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Nancy Pelosi (and George Clooney) ramp up the pressure on Joe Biden

Pelosi stopped short of advocating either way on the Biden question.

LAST UPDATE | 10 Jul 2024

president-joe-biden-greets-george-clooney-at-a-reception-for-kennedy-center-honorees-in-the-east-room-of-the-white-house-in-washington-dc-on-sunday-december-4-2022-the-honorees-are-george-clooney President Joe Biden greets George Clooney in 2022. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

DEMOCRATIC PARTY VETERAN Nancy Pelosi has said that time is running out for US President Joe Biden to make a final decision on his reelection bid, but stressed the call was his to make.

Despite Biden insisting he is staying in the race, Pelosi – the former speaker of the House of Representatives and an influential voice in the party – suggested the president still could step aside amid a Democratic divide over his candidacy.

“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” she told MSNBC.

“We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because the time is running short.”

Pelosi stopped short of advocating either way on the Biden question.

“I want him to do whatever he decides to do, and that’s the way it is,” she said. “Whatever he decides, we go with.”

In a tight spot

washington-united-states-of-america-04th-dec-2022-kennedy-center-honoree-actor-george-clooney-arrives-for-a-reception-honoring-the-45th-annual-kennedy-center-honors-hosted-by-united-states-preside George Clooney honoured at a Kennedy Centre ceremony hosted by the Bidens in 2022. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Actor George Clooney has weighed into the debate about Biden’s staying in the race with an opinion piece in the New York Times today, in which he argued the incumbent should drop out. 

“We are not going to win in November with this president,” said the Ocean’s Eleven star.

Clooney, a longtime Democratic supporter and fundraiser, wrote: 

“I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.

“But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. 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.

“Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe. But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw.”

Supporters and doubters in Congress

Biden, 81, has corralled much-needed support from some top Democrats, but several elected members of the party have publicly expressed concerns about his mental fitness after his disastrous debate performance last month against Republican challenger and former president Donald Trump.

Seven House Democrats have openly called on Biden to not seek reelection. A handful of senators have also expressed concerns.

Yesterday, Colorado’s Michael Bennet became the first Senate Democrat to publicly turn on the president, saying Biden would lose if he stayed on the ballot – and perhaps cause congressional Democrats to lose as well.

“Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election, and maybe win it by a landslide and take with it the Senate and the House,” Bennet told CNN, adding he believes the White House “has done nothing” to demonstrate they have a plan to win in November.

CNN’s Dana Bash reported yesterday that senators Bennet, Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester told colleagues at a Democratic caucus lunch that they did not believe that Biden can win the election.

With concerns over Biden’s ability to keep his campaign on track, all eyes will be on the President’s press conference at the NATO summit in Washington tomorrow, where he will have to respond to questions from reporters. 

Since the debate against Trump, Biden has appeared at campaign events and has done one media interview with Democrat-friendly TV network MSNBC.

Biden insisted that only “the Lord almighty” could persuade him to drop out of the race. 

In that interview, Biden was asked how he would feel if he stayed in race but ultimately failed to defeat Trump, who he has characterised as a threat to democracy.

“I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the good as job as I know I can do, that’s what this is about,” the president replied, a comment that hardly set Democratic voters’ minds at ease.

George Stephanopoulos, the journalist who interviewed Biden, has since been caught saying he doesn’t believe Biden can continue to serve as president.

“I don’t think he can serve four more years,” Stephanopoulos said, in what he later described as a candid moment.

“The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before,” Clooney said in his opinion piece.

Biden also called into MSNBC’s Morning Joe programme to say he was “not going anywhere”.

Biden insisted he still had the support of the Democratic Party.

“I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t absolutely believe that I’m the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” he said.

With reporting from AFP

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    Mute Stephen Gaffney
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:50 PM

    Keir Starmer says Joe Biden is so delighted he is the new Prime Minister, not only did he phone up to congratulate him on Friday, he did it three times on Saturday and five times on Sunday.

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    Mute John K
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:27 PM

    @Stephen Gaffney: the Democrats and the democrat biased media have lied for the last 4 years about Joe’s cognitive decline. It finally got to the point where it was absolutely undeniable during the debate and now they are scrambling to have him removed. Less than a month ago The Journal put out an article about “Cheap Fakes” trying to make out it was a Republican conspiracy to make Biden look bad. Do they not realise we can see through their biased opinions and have lost faith in their reporting!

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    Mute Stephen Gaffney
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:54 PM

    @John K: White House also put out a statement saying he doesn’t have Parkinson’s. He is not taking medication for Parkinson’s. And he’s not receiving any treatment for Parkinson’s.
    Not one mention of that severe onset of dementia.

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    Mute Bernard Connolly
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:26 PM

    @Stephen Gaffney: judge Martin Nolan at it again in the above article he is some work

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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:48 PM

    @Bernard Connolly: What kind of world does he live in?

