2024 Election Latest: Trump and Vance rally in Michigan as calls for Biden to drop out persist

President Joe Biden says he’s ready to return to the campaign trail next week, even as a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers called for him to step aside.

Meanwhile, after wrapping their national convention in Milwaukee this week, Republican officials, strategists and activists are exuding a confidence not seen in decades.

Donald Trump on Saturday held his first public campaign rally since he was injured in an assassination attempt, with an event in the battleground state of Michigan alongside his new running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

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Here's the Latest:

In upcoming interview, Trump says he got no word that suspicious person was IDed at last week’s rally

Donald Trump says he was given no indication that law enforcement had identified a suspicious person when he took the stage last week at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In an interview with Fox News host Jesse Waters set to air Monday night, Trump said, “No, nobody mentioned it, nobody said there was a problem” before a gunman opened fire in an attempted assassination. “They could’ve said, ‘Let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 5 minutes, something.’ Nobody said. I think that was a mistake.”

Trump also questioned the security lapses and how the 20-year-old gunman was able to gain access to the roof of a manufacturing building that was within 135 meters 157 yards (135 meters) from the stage.

“How did somebody get on that roof? And why wasn’t he reported? Because people saw that he was on the roof,” Trump said. “So you would’ve thought someone would’ve done something about it.”

Local law enforcement officers had seen the man and deemed him suspicious enough to circulate his photo, and witnesses reported seeing him scaling the building.

Outside doctor says campaign letter confirms Trump’s injury confined to external ear

Dr. Kenji Inaba, chief of trauma and surgical critical care at the University of Southern California, said the letter released Saturday confirmed that the injury sustained in last week’s assassination attempt was confined to the external ear and the brain was not injured.

He said he could not comment on the extent of the injury but it appears from the letter that there are no concerns with the wound.

A follow-up by Trump’s physician would be appropriate, including for mental health evaluation, Inaba added.

“Clearly any injury, no matter how minor, when there is intent, will be associated with some degree of post traumatic stress, so this would also be a consideration for his medical team,” he said via email.

Beyond Biden, Democrats are split over who would be next — VP Harris or launch a mini primary

As Democrats churn over whether President Joe Biden should stay in the 2024 race, the party turmoil is deepening over whether his Vice President Kamala Harris is next in line for the job or if a “mini primary” should be quickly launched to choose a new nominee before the party’s August convention.

Harris hit the campaign fundraising circuit Saturday in breezy Provincetown, Massachusetts, and picked up a nod from the state’s prominent Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who said before the visit that if Biden were to step aside, his vice president is “ready to step up.”

At the event, which organizers said raised $2 million and was attended by 1,000 guests, Harris did not mention the calls for Biden to leave the race or for her to replace him, instead repeating one of her regular campaign lines: “We’re going to win this election,” she said.

“Do we believe in freedom? Do we believe in equality? Do we believe in the promise of America? Then are we ready to fight for it?” she called to a cheering crowd. “When we fight, we win.”

But installing Harris at the top of the ticket, which would be a history-making moment for the party elevating the first woman, Black person and person of South Asian descent as its presidential nominee, is not at all certain. Officials from the highest ranks, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, prefer an open process, some believing it would strengthen any Democratic nominee to confront Republican Donald Trump.

Read more about the Democratic ticket.

Trump campaign releases letter on his injury, treatment after last week’s assassination attempt

Donald Trump’s campaign released an update on the former president’s health Saturday, one week after he survived an attempted assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The memo, from Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as Trump’s White House physician, offers new details on the nature of the GOP nominee’s injuries and the treatment he received in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

According to Jackson, Trump sustained a gunshot wound to the right ear from a high-powered riffle that came “less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear.”

The bullet track, he said, “produced a 2 cm wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear. There was initially significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear.”

While the swelling has since resolved and the wound “is beginning to granulate and heal properly,” he said Trump is still experiencing intermittent bleeding, requiring the dressing that was on display at last week’s Republican National Convention. At Saturday’s rally, the white gauze on Trump’s ear was replaced by a skin-colored bandage.

