Latest news with #presidentialcampaign
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Biden Challenges Jake Tapper to Fight Over Mental Competence
Joe Biden said he could 'beat the hell out of' CNN's Jake Tapper Friday, firing back against the anchor's new book that painted a damning portrait of his mental capabilities. Biden has faced a fresh onslaught of attacks on his decision to run for president since Original Sin's release earlier this month. The book, co-authored by Axios reporter Alex Thompson, reported that Biden's failing health was concealed by aides and loved ones. Asked by a CNN reporter whether he wanted to respond to the attacks on Friday, Biden had a fiery, sarcastic answer. 'You can see that I'm mentally incompetent, and I can't walk, and I can beat the hell out of both of them,' he said, seemingly referring to Tapper and Thompson. One of the revelations from Original Sin was that Biden's circle of advisers was considering getting the president a wheelchair if he was reelected. The book also reported that Biden did not recognize his long-time friend George Clooney at a Hollywood fundraise in June 2024. The book is full of quotes from members of Biden's inner circle who offered firsthand accounts of the president's cognitive challenges and their effect on his reelection campaign. Kamala Harris' campaign manager, David Plouffe, told Tapper and Thompson that Biden had 'totally f---ed us' by leaving little more than three months for her to campaign by the time he dropped out. The crisis PR firm retained by Original Sin's authors for the book's release declined to comment to the Daily Beast on Biden's fighting words. Biden, 82, made the comment about the reporters at a press gaggle following his first speech since he was diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer on May 18. During the address, he revealed that he has begun taking treatment in the form of a pill. 'The expectation is we're going to be able to beat this,' he said. 'It's not in any organ, it's in—my bones are strong, it hadn't penetrated. So, I'm feeling good.' After challenging his critics to a brawl, Biden made it clear that he has no qualms about his decision to run for reelection. Asked about his Democrat rivals who have criticized his decision, Biden retorted, 'Why didn't they run against me then? Because I'd have beaten them.' 'No, I don't have any regrets,' he said. 'I think we're at one of those inflection points in history, where the decisions we make in the next little bit are going to determine what things look like for the next 20 years.' While Biden has shied away from addressing the book's claims, his eldest granddaughter has ripped into the reporting as 'irresponsible.' 'If anyone is curious for a review from someone who lived it first-hand: this book is political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class,' Naomi Biden wrote on X earlier in May, adding that Tapper and Thompson were 'out to make a quick buck.' Long before the book's release, Biden had been a target of blame from Democrats for Donald Trump's victory in 2024. The octogenarian had remained in the race despite concerns about his age and mental acuity until a disastrous June debate showing versus Trump.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
K-pop and breakdance power South Korea's high-stakes presidential race
In South Korea's high-stakes presidential campaign, K-pop isn't just a cultural backdrop — it's a political strategy. Both major parties are leaning on Korean pop hits to energize voters, blending choreography and catchy lyrics with political messaging. Among the favorites at campaign rallies: Kim Jong-kook's Lovable and Young Tak's Next Door Oppa, are now fixtures in events across the country. But unlike the last U.S. presidential election, where Kamala Harris secured endorsements from Beyonce and Taylor Swift, South Korean artists have shied away from direct campaigning, which risks alienating fans. The opposition Democratic Party has deployed a 48-member "Shouting Korea' team, which travels nationwide in mobile units designed to create festive, street-level rallies. Their goal is to produce crowd-friendly events using choreography and classic Korean pop songs before and after the party nominee Lee Jae-myung takes the stage. The conservative People Power Party has taken a similar approach, with candidate Kim Moon-soo's campaign team choosing retro hits like Lovable, over songs by current idols. "Kim's frequent use of heart gestures inspired us to highlight a 'lovable' image, playing on the song's message to enhance his public appeal,' Kim Dong-hwan, a PPP campaign official, said. South Koreans head to the polls Tuesday after six months of political turmoil, hoping a new leader can begin to heal a fractured nation. The snap vote comes after impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed by the Constitutional Court in April for his abrupt decision to declare martial