Ana Faguy
US reporter

Image source, Getty Images

A group of reporters on Capitol Hill approached one-time vice-presidential candidate and current Virginia Senator Tim Kaine to hear how he's feeling about Biden's re-election chances.

But like many Democratic leaders, his answer wasn't straightforward. Kaine is towing the line on whether the president should step aside amid questions about his abilities.

"I have complete confidence that Joe Biden will do the patriotic thing for the country," Kaine said. "And he's going to make that decision. He's never disappointed me.“

Biden has so far been steadfast in his insistence that he is staying in the race.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the Nato summit

Image source, EPA

It's been a bit tricky to speak to people here at the Nato summit. The movement of reporters is tightly controlled, and visitors from national delegations are largely reluctant to weigh in on US domestic issues.

Off-the-record and with the understanding they wouldn't be identified by name, some delegates at the Public Forum have been speaking more candidly about their concerns for the future.

Several told me their concern about the possibility of a second Donald Trump administration is not that he would withdraw from Nato entirely but that the US commitment to collective security could wane and that, perhaps, the US couldn't be counted upon to aid European allies in times of peril.

Two European delegates told me they have been closely watching mounting calls for Joe Biden to step aside as nominee, with one telling me it would be “unrealistic” to expect that the issue of Biden’s age and potential Trump victory is not a primary topic of discussion among Nato allies.

One official noted, with some irritation in his voice, that foreign policy barely warranted a mention in the recently-released Republican platform, with only a vague reference to "peace in Europe".

It isn't all doom and gloom, however.

A few other delegates told me that they believe a Trump administration could work with Nato, provided that Nato countries meet their funding targets.

Image source, Reuters

US President Joe Biden said Nato was "stronger than we've ever been" as he delivered a statement at the military's alliance 75th anniversary summit in Washington DC.

Biden said "we can't allow Nato to fall behind", pointing to how his administration had spent $30bn on defence manufacturing.

He concluded that his message to the world was that every Nato member was committed to keeping the alliance strong.

"We can and will defend every inch of Nato territory... Nato will always be ready for whatever threats they face."

NBC says Joe Biden will sit down for an interview with its Nightly News anchor Lester Holt on Monday.

The interview will air as a prime-time special at 21:00 eastern time (02:00 BST).

The announcement follows Biden's prime time interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Friday.

That interview was widely seen as an attempt to reset Biden's election campaign after his disastrous debate against Donald Trump but did little to ease Democratic jitters about his fitness to run.

Senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi was asked by ABC News reporter, external Rachel Scott about her views on President Biden's candidacy. As we've reported, she had earlier side-stepped the question in another TV interview, but stopped short of a full endorsement.

"I'm not going to be making any comments in the hallway about the fate of our nation," she said.

Asked if she was concerned about Biden's chances in November, Pelosi replied "I think he can win."

Pressed on if he should run for re-relection, Pelosi turned to the reporter and said:

“Am I speaking English to you? I’m not going to be making any statements about any of that right now in the hallway."

Ana Faguy
Reporting from Washington DC

Image source, Reuters

In his scathing call for Biden to step aside, actor and Democratic fundraiser George Clooney argued that younger members of the party should chart a new course for Democrats.

Among the names Clooney mentioned in his New York Times column was California Governor Gavin Newsom.

At a press conference in Sacramento, Newsom said he is still "all in" with Biden.

Newsom also said he would not turn against Vice-President Kamala Harris if she decided to run for president.

He then switched gears to attack former President Donald Trump, saying the state of California had too much to lose under the "darkness" of another Trump presidency.

Clooney also mentioned Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Like Newsom, Whitmer has said she doesn't want the job... at least not right now.

One more Democratic voice has joined the growing chorus of worries expressed about Biden standing for re-election.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal just told reporters he was "deeply concerned" about Joe Biden's ability to win the election - saying another Trump victory would pose an "existential threat to the country".

The senator from Connecticut added that the party needed to reach a conclusion "as soon as possible", while also saying Biden had his support as the Democratic candidate.

It appears to mark a shift in tone for Blumenthal.

Only yesterday he said Biden needed to "to make his case aggressively and vigorously to the American people, but I sense increasing strength among my colleagues and the public".

“The one point that I think is ignored is the guts and the grit it takes to get through what Joe Biden is doing right now," he said Tuesday.

Laura Blasey
Reporting from Washington DC

The number of Democrats calling for Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race is continuing to rise.

Representative Pat Ryan, a moderate Democrat representing New York, tells the New York Times, external that he believes Biden should end his run "for the good of the country".

