Tag: Joe Biden

Trump edges out Biden 51-42 in head-to-head matchup: POLL

President Joe Biden’s job approval rating is 19 points underwater, his ratings for handling the economy and immigration are at career lows. A record number of Americans say they’ve become worse off under his presidency, three-quarters say he’s too old for another term and Donald Trump is looking better in retrospect — all severe challenges for Biden in his reelection campaign ahead.

Forty-four percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say they’ve gotten worse off financially under Biden’s presidency, the most for any president in ABC/Post polls since 1986. Just 37% approve of his job performance, while 56% disapprove. Still fewer approve of Biden’s performance on the economy, 30%.

On handling immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, Biden’s rating is even lower, with 23% approval. In terms of intensity of sentiment, 20% strongly approve of his work overall, while 45% strongly disapprove. And the 74% who say he’s too old for a second term is up 6 percentage points since May. Views that Trump is too old also are up, but to 50% in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates.

Such is down-on-Biden sentiment that if a government shutdown occurs at month’s end, 40% say they’d chiefly blame him and the Democrats in Congress, versus 33% who’d pin it on the Republicans in Congress — even given the GOP infighting behind the budget impasse.

Trump
Trump, for his part, has improved in retrospect. When he reluctantly left office in January 2021, 38% approved of his work as president, essentially the same as Biden’s rating now. But currently, looking back, 48% say they approve of Trump’s performance when he was in office — matching his peak as president. Essentially as many — 49% — now disapprove, down from 60% when he left the White House.

Comparison with Biden may be a factor. Among the 56% of Americans who disapprove of Biden’s work in office, a wide 75% say that, looking back, they approve of Trump.

It’s also notable that Trump has an even split in his retrospective job approval rating even as most Americans continue to reject his assertion that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Sixty percent of Americans instead say Biden legitimately won, and an additional 12% have no opinion; 29% think Biden did not win legitimately.

Election
These views play into early-stage election preferences. A remarkable 62% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the party should pick someone other than Biden as its nominee in 2024; just a third back Biden. Desire for a different candidate is at a numerical high, but also consistent with past results (56 to 58%) the past year.

Who, if not Biden, is an open question. In an open-ended question, 8% express a preference for Kamala Harris, 8% for Bernie Sanders and 7% for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with other mentions in the low single digits. Just “someone else” comes in at 20%.

Trump has far broader intraparty support; 54% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents favor him for the GOP nomination, again similar to previous results, and well ahead of his opposition. Ron DeSantis has 15% support, compared with 25% (using a slightly different question approach) in May. All others are in single digits.

Head-to-head in a hypothetical November 2024 matchup, Trump has 51% support while Biden has 42% — numerically up 3 points for Trump and down 2 points for Biden from an ABC/Post poll in February, shifts that are not statistically significant.

There’s even less change from the most recent ABC/Post poll in May, which had the race at 49-42% (again with a different, but comparable, question wording). Still, with Trump inching over 50% — and other polls showing a closer contest — a close look is warranted.

Factors
A variety of factors may be at play. Biden’s poor performance ratings, the extent of economic discontent, the immigration crisis and doubts about his age clearly are relevant. All have been the subject of extensive recent news coverage, focusing public discourse on negatives for the president. Trump, meanwhile, has used his criminal indictments to bolster his base through claims of political persecution and enjoys positive coverage of his GOP frontrunner status.

Question order can be a factor. As is customary for ABC/Post polls at this still-early stage of an election cycle, this survey asked first about Biden and Trump’s performance, economic sentiment and a handful of other issues (Ukraine aid, abortion and a government shutdown) before candidate preferences. That’s because these questions are more germane than candidate support in an election so far off. Since many results are negative toward Biden, it follows that he’s lagging in 2024 support. Nonetheless, those sentiments are real, have been consistently negative in recent surveys and clearly mark Biden’s challenges ahead.

Another possible factor is message-sending. A hypothetical vote-preference question 14 months before an election is predictive of nothing; it’s best seen as an opportunity for the public to express its like or dislike of the candidates. Biden is broadly unpopular and doubts about his suitability for a second term are extensive; wherever they end up in more than a year, a substantial number of Americans today are taking the opportunity to express their displeasure.

In one example of message-sending, among people who say Trump should be prohibited by the U.S. Constitution from serving again as president, 18% also support him over Biden for 2024. Such people seem to be expressing their antipathy toward Biden, not their support for Trump.

In terms of sampling, this survey was conducted using the ABC/Post poll’s longstanding methodology. Demographic results are typical. So are partisan preferences; 25% of respondents identify themselves as Democrats, 25% as Republicans and 42% as independents. Forty-one percent are Democrats or independents who lean toward the Democratic Party; 45% are Republicans or lean toward the GOP, consistent this year.

Additionally, survey respondents who say they voted in 2020 report having supported Biden over Trump by 50-46%, very close to the actual outcome, 51-47%.