“Given the broad and blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were required,” Jackson wrote.

Read more about the letter.

Republican field in Michigan Senate race thins as party coalesces around former Rep. Mike Rogers

Detroit-area businessman Sandy Pensler has withdrawn from the Republican Senate race just ahead of Michigan’s primary, throwing his support behind former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers for the party’s nomination.

Pensler made the announcement at Donald Trump’s rally in Grand Rapids on Saturday after being called on to stage by the former president.

Trump endorsed Rogers earlier this year, and many in the party have begun to coalesce around Rogers, who served in the U.S. House for 14 years and chaired the House Intelligence Committee.

Trump jokey during speech at first rally since assassination attempt

A week after an assassination attempt left him with an injured ear, Trump seemed to fully regain his stride during a speech in Grand Rapids. He peppered his address with jokes that sparked laughter from an enthusiastic audience.

At one point Trump glanced at a screen showing him from an unusual angle and joked about his combover.

“That’s a severe sucker. What’s with that one?” he joked. “I apologize. Man! I looked up there, I said, ‘Whoa!’ That’s like a work of art!”

Throughout his speech, Trump also interacted with the crowd, pointing out individuals and even inviting one man onto the stage, noting, “He does not carry guns!”

Asked how Biden is doing, VP Harris gives a thumbs-up

Boarding her plane after a Massachusetts speaking engagement, Vice President Kamala Harris flashed a thumbs-up sign after reporters asked how Biden was doing.

The president is recovering from COVID-19 at his Delaware beach home.

Harris also raised her thumb when asked if she’d spoken to Biden.

At the fundraiser in Provincetown, Harris didn’t mention the calls by some fellow Democrats for Biden to drop his reelection bid or for her to replace him on the ticket.

Instead, she said: “We’re going to win this election.”

Organizers said the event raised $2 million and attracted 1,000 guests.

‘I shouldn’t be here right now’

Chants of “fight, fight, fight” broke out early in Trump’s speech as he mentioned the assassination attempt.

“It was exactly one week ago,” Trump said.

“I stand before you only by the grace of almighty God,” he said. “I shouldn’t be here right now.”

“Something very special happened.”

Trump sent his best wishes to the two people who were wounded at the rally and are recovering.

And he said that 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore, a spectator who was killed, “is a hero and we will carry his memory in our hearts.”

Running mate Vance addresses Trump crowd

In a speech before Trump’s arrival, his new running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, continued to introduce himself to voters. He talked about his hardscrabble upbringing, being raised by his grandmother as his mother faced addiction.

“I’ve got to be honest, it’s still a little bit weird to see my name on the signs,” he said, looking out at the crowd.

Vance also attacked Vice President Kamala Harris for her long career in government.

He said both parties signed off on sending manufacturing jobs to China and Mexico until Trump came along.

Trump backers pack Michigan arena

Close to an hour before Donald Trump was set to take the stage in Grand Rapids, supporters filled nearly every seat in the 12,000-person Van Andel Arena. Many wore red “Make America Great Again” hats and shirts with an image of Trump’s fist in the air after last week’s assassination attempt.

Excitement was palpable as people waited, with “U-S-A” chants breaking out frequently. Music blasted, and the crowd did the wave.

Michigan GOP chairman Pete Hoekstra told the audience that he had just returned from the Republican National Convention and the party is more unified than ever. He was followed by Michigan Rep. Tim Wahlberg and Trump’s newly minted running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Supporters crowd into downtown Grand Rapids ahead of Trump’s rally

Supporters of Republican Donald Trump crowded the streets of downtown Grand Rapids in anticipation of the former president’s remarks Saturday evening.

Numerous streets, closed for security reasons, were dotted with vendors selling food and apparel. Among them was a vendor from North Carolina who had traveled to Michigan earlier in the day, who said that he had spent the night making shirts featuring “Trump Vance ’24,” referencing U.S. Sen. JD Vance, the former president’s running mate.

