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Over the past two weeks, there’s been no shortage of stories about low morale among White House staffers.

The day after President JOE BIDEN’s disastrous debate performance, this newsletter wrote about how White House aides were so depressed that they opted to work from home. A White House official told Axios that “everyone is freaking the f*** out.” CNN described White House aides as “gripped with anxiety and unease.”

But when The New York Times published a story over the weekend that included a paragraph about how an unnamed “senior White House official” who — after watching Biden “in private, in public and while traveling with him” — came to the conclusion that the president should not seek reelection, it set off complaints among some staffers in the White House and the Wilmington campaign headquarters about leaks to the press.

The Biden team has taken pride in the fact that it has been relatively leak-free, especially compared to the previous administration. They’ve felt that the lack of leaks has been a testament to the loyalty that Biden cultivates among his staff and emblematic of the Biden-world mantra to focus on the work and block out the online discourse. But the post-debate blame-game and steady stream of staffers willing to unload their frustrations to reporters has rocked that equilibrium.

Some current and former White House staffers said that the flood of leaks had shifted the vibes on campus, creating a sense of uneasiness and distrust that did not exist before the debate. “It leads to a very uncomfortable dynamic,” said a former Biden official, who is still in touch with current staffers.

An administration official said that although people had been reluctant to speculate at work about which senior official talked to the Times, it had been a topic of conversation off campus and on group text chains.

“There was universal annoyance,” the official said. “It was some cowardly shit. Either put your name on it and take a stand, or shut up. But don’t ax the boss and then be like, ‘I wanna keep working here.’”

Another official told West Wing Playbook that there would likely have been more internal conversation about the mysterious senior administration official “if there weren’t like 6,000 other fires to put out.”

Other staffers said that most people were simply annoyed with the situation. The president had made clear that he was staying in the race, and the leaks, they argued, only made campus morale issues worse. Some blamed reporters for cherry-picking quotes from dissatisfied junior staffers who do not reflect the feelings of most Biden aides.

“The leaks are frustrating because they do not represent the majority view. Twitter and the media tend to over-index on the negative,” said a Biden administration official. “If it frenzy-feeds, it leads.”

Another senior Biden aide said that most staffers at the White House and Wilmington campaign headquarters “have their heads down and are working very hard, so it’s definitely dispiriting when one person complains to a reporter and that's treated as representative of Team Biden.”

But there is also an element of uncertainty among many staffers in a White House where everyone knows the decisions are being made by a small group of senior aides. A lot of aides, despite being part of the administration, are in a “wait-and-see” situation themselves as far as how the president responds to a pressure-packed week in which a number of vulnerable House and Senate Democrats continue to express reservations about his candidacy.

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POTUS PUZZLER

Which surprising candidate did GEORGE H.W. BUSH consider as his running mate?

(Answer at bottom.)

The Oval

THE 'NATO INFLUENCER' PROGRAM MUST BE STOPPED: For the 75 years it has held together the postwar transatlantic security order, NATO has been a defensive alliance focused on deterrence. But as its 32 member nations convene this week in Washington, NATO on Tuesday, inexplicably, became the aggressor with one push of the button — assaulting the sensibilities of peace-loving citizens everywhere by deploying none other than TONY P in a welcome video that was, well, offensive.

Because when you think foreign policy, you think about this ambitious, 20-something "influencer" who the Cafe Milano crowd is trying to make happen. Sure, the fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance, but why not use the occasion to let the aspiring TV personality practice his walking standups around town (chill out with the hand gestures, please).

Inside the West Wing, the video elicited a mix of responses, including, we’re told, a lot of groans. “I would like Tony P to stop coming here,” one aide texted. But others enjoyed the video and Tony P’s “good vibes.” People familiar with the matter tell West Wing Playbook that there is a coordinated “influencer program” underway for the summit led by State Department and NATO officials. But the geopolitical consequences of an ill-conceived video could be profound: “This almost triggers Article 5,” posted Bloomberg White House reporter JOSH WINGROVE.

LOTS OF VENTING, NO DECISION-MAKING: House and Senate Democrats huddled on Tuesday to discuss whether Biden can realistically beat DONALD TRUMP this November. And obviously, they walked out with no real consensus on what to do.

Rep. LLOYD DOGGETT (D-Texas), one of the first Democratic lawmakers to publicly call on Biden to jump ship, said that his position is unchanged after this morning’s House Dems meeting. But Rep. JERRY NADLER (D-N.Y.), who also called on the president to leave the ticket, backtracked. He said his concerns still remain, but that those are “beside the point” now: “He's going to be our nominee, and we all have to support him.” The enthusiasm is palpable.

As our Congress team reports, the continued state of limbo within the Democratic House caucus over the best path forward has exacerbated internal frustrations, as members worry their chances of both flipping the House and keeping Trump out of the White House are growing worse. Doggett, along with Rep. SETH MOULTON (D-Mass.) and Rep. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-Ill.), all made their case on why Biden should step aside — but most of the voices in the room were supportive of the president.

When Rep. STEVE COHEN (D-Tenn.) walked out of the meeting, he was asked whether the caucus is on the same page. “No … we’re not even in the same book,” Cohen responded.