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/troubles-biden-age-reelection-campaign-poll/story?id=103436611

McCarthy opens impeachment inquiry into Biden without House vote

President Biden and Speaker McCarthy at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on St. Patricks Day at the Capitol in March. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday announced he is directing a trio of House committees to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

Why it matters: The unilateral move is an apparent reversal of McCarthy’s previous statement that a House vote would be held to launch such a probe.

  • It’s an escalation of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committee investigations into the business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter.
  • Launching a formal probe gives Republicans added subpoena powers, McCarthy said in August.

What he’s saying: “Today, I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,” McCarthy said in a brief statement at the Capitol on Tuesday.

  • McCarthy said the inquiry is the “logical next step” that will “give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public.”
  • The speaker said the effort will be spearheaded by Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.).

Zoom in: It’s unclear that House Republicans have the 218 votes to impeach Biden, and some Republicans in both the House and the Senate are on record saying they don’t think there’s enough evidence to proceed.

  • Bypassing a House vote means averting a potential blow to GOP momentum towards impeachment.
  • “As of now I don’t support” an impeachment inquiry, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said on Tuesday.
  • Bacon said an inquiry “should be based on evidence of a crime that points directly to President Biden, or if the President doesn’t cooperate by not providing documents.”

Source: https://www.axios.com/2023/09/12/mccarthy-biden-impeachment-inquiry

‘I Am Going to Bed…’: Biden Abruptly Ends Vietnam Presser, Snubs Question on Dialogue With China’s Xi

I’ll just follow my orders here. Staff, is there anybody that hasn’t spoken yet? I ain’t calling on you, Joe Biden said during the presser. (Reuters file)

While addressing media in Vietnam following the G20 Summit, US President Joe Biden, in response to a question about why he hasn’t spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping, joked, “I tell you what, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go to bed.”

China and Russia’s respective presidents, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin did not attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

“I’ll just follow my orders here. Staff, is there anybody that hasn’t spoken yet? I ain’t calling on you,” Joe Biden said during the presser.

Biden also noted he does not want to “contain” China, as the two powers face deepening divisions on trade, security and rights.

The US President said he had met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit in New Delhi and discussed “stability”. The meeting, however, was not announced by the White House.

“One of the things that are going on now is China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game, in terms of trade and other issues,” Biden stated.

Source: https://www.news18.com/world/i-am-going-to-bed-biden-abruptly-ends-vietnam-presser-snubs-question-on-dialogue-with-chinas-xi-8573362.html

“Handsome Guy”: Joe Biden Quips On Trump Mug Shot After Arrest

“Handsome guy, wonderful guy,” Biden quipped to reporters after exiting an exercise class in Lake Tahoe.

President Joe Biden told reporters he saw the mug shot photo from former President Donald Trump’s arrest for felony charges in connection to his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
“Handsome guy, wonderful guy,” Biden quipped to reporters after exiting an exercise class in Lake Tahoe.

Biden has largely avoided commenting on Trump’s legal troubles, with White House officials saying they want to preserve judicial and prosecutorial independence.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/handsome-guy-joe-biden-quips-on-trump-mug-shot-after-arrest-4330907

Hunter special counsel will cast shadow over Biden 2024 campaign

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs federal court after a plea hearing on two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm

The appointment on Friday of a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden ensures that the criminal probe of the president’s son will cast a long shadow over his father’s reelection campaign.

Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ new role as special counsel, announced on Friday, may force President Joe Biden to deal with unpleasant headlines and distract him and his campaign when he would prefer to talk about the economy or signature legislation as he campaigns for the 2024 presidential election, according to senior Democrats.

“This will have a sizable impact on the re-elect. They run the risk of constantly getting knocked off message. Every time someone goes before a grand jury or is subpoenaed, the press will keep asking about it. Biden wants to talk economy, guns, national security and he’ll be less able to,” said a senior Democrat.

Democrats also fear that special counsel investigations could grow in scope.

“Special counsels always find things they don’t expect to find. (The probe of former President Bill) Clinton started as an investigation into a real estate deal he and Hillary did when he was governor and ended with Monica Lewinsky,” the senior Democrat said.

The Biden campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Hunter Biden in July pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to pay more than $100,000 in taxes owed on over $1.5 million in income in 2017 and 2018. He did not enter a plea in a separate case in which he is charged with unlawfully owning a firearm while using illegal drugs, which is a felony.

Top Democrats were hopeful a plea agreement between Hunter Biden and Weiss would have allowed the president to move past his son’s legal troubles and relegate the issue to Republican-led congressional investigations.

But a federal judge refused to accept a proposed plea deal and Weiss said in a court filing on Friday that talks between the two sides have since broken down.

