Day 1275: "You got this problem."
1/ Special Counsel Jack Smith appealed Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to dismiss criminal charges against convicted felon Trump for mishandling classified information and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Smith’s appeal, which was expected, will be heard in the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Cannon cited “unlawful appointment and funding of special counsel Jack Smith” as the grounds for dismissing the case after Trump argued that the appointment was unconstitutional. Trump was indicted and charged with 40 felony counts as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. (Axios / CNN / Bloomberg / CNBC)
2/ Biden is reportedly finalizing plans to reform the Supreme Court, including imposing term limits and establishing an enforceable code of ethics, which was absent from the code the court adopted last year. Biden has also discussed calling for a constitutional amendment to limit the broad immunity for presidents recently granted by the court. Establishing term limits and an ethics code would both require congressional approval, including 60 votes in the Senate. A constitutional amendment would require two-thirds support from both chambers of Congress or from a convention called by two-thirds of the states, as well as the approval of three-fourths of state legislatures. (Washington Post / CNN / Politico / Associated Press / NBC News)
3/ The Democratic National Committee attempted to virtually nominate Biden for re-election early. The party, however, pushed back the virtual roll call from as early as July 21 to the first week of August following criticism from some Democrats, accusing the party of attempting to ram Biden’s nomination through without an open process at the Chicago convention, which begins Aug. 19. Although the DNC is scheduled for Aug. 19, Democrats had planned for a pre-convention virtual roll call to account for an Aug. 7 Ohio deadline for ballot access. While lawmakers in Ohio have since passed a law to resolve the issue, the amended deadline doesn’t go into effect until Sept. 1 and the DNC has pointed to the potential of a legal challenge by Ohio Republicans to kick Biden off the ballot. (New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / CNN)
4/ Adam Schiff called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race to make way for another candidate. Biden “has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history,” but “I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election,” Schiff said in a statement. “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.” Schiff joins 22 other congressional Democrats in calling for Biden to step aside after the debate. (NBC News / Associated Press / NPR / Washington Post / New York Times / CNN / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
5/ Biden said he would only consider dropping out of the 2024 presidential race if a doctor diagnosed him with a “medical condition.” When asked if there was anything that would make him re-evaluate staying in the race, Biden replied: “If I had some medical condition that emerged. If doctors came to me and said, ‘You got this problem, that problem.’” Earlier this month, Biden said he would drop out only if the “Lord almighty” told him to. Last week, Biden said he would step aside only if aides showed him proof he couldn’t win in November. (New York Times / Politico / Axios / CNN / CNBC)
poll/ 65% of Democrats want Biden to withdraw from the race and let his party nominate a different candidate. 37% of Democrats say they believe Biden is capable of beating Trump. (Associated Press)
poll/ 81% of voters say they favor establishing a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court justices, and 78% support 18-year term limits. 56% of voters disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision to grant presidents immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts while in office. 38% of voters approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing – down from a high of 58% in March 2017. (Fox News / Washington Post)
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📅 The WTFJHT Calendar: Now until then.
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🛠️ July 15-18: WTFJHT Infrastructure Week (limited publishing)
🐘 July 15: Republican National Convention (In Progress).
🇮🇱 July 24: Netanyahu addresses joint session of Congress.
🫏 Aug. 19: Democratic National Convention.
⛔️ Sept. 2: Labor Day – No WTFJHT.
📺 Sept. 10: Biden-Trump debate.
⚖️ Sept. 18: Trump is sentenced.
📆 Oct. 6: Last day to register to vote in some states.
⛔️ Oct. 14: Indigenous Peoples’ Day – No WTFJHT.
🗳️ Nov. 5: Presidential Election.