July 20, 2024, presidential campaign news | CNN Politics

July 20, 2024, presidential campaign news

Adrienne Vogt Tori B. Powell Shania Shelton
By Adrienne Vogt, Tori B. Powell, Shania Shelton and Isabelle D'Antonio, CNN
Updated 11:21 PM EDT, Sat July 20, 2024
Former US President and 2024 presidential nominee Donald Trump (R) with US Senator and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance attend their first campaign rally together at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, 2024. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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Trump speaks at first rally since assassination attempt
1:27 • Source: CNN
Former US President and 2024 presidential nominee Donald Trump (R) with US Senator and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance attend their first campaign rally together at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, 2024. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
1:27

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Pelosi stresses importance of upcoming election but avoids discussing Biden uncertainty

From CNN's Dianne Gallagher in Raleigh, North Carolina
Democratic Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi speaks at the North Carolina Democratic "Unity Dinner" fundraiser in Raleigh, North Carolina on July 20.
Democratic Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi speaks at the North Carolina Democratic "Unity Dinner" fundraiser in Raleigh, North Carolina on July 20.
Karl B DeBlaker/AP

While she took the stage to Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About” at the North Carolina Democratic Party’s Unity Dinner on Saturday night, former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t really touch on the topic that’s had everyone talking about her the past few weeks. 

Pelosi stressed the importance of November’s election as she addressed about 900 North Carolina Democrats, but she didn’t remark on the uncertainty at the top of the ticket — or the role sources have told CNN she played in a slew of statements from lawmakers calling for President Joe Biden to step aside. Instead, she focused on policy ideas and down-ballot candidates in the crucial battleground state.  

Sources told CNN this week that Pelosi told Biden in a private call that polling shows he cannot defeat Donald Trump, and that he could destroy Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November if he continues seeking a second term. Biden responded with defensiveness, according to two of the sources.

As she left the event Saturday, Pelosi didn’t answer questions on whether she believes Biden should step aside or whether she’s spoken with him or Vice President Kamala Harris in the past few days.

During her speech, Pelosi didn’t speak much about the Biden-Harris campaign, though she praised the accomplishments of the administration and contrasted its agenda with that of Republicans under Trump, whom she referred to as “What’s His Name” throughout the speech.

However, Pelosi also noted that the election is about the future and not the past. 

Trump holds first rally since assassination attempt and Harris brings in $2 million at fundraiser: Here's what happened today

From CNN staff
People cheer as vice presidential nominee JD Vance speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
People cheer as vice presidential nominee JD Vance speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Candidates in the 2024 presidential race hit the campaign trail Saturday after a week of news driven by the Republican National Convention and growing discord among Democrats over their nominee.

Here’s what happened today:

Donald Trump was joined by his newly minted running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, at the former president’s first campaign rally since the attempt to assassinate him last weekend.

Vance, who amped up the crowd ahead of Trump’s remarks, said: “I gotta be honest, it’s still a little bit weird seeing my name on those signs.”

Speaking at an arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump said he “took a bullet for democracy.”

Rep. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician, said Saturday that Trump is “recovering as expected” from a gunshot wound to his ear. Investigations into the rally shooter and handling of security at the event continue.

Trump noted in his first joint interview with Vance that people at his rally last week noticed there was someone on the roof before the assassination attempt. “That was quite a bit before I walked onto the stage, so you would have thought somebody would have done something about it,” he said in a clip of the interview with Fox News that aired Saturday night

“How did somebody get on that roof and why wasn’t he reported, because people saw that he was on the roof,” he said, recounting the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris got one of her most roaring responses in years as she spoke at a fundraiser Saturday afternoon in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The vice president didn’t directly address the turmoil facing her running mate – whom she referred to as “our president” and “one of the most consequential presidents in American history” – but she did speak to the anxiety among Democrats by repeating, “We are going to win this election.”

Organizers said the event raised more than $2 million, even as some big-dollar donors have held back from writing checks amid growing concerns about President Joe Biden’s run. All eyes are on the vice president as uncertainty swirls around Biden’s continued candidacy – and as she emerges as the most likely alternative, according to many Democrats.

Harris campaigned while Biden continued his recovery from Covid-19, which has forced him to isolate this week in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Biden said Friday that he looks forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week as more Democrats publicly call on him to step aside in the 2024 race.