A potential trial raises the possibility of an unprecedented spectacle in U.S. history: The son of a sitting president facing criminal charges while his father campaigns for re-election, likely against Republican Donald Trump, who faces at least three upcoming criminal trials of his own.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hunter-special-counsel-could-weigh-biden-2024-campaign-2023-08-12

‘My guy’: Hunter Biden partner Devon Archer says Joe Biden was on calls with foreign patrons for ‘the brand’

Former Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer told Congress Monday that Hunter referred to President Biden as “my guy” while connecting his dad to foreign associates nearly two dozen times — as Republicans move closer to starting an impeachment inquiry.

Archer said during a four-hour House Oversight Committee interview that Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings paid Hunter up to $1 million per year to serve on its board because of his family’s “brand.”

Archer met with then-Vice President Joe Biden in April 2014, within days of joining Burisma’s board alongside Hunter, and told lawmakers that “Burisma would have gone out of business if ‘the brand’ had not been attached to it,” according to a readout from panel Republicans.

“Archer talked about the ‘big guy’ and how Hunter Biden always said, ‘We need to talk to my guy,’ ‘We need to see when my guy is going to be here,’ and those types of things,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) told reporters as he left the deposition.

According to Archer, Burisma owner Mykola Zlochevsky — who allegedly told an FBI informant in 2016 he was “coerced” to pay $10 million in bribes to Hunter and Joe Biden — put intense pressure on Hunter in late 2015 to enlist US support for ousting Ukrainian prosecutor-general Viktor Shokin, who had investigated Burisma, the Republican readout said.

At one point, Hunter Biden, Zlochevsky and Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi stepped away and “called DC” about the issue, Archer said.

Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, arrives at the O’Neill House Office Building before testifying to the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill on July 31.
Getty Images

“This raises concerns that Hunter Biden was in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” the GOP majority on the Oversight Committee tweeted.

Archer also said Hunter Biden, whose probation-only plea deal for tax fraud linked to his foreign income and an unrelated gun charge collapsed last week, put his father on speakerphone more than 20 times during business meetings to promote “the brand.”

Joe Biden was on speakerphone during a Paris dinner with reps from a French energy company, Archer said, and while his son was in China with Jonathan Li of BHR Partners, a state-backed investment fund co-founded by Hunter in 2013 — after he introduced his father to Li during an official trip to Beijing.

Archer further confirmed that then-Vice President Biden attended an April 2015 dinner at Washington’s Cafe Milano with Pozharskyi and former Moscow first lady Yelena Baturina, as previously reported by The Post.

It was not immediately clear whether Archer shared significant details about the bribery accusation involving Burisma or addressed other lingering points of intrigue, such as the extent of the business relationship between Hunter and Baturina, or the ties between the first son and another Russian billionaire, former arms contractor Vladimir Yevtushenkov.

“[Archer] said, ‘I do not recall’ more times than I [would like],” Oversight Committee member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) told The Post Monday evening.

“We wish he could have given us more detailed answers on some of our questions. But what he did provide is massive,” she added. “He provided, as a former business partner of Hunter Biden, that Joe Biden lied to the American people so many times. Joe Biden is on record over and over — on video and interviews — saying, ‘I don’t know anything about my son’s business dealings. I’ve never talked to Hunter about his business.’”

Source : https://nypost.com/2023/07/31/ex-hunter-biden-partner-devon-archer-arrives-for-house-deposition

Joe Biden Urged To Resolve 195-Year US Green Card Backlog For Indians

A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.

The wait time or backlog for US Green Card applicants from India stands at 195 years.

Washington: A group of US lawmakers has urged the Joe Biden and his administration to take executive action to make priority dates current for Green Card applicants from India to reduce the 195-year-long wait period and backlog which has left them in a constant state of limbo.
Led by Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Larry Bucshon, the bipartisan group of 56 lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting the administration take executive action to provide relief to high-skilled employment-based visa holders.

In their letter, the US lawmakers also appealed to the administration to mark all dates for filing of employment-based visa applications in the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ published Employment-Based Visa Bulletin as “current”.

A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.

The current situation surrounding the seven per cent country cap on employment-based Green Card allocation is causing severe repercussions, particularly for countries such as India, where the backlog has reached an astonishing 195 years, said Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS USA) in a separate appeal to the US President Joe Biden.

This backlog disproportionately affects Indian tech professionals, who constitute a significant portion of the highly skilled STEM talent and US-educated graduates, playing a crucial role in maintaining the United States’ competitive edge in the technology industries, it said.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

However, the backlog has created a significant barrier, hindering these talented individuals from contributing meaningfully to the country’s growth and innovation, the FIIDS observed.

This year, the FIIDS has made several efforts in addressing the concerns of the immigrant Indian community, in particular those related to Green Card and H-1B visas.

“We started efforts to get relief to Indian H-1Bs who are stuck in Green Card processing. We launched a change petition, we are approaching representatives, various other organisations and influencers. We are reaching out to the Bureau of consular services in the state department as well as the USCIS in the DHS to take administrative action to make the priority dates current for green card applicants,” Khanderao Kand from FIIDS said.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

The lawmakers in their letter said that marking all dates as “current” would allow employment-based applications to be filed regardless of applicants’ country-based priority date. This would provide relief to thousands of individuals attempting to legally navigate the US immigration system and could potentially also make some eligible for employment authorisation documents to change jobs, start businesses, and travel abroad to visit family without penalty, it said.

