Thread: President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden meets with Pope Francis at G7 Summit to discuss foreign policy, climate change

President Joe Biden privately met with Pope Francis early Friday evening in Apulia, Italy, at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit to discuss foreign policy and climate change.

Francis is the first pope to address the G7 summit, which is an annual meeting of government leaders from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy. The European Union also participates but is not an official member.

In a statement following the meeting, the White House said both leaders “emphasized the urgent need for an immediate cease-fire and a hostage deal” in Gaza and the need to “address the critical humanitarian crisis.”

The statement added that “Biden thanked Pope Francis for the Vatican’s work to address the humanitarian impacts of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, including his efforts to help return kidnapped Ukrainian children to their families.”

“President Biden also reaffirmed his deep appreciation for the pope’s tireless advocacy for the poor and those suffering from persecution, the effects of climate change, and conflict around the world,” according to the statement.

In the morning, prior to the meeting, a senior Biden administration official said during a press teleconference that Biden planned to discuss issues in the Middle East and Ukraine with the pontiff. On Ukraine, the official said “the Holy See has been actively engaged” on this issue.

“Cardinal [Matteo] Zuppi, in particular, has been an envoy working to return Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported across the border, separated from their families,” the official added. “Of course, it’s one of the huge tragedies of this war. And the Holy See has also been engaged in trying to promote a peace agreement.”

The official said Biden would also discuss climate change, “which is an issue that is near and dear to both leaders.”

“Of course, the president’s plan for adaptation and resilience, which was launched in November of 2021, is an important effort to deal with climate change, as is the multilateral Loss and Damage Fund to which the United States has contributed $17.5 million, an important effort to mitigate some of the effects of climate change,” the official said.

Before the scheduled meeting, Biden and other leaders briefly greeted Francis when he arrived at the summit to address officials about concerns related to artificial intelligence (AI). The pontiff, who has called for global regulations on AI, expressed apprehensions about AI becoming a tool for war and cautioned against relying too much on AI without human input during his address. Francis has promoted global regulations to ensure AI is used to advance the common good.

The senior administration official said during the teleconference that Biden would also likely discuss AI with Francis — an issue that has been important to the pontiff over the past year.

“I’ll just say on AI, I think we are both interested in responsible use of artificial intelligence, preserving human dignity and human rights,” the official said. “And so they’ll have a chance to get into that.”

The White House statement following the meeting, however, did not mention AI.

Biden previously met with Francis in October 2021 for about 75 minutes to discuss poverty, climate change, and other issues. That was Biden’s first in-person meeting with the pontiff as president, but the two leaders also spoke on the phone shortly after the presidential election. Biden and Francis also spoke on the phone in October 2023 to discuss the conflict between Israel and Gaza. Biden had met Francis three times before becoming president.

The president claimed in 2021 after the two met in person that Francis told him he “was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving Communion.” The Vatican declined to comment on whether Francis made those comments. However, in July 2022, Francis criticized Biden for the president’s support of abortion, saying that it is an “incoherence” for a Catholic to be in favor of legal abortion.

Joe Biden’s L.A. Fundraiser Raises At Least $28 Million, Per Campaign

President Joe Biden’s star-filled fundraiser in Los Angeles this evening — an event featuring Barack Obama, George Clooney and Julia Roberts — has raised at least $28 million, according to a campaign official.

The figure surpasses the amount raised in March when Biden appeared with Obama and former President Bill Clinton at Radio City Music Hall. That event raised $26 million, according to the campaign.

The $28 million figure is the largest raised as a single Democratic fundraiser, per the campaign. In a statement on Friday, Jeffrey Katzenberg, who is co-chairing the Biden campaign, signaled that the amount raised would set a record.

Biden landed at LAX this morning, having traveled from the G7 summit in Italy. First Lady Jill Biden is traveling to Los Angeles later today.

Tonight’s event, at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, will feature Biden in conversation with Obama and Jimmy Kimmel. The event is a combination high dollar and low dollar fundraiser, with donors shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a ticket for choice seats and a reception, while the campaign has held a contest to field grassroots donations, with supporters entering with a chance to win a trip to attend.

Others on the bill tonight include Jason Bateman, Jack Black, Kathryn Hahn and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Biden and Trump campaigns agreed to mic muting, podiums among rules for upcoming CNN debate

With less than two weeks until the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle, CNN has released additional details on the parameters agreed upon by the Trump and Biden campaigns.

