March 10 - 2024 campaign updates

Republican Sen. Katie Britt attends the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Dirksen Building, on January 11, in Washington, DC.

Republican Sen. Katie Britt acknowledged Sunday that her graphic anecdote criticizing President Joe Biden Biden’s border policies took place before he was president or vice president.

During her Republican response to Biden’s State of the Union address, Britt described a woman’s story of being “sex trafficked by the cartels starting at age 12.” But the story she seemed to describe didn’t take place during Biden’s time as president or vice president, nor did it happen in the United States.

Asked if she meant to give the impression it had taken place during Biden’s time in office, Britt said: “No, Shannon. Look, I very specifically said this is what President Biden did during his first 100 days. Minutes coming into office, he stopped all deportations, he halted construction of the border wall. And he said I’m going to give amnesty to millions. Those types of things act as a magnet to have more and more people here.”

Republican Sen. James Lankford arrives for a Senate Republican meeting at the US Capitol on February 8, in Washington, DC.

Republican Sen. James Lankford said Sunday that President Joe Biden’s State comments about the bipartisan border deal during his State of the Union address were accurate, even as he reaffirmed his support for Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

“I was listening to the President and obviously he’s walking through and I could hear some of my colleagues around me saying, ‘none of that’s true.’ And I was actually listening to the President and said, ‘no, that part actually is true,’” Lankford told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

The bipartisan immigration bill, which Lankford pushed, was scuttled after former President Donald Trump urged Republicans in Congress to sink the bill. Still, Lankford said Sunday that while the misinformation around the bill is “frustrating,” he supports Trump’s border policies.

US President Joe Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 7.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech showed a leader “in command.”

“Anybody who watched that address saw not just in the substance, but in the delivery of President Biden’s remarks, a leader who is in command, showing strength and clarity of vision,” Buttigieg told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.

The president’s age remains a concern for Democratic voters. In a recent CNN poll, 46% cite Biden’s age when asked to name their biggest concern about him as a presidential candidate, with 5% mentioning his mental competence or sharpness.

Buttigieg on Sunday echoed some of the president’s talking points from Thursday evening about his age, saying “what matters most is the age of a leader’s ideas.” 

Former US President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures to the crowd after speaking at a campaign event in Rome, Georgia, on March 9.

House Republican leaders are now bullishly predicting they will grow their majority in the 2024 elections, contending former President Donald Trump will be an asset in swing suburban districts that voted for President Joe Biden four years ago.

For much of the past year, GOP prospects of keeping the House appeared to be dim, especially given the constant internal feuding that led to the unprecedented ouster of a sitting speaker and their inability to advance a legislative agenda.

But the outcome of key primaries and redistricting fights in several states – along with a handful of Democratic retirements in swing districts and Biden’s persistently low approval ratings – have given Republicans new hope they can hang on despite what once seemed to be extremely grim odds.

Read more here.

US Vice President Kamala Harris, from left, President Joe Biden, and House Speaker Mike Johnson during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 7.

President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign said Sunday that it raised $10 million in the 24 hours after Thursday evening’s State of the Union address.

“Ten million dollars in 24 hours. To quote the boss, that’s a BFD,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. “The President’s State of the Union address reminded so many of our supporters who is fighting for them, and the stakes of this election for our freedoms, our rights, and our democracy.”

The president raised at least $42 million for his reelection campaign and the Democratic Party in February, campaign officials previously told CNN, a total fueled by the strongest month of grassroots donations during this election cycle.

Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock (GA-D) speaks at a campaign event for President Joe Biden at Pullman Yards on March 9, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock on Sunday criticized politicians who, he said, are using the recent murder of Laken Riley to score “political points.”

“It’s unfortunate that in this moment of grief, there are those who are trying to score cheap political points,” Warnock told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

Riley was found dead last month after jogging near a lake on the University of Georgia campus. Police say she was killed by a man who illegally crossed the border. 

Riley was a focal point of Donald Trump’s campaign event Saturday. Signs featuring Riley were passed out to the crowd, and Riley’s parents met with Trump backstage before he spoke.