Without this administrative action, which was also used during the administration of President George W Bush, individuals are left in a constant state of limbo and, in some cases, are punished for utilising a pathway of legal immigration by being forced to stay with one company or organisation due to their Green Card status, they said in the letter.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/indians-abroad/joe-biden-urged-to-resolve-195-year-us-green-card-backlog-for-indians-4250497

Biden calls Chinese President Xi a dictator

[1/2] Chinese President Xi Jinping looks on as he meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, June 19, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator and said Xi was very embarrassed when a Chinese balloon was blown off course over the United States earlier this year.

Biden made the remarks a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Xi on a trip to China that was aimed at easing tensions between the two countries.

“The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn’t know it was there,” Biden said at a fundraiser in California.

“That’s a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what happened. That wasn’t supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course,” Biden added.

A suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over U.S. airspace in February. That incident and exchanges of visits by U.S. and Taiwanese officials have recently magnified U.S.-China tensions.

In March, Xi secured a precedent-breaking third term as president after clinching in October another five years as chief of the ruling Communist Party, making him China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

Biden also said that China “has real economic difficulties.”

China’s economy stumbled in May with industrial output and retail sales growth missing forecasts, adding to expectations that Beijing will need to do more to shore up a shaky post-pandemic recovery.

The World Bank earlier this month forecast U.S. growth for 2023 at 1.1%, more than double the 0.5% forecast in January, while China’s growth is expected to climb to 5.6%, compared to a 4.3% forecast in January.

Blinken and Xi agreed in their Monday meeting to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so it did not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any breakthrough during a rare visit to China by the secretary of state.

They did agree to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by U.S. officials in the coming weeks and months. Biden said later on Tuesday that U.S. climate envoy John Kerry may go to China soon.

Biden said on Monday he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, and he indicated that progress was made during Blinken’s trip.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-calls-chinese-president-xi-dictator-2023-06-21

Biden cheers debt ceiling ‘crisis averted’ from Oval Office

U.S. President Joe Biden declared a “crisis averted” on Friday in his first address from the White House’s Oval Office, touting the passage of a bill to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling and avoid economic catastrophe.

Biden used the moment to plead with Americans to bridge their divides, saying his compromise with top Congress Republican Kevin McCarthy showed what could be done.

“No matter how tough our politics gets, we need to see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans,” he said, asking Americans to “stop shouting, lower the temperature and work together to pursue progress.”

Biden, a Democrat, said he would sign the bill into law on Saturday, concluding months of uncertainty and averting what would have been a first-ever U.S. default as early as June 5.

“It was critical to reach an agreement, and it’s very good news for the American people. No one got everything they wanted. But the American people got what they needed,” Biden said while sitting at the historic “Resolute Desk” in the presidential office.

“We averted an economic crisis, an economic collapse,” he said.

After nail-biting negotiations, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed a bill this week that suspends the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling.

Biden said to preserve U.S. economic progress it was critical to keep the country’s full faith and credit in tact. “The stakes could not have been higher,” Biden said.

The president, who is running for re-election, noted other bipartisan bills he has signed and offered praise to McCarthy, the speaker of the House of Representatives, who was his primary negotiating partner.

McCarthy, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, was one of 147 Republicans who voted, unsuccessfully, to overturn the 2020 election that Biden won.

“We were able to get along, get things done,” Biden said. “Both sides operated in good faith.”

[1/5] US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on averting default and the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, June 2, 2023. JIM WATSON/Pool via REUTERS
Republicans refused to increase the debt ceiling for months, asking Biden and Democrats to cut spending in the 2024 budget in return. The White House asked for a clean debt ceiling deal before starting negotiations.

Ultimately Biden and McCarthy cobbled together a last-minute deal that suspends the debt limit until January of 2025 and caps spending.

The Republican-controlled House voted 314 to 117 to approve the bill, and the Democrat-controlled Senate voted 63 to 36.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-tout-bipartisan-debt-ceiling-deal-first-oval-office-address-2023-06-02

SHOCK POLL: Trump Crushing Biden By 7 Points in New ABC/Washington Post Survey

A stunning new ABC News/Washington Post poll out Sunday contains nothing but bad news for President Joe Biden, and good news for his potential 2024 opponent Donald Trump.

According to the survey, the president trails his predecessor by 7 points in a hypothetical 2024 general election matchup. Respondents were asked whether they would “definitely” vote for Trump or Biden, “probably” vote for Trump or Biden, or vote for someone else or not vote at all. Among those who “definitely” prefer one candidate over the other, Trump leads Biden 36-32. But when those “probably” voting are added to the tally, Trump’s margin balloons to 7 points — as he holds a 45-38 advantage over Biden.

