Author T. C. Boyle: 'Trump took the shots upon himself'
US author T. C. Boyle holds Trump and the Republican Party accountable for the shooting at Trump's rally. "He is attributing the shots in Pennsylvania to himself," says the 73-year-old bestselling author to the "wochentaz". The Republicans are "the party of gun nuts." "They want absolutely no controls. They even want to abolish the laws that today limit automatic weapons." Boyle suggests that Biden should withdraw as the Democratic candidate for the presidency in November. "There are so many great younger, energetic people who could beat Trump," he says. Among others, he mentions Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
12:39 Jagger: "Michelle Obama is the only one with better values than Trump"Should Biden stay in the race or withdraw his candidacy? Political scientist Thomas Jagger speaks of a "self-destruction of the Democrats" and a "campaign led by Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama." Nobody has better chances of beating Trump than Biden.
12:04 Trump Critic Christie: "He hated what he said"The Republican politician Chris Christie criticizes Trump's convention speech. The US presidential candidate failed to unite the nation, says Christie to ABC. Trump showed restraint when speaking about the attack on him, but "he hated what he said," Christie judges regarding Trump's appeal for national "unity." The former governor of New Jersey Christie is one of the sharpest critics of Trump in the Republican Party.
11:02 Pistorius: Germany would be "even more demanded" after a Trump winAccording to Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Germany's military role in Europe would be required independently of the outcome of the US presidential election. "Should Donald Trump become US President, the weights within the NATO are likely to shift even faster," he tells the "Tagesspiegel." The Federal Republic as the largest economy in the EU would "then be even more demanded." This development should also be reflected in the federal budget.
10:23 Biden follows Trump speech angry at home - and is upsetIn a longer thread on X, President Joe Biden sharply criticizes Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention. "Since I'm sitting at home with Covid, I had the bad luck of seeing Donald Trump's speech at the RNC," writes Biden, who is currently recovering from a Corona infection. Biden criticizes Trump's tax policy. "He said he would start with 'debt forgiveness' and further reduce taxes. That's a joke," so Biden. "Trump exploded the deficit in his first term, and his tax cut plan would make it even worse in a second term." In addition, he accused Trump of wanting to be a dictator.
09:41 Historian Snyder: "Trump has decided for the far-right camp"For historian Timothy Snyder, Donald Trump is "entirely responsible" for the political climate of violence in the US. He doesn't believe that the attack on the US presidential candidate could unite the country. With the selection of J.D. Vance as his running mate, Trump "has decided for the far-right camp," says Snyder in an interview with ntv.de. "He can't use the attack as a unifying theme because Vance has already unfairly accused the Democrats."
The full interview with Timothy Snyder appears at 15:00 on ntv.de
08:51 Biden: "Excited to Go on Campaign Trail"The debate over a possible withdrawal of US President Joe Biden from the campaign heats up. Leading Democrats are trying to convince the 81-year-old to step down to improve the party's chances against former President Donald Trump. However, Biden intends to campaign next week.
07:51 Representative: Biden Didn't Recognize MeRepresentative Seth Moulton is part of a group of Democrats calling for US President Joe Biden to exit the campaign. In an op-ed for the "Boston Globe", he justifies his stance with concerns about Biden's constitution. "I recently saw him in a small group in Normandy on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. For the first time, I didn't recognize him," Moulton writes. "Of course, that can happen with aging, but when I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I had to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem."
06:47 Voter Group Announces Initiative for DemocratsWhile some major donors to US President Biden have withheld financing, the liberal umbrella organization "America Votes" announced it will invest $40 million in the next two weeks. The money will be used to win voters and voters in five contested states for the Democratic Party, according to a press release. "Our partners know how to beat Trump and Co., because they've done it in three consecutive elections," Daria Dawson, the group's CEO, was quoted as saying by the "New York Times." The democracy is at stake in the November election.
05:31 Pelosi Against Direct Nomination of Harris, if Biden Drops OutCalifornia Representative Nancy Pelosi reportedly prefers a competitive process for the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democratic presidential candidate in the event of Biden's campaign ending. According to the "New York Times," sources in the California Democratic delegation reported this during a meeting with the delegation. Pelosi reportedly urged for Biden's withdrawal, stating that the Democrats would lose every chance with him.
