favor of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and other pro-gun groups. They found that the law, the Minnesota Citizens’ Personal Protection Act of 2003, barring 18 to 20 year olds from obtaining the permits, violated the 2nd and 14th amendments.

“Minnesota has not met its burden to proffer sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption that 18 to 20-year-olds seeking to carry handguns in public for self-defense are protected by the right to keep and bear arms. The Carry Ban violates the Second Amendment as applied to Minnesota through the Fourteenth Amendment, and, thus, is unconstitutional,” Judge Duane Benton wrote in the court’s Tuesday opinion.

The judgment upheld a prior ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, which relied on the 2022 Supreme Court majority opinion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen.

“Politicians should carefully consider the legal ramifications of infringing on Second Amendment rights, ” Rob Doar, senior vice president and political director of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said in a statement. “The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and its allies will relentlessly pursue legal action against any unconstitutional measures introduced in Minnesota.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he was “extremely disappointed” with the decision.

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“The people of Minnesota want and deserve solutions that reduce shootings and improve public safety, and today’s ruling only makes that more difficult. Despite this setback, I remain as committed as ever to improving public safety in Minnesota by championing and defending lifesaving, common-sense gun violence prevention measures,” Ellison said in a statement, per the Star Tribune.

An appeal of the Tuesday ruling would have to be taken up by the Supreme Court.

Donald Trump is calling on the U.S. Secret Service to give independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. protection after the former president was the victim of an assassination attempt over the weekend.

Kennedy has previously been denied Secret Service protection, but the Department of Homeland Security has said it is processing another request for the heightened protection. Trump said it is “imperative” that Kennedy be given Secret Service protection in a post on Truth Social Monday.

“In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately. Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” Trump said.

Kennedy has complained about his multiple denials for Secret Service protection as “politically motivated, petty, and vindictive.” The independent is the son of former New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 while running for president, and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated while president in 1963.

Since the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday, several lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called for increased security for Trump and Biden, as well as for Kennedy.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said Sunday he and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) would be introducing legislation for “enhanced Secret Service Protection” for Biden, Trump, and Kennedy. Other politicians, including Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), have also called for Kennedy to receive protection.

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The Secret Service is under significant criticism over its handling of Trump’s security after a gunman injured the former president and killed one man, Corey Comperatore, 50, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

The agency has said it will cooperate with investigations into the apparent security failings that led to the attempted assassination of Trump.

The 2024 Republican National Convention will see former President Donald Trump accept the party’s nomination for a third consecutive time, in which there will likely be various memorable moments.

Throughout the decades of Republican conventions, nominees and invited guests have made lasting memories, both positive and negative. Here are four memorable moments from Republican National Conventions over the years.

1992 – Reagan’s final major speech

Former President Ronald Reagan addressed the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston, Texas, in support of his former running mate George H.W. Bush’s bid for a second term, but the speech would end up being his final major public address before his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Reagan reminisced on his political career as governor and president, addressing the convention as a private citizen roughly four years removed from the White House.

“May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your natural, God-given optimism. And finally, my fellow Americans, may every dawn be a great new beginning for America and every evening bring us closer to that shining city upon a hill,” Reagan said.

“Before I go, I would like to ask the person who has made my life’s journey so meaningful, someone I have been so proud of through the years, to join me. Nancy. My fellow Americans, on behalf of both of us, goodbye, and God bless each and every one of you, and God bless this country we love,” he concluded.

In 1994, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and remained out of the public eye for the final 10 years of his life until his death in 2004 at age 93.

2012 – Clint Eastwood’s empty chair

Actor Clint Eastwood had a memorable speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, when he talked with an empty chair.

During his roughly 10 minute speech, Eastwood talked to the chair imagining an invisible then-President Barack Obama was there. He questioned the invisible Obama, jokingly suggesting the phantom president was telling him to “shut up.”

Eastwood’s unique speech came on the same night former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney accepted the GOP nomination, and overshadowed Romney’s speech. Reaction was mixed to the speech, with some questioning Eastwood’s decision to talk to an empty chair. He would later say that he regrets the “silly” bit he did with the chair.

2016 – Trump’s over-the-top entrance

Donald Trump had never been elected to office when he won the nomination for the Republican Party in 2016, but as a larger-than-life personality in New York City and on his former NBC show The Apprentice, he knew how to make an entrance.

The 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, was big and bold, as the GOP began to mold itself around its less-than-subtle nominee. When Trump introduced his wife, Melania Trump, on the first night of the convention, he made an over-the-top entrance.

The lights in the convention hall dimmed and Trump’s silhouette appeared and approached the podium, as Queen’s “We Are the Champions” played.

The future president then proclaimed that his campaign would win that November, a prediction which would come true, before introducing Melania Trump for her address to the convention. Melania Trump’s address would also become memorable, due to allegations parts of the speech were plagiarized from Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention speech.

2020 – Controversial venue for acceptance speech

With the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the last round of major political party conventions looked significantly different than any in modern history. The Democratic and Republican National Conventions were largely held virtually, with most of the speeches at the RNC being held at an empty Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium.

The venue for then-President Trump’s GOP acceptance speech, however, was another D.C. landmark, with was significantly more controversial. Trump accepted the speech at the south lawn of the White House.