The House on Thursday afternoon passed the Laken Riley Act, with all GOP members in attendance plus 37 Democrats supporting the bill. The legislation, introduced by freshman conservative Republican Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, requires the detention of any migrant who committed burglary or theft.

Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump held dueling events Saturday in Georgia, where they each attacked the other as their rematch for the White House ramps up.

Here’s what you should know:

Biden continues post-State of the Union campaign swing

The president delivered fiery remarks during his rally in Atlanta, slamming Trump for hosting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at his Mar-A-Lago club Friday. Biden said the former president “has been sucking up to wannabe dictators and authoritarian thugs all over the world.”

Biden repeated his view of the 2024 general election, calling it “a contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of this nation.” 

Trump slams Biden over his State of the Union address

At his first rally since emerging as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Trump criticized Biden’s State of the Union address as “partisan” and “angry.” 

“Two nights ago, we all heard crooked Joe’s angry, dark, hate-filled rant of a State of the Union address,” Trump said at his rally in Rome, Georgia.

Killing of Laken Riley

Biden said in an interview with MSNBC on Saturday that he should have used the term “undocumented” to describe Laken Riley’s alleged killer after calling him an “illegal” during Thursday’s State of the Union. 

Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student who police say was killed by an undocumented immigrant on the University of Georgia campus last month, was a focal point of Trump’s event Saturday. Signs featuring Riley were passed out to the crowd, and Riley’s parents met with Trump backstage before he spoke.

Trump slammed Biden after the president said he shouldn’t have used the term “illegal.”

“He was an illegal immigrant. He was an illegal alien. He was an illegal migrant, and he shouldn’t have been in our country, and he never would have been under the Trump policy,” the former president said. “Biden should be apologizing for apologizing to this killer.”

Four states, a territory and the official arm of the Democratic Party for Americans living overseas are voting in presidential nominating contests Tuesday.

Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, is hoping to win enough delegates from Tuesday’s elections to officially clinch his party’s 2024 nod. Trump has 1,076 delegates to date, CNN estimates, following his win Friday in the American Samoa Republican caucus.

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

Here’s are look at the contests taking place Tuesday:

Georgia presidential primaries

Washington state presidential primaries

Mississippi presidential and down-ballot primaries

Hawaii Republican presidential caucuses

Northern Mariana Islands Democratic primary (party-run)

Democrats Abroad presidential primary

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday invited any “disillusioned” Democrats to join his “Make America Great Again” movement as he continued to bash President Joe Biden and his State of the Union address. 

“If you’re a disillusioned Democrat, of which there are many today, I extend an open hand, an open invitation, and I ask you to join us on the noble quest of saving our country,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Rome, Georgia.

Trump’s remarks came days after Biden repeatedly attacked the former president in his State of the Union address, drawing a sharp contrast between himself and Trump on key issues such as abortion, immigration and taxes. Biden did not mention Trump by name in his speech but repeatedly attacked his “predecessor” as a threat to democracy. 

Trump’s stop in Georgia came the same day as Biden held a rally in Atlanta.

“He’s at another part of your state, where he’s really said some bad things today,” Trump said.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Rome, Georgia, on March 9.

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday continued to claim that E. Jean Carroll had made false accusations against him, a day after he posted a $91.63 million bond in his appeal of the judgment against him in the former magazine columnist’s defamation case.

Trump continued, “I could say things about what it would cost normally, 91 million, based on false accusations made about me by a woman that I knew nothing about, didn’t know, never heard of.”

In January, a federal jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages as a result of Trump’s defamatory statements denying he raped her, saying she wasn’t his type, and accusing her of making up the allegation to boost sales of her book. The bond size is greater than the judgment because the district court generally requires a party to post 110% of the bond.

Former President Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden for saying he shouldn’t have used the term “illegal” to describe the alleged killer of Laken Riley, the slain 22-year-old whose family Trump met with before his rally in Rome, Georgia, on Saturday. 

“He was an illegal immigrant. He was an illegal alien. He was an illegal migrant, and he shouldn’t have been in our country, and he never would have been under the Trump policy,” Trump said, adding, “Biden should be apologizing for apologizing to this killer.”

Earlier Saturday, Biden said in an interview with MSNBC that he should have used the term “undocumented” to describe Riley’s alleged killer after calling him an “illegal” during Thursday’s State of the Union. 