The debate, which will be hosted by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in Atlanta on June 27, will mark the first in-person showdown of the 2024 campaign between President Joe Biden and his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. Both candidates have accepted the network’s invitation and agreed to accept the rules and format of the debate, as outlined in letters sent to the campaigns by the network in May.

The 90-minute debate will include two commercial breaks, according to the network, and campaign staff may not interact with their candidate during that time.

Both candidates agreed to appear at a uniform podium, and their podium positions will be determined by a coin flip.

Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak. While no props or pre-written notes will be allowed on the stage, candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.

_________

“except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak”

Your time is up……..

Biden, Obama, celebrities raise more than $30 million at L.A. event

President Biden and former President Obama railed against former President Trump, touted the Democratic incumbent’s policy achievements and slipped in a few jokes at a Saturday night fundraiser in downtown Los Angeles that shattered Democratic fundraising records.

“I could have done nothing and done better than him,” Biden replied when late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who was moderating the discussion between the two Democrats, asked about the presumptive GOP nominee, whom Kimmel referred to as “Orange Julius Caesar,” before noting the strength of the nation’s economy, the low unemployment rate and other accomplishments. “We’re trying to give ordinary people a chance, just a chance.”

Obama added that Biden had built upon their policies when he was president and Biden was vice president, such as expanding access to the Affordable Care Act and increasing funding for efforts to stop climate change.

“At its best, the presidency is a relay race. You take the baton and you run the race” and then hand it your successor, Obama said. “I take great pride in what the Biden administration has accomplished. And it’s a reminder that we don’t have to just vote against something in this election. … But we can take pride in affirming the extraordinary work that Joe has done.”

The star-studded fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in downtown L.A. raised more than $30 million — the largest cash haul from a one-night event in Democratic history. Biden, Obama and First Lady Jill Biden repeatedly attacked Trump, a notable escalation of their rhetoric typically heard on the campaign trail and at fundraisers.

Obama, George Clooney and Julia Roberts were the headliners. Thousands of Biden supporters paid between $250, for a seat far from the stage, and $500,000 — for a ticket package that includes prime seats, photos with both presidents and a VIP after-party — to attend what is likely to be one of the president’s last major L.A. fundraisers before the November election.

“This Saturday, we are going to see an unprecedented and record-setting turnout from the media and entertainment world,” said media mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, a Democratic megadonor and the only nonelected official who is a co-chair of the president’s reelection campaign, before the event took place. “The enthusiasm and commitment for Biden-Harris couldn’t be stronger. We all understand this is the most important election of our lifetime.”

Trump spent Saturday campaigning in Detroit, where he accused Biden of weakening the economy and stoking inflation, the Associated Press reported. Biden was fundraising “with out-of-touch elitist Hollywood celebrities,” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

While much of Saturday evening’s comedic moments were provided by Kimmel and celebrities such as Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Jack Black and Barbra Streisand, the president and the former president also got in a few jokes.

“Remember the pandemic, [Trump] said, ‘Don’t worry, just inject a little bleach,’ ” Biden said. “It worked for him, the color of his hair.”

Biden then turned serious, noting that more than 1 million Americans have died from COVID-19.

“It has a profound negative impact on the economy. It had a profound negative impact on the attitudes of Americans,” Biden said. “One of the things I’m very proud that we did is we brought an end to pandemic.”

Kimmel recalled the toilet paper shortage in the initial weeks of the pandemic.

“He promised he would make America great again, and the next thing you know, we are wiping ourselves with envelopes,” Kimmel said, prompting Obama to laughingly interject, “Is that how you handled it, Jimmy?”

Kimmel mentioned his young son Billy, who needed three open-heart surgeries because of a congenital birth defect, asking why Republicans would want to overturn the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

Biden said efforts to chip away at the healthcare policy enacted while Obama was president would significantly harm Americans, notably the millions who have preexisting conditions.

“Look, this guy started it. I expanded it,” he said. “Here’s the deal, the fact is these guys don’t seem to care. It’s saving the country money.”

He turned to Obama and noted, “It has your name on it.”

“I never minded that, I have to say. I am happy to call it Obamacare. Please do. I don’t really understand how that was an insult,” Obama said before adding that politics shouldn’t be about phony performative displays. “At its best, politics is how we come together to solve problems.”

Kimmel noted that after one of his son’s surgeries, Biden sent a card and a stuffed animal that looked like Biden’s German shepherd, Commander, who was moved out of the White House after repeatedly biting Secret Service agents.

