Joe Manchin says Joe Biden must ‘pass the torch’

BY NICK ROBERTSON

© AP

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) became the fifth senator to call on President Biden to leave the presidential race on Sunday, urging the president to be a “uniter” and “pass the torch” to another Democratic candidate.

“I came to decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union."

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Khanna says he thinks Harris would get Democratic nomination if Biden steps aside

BY MIRANDA NAZZARO

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.) maintained his support for President Biden in the 2024 race, while predicting Vice President Kamala Harris would likely win the party’s presidential nomination should the president withdraw his reelection bid.

“I mean, if he [Biden] made that decision [to withdraw from the race], the vote is on August 7,” Khanna said on ABC News’s “This Week,” when asked if he would like to see an open convention should Biden step aside.

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Speaker Johnson says Trump hasn’t missed opportunity to promote unity

BY MIRANDA NAZZARO

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dismissed criticism that former President Trump “missed an opportunity” to promote unity following the attempted assassination on his life, arguing the former president’s recent attacks on political rivals are “campaign rhetoric.”

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Maryland Democrat defends Secret Service chief: ‘Scapegoating doesn’t help’

BY NICK ROBERTSON 

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) defended Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle from calls for her resignation after the security force has come under immense scrutiny following an attempted assassination of former President Trump.

Ivey, a top Homeland Security Committee Democrat, said in a NewsNation “The Hill Sunday” interview with Chris Stirewalt that any questions over her job should be left until after internal and Congressional investigations into the agency’s security process.

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Clyburn predicts election loss if Democrats have contested convention

BY NICK ROBERTSON 

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) predicted that Democrats will likely lose in November if the party fails to quickly unify behind a single presidential candidate, despite leaving the door open to backing a new nominee should President Biden choose to leave the race.

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Speaker Johnson predicts legal battles if Biden replaced

BY NICK ROBERTSON

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) predicted that there could be legal challenges in some states if President Biden is not Democrats’ presidential nominee, setting up potential ballot access conflicts if the president chooses to leave the campaign.

A rising number of Democrats have called on Biden to leave the campaign and make way for a different presidential nominee. While many in the party appear to have coalesced around Vice President Kamala Harris, it’s unclear if a new ticket would easily make the ballot in all 50 states.

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Trump’s favorability rises after shooting while many Americans want Biden to drop out: Poll 

BY MIRANDA NAZZARO

Former President Trump’s favorability ticked up in a new poll after the attempted assassination on his life, while the majority of Americans think President Biden should drop out of the race.

According to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll, 40 percent of Americans said they have a favorable impression of Trump — the official Republican presidential nominee — while 51 percent said they have an unfavorable view. Seven percent said they didn’t have an opinion and 2 percent said they do not know.

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