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☆ Biden says he’s happy to debate Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden said he will debate former President Donald Trump ahead of this year’s election, the clearest declaration yet of his willingness to face-off with his Republican rival before voters cast ballots in November. I don’t know when,” Biden said when asked by interviewer Howard Stern whether he planned to debate his predecessor. “I’m happy to debate him.”It’s the first time Biden has said explicitly he would debate Trump in this election cycle. Some of Biden’s aides have questioned whether Trump would abide by established rules in any potential debate, and before Friday his campaign hadn’t set out any specific debate plan. Biden had responded to Trump’s calls for earlier debates in February, telling reporters: “If I were him, I’d want him to debate me, too.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Still, Biden, “, ” Biden, Howard Stern, ”, Trump, Biden’s, hadn’t, I’d, He’s, Trump’s, Chris LaCivita, Stern, Jeff Zients, Karine Jean, Pierre, Ben LaBolt, Stern pontificated, haven’t, Jeb, George W, Bush, Neilia Hunter, –, ‘, ’ ” Stern, you’ve, it’s, Biden misspoke, “ Trump, “ Nixon ”, Sen, Barack Obama, Jill Biden, you’ll, ’, you’re Organizations: Washington CNN, Republican, ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, SPAN, Fox News, NBC, Univision, NPR, PBS, USA, Republican National, White, “ Locations: Texas , Virginia, Utah, Nassau, Delaware, Scranton

☆ Biden to Sit Out Super Bowl Interview for Second Year in a Row
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | More About Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden is sitting out the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. In a tradition dating to 2009, presidents have recorded an interview with the network that broadcasts the Super Bowl, although there have been exceptions. Last year, Mr. Biden declined to appear on Fox, home of cable hosts like Sean Hannity who are sharply hostile toward him. But the White House has been receptive to CBS News in the past. “We hope viewers enjoy watching what they tuned in for — the game,” Ben LaBolt, the White House communications director, said in a statement on Saturday.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, Sean Hannity, Norah O’Donnell, Scott Pelley, ” Ben LaBolt Organizations: Super Bowl, CBS, White, NBC, Fox, CBS News, White House

☆ President Biden to skip second consecutive Super Bowl interview, citing Americans’ politics fatigue
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The pregame presidential interview is a relatively young tradition, stretching back only to Barack Obama’s first year in office, and one that Donald Trump skipped once himself. “We hope viewers enjoy watching what they tuned in for — the game,” White House communications director Ben LaBolt told CNN. In past years, the Super Bowl presidential interviews often drove news coverage for days. But the Biden White House has always been skeptical of the value of doing so, in part due to anxiety that a flub could become an unwanted distraction. Biden’s last major interview was on comedian Conan O’Brien’s podcast, recorded at the White House in December.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Barack Obama’s, Donald Trump, It’s, ” Biden, Kamala Harris, Ben LaBolt, Conan O’Brien’s Organizations: CNN, Advisers, Kansas City Chiefs, Super, San Francisco 49ers, MAGA, NFL, Democratic Party, White House, White, Saturday’s South Carolina Democratic, House, Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Lions, Green Bay Packers, Biden White Locations: Saturday’s, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Kamala Harris found her voice on abortion rights in the year after Dobbs. Now she’s making it central to her 2024 message.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jasmine Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Vice President Kamala Harris was fed up. Harris left the event railing at the stigma women face for doing so, a staffer told CNN. The shift in posture, many close to the White House say, has also been helped by one of Biden’s closest advisers, Anita Dunn. “The president and vice president cannot both be bouncing around the country doing fundraisers all the time. Long one of the Democratic Party’s most moderate voices on abortion, Biden has reckoned with personal qualms rooted in his Catholic faith.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, Roe, Wade, Biden, she’d, “, ” Harris, We’re, Joe Biden, Harris ’, ”, Eleni Kounalakis, Biden’s, “ There’s, Kamala, ” Ron Klain, ” Klain, she’s, Anita Dunn, Dunn, Ben LaBolt, Jeff Zients, Harris “, Cornell Belcher, they’re, . Delaware Democratic Sen, Chris Coons, ” Coons, Laphonza Butler, ” Butler, Sheila Nix, Nix, Court’s Dobbs, Todd Ivey, ” Ivey, roundtables, Jill Biden, Dobbs, Long, he’s Organizations: CNN, Biden, West Wing, White, Republican, General, Republicans, Congress, Nationwide, West, White House, Oval, Democratic Party . Communications, Democratic, voters, Democratic Party, Black, ”, Democrats, Fund, . Delaware Democratic, Biden campaign’s, America, Affordable, FDA Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, Washington , DC, Charlotte , North Carolina, California, Georgia, Texas

☆ Biden Trips and Falls at Air Force Commencement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden tripped and fell after delivering a speech and handing out diplomas to graduates of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Thursday. Mr. Biden, who is 80 years old, was helped up and appeared to recover quickly. He appears to trip, fall to his knees and catch himself with his hands on the floor of the riser. Mr. Biden had delivered an energetic speech to the Air Force graduates before helping to hand out the diplomas. He fell after he distributed the final diploma and was headed back to his seat.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Biden’s, Ben LaBolt, ” Organizations: Air Force Academy, Air Force, White House Locations: Colorado Springs