“Unfortunately, little Commander bit Billy’s toe off, so he needs more healthcare,” Kimmel said, prompting Obama to say, “Fortunately, he’s covered!”

In a serious moment, Biden noted that the next president is likely to be able to nominate two Supreme Court justices.

“The idea that if he’s reelected he’s going to appoint two more flying flags upside down,” Biden said, referring to the recent controversy over an upside-down flag being flown outside of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s Virginia home.

The president added that the prospect of Trump picking new justices is among the “scariest parts” of the Republican winning in November, and recounted Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ comments about other rights that could be threatened in the aftermath of Roe vs. Wade being overturned.

An audience member shouted “gay rights,” and Biden responded, “Not on my watch.”

First Lady Jill Biden told a story about punching a neighborhood bully who had “tormented” her younger sister when she was 13.

She said everyone was here tonight to show Trump “exactly how we deal with bullies. … We don’t cower, we don’t turn away. We show up. We speak up.”

She then presented the contrast of the election between her husband and Trump, as she sees it: “Joe, a man who has dedicated his life to serving his community. Who honors the rule of law instead of trying to bend it to his own will. And rallies the world to fight for democracy and freedom.”

Or, the first lady continued, “we can choose someone who wakes up every morning caring about one person and one person only. Himself.”

Other elected officials and celebrities who attended included Gov. Gavin Newsom; Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass; Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-San Pedro), Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte); actors Mindy Kaling, Jeff Ross, and Jordan Peele, and singers Paul Anka (Bateman’s father-in-law) and Sheryl Lee Ralph, who sang “God Bless America” shortly before Biden, Obama and Kimmel took the stage for a nearly 40-minute conversation.

Also spotted was Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León, whom Biden urged to resign in October 2022 after he was heard on a leaked audio with other council members that featured racist and derogatory remarks. De León was seen in the theater’s lobby as other elected officials such as Newsom and Bass mingled with Biden and Obama at a VIP gathering before the fundraiser.

Public entrances to L.A. Live were fenced off throughout the afternoon with well-dressed attendees mixing with T-shirted tourists on the sidewalks. Private security and Los Angeles police officers stationed around the perimeter allowed diners to access the restaurants around the venue.

Biden and Obama were not interrupted by protesters about the Israel-Hamas conflict, as they and Vice President Kamala Harris have been at prior events. Protesters did gather outside the theater.

Around 5 p.m., a few hundred pro-Palestinian protesters outside Crypto.com Arena and the adjacent JW Marriott hotel waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “Biden, Biden can’t you see, Palestine will be free,” and other slogans.

A group blocked an entrance to the fundraiser near the hotel. Confused attendees approached and wondered how they’d get inside. They were able to enter a gate near the arena as protesters screamed, “Shame on you!”

Protesters later blocked the street outside the hotel.

Jennifer Jajeh, a Palestinian and South L.A. resident, stood at the entrance to the fundraiser confronting attendees.

“The people on the ground in Gaza are experiencing terror every moment of their lives,” Jajeh said. “I feel that the people who are supporting a candidate who is supporting a genocide should feel some discomfort. Kathy Griffin, you can be yelled at for two minutes.”

The crowd of protesters began to dissipate by 7 p.m. An LAPD spokesperson said there were no arrests.

The event took place at a critical time for Biden.

While the Democrat has outpaced Trump in dollars raised in California and nationally, the former president has seen a burst of donations since being convicted in late May of 34 felonies for falsifying business records about $130,000 in payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels, who alleges they had sex in Lake Tahoe during a golf tournament, in an effort to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Trump’s first fundraising swing after the convictions was in California this month.

National and swing-state polls show a tight race. And voters, some of whom are apathetic about Biden and Trump partly because of their age, are anxious about domestic economic concerns as well as global tumult — the extended wars between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas. Neither international conflict was discussed by Biden or Obama at the fundraiser.

Late Friday night, Biden left the Group of 7 summit — a gathering in Italy of leaders of Western nations focused on tackling global issues such as trade, the economy and security — as well as a private meeting with Pope Francis. After a refueling stop at an Air Force base in Maryland, the president landed in Los Angeles around dawn Saturday.

It’s unknown how Biden spent time after he landed; but his son Hunter, who was convicted of three felony gun charges this week, lives in Malibu. In February, Biden spent about 90 minutes with his son and his grandson at the Ivy restaurant on Hunter Biden’s 54th birthday. Hunter Biden was among the family members who attended Saturday’s fundraiser.

On the Peacock Theater stage, Kimmel asked what presidents have the power to do, noting that he had been making fun of Trump for years on television.