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    Mute martin lawlor
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:03 PM

    @John K: The Journal has almost become predictable at this stage

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    Mute Terry Molloy
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    Jul 10th 2024, 9:44 PM

    @Stephen Gaffney: The comment of the week goes to your Mr Gaffney :-)

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    Mute Terry Molloy
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    Jul 10th 2024, 9:45 PM

    @Terry Molloy: you(typo)

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    Mute Jose mourinho
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    Jul 11th 2024, 1:38 AM

    @Stephen Gaffney: American voters will have a cruel choice between a barely functional Biden and a diabolically felonious Trump …

    Whichever of these 2 chaps they choose, the future looks bleak for the next 4 years …

    Unless one or both of them drop out and the voters can choose more suitable, younger candidates for the POTUS & VP

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    Mute Heather Knowles
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    Jul 11th 2024, 8:54 AM

    @Bernard Connolly: Appalling sentencing as per usual. He needs to be removed and investigated himself as it’s always the same. These vile creatures must jump for joy when they get him judging their cases. Should be automatic minimum sentencing for these types of crimes. A suspended sentence is just shocking.

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    Jul 11th 2024, 12:06 PM

    @John K: and everything that comes out of the lying treacherous sex offender fraudster orange thing is lies and projection

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    Mute Stephen Gaffney
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    Jul 11th 2024, 2:22 PM

    @Jose mourinho: If Trump wins the war in Ukraine will be over. Simple as that. Don’t care what people think of him or what he did / didn’t do.
    Also, I know you got sacked from Roma but getting on the journal comments is a bit mental.

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:51 PM

    Donald Trump is brilliant. Everyone knows he’s brilliant. No one can deny it.

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    Mute Alex
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    Jul 10th 2024, 4:16 PM

    @Pól Pot: Not ashamed to use this nickname? You probably have no clue what it means.

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Jul 10th 2024, 4:19 PM

    @Alex: If you knew anything about geography, you’d understand that Trump is the only hope for a free and brave global economy.

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    Mute Sean
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    Jul 10th 2024, 4:22 PM

    @Pól Pot: I seem to remember his trade war with China didn’t go well..or his promise to make Mexico pay for.border wall and take back car manufacturing jobs from there too.

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Jul 10th 2024, 4:36 PM

    @Sean: If you knew anything about ornithology, you’d understand that the bald eagle is infact a sea eagle (Haliaeetus species) that commonly occurs inland along rivers and large lakes.

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    Mute Sean
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:01 PM

    @Pól Pot: I thought that you’d be more interested in the northern lapwing (vanellus vanellus) since it is our national bird.
    Want to try sport or history next?

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:14 PM

    @Sean: Neither. I’m simply happy that Donald has descended to the Mount of Olives as a prelude to His earthly reign.

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    Mute Sean
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:19 PM

    @Pól Pot: the only olives trump knows about is in the oil he uses in his tan and hair colour

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:44 PM

    @Sean: Billions and billions of blue blistering barnacles! Blasphemy! Apostate! Pestilential pachyderm!

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    Mute Patrick MC Dermott
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:51 PM

    @Sean: He didn’t even know where Mexico was, when asked to point it out on a map.

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    Mute Nodon
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:55 PM

    Biden has already made his decision. He has said that he does not intend dropping out. Somebody should inform Pelosi of his decision.

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    Mute John Flanagan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:57 PM

    @Nodon: big big mistake. If he won’t go, he should be pushed.

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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 4:13 PM

    @Nodon: Someone should inform Joe he’s Trump’s best asset in the election campaign.

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    Mute Gary Mullen
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:28 PM

    See Nolan is at it again. Another suspended sentence.

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    Mute Nikki Swift
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:38 PM

    @Gary Mullen: i just read that report, how on earth is nolan allowed to continue wit with these suspend sentences.

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    Mute Maurice Whelan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 9:19 PM

    @Gary Mullen: idiot….hasn’t a f*&&^%clue

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    Mute Dave Grant
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:51 PM

    Four More Wars!

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    Mute Nigel McAtamney
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:59 PM

    Smashing through his campaign like a freight train, just like they knocked Bernie Sanders out with Hillary….. and look how well that worked out. I love watching the car crash politics of an American election year. Need more popcorn n beer

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    Mute Dere
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:56 PM

    With Nato announcing that they are sending fighter jets to Ukraine expect emergency wartime conditions to be announced by the end of the year in the West, especially with the launch of Central bank currencies at the end of the year, which will facilitate the inevitable rationing quite easily, which will then be held onto after the emergency ends to limit every citizens carbon footprint….like clockwork…..so don’t expect there to be another one of those swell presidential elections this year.

