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The Latest: Biden returns to the campaign trial following high-stakes news conference

Jul 12, 2024, 6:33 AM | Updated: 4:50 pm

President Joe Biden talks about children dying from gun violence as he speaks at a news conference ...

President Joe Biden talks about children dying from gun violence as he speaks at a news conference Thursday July 11, 2024, on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Yesterday, President Joe Biden opened his highly anticipated news conference with a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies and batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years, even as he flubbed a reference to former President Donald Trump in one of his first answers.

Now Biden and his team are continuing on their relentless sprint to persuade lawmakers, donors and voters that he is still up for the job with a trip to Michigan, part of the trio of “blue wall” states that his campaign now says is the clearest path to victory in November. Over a dozen members of Congress have called for him to bow out of the campaign.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the NATO Summit: https://apnews.com/hub/nato

The Latest:

Melania Trump to attend RNC

Former first lady Melania Trump will attend the Republican National Convention. That’s according to two people familiar with her plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity before full details were released.

It will be a rare public appearance in Milwaukee for a woman who has been largely absent from the campaign trail as her husband runs to return to the White House.

It remains unclear whether she will deliver a speech or have any formal role in the proceedings.

The news was first reported by CNN.

GOP group behind Project 2025 floats conspiracy theory that Biden will use ‘force’ to keep power

A conservative think tank that is planning for a complete overhaul of the federal government in the event of a Republican presidential win is suggesting that President Joe Biden might try to hold the White House “by force” if he loses the November election.

The Heritage Foundation’s warning — which goes against Biden’s own public statements — appeared in a report released Thursday that the group said resulted from a role-playing exercise gaming out potential scenarios before and after the 2024 election.

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The Latest: Biden returns to the campaign trial following high-stakes news conference