Biden buys himself time — for now

View in browser  July 10, 2024       Stephen Collinson and Shelby Rose A patch in the Democratic dam President Joe Biden delivers powerful remarks at the 75th NATO Summit in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. "We do want to turn the page."   White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wasn't kidding after the most gruesome 10 days of Joe Biden's presidency, which followed his abysmal performance in his debate with ex-President Donald Trump.   The White House can't control the ending of this extraordinary controversy over calls by some Democrats for Biden to be removed from their presidential ticket. But there were signs Tuesday that the worst of the crisis may have passed — at least for now.   House and Senate Democrats, back in Washington after the Independence Day holiday, were soon locked in wrenching discussions about what comes next. Some expressed disquiet about Biden's chances of beating Trump in November and even those who publicly support him want him to conduct a far more energetic campaign.   The questions heading into the day were whether there would be a critical mass of lawmakers that would fatally undermine Biden's support in the party and whether party leaders were ready to tell the president the game is up. But so far, neither of those tests have been met, so Biden has at the very least bought himself some time. And with the Republican National Convention starting next week, he will hope the spotlight will soon be trained elsewhere.   Biden could still win the election — given Trump's legal woes and extreme unpopularity. But he'd need to come from behind in the polls. And the president lost his best chance to turn the race around at the CNN debate, when he failed to make an effective case against his GOP rival. Democrats now face the prospect of heading into an election against an opponent they fear will destroy democracy with a candidate many fear can't win. And every step Biden takes from now on will attract extreme scrutiny, starting with a solo press conference that he's due to hold on Thursday at the end of the NATO summit in Washington.   Even one occasion when he comes across as confused, frail and incoherent, as he did at the debate, could destroy the rudimentary patch covering the hole in the Democratic dam and imperil his candidacy all over again. Sign up for Meanwhile in America The world and America A Russian court orders Yulia Navalnaya to be arrested in absentia.   An Iranian warship rolls over in port.    Modi and Putin cement their relationship as Russian missiles rain on Kyiv.   A stunning strike by a 16-year-old sends Spain into the final of the Euros.   Meanwhile in America ... Nikki Haley releases her convention delegates to Trump.    Someone has the plague in Colorado.    Biden awards NATO's chief the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 'No notes!' Some Democrats are going overboard in touting Biden's acuity and stamina — despite the way the debate exposed the fading faculties of the oldest president in history.   Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, a longtime Biden friend, marveled at the president's performance at the signing of a nuclear energy bill at the White House. Biden spoke "literally without notes" nor a teleprompter for "probably close to an hour," Carper said. "No notes, just extemporaneously. I think he did a very good job." Here we go again? Russian interference in the 2016 election — designed to help Trump beat Hillary Clinton, according to US intelligence agencies — sowed distrust and suspicion in US politics that still reverberates. So there was alarm on Tuesday at the news that Russia — and Iran — may be trying to play politics inside the US again.   The Justice Department said it seized two internet domains and searched nearly 1,000 social media accounts that Russian operatives had allegedly used to pose as Americans to spread disinformation in the US and abroad. The so-called "bot farm" used artificial intelligence to create fake social media profiles purporting to be people in the US, and then used those phony accounts to post support for Russia's war in Ukraine, according to the DOJ. The elaborate scheme was organized by an editor of RT, the Russian state-owned publication, financed by the Kremlin, and aided by an officer of Russia's FSB intelligence, the Justice Department alleged.   US officials have been watching to see if US support for Ukraine will lead the Russian government to take more risks in potentially interfering in the 2024 presidential election, FBI officials previously said.   In another development, America's top intelligence officer said Iran is attempting to covertly stoke protests in the United States related to the Gaza conflict.   "I want to be clear that I know Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza – this intelligence does not indicate otherwise," Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said.   "Americans who are being targeted by this Iranian campaign may not be aware that they are interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government," she said. "We urge all Americans to remain vigilant as they engage online with accounts and actors they do not personally know." Thanks for reading.   Wednesday, is the second day of the NATO summit in Washington, DC. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, in Cairo to discuss the situation in Gaza. What did you think of today's email? Send us feedback: meanwhile@cnn.com   You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for Meanwhile in America. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or sign up to manage your CNN account   Learn more about the CNN app |  Get CNN web alerts  |  Sign up for a free CNN account   ® © 2024 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318