memeorandum: We now know how bad the debate was for Biden (Steven Shepard/Politico)

3:50 PM ET, July 5, 2024

Top Items:

Alex Thompson / Axios:

Biden staff “miserable,” alarmed as pressure builds … “Even if you're trying to focus on work, nothing is going to break through or get any acknowledgment” from bosses. — A high-ranking Democratic National Committee official told Axios: “The only thing that can really allay concerns …

Discussion: HotAir, The Gateway Pundit, Twitchy, Breitbart, The Guardian, Alternet.org, Raw Story, Fox News and New Republic

Axios:

Behind the Curtain: Trump's Kamala Harris plan … President Biden insisted again Thursday in an unscripted remark, after a supporter at a Fourth of July event on the White House South Lawn yelled that they needed him, and to keep up the fight: “You got me, man! I'm not going anywhere.”

Discussion: New York Times, New Republic, Washington Examiner, Talking Points Memo, CNN, Digby's Hullabaloo, Blaze Media and The Daily Beast

Peter Baker / New York Times:

Varying Treatment of Biden and Trump Puts Their Parties in Stark Relief — Republicans and Democrats live in radically different universes, interpreting the same set of facts through radically different lenses. — One of America's political parties has a presidential candidate who is really old and showing it.

Discussion: Washington Post

Edward-Isaac Dovere / CNN:

Democrats start moving to Harris as Biden digs in — Amid the ongoing fallout from Joe Biden's debate performance, talk in many top Democratic circles has already moved to who Kamala Harris' running mate would be. — That's how certain a widening group of leading party officials …

Discussion: RedState, New Republic and Forbes

Politico:

Playbook: The biggest interview of Joe Biden's life — With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine — DRIVING THE DAY — DEMOCRACY IN THE U.K. — The Labour Party is back in power after 14 years in the political wilderness following a landslide election victory …

Discussion: Atlanta Journal-Constitution and HotAir, more at Mediagazer »

Steven Shepard / Politico:

We now know how bad the debate was for Biden — Biden's slide in the polls since the debate puts him in a hole larger than all but two incumbents — who were both defeated for reelection — going back more than four decades. — The polls are in: President Joe Biden's debate face-plant …

Discussion: Vanity Fair, The Bulwark, Semafor, Raw Story, Los Angeles Times and CNN

New York Times:

A Third House Democrat, Seth Moulton, Calls on Biden to Drop Out — Representative Lloyd Doggett was the first sitting House Democrat to urge President Biden to leave the race, followed by Representative Raúl M. Grijalva. — Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts called …

Discussion: Fox News and Washington Times

Dr. Sanjay Gupta / CNN:
It's time for President Biden to undergo detailed cognitive and neurological testing and share his results

Discussion: The Guardian, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Beast, New York Post, Mediaite, Breitbart and USA Today

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
Disney heiress, wealthy Democratic donors say they won't finance the party until Joe Biden drops out

Ashanti Martin / WURD Radio:
keyboard_arrow_right — Listeners: — Top listeners: — skip_previous play_arrow skip_next

Discussion: The Hill, Bloomberg, New Republic, New York Times, IJR, Business Insider, Washington Times, Breitbart, The Sun, RedState, The Times of Israel, Blaze Media, New York Post, Alternet.org, Metro.co.uk, Politico, The Daily Beast, Mediaite and Forbes

John McCormick / Wall Street Journal: Battleground Map Shows Signs of Expansion for Trump as Biden Struggles

Chris Pandolfo / Fox News:
Biden ramps up campaign spending ahead of make or break interview

Discussion: RedState

New York Times:
Major Democratic Donors Devise Plans to Pressure Biden to Step Aside

Discussion: New Republic, Punchbowl News, Sputnik News, Washington Examiner and Blaze Media

WBUR:
Moulton: Biden should exit election ‘and let new leaders rise up’