“How did somebody get on that roof and why wasn’t he reported?” Trump says in first joint interview with Vance

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

Former President Donald Trump noted in his first joint interview with his running mate, JD Vance, that people at his rally last week noticed there was someone on the roof before the assassination attempt and said, “That was quite a bit before I walked onto the stage, so you would have thought somebody would have done something about it.”

In a clip of the interview with Fox News that aired Saturday night, Trump said there were “Trumpers screaming,” including a woman in a red shirt who yelled: “There’s a man on the roof.”

It was later revealed that law enforcement was trying to locate a suspicious man 19 minutes before the shooting but could not find him until he was on the roof, a source previously told CNN.

The same suspicious person was Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who opened fire at the event, coming inches away from assassinating Trump.

Yet, sources who were with the former president at the rally told CNN this week that they weren’t aware of the situation and that there was no conversation over whether Trump should have delayed his entrance.

That’s despite the fact that local police had spotted Crooks multiple times with a rangefinder, a hunting device similar to a pair of binoculars that calculates distance, and had circulated a photo of him they had taken.

“We would have never let him go out there if we thought there was a threat to him,” one source present with Trump told CNN.

The full interview will air Monday night on Fox News.

Biden campaign blasts Trump’s remarks at Michigan rally, says former president is "focused only on himself"

From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign blasted Donald Trump’s remarks at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, saying the former president is “focused only on himself.”

Trump made his first campaign rally appearance since the attempt to assassinate him last weekend. It was also the first joint rally with his newly minted running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who spoke earlier.

North Carolina governor doesn't address Biden uncertainty, running mate rumors at state Democratic Party dinner

From CNN's Dianne Gallagher in Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at the North Carolina Democratic Unity Dinner fundraiser in Raleigh, North Carolina, on July 20.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at the North Carolina Democratic Unity Dinner fundraiser in Raleigh, North Carolina, on July 20.
Karl B DeBlaker/AP

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper did not address the uncertainty at the top of his party’s ticket when he spoke to a raucous crowd of about 900 Democrats at a state party dinner in Raleigh on Saturday.

Referencing his time on the campaign trail over the past few weeks with both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Cooper said they were working to “make sure we win.”

But he did not mention intraparty calls for Biden to step aside. 

Prominent Democrats and pundits have suggested Cooper could be a potential running mate for Harris, if Biden were to end his campaign and Harris were to become the nominee. The term-limited governor has not engaged publicly in discussions about that speculation.

In his 12-minute speech, Cooper mostly highlighted down-ballot races in the battleground state, including the nation’s most closely watched governor’s race, between Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson. 

Cooper also recognized former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who gave the keynote address, as a “trailblazing, once-in-a-generation leader.”

Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle calls on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign

From CNN's Manu Raju
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle speaks at a news conference in Milwaukee on June 6.
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle speaks at a news conference in Milwaukee on June 6.
Morry Gash/File

Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, on Saturday became one of the latest voices to call on US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to step down immediately after the attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump. 

The Secret Service is facing a flurry of questions about how a gunman was able to get a clear line of sight to Trump at the site of his rally in Pennsylvania, and there have been calls for Cheatle’s resignation from some members of Congress, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Speaker Mike Johnson.

His call follows a stunning scene this week at the Republican National Convention, where a group of GOP senators chased Cheatle through the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee and denounced her refusal to answer questions regarding the assassination attempt.

That confrontation came after Trump met with the Secret Service director to receive a private, in-person briefing about the attempted assassination, a source familiar with the meeting said earlier.

Cheatle told CNN in an interview this week that the Secret Service was “solely responsible for the design and implementation and the execution of the site.”

Cheatle will testify Monday before the House Committee on Oversight, which is investigating the assassination attempt.

“I took a bullet for democracy," Trump says at his first rally since shooting

From CNN's Kate Sullivan in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Former President Donald Trump speaks speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Former President Donald Trump speaks speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday held his first campaign rally since surviving last week’s attempted assassination attempt, telling a large crowd gathered in a Michigan arena that he “took a bullet for democracy.” 

Trump, who spoke for nearly two hours, thanked the staff at Butler Memorial Hospital, where he was taken minutes after the shooting at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Trump called Corey Comperatore, who was shot and killed during the assassination attempt, a “hero,” and also spoke of the two rallygoers who were injured, David Dutch and James Copenhaver. The crowd cheered “Corey!”