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    Mute Papa Smut
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:40 PM

    @Dere: You forgot to mention the Illuminati, or is it 5G or vaccinies, I can’t keep up!

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    Mute Dere
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:06 PM

    @Papa Smut: nah, just the military industrial complex and its partner in crime the financial industry, ya know the one President Eisenhower so fervently warmed the Anerican public about in his farewell presidential speech as the greatest threat to America…..but yeah, it’s just a conspiracy tinfoil hat thing.

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:23 PM

    Since he has been in power, he has work very hard to earn billions selling ammunitions and arms, as they were humiliated in Afghanistan and lost billions of weapons and vehicles. He has worked very hard not to help for peace but to create more conflicts. He is living in a cold war time and everyone not like him is a communist.
    Trump has for him that he never went to war.

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:52 PM

    Good auld Martin.

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:53 PM

    @Jp Cleary: I wonder if any of those images were of his kids what would happen

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    Mute John Flanagan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:56 PM

    My god are we and the world in for a horrendous time if its trump. My god sure the Democrats have someone they can put foreward to at least make a fight of it. Trump did and will destroy America and the world. Oh my god. Such an evil holligan.

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    Mute Numinous20111
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:45 PM

    @John Flanagan: I think people forget just how incompetent Trump is. Admittedly with the almost daily stream of d-e-b-a-s-e-d stream of consciousness he issues, it’s hard to remember everything grossly deficient about him.

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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:15 PM

    @John Flanagan: Little over dramatic? Now I’m not his biggest fan but when “did” trump destroy the world?.

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    Mute Michael Whyte
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    Jul 10th 2024, 10:23 PM

    @John John: Trump recently had a meeting with oil executives in which he proposed to them favourable economic policy in return for campaign funding. Trump is in thrall to the corporations too.

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    Mute John arse
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:58 PM

    He has made his decision but has forgotten what it was.

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    Mute smatrix mantra
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:08 PM

    Biden paved the way for Trump. What a legacy.

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:06 PM

    @087 bed: Comment straight from Orwell Road standard narrative. Why would we get to vote on this?
    Maybe you should concentrate on your own fascist president who for some reason has no opposition. I wonder why

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    Mute 087 bed
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:19 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: So anyone talking sense or fact is Russian, Good grief you are slow.

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    Jul 10th 2024, 3:57 PM

    If your lucky enough to have a grand parent and if people and organisations consistently abused them , I know what I would do , I would turn the narrative back on the lying treacherous sex offender fraudster orange thing, and the epistine files

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    Mute Pól Pot
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    Jul 10th 2024, 4:05 PM

    @Robert Halvey: The Epistinians shall be freed back unto their rightful lands.

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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 4:14 PM

    @Robert Halvey: what the actual F are you talking about?

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    Jul 11th 2024, 2:51 PM

    @Ger Whelan: all iam saying lad is Biden old and has slowed done a bit . But you and yours ignore the lying treacherous sex offender fraudster orange things old aswell

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    Mute Ger Whelan
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    Jul 10th 2024, 5:29 PM

    @087 bed: Ukraine cannot join NATO while it’s still at war with Russia. NATO allowing Ukraine to join while it’s at war is NATO declaring war on Russia which won’t happen. So you can stop crying.

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    Mute marklars81
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    Jul 10th 2024, 4:27 PM

    The headline is 5 words too long

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    Mute James T.Kirk
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    Jul 11th 2024, 5:40 AM

    Stick to acting George!

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    Mute Eric Gaffney
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    Jul 10th 2024, 11:17 PM

    Clooney up to his neck in it. Oddball.

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    Mute Phillip Smyth
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    Jul 10th 2024, 6:02 PM

    Take the fifth Joe.

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    Mute Peter Brown
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    Jul 10th 2024, 7:22 PM

    Biden has got to be the greatest president of all time!!!!!

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    Mute Peter Brown
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    Jul 10th 2024, 7:38 PM

    @Peter Brown:… Lol

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    Mute Oh Mammy
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    Jul 10th 2024, 10:13 PM

    Who said to Putin – Wait till after the election. I will have more flexibility?

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    Mute Conor Craddock
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    Jul 10th 2024, 8:31 PM

    I appreciate the ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou’ reference in the Clooney sub-headline.

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    Mute Séamas Mac Cárthaigh
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    Jul 10th 2024, 7:21 PM

    Donald will betray everyone. He has nothing left to lose. He’s all in. I do believe him when he said he would be dictator for a day, it’s all it would take to subdue the USA with the military on his side.

    Come to Jesus, Joe!

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    Mute J French
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    Jul 11th 2024, 8:36 AM

    I just read the headline and I knew it Nolan

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    Jul 11th 2024, 10:38 AM

    I would vote for a dead joe before I would use my spit to save the lying treacherous sex offender fraudster orange thing from dehydration

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