Former President Trump called President Biden's handling of classified documents investigated by special counsel Robert Hur "brazen theft" Saturday at a "Get Out the Vote" rally in South Carolina.
Why it matters: Trump's remarks follow the end of a yearlong investigation, which did not end in charges against Biden but found that his actions presented "serious risks to national security."
Day 2 of the White House's damage-control plan defending President Biden's fitness for office called for a coordinated attack on special counsel Robert Hur.
Why it matters: Biden's team scrambled to counter Hur's report that called the president an "elderly man with a poor memory" — and aides rushed to defend Biden's performance at a late-night press conference that left even some Democrats thinking Hur had a point.
President Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated their support for Ukraine during a bilateral meeting at the White House on Friday.
The big picture: Biden used the meeting to pressure GOP lawmakers, calling on Congress to pass a national security spending package with aid to Ukraine, saying a failure to do so would be "close to criminal neglect."
Former President Trump is kneecapping the Senate hopes of right-wing Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) before they can even get off the ground.
Why it matters: The broader rift between Trump and some of the House Republican hardliners who adopted his scorched-earth tactics to fight GOP leadership is moving beyond the House.
Why it matters: The transcript, if released, could help resolve questions raised by Hur's characterization of Biden's memory in a report following his investigation into the president's handling of classified material as a private citizen.
The big picture: Harris' defense of her running mate comes amid fallout from Special counsel Robert Hur's report that described Biden as an "elderly man with a poor memory" whose handling of classified documents presented "serious risks to national security."
President Biden was referring to Israeli military operations in Gaza when he said on Thursday that the "conduct of the response" in the enclave was "over the top," a senior White House official confirmed to Axios on Friday.
Why it matters: It's the harshest language Biden has used to criticize the Israeli military operation in Gaza since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The White House official said, however, Biden's remarks do not represent a change of course.
House Democrats are wading into the contentious issues of housing affordability and local zoning heading into the 2024 campaign.
Why it matters: Housing can be a double edged sword in an election year, with the direct quality-of-life appeal to lower-income and urban voters often colliding with fierce backlash from suburbanites.
Former President Trump's political future and the contentious 2024 presidential election could hinge in part on a series of legal issues that the Supreme Court is weighing.
Why it matters: Regardless of how the court rules, it could anger Americans on either side of the nation's political divide, and further damage the public's historically low trust in the Supreme Court.
Axios has obtained an excerpt from "American Woman" — a book about modern first ladies by the N.Y. Times' Katie Rogers, out Feb. 27.
Why it matters: The book sheds light on the role First Lady Jill Biden plays in the current White House — in a way that's eerily relevant to Thursday night's presidential debacle.
For years now, President Biden's advisers have carefully choreographed his every move to avoid what exploded into view over six hours Thursday: a vivid display of an elderly, irritable man struggling on a public stage.
Why it matters: Days after repeatedly referencing talks with dead world leaders, Biden, 81, went before cameras to bash a just-released special counsel's report that portrayed him as feeble and forgetful — and then confused Egypt's president with Mexico's.
Leading climate scientist Michael Mann was awarded $1 million in damages after winning his defamation lawsuit against two conservative writers over their response to his pivotal work on global warming.
The big picture: The University of Pennsylvania professor sued Rand Simberg, a former adjunct scholar at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Mark Steyn, a contributor to National Review over their online posts from more than a decade ago about a key graph Mann helped author that illustrated rising global temperatures.
Tucker Carlson's interview with Russian leader Vladimir Putin that aired on the former Fox News journalist's website on Thursday evening lasted for more than two hours.
The big picture: In Putin's first sit-down in Moscow with a Western interviewer since his forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, he dropped more hints about releasing detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich in a possible prisoner swap.
Why it matters: Biden's surprise remarks came hours after Hur released a report saying he would not pursue charges over the president's handling of classified documents.
McConnell, Biden and Johnson. Photos: Samuel Corum; Andrew Thomas/NurPhoto; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Biden is an "elderly man with a poor memory." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) doesn't have a firm grip on his conference. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) can't stop making rookie mistakes.
Why it matters: Washington's top leaders are stumbling and fumbling in public, giving their detractors fresh material — and free shots — to question their competence.