Trump said he spoke to tech billionaire Elon Musk before coming to the Grand Rapids rally. The former president said Musk didn’t mention reporting from The Wall Street Journal that he will be committing around $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super PAC. 

Trump praised the organizers of the GOP convention this past week in Milwaukee and called the city a “fantastic place.”

The former president at one point looked at one of the screens in the arena where video of his speech was being displayed.

He stopped his speech, pointed to his hair and said, “That’s very severe, that comb-over.”

GOP Senate candidate in Michigan drops out and endorses Trump-backed candidate as Trump calls for unity

From CNN's Ali Main in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Sandy Pensler, right, and Mike Rogers stand on stage during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Sandy Pensler, right, and Mike Rogers stand on stage during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Tom Brenner/Reuters

Sandy Pensler, a Republican candidate for Michigan’s open US Senate seat, dropped out of the GOP primary race on Saturday and backed Trump-endorsed candidate Mike Rogers amid a push for unity within the party.

Former President Donald Trump called both men onto the stage at his first post-assassination attempt campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, teasing that Pensler “has just announced that he would like to do something very important today.”

Pensler and Rogers, a former US congressman from Michigan, walked onto stage and joined hands, raising them in the air.

Just weeks ahead of Michigan’s August 6 Senate primary, Pensler argued a “divisive continued primary” hurts the chances of the GOP regaining control of the Senate, and said he would do the “right thing” and end his candidacy.

“President Trump endorsed Mike Rogers. Tonight, so am I,” he said.

Trump backed Rogers, who had previously been critical of his influence on the party, in March.

After Pensler and Rogers left the stage, Trump remarked they were “unifying the party, and that was beautiful to watch.” The former president and his allies have taken up a message of unity after a failed assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania last week.

Biden briefed on domestic issues, including ongoing investigations, White House says

From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg

President Joe Biden was briefed Saturday by two of his senior aides on domestic issues including the economy and homeland security in a virtual meeting, a White House official said.

Jeff Zients, Biden’s chief of staff, “provided a briefing on issues of domestic importance, including the state of the economy,” a White House official said. Liz Sherwood-Randall, the president’s homeland security adviser, “provided a briefing on issues of homeland security, including ongoing investigations,” the official added.

Biden remains at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home while he isolates with Covid-19.

Earlier Saturday, the president’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said in a letter that Biden’s symptoms “continue to improve steadily.”

Harris' Massachusetts fundraiser raises more than $2 million, organizers say

From CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere in Provincetown, Massachusetts

Vice President Kamala Harris raised more than $2 million at a fundraiser in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Saturday, according to organizers of the event.

Harris got one of her most roaring responses in years at the fundraiser, which came as some big-dollar donors have held back from writing checks for the campaign amid growing concerns about President Joe Biden’s candidacy. Democratic donor hesitation has raised serious concerns about how long the campaign can continue operating in full force if circumstances don’t change.

The vice president didn’t directly address the turmoil facing her running mate — referring to him at points as “our president” and “one of the most consequential presidents in American history” — but she did speak to the anxiety pulsing through that white tent in the shadow of the Pilgrim Monument by repeating, “We are going to win this election,” and asking the crowd to tell that to their friends.

The event was scheduled weeks ago, in very different political circumstances. By the time she took the stage, Harris was greeted with the excitement of many in the crowd who clearly believed they might be looking at a replacement nominee. 

Harris wasn’t the only one to get a warm reception. Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary and speculated by some leading Democrats as a potential running mate should Harris take over as the nominee, spoke ahead of her, likewise standing by Biden and touting his accomplishments.

CNN had previously reported that actors Jennifer Coolidge and Adrienne Warren were also appearing at the campaign fundraiser.

This post has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.

Trump says Xi and other world leaders wrote to him after assassination attempt

From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Evan Vucci/AP

Former President Donald Trump said Saturday that Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders wrote to him after last week’s assassination attempt. 

It was Trump’s first rally after the assassination attempt last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

Man arrested after being accused of writing social media threats to kill Trump and Vance

From CNN’s Brammhi Balarajan

A Florida man was arrested Friday after making threats on social media toward former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, a Jupiter Police Department news release said. 

The man, Michael Martin Wiseman, was also accused of threatening Trump’s and Vance’s families with bodily harm, according to Jupiter police. 

The police were alerted to the “multiple” threats made by Wiseman by residents “who expressed their concern in person” and through online crime tips, the news release said. 