“Every hear of Delta Force? It’s not just a TV show,” Biden said, referring to an elite Army Special Forces unit. “The idea he’s threatening retribution. This is the United States of America. Did you ever think you would hear anything like this?”

Obama said this was among the reasons it was so important for Democrats to be active, from persuading young people to vote to having respectful discussions with family members and friends who have different political leanings.

“If those things happen, then Joe Biden will be reelected president of the United States, Kamala Harris will be reelected vice president of the United States and Jimmy Kimmel will be safe to do his show,” Obama said. “And I’ll be able to do what ex-presidents are supposed to do, which is not hang out with Jimmy Kimmel. Let’s get to work.”

Originally Posted by S Landreth

“Every hear of Delta Force? It’s not just a TV show,” Biden said, referring to an elite Army Special Forces unit. “The idea he’s threatening retribution. This is the United States of America. Did you ever think you would hear anything like this?”

What is that even supposed to mean? That there'll be a coup if Trump tries retribution?? Most members of Delta Force are probably voting for Trump.

Republicans might be stupid, but Democrats are naive.

Originally Posted by pickel

What is that even supposed to mean? That there'll be a coup if Trump tries retribution?? Most members of Delta Force are probably voting for Trump.

Republicans might be stupid, but Democrats are naive.

Doesn't truly matter, does it.
A failed state. A failed society.
Late stage empire collapse.

Biden ad attacks Trump as 'convicted criminal' in $50M paid media blitz

President Joe Biden's reelection campaign is escalating attacks against Donald Trump over the former president's recent guilty verdict and other legal troubles, launching a new television ad Monday as part of a massive $50 million paid media campaign that slams Trump as a "convicted criminal."

The 30-second spot, which will air in battleground states and on national cable television, marks the Biden campaign's first ad that tries to seize on Trump's guilty conviction on 34 felony counts in his New York criminal hush-money trial last month.

"In the courtroom. we see Donald Trump for who he is: He's been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud," a narrator says in the ad, which shows clips of Trump in court. "Meanwhile, Joe Biden's been working."

The ad touts Biden's efforts to lower health care costs and "making big corporations pay their fair share.

"This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family," the ad concludes.

Originally Posted by pickel

What is that even supposed to mean? That there'll be a coup if Trump tries retribution?? Most members of Delta Force are probably voting for Trump.

Republicans might be stupid, but Democrats are naive.

I think it means when baldy orange cunto has been telling everyone he'll be getting payback on all his perceived enemies, as Commander In Chief he would be able to order the military around, including Delta forces, etc.

And remember he's both senile and a mental case.

Biden announces new policy shielding undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation

The Biden administration is taking executive action to protect undocumented spouses of American citizens — a move that would shield about 500,000 immigrants from deportation.

The White House announced the election-year policy Tuesday, framing it as “new action to keep families together.” NBC News reported that an executive action protecting the spouses was likely to be announced soon, after urging from immigration advocates and Democratic lawmakers and as President Joe Biden courts Latino voters in crucial battleground states.

Lawmakers have been briefed on the plan and at least some have been invited to the White House for the announcement, sources said.

“This is the biggest thing since DACA,” said a source familiar with the matter, an immigration advocate, adding that it was a smart political move by the Biden administration.

Foreshadowing the likely battles to come over the policy, the White House was keen to stress that it has been tough on unlawful border crossings and has worked to dismantle people-smuggling networks.

Biden "believes that securing the border is essential," it said in a press release outlining the new action Tuesday.

"He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country," the statement said.

The action aims to provide a "significant benefit to the country" by allowing non-citizens who have been in the country for at least 10 years and are married to a U.S. citizen, and their children, to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country.

The statement added that the spouses eligible to apply for this have been in the U.S. for 23 years on average.

The program would also make it easier for some undocumented immigrants to get a green card and a path to U.S. citizenship.

Sources also say that the undocumented spouses would be allowed to obtain work permits on a case-by-case basis.

The action includes plans to allow DACA recipients who earned degrees in higher education and are seeking a job in that same field to more quickly receive work visas.

The moves are expected to be challenged in court.

Noting the likelihood of lawsuits, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that the passage of legislation would be "the only action that will fully allow these deserving individuals to put down roots, start families, further their education, and continue contributing to our society without fear of deportation," but he noted that would be unlikely given Republican opposition to previous immigration overhauls.