The poll found Biden would fare only slightly better if the Republican nominee were Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). The president is tied with DeSantis 32-32 among those “definitely” backing a particular candidate. But when the “probably” category is added, DeSantis pulls ahead 42-37.

President Biden’s approval numbers, according to the new ABC/Washington Post poll, are nothing short of dismal. Only 36 percent of voters approve of the job the president is doing, compared to 56 percent who do not. The approval number is down 6 points from February, the last time ABC and the Washington Post released a poll, and represents an all-time low for him in that particular survey.

Ominously for Biden, Trump holds a commanding lead on one major issue — the economy. When voters were asked “Who do you think did a better job handling the economy – Donald Trump when he was president, or Joe Biden during his presidency so far?” 54 percent chose Trump, compared to 36 percent who picked Biden.

Source: https://www.mediaite.com/news/shock-poll-trump-crushing-biden-by-7-points-in-stunning-new-abc-washington-post-survey/

Biden, 80, makes 2024 presidential run official as Trump fight looms

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton, in Washington, April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis

President Joe Biden launched his re-election bid on Tuesday with a promise to protect American liberties from “extremists” linked to former President Donald Trump, who he beat in 2020 and might face again in 2024.

Biden made his announcement in a video released by his new campaign team that opens with imagery from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump’s supporters.

“When I ran for president four years ago, I said we’re in a battle for the soul of America, and we still are,” Biden said. “This is not a time to be complacent. That’s why I’m running for re-election.”

“Let’s finish this job. I know we can,” he said.

He described Republican platforms as threats to American freedoms, vowed to fight efforts to limit women’s healthcare, cut Social Security and ban books, and blasted “MAGA extremists.”

MAGA is the acronym for the “Make America Great Again” slogan of Trump, who is the early frontrunner in the Republican primary race. If he wins, he will face off against Biden again in the November 2024 election.

Biden, 80, must overcome Americans’ concerns about his age in order to win re-election, with 44% of Democrats saying he is too old to run, a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday found.

Trump, 76, also faces concerns about his age with 35% of Republicans saying he is too old.

The poll showed that a majority of registered voters don’t want either Biden or Trump to run again.

While Biden’s approval rating is relatively low, his aides are confident he can beat Trump again. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed him with a lead of 43% to 38% over his Republican rival among registered voters.

In his campaign video, Biden squarely targeted Trump and his allies.

“Around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take on those bedrock freedoms, cutting Social Security that you paid for your entire life, while cutting taxes for the very wealthy, dictating what healthcare decisions women can make, banning books, and tell people who they can love, all while making it more difficult for you to be able to vote,” Biden said.

In the two years since he took over from Trump, Biden won Congress’ approval for billions of dollars in federal funds to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and for new infrastructure, and oversaw the lowest levels of unemployment since 1969, although a 40-year inflation highs have marred his economic record.

Speaking to a meeting of North America’s Building Trades Unions on Tuesday, Biden said his economic plan was working but there is “more to do.” Biden listed his policy achievements and the crowd chanted “four more years!”

Biden’s age makes his re-election bid a historic and risky gamble for the Democratic Party, especially if he faces a much younger Republican candidate.

Democrats already face a tough election map to hold the Senate in 2024 and is the minority in the House of Representatives now.

Biden would be 86 by the end of a prospective second term, almost a decade higher than the average U.S. male’s life expectancy.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-80-makes-2024-presidential-run-official-lets-finish-this-job-2023-04-25/

As Joe Biden visits Northern Ireland, can the US again help seal the deal?

One of the stars that aligned when Tony Blair felt the hand of history on his shoulder 25 years ago was the changing politics of the Irish lobby in the US. For years, American money had been funnelled to the IRA through an organisation called Noraid.

When I worked for the BBC in the early 1990s, I interviewed Irish Americans at a St Patrick’s Day fundraiser in New York who thought they were supporting freedom fighters against English colonial oppressors. They did not know that most people in Northern Ireland wanted to be part of the UK.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/belfast-joe-biden-good-friday-agreement-b2316483.html

PM Modi beats Biden, Sunak to retain spot as ‘most popular’ world leader. List here

PM Modi grabbed the top spot with an approval rating of 76% this time, a marginal decline of 2% compared to the last survey shared by the organisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh.(PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again emerged as the world’s ‘most popular’ leader, leaving behind leaders including his United States counterpart Joe Biden. In a survey, released by ‘Morning Consult’ – a global decision intelligence firm which works to map decisions of the modern leaders – PM Modi ranked number one with an approval rating of 76% while Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador grabbed the second spot.

