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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: President Biden’s staff considered having him take a cognitive test amid concerns about his mental acuity but decided against it.
👥 Who’s Involved: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Biden’s aides, journalists from the book “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.”
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📍 Where & When: United States, February 2024, and the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
💬 Key Quote: “Biden’s aides were confident that he would pass a cognitive test, according to the book, but they worried that the mere fact of his taking one would raise new questions about his mental abilities.”
⚠️ Impact: The decision not to conduct the test led to Biden’s eventual withdrawal from the election campaign, allowing Kamala Harris to run, who subsequently lost to Donald Trump.
IN FULL:
A book set to hit shelves sheds light on internal discussions within President Joe Biden’s team that occurred last year about the possibility of him taking a cognitive assessment. This issue gained traction amid concerns about his age and mental sharpness ahead of the 2024 election. According to the book, titled “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” and as reported by the New York Times, Biden’s aides were sure he would pass such a test but were apprehensive that undertaking the assessment could ignite fresh doubts about his mental capabilities.
The deliberations took place in February 2024, though ultimately, the president did not take the test. Despite the confidence expressed by aides, Biden’s suboptimal performance during a summer debate with President Donald J. Trump raised alarm among voters and Democratic insiders. This performance marked a critical juncture leading to intensified calls for Biden to reconsider his candidacy.
Subsequently, under significant pressure, Biden chose to step back from the re-election race. Kamala Harris, then Vice President, assumed the mantle as the Democratic candidate. However, she could not secure victory, conceding the election to Trump, who is now fully embarked on his second term.
The book is authored by three prominent U.S. political journalists, one affiliated with the New York Times and the others with the Washington Post. It suggests an insider perspective into the Democratic camp’s strategy and considerations during the campaign.
The Trump administration is yet to release the audio of Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hurr despite numerous requests from The National Pulse and other outlets.
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, made substantial gains in local UK elections, claiming to have replaced the Conservatives as the main opposition to Labour.
👥 Who’s Involved: Nigel Farage, Sir Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, local UK politicians, and voters.
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💬 Key Quote: “The party that I lead is expanding. As we march on, the Conservatives are in retreat. In my opinion, they will never recover,” said Nigel Farage.
⚠️ Impact: The rise of Reform UK promises a shift in political dynamics, pressuring the Conservative and Labour parties to adapt strategies.
IN FULL:
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has gained control of 10 councils and over 600 seats across England. Farage asserted that the two-party political framework is collapsing locally and nationally. He visited Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, to celebrate his party’s victories. The Reform leader stressed that the Conservative Party is retreating and is unlikely to recover. These election outcomes have put Sir Keir Starmer, Labour leader, and Kemi Badenoch, a Conservative Party leader, under scrutiny to reverse their parties’ setbacks.
“We’ve dug very deep into the Labour vote and, in other parts of England, we’ve dug deep into the Conservative vote. After tonight, there’s no question, in most of the country, we are now the main opposition party to this government,” Farage declared.
Writing for the Telegraph, Farage added:
“The party that I lead is expanding. As we march on, the Conservatives are in retreat. In my opinion, they will never recover.
“There is now a widespread acceptance that Reform UK has supplanted the Conservatives as the real opposition to Labour in England, Scotland and Wales. We no longer have to rely only on opinion polls to indicate this; Thursday’s results prove it.
“Many people will wonder how the strange death of the Conservative Party came about. In fact, there is no mystery.
“The 80-seat majority that was achieved under Boris Johnson’s leadership in 2019 should have led to a golden period for the party, including the delivery of a proper Brexit. For their own selfish reasons, they squandered their position, in the process betraying the electorate in the most unforgivable way. To compound matters, mass immigration – the issue about which most voters feel strongly – was allowed to rocket.”
In response, Sir Keir Starmer is anticipated to propose stricter immigration measures soon. This, however, comes amidst regional frustrations over the government’s policies, as expressed by South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard and others seeking immediate action.
Prime Ministerial hopeful Farage now intends to stop the housing of asylum seekers in the counties under his party’s control. Furthermore, the prospects of deporting all illegal immigrants within five years are being explored, contingent on withdrawing from European agreements.
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