President Biden’s troubled son Hunter — who was recently convicted of federal gun felonies and is set to go on trial for tax-related crimes later this year — has been attending White House meetings after his dad’s abysmal debate performance, according to a report from the New York Post.

The report comes as Biden’s family is urging him to resist calls from prominent Democrats to step down.

This past weekend, the family huddled for a meeting at Camp David in order to discuss the president’s political future. According to a report from the New York Times, members of Biden’s family were adamant that he should  stay in the race and work to turn things around. First Lady Jill Biden has been named as a major advocate for her husband’s campaign and has blamed his aides and top advisers for last Thursday’s debate performance.

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Hunter Biden, 54, was also behind his father’s continued candidacy and was a major factor in the president’s decision to continue, the report noted. Now, the New York Post is reporting that Hunter Biden is enjoying an elevated role in White House affairs.

“Hunter doesn’t trust” his father’s senior aides, one source told the outlet. “I think Hunter wants to be there, and POTUS isn’t going to say no.”

NBC News further reported on Hunter Biden’s attendance at White House meetings, citing four sources. One of the people familiar with the situation told NBC that Hunter has emerged as a close adviser to his father in the days following the Camp David meeting. The source added that he has “popped into” a few meetings and phone calls the president has held with his advisers.

Another source reported that Hunter’s elevated role has sent shockwaves through the White House, with the mood among some staffers being described as, “What the hell is happening?”

White House spokesman Andrew Bates told the outlet that Hunter helped his father with preparation for Monday night’s brief speech on the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision. “Hunter came back with the President from their family weekend at Camp David and went with the President straight into speech prep,” Bates said.

The first son is expected to remain at the White House this week in order to celebrate the July 4 holiday with his family.

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U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) predicted that former President Donald Trump will win re-election in November. He also pushed back on his party’s rhetoric surrounding the supposed “threat to democracy” posed by Trump and “MAGA Republicans” in a scathing op-ed.

In an op-ed published Tuesday in the Bangor Daily News, Golden broke with his party and argued that Biden’s horrific performance in last week’s debate should not have been a surprise.

“After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the party’s nominee. Biden’s poor performance in the debate was not a surprise. It also didn’t rattle me as it has others, because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months,” Golden wrote.

“While I don’t plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And I’m OK with that.”

Golden — who represents an R+6 district according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index — went on to criticize his party’s rhetoric surrounding Trump’s candidacy. Mainstream Democrat thought leaders, pundits and elected officials, including President Biden, have long portrayed Trump as a “threat to Democracy” who could end the United States as we know it.

Biden has frequently compared his political rival to Adolf Hitler and used out of context clips to claim he wants to become a “dictator.”

“Democrats’ post-debate hand-wringing is based on the idea that a Trump victory is not just a political loss, but a unique threat to our democracy. I reject the premise,” Golden wrote. “Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system.”

The House Democrat went on to paint a more optimistic view of America with Independence Day fast approaching. “In that time, American democracy has withstood civil war, world wars, acts of terrorism and technological and societal changes that would make the Founders’ head spin,” Golden said of the nation’s upcoming 248th birthday.

He then framed the election as a referendum on core issues like the economy and immigration rather than a referendum on democracy. “Some of Congress’ best work in recent years has happened in spite of the president, not because of him. A handful of responsible Democrats, including myself and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, rejected Biden’s bloated “Build Back Better” bill and instead passed a law that supercharged American energy production, saved Medicare billions of dollars and reduced the deficit,” Golden went on to write.

The congressman also reiterated that he believes Trump will be in the White House come 2025. “Maine’s representatives will need to work with him when it benefits Mainers, hold him accountable when it does not and work independently across the aisle no matter what,” he said.

Golden is currently attempting to survive what looks to be a difficult re-election campaign against Maine State Rep. Austin Theriault, a former NASCAR driver who has received Trump’s endorsement.

Trump carried Maine’s Second Congressional District by seven percentage points in 2020.

Nikki Hiltz, who identifies as “non-binary transgender,” has made the United States Olympic team after winning the 1,500-meter race over the weekend.

Hiltz is a biological female who describes herself as “gender fluid.” The track athlete stated that she was transgender in 2021, though she noted that her gender “fluctuates daily.”