Narendra Modi (India) 76%
Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico) 61%
Anthony Albanese (Australia) 55%
Alain Berset (Switzerland) 53%
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil) 49%
Giorgia Meloni (Italy) 49%
Joe Biden (United States) 41%
Alexander De Croo (Belgium) 39%
Justin Trudeau (Canada) 39%
Pedro Sánchez (Spain) 38%

“The latest approval ratings are based on data collected from March 22-28, 2023. Approval ratings are based on a seven-day moving average of adult residents in each country, with sample sizes varying by country,” the website said. In its last survey, shared by the organisation on March 5, PM Modi had maintained his top position with an approval rating of 78%.

JOE’S RUNNING Joe Biden officially files to run for re-election in 2024 with candidacy statement & names vice presidential candidate

PRESIDENT Joe Biden has officially filed to make a bid for a second term in the 2024 presidential election.

In a statement of candidacy posted to the Federal Election Commission, President Biden has been listed to run once again with current Vice President Kamala Harris.

Joe Biden has officially filed for a second term in the 2024 presidential electionCredit: The Mega Agency
Biden signed and filed the official declaration of candidacy on Friday, March 31Credit: Alamy Live News

President Biden signed and filed the official declaration of candidacy on Friday, March 31.

Many have wondered if the current president who defeated Donald Trump back in 2020, would attempt to hold on office for another four years.

This past December, Biden announced that he planned to run for re-election on the condition that he remained in good health.

Biden comes with a 40-year-long political career, previously having served as vice president under Barack Obama from January 2009 to January 2017.

Over his own presidential stint, the 80-year-old has fought for lower gas prices and student loan forgiveness, as well as many other causes.

He has spent the last year attempting to bring economic and military support to Ukraine amid their conflict with Russia.

On the domestic front, the current president has recently come under fire with demands to pass new legislation to fight the gun violence epidemic.

So far, there are only four other candidates slated to run in the 2024 election.

President Biden is the only democratic nominee to register for the race besides Marianne Williamson, an American self-help author and spiritual leader who also ran in 2020.

Former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are all set to compete for the Republican nomination.

While Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not formally registered in the race, he told Piers Morgan to “stay tuned” about his widely anticipated announcement that he’s running.

The earliest state primaries for the 2024 presidential election will begin on March 5, and the general election is set to take place on November 5, 2024.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/7775112/joe-biden-filed-running-president-2024/

Biden expected to tighten rules on US investment in China

FILE – The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 2, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. The Biden administration is close to finalizing new regulations that would tighten rules on certain overseas U.S. investment, a move aimed at limiting Beijing’s ability to acquire advanced technologies. That’s according to a U.S. official familiar with deliberations who was not authorized to comment. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

The Biden administration is close to tightening rules on some overseas investments by US companies in an effort to limit China’s ability to acquire technologies that could improve its military prowess, according to a US official familiar with the deliberations.

The soon-to-be-issued executive order from President Joe Biden will limit American investment in advanced technologies that have national security applications – such as next-generation military capabilities that could help China improve the speed and accuracy of military decision making, according to the official, who was not authorised to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The expected action is the latest effort by the White House to target China’s military and technology sectors at a time of increasingly fraught relations between the world’s two biggest economies.

In October, the Biden administration imposed export controls to limit China’s ability to access advanced chips, which it says can be used to make weapons, commit human rights abuses and improve the speed and accuracy of its military logistics.

The complicated relationship has become further strained in recent weeks after the US shot down a Chinese spy balloon last month that traversed the country. The Biden administration has also publicised US intelligence findings that raise concern Beijing is weighing providing Russia weaponry for its ongoing war on Ukraine.

The tensions were on display as top diplomats from the Group of 20 industrialised and developing nations ended a contentious meeting in New Delhi on Thursday with no consensus on the Ukraine war and concerns about China’s widening global influence dominating much of the talks.

Meanwhile, China this past week blasted the new House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party after it held its first hearing on countering Beijing’s influence. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning demanded its members “discard their ideological bias and zero-sum Cold War mentality.”

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/biden-expected-tighten-rules-us-investment-china-3325496

Biden, Scholz vow to punish Russia for war in Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed on Friday to keep imposing costs on Russia for its war in Ukraine, now in its second year, as an EU official said any arms provided by China to Russia would trigger sanctions.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Biden and Scholz met in private in the Oval Office for over an hour, a senior administration official said. Their discussion focused on the importance of continued “global solidarity” with the people of Ukraine, and ongoing efforts to provide security, humanitarian, economic, and political assistance to Ukraine.

Sitting next to Scholz in the Oval Office, Biden thanked the German leader for his “strong and steady leadership” and support for Ukraine. Scholz said it was important to demonstrate that the allies would back Kyiv “as long as it takes and as long as is necessary.”

Speaking before the meeting, U.S. officials said discussion points included the state of the war and how to respond if China provided military aid to Russia.

Scholz’s brief one-day trip – there were no other meetings on his agenda – was his second to the White House since taking office in December 2021. Biden’s national security adviser also met one-on-one with his German counterpart.

