Axios

While Biden aides grapple with their response to the president's anxiety-inducing debate performance behind closed doors, media pundits and editorial boards have publicly joined the chorus urging him to step aside.

Why it matters: President Biden's poor performance at last Thursday's debate has ignited deep concern from Democrats on Capitol Hill, administration allies and left-leaning media pundits, triggering some to call for him to withdraw from the November election.

President Biden is staring down a growing consensus among frustrated and weary congressional Democrats that he should abandon his re-election bid — a sentiment that could soon spill out into public view.

Why it matters: Several House Democrats described to Axios significant movement just on Wednesday, with one saying that "over the last few hours, I am starting to hear from delegates that they really love Joe but want him to step aside."

President Biden bestowed the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry posthumously to two U.S. soldiers who took part in a daring Civil War covert operation that involved stealing a train 200 miles behind Confederate lines.

Why it matters: The mission, which became known as the Great Locomotive Chase, was one of the earliest special operations in U.S. Army history.

Former President Trump is leading President Biden 49% to 43% among likely voters in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll — a three-point swing for Trump since the debate, and his largest lead in the survey since 2015.

Why it matters: Perhaps no single poll carries more weight among Democratic elites, who have spent the last week panicking over whether Biden should withdraw from the race after his disastrous debate performance.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held an all-staff call Wednesday in which he urged President Biden's team to unite and move forward from Biden's terrible debate performance last week.

Why it matters: The call — and one Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had with their campaign staff Wednesday — took place as Biden's team is under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats over the president's fitness for office.

Kansas' biggest school district is required to overhaul its discipline system under a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) following an investigation into disability and race discrimination.

The big picture: Wichita Pubic Schools agreed to eliminate seclusion, restrict restraint and reduce law enforcement's involvement in student discipline. The settlement is a part of a larger DOJ effort to combat improper isolation of students.

The American Civil Liberties Union is already looking at how to challenge a future Trump administration's efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs inside and outside of government, according to a new memo.

Why it matters: Former President Trump's campaign and his allies have signaled they will use Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism" as a means of dismantling DEI programs in the federal government and the private sector.

The Biden campaign is launching a seven-figure ad blitz in battleground states on Wednesday slamming the U.S. Supreme Court's immunity decision and warning of former President Trump's threat to be a "dictator."

Why it matters: The campaign is leveraging the Monday court ruling to go on offense against Trump — as the Democratic Party continues to spiral over the president's debate performance.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to remove the gag order against Donald Trump and to delay the sentencing for Trump's criminal conviction in New York until after the Nov. 5 election.

Why it matters: The long-shot petition seeks to inject Missouri into Trump's criminal case in New York by claiming that rulings by Judge Juan Merchan interfered with Trump's ability to freely campaign.

Republicans' congressional campaign arm is targeting Vice President Kamala Harris in an ad that appears to recognize Democrats' rising tension over President Biden staying on that party's ticket.

Why it matters: While questioning Biden's fitness for office, Republicans are casting Harris as Biden's heir apparent — and his "enabler-in-chief" on border policy.

Top Democratic lawmakers tell us they're madder — and more deeply concerned — about President Biden's denial and deflection about his bad debate than about the halting performance itself, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a Behind the Curtain column.

• Why it matters: Some lawmakers want Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to privately push Biden to step aside. These lawmakers argue the president could bring down their chances of holding the Senate or flipping the House if he loses big in November.

Multiple members told us they're furious the 81-year-old president has dragged his feet on reaching out to Democratic leaders, much less rank-and-file members in tough races. Some of these members believe the White House wants to shield Biden from people who'd try to argue why he should drop out.

Top Democrats are watching to see if any blue-leaning states, including Minnesota, are suddenly in play. Anecdotally, Democrats say the answer is yes, Jim and Mike write.

• Puck reported that post-debate polling by OpenLabs, a progressive nonprofit, found former President Trump now has a chance in New Hampshire, Virginia and New Mexico — all of which had looked safe for Biden. The president was polling behind Vice President Harris and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in hypothetical matchups against Trump.

Israel and the UN are negotiating the deployment of Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink communications system in Gaza as part of a plan to increase security for UN aid workers, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

• Why it matters: The UN told Israel the system is a requirement for the organization to fully resume the distribution of aid across the Gaza strip, Israeli officials said.

But Israel is concerned the system could fall into the hands of Hamas and make it more difficult for Israeli intelligence to monitor the group's communications.

Cookout staples are up 5% from last year — but up 30% from five years ago, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes from the American Farm Bureau's annual survey.

• The average cost of a summer cookout for 10 reached a record high of $71.22 — up from the last record of $69.68 in 2022.

Explore the data ... Share this story.

