Coverage on this live blog has ended. Follow the latest news on the 2024 election race here.
What’s happening on the campaign trail today
- Former President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail today for his first rally since last weekend’s assassination attempt. Trump quickly resumed attacks on President Joe Biden after saying he wanted he wanted to serve as a unifier, calling his political opponent “Crooked Joe.”
- Trump was introduced at the Grand Rapids, Michigan, rally by his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who also criticized his counterpart, Vice President Kamala Harris.
- Biden is in Delaware with Covid as pressure mounts on him to drop his re-election bid. While the Biden campaign insists the president is remaining in the race, members of his family have begun discussing what an exit from his campaign might look like.
- At least 35 congressional Democrats, including four senators, have called on Biden to step aside, with many warning that his candidacy could harm party candidates in down-ballot races.
Biden allies say 'elites' are disenfranchising voters who want the president to stay in
Reporting from Rehoboth, Delaware
As President Joe Biden faces a wave of new calls from elected officials to end his re-election bid, his political allies are actively exploring ways to publicly demonstrate he still has widespread support among key elements of the Democratic Party’s base, according to three Democrats familiar with the discussions.
The new effort is aimed at turning the pressure campaign against Biden back on party insiders by seizing on anger and frustration among some voters who feel disenfranchised by attempts to push the candidate they cast their ballots for aside, the Democrats said.
Trump leans into divisive rhetoric in first rally since assassination attempt
One week after a bullet nearly took his life, former President Donald Trump delivered a speech filled with divisive rhetoric that was largely in line with his usual tone.
Despite Trump having told reporters that he would pivot to a message of unity, the former president used his Saturday speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to call President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris names, refer to Biden’s allies as “thugs,” argue without evidence that Democrats cheated in the 2020 election, and characterize migrants as coming from prisons, jails and mental institutions.
Democrats are gaming out post-Biden options while he insists he’ll stay in the race
Sequestered at his Delaware beach house as he recovers from Covid, Biden got a bit of good news today when it became public that Hillary and Bill Clinton are sticking with him.
But the fact that it is news that the former president and secretary of state are supporting their fellow Democrat — and not even in public but privately — underscored just how isolated Biden has become in his own party, with some saying privately that it is easier to count the number of people still supportive of the president than those who think he should abandon his re-election bid.
Sandy Pensler drops out of Michigan Senate race, endorses Mike Rogers
Businessman Sandy Pensler said from the stage at the Trump rally that he was dropping out of the Michigan Senate race and endorsing fellow Republican Mike Rogers.
"President Trump endorsed Mike Rogers. Tonight, so am I," he said.
The two men shook hands onstage.
If nominated, Rogers, who served as a congressman representing Michigan's 8th Congressional District from 2001 to 2015, will attempt to flip the open Senate seat for Republicans. The race is viewed as very competitive since incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow decided not to seek re-election.
Trump back to criticizing Biden
Trump's campaign is back to criticizing Biden and poking at party members who are trying to get him to pass the torch to another Democratic nominee.
The campaign has argued that it does not care who is at the top of the ticket, but a senior adviser said that it prefers Biden to be the nominee because the campaign has been planning for that matchup.
During Trump's speech in Michigan, the former president at first said that the press covered the assassination attempt "fairly," a marked shift from how he usually describes journalists. Minutes later, he turned back to criticizing media.
Rep. Ronny Jackson says he's treated Trump's wound 'daily' in a health update shared by the former president
Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, has "evaluated and treated" Trump's wound daily following last weekend's assassination attempt, according to a letter written by Jackson and shared by Trump on Truth Social today.
Jackson, who served as White House physician under the Obama and Trump administrations, said in the letter that former president is "doing well, and he is recovering as expected from the gunshot wound sustained last Saturday afternoon."
"I am extremely thankful his life was spared. It is an absolute miracle he wasn’t killed," Jackson added in the letter.
Jackson said that he traveled to Bedminster, Trump's New Jersey golf club, on the night of the incident. The former White House doctor said the bullet came "less than a quarter of an inch" from entering Trump's head and struck the top of his right ear, but no sutures were required.
Following the shooting, Trump was initially treated by medical staff at Butler Memorial Hospital in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was evaluated and underwent a CT scan. The former president will undergo further evaluations, including a comprehensive hearing exam as needed, according to the letter.
Jackson added that the wound has begun to heal but there is still "intermittent bleeding" requiring a bandage.
Vance says GOP priorities aren't 'radical' at Grand Rapids rally
Vance took the stage at the Grand Rapids, Michigan, rally, trying to present his ticket as not radical, as the Biden campaign aims to paint it as extreme.
"There's nothing radical about stopping the poison and the gangs and the criminals from taking care of our country," Vance said. "We've got to shut down that border, shut down the fentanyl and make America safe for American citizens again."
Trump is expected to take the stage later this afternoon.
Rally outside of White House calls for Biden to 'pass the torch'
"Pass the Torch," a grassroots organization, is holding a rally outside of the White House where people will call on Biden to bow out of the presidential race.
"President Biden has achieved great things," the group's website says. "But Donald Trump is an existential threat, and we need the strongest possible ticket to maximize our chances of defeating him."
One speaker highlighted how Democrats emphasize listening to experts.