law. Lee Jae-myung during an election campaign rally in Seoul on Thursday. | bloomberg The state of the economy and fighting U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs are among the hot topics for voters, according to recent opinion surveys. Lee had 49% support while Kim trailed with 36% in a survey of 1,005 people commissioned by local media News 1 and released this week. "This election follows a period of martial law and impeachment,' said Kim Dae-young, a Democratic Party official. "There were debates about including strong political messages, but we decided instead to build a space where people could gather naturally — through music, dance, and video.' The campaign's setlist draws heavily on late-1990s and early-2000s pop acts chosen for their energy and broad appeal. They include Koyote's Pure Love, from 1999, diva Uhm Jung-hwa's Festival from the same year. Professional dancer Yim Young-hwan, who was hired by the liberal party to join the campaign, has choreographed several of the performances. The dance routines are deliberately simple, with occasional flourishes to grab attention, and to make it easy for people to follow. "We wanted people to say, 'Wow,' when they saw us,' Yim said. Lyrics are often adapted to highlight the candidate's character or policy goals. And choosing older tracks instead of licensing new idol music from the big K-pop companies such as SM Entertainment and Hybe reduces costs, according to Kim, the PPP campaign official. Licensing fees per song could reach around 3 million won ($2,170) to tens of million won, depending on its popularity. While TV and radio still play a role, Kim noted that digital content now dominates political engagement. Candidate Kim has appeared on major YouTube shows and launched a dedicated channel featuring a 13-song playlist to court online audiences. Yet despite the digital pivot, the energy of in-person street performances still resonates with many voters. "When young people perform like this, it lifts the older generation's spirits,' said Lee Soo-young, a Seoul resident, who joined Lee's campaign.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Polish presidential election too close to call as campaigning enters final hours
Update: Date: 2025-05-30T07:28:54.000Z Title: Morning opening: Too close to call Content: Good morning, or dzień dobry, from Warsaw. On the final day of the Polish presidential campaign, all polls show the difference between the two leading candidates – pro-European Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and nationalist right historian Karol Nawrocki – within the margin of error. With the country going into a period of 'electoral silence' at midnight, both of them have just under 15 hours to win over the last wavering voters in what will probably be the closest election in Polish history. According to polls, some 5% of voters are yet to make their minds up, and it is this group that could decide the outcome on Sunday. The final margin between the two candidates is expected to be about 200,000 votes – in a nation of 37 million, with some 29.3 million eligible to vote. I will bring you all the key updates from Poland and across Europe throughout the day. It's Friday, 30 May 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live, coming to you from Warsaw. Good morning.
Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Original Sin review — how the Democrats tried to hide Biden's decline
By the start of the presidential campaign of 2024 most Americans, who care very little about politics but understand what it means to be human and get older, had decided that Joe Biden was in no fit state to run again. We know this because they told pollsters, repeatedly. An ABC survey in February of that year revealed that a staggering 86 per cent of voters — including 73 per cent of Democrats — wanted him out of the race. Americans agree about little. They agreed about this. Original Sin tells us that the voters were right. And how they became victims of one of the great political cover-ups of modern times: an organised effort to tell people that the evidence of their own eyes
Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Gaslighting America — how the Democrats tried, and failed, to cover up Biden's ailing health
By the start of the presidential campaign of 2024 most Americans, who care very little about politics but understand what it means to be human and get older, had decided that Joe Biden was in no fit state to run again. We know this because they told pollsters, repeatedly. An ABC survey in February of that year revealed that a staggering 86 per cent of voters — including 73 per cent of Democrats — wanted him out of the race. Americans agree about little. They agreed about this. Original Sin tells us that the voters were right. And how they became victims of one of the great political cover-ups of modern times: an organised effort to tell people that the evidence of their own eyes
