Democrats are laying the groundwork for .
02:39 PM BST
Top Democrats panicking over Biden’s debate performance
Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, held a Saturday afternoon call with dozens of influential Democrat party members about Joe Biden’s to address concerns about Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in the first round of presidential debates.
He did not acknowledge Biden’s weak showing Thursday night or the avalanche of criticism that followed.
Multiple committee members on the call, most granted anonymity to talk about the private discussion, described feeling like they were being gaslighted — that they were being asked to ignore the dire nature of the party’s predicament. The call, they said, may have worsened a widespread sense of panic among elected officials, donors and other stakeholders.
Instead, the people said, Harrison offered what they described as a rosy assessment of Biden’s path forward. The chat function was disabled and there were no questions allowed.
01:58 PM BST
New York Times calls on Joe Biden to step down
The New York Times has called on Joe Biden to stand down from the presidential race and relinquish the Democratic nomination to a “stronger candidate” who would have a better chance of beating Donald Trump.
In an article by its editorial board, the Times accused Mr Biden of a “reckless gamble” in continuing his reelection bid after his disastrous appearance on the debate stage with Trump on Thursday night.
Mr Biden repeatedly struggled to deliver his lines, made factual mistakes and froze in response to moderator questions during the debate.
Read the full piece here.
01:47 PM BST
Joe Biden tells donors he won more voters than Trump during disastrous debate
Joe Biden has told donors that his debate performance converted more undecided voters than Donald Trump.
The US president admitted Saturday that he “didn’t have a great night” during the first round of presidential debates, which he was roundly seen to have lost.
However, he claimed he had won over more voters than his Republican rival because people remembered the “bad things” which happened during Mr Trump’s presidency.
“Research during the debate shows us converting more undecided voters than Trump did, in large part because of his conduct on Jan 6,” Mr Biden said Saturday at a fundraiser at New Jersey governor Phil Murphy’s home.
“I didn’t have a great night, but I’m going to be fighting harder,” Mr Biden added.
12:05 PM BST
European allies hope Democrats replace Biden to prevent Trump victory
European allies have expressed anxiety that Joe Biden’s poor debate performance could mean victory for Donald Trump and reduction in US support for Ukraine.
The 81-year-old US president lost his train of thought and stumbled through Thursday night’s debate, which contained relatively little discussion of foreign policy.
Mr Biden accused Trump of cosying up to dictators such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un, and boasted of bringing together an alliance of 50 nations to back Kyiv in the war with Russia.
Read the full piece here.
11:11 AM BST
US Supreme Court’s slow pace on immunity makes Trump trial before election unlikely
Donald Trump’s bid for criminal immunity from prosecution for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss is set to be decided on Monday by the US Supreme Court.
But however it rules, the court already has helped the former president in his effort to avoid trial before the November 5 election.
The ruling from the court, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by Mr Trump, will be released 20 weeks after he sought relief from the justices.
The timeline of the ruling likely does not leave enough time for Special Counsel Jack Smith to try Mr Trump on the federal four-count indictment obtained last August and for a jury to reach a verdict before voters head to the polls.
“The amount of delay that has resulted has made it almost impossible to get the case to trial before the election,” said George Washington University law professor Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor. “The court should have treated it with much more urgency than it did.”
10:33 AM BST
Joe Biden given one week to stand down
Joe Biden has been told he has a week to win over Democrats or they will move to oust him after a disastrous performance in the first presidential debate, writes Tony Diver and Ben Riley-Smith.
Party donors and congressmen called on Mr Biden to abandon his run for re-election to the presidency after he fluffed his lines repeatedly and at one point froze completely during the first head-to-head debate of the 2024 election campaign.
In a shaky, hoarse voice, the 81-year-old launched attacks on Donald Trump and defended his policy record, pausing several times to repeat his sentences or correct himself.
Read the full piece here.
10:12 AM BST
Biden reassures big-money donors after debate debacle
Joe Biden attended a triple-header of campaign fundraisers Saturday, seeking to reassure high-dollar donors he can still win reelection in November despite a debate performance that sparked panic among many Democrats.
Accompanying the US president at the fundraisers in New York and New Jersey was First Lady Jill Biden, who has fiercely defended her 81-year-old husband amid calls for him to step aside.
The president is facing a wave of doubts following Thursday night’s debate against Republican rival Donald Trump, after he frequently stumbled over his words and lost his train of thought – exacerbating fears about his age and mental acuity.
09:55 AM BST
‘Joe is the only person for the job,’ says Jill Biden
Jill Biden was right at her husband’s side Saturday as they exited Air Force One to head for a pair of campaign stops at luxurious vacation homes on Long Island. And she got straight to the point when it was her turn to introduce the president at a tony fundraiser.
“Joe isn’t just the right person for the job. He’s the only person for the job,” she declared.
The first lady also told donors, “Anyone can tell you what they want to do, but Joe Biden can tell you what he’s done with his judgment, his experience, and his relationships with leaders across the globe.”
The first lady is trying to rally support for her husband after a dreadful performance in Thursday’s presidential debate created fresh worries about President Joe Biden’s age and his ability to compete in November’s election and to serve another four years.