"I'd be doing a grave disservice if I said he was the best candidate to serve this fall," Ryan told the newspaper in a new interview.

He says his constituents have increasingly expressed concern about Biden after his poor debate performance against Donald Trump two weeks ago.

"These are the opposite of elites. These are people eating hot dogs and drinking beer and talking about my Yankees and where the country's at and expressing some pretty deep and weighty things."

In a call-in to MSNBC's Morning Joe this week, a frustrated Biden claimed it was "elites" in the Democratic Party and beyond who were calling for him to stand down.

Ryan says the best thing Biden can do for his legacy is help raise up a new generation of leaders.

His comments echo concerns of other Democrats that a poor showing for the Biden campaign could affect down-ballot races in competitive districts. Ryan narrowly won his seat in 2022 by just over a percentage point.

The news follows earlier reporting from Politico that New York Democrats are increasingly concerned about slipping support in the once-reliably blue state.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the Nato summit

It's not just US officials who are thinking about the country's November election and what it could mean if either Joe Biden or Donald Trump win.

Here at the Nato summit, I've just spoken to Kristine Berzina of the German Marshall Fund, or GMF, a think thank that seeks to deepen ties between the US and Europe.

Berzina - who also runs a GMF initiative which takes US officials to build connections with local communities - told me that she believes the upcoming US election lingers like a "stomach ache" across the Nato alliance.

"There are reasons to fear a potentially unpredictable and convincible president who thinks allies are not worth it," she says, in response to a question about the possibility of Donald Trump becoming president again.

"But there are also reasons to think that a US commitment to the allies, to Nato, is so much in the US's interest that there would be a strong bond, even if the politics are challenging," she adds.

Former President Trump, she adds, wants "wins", to "be respected" and for his leadership to be "acknowledged".

Already, she notes, European nations have increased their defence spending, although that is likely a result of concerns over Russian aggression than because of Trump's repeated calls to do so.

"If Trump is really going to take on all the bad guys, as he likes to say that he will, he's going to need friends," she adds. "As long as those friends say the right thing, and pay enough money, it really shouldn't be that much of a challenge."

"No one in Trump world is holding punches, and yet, it's really important that progress can be made together," she adds. "Who is the happiest about our infighting. It's Russia. It's China. It's North Korea. We shouldn't be doing things that make them very happy."

Clooney's intervention shows Biden's campaign remains in mortal perilpublished at 18:34 British Summer Time 10 July

18:34 BST 10 July

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Nato summit

The most devastating argument against Joe Biden’s re-election bid may have come not from a politician or a pundit, but from a film star.

George Clooney, in his New York Times opinion piece, pulls no punches.

He says that Biden’s decline isn’t just an illusion - it’s real. He says the president is not up to the task of beating Donald Trump in November. And, perhaps most devastating, he says that every prominent Democrat he has spoken with knows all this – whether they’re willing to publicly admit it or not.

Clooney isn’t just a movie star, either. He’s a powerful fundraiser for Democrats and has been for years. Given that California – and the Hollywood industry in particular – is a key part of the party’s money base, Clooney’s break presents a very real threat to Biden if it’s a sign of wider dissatisfaction with the president.

The solution, according to Clooney, is for Democrats to regroup and pick a new nominee, although he is vague about how the process could unfold. And his suggestion that, because of the shortened campaign season, whoever the party chooses would be able to avoid opposition research and negative campaigning – either from fellow Democrats or Republicans – seems naïve in the extreme.

But Clooney’s op-ed cannot simply be written off as the musings of a past-his-prime Hollywood heartthrob. And coming on the heels of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s guarded comments on Biden’s future earlier today, it’s a sign that Biden’s campaign, two weeks after his debate flop, still faces mortal peril.

Brandon Livesay
US reporter

It's another bruising day for US President Joe Biden. Try as he might, he cannot stop the rumours and damaging headlines surrounding his re-election campaign, even as he meets foreign leaders at the Nato summit.

A brutal op-ed by Hollywood star and Democratic Party donor George Clooney ran in the New York Times today, calling for Biden to pull out of the race.

And key Democratic figure Nancy Pelosi refused to weigh in on if Biden should continue with his campaign, saying he needs to figure that out himself after this Nato summit.

The comments follow Biden's disastrous televised debate against former president Donald Trump - again his rival for the presidency - two weeks ago. Biden's shaky and at times incoherent performance sparked urgent calls for him to step aside from commentators and some of his own party members.

As the host of this Nato summit, all eyes are on Biden. He will meet with world leaders who will be looking for their own insight into the 81-year-old's health and mental sharpness.