04:49 Threats Against Trump and Vance: Arrest in FloridaA man was arrested in Florida after allegedly threatening both Republican US Presidential candidate Donald Trump and his endorsed running mate J.D. Vance on social media with death. Law enforcement became aware of the suspect through online tips and reports from neighbors, according to a Facebook post by the Jupiter Police Department in the US state of Florida. During the examination of his Facebook account, the officers discovered multiple threats against Trump and Vance. Threats were also made against their family members. The man was taken into custody.
04:03 Report: Biden "Angry" with PelosiPresident Joe Biden faces a new round of dissenting Democrats who publicly urged him to leave the presidential race. Among them is California Representative Zoe Lofgren, a close ally of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. According to CNN, Biden is reportedly "angry" with Pelosi, who has publicly expressed her support for the US President.
02:45 Trump's bodyguard explored event location with droneAccording to a report by the "Wall Street Journal," Trump's bodyguard examined the event location prior to the attack using a drone. He was able to take aerial photographs of the fairgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, only a few hours before the attack, the newspaper reported, citing law enforcement officials familiar with the matter. These findings could raise questions about whether the event site was adequately secured.
01:39 Prominent Biden supporter separates from advisorReid Hoffman, a prominent Democratic donor and billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, has separated from his longtime political advisor Dmitri Mehlhorn. Mehlhorn stated that his views on the future of the Democratic Party had become a "distraction." The two were the spearhead of major donors who encouraged Democrats to hold onto President Biden as their party's candidate.
00:29 More Democrats call on Biden to withdrawRepresentative Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico is urging President Biden to "step aside to give the Democrats the best chances of winning in November." Vasquez, who faces a tight re-election battle for his House seat, joins a chorus of endangered Democrats who have called on the President to drop out. Ten Democrats from the House have joined the ranks of party members urging Biden to abandon his campaign today.
23:20 Harris tries to reassure major Democratic donors - and failsVice President Kamala Harris attempted to calm the nerves of the Democratic Party's largest donors by informing them during a video call that there was little cause for concern regarding President Biden's campaign. Several participants in the call told the "New York Times" that they found the meeting overall unproductive and sometimes even condescending. Many believe, according to the report, that Harris' message ignored the legitimate concerns of donors about Biden's campaign.
22:21 Trump's first campaign appearance since the attack, with VP candidate VanceA week after the attack, former US President Donald Trump held his first campaign appearance on Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, alongside his vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. Trump was nominated as the Republican Party's presidential candidate at their convention this week and was triumphantly welcomed.
21:50 Union foreign policy spokesperson Hardt: We may need to adjust to new RepublicansUnion foreign policy spokesperson Jürgen Hardt expects the Republicans, under their presidential candidate, to realign ideologically - regardless of the November election result. Trump's campaign promises are described as a "wonderful surprise."
21:23 While calls for Biden's withdrawal grow louder: Harris visits ice cream shop with Tyra BanksAs calls for Biden to withdraw as the Democratic candidate for the US elections in November grow louder, even from within his own party (see entry 20:56), his potential successor Kamala Harris spends time with her nieces at an ice cream shop. In the US capital Washington DC, former supermodel Tyra Banks opens a pop-up ice cream shop "Smize&Dream." The US Vice President and her two nieces enjoy ice cream - served personally by the ex-model.
20:56 Democrats openly call for Biden to withdraw
More and more Democrats are publicly urging US President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race for the US elections. In the past few hours, Representatives Betty McCollum from Minnesota, Kathy Castor from Florida, Zoe Lofgren from California, and Greg Landsman have given statements calling on Biden to retire. Just before that, Democrats Jared Huffman from California, Mark Veasey from Texas, Chuy Garcia from Illinois, and Mark Pocan from Wisconsin - Democratic representatives from the US House of Representatives - had recently expressed their support in an open letter for Biden to "pass the torch to a new generation of democratic leaders."
20:18 Biden to go back on campaign trail next week
US President Joe Biden announced that he will be back on the campaign trail next week and will win the November election. Recently, Biden had paused due to Corona symptoms. In the past few days, the number of Democratic Party members calling on Biden to retire has increased.