Wiseman was taken into police custody without incident Friday after multiple law enforcement agencies investigated the tips and Wiseman’s Facebook account, according to the news release. 

The investigation was conducted by Jupiter police in coordination with the US Secret Service and the Palm Beach County state attorney’s office, officials noted.

Wiseman was charged with writing threats to kill or injure and had his first court appearance Saturday morning, according to Palm Beach County online court records. His next court date is August 19. His attorney, Tama Kudman, would not comment on the case when reached by phone Saturday.

Wiseman is being held without bond in the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center, according to online records from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

“We cannot fulfill our mission without the help of our state and local police partners and we’d like to thank the Jupiter Police Department for their partnership and collaboration with this investigation,” Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the US Secret Service, said in a statement Saturday.

CNN has reached out to the Trump-Vance campaign regarding Wiseman’s arrest.

This post has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Carlos Suarez and Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this post.

Trump wears smaller, beige-colored bandage on his ear at first rally after assassination attempt

From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Former President Donald Trump wears a smaller bandage during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Former President Donald Trump wears a smaller bandage during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump stepped onstage wearing a smaller, beige-colored bandage on his ear at tonight’s rally in Michigan — the first he’s attended since surviving an assassination attempt a week ago in Pennsylvania.

Trump wore a larger, white bandage on his ear during the Republican National Convention all week in Milwaukee, which spawned imitators in the crowd.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician who has been caring for Trump since the shooting, said in an update Saturday that the former president is “doing well” and “recovering as expected” after suffering a gunshot wound to his ear.

Trump rally attendees wear shirts featuring assassination attempt imagery

From CNN's Alejandro Jaramillo and Ali Main
People arrive at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, ahead of a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance on July 20.
People arrive at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, ahead of a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance on July 20.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images

Imagery from the assassination attempt on Donald Trump is prevalent at the former president’s first campaign rally since the shooting one week ago in Pennsylvania.

Many supporters are wearing shirts featuring the image of Trump holding his fist in the air and telling his voters to “fight” as Secret Service agents rushed him from the stage.

Many of the merchandise tables outside the venue in Grand Rapids, Michigan, were selling shirts to attendees as they waited in long lines to funnel into the indoor arena.

Pins showing an AP photo taken following the assassination attempt of ormer President Donald Trump are seen before a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Pins showing an AP photo taken following the assassination attempt of ormer President Donald Trump are seen before a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Carlos Osorio/AP
People arrive at the campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
People arrive at the campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images

“Fight, fight, fight,” has become a new rallying cry for Republicans in the wake of the assassination attempt.

Trump is speaking now, after his newly selected running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, introduced the former president for the first time at an official Trump-Vance rally.

This post has been updated with new images and to reflect that Trump has started speaking.

Top Trump adviser slams right-wing criticism of the women working on Trump’s Secret Service detail

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

Chris LaCivita, a top adviser to Donald Trump, slammed the right-wing criticism of the women working on the former president’s security detail during last week’s assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

CNN asked him what he thought of the criticism, including comments made by Florida GOP Rep. Cory Mills on Fox News in which he said, “Look, I’m not sure about who the individuals are on the individual detail, Secret Service, but I can tell you under this Biden administration, the one thing I’ve seen is massive DEI hires,” referring to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“I saw two women — one of them with a gun in her hand and the other with her body around him — that’s pretty f**king bada** where I come from,” LaCivita said. 

LaCivita also said the Trump campaign was ready should President Joe Biden decide to end his 2024 campaign. 

“As many scenarios as they could dream up, we’re ready,” LaCivita said. 

LaCivita was asked whether Trump was receiving any kind of counseling or professional mental health care. 

“Donald Trump? Are you kidding me? No,” LaCivita said. 

Trump takes the stage
Former President Donald Trump, right, and running mate JD Vance stand onstage at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Former President Donald Trump, right, and running mate JD Vance stand onstage at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Evan Vucci/AP

Former President Donald Trump has taken the stage in Grand Rapids, Michigan, marking his first campaign rally appearance since the attempt to assassinate him last weekend.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, returned to the stage to introduce the former president after speaking at the rally earlier. Vance praised Trump’s four years in office and criticized President Joe Biden’s record in his introduction.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Evan Vucci/AP

“You’re going to make a fantastic vice president,” Trump told his VP pick, adding that he chose Vance because he’s “for the worker.” 

The former president and Vance greeted each other, as the crowd cheered loudly, before Vance walked off and Trump began his speech. 

