Biden facing further pressure from Democrats to step aside as he prepares to host Nato summit: Latest news

President Joe Biden continues to face intense pressure to quit the race for the White House after more of his fellow Democrats added their voices to calls for him to step aside on Sunday – an unwelcome distraction as the president prepares to host a major Nato summit in Washington DC this week.

In behind-closed-door crisis talks convened by House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, several representatives including Jerry Nadler, Susan Wild, Adam Smith and Mark Takano suggested it was time for Biden, 81, to make way following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in Atlanta last month.

Here’s John Bowden’s report.

A Philadelphia radio station has cut ties with its host after she revealed that Joe Biden’s campaign team sent a list of pre-approved questions prior to an interview with the president.

Sara Lomax, the president and CEO of WURD Radio, posted a statement to the company’s website on Sunday announcing that the station and radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders had “mutually agreed to part ways”.

On Saturday, Lawful-Sanders told CNN that four of the questions she asked Biden were provided to her by his team.

“The questions were sent to me for approval, I approved of them,” Lawful-Sanders said.

“I got several questions. Eight of them. And the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved.”

WURD issued a statement titled “Accountability, Access, and A Path Forward: Why Black Media Matters,” which claims that Lawful-Sanders negotiated the interview on her own without the knowledge of the radio station.

Lomax insisted that “WURD Radio remains an independent voice that our audience can trust will hold elected officials accountable.”

“As Pennsylvania’s only independent Black-owned talk radio station, WURD Radio has cultivated that trust with our audience over our 20-year history,” Lomax wrote. “This is something we take very seriously. Agreeing to a pre-determined set of questions jeopardizes that trust and is not a practice that WURD Radio engages in or endorses as a matter of practice or official policy.”

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a possible contender for Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, went to bat for the former president on Sunday by trying to distance the presumptive Republican nominee from Project 2025.

“Think tanks do think tank stuff they come up with ideas, they say things,” Rubio told CNN’s State of the Union when he was asked if he was “comfortable” with the policies outlined in the project headed by the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has thrown his full support behind President Joe Biden, telling Biden campaign staffers that the president is the best option to defeat Donald Trump.

“I know what it’s like to have a rough debate and I’m standing here as your senator,” Fetterman said.

Joe Biden’s problems got even worse on Sunday as he completed a short campaign swing through battleground state Pennsylvania.

Congress remains out of session until Monday, when many lawmakers will face their first real pressure to answer questions about the president’s future. But already the first hints of a landslide were visible as Democrats issued statements calling on the president to step aside — or at least have a serious conversation about doing so.

That list got longer on Sunday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the head of the House Democratic caucus, convened a call with his members as the weekend drew to a close.

Democratic Representative Adam Schiff expressed some hesitations about President Joe Biden remaining in the 2024 presidential race, hinting that other options like the vice president could “overwhelmingly” win but said that decision was ultimately up to Biden himself.

“I think the vice president would be a phenomenal president, I think she has the experience, the judgment, the leadership ability to be an extraordinary president,” Schiff told Meet the Press on Sunday

“But before we get into a decision about who else should be, the president needs to make a decision whether it’s him,” he added.

The California rep acknowledged the public’s apprehensions about Biden remaining in the race, saying he too has some concerns after the president’s disappointing debate performance and underwhelming ABC News interview.

Biden’s appearance during the debate escalated fears that he is not physically or mentally well enough to defeat Donald Trump in November. His hoarse voice and stumbling responses gave the impression of a confused elderly man rather than a strong confident leader.

Schiff said Biden’s debate performance “rightfully” raised questions about his mental acuity.

Doug Emhoff, the Second Gentleman, has tested positive for Covid-19, according to his communications director.

Emhoff is currently asymptomatic though he previously experienced “mild symptoms” according to a statement from his office.

Out of caution, Vice President Kamala Harris was also tested but is currently negative.

House Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries held a virtual call Sunday afternoon where ranking Democratic lawmakers expressed their concerns about President Joe Biden’s path to victory in the 2024 election, with some top leaders calling for Biden to step aside.

According to reports, a handful of ranking members, including New York Rep Jerrold Nadler, Washington Rep Adam Smith, California Rep Mark Takano and New York Rep Joseph Morelle all said Biden should withdraw from the race.

The meeting was convened at a time of heightened tension for the Democratic Party after Biden’s disappointing and concerning debate performance at the end of June.

While five House Democratic members have publicly called for Biden to drop out, no ranking Democratic leaders have done so.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is backing President Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate for president but said in order to win he needs policies that benefit the working class.

“Biden and Democrats can win this election if they address the needs of the working class,” Sanders said in a press release on Sunday.

“They have to take on the greed of corporate America and massive income and wealth inequality; raise the minimum wage to a living wage; expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing; lower childhood poverty by making the child tax credit permanent; make the very rich pay their fair share into Social Security so we can expand benefits and extend its solvency; cancel medical debt; and build the low income and affordable housing we desperately need.”