The speech’s location, chosen largely due to coronavirus restrictions, caused ethical concerns from watchdog group, who claimed the use of the White House as a backdrop for an explicitly political speech would violate the Hatch Act.

Alongside the using the White House as the backdrop for accepting the Republican nomination, a fireworks display — complete with “Trump 2020” being spelled out — lit up the sky over the national mall.

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It was not the first time a president had accepted a party’s nomination from the White House, with then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt doing so for the Democratic Party’s nomination in 1940.

The 2024 Republican and Democratic National Conventions will see a return to the traditional in-person festivities at a convention hall, with GOP assembling in Milwaukee this upcoming week and the Democrats doing so in Chicago in August.

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) is sticking by President Joe Biden‘s side and said the conversation should move to talking about the administration’s record — while also backing Vice President Kamala Harris should Biden step aside.

Since Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump, the president has faced mounting questions from voters and from within Democratic circles about his age and mental acuity. Clyburn, one of Biden’s biggest allies in Congress who saved his run in the 2020 Democratic primary, left the door open to the president stepping aside, noting the Democratic National Convention while speaking on NBC News’s Today on Friday.

“The conversation should focus on the record of this administration on the alternative to his election and let Joe Biden continue to make his own decisions about his strategy,” Clyburn said. “He’s earned that right. And I am going to give him that much respect.”

“If he decides to change his mind later on, then we would respond to that. We have until the 19th of August to open our convention,” he added.

When asked if Harris would have his endorsement if Biden stepped aside and she became the nominee, Clyburn enthusiastically responded, “Absolutely.”

“No question about that. She has acquitted herself well in the job as vice president, and he never would have picked her in the first place if he did not think that she was capable of being president. And I think that she’s demonstrated, especially in these recent weeks, when all of this microscope has been focused on her and him. She has acquitted herself famously,” Clyburn said.

Clyburn was later asked a followup on if he had left the door open for continued questions on Biden’s candidacy, to which he backed Biden but also made clear he would support Harris if the president were to step aside.

JUST IN: @savannahguthrie: “Did you leave the door open just a little bit for these continued questions about President Biden?”

Rep. Jim Clyburn: “I am all in. I’m riding with Biden no which direction he goes, no matter what method he takes. I’m with Joe Biden.” pic.twitter.com/yQ8H8FeWRY

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 12, 2024

“I took him at his word, and that’s why I’m all in. I’m riding with Biden, no matter what direction he goes, no matter what method he takes. I’m with Joe Biden. And if he were to change his mind — now I just answer the question — I will be all in for the vice president,” Clyburn said.

Biden held a rare solo press conference Thursday, where he looked to ease concerns about his age and mental acuity. Shorty after the press conference concluded, three more House Democrats called on Biden to step aside.

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When Clyburn was asked about the limited number of press conferences Biden has done during his presidency and whether he should do more, the South Carolina Democrat said he believes Biden should hold more town hall-style events.

“I think that he performs well when he interacts with people, and I think people feel better about him when they’re allowed to interact with him,” Clyburn said.

President Joe Biden‘s debate performance two weeks ago has only heightened concerns about his mental acuity among the public, according to a new poll.

A Pew Research Center poll released Thursday shows that only 24% of adults would say that “mentally sharp” describes Biden very or fairly well, compared to 58% who would say it describes former President Donald Trump very or fairly well. The figure for Biden continues a drop from a March 2021 peak of 54% believing “mentally sharp” described the president very or fairly well.

Biden has higher ratings for honesty than Trump, 48% to 36%, while adults believe Trump to be mean-spirited at a higher rate than Biden, 64% to 31%.

One trait in which adults believe Biden and Trump are equal is whether they are “embarrassing,” with 63% saying that it describes both men very or fairly well, according to the survey.

When the pollster surveyed registered voters, it found that Trump leads Biden, 50%-47%, head-to-head, in another bruising result for the president.

Since the Atlanta debate between the two men, Biden’s campaign has been marred by poor polling after his disastrous performance only fueled concerns about the president’s age and mental acuity.

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Biden has maintained that he will not step aside from the presidential race and dismissed concerns about his age, mental acuity, and ability to beat Trump in November. Despite the president’s attempts to quiet doubters, the number of Democrats in Congress publicly calling on him to drop out of the race has grown – with the first Democratic senator publicly doing so Wednesday.

The president will hold a rare solo press conference at the NATO summit at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Washington and sit down with NBC News for a televised interview Monday as he continues to attempt to calm concerns with just over a month before the Democratic National Convention.

President Joe Biden is speaking at a campaign event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as he faces calls to step aside from the campaign after a disastrous debate performance last month.

Biden’s event on Sunday comes 10 days after he took the debate stage against former President Donald Trump, sparking concerns about the president’s age and mental acuity. The campaign has maintained Biden will remain in the race, with the president holding an event in Wisconsin on Friday and sitting down with ABC News for an interview that day.

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Trump leads Biden in the RealClearPolitics polling average in Pennsylvania, 48.5%-44.0%. Biden has trailed Trump in most polls, and surveys conducted after the debate indicate he has dropped further behind the former president.