With such intense scrutiny on the US president at this summit, this live coverage will be zooming in on what is happening with Biden's campaign.

We will still bring you the latest major lines from Nato. So stick with us.

Here are a few snippets from the Nato summit in Washington DC, where US President Joe Biden - the host of the gathering - gave a warm welcome to other alliance leaders a few minutes ago.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

We have group photos now of some of the world leaders at the Nato Summit.

We will bring you more images shortly, and you can watch along live at the top of this page.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, PA Media

Sir Keir Starmer, Britain's new prime minister, is among the leaders attending the summit in the US capital.

He just had a quick moment with US President Joe Biden.

This is the first overseas summit for the Labour leader.

Nato leaders are now going one-by-one to be greeted by US President Joe Biden - the host of the summit.

A group photo is expected after this, before the summit starts in earnest.

You can click "watch live" at the top of this page to follow along.

In Washington DC, US President Joe Biden and other world leaders in the Nato alliance are about to gather for a group photo - the second one in two days - as the three-day summit gets into full swing.

Stay with us as we continue to provide updates and analysis of the gathering, including from our correspondents reporting from the summit in the US capital.

Michelle Vassilev
Reporting from Washington DC

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are expected to meet shortly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky’s meeting with the senate leaders comes as future US support for Ukraine remains in question with the November election looming. Former President Donald Trump has threatened to cut US aid to Ukraine if re-elected, promising, external to “have that settled” before he would take office and calling Zelensky “maybe the greatest salesman of any politician that’s ever lived.”

The US Senate has approved $95 billion in military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in April, with nearly two-thirds of the bipartisan package going to Ukraine.

Earlier at the Nato summit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the transfer of F-16 fighter jets from the US, Denmark and Netherlands was underway.

Nato summit taking place against backdrop of alarming events and trends for alliancepublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 10 July

16:53 BST 10 July

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

This summit is taking place against a backdrop of events and trends that should sound alarm bells for the Nato alliance.

Things have not turned out quite as many of its leaders had hoped and expected. Russian President Vladimir Putin appears undaunted by the catastrophic losses suffered by his forces in Ukraine.

It's true that Moscow is having to cosy up to global pariahs like Iran and North Korea to replenish its stocks of weapons, but they are obliging - with painful consequences for Ukraine.

There seems little chance of Russian forces being pushed out of the territories they have seized.

Any "peace deal" now would mean Ukraine having to surrender that land and give up all hope of joining the EU and Nato.

An international arrest warrant exists for Putin and yet he is far from isolated, travelling unhindered to Kazakhstan, Vietnam and North Korea.

Meanwhile, the rise of far-right and far-left groups in Europe risks undermining the cohesion with which the West has so far confronted Russia’s aggression on Europe’s eastern borders.

And all this against a backdrop of a looming US presidential race between a man many deem too old to be in office and an isolationist former president who sometimes seems closer to Putin than he is to the Nato alliance.

Image source, Getty Images

Hollywood star and Democratic Party donor George Clooney has penned a devastating op-ed in the New York Times, calling on US President Joe Biden to step aside from his re-election campaign.

"It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe 'big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate," Clooney says.

Clooney then writes that Biden might well have been tired and had a cold at the debate, but "our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw".

He says that an interview Biden did a few days after the debate only reinforced this image.

"Is it fair to point these things out? It has to be," Clooney adds, before saying that "We are not going to win in November with this president".

He goes on to write that "We love to talk about how the Republican Party has ceded all power... to a single person who seeks to hold on to the presidency, and yet most of our members of Congress are opting to wait and see if the dam breaks. But the dam has broken."

To read the full op-ed, follow this link, external to the New York Times.

Jonathan Beale
Defence correspondent at the NATO summit

The UK's new Defence Secretary, John Healey, has, like Prime Minister Keir Starmer, declined to set out a timetable for when the UK will spend 2.5% of its GDP on defence.

Before the recent election - which resulted in Labour winning power from the Conservatives - Labour said it would increase defence spending to that level when economic conditions allow.

Speaking to the BBC at the Nato summit in Washington, Healey said the government would first have to conduct a defence review – details of which will be announced next week. Only then will the government set out its spending plans on the armed forces.

The new defence secretary would not say how long that defence review would take, other than “within a year”, and signalled it would take months not weeks.

Healey still insisted that the government’s commitment to defence would see Britain becoming the leading European nation in the alliance. But several European nations are already spending significantly more of their GDP on defence, including Poland and the Baltic states.

Supporting Ukraine was his first priority. “The defence of the UK starts in Ukraine,” Healey said.