Mike Gaydos, who had traveled from Indiana with his three sons to attend the rally, wore a shirt stating, “I’m voting for the felon not the kid sniffer.” Despite not considering himself a “huge” Trump supporter in the past, Gaydos said he wanted to support the former president following a recent assassination attempt on Trump.

Downtown Grand Rapids also saw a significant police presence, with officers stationed on nearly every block, while others patrolled on horseback and bicycles.

“This is the tightest I’ve ever seen the security,” said Renee White, who said that she’s been to 33 of Trump’s rallies.

White was seated behind the podium in Butler, Pennsylvania when the former president was injured in an assassination attempt. She described the shooting as “surreal” but said that it wouldn’t stop her from going to rallies.

Biden was inf

ected by a COVID-19 variant that’s responsible for 33.3%

of new US infections

White House doctor Kevin O’Connor said the president was infected by a strain of COVID-19 that has caused one-third of new infections in the United States.

The White House released O’Connor’s latest report on Biden’s condition on Saturday.

The doctor says Biden’s symptoms “continue to improve steadily” but that he’s still plagued by a dry cough and hoarseness. O’Connor also said Biden’s lungs remain clear and his vitals remain “absolutely normal.”

Biden is being treated at his Delaware beach home.

California Rep. Takano to Biden: ‘I love and respect you, but the stakes are too high to fail’

U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, the top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, called for President Joe Biden to “pass the torch,” to Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday.

Takano was among a number of high-ranking Democrats to privately express concern for Biden’s reelection bid in a private call with leadership earlier this month.

Takano said in a posted statement on the social platform X that 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.”

Takano added he loves and respects Biden, “but the stakes are too high to fail.”

No details yet on when Biden will resume campaigning after COVID-19

Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler told reporters during a conference call on Saturday that details will follow “as soon as we have the green light.”

Biden was forced off the campaign trail on Wednesday after he tested positive for COVID-19. The president was in Las Vegas when he got the news. He flew to his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and has been recovering there.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Harris is ‘ready to step up’ if Biden bows out

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren says that, if President Biden opts to bow out of the race, Vice President Kamala Harris is “ready to step up.”

“What gives me a lot of hope right now is that, if President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris who is ready to step up,” Warren told MSNBC on Saturday “to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump and to win in November.”

Warren, who competed with Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, said that the president “has a really big decision to make” about whether he wants to leave the race.

This is how Secret

Service protection has changed for presidents over the years

As the world has vastly changed, so has protection for presidents since the days when the public could come to the White House to meet Abraham Lincoln.

Protective details have grown in size, responsibility and technology over more than a century of the Secret Service protecting presidents.

When presidents leave the White House in modern times, they’re accompanied by a phalanx of Secret Service officers and agents. Cars can no longer drive past what is often dubbed “the people’s house” at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The fence has been raised, and don’t even try to get past the gate without an appointment or badge. The number of people under guard also has grown as vice presidents, former presidents, candidates, family members and more get protection.

Former Secret Service agents say the agency is studying the attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life at a rally in Pennsylvania a week ago and making changes to adjust to it.

Read more about how Secret Service protection has changed over the years.

David Letterman to headline a fundraiser with Biden

David Letterman is set to headline a fundraiser with President Joe Biden with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a sign that Biden’s campaign is forging ahead despite continued calls for him to bow out of the 2024 race.

The fundraiser on July 29 will be at the home of a family friend on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, Green told The Associated Press Friday. It will feature the longtime late-night host, plus Biden and first lady Jill Biden. The campaign has at least 10 other fundraising events over the last 10 days of July.

Letterman helmed CBS’ “Late Show” for 22 seasons. The event comes as other celebrities like George Clooney, director Rob Reiner and Stephen King have called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race, following his disastrous debate performance on June 27. There’s also been growing concern over continued fundraising support after anxious donors expressed serious worries about his performance and the future of the party.