19:33 CNN analyst: These Democrats could beat Trump
If US President Joe Biden were to decide to withdraw from his candidacy, the Democrats have no reason to worry - they have a women's duo in the party that could still defeat the likely Republican candidate Donald Trump, according to Julian Zelizer, CNN political analyst and Princeton professor, in a commentary on CNN. Zelizer believes that Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate and Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan, as her running mate, have the best chances of leading the party through this crisis. US Vice President Kamala Harris is being discussed as a top contender for the Biden successor in the US presidential elections in November. Whitmer is one of the rising figures in the Democratic Party. Furthermore, Zelizer sees the potential for a campaign by these two Democrats to win over voters and achieve a historic result.
18:17 Report: Biden family discusses withdrawal scenarios
Members of the Biden family have discussed how a withdrawal from the campaign could look. NBC News reports this based on two people familiar with the discussions. The discussions reportedly focused on withdrawal options for Biden. The sources quoted by NBC News describe two conditions for a potential withdrawal plan that were a "general tenor" of the discussions: If Biden were to make this decision, it should put the party in the best position to defeat former President Donald Trump. It is also important that Biden leaves office with dignity. That Biden is even considering withdrawing and discussing potential withdrawal plans with his family is a new development, NBC News writes.
17:03 Could Kamala Harris beat Trump?
The pressure on US President Joe Biden from within his own party is growing. According to polls, his Vice President Kamala Harris has better chances against the Republican and challenger Donald Trump. But does she have what it takes to be the most powerful woman in the world?
16:23 Team Speaker: Biden takes Democratic concerns seriously
US President Joe Biden, according to his team, will return to campaigning in the next week after completing his isolation due to mild Corona symptoms. Jen O'Malley Dillon, the head of his campaign team, shared this information in an interview with MSNBC. "He is absolutely in it," she said. The 81-year-old is taking the concerns of some Democrats seriously but remains determined to fight for a second term. In the past few days, pressure on Biden has increased. Many representatives of his Democratic Party have publicly questioned Biden's physical and mental fitness for a candidacy and his chances of winning. Biden has withdrawn to his home in Delaware due to a Corona infection.
15:38 Kamala Harris counters Trump's Unity Promise
In his speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Presidential candidate Donald Trump aims to unite the deeply divided American population. In response, Vice President Kamala Harris wrote clearly on social media: "If you claim to stand for unity, you must do more than just use the word." Harris wrote that he couldn't just claim to stand for the unity of the USA when he pursued an agenda that deprived entire groups of Americans of their fundamental freedoms, opportunities, and dignity.
14:33 Media Report: Biden considers dropping out of the race
According to media reports, ailing US President Joe Biden is now considering withdrawing from the race for the White House. The "New York Times" cites several sources from Biden's circle, who indicate that the 81-year-old is beginning to accept that he may not be able to win the election against his rival Donald Trump in November. "Reality is setting in," the "New York Times" quotes from Biden's circle. It is not surprising if Biden soon supports Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate, so the source adds. However, another person close to the President emphasized that Biden had not yet made a decision.
13:50 Attacker informed himself about other school shooters
The Trump assassin informed himself about another school shooter, who had shot and killed four students at a high school in Michigan in 2021, and the charges against his parents, according to CNN, citing FBI and Secret Service agents.
13:17 Hulk Hogan pays tribute to "Gladiator" Trump in bizarre speech
As a professional wrestler, Hulk Hogan became a folk hero in the USA in the 80s and 90s. Advertising and film appearances followed. Now, Hulk Hogan enters the presidential campaign in a spectacular way. At the Republican National Convention, he paid tribute to Donald Trump in a wrestling-style speech.
12:36 Spahn praises Trump's foreign policy stances
Union Vice-Fraction Leader Jens Spahn expresses praise for Trump's foreign policy positions. Spahn mentioned on MDR approximately Trump's stance on containing China and Israel's existence. The former Health Minister also addressed Trump's announced peace initiative for Ukraine. He said Europeans should "be part of these talks" and should not be content with the spectator role. Regarding the Redaktionsnetzwerk, Spahn, who was an observer at the Republican Party convention, emphasized that Trump "is often right politically." "Our Iran policy was wrong in retrospect, his was right. Our policy on Nord Stream 2 was wrong, he warned us." Trump has been calling "for years" that Europe should do more for its security, said Spahn. "We had kept our eyes closed for too long."
