The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1:

3:05pm- More big names are publicly questioning whether it’s in the Democratic Party’s best interest to place Joe Biden at the top of their 2024 ticket—including actor George Clooney and Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman. In a post on X, former Obama Administration speech writer—and co-host of Pod Save America—Jon Lovett explained, “it’s hard to deny that in the two weeks since the debate, it’s the arrogant and small Joe Biden we’ve seen most - hanging on, bragging, defensive, angry, weak. Who else but him? he wonders aloud. Only God could change his mind, he tells us. The stakes for the country are all that matter. The stakes for Joe Biden are beside the point. But it’s worth saying just the same: Joe Biden can leave office as one of the greatest presidents in our lifetimes, who defeated Trump and put his country first at every turn; or he can leave a stubborn old man who allowed hubris and insecurity to destroy his legacy and perhaps our democracy with it. We all have our best and worst selves, scrambling over each other, battling it out in the moments that define us. Where is the Joe Biden we elected? Where is the statesman? I hope that version of him shows up soon. And I hope the people around him know where to look.” You can read the full statement here: https://x.com/jonlovett/status/1811086031531495457

3:15pm- Is there more to John Lovett’s denunciation of Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy than initially meets the eye? Rich notes that all of a sudden quite a few Obama-loyalists are aggressively attempting to convince Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Is Barack Obama orchestrating Biden’s exit behind the scenes?

3:35pm- In his latest opinion article for The Wall Street Journal, former Counsel to the Chairman of the Federal Election Commission Charlie Spies writes: “If [President Joe] Biden drops out before the Democratic Party formally makes him its nominee, then Federal Election Commission rules dictate that no more than $2,000 of any campaign funds that he raised may be transferred to any other candidate, including [Vice President Kamala] Harris.” You can read the full op-ed here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-has-100-million-reasons-to-stay-in-election-finance-d8a2dfdf?mod=opinion_lead_pos5

3:40pm- What on earth did Joe Biden just say about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s wife!?!? Poor Mrs. Stoltenberg! According to the official White House transcript, Biden said: “Mr. Secretary, you’ve guided this alliance through one of the most consequential periods in its history. I realize I—as I was talking to your wife—I personally asked you to extend your service. (Laughs.) Forgive me. (Laughter.)” But that isn’t at all what it sounded like…