Biden and Trump head toward rematch after securing party nominations

The Biden campaign is feeling good about Robert Hur’s testimony Tuesday, a campaign official told CNN, citing the back-and-forth over Donald Trump’s handling of classified material during the House Judiciary Committee hearing. 

The special counsel’s report, which offered a damaging portrait of an aging president, invited questions about his mental acuity and age — a delicate issue in an election year in which voters have expressed concern about Biden's fitness to serve a second term. 

But the hearing Tuesday largely focused on the differences between Hur's investigation into Biden's mishandling of classified documents and special counsel Jack Smith's case investigating Trump.

Heading into Tuesday, the White House prepared for attacks from congressional Republicans against Biden, especially over lapses in memory that were referenced in Hur's report. 

Democratic lawmakers have sought to contrast the Trump classified documents case and Biden's handling of classified documents over the course of the hearing, repeatedly stating that no charges were brought against the president.

Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, a hardline conservative who has clashed with his own party at times, said on Tuesday that he will leave Congress before the end of his term. 

The Colorado Republican’s departure from the House will shakeup the chamber’s partisan breakdown, where Republicans control only a very narrow majority — a major challenge for Speaker Mike Johnson who has frequently been forced to rely on votes from Democrats as well as Republicans to get major pieces of legislation across the finish line.  

A look at the numbers in the House: Currently, Republicans control 219 seats, while Democrats control 213 and there are three vacancies. Buck’s decision to step down before the end of his term stands to make that 218 seats for Republicans to 213 for Democrats. With that breakdown, Republicans could only afford to lose two votes to pass legislation on a party line vote.  

Buck announced last year he would not seek reelection, citing stagnation in Congress and his party’s election denialism as factors in his decision to not run in 2024.  

CNN's Jack Forrest and Haley Talbot contributed to this report.

Joe Biden discussed his records with labor unions as well as protecting Social Security and Medicare in his meeting with the Teamsters on Tuesday as the president competes with Donald Trump for the crucial union vote ahead of November.

Biden “appreciated the opportunity to discuss his historic, pro-union record with the Teamsters today,” his campaign said in a statement after the president’s meeting with the group, pointing to a slew of endorsements from labor unions the campaign has already accrued and noting that “we hope to earn the support of the Teamsters as well.”

According to the campaign, Biden and the group “agreed on the importance of protecting Social Security and Medicare, so that workers who have paid into them their entire career can retire with dignity.” 

The Biden campaign has criticized GOP front-runner Trump for comments he made during an interview with CNBC on Monday in which the former president suggested Social Security and Medicare could be cut.

The Biden campaign said the president and members of the Teamsters “celebrated what has been a historic year for unions,” touting a number of milestones, including Biden’s move to walk the United Auto Workers picket line in September, while trumpeting endorsements from the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, UAW and other unions.

President Joe Biden visited New Hampshire on Monday, and he's set to visit Wisconsin and Michigan later this week as his campaign seeks to amplify his State of the Union message and build on its infrastructure.

There are plans for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to travel to every battleground state in the coming weeks, the campaign said.

“Throughout this month of action, we will aggressively mobilize the diverse Biden-Harris coalition,” Rodriguez said.

That includes Saturday’s visit to Georgia, a state that has proved critical to Democrats winning the White House and the Senate in the past two cycles.

Early polls of the state, however, show Trump ahead. And unlike in 2020, the race for the US Senate will not come through Georgia, leaving it up to the Biden campaign to mobilize voters without the help of key down-ballot candidates.

Mississippi has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1976 when Jimmy Carter edged out Gerald Ford by two percentage points.

Mississippi’s Republican Party controls the governorship, state House and Senate. The state has just one Democratic member of Congress: Rep. Bennie Thompson.

A look at the demographics: African Americans comprised 36% of Mississippi’s 2012 electorate. Obama won the African American vote with 96%. Romney won 89% of the White vote. Whites made up 59% of the 2012 electorate. There was no 2016 exit poll or 2020 exit poll. The Democratic strongholds in Mississippi are in the state capital of Jackson and in other areas with large Black populations, especially in the Mississippi Delta in the northwestern part of the state.

During a closed-door party meeting this morning, one GOP member stood up and complained about Republicans targeting each other in primaries, three sources familiar told CNN — a growing trend in the GOP that has caused friction inside the party and created headaches for leadership.

GOP Rep. William Timmons of South Carolina is facing a primary challenge from state representative Adam Morgan, who chairs the South Carolina Freedom Caucus and has been endorsed by several members of the House Freedom Caucus. 

Timmons — who was recently endorsed by Donald Trump — defended his conservative record during a House GOP conference meeting this morning, noting that he votes over 90% of the time with the same colleagues who have endorsed against him.

Timmons complained that if that is not “good enough,” then they can’t be a functioning majority.

This is just the latest example of tensions spiking inside the party as some members go after one another in primaries.

Rep. Matt Gaetz has endorsed a primary opponent to GOP Rep. Mike Bost and will also attend a rally for GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales’ primary does in Texas on Thursday.

Voters in four states will today head to the polls to decide whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump will represent their parties at the 2024 presidential elections. But on the Hill, lawmakers are discussing the two candidates for an entirely different reason.

Special counsel Robert Hur has been testifying before Congress this morning about his investigation into Biden's mishandling of classified documents.

As a reminder — Hur's report did not charge Biden with a crime. But it did paint a picture of a forgetful commander-in-chief who failed to protect sensitive information. The White House has blasted some of the criticism as "way out of line."

Throughout Tuesday, the similarities and differences between Hur’s investigation and Jack Smith's investigation into former President Trump — including that Trump is facing criminal charges — have become a focus of fierce debate between allies of the two presidents.

Democrats have slammed comparisons between Biden and Trump's actions, while Republicans have argued that the two should have been treated the same in the eyes of the law.

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz's suggested that all the elements necessary for a federal criminal violation were met, but Hur also disputed this characterization, emphasizing that President Joe Biden's mishandling of classified documents lacked "intent."

Hur consistently reiterated Tuesday morning that the investigation was done under his guidance, and was written in his own words, telling Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from New York:

The hearing is ongoing. Follow CNN's live coverage here to read more.

It takes 1,215 of 2,429 delegates to win the Republican nomination and 1,968 of 3,934 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

Tuesday's primary contests could help President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump gain enough delegates to secure their parties' respective nominations — although neither will officially become the nominee until the national conventions vote this summer.

The states and territories holding elections today include Georgia, Hawaii (Republican presidential caucuses), Mississippi, Northern Mariana Islands (Democratic primary) and Washington. The Democrats abroad presidential primary is also taking place.

Here's where the latest delegate estimates stand:

Former President Donald Trump’s team hopes he secures enough delegates in today's multistate primaries to clinch the Republican nomination — although he won't officially become the nominee until the national convention vote this summer.

It takes 1,215 of 2,429 delegates to win the Republican nomination.

Here are the contests held Tuesday:

Access the full election calendar.