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President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, in yet another foreign policy test for Biden.
NBC’s Peter Nicholas writes that Biden’s meeting presents risks and opportunities as he runs for re-election next year. Nicholas notes that Biden “could gain traction with more moderate and independent-minded voters by pursuing a dialogue with Xi,” but that the president also faces risks of accusations that he was “outmatched.”
Nicholas writes that Biden and Xi “aren’t expected to reach major accords. Any agreement that comes out of the summit is likely to involve more modest efforts to revive military hotlines that have broken down in recent years, regulate the fast-evolving advances in artificial intelligence and stem the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. from China, experts said.”
The meeting is the latest global test for Biden, who campaigned in part on restoring the country’s standing on the world stage.
His presidency has been marked by a series of challenges abroad, including withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and more recently the war between Israel and Hamas.
In other campaign news …
Scott’s next move: NBC’s Allan Smith details how the next steps for Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and his supporters remain unclear, but Scott is unlikely to endorse in the presidential race anytime soon.
Money moves: Billionaire Ken Griffin, who supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ gubernatorial run last year, told Bloomberg he is “actively contemplating” supporting former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s run for president. Haley has also held private phone calls with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, per Axios.
Ballot drama: A Michigan judge ruled Wednesday that the secretary of state cannot bar Trump from the state’s ballot, undercutting an effort to prohibit Trump from the ballot because of his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and his actions during the Capitol riot Jan. 6, 2021.
Oval Office plans: The New York Times details Trump’s plans for another presidential term, including having the Justice Department investigate his enemies, cracking down on immigration, using the military to target Mexican drug cartels, and asserting more control over the federal government.
Focus on the airwaves: Axios details how Biden’s campaign has focused much of its spending on ads, rather than on grassroots organizing. In the GOP primary, the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. has ramped up its ad spending in Iowa.
Only online: The Democratic super PAC Priorities USA is focusing solely on digital operations, and does not plan to run any TV ads in the 2024 election cycle, per The New York Times.
Santos saga: Embattled New York GOP Rep. George Santos’ former campaign fundraiser pleaded guilty to wire fraud Tuesday.
“When words lose meaning:” NBC’s Chuck Todd examines the words most pervasive to Democratic messaging — such as "radical” and “extreme” — and how they’ve changed over the last few years.