Tesla deliveries slipped again last quarter compared to a year ago, amid growing competition and uneven demand for EVs, Axios' Hope King reports.

• Why it matters: The company still holds the scepter as the world's top seller of EVs. But its grip is loosening.

Keep reading.

The Virginia State Board of Elections certified the apparent narrow defeat of Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), one of the most conservative members of Congress, to a challenger endorsed by former President Trump in a June 18 primary.

• Good, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, has said he'll seek a recount now that his opponent, state Sen. John McGuire, has been declared winner of the primary in Virginia's 5th Congressional District, where Lynchburg is the largest city, AP reports.

🧮 By the numbers: The margin of victory was roughly 375 votes out of nearly 63,000 ballots cast, or 0.6 percentage points.

A new digital ad by the GOP's House campaign arm features Vice President Harris.

• Why it matters: Trying to leverage concerns about President Biden's age, Republicans are increasingly pushing the idea that a vote for him is really a vote for his running mate, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reports.

YouTube of the ad.

A worthy image on Getaway Day, ahead of tomorrow's holiday:

• Oscar Innocent, originally from Nigeria, and Cristian Diaz, born in the Dominican Republic, take the Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. yesterday during a naturalization ceremony at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in Manhattan.

30 new U.S. citizens attended the Independence Day-themed ceremony.

• The citizenship candidates originated from 19 countries, including Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, India and Indonesia.

Standing on the tarmac at Raleigh-Durham International Airport just after midnight Friday, Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams knew he needed to spark some energy for the arrival of President Biden after a disastrous debate performance hours earlier.

Why it matters: It was a critical moment for Biden. His scheduled Raleigh rally the following afternoon, here in the capital of a swing state his campaign is prioritizing, would be pivotal to prove he still has it in him to run for president.

Top Democratic lawmakers tell us they're madder — and more deeply concerned — about President Biden's denial and deflection about his bad debate than about the halting performance itself.

Why it matters: Some lawmakers want Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to privately push Biden to step aside. These lawmakers argue the president could bring down their chances of holding the Senate or flipping the House if he loses big in November.

The number of U.S. high school graduates is expected to peak in 2025 or 2026 and then decline for years to come — posing severe challenges to schools at all levels.

Why it matters: Schools and colleges are closing, faculty members are being laid off, and districts are facing financial dilemmas — all as education is under political fire from every side.

President Biden is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrives in Washington, D.C., later this month to speak in front of a joint session of Congress, a White House official said.

Why it matters: Netanyahu will come to Washington amid growing tensions between the Biden administration and the Israeli government over the war in Gaza.

President Biden cited jet lag from foreign trips as he acknowledged his lackluster debate performance against former President Trump during a campaign fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, on Tuesday evening.

Why it matters: Biden's performance that some aides had attributed to a cold has triggered mounting dissent among Democrats, with some Congress members calling for him to withdraw as the party's 2024 nominee, per Axios' Andrew Solender.

💥 Five days after President Biden's terrible debate, the dam holding together Democrats' support for the 81-year-old president broke open today.

• Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democratic lawmaker to call for Biden to step aside, and there were signs more could follow.
• Another Texas Democrat, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, certainly seemed to go there in an appearance on MSNBC.
• ⚡️ "I think that this is going to open the floodgates," Castro said. "I actually don't see a path now for President Biden to stay in this race for the long term."

🐊 Democrats across Capitol Hill — increasingly worried about Biden being a drag on their races and Republicans winning both the House and Senate — made clear Biden's debate problem wasn't going away.

💰 Major Democratic donors are now planning to go bigger on contributions to House and Senate candidates in a bid to build a Capitol Hill firewall against a second Trump term they view as increasingly likely, Axios has learned.

Many big donors are waiting for more polling to assess Biden's chances — and determine the extent to which they'll keep raising money for a campaign many fear is in trouble.

• But it appears to be the start of a political hedge, as skittish donors weigh where their dollars can have the most impact.
• 🗳️ It's also an acknowledgment that they view Biden's chances of besting Trump on Nov. 5 as diminishing. Their dollars might go further down-ballot.

🏈 Republicans are using Biden's debate fumble to argue that he's unfit to be in office now — much less into 2029.

• They're questioning Biden's ability to handle a world at war, hitting down-ballot Democrats who have defended his mental acuity and calling for his removal through the 25th Amendment.
• "My concern right now ... is not just all the Americans who watched this debate, it's what foreign leaders — our enemies — saw in that debate," Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate GOP conference chair, told "Fox News Sunday."

🐘 The National Republican Congressional Committee pledged in a memo yesterday "to pin Democrats to a conspiracy to protect a president Americans do not believe should be serving another term."