Democrats raise private concerns about Biden; France's far right poised for election gains: Weekend Rundown (2024)

Biden weighs path forward after debate

President Joe Biden was expected to discuss the future of his re-election campaign with his family at Camp David, Maryland, on Sunday, according to five people familiar with the matter, after his debate performance left many Democrats worried about his ability to beat former President Donald Trump in November.

So far, the party’s top leaders have offered public support for Biden, but senior congressional Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Reps. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Nancy Pelosi of California, have privately expressed concerns about Biden's viability, said two sources apprised of the discussions. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., publicly acknowledged "very honest and serious and rigorous conversations taking place" in the Democratic Party.

Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia acknowledged Sunday that "bad debates happen" but added, "Donald Trump lied the entire 90 minutes."

Trump made a number of false and misleading claims during the debate, including about late-in-pregnancy abortions. Some immigration advocates were frustrated not just about lies and false narratives Trump pushed, but also about how unprepared Biden seemed to be to rebut them.

France's far right leads in 1st round of elections

France headed to the polls Sunday for the first round of voting in a snap parliamentary election, and the preliminary results show it is on course for a far-right government for the first time since World War II.

President Emmanuel Macron called the election early in a challenge to the far right, in what was seen as an attempt to spook voters away from the political extremes. But the dominant National Rally party and the leftist New Popular Front are expected to squeeze his centrist coalition.

National Rally, also known by its French initialism, RN, gained supporters after its leader, Marine Le Pen, steered it away from its roots as an extreme ethnocentric party. Still, some members continue to express racist, antisemitic or hom*ophobic views.

In the runoff vote July 7, RN will require another surge in support to secure the remaining contested seats. What's likely to emerge is a hung Parliament, in which no party has a clear majority, setting up the possibility of political paralysis and damaging inaction.

Simone Biles qualifies for her third Olympics

Simone Biles is going to Paris! She is the first American female gymnast since Dominique Dawes to make three Olympic teams. At 27 years old, Biles will also be the oldest female gymnast representing the U.S. at the Olympic Games since the 1950s.

Joining her on the official Olympics team are Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera. Rivera snagged the coveted fifth spot after she finished fifth in the all-around and won the balance beam.

The men’s team was named Saturday in Minneapolis: Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Paul Juda, Asher Hong and Stephen Nedoroscik are going to Paris. They hope to be the first U.S. men's team to win an Olympic medal since 2008.

Follow NBC News' live coverage of the women's gymnastics trials here.

Meet the Press

North Dakota GOP Gov. Doug Burgum, who is widely considered to be onthe short listto be former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee, declined to give an assurance that he would accept the results of the election.

Burgum said he hoped the elections would be "free and fair," adding, “All the things that any of us, whether you’re an independent, a Democrat or Republican, would expect [are like]the elections we have in North Dakota, where people don’t challenge them, because we’ve got secure elections, and I think that’s what we need in this entire country.”

Asked whether he had spoken to Trump about the possibility of being his running mate, Burgum said: “That would be between the president and I."

You can watch the full interview here.

Politics in brief

Debate fallout: Trump and Biden were asked about the price of child care during the debate — and ended up spending more time talking about their golf games, angering parents who tuned in.

Bannon defiant: Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is set to report to prison by Monday to serve a four-month sentence for defying congressional subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee. In an interview with NBC News, he continued to defend those actions.

Poll recruits: Republicans are recruiting for their army of Election Day poll monitors to be deployed in urban, Democratic centers that remain the focus of erroneous claims of voter fraud.

Kevin McCarthy's replacement: Vince Fong, the first Asian American to represent California’s 20th District in Congress, argues progressives have “moved in a direction that’s antithetical” to principles important to Asian Americans.

Barrett breaks ranks: When she was confirmed, Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, cemented the Supreme Court's conservative majority — but in several recent cases she has raised eyebrows for not siding with her conservative colleagues.

Dams in distress

Before the partial failure of Minnesota's 114-year-old Rapidan Dam, leaders in Blue Earth County had been contemplating whether to tear down the old structure or perform costly long-term repairs.

Regulators considered the dam a "significant hazard," and it was graded as in "poor" condition as of April 2023, according to the National Inventory of Dams. An NBC News analysis of the inventory's data found that almost 4,100 dams are categorized at the same risk level and condition — or worse.

America's dams are aging, many need expensive rehabilitation, and few were designed for today's warmer climate. Meanwhile, the number of people living in inundation zones below them continues to grow.

Trial exposes problems with messy police work

Jurors weighing the murder case against Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of running down and killing her police officer boyfriend in 2022, ended the week without a verdict Friday. It was their fourth day of deliberations after a trial that included dozens of witnesses and allegations of botched detective work.

Read’s defense lawyers argued that the investigation was flawed, with undisclosed conflicts of interest, offensive text messages and a failure to consider alternative suspects. They’ve alleged a conspiracy among law enforcement officers to cover up the death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe at the hands of one of their own and frame Read in his killing.

Regardless of the trial’s outcome, legal experts said, the proceedings exposed an often-hidden side of law enforcement that can be rife with problems.

Anti-LGBTQ vandalism during Pride Month

Decorations celebrating Pride were stolen or vandalized at least four dozen times in large cities and small towns across the country this month, an NBC News tally found. Police have arrested several people in connection with specific incidents, and the breadth of the attacks underscores what some revelers say are new and shocking levels of hostility.

After Amanda Gentry hoisted a flag at her law firm's Tennessee office, a man trespassed on the property and cut the flag down, according to security video she shared with NBC News. However, she said the local attention the vandalism got generated empathy from some conservatives in the area.

"I had people who had never thought about it before — it resonated," she said. "And to me, that was worth every single bit of it. Period."

Annual nerd race comes to an end

The faster they ran, the faster the news got out.

The so-called running of the interns was the fastest way for the world to find out about a Supreme Court ruling in the paper era. The only weakness was the risk that they might face-plant on national television in front of all their bosses and colleagues. But now that the high court is finally entering the internet era, decisions are posted online immediately, and the interns have stopped running.

“Do I lament the fact that Supreme Court decisions are more widely available and transparent? Of course not,” said Pete Williams, who retired in 2022 after decades covering the court for NBC News. “Undeniably, though, it drains a little bit of the drama.”

In case you missed it

• Hurricane Beryl has become an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm as it inches closer to the Windward Islands, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday.
• Four people were killed Friday and nine more were injured when an SUV crashed into a nail salon on Long Island, New York. One of the victims, Emilia Rennhack, was an off-duty New York police officer.
• A neighbor shot seven people in Nebraska, including four children, in what authorities say could be a racially motivated shooting.
• TheBoliviangeneral accused of leadinga failed coupwas sent Saturday to a maximum-security prison as he faces charges of terrorism and starting an armed uprising.
• Indiana State Police are searching for Bryson Muir, the 14-year-old son of NFL player Daniel Muir, after the boy's grandmother alleged his father gave him a black eye and a split lip.
• Families who lost loved ones in the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting said the arrest of the former school district police chief is not a "happy moment" and are calling for more indictments.
• What is queer food? LGBTQ foodies and chefs have different opinions —but there's one nonnegotiable ingredient.
• “Inside Out 2” is the newest member of the billion-dollar club, making it the first film since “Barbie” to top $1 billion at the global box office.