“Hi I’m Nikki and I’m transgender. That means I don’t identify with the gender I was assigned at birth. The word I use currently to describe my gender is non-binary,” Hiltz said.

“The best way I can explain my gender is as fluid. Sometimes I wake up feeling like a powerful queen and other days I wake up feeling as if I’m just a guy being a dude, and other times I identify outside of the gender binary entirely.”

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Hiltz still identifies as a woman given the fact that she competes in women’s athletics.

“A female who identifies as trans earned a spot on the U.S. women’s Olympic team,” said women’s sports activist Riley Gaines in an X psot. “I wonder why she didn’t try out for the men’s team. It’s almost as if she understands she would never be able to compete or succeed at same level against the men. Telling.”

In a follow-up post, Gaines clarified that she is happy that Hiltz was able to qualify for the team. She was able to qualify against other biological women despite “identifying” as transgender, meaning that she did not have any edge over her opponents, an edge enjoyed by men who compete in women’s sports.

Let it be known I think it’s great that she earned a spot on the women’s team. Incredible feat (so long as no PEDs are used),” Gaines said. “Just pointing out the hypocrisy and double standard. The women’s category has become a catch all.”

Let it be known I think it’s great that she earned a spot on the women’s team. Incredible feat (so long as no PEDs are used).

Just pointing out the hypocrisy and double standard. The women’s category has become a catch all

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) July 2, 2024

VOTE NOW: Are You In Favor Of Term Limits For All Members Of Congress?

President Joe Biden was caught on video in an uncomfortable gesture after engaging in a routine handshake with a man during a public appearance. Biden was seen lingering, caressing the man’s arm in a manner that appeared awkward and out of place.

The video spread on social media, showing Biden shaking hands before his hand trailed down the man’s arm. This is not the first time Biden’s tactile approach with people has come under fire. His conduct has been a topic of discussion throughout his career, with similar instances occurring in recent months.

Symptomatic of larger issues, Biden has reinforced worries among Democrats that his missteps are overshadowing the party’s strategic objectives. This comes in the wake of a notably poor performance in the debate, as an increasing contingent of Democratic leaders are suggesting that Biden consider stepping down for the party’s—and nation’s—benefit.

WATCH:

Behind closed doors, influential figures within the Democratic Party are voicing a critical need for leadership renewal.

The president has lost significant ground in key swing states, while his Campaign is barely holding on in longtime blue states like Minnesota and even Colorado, according to their own poll. This represents a massive shift from earlier in the year.

REACTIONS:

Just when you think the creepy old man can’t get any weirder… he does.

— Mark Thompson (@marktmt) July 2, 2024

This is something I dealt with with my husband. They’re confused/hallucinating and do a lot of strange touching which is sometimes inappropriate (remember Biden kissing the WWII vets inappropriately and their confusion?)

— ProudBoomer2 (@Proud_Boomer2) July 2, 2024

Gently caressing it. Jill saw and you know what that means… pic.twitter.com/ZvjyIX1LYy

— Steve R. (@steverosen1235) July 2, 2024

Spreading his ‘cold’. The WH Press Sec says that he still has a cold, so…

— Rods_of_God (@Rods_of_God) July 2, 2024

Joe’s petting the poor man as he is trying to free himself. Awkward.

— BossyMother (@BossyMother) July 2, 2024

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A leaked Biden Campaign polling memo obtained by Puck News shows President Biden barreling towards a landslide defeat. The president has lost significant ground in key swing states in the days following his disastrous debate performance, while the Biden Campaign is barely holding on in longtime blue states like Minnesota and even Colorado, according to their own poll.

The memo was put together after the debate by OpenLabs, which is the research arm of Future Forward, a progressive political action committee that has become a crucial part of Biden’s re-election bid. Puck News noted that while OpenLabs does not make much of their research public, their results are, “trusted in Democratic circles, and typically passed around to a small group of clients and strategists.”

One of these strategists leaked the memo to Puck News reporter Peter Hamby.

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The poll — which was conducted 72 hours after Thursday’s debate and emailed to party strategists on Sunday — found that a staggering 40 percent of respondents who voted for President Biden in 2020 now believe that he should suspend his campaign. This represents a massive shift from a previous survey in May, that found roughly a quarter of Biden 2020 voters said the same.

