Biden news - live: President dodges questions on classified documents as poll shows DeSantis 2024 advantage

As President Joe Biden marks two years in office — the halfway point of his presidency — a new poll shows that while he might handily beat Donald Trump in a rematch of the 2020 election, he would lose if he faced Ron DeSantis in 2024.

While Mr Biden has yet to announce what his intentions are for 2024, amid swirling controversy regarding classified documents. A number of the papers were discovered at an office once used by Mr Biden after his time as vice president and among other items stored in a garage at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.

Republicans have pounced on the find comparing it to the large trove of documents found at former president Trump’s home in Florida and are demanding action. The White House has responded by saying the GOP has “zero credibility” on the issue. At a press gathering with the Dutch prime minister, Mr Biden avoided answering any questions relating to the matter.

Further, the White House has called on Kevin McCarthy to reveal the deals he made with conservatives to become Speaker, with the first real test of his leadership looming later this week as the US approaches the debt ceiling limit.

Biden dodges questions on classified documents

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden ignored shouted questions from reporters regarding the discovery of classified documents at his Delaware home and at a think tank’s office he once used after his time as vice president.

As White House staff led the press out of the Oval Office following a photo spray with Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, Mr Biden sat in silence appearing to smirk as reporters asked about the investigation into the papers.

Watch: Steph Curry commends VP Harris for being a Warriors fan and representing Bay Area in DC

22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden to survey devastated areas of California as extreme weather subsides

21:39 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden will travel to California‘s central coast Thursday to visit areas that have been devastated by extreme weather.

The White House said in a statement Monday that the president would visit with first responders and state and local officials, survey recovery efforts and assess what additional federal support is needed.

The president’s trip was announced as the ninth atmospheric river in a three-week series of major winter storms was churning through California.

Read on:

Biden to visit devastated areas of California on Thursday

Voices: Will Biden’s rising approval rating sink after classified documents headache?

21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Will Biden’s rising approval rating sink after classified documents headache?

White House defends document disclosure delay

21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The White House brushed aside criticism Tuesday of its fragmented disclosures about the discovery of classified documents and official records at President Joe Biden‘s home and former office, saying it may withhold information to protect the Justice Department‘s investigation.

Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House counsel’s office, told reporters that the White House was releasing information as it deemed it “appropriate.” Responding to criticism of the piecemeal disclosures, Sams said the White House was trying to be mindful of the “risk” in sharing information “that’s not complete.”

Read on:

White House defends its delayed, limited document disclosure

Goldman schools Jordan over ‘dumb questions’ about FBI and Biden classified documents

20:50 , Oliver O'Connell

When Ohio Republican Rep Jim Jordan tried drawing attention to alleged disparities between how former President Donald Trump was treated over his trove of classified documents versus how President Joe Biden has been, he might not have thought he was about to be schooled at the hand of new Democrat rep and Trump impeachment officer, Daniel Goldman.

Mr Jordan asked on Twittter: “Why was President Trump’s home raided but not President Biden’s? Why did the FBI take pictures of President Trump’s so-called classified documents but not President Biden’s?”

He added: “Americans are tired of the double standard.”

Mr Goldman, who represents downtown Manhattan and northern parts of Brooklyn, responded: “1) because Trump obstructed justice by failing to comply with a subpoena. Biden volunteered all docs. 2) It’s standard procedure for the FBI to photograph everything they find during a search warrant.”

He added: “In the future, feel free to reach out to me directly with your questions.”

Mr Goldman didn’t stop there. In a follow-up tweet, he wrote: “And before you ‘investigate the FBI’ to obstruct their investigations into you and others, you might want to brush up on the FBI Manual of Investigative Operations and Guidelines (MIOG) so you don’t ask any more dumb questions.”

Ouch.

Biden condemns ‘fiscally demented’ congressional GOP

20:40 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden has pledged to strike down a “fiscally demented” tax agenda from House Republicans, which would strip funding to and ultimately abolish the federal tax agency, explode the deficit by tens of billions and shift the nation’s tax burdens on lower-income Americans.

In remarks spanning civil rights and wealth inequality on Martin Luther King Jr Day, the president condemned the new Republican House majority and its recently passed legislation to revoke new Internal Revenue Service funding aimed at boosting compliance against tax cheats.

The president pledged to veto such legislation, which is guaranteed to fail in a Democratic-controlled Senate.

Alex Woodward reports.

Biden condemns ‘fiscally demented’ congressional Republicans for IRS and tax agenda

Golden State Warriors attend White House press briefing

20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN anchor confronts GOP lawmaker for ‘only caring about’ Biden and not Trump classified documents

19:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Rep James Comer was asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday whether he and other Republicans were holding Joe Biden to a double standard after refusing to criticise former president Donald Trump for his stash of classified material at Mar-a-Lago.

The question came as the GOP, including Mr Comer, have vowed to investigate whether Mr Biden mishandled classified materials as they take power in the House. Mr Comer is set to lead at least some of that effort as the incoming chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the House’s main investigative body.

John Bowden has the story.

GOP lawmaker confronted on CNN over statements about Trump’s classified documents

McCarthy accuses Biden of hypocrisy over classified documents

19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy accused President Joe Biden of hypocrisy over the classified documents found at his home and former office when he criticised former president Donald Trump for a similar misdeed.

The White House has in turn accused Republicans of hypocrisy for dismissing Mr Trump’s handling of classified papers last year and only demanding action when it was Mr Biden at fault.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s comments below via C-Span.

GOP demands for logs of visitors at Biden homes... but they don’t exist

19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Republicans who are demanding to see visitor logs from President Joe Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware home will be disappointed to learn that no such logs exist because none have ever been kept.

On Sunday, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain asking for the White House to turn over records of who has visited the Wilmington residence where Mr Biden has spent most weekends since taking office in January 2021.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

GOP demands for logs of visitors at Biden homes won’t be met because they don’t exist

White House response on classified documents find

18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

“The president takes this seriously and he believes in handling it the right way. And that’s because he believes deeply in the rule of law. We’re also providing the public with information about this matter, as it’s appropriate.”

"But the very nature of being cooperative with an ongoing investigation means that we need to let that investigation play out and to try to be respectful of facts as they come to light through that investigation."

Watch: Biden hosts Dutch prime minister

18:35 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden is hosting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the Oval Office today. Mr Biden wants to persuade the Netherlands to further limit China’s access to advanced semiconductors with export restrictions.

Tuesday’s wide-ranging talks are also expected to cover the countries’ efforts to thwart Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and an upcoming democracy summit, according to the White House.

Biden’s remarks honouring MLK revive demands to protect voting rights

18:21 , Oliver O'Connell

A lot can happen in a year.

One year ago in Atlanta, President Joe Biden warned how history has treated the architects of voter suppression and the opponents of landmark civil rights laws as state lawmakers mulled a wave of antidemocratic legislation taking aim at the right to vote.

One year later, not a single piece of critical federal legislation that he championed – including the renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was to be named in honour of the late civil rights leader John Lewis – passed in Congress. The new Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a paper-thin Democratic majority in the Senate are unlikely to revisit them.

Alex Woodward reports.

Biden’s MLK remarks revive demands to protect voting rights after defeat in Congress