☆ Biden trips and falls during graduation ceremony, recovers quickly
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the graduation ceremony at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 1 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden tripped and fell after handing out the last diploma at a graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Thursday, but got up quickly and walked back to his seat. The 80-year-old U.S. president fell forward, caught himself with his hands, then got up on one knee helped by three people. After Biden was helped up, he pointed behind him, seeming to indicate what he tripped over. Biden fell as he was dismounting his bicycle last June, after snaring a foot in a toe clip, but was uninjured.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Biden, Ben LaBolt, Donald Trump, Doctors, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Heather Timmons, Tim Ahmann, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Air Force Academy, REUTERS, U.S . Air Force Academy, White House, Twitter, Republican, Thomson Locations: Colorado Springs , Colorado, U.S, Kevin Lamarque COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo, Russia, China

☆ Biden tripped on stage at the US Air Force Academy graduation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden stumbled during a ceremony at the Air Force Academy. The White House said he was fine after he appeared to have tripped over a sandbag. Ben LaBolt, the White House communication director, said Biden tripped over a sandbag and is uninjured. Beyond occasional stumbles up Air Force One's steps, Biden fell off his bike while riding near his beach house in Delaware last summer. The president appeared uninjured and told reporters after "I'm good."

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, —, Ben LaBolt, Jeff Mordock, Biden's Organizations: Air Force Academy, Service, US Air Force Academy, House, The Washington Times, Republican, Force Locations: Colorado Springs , Colorado, Delaware

☆ White House says Biden is fine after tripping on sandbag and falling on stage at Air Force Academy commencement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —President Joe Biden tripped on a sandbag and fell as he completed handing out diplomas at the US Air Force Academy commencement in Colorado on Thursday. A group of men, including an official with the Air Force Academy and two Secret Service agents, grasped onto Biden’s arms to help him back to his feet. He’s also been seen slipping on the stairs as he boards Air Force One. In his speech to graduates, Biden did make light of his age, which his political rivals have seized upon as evidence of an inability to serve another term. Biden told US Air Force Academy graduates they were entering a rapidly changing world as he stressed the critical role of US support for its allies and partners and emphasized ongoing US assistance for Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, “, ”, Ben LaBolt, didn’t, He’s, ” Biden’s, ” Biden Organizations: CNN, US Air Force Academy, Air Force Academy, Secret Service, Twitter, Air Force, Naval Academy, Ukraine, Intelligence Locations: Colorado, Delaware, Ukraine, China

☆ Kate Bedingfield to Step Down as White House Communications Director
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Andrew Restuccia | Ken Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—President Biden is shaking up his White House communications team as he prepares to launch his re-election campaign in the coming months. White House communications director Kate Bedingfield is planning to leave the White House at the end of February, the White House said. She will be replaced by Ben LaBolt, a longtime Democratic operative and former Obama administration official who oversaw communications at the White House for the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson , Mr. Biden’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Mr. LaBolt also served as a top press official on President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns.

Kate Bedingfield, a top adviser for President Biden since 2015, will step down as White House communications director later this month, NBC News has learned. Among Biden’s tight-knit campaign team, she earned the monicker of captain of the “team of killers,” a reference to the assessment of Biden’s campaign team by then-President Donald Trump. LaBolt served as a spokesperson for then-Sen. Barack Obama in Congress and later joined his 2008 campaign team. After serving as a White House spokesperson during Obama’s first term, he served as chief spokesperson for Obama’s re-election campaign. LaBolt will be the first openly gay person to serve as White House communications director.

Democrats bucked dire forecasts in national races, clinched governors' races in states seen as crucial to the next election in 2024, and passed left-leaning measures like codifying abortion rights in Michigan. "Amazing," said one stunned Biden aide as results results trickled in at the White House overnight. Donald Trump saw Republicans lose 40 House seats in his first midterms, and Barack Obama more than 60. Aides and allies believe his efforts to cast the election in terms of abortion rights, right-wing political extremism and healthcare staved off a Republican "wave." While Republicans cited high inflation and crime as top voting issues, Democrats said they were more motivated by abortion rights and gun violence, exit polls show.

“The key differential between 2018 and 2022 is that in 2018 Joe Biden was not president,” the former official said. Biden allies also point to early polling that shows Biden narrowly ahead in a potential rematch against former President Donald Trump, who hinted Monday night at a rally that he’ll launch his own bid for re-election in a week. “You have an incumbent with a really good track record, and you’ll have Donald Trump [running],” said Jim Messina, who ran Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. Democrats in some of the toughest races largely shied away from Biden, preferring popular surrogates, like Obama or first lady Jill Biden. In 2018, Biden held his final rally in a Pennsylvania county that had the largest swing from 2008 to 2016.

☆ Democrats turn to Obama for midterm miracle, or at least to stem the bleeding
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Obama will hit a fifth state, Michigan, which has a competitive governor's race, along the way. "President Obama remains able to unite base Democrats, persuadable voters, and to motivate demographics less likely to turn out in midterm elections like young people," said Ben LaBolt, who served as spokesman for the first Black president's successful 2012 re-election campaign. "Bringing in President Obama helps to underscore the importance of African-American vote, while also exciting other voters." But Democrats will have to wonder if that will be enough, as recent polling has shown Republican candidates gaining strength across the board. The Senate race is Georgia is essentially tied, even as Walker has been hamstrung by a series of controversies.

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