Dems' "sense of doom"

President Biden today acknowledged his poor performance in last night's debate — and tried to calm Democrats' panic with a comparatively high-energy rally and a plug from former President Obama.

• "I don't speak as smoothly as I used to," Biden said at a rally in North Carolina. "I don't debate as well as I used to."

🚨 Biden's halting, stammering performance forced Democrats' once-hushed fears about November into the open.

• There has been private, theoretical discussion about Biden being replaced on the ticket, several Democratic lawmakers told Axios — though they acknowledged the decision is ultimately his to make.
• "There's a lot of chatter out there about whether we can do something, just a general unanimity that it was bad and a sense of doom," one lawmaker said.

⚡️ The intrigue: Top Democrats told Axios today that First Lady Jill Biden would be the only person who could persuade her husband to step aside.

• "Joe, you did such a great job," Jill Biden told him when they visited a post-debate rally party last night. "You answered every question. You knew all the facts."