As the 2024 presidential election cycle gains momentum, President Joe Biden embarked on campaign events while former President Donald Trump attended jury selection in his criminal trial. Biden’s focus on pocketbook issues and abortion access aims to sway voters against Trump, who emphasizes border security and energy drilling. Recent polls suggest a close race, with both candidates facing challenges and opportunities that will shape the upcoming campaign.
According to newly disclosed interview notes, a former White House employee claims that Donald Trump’s valet, Anthony Nauta, was promised a pardon if he was charged with lying to the FBI. The alleged promise was made in the context of Trump’s expectations of winning a second term in 2024. Nauta is currently facing charges of lying to the FBI and obstructing the investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents. Both Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The source of the alleged pardon offer remains unclear, and the witness who provided the information declined to have the interview recorded. Despite multiple requests for comment, Trump’s attorneys have not responded.
Asa Hutchinson, former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate, has joined Scripps News as a political analyst. He will regularly appear on the news outlet’s Monday evening show, ‘The Race.’ Hutchinson is known for his anti-Trump stance and dropped out of the Republican primary after performing poorly. His move, along with Nikki Haley’s recent transition to the Hudson Institute, highlights a pattern among former GOP candidates seeking new roles after the primary.
The Trump campaign’s efforts to elevate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to harm Biden’s chances are backfiring, with Kennedy potentially eroding Trump’s support base instead. Kennedy, a former Democrat, has embraced conspiracy theories and has appealed to some Trump supporters. His independent candidacy complicates the 2024 electoral dynamics, showcasing how even allies of the former president can pose unexpected challenges.
Former lawyer Michael Avenatti has expressed support for former President Trump in the hush money case against him, arguing that it is politically motivated. Avenatti, who once represented Trump’s accuser Stormy Daniels, said the charges against Trump are ‘absolute overkill’ and are intended to prevent him from running for office again. Avenatti claims the prosecutors involved have personal motivations to gain prominence and that the case against Trump should be decided by voters, not by prosecutors.
A recent NBC News poll indicates that most voters prioritize inflation and the border crisis as their top concerns. When it comes to handling these issues, a majority of respondents believe former President Trump would do a better job than President Biden. The poll also shows that Trump leads Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup by a margin of 2%.
A recent poll challenges the long-held belief that high voter turnout favors Democrats. The poll suggests that the opposite could be true, making 2024 an unexpected election year.
A legal technicality in Ohio may prevent President Biden from being on the November ballot, as the state requires parties to confirm their presidential candidates 90 days before the election, which is August 7th. But President Biden will not be the official Democratic nominee until the Democratic National Convention, which is on August 19th. Senate and House Minority Leaders Nickie Antonio and Allison Russo were seemingly unaware of this, and plenty of other lawmakers on each side of the aisle also didn’t know. Secretary of State Frank LaRose didn’t remind the Democrats until April, but they remain positive. Case Western Reserve University constitutional law professor Jonathan Entin said that in most other states, this would be an easy fix. “The obvious solution is for the legislature to get rid of the 90-day deadline,” Entin said. However, the Republican supermajority in Ohio is fractured and has significant infighting, making it unlikely that they will pass an emergency bill to help the Democrats.
As the nation prepares for another presidential election, threats to election workers persist, presenting a significant challenge for the infrastructure of American democracy. These threats have contributed to an exodus of election officials, highlighting the need for intervention and support. The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections has been training election workers on how to respond to threats and collaborate with law enforcement. The training includes various scenarios, such as threatening calls and emails, to equip workers with strategies for de-escalation and communication. Law enforcement agencies are also stepping up their involvement to provide security and ensure smooth election processes.
Melania Trump made her first campaign appearance at a private fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans at Mar-a-Lago. The event, attended by notables like Caitlyn Jenner and Dr. Mehmet Oz, raised funds for Trump and other GOP candidates in the 2024 election. Trump emphasized the group’s goal of reaching out to LGBTQ voters and praised Melania’s leadership role in this initiative.