Washington has begun consulting with allies about imposing possible sanctions on China should Beijing provide military support to Russia for its war in Ukraine, Reuters reported this week, citing U.S. officials and other sources.

Washington has said in recent weeks that China was considering providing weapons to Russia, although U.S. officials have not provided evidence or said that such supplies have started. Beijing has denied any intention to arm Russia.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-scholz-get-into-weeds-ukraine-war-china-concerns-washington-2023-03-03/

Biden says Putin ‘cannot remain in power’ in fiery speech on Ukraine war

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event at the Royal Castle, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Warsaw, Poland March 26, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

U.S. President Joe Biden said that Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” in Poland Saturday, remarks a White House official said later were meant to prepare the world’s democracies for extended conflict over Ukraine, not back regime change in Russia.

Biden’s comments on Saturday, including a statement earlier in the day calling Putin a “butcher,” were a sharp escalation of the U.S. approach to Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

In a major address delivered at Warsaw’s Royal Castle, Biden evoked Poland’s four decades behind the Iron Curtain in an effort to build a case that the world’s democracies must urgently confront an autocratic Russia as a threat to global security and freedom.

But a remark at the end of the speech raised the spectre of an escalation by Washington, which has avoided direct military involvement in Ukraine, and has specifically said it does not back regime change.

“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden told a crowd in Warsaw after condemning Putin’s month-long war in Ukraine.

A White House official said Biden’s remarks did not represent a shift in Washington’s policy.

“The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region,” the official said. “He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.”

Asked about Biden’s comment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters: “That’s not for Biden to decide. The president of Russia is elected by Russians.”

Calling the fight against Putin a “new battle for freedom,” Biden said Putin’s desire for “absolute power” was a strategic failure for Russia and a direct challenge to a European peace that has largely prevailed since World War Two.

“The West is now stronger, more united than it has ever been,” Biden said. “This battle will not be won in days or months, either. We need to steel ourselves for the long fight ahead.”

The speech came after three days of meetings in Europe with the G7, European Council and NATO allies, and took place roughly at the same time as rockets rained down on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, just 60 kilometres (40 miles) from the Polish border.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/biden-call-free-world-stand-against-putin-poland-speech-2022-03-26/

Russia-Ukraine War: Biden Says ‘Butcher’ Putin Should No Longer Lead; Lviv Hit by Rockets

Smoke rises after an airstrike in Lviv, Ukraine, on Saturday. (Image: REUTERS/Vladyslav Sodel)

Vladimir Putin should no longer be the leader of Russia, said United States President Joe Biden on Saturday during his visit to Poland. “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden announced at the very end of his address delivered to a crowd at Royal Castle in capital Warsaw.

He had called the Russian president a “butcher” while meeting Ukrainian war refugees earlier in the day. He also issued a stern warning to Putin: “Don’t even think about moving on one single inch of NATO territory.”

Lviv, meanwhile, was hit by rockets on the outskirts, said the city’s mayor, describing it as the first attacks within city limits since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Here are the top 10 highlights of the conflict, which has now entered its second month:

Source : https://www.news18.com/news/world/russia-ukraine-war-biden-says-butcher-putin-should-no-longer-lead-lviv-hit-by-rockets-10-highlights-4912961.html

Indian experts point to Biden’s silence on Chinese aggression

US president Joe Biden’s description of India’s response to Russia vis-a-vis Ukraine as “shaky” received pushback from Indian analysts, some of whom have been pointing out that the US and its European allies continue energy purchases from Russia (by one account, up to $600 million per day), while bearing down on India.

A woman attends a rally organised by the Ukrainian diaspora in Krakow, Poland, on Tuesday asking Nato to intervene in the Russia-Ukraine war. (Photo credit: Getty images)

Others pointed to lack of US concern over China’s ingress into India.
“Here’s the paradox: At a time when India confronts China’s border aggression, including its threat of a full-scale war, Biden won’t open his mouth on that aggression. Yet an insensitive Biden calls “shaky” India’s response to a distant war he helped provoke with a forward policy,” tweeted Brahma Chellaney, a strategic affairs commentator.
Some others agree with the Russian version of the unfolding events — that it is the US and Nato provocation that caused Moscow to respond. “Uncalled for remark on India by Biden. US policy toward Russia has been teetering on shaky foundations since the end of Cold War and & now the structure is collapsing. Why should India pay for US folly in drawing Ukraine into Nato. US sanctions are hurting us and we should support them?” asked Kanwal Sibal, former India foreign secretary.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indian-experts-point-to-bidens-silence-on-chinese-aggression/articleshow/90385665.cms?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOIMobile

Biden calls Putin a ‘war criminal’

It was a notable shift for the president and the first time he has labeled his Russian counterpart’s actions in Ukraine in such a way.

President Joe Biden speaks on Ukraine on March 16, 2022, in Washington. | Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Joe Biden on Wednesday called Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.”

