July 18, 2024 | What A Day Newsletter

What A Day: Joe big or Joe home?

An image of President Joe Biden is projected on a screen during the final night of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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BIDENTITY CRISIS, CONTINUED

President Biden is facing unprecedented pressure to step aside. However this drama ends, the next few days look like a wild ride for the Democratic Party.

President Biden’s candidacy appears beset on all sides. Big-name Democrats are maneuvering, publicly and privately, to convince him to ditch his candidacy. And yet the decision remains entirely his: Biden won the vast majority of delegates in the Democratic primary, meaning no one can force him off the ticket if he doesn’t want to go (barring a longshot, unheard-of rebellion by the delegates themselves).

Top Dems are therefore attempting to pressure and persuade, after the stunning collapse in confidence that followed Biden’s disastrous debate in late June. The result is a dizzying barrage of anonymous press leaks and official statements. Last week, Biden vowed to regain momentum, hit the campaign trail and stay in the public eye to demonstrate vivacity. None of it worked. Top Democrats quoted anonymously by CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett said they believe the next 3-5 days will be crucial in determining the fate of Biden’s campaign. “A change at the top of the ticket has taken on an aura of inevitability,” Rep . Ritchie Torres (D-NY) told Axios.

People close to Biden say he has begun to accept that he may have to bow out, the New York Times reported Thursday, without naming names. One person told the paper that Biden hasn’t yet made up his mind. But another said “reality is setting in,” and that no one should be surprised if he drops out and endorses Vice President Kamala Harris. Still another described Biden as “willing to listen,” but not necessarily ready to pass the torch.

The biggest players in the Democratic Party are reportedly deeply involved.

Privately, both House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have pressed the president over their concerns about his candidacy and fear of a Trump win, according to multiple reports. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), one of the most respected and formidable figures in the party, has reportedly warned Biden he could invoke losses down ballot across the country if he stays in the race.

Amid all this drama, Biden remains self-isolating in his residence in Delaware after his COVID diagnosis on Wednesday. A new Emerson College poll found Biden trailing disgraced former President Trump by double digits in Arizona (46% to 36%, respectively) and more than five percentage points in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and nationally.

Aye, aye, aye. This could be a crazy, historic weekend.

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NEWS NEWS NEWS

The GOP is hounding Service Director Kimberley Cheatle with criticism at the RNC after the botched assassination attempt against Trump. “This is one of the greatest security failures in the history of the agency. She can run but she cannot hide,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), said in a statement.

Officials are still trying to understand the shooter’s motives, and have found out that he also searched for dates for the Democratic National Convention, to be held in Chicago in August.

Sen. Robert Menedez (NJ-D) dismissed reports that he may be planning to resign after he was federally convicted for—among other things—leveraging the power of his office for gold bars. Gotta respect this commitment to the grift.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed talks of a potential prisoner swap involving detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was baselessly accused of espionage while just doing everyday journalism. Free Evan, now!

The Iranian government denied any involvement in the assassination attempt against Trump or any intention to target him, following reports the Biden administration informed the Secret Service of an unspecified threat against the 45th president before the Pennsylvania rally.

What A Sponsor

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