Read more about the fundraiser with Hawaii’s governor here.

Trump returns to the campaign trail in Michigan

Republican Donald Trump on Saturday will hold his first public campaign rally since he was injured in an assassination attempt, with an event in the battleground state of Michigan alongside his new running mate.

The joint rally with Ohio Sen. JD Vance is the first for the pair since they became the GOP’s nominees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Trump kicked off the gathering of Republicans by naming Vance his vice presidential pick and concluded it with a speech urging unity following a July 13 shooting in Pennsylvania that left Trump with a bloodied ear and killed one man in the crowd.

“I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America,” Trump said Thursday night in what was the longest convention speech in modern history at just under 93 minutes.

Read more about the crucial role Michigan could play in the election.

Majority of Democrats think Kamala Harris would make a good president, AP-NORC poll shows

As President Joe Biden faces a growing drumbeat of pressure to drop his reelection bid, a majority of Democrats think his vice president would make a good president herself.

A new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don’t believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say.

Since Biden’s debate debacle on June 27, many Democrats have privately and even openly looked to Harris to step in and succeed Biden as the party’s presidential nominee, believing she has a better chance against GOP nominee Donald Trump. For her part, Harris has remained completely loyal to Biden, being one of his toughest defenders in the aftermath of the disastrous debate performance.

Read more about the poll here.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown one of sev

eral members of Congress to call for Biden to end his campaign

Third-term U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, of Ohio, was one of a dozen members of Congress who on Friday said Biden should end his campaign.

The plea came as Brown faces Republican Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland businessman, in what’s viewed as one of the most competitive Senate races of the year.

Brown is the only Democrat holding a statewide position in Ohio. His former bellwether state has twice supported Donald Trump by large margins and Trump has the state’s junior senator, JD Vance, as his running mate.

While Brown has enjoyed a long, close relationship with Biden — he was even on the shortlist to be Biden’s vice presidential pick — he has worked to distance himself this cycle amid Biden’s unpopularity. Brown has aired ads touting his support for border- and fentanyl-related legislation, highlighting one bill that Brown sponsored “and Trump signed.”

Viewership for Trump’s RNC acceptance speech peaked at 28.4 million

For better or worse, former President Trump had a large audience watching him deliver his nomination acceptance speech at the RNC on Thursday.

An estimated 25.4 million people watched the final night of the convention on one of 14 networks that were covering it, the Nielsen company said on Friday. Viewership peaked at 28.4 million between 10:45 and 11 p.m. Eastern, at the beginning of Trump’s speech, Nielsen said.

That would be good news for the ex-president. The early part of his speech, where he spoke dramatically about last Saturday’s attempt on his life, was generally regarded as its most effective. As it dragged on past the 90-minute part and past midnight on the East Coast, Trump largely went off-script for remarks that resembled his typical stump speech.

Fox News Channel had 9.4 million viewers during Trump’s speech, comfortably ahead of any other network. An estimated 72 percent of the viewers were aged 55 and up, Nielsen said.

It was the most-watched night of the convention, which is typical for the evening when the presidential nominee speaks.

Black lawmakers are standing by Biden at a crucial moment. But some express concerns

The Congressional Black Caucus prides itself on its authority among Democrats and its influence with President Joe Biden in particular. So far, only one of its roughly 60 members have joined calls for Biden to drop his reelection bid due to concerns over his age and ability to win.

But the caucus’ broad backing of the president varies widely, ranging from enthusiastic support to outright skepticism. And a small but growing number within the group are publicly expressing doubts about Biden’s candidacy.

Black voters are widely credited with helping Biden clinch the Democratic nomination four years ago and then defeat Republican Donald Trump. Whether Black lawmakers stick with the president now, and how fervently they do so, could be critical in the coming days as pressure builds from the highest levels of the Democratic Party for Biden to end his campaign.

Read more about Black lawmakers’ relationship with the president.