Trump also criticized Biden for misstating Riley’s name as “Lincoln” in a tense exchange with GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene during the State of the Union.

He called Greene, who was present at the rally in her district in Georgia, “very brave” for pressing Biden to say Riley’s name during his remarks on immigration.

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event in Atlanta on March 9.

President Joe Biden delivered fiery remarks from Atlanta on Saturday, continuing his post-State of the Union campaign swing while rallying supporters just 60 miles from his GOP rival, former President Donald Trump.

“All of you here today — you know, you’re the reason we’re going to win. … Donald Trump has a different constituency — here’s a guy who’s kicking off his general election campaign up the road with Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Biden said, referring to the Georgia Republican congresswoman. “It can tell you a lot about a person, who he keeps company with.” 

Biden also slammed Trump for hosting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at his Mar-A-Lago club Friday, saying the former president “has been sucking up to wannabe dictators and authoritarian thugs all over the world.” 

The president repeated his view of the 2024 general election, calling it “a contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of this nation.” 

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Rome, Georgia, on March 9.

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address as “partisan” and “angry.” 

“Two nights ago, we all heard crooked Joe’s angry, dark, hate-filled rant of a State of the Union address,” Trump said at a rally in Rome, Georgia.

Trump added: “Joe Biden should not be shouting angrily at America. America should be shouting angrily at Joe Biden.”

President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event in Atlanta on March 9.

Three minutes into his remarks Saturday at a campaign stop in Atlanta, President Joe Biden was interrupted by a demonstrator calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

“Genocide Joe, how will history view you?” the protester could be heard yelling. 

The president paused his remarks as supporters chanted, “Four more years.”

“Look, I don’t resent his passion,” Biden said. “There’s a lot of Palestinians who are being unfairly victimized.” 

The man was quickly escorted out of the event site. As he was escorted out, he continued to shout, “Free Palestine.”

An undated file photo of Laken Riley.

The parents of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who police say was killed by a man who illegally crossed the border, are attending Donald Trump’s rally Saturday in Georgia and met with the former president backstage, according to Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita. 

Trump has repeatedly invoked Riley’s death as he rails against illegal immigration and pushes his hardline immigration proposals, including a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. His campaign on Saturday passed out signs to supporters with Riley’s photo and “Say Her Name” written on them. LaCivita said the campaign spoke to Riley’s parents about using her image on the signs. 

LaCivita criticized President Joe Biden, who said earlier Saturday in an interview with MSNBC that he should have used the word “undocumented” instead of “illegal” when describing Riley’s suspected killer in his State of the Union address.  

“He’s more interested in apologizing for using the correct term to define the killer as opposed to apologizing to the parents,” LaCivita told reporters.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on February 10.

An outside group backing independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s White House bid has gathered enough signatures to put Kennedy on the ballot in two more states, including Michigan, a crucial battleground ahead of November’s election.

A spokesperson for American Values 2024 said in a statement to CNN the group has gathered the necessary signatures needed to qualify Kennedy for the ballot in Michigan and South Carolina, notching two more states toward Kennedy’s goal of appearing on the ballot in all 50 states and Washington, DC, while further complicating the dynamics of a rematch between President Joe Biden and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. 

A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted in October 2023 showed Kennedy earning 26% support among registered voters in a hypothetical three-way race with Biden, who received 31%, and Trump, who received 34%. 

Michigan is the latest battleground state where Kennedy’s allies have met the signature gathering threshold. The super PAC announced last month it collected enough signatures to gain ballot access in Georgia and Arizona. 

Kennedy’s campaign has gathered enough signatures to gain ballot access in Nevada, another pivotal swing state, as well as in New Hampshire and Hawaii. Kennedy is officially on the ballot in one state, Utah. 

Former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally in Waterford Township, Michigan, on February 17.

The 2024 presidential general election is here, for all intents and purposes. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are set to face off in the first presidential rematch since 1956. It’s also the first rematch between a current and a former president since 1892.

But unlike in 2020, when Biden was favored over Trump for the entirety of the campaign, the president faces a rougher road this time around. Indeed, he has no better than a 50-50 shot for reelection, and fans of Biden should be aware that Trump has a real chance at retaking the White House.