11:52 Communications expert: Trump delivers "untypical tones"
Trump's nomination speech, which lasts over 90 minutes, is the longest one to date. According to communications expert Christian Galvez, it's not just the "typical campaign with a ton of fake news," but also "untypical tones" for the Republicans:
11:26 Trump's performance reminds security experts of "Life of Brian"
In the opinion of security expert Christian Mölling, the content of the statements made at the US Republican Party convention is not the most significant aspect. "If you see how people really cling to that band. [...] That's just like in Life of Brian," he says in the "Stern" podcast "Die Lage." "There's this scene at the end where everyone is chasing after someone's sandal, who, in a way, has become an icon, an object of adoration, whether it's a sandal or a band: Trump is being stylized as a savior and he styles himself that way as well, and that's why the contents, I believe, are rather banal."
10:55 Politologist on Trump's calculations: "Arithmetic carries immense risk"
How surprising or expected was Trump's speech at the Republican Party convention? Politologist Thomas Jäger takes a look at the potential consequences of his announcements for Ukraine and other US allies. He also assesses whether Biden will still be the Democratic Party's presidential candidate next week:
10:19 Trump accuses Biden of causing more damage than "ten worst presidents" combined
Trump initially did not intend to mention Biden in his speech, but he deviated from his script once again. "The damage he has caused to this country is unimaginable," Trump said about the incumbent president. When the damage caused by the "ten worst presidents" in US history is considered together, it is not as great as the damage Biden has caused.
09:51 When Trump deviates from the script, chaos ensues
In Milwaukee, Trump told a story about the assassination attempt against him; he seemed tired but was then cheered on by delegates and did not always stick to the script - "old tones came through." NTV reporter Hanna Klouth shares her impressions of Trump's official presidential nomination speech by the Republicans:
09:15 Trump makes over 20 false claims in speechCNN counts over 20 false claims in Trump's party convention speech. Many of them were previously made by the presidential candidate, some for years. The topics affected include Economy, Immigration, Crime, Foreign Policy and Elections. The statement that he left the Biden administration a world at peace is deemed "absurd" by the network. Trump also repeated the allegation of election fraud against the Democrats - even though, according to the report, it was not included in the speech manuscript.
08:45 Trump obfuscates Taiwan issue in speechChina was mentioned only once by Trump in a national security context in his speech. He said, "The land surrounds Taiwan" - without specifying whether his administration would come to Taiwan's aid if it is attacked by China in case of his re-election. Trump has not yet committed on this issue.
You can read about all previous developments [here].**
1. Withdrawal considerations for Biden raised amidst election uncertaintyAs demands for US President Joe Biden to step down from his campaign for the 2024 United States Presidency Election intensify, political analysts question how the potential exit may affect the Democrats' chances against the Republicans and Donald Trump.
2. Wisconsin's influence on the Democratic Party's choice of candidateIn the wake of repeated calls for Biden to withdraw from his presidency bid, some Democratic leaders, including Representative Seth Moulton, recognize the importance of appealing to Wisconsin voters and its potential Democratic strongholds to enhance their chances of beating Donald Trump in the next election.
3. The Kentucky Republican Senator's stance on US Intelligence & Donald Trump'Senator Rand Paul, despite being a Republican, criticizes his own party's efforts to undermine the US Intelligence Communities. He maintains thatobile Trump's politically-charged attack on them only serves to weaken America's overall national security.
4. Pennsylvania's integral role in the 2024 electionThe ongoing investigations into the politically-motivated assault on Donald Trump during his rally in Pennsylvania highlight the state's pivotal position in determining the outcome of the forthcoming United States Presidency Election.
5. Unity and unity appeals from Biden and TrumpBoth Joe Biden and Donald Trump have made appeals for unity during their respective party conventions, but it remains unclear if these promises will have any tangible impact on the deeply divided landscape of American politics.
6. Affect of political unrest on the Biden Administration's foreign policyThe ongoing tensions between Democrats and Republicans, as well as Donald Trump's controversial foreign policies, have raised concerns about the potential consequences for US alliances and international relations.
