Good morning. The free lawn waterings are tapering for the time being.
Being THE story for a few days can sink a campaign. In the case of President Joe Biden, it’s now being measured in weeks. Continuing doubts among Democrats — and as polling shows, the electorate at large — has the president’s reelection bid teetering. This week starts with more internal pressure for Biden to reassess whether he’s the right candidate at this time. He insists he’s in it until the end. NPR dissects the ABC News interview that Biden and his allies had hoped would quiet talk of replacing him on the ticket.
Friday’s interview didn’t stop additions to a list of elected Democrats calling for Biden to step aside. Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, in her own tough reelection race in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, said Saturday that time is up for Biden to right the ship and “there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency. That’s why I respectfully call on President Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee for a second term as President and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward. “Our party has an extraordinary number of talented leaders within it. I believe this is an opportunity to put forward an open, fair, and transparent Democratic process to select a new nominee to inspire and unite our great nation.” She was joined by some state legislators in that push, including Sens. Judy Seeberger and Matt Klein, both of suburban districts, as well as state Rep. Leigh Finke of St. Paul. 3rd District Rep. Dean Phillips has so far remained quiet, but pledged to make his stance known soon; he isn’t running for another term after getting significant blowback from challenging Biden in a nomination primary earlier this year and raising the same concerns about the incumbent’s acuity that are on full blast now.
But the campaign goes on. Biden held campaign events in battleground state Pennsylvania over the weekend. His campaign has scheduled a rally in Michigan — another key state — for this Friday. Former President Donald Trump is holding an event in Florida tomorrow not far from his home base.
All the attention on Biden has alleviated the glare on Trump as the Republican National Convention approaches. Trump stayed mostly out of public view for the last week. But he is facing questions over his positions on abortion and the conservative driven Project 2025. The plan pushed by groups ideologically aligned with Trump would transform the federal government by slimming it considerably and envisions more presidential power. Trump sought to distance himself from the blueprint, saying he’s not advocating for it and finds some of its planks ridiculous. “Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.” The “they” he refers to includes several top-ranking officials who served in the first Trump administration. The AP has this story on the effort and the Trump comments about it.
Trump has also caught more breaks on the legal front. He won’t be sentenced on his New York felony convictions until September at the earliest, and those charges are getting additional review after last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity. His legal team is also working to pierce the federal case on mishandled classified documents in the wake of that high court ruling. The judge in that case pressed pause on some deadlines as the impact of the immunity ruling is assessed. Expect more rulings on motions in that case soon.
Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race is about a month from being formally set, and Republicans remain deeply split over who to nominate. Former pro basketball player Royce White and retired naval intelligence officer Joe Fraser are the main rivals in an eight-candidate GOP field. And they’ve been trading sharp accusations over the other’s fitness for the job and policy positions, notably over U.S. foreign affairs. White, a firebrand podcaster, is also facing scrutiny over comments that stray into antisemitic ground. He argues his words are being taken out of context, but it’s fraught territory for his party. The winner will almost certainly face U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November, although she also has primary opposition. MPR’s Mark Zdechlik frames up the GOP contest.
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