Today in one sentence: Biden privately acknowledged that he’s keeping an "open mind" about the future of his presidential campaign, telling a key ally in the aftermath of the debate that he may not be able to stay in the race if he can’t prove he’s up to the job; organizers in Arizona and Nebraska have gathered more signatures than required to place measures on November's ballot to add abortion rights to their state constitutions; 48% of voters nationally support Biden for president, while 50% prefer Trump; and 74% of voters said Biden is too old for the job.

1/ Biden privately acknowledged that he’s keeping an “open mind” about the future of his presidential campaign, telling a key ally in the aftermath of the debate that he may not be able to stay in the race if he can’t prove he’s up to the job. “He sees the moment. He’s clear-eyed,” the person said, adding: “He’s not oblivious.” Another top adviser added that Biden was “well aware of the political challenge he faces […] He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the weekend. “This is false,” the White House said in response to the reports, adding that Biden is “absolutely not” considering stepping down. And Biden in a call with campaign staff said: “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running. No one is pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.” Since the debate, Biden and his campaign staff have engaged in an all-hands-on-deck effort to defend his fitness for office, reassure lawmakers, quell donor anxiety, and boost party morale. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers, however, have reportedly circulated a letter demanding that Biden withdraw from the race. Two Democrats – Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas – have called on Biden to drop out. (New York Times / CNN / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / CNN / Washington Post)

  • ✏️ Notables.

  • Democrats begin to consider Harris at the top of their ticket. Several party leaders suggest that if Biden steps aside, Harris would have to be his replacement. (Washington Post)
  • Joe Biden or Kamala Harris: Which Risk Is the Better Risk? “There’s no perfect path for the Dems. They need to find the one with the least peril.” (Mother Jones)
  • Time to Roll the Dice. “Biden’s party doesn’t need to sleepwalk into a catastrophe.” (The Atlantic)
  • Biden Must Resign. “If the president wants to protect American democracy, he should hand over his office to Kamala Harris.” (The Atlantic)
  • Why Not Kamala? “Biden has had one job, and it is to make the affirmative case for why he’s a good choice, and he can’t do it.” (The Cut)
  • The Case for Kamala Harris. “Replacing Joe Biden would be risky. But it may be the best chance the Democrats have to protect democracy from Donald Trump.” (Vanity Fair)
  • Biden’s post-debate crisis is now evolving into a genuine threat to his reelection bid. “The fallout from the debate has created another extraordinary twist in a stunning campaign featuring two presidents, one who is a convicted felon, and the other who is already the oldest to hold the job in history.” (CNN)
  • Behind the Curtain: Democratic rage at Biden rises. “The stakes of keeping the Senate majority, and winning back the House, now feel existential to many Democrats after the debate debacle and the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.” (Axios)

2/ Organizers in Arizona and Nebraska have gathered more signatures than required to place measures on November’s ballot to add abortion rights to their state constitutions. The Arizona Abortion Access Act would amend the state constitution to establish the right to abortion and bars the state from restricting access to abortion before viability. In Nebraska, there could be two competing constitutional amendments put to voters: One to add the right to abortion to the state constitution, and the other to enshrine the state’s current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Voters in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, and South Dakota will also decide whether to amend their respective state constitutions to recognize the right to abortion. (CBS News / Associated Press / NBC News / The Guardian)

poll/ 48% of voters nationally support Biden for president, while 50% prefer Trump. Last month, 50% of voters said they’ll support Biden and 51% said the same of Trump. Across the battleground states, 48% of voters prefer Biden to Trump (51%). (CBS News)

poll/ Trump leads Biden 49% to 43% among likely voters nationally, a three-point swing toward the convicted felon from before the debate. Among registered voters, 49% to 41% support Trump to Biden. (New York Times)

poll/ 74% of voters said Biden is too old for the job — up 5 points from a pre-debate poll taken last week. (Bloomberg)

poll/ Trump leads Biden by 6 points among voters, with 80% saying Biden is too old for a second term. (Wall Street Journal)

  • 📅 The WTFJHT Calendar: Now until then.

  • ⛔️ July 4: Independence Day – No WTFJHT.
    🐘 July 15: Republican National Convention.
    🇮🇱 July 24: Netanyahu addresses joint session of Congress.
    🫏 Aug. 19: Democratic convention.
    ⛔️ Sept. 2: Labor Day – No WTFJHT.
    📺 Sept. 10: Biden-Trump debate.
    ⚖️ Sept. 18: Trump is sentenced.
    📆 Oct. 6: Last day to register to vote in some states.
    ⛔️ Oct. 14: Indigenous Peoples’ Day – No WTFJHT.
    🗳️ Nov. 5: Presidential Election.

Last year today: Day 895: "A serious moment."
Five years ago today: Day 895: Moving forward.
Six years ago today: Day 530: Shredded.