Biden took a particularly large hit among swing voters, as this demographic believes Biden should exit the race by a 2-to-1 margin.

The poll found that the president has only dropped slightly in the national race against former President Donald Trump, a figure that falls roughly in line with another internal poll released by the campaign in order to assuage the fears of Democrat voters. That poll, which was shared by top Biden pollster Geoff Garin over the weekend, found Biden trailing Trump by one percentage point.

“The debate had no effect on the vote choice,” Garin said. “The election was extremely close and competitive before the debate, and it is still extremely close and competitive today.” Polls conducted immediately after the debate by CNN and FiveThirtyEight suggested similarly negligible gains for Trump nationally, with CNN reporting that “just 5 percent of respondents say it changed their minds about whom to vote for.”

While OpenLabs found similar results at a national level, state-by-state results painted a dire picture for the Biden Campaign. In a poll including third-party candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Biden has dropped by roughly two points in every single swing state, as well as a number of reliably blue states.

In Pennsylvania, a state Biden has visited often and claims as his home state, the president is now trailing by seven percentage points, down from five points before the debate. The same was true in Michigan, where he is also trailing Trump by seven points.

OpenLabs further found that Biden is trailing by 10 points in Arizona and Georgia, and by almost nine points in Nevada.

The most troubling results came from states that have not been considered battlegrounds throughout the campaign. In Virginia, New Mexico, New Mexico, Maine and Minnesota, Biden is holding his lead by just a fraction of a percentage point. In the blue state of Colorado, Biden leads by just two points.

OpenLabs also found Biden trailing in New Hampshire, a result that falls in line with a new survey from Saint Anselm College that also found the president trailing in the Granite State.

The progressive polling outfit also measured results for a number of high-profile Democrats who have been floated as potential replacements for Joe Biden, including California Governor Gavin Newson, Vice President Harris, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Every single replacement candidate polled better than President Biden.

A previous survey conducted back in September found no significant difference between potential replacement candidates and President Biden.

CAST YOUR VOTE: Should Voter ID Be Mandatory In The 2024 Election?

WNBA icon Diana Taurasi, once dismissive of rising star Caitlin Clark, appears to have changed her tune. Taurasi had previously downplayed Clark’s abilities in the lead-up to the 2024 WNBA Draft in April, suggesting that Clark was merely a big fish in the small pond of college basketball. She hinted that the young talent might find the transition to the professional ranks more challenging, indicating that succeeding at the college level was one thing but thriving in the WNBA was another beast entirely.

However, following their on-court encounter this Sunday, Taurasi’s tone shifted significantly. The seasoned veteran moved from skepticism to commendation, signaling a newfound respect for Clark’s skills and potential in the WNBA. Taurasi, celebrated for her storied career at UConn and with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, issued a caution to Clark as she prepared to enter the WNBA.

Speaking on ESPN following the Iowa Hawkeyes’ victory over the Huskies in March, Taurasi delivered the message: “Reality is coming.”

“You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time. There is gonna be a transition period where you’re going to have to give yourself some grace as a rookie,” she added.

WATCH:

“REALITY IS COMING”

Diana Taurasi was only speaking facts about ALL WNBA ROOKIES but Caitlin Clark Twitter took it as her hating on Caitlin

The Liberty just emaciated Clark’s Fever by 36 and locked Caitlin all the way tf up

See? Taurasi was actually spittin ETHER pic.twitter.com/Z4MgC5YXPp

— Apex Jones (@ApexJones22) May 17, 2024

However, despite battling a migraine and intense pressure on Sunday, Clark was a star. The matchup pitted Taurasi against the 22-year-old newcomer. The Indiana Fever phenom was just one rebound shy of achieving the first triple-double by a WNBA rookie, leading her team to an 88-82 victory over Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury.