Discussion: Politico, HuffPost, Boston.com, New York Post, Boston Herald, ABC News and Blaze Media

Olivia Nuzzi / New York Magazine:
The Conspiracy of Silence to Protect Joe Biden

Discussion: New York Times, Townhall, Reuters, Fox News, Blaze Media, HotAir, PJ Media, Rolling Stone, Read Max, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, OutsideTheBeltway, National Review, Business Insider, The Free Press, RedState, Althouse, Twitchy and Alternet.org

Amanda Marcotte / Salon:

Project 2025 was supposed to boost Donald Trump's campaign — but it may be backfiring instead — Trump's authoritarian game plan is breaking through the post-debate noise and it's starting to scare people — When Project 2025 was released, a number of progressives expressed surprise …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Daily Caller and Los Angeles Times

Axios:

Trump torches Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 … - Trump's disavowal comes two days after Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts drew outrage from Democrats with his comments about a “second American Revolution” on Steve Bannon's radio show. — “[W]e are in the process …

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, The Moderate Voice, Talking Points Memo, Associated Press, Digby's Hullabaloo, WBUR, Alternet.org, Snopes, PoliticusUSA, Crooks and Liars and The American Conservative

Kathleen Culliton / Raw Story:

MAGA ‘freak out’ starts as Trump game plan threatens to ‘backfire’: analyst — A controversial campaign tactic is backfiring on former President Donald Trump as powerful celebrities warn of a imminent authoritarian regime that could put an end to “recreational sex” as part of a “fascistic game plan …

Discussion: Mediaite

Aaron Rupar / Public Notice: Charlie Sykes on the GOP's Trump cult

Greg Sargent / New Republic:

MAGA Gov Candidate's Ugly, Hateful Rant: “Some Folks Need Killing!” — Mark Robinson, the extremist GOP nominee for governor in North Carolina, appeared to endorse political violence in a bizarre and extended rant he delivered on June 30 in a small-town church. — “Some folks need killing!”

Discussion: Alternet.org, Raw Story, New Jersey Online, Rolling Stone and Crooks and Liars

Hugh Dougherty / The Daily Beast:

Donald Trump Claims Republicans' Project 2025 has Nothing to Do With Him: ‘Abysmal’ — OK, SURE — The 900-page conservative wish-list includes a massive abortion crackdown. Now Trump claims he knows nothing about it. — Donald Trump rushed to distance himself from the Republicans …

Discussion: Washington Examiner and New Republic

Todd Richmond / Associated Press:

Wisconsin Supreme Court changes course, will allow expanded use of ballot drop boxes this fall — MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that officials can place ballot drop boxes around their communities in this fall's elections, overturning its own ruling …

Discussion: Reuters, New York Times, Journal Sentinel, Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, The Gateway Pundit, Alternet.org, NPR, WisPolitics, WPR and NBC News

Patrick Marley / Washington Post:
Ballot drop boxes could return to Wisconsin following top court decision

Discussion: WisPolitics

John Hanna / Associated Press:

Kansas Supreme Court Strikes Down Two Anti-Abortion Laws — The pair of 5-1 decisions suggests that other abortion restrictions — even ones decades on the books — might not withstand legal challenges. — LOADING — Kansas' highest court strongly reaffirmed Friday …

Discussion: Associated Press and New York Times

CBS News:

Vatican excommunicates ex-ambassador to U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, declares him guilty of schism — A firebrand conservative who became one of Pope Francis' most ardent critics has been excommunicated by the Vatican. — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò …

Discussion: Breitbart, Associated Press, New York Times, Raw Story, Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller and Press Herald

emptywheel:

Brazil Charges Coup-Plotter Bolsonaro for Saudi Gifts as Trump Org Unveils New Saudi High Rise — Brazilian authorities will charge Jair Bolsonaro with money laundering for keeping $3.2 million in diamonds given to him and his spouse by the Saudi government.

Discussion: Semafor, Middle East Monitor and Washington Examiner