It was a notable shift for Biden and the first time he has labeled his Russian counterpart’s actions in Ukraine in such a way. The president, who has skirted questions on whether Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine and often refers to ongoing investigations, didn’t mince his words on Wednesday.

“I think he is a war criminal,” Biden told reporters.

The comment followed Biden’s announcement earlier on Wednesday that the U.S. would send an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine. His commitment to more aid, which brings the total to $1 billion allocated to the country this week, came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an emotional address to Congress. Zelenskyy pleaded with the U.S. and its NATO allies to do more to help his country, whether by enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine or sending jets to aid in its war against Russia.

Biden, during Wednesday’s speech, addressed the nature of the “difficult battle” Ukrainians have faced in the three weeks since Russia launched its assault. The Ukrainian death toll has continued to climb as Russian bombing expands toward the country’s west. More than 700 civilians have been killed the past few weeks, according to the United Nations, and dozens of children have been confirmed dead as of March 15, though these numbers are difficult to track and are likely considerably higher.

Ukraine war: Russia sanctions Joe Biden and several top US officials

Russia’s foreign ministry said Tuesday that US President Joe Biden and a dozen other top officials had been banned from entering the country in a reciprocal response to US sanctions.

US President Joe Biden speaks at an event in Washington on Monday. Photo: Reuters

The measure, which also applies to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, “is the consequence of the extremely Russophobic policy pursued by the current US administration”, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

In response to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, the United States banned Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as well as adopting sanctions that have largely cut Russia off financially from the rest of the world.

Russia also put on its stop list Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

Also on the list are Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh, US Agency for International Development chief Samantha Power, Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo, and US Export-Import Bank chief Reta Jo Lewis.

Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3170602/ukraine-war-russia-sanctions-joe-biden-and-several

US Will Defend ‘Sacred’ NATO Territory Against Russia Even If It Means World War 3, Warns Joe Biden

Biden authorized $200 million in additional military equipment for Ukraine, as Russia widens its bombardment and pummels civilian areas.

Biden said a number of economic moves collectively will deliver ‘another crushing blow’ to Russia’s economy, already weighed down by global sanctions that have cratered the rouble and forced the stock market to close.(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

US President Joe Biden said on Friday that the US will defend “every inch” of NATO territory, even if it means World War III, while rejecting calls to intervene directly in Ukraine by establishing a no-fly zone, which would almost certainly result in a shootout with Russia.

Biden authorized $200 million in additional military equipment for Ukraine, as Russia widens its bombardment and pummels civilian areas. Washington already authorized $350 million of military equipment on February 26 — the largest such package in US history. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s pleas for help have grown increasingly desperate, and he has repeatedly urged Washington, the EU and NATO for help.

“I want to be clear though: We’re going to make sure Ukraine has the weapons to defend themselves from invading Russian force. And we will send money and food aid to save Euro-Ukrainian lives,” Biden said in Philadelphia.

“We’re going to welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms if, in fact, they come all the way here. And as we provide — as we provide this support to Ukraine, we’re going to continue to stand together with our allies in Europe and send an unmistakable message that we will defend every inch of NATO territory –- every single inch — with a united, galvanized NATO. One movement,” he said.

“That’s why I’ve moved over 12,000 American forces along the borders with Russia — Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, et cetera — because they move once. Granted, if we respond, it is World War Three, but we have a sacred obligation on NATO territory — a sacred obligation — Article 5. And we will not — although we will not fight the third World War in Ukraine. Putin’s war against Ukraine is never going to be a victory,” the US President said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/news/world/us-will-defend-sacred-nato-territory-against-russia-even-if-it-means-world-war-3-warns-joe-biden-4869620.html

Bitcoin (BTC) Pumps for Short Time as Biden Signs Executive Order on Crypto

The crypto market gives a thumbs up to Biden’s crypto executive order which sets to bring clear regulations in place. This is likely to boost institutional participation in the crypto space.

On Wednesday, March 9, the Joe Biden administration signed the much-awaited executive order on cryptocurrencies. The executive order points federal agencies to work on regulations for the crypto space.

This is for the first time that any federal agencies will be directly involved in dealing with crypto. Further, it sets a clear tone of an accommodative stand for digital assets in the US financial system.

On Wednesday, the crypto market reacted positively with Bitcoin (BTC) gaining over 8% and moving past $41,500 levels. Other cryptocurrencies from the altcoin space posted similar gains. The Ethereum (ETH) price surged 8% moving past $2,750 levels. However, Terra’s LUNA marked the biggest gains on Wednesday. The LUNA price shot up by over 20% moving closer to $100 levels.

However, yesterday’s crypto market and Bitcoin rally remain short-lived. As of press time, Bitcoin (BTC) is down 5% dropping under $40,000 once again as volatility hits hard. The broader cryptocurrency market is also trading down 5% but Terra’s LUNA has managed to hold back the losses and is currently trading at $94.

source: https://www.coinspeaker.com/bitcoin-btc-pumps-biden-order-crypto/

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