President Biden and the First Lady Host an Event Marking the 12th Anniversary of DACA

Some immigrants celebrate Biden’s extension of legal status while others left out

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants had reason to rejoice when Joe Biden unveiled a highly expansive plan to extend legal status to spouses of US citizens but, inevitably, some were left out.

Claudia Zúniga, 35, was married in 2017, 10 years after her husband came to the United States. He moved to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, after they wed, knowing that, by law, he had to live outside the US for years to gain legal status. “Our lives took a 180-degree turn,” she said.

Biden announced on Tuesday that his administration will, in the coming months, allow US citizens’ spouses without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship without having to first depart the country for up to 10 years. About 500,000 immigrants may benefit, according to senior administration officials.

To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years and be married to a US citizen, both as of Monday. Zúniga’s husband is ineligible because he wasn’t in the United States.

“Imagine, it would be a dream come true,” said Zúniga, who works part time at her father’s transportation business in Houston. “My husband could be with us. We could focus on the wellbeing of our children.”

Every immigration benefit – even those as sweeping as Biden’s election-year offer – has a cutoff dates and other eligibility requirements. In September, the Democratic president expanded temporary status for nearly 500,000 Venezuelans who were living in the United States on 31 July 2023. Those who had arrived a day later were out of luck.

The Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has shielded hundreds of thousands of people from deportation who came to the United States as young children and is popularly known as Daca, required applicants to be in the United States on 15 June 2012 and to have been in the country continuously for the previous five years.

About 1.1 million people in the US illegally are married to US citizens, according to advocacy group FWD.us, but hundreds of thousands won’t qualify because they were in the US for fewer than 10 years.

Immigration advocates were generally thrilled with the scope of Tuesday’s announcement, just as Biden’s critics called it a horribly misguided giveaway.

Angelica Martinez, 36, wiped away tears as she sat next to her children, ages 14 and six, and watched Biden’s announcement at the Houston office of Fiel, an immigrant advocacy group. A US citizen since 2013, she described a flood of emotions, including regret for when her husband couldn’t travel to Mexico for his mother’s death five years ago.

“Sadness, joy all at the same time,” said Martinez, whose husband came to Houston 18 years ago.

Biden, Trump qualify for debate as window closes: CNN

President Biden and former President Trump officially qualified for the first presidential debate of 2024 as the deadline to meet the requirements ended Thursday, according to CNN.

CNN is slated to host the first debate June 27, with Dana Bash and Jake Tapper selected as the moderators. Biden and Trump were the only candidates to qualify for the debate, which marks the first between a sitting and former president, per the outlet.

Candidates were required to garner at least 15 percent of support in four national polls and had to be viable on enough state ballots to earn the 270 delegates needed to be elected to the White House. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has faced a tough battle to reach the threshold, was not expected to clinch a spot on the debate stage.

Biden and Trump, the presumptive nominees of their respective parties, are even closer now to a likely rematch of the 2020 election. The debates in the last presidential election cycle between the two were marked by name-calling, interruptions and clashes with the moderators.

Now, the two of them are returning to the debate stage next week with set rules announced by CNN and agreed to by both candidates.

Biden’s Immigration Action Poised to Weather Legal Challenges

President Joe Biden‘s latest use of executive parole power to offer relief to some 500,000 immigrants, the broadest use of that authority to date for immigrants in the US, stands on firmer legal ground than other programs for long-term residents, attorneys say.

The rollout of the “Parole in Place” plan for undocumented spouses of US citizens, announced June 18, is almost certain to draw legal challenges from Republican opponents.

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Melinda French Gates endorses Joe Biden, says Donald Trump 'endangered' women

Melinda French Gates endorsed President Joe Biden’s re-election bid on Thursday, marking the first time the philanthropist has waded into a presidential race.

French Gates, 59, wrote in an op-ed for CNN that “the stakes for women and families couldn’t be higher.”

I’ve never endorsed a presidential candidate before. But this year’s election stands to be so enormously consequential for women and families that, this time, I can’t stay quiet.

Women deserve a leader who cares about the issues they face and is committed to protecting their safety, their health, their economic power, their reproductive rights, and their ability to freely and fully participate in a functioning democracy. In this election, the contrast couldn’t be greater, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

I will be voting for President Biden. https://twitter.com/melindagates/sta...44768394547597
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Trump Slams Fox News Poll That Shows Him Losing To Biden

Former President Donald Trump criticized a new Fox News poll that shows President Joe Biden beating him in a hypothetical matchup for the first time since October—the latest poll to show Trump’s lead has slipped in the wake of his Manhattan hush money conviction last month.