"So why would we not listen to the data here for the decision of our lives?" she said, pointing to polling data.
Rallygoers held signs reading "Joe, time to go," and "Please save us from Trump, don't act like Trump."
Around 200 people have RSVP’d for the event.
House Homeland Security Committee chair to visit site of Trump assassination attempt
House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., announced a Monday visit to the site of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Green will travel to Butler, Pennsylvania, alongside a group of 10 committee members to receive a “tour” of the site.
The visit comes as the House Oversight Committee prepares to hear from Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle in a public hearing on Monday morning.
DHS Sec. Mayorkas and other top security officials criticize backlash against women in the Secret Service
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and a group of top security officials slammed "baseless and insulting" questions about women in the Secret Service.
The joint statement comes after some conservatives have argued that female Secret Service agents were unable to physically defend Trump during the assassination attempt at his rally last Saturday.
"Every single day, in communities big and small across our great country, women are serving in federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement," the statement said. "They are highly trained and skilled professionals, who risk their lives on the front lines for the safety and security of others. They are brave and selfless patriots who deserve our gratitude and respect."
Biden's Covid symptoms continue to 'improve steadily,' his physician says
Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a letter detailing his condition that the president's Covid symptoms "continue to improve steadily."
"His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal," O'Connor said. "His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear."
Biden completed his sixth dose of Paxlovid, the medication that helps lower the risk of hospitalization or death. O'Connor also said that Biden has a Covid variation that accounts for about a third of new infections in the U.S.
Secret Service initiates coverage for Sen. JD Vance
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, will get Secret Service protection after being selected as Trump's running mate.
“The U.S. Secret Service has initiated protective coverage for Republican Vice Presidential Candidate J.D. Vance and his family,” a Secret Service spokesperson said.
The exact start date of Vance's Secret Service protection is unclear.
Clintons supportive of Biden's decision to stay in the race, sources say
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have privately been supportive of Biden’s decision to stay in the race and have been actively encouraging donors to stay with him, according to two people familiar with the Clintons’ thinking.
Both sources used the word “deferential” to describe the Clintons’ position as it relates to Biden’s commitment to continue his re-election campaign, which the president himself has stated publicly in recent days.
Behind the scenes, the Clintons have been in touch with the White House and have offered to help however they can, the sources said.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow: 'Each of my colleagues has to make their own decision' on concerns about Biden
During a Biden campaign press call, Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow defended the president's re-election bid amid concerns from other congressional Democrats about his mental acuity and electability.
“Each of my colleagues has to make their own decision,” Stabenow said. “I can just tell you from a Michigan perspective, what I’ve been saying every step of the way, we’ve not seen a president who’s been able to deliver more for Michigan than President Biden and the Biden Harris team.”
Rep. Mark Takano becomes latest Democrat to call on Biden to step aside
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., called on Biden to "pass the torch" to Vice President Kamala Harris.
"President Biden’s greatest accomplishment remains saving democracy in 2020. He can and must do so again in 2024 — by passing the torch to Vice President Harris as the Democratic Party Presidential nominee," he said. "It has become clear to me that the demands of a modern campaign are now best met by the Vice President, who can seamlessly transition into the role of our party’s standard bearer."
NBC News previously reported that Takano called on Biden to step aside during a private call on July 7 among top Democrats.
He is in a safe Democratic district and won 57.7% of the vote during 2022 midterm elections.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Biden 'has a really big decision to make'
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., emphasized that "Joe Biden is our nominee," but added that "he has a really big decision to make."
Biden has repeatedly said that he has already made a decision to stay in the race.
"If President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up, to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump and to win in November," she said.
Warren added later that Harris is also well suited to take on Trump because of her history as a prosecutor.
Sen. JD Vance, Trump's VP pick, calls on Biden to resign from office
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance on Saturday called on Biden to resign from office rather than just ending his bid for re-election.
The call from Trump's running mate in a post on X comes as Biden has faced growing calls to step aside from the presidential race from members of his own party.
"Everyone calling on Joe Biden to *stop running* without also calling on him to resign the presidency is engaged in an absurd level of cynicism," Vance posted. "If you can’t run, you can’t serve. He should resign now."
Where is Kamala Harris today?
Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to travel to Massachusetts for remarks at a campaign fundraiser.
The trip comes a day after she joined a call with major Democratic donors, where she expressed confidence in Democrats' ability to win in November.
NBC News reported this week that the Biden campaign expects it will raise only 25% of the big-donor money it initially expected to raise in July, according to a person with knowledge of the projections.
Donald Trump and JD Vance to hold first rally as running mates
Trump and his recently selected running mate, Sen. JD Vance, will hold their first joint rally today in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The indoor event will be Trump's first campaign rally since last week's assassination attempt.
Michigan is a crucial swing state. Biden flipped the state blue in 2020 after Trump won it four years earlier.
Biden continues to self-isolate with Covid amid growing calls to drop out
Biden is in Delaware this weekend, where he continues to stay off the campaign trail and self-isolate after being diagnosed with Covid on Wednesday.
His doctor said yesterday that he's still taking Paxlovid, a medicine that helps lower the risk of hospitalization or death from the coronavirus.
A record number of congressional Democrats yesterday called on Biden to step aside, with more than a dozen saying he should drop out. See the running list here.