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President Biden and former President Trump will compete for Rust Belt voters in the coming days, as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania come into focus as the most important swing states on the map. - Biden is in Detroit for a campaign event this evening as he seeks to shore up support among Black voters. More than 100,000 Democrats in Michigan voted "uncommitted" in the primary to protest Biden's handling of the war in Gaza.
- Trump will hold a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pa., an industrial town on the western side of the state. Trump rallied on the eastern side of Pennsylvania with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin following the debate last month.
- Trump heads to Milwaukee next week for the GOP convention. Biden held a rally in Wisconsin immediately following his disastrous debate last month.
The Biden campaign has identified the "Blue Wall" states as its "clearest path" to victory. The catch: Biden has no room for error. He will likely have to win all three states, as polls show him further behind in most of the other battlegrounds. - Trump won the "Blue Wall" trifecta in 2016 by the narrowest of margins. He was the first GOP candidate since 1988 to win any of those states.
- Hillary Clinton famously failed to visit Wisconsin before her election loss.
- Biden won all three states by a whisker in 2020.
Here's where the race stands now, according to the Decision Desk/HQ aggregation of polls that include Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: PA: Trump +3.1 WI: Trump +2.3 MI: Trump +0.9 Perspectives: Related coverage: |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Jonathan Easley, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Biden grapples with growing calls to drop out
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House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) met with President Biden on Thursday night to communicate his caucus' concerns as a growing number of lawmakers call on the president to end his campaign. Jeffries did not go into great detail, but he released a cordial letter that leaves a lot of room for interpretation: "In my conversation with President Biden, I directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together." Biden on Friday also met with key groups on Capitol Hill, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. This comes as the 20th House Democrat called on Biden to drop out of the race. The Hill and Decision Desk HQ have a handy tracker of where lawmakers stand HERE. - Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, had his statement calling for Biden to drop out teed up for the moment Biden's press conference ended.
- Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) suggested Biden shouldn't just end his campaign but should also resign from office.
Biden's Thursday evening presser wasn't bad enough to bring things to a head, but it wasn't good enough to quell Democratic fears that they could be staring down a wipeout in November. There were strong moments on foreign policy. There were also embarrassing viral moments, such as when he referred to Vice President Harris as "Vice President Trump," or earlier in the evening when he introduced Ukrainian President Voldoymyr Zelensky as "President Putin." The Democrats' Biden dilemma has produced some strange intraparty dynamics: The national polling has been just lukewarm enough for Democrats to have some optimism things could turn around.
The latest NPR/PBS/Marist Poll found Biden with a 50-48 percent lead over Trump, although these national polls are masking Biden's weakness in the states that will determine the outcome of the 2024 election. Biden's approval rating hit a new low in the 538 average. He sits at 36.8 percent approval. Every prior president seeking reelection at those depths has lost. Perspectives: Related coverage: |
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Here's who will be on the airwaves this weekend, compiled by The Hill's Liz Crisp: - FOX "Fox News Sunday": Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley. Special: Behind the scenes at the GOP convention.
- NewsNation "The Hill Sunday": Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
- CNN "State of the Union": Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.); Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
- CBS "Sunday Morning": Special: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on the Biden campaign trail.
- ABC "This Week": Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). Contributors for the network's RNC coverage: Former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile, former RNC chair Reince Priebus and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
- NBC "Meet the Press": Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.).
- CBS "Face the Nation": Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.).
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© Joe Raedle/Getty Images |
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Republicans plead with Biden to stay in the race
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Republicans are gleeful to see President Biden digging in, believing he gives former President Trump the best chance at victory. "Jill, keep fighting for your husband, babe. Keep fighting for your husband. Keep him in the race," Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) told Politico. Trump's former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the campaign is "cheering" over Biden's press conference, believing he did just enough to survive and stay in the race. "They were afraid to death that Joe Biden would crash and burn, and he didn't, okay? They're also afraid he might knock it absolutely out of the park, and he didn't. The slow bleed is going to continue." Trump also got in on the action, calling actor George Clooney a "backstabber" for publicly urging Biden to exit the race. Looking ahead to the GOP convention... The lineup for the GOP convention next week is crystalizing. Among those speaking or attending: Related coverage: |
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Welcome to the first edition of The Hill's Politics quiz! Each week we'll bring you a new installment to test just how much you remember. Think you followed the political news closely this week? Let's see about that. |
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"Inflation is down but don't pop the champagne just yet," by Liz Peek for The Hill. "Social media, isolation and Trump-style politics are tearing the nation apart," by Juan Williams for The Hill. |
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3 days until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. 38 days until the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 60 days until the second presidential debate. 116 days until the 2024 general election. 192 days until Inauguration Day 2025. |
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Friday - Biden travels to Detroit for a campaign event this evening.
Saturday - Trump holds a campaign rally in Butler, Pa.
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Is there a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: jeasley@thehill.com |
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