Joe Biden faces a crucial weekend as his campaign teeters on the brink after a disastrous debate performance

By Jon Michael Raasch, American political reporter

Joe Biden’s White House and campaign staff are “miserable” as their senior advisers scramble to “prop up” the president in a desperate situation amid growing calls for his acumen.

“The only thing that can really alleviate the concerns is for the president to show that he is capable of running this campaign,” a senior Democratic National Committee official told Axios“Everything else feels like ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ from those close to him to keep him going.”

According to the sources, deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, Jill Biden’s top adviser Anthony Bernal and her longtime adviser Ashley Williams have helped the president in extraordinary ways.

“Annie, Ashley, and Anthony create a protective bubble around POTUS. He is so tightly staffed that he has lost all independence. POTUS relies on his staff to encourage him with memories of who he meets, including former aides and advisers who Biden should easily remember without a reminder from Annie,” said one former aide.

The protective cocoon of assistants was initially seen as helpful, but now they are seen as potentially misleading, according to sources.

Donald Trump warmly congratulated his friend Nigel Farage on his first appointment as a Member of the British Parliament.

“Congrats to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a seat in parliament amid the success of UK election reform. Nigel is a man who truly loves his country! DJT,” the Republican presidential candidate wrote in a post on TruthSocial.

But in his social media post, Trump did not refer to newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer has previously said his government will work with whoever is in the White House after the November election.

By Emily Goodin, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Democrats are beginning to speculate about who Kamala Harris’ running mate could be if Joe Biden drops out of the presidential race.

The list includes governors of several nationalities: Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Tim Walz of Minnesota, CNN reported.

In addition, party operatives are circulating an anonymous Google document titled “Unburdened by What Has Been: The Case for Kamala,” which includes a plan for a Harris presidential campaign.

“There is one way out of this mess, and that is Kamala,” the document reads.

Biden, his campaign and White House officials have said he will remain in the race. But time is running out for the president to show he is ready for the job.

By Jon Michael Raasch, American political reporter

Joe Biden’s campaign officials are trying to reassure angry donors by saying their money is being spent and not going to a dead candidate.

“We are in the midst of planning to name President Biden as the nominee, but the majority of the money raised through the Biden Victory Fund will go to the DNC, which supports all Democrats on the ballot,” an aide told donors, the New York Times reported.

The granddaughter of Roy Disney, co-founder of the Walt Disney Corporation, has often spoken out about her liberal political views despite her estimated fortune of $120 million.

“I intend to halt all contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,” she said in a statement.

Emily Goodin, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

President Joe Biden travels to Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday for a campaign rally, but more importantly, he will attend the most important television broadcast of his career.

Biden, 81, is interviewed by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in his first on-camera interview since last week’s debate.

The president is trying to rally Democrats behind his candidacy as the party grows increasingly concerned about whether he can defeat Donald Trump in November.

Biden has reportedly acknowledged that he doesn’t have much time to convince people of his competence, and the ABC interview will play a major role in that.

The network will air the full interview at 8 p.m. ET.

Donald Trump challenged Joe Biden to a new debate, where he would discuss the issues of the day “without any restrictions,” “anytime, anywhere, wherever.”

He suggested that just the two of them be on stage, without a presenter.

Trump filed his challenge as Biden struggles to maintain support among Democrats to retain their presidential nomination after he failed in the first presidential debate last week.

The former president argued that another debate would greatly boost ratings and give Biden a chance to “prove his ‘competence’ or lack thereof,” adding, “it would be another test for me.”

I have the answer to the puzzle of Crooked Joe Biden’s incompetence. Let’s have another debate, but this time without any holds barred. A debate where the two of us stand on stage and talk about the future of our country.

It would also prove, under great pressure, his “competence”, or lack thereof. Likewise, for me it would be another test. What a great evening it would be, just the two of us, one on one, in a good old-fashioned debate, the way they used to be. ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYWHERE!!!

Many wondered whether she could replace Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate if he were to withdraw, and she was downright enthusiastic when she delivered her speech.

She said, “We thank our Commander in Chief, the Vice President of the United States! The President Extraordinary of the United States Joe Biden!”

Biden then listened to the applause of the crowd in Washington and wished everyone a happy Independence Day, while many of his Democratic party colleagues called for him to resign.

The minor error was similar to one Biden himself made in an interview with a black radio station in Philadelphia.

Biden described herself as a Black woman during a failed radio interview amid growing calls for the 81-year-old president to abandon his re-election bid.

The blunder-prone president stumbles over his words during an interview with WURD in Philadelphia on Thursday, appearing to relate to his Vice President Kamala Harris.

“By the way, I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, the first black woman… to serve with a black president. Proud to be involved with the first black woman on the Supreme Court. There’s so much we can do, because look… we’re the United States of America.”

Biden appeared to emphasize his nomination of Kamala Harris as the first black female vice president of the United States.

Confusingly, he himself had previously served as vice president, which is probably what he meant by “serving under a black president.”

President Joe Biden told Democratic governors he plans to stop holding events after 8 p.m. so he can get more sleep.

The New York Times reported about the news that emerged from the landmark meeting with some of the Democratic Party’s rising stars at the White House on Wednesday night, in which Biden told the group that he was staying in the race.

And that after Axios quoted his employees as saying he already had a 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. workday, with an afternoon nap.

Biden told the governors “he had told his staff he needed to get more sleep,” the Times reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the meeting, and “told him to work fewer hours and avoid events after 8 p.m.”

During the same meeting, Hawaii Governor Josh Green asked Biden about his health.

The President replied that his health is fine.

“It’s just my brain,” he said next — a comment taken as a joke by some governors, while at least one found it odd.

The governors said they had provided “feedback” and raised “concerns,” but the 81-year-old president remained steadfast.

Biden and his White House team blamed jet lag and a cold for his disastrous performance in the debate with former President Donald Trump last week.

Biden’s campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon kept the comment to herself: “He was clearly joking,” she said.