Consider:

National polling: Surveys from The New York Times/Siena College, CBS News/YouGov, Fox News and The Wall Street Journal all gave Trump a higher percentage of the vote than Biden by margins ranging from 2 to 4 points. (KFF had Biden scoring 3 points higher than Trump.)

All those results were officially within the margin of error, but put together they paint a picture of a troubled incumbent.

Electoral College: Polls also show Trump ahead, however narrowly, in enough states to win the Electoral College and the presidency.

Biden is trailing by 5 points or more in the most recent polling from Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. He’s also trailing in Michigan, where the average of polls over the past six months that meet CNN’s standards for publication has him down 4 points.

Top campaign issues: Americans say the top problems facing the country are either related to the economy or immigration. Trump is considerably more trusted than Biden on both issues.

Read more here.

President Joe Biden holds up a button with Laken Riley's name as he delivers his State of the Union address at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 7.

President Joe Biden said Saturday he should have used the term “undocumented” to describe Laken Riley’s alleged killer, who is an undocumented immigrant, after calling him an “illegal” during Thursday’s State of the Union. 

“I shouldn’t have used ‘illegal,’ it’s undocumented,” Biden told MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart in an interview Saturday. 

The comment is a pivot from earlier in the week, when Biden said he didn’t regret using the term “illegal” despite criticism from Democratic lawmakers and immigrant advocates. 

Shortly after the State of the Union, Rep. Nancy Pelosi told CNN that Biden “should have said undocumented.” 

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant on the University of Georgia campus last month.

Speaking to Capehart, Biden also sought to distance his comments from his likely 2024 presidential election opponent, Donald Trump, by recalling his predecessor’s rhetoric saying immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” 

“When I spoke about the difference between Trump and me, one of the things I talked about on the border was the way he talks about vermin, the way he talks about these people polluting the blood. … I will not treat any of these people with disrespect,” Biden said Saturday. 

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign on Saturday released a new video attacking President Joe Biden over his age.  

The video opens with a clip of Biden saying, “Look, I’m not a young guy. That’s no secret.” The clip was from a new Biden campaign ad that touts the president’s record. Biden is 81 and Trump is 77. 

The video then runs clips of Biden falling up the stairs as he boards Air Force One, onstage at the US Air Force Academy graduation ceremony and on his bike in Rehoboth Beach. 

The ad is running only on digital platforms, according to Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller. 

Trump, who is only a few years younger than Biden, has said several times that he doesn’t think Biden is “too old” to be president, and has instead argued he is “too incompetent.” But the former president’s campaign appears to be taking more direct aim at Biden over his age. 

President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 7.

As President Joe Biden hits the campaign trail after his fiery State of the Union address, some voters in his home state of Delaware are showing mixed feelings about his reelection efforts. 

George Wilson, 60: A Wilmington resident, Wilson said his first impression of the address was that the president’s age “is catching up on him.” 

But Wilson, who voted for Biden in the past and plans to vote for him again, said he has seen improvements in the economy and noticed that communities in his state have become safer. 

“I’m hoping his health doesn’t give out too soon. I hope he keeps his strength up, and still makes America great again,” Wilson said. Asked why he wouldn’t support former President Donald Trump, he responded, “I don’t feel safe with Trump.”

Kelly Meding, 49: The Dover resident praised Biden’s recent address to Congress. 

“I know a lot of people have said a lot of bad things,” she told CNN, referring to Biden. “But if you look at our economy, it’s turning around. I mean, he’s really done a great job.” 

Meding, who plans to vote for Biden again, added: “I think as he gets out of office eventually, I think we’re going to look back and realize how much he’s actually done for this country.”

Ken Carly, 65: A Republican, Carly said he will not support Biden in the upcoming election and will most likely vote for Trump.

“I’m not happy with the current situation,” he said. 

When asked what he is unhappy with, Carly noted that Democrats have accused Trump of committing crimes and referred to the multiple criminal indictments that have been filed against the former president.

“I will not be voting for Biden … because Democrats are very issue-oriented about the way they present their issues. It’s always against the other side,” he said.