“A survey taken after the debate between Biden and Republican frontrunner Donald J. Trump, held on June 27 in Atlanta, showed that 69% of registered voters believe that Biden should not be the candidate on the Democratic ticket.

Effectively, America finds itself in an unusual situation with an impossible choice between two controversial candidates running for presidency.
Biden’s campaign of unity, progressivism and rebuilding the economy is in tatters because it is crucial for the president of the United States to be able to communicate effectively – to other nation’s leaders, to other opposing candidates, and to the American people.

On the other hand, Americans can vote for former President Donald Trump, who builds his campaign on aggressive populism, mobilises his supporters with promises of restoring “true American values”, and promises four years of political, social, environmental and legal volatility.

“Before even stepping into Ben’s Chili Bowl, there is the sense of walking into history. U Street, also known as Black Broadway, is some distance away from the scholarly bubble of Georgetown and the tourists at the National Mall. A safe haven and oasis in a 20th century society marred by Jim Crow laws, the street was frequented by iconic figures like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

Among the theatres and jazz clubs, lies the street now called Ben Ali Way in remembrance of the founder of the hallowed establishment of Ben’s Chili Bowl, famous for its chili half-smoke, which is Washington DC’s signature meal.

“One House Democrat called the debate a “disaster,” and Mark Buell, an important donor for the Democrats and the Biden Administration, said that “Democratic leadership has a responsibility to go to the White House and clearly show what America’s thinking, because democracy is at stake here and we’re all nervous”.

On July 7, multiple House Democratic ranking members told Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, that the president should step down as the Democratic nominee.

It is unclear what is next, but what follows is an analysis about the other possible candidates that represent the old school or who are the new kids on the block.

• Will Biden go bye-then? Who would step in if he drops out?

“As the 2024 presidential elections in the United States approach, the issue of the US relations with China has taken centre stage in public discourse.

The debates between candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump have frequently touched on their respective approaches to managing rivalry with China. This focus underscores the increasing prominence of US-China relations in American political and strategic thinking.

Both candidates have articulated their positions, reflecting broader concerns about trade deficits, military posturing, and technological competition.

• Navigating the US-China rivalry: Trump and Biden’s divergent strategies in the Asia-Pacific region

“On July 1, 2024, the United States Supreme Court released a decision on the Trump vs. United States case that the president has ‘absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority’.

In other words, for any act performed during their term, the president (or their lawyers) can argue it is official, for which they have immunity from prosecution and further, the law. The Supreme Court continues, ‘this immunity must be absolute’.

Because the law is derived from English common law, all judicial decisions are applied retroactively, meaning that the decisions reached will apply to any event that occurred prior to the decision. Through this, the decision of Trump vs. United States can and will be applied to Trump’s current legal battles across the nation.

• Trump versus the United States: the US fight against Trump stays alive amid immunity decision