Trump is now speaking.

This post has been updated with more details on Vance’s introduction.

Vance amps up rally crowd in Michigan ahead of Trump

From CNN's Kit Maher in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Vice presidential nominee JD Vance arrives to speak at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Vice presidential nominee JD Vance arrives to speak at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20.
Evan Vucci/AP

Vice presidential nominee JD Vance amped up the crowd at a Michigan rally about an hour and a half before former President Donald Trump delivered remarks Saturday.

Vance defended his loyalty to the US, after Vice President Kamala Harris said he “will be loyal only to Trump, not to our country.”

Vance rejected the assessment — one he says comes from the media — that Trump and the Republican agenda is “radical” and “dangerous.” 

It was a warm Michigan welcome for the Ohio senator. As a Buckeye, Vance said, “I heard some O-H’s” after walking out to an energized crowd. 

“I’m gonna respect Michigan and not respond here … to my Ohio brethren. Guys, we gotta win Michigan,” he said. 

Not joined by his family inside the arena, Vance said his wife, Usha, was taking his kids, ages 7, 4 and 2, “out on the town” in Grand Rapids.

Vance, who spoke for about 10 minutes, said, “I gotta be honest, it’s still a little bit weird seeing my name on those signs.”

Rep. Ronny Jackson says he has been caring for Trump, who is "recovering as expected"

From CNN's Ali Main and Kate Sullivan

Former White House physician Rep. Ronny Jackson says he has been checking in on former President Donald Trump’s physical well-being since last weekend’s assassination attempt, and said the former president is “doing well” and “recovering as expected.” 

In a statement on Saturday, Jackson said he met Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, late last Saturday to check on him, and that he has been with the former president since then to treat his wound daily.

Details on the injury: Jackson, who served as a physician to both Trump and former President Barack Obama, said Trump was shot in his right ear, where a bullet came less than a quarter-inch from entering his head. 

The wound is about 3 quarters of an inch wide, and initially produced “significant” bleeding and swelling. He said no sutures were needed.

Recovery and treatment: Jackson said the swelling has gone down on the wound and it is beginning to heal, though there is still “intermittent bleeding” due to the concentration of blood vessels in that part of the ear.

He said Trump had received a CT scan of his head in his initial evaluations, and would receive further assessments, including a comprehensive hearing exam, as needed.

More on Jackson: The Texas Republican said he is at Trump’s rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and will remain with the former president through the weekend. He has been a close congressional ally of Trump’s since being elected in 2020.

Jackson told Fox News last weekend that his nephew had also been at the Pennsylvania rally and was grazed by a bullet.

In context: CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, wrote Thursday that the medical effects of a gunshot wound near the head — both physically and psychologically — are not always immediately noticeable, and that the public would benefit from more details on Trump’s status.

Clintons privately urge donors to keep giving to Biden as long as he remains presumptive nominee 

From CNN's MJ Lee and Priscilla Alvarez
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, on November 28, 2023, to travel to Atlanta to attend at tribute service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, on November 28, 2023, to travel to Atlanta to attend at tribute service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
Andrew Harnik/AP/File

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been privately encouraging donors in recent weeks to continue financially supporting President Joe Biden’s campaign, according to two sources familiar, in the aftermath of his disastrous debate performance that sent the Democratic Party spiraling into chaos.

One of the sources said the Clintons are choosing to be “deferential to Biden’s decision.” However, the second source, who is familiar with the Clintons’ thinking and has spoken with the couple in recent days, insisted it is more accurate to say they are “deferential to the process.”

According to this source, the Clintons have made clear in private conversations recently that it doesn’t matter what anybody says or thinks — unless Biden drops out of the 2024 race or the delegates vote for somebody else, he is the party’s presumptive nominee.

This source declined to comment on whether the Clintons have expressed a personal view on whether they believe Biden should continue seeking a second term.

Since the CNN debate on June 27, big-dollar donors have held back from writing checks amid growing concerns about Biden’s candidacy, raising serious concerns about how long the campaign can continue operating in full force if circumstances don’t change.

“I don’t know how you campaign with a broadening electoral map without money. I don’t know what they’re doing. I don’t know,” one major Democratic donor told CNN on Friday. “I’ve never seen this strategy where you think you can win without money.”

This donor mused that perhaps the campaign can get away with digging in for a few more weeks under the current circumstances, but that anything longer would become extraordinarily difficult. 

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