Despite this being Clark’s debut in Phoenix, the game saw a significant turnout from Fever fans, who constituted a notable part of the sellout crowd of 17,071. The game started off rocky for the Fever, who quickly fell behind 17-4. They trailed by 11 points at halftime and were down by as much as 15 in the second half. However, they rallied to secure a win that delighted the visiting supporters.

roll the highlight reel pic.twitter.com/r28KTmtCR1

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 30, 2024

“I’m just happy we won,” Clark said to ESPN after finishing with an impressive stat line of 15 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds. “It was cool to play against [Taurasi], and obviously a really great game. This crowd was absolutely incredible.”

After their on-court meeting, Diana Taurasi had high praise for Caitlin Clark’s performance and potential. “It’s amazing what Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far,” Taurasi said. “The one thing that I really love about her, she loves the game. You can tell she’s put the work in.”

Taurasi also acknowledged the numerous challenges Clark has faced, including the intense pressure of professional sports. “It’s been a lot of pressure, a lot of things thrown at her, and she keeps showing up and keeps getting better every single game. So her future is super bright, and being a veteran and being in this league for a long, long time, it is pretty cool to see that and go into the future.”

reality check.#FeverWin pic.twitter.com/av4wygk7db

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 30, 2024

The Indiana Fever celebrated their over the Phoenix Mercury with a nod to Taurasi’s earlier remarks about Clark. On their X account, the Fever shared a post titled “reality check” following their win on Sunday.

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Following a challenging performance in last Thursday’s debate, President Joe Biden faced widespread scrutiny within his party. Concerns escalated over the weekend as Democrats debated both publicly and privately about potentially replacing him with a more capable candidate. The issues were put head on when HBO host Bill Maher published a guest essay in the New York Times on Monday, urging Biden to withdraw from the election.

The reaction stemmed from Biden’s debate appearance, where he struggled with responding to questions from CNN moderators, at times appearing to freeze. In a revealing opinion piece “Why I Want an Open Convention,” Maher advocated for a new approach in the Democratic Party, suggesting that an open convention could reinvigorate the party and better position it for the upcoming election. He started by addressing the recurring jokes about Biden’s age, saying that ignoring the obvious is not an option.

He wrote, “I can’t ignore the obvious; none of us can. And I’m not going to mindlessly echo mendacious talking points like, ‘He has a cold.’” Maher illustrated the dissatisfaction with the status quo and the need for an assessment of Biden’s capability to lead. Reflecting on the debate, Maher described it as a “blessing in disguise” rather than a tragedy, pushing the idea that it’s time for Biden to step aside.

“What happened at the debate last week wasn’t a tragedy; it was a blessing in disguise. I called on Mr. Biden to step aside almost a year ago, warning that he would be forever known as ‘Ruth Bader Biden’ if he didn’t.”

Maher also drew parallels with historical and cultural references to emphasize the need for change. He compared the current political scenario to a TV show that has “jumped the shark,” suggesting that the Democratic Party needs new characters to maintain public interest and engagement. “If our presidential politics were a TV show, it would be a series past its prime in desperate need of new characters.”

Central to Maher’s argument is the potential excitement and rejuvenation an open convention could bring. He envisions a dynamic contest among diverse candidates, which could captivate the public’s interest much like a reality show. He lists potential contenders with enthusiasm for the drama and unpredictability such a convention could unleash: “Who will get the rose this August in Chicago? Gavin or Gretchen? Suddenly, Stacey Abrams might say she’s in! And so might Tim Ryan and Josh Shapiro! And Amy Klobuchar and Ruben Gallego!” Maher asked.

In the end, however, Maher explicitly endorsed California Governor Gavin Newsom as a strong candidate, citing his capabilities and media presence as key advantages over Biden. “My pick would be Gavin Newsom. Watching him make the case against Mr. Trump in the pre-debate interviews and defend Mr. Biden post-debate reminded me: This guy is good at this.”

Last week, the odds of Newsom leading the presidential ticket surged, tripling his chances to one-in-four. Newsom has long been a subject of presidential speculation. Despite skepticism from voters who prefer he focus solely on state issues, Newsom now finds himself at the heart of national political discussions.

Finally, Maher called for a conversation about Biden’s capacity to continue in office, suggesting that senior statesmen from his party should advise him to step aside for the good of the country. “But the criticism of ageism has credibility only if we admit that there is some time when age inevitably catches up to all of us. Thank you for your service, Joe, but that time, for you, is now.”

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