By the close of business, just one more House Democrat had come out to say Biden shouldn’t seek reelection: Rep. MIKIE SHERRILL of New Jersey.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: The front-page story of the Philadelphia Tribune this morning, titled: “Trump’s ‘Black jobs’ weren’t in his Cabinet.” The Tribune’s MARCO CERINO writes that Trump is attempting to woo Black voters who feel disillusioned by Biden — but his idea of “Black jobs” doesn’t include high-ranking positions in his administration.

Cerino found a stark contrast between the two presidential candidates: Gen. CHARLES Q. BROWN, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the ninth Black person appointed to a high-ranking position under Biden. But Trump’s administration only included one Black person at that level: HUD Secretary BEN CARSON.

Campaign director of rapid response AMMAR MOUSSA and Pennsylvania press secretary ALLYSON BAYLESS shared the piece on X.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO WATCH: This segment from The Daily Show on Monday night, where JON STEWART rips Biden for not heeding voters’ concerns over his viability.

“Authoritarianism and Donald Trump aren’t the only threats our democracy faces,” Stewart said. “And our arthritic status quo, unable or unwilling to respond in any way to the concerns of voters who just received new and urgent information about their candidate, also erodes confidence and faith in the system of government. ‘Get on board or shut the fuck up’ is not ... a particularly pro-democracy bumper sticker.”

Stewart later addressed a CNN interview with Sen. CHRIS COONS (D-Del.), a staunch Biden ally, who said it's unrealistic to move away from Biden four months before the election. To which Stewart countered that France’s recent elections proves how a party can shift course rapidly — and successfully: “Are you telling me, you sons of bitches, are you coming to my house and saying to my face that the United States of Bruce Springsteen’s America can’t hold an election better than a French?"

SEEING OFF OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST: While in Las Vegas today, Vice President KAMALA HARRIS met with the USA Men’s Olympic Basketball team at the University of Nevada, where the team is practicing. The vice president was introduced by potential running mate Golden State Warriors and USA team coach STEVE KERR — and was notably drawn to Boston Celtics guard (and NBA champion) JRUE HOLIDAY. We can all but surmise that she praised him for being one of the most elite guards in the game.

CAMPAIGN HQ

A HILLARY-LED TICKET WAS NOT ON OUR BINGO CARD: A top Democratic pollster has a new survey that shows the Biden-Trump race is still competitive — but Biden runs no stronger than Harris or his predecessor as the Democratic nominee, our CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO reports. The national poll, conducted and commissioned by the firm Bendixen & Amandi after the debate, found Trump leading Biden, 43 percent to 42 percent, while Harris edged Trump, 42 percent to 41 percent.

Former secretary of state and 2016 nominee HILLARY CLINTON also inches in front of Trump, 43 percent to 41 percent.

Needless to say, Clinton will all but surely not be the 2024 nominee.

IT GETS WORSE IN WISCONSIN THOUGH: A new poll from the AARP found that Biden is trailing Donald Trump by 9 points among Wisconsin voters age 50-plus. Among Wisconsin voters of all ages, Trump’s lead narrowed to 6 percentage points. In Wisconsin’s Senate race, incumbent Democrat TAMMY BALDWIN is leading Republican challenger ERIC HOVDE 50 percent to 45 percent among voters of all ages.

JON FAVREAU shared our ELENA SCHNEIDER’s post on X of the poll, writing: “Nothing to see here, just the Democratic incumbent Senator in the pivotal swing state running TWELVE points ahead of Biden’s vote share.”

In 2020, Biden won Wisconsin — one of a handful of key battleground states — by less than one percentage point.

THE BUREAUCRATS

J-O-D GETS THE PROFILE TREATMENT: Biden campaign chair JEN O’MALLEY DILLON may not be a tenured member of the president’s inner circle but has emerged as “the central figure keeping the Biden campaign on track and driving it forward,” NYT’s REID J. EPSTEIN reports in this concise profile. Although not the campaign manager in title, J-O-D “has been the functional head of his bid since early this year, serving as the chief conduit to top donors and political allies,” Epstein writes. She’s described as a realist about Biden’s current situation and “disdainful of the press” (not exactly a newsflash there). Read to the kicker, which revisits a victory lap Dillon took in 2015 after helping Canadian Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU ascend to power for the first time.

FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: SANAM RASTEGAR has been promoted to be a special assistant to the president and chief of staff for cabinet affairs, our DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. She was previously special assistant for cabinet affairs.

— SHANNON RICHARDS is taking on a new role managing the schedule for Deputy Treasury Secretary WALLY ADEYEMO, according to an internal memo Lippman obtained. She most recently worked for Treasury Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis SHANNON CORLESS.

MORE PERSONNEL MOVES: SAM MICHEL served his last day as acting deputy press secretary on Tuesday, press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE announced at today’s briefing.

Agenda Setting

STAY THE COURSE: During this week’s summit, NATO members will likely declare Ukraine’s path to membership within the alliance as “irreversible,” our ALEXANDER WARD and PAUL McLEARY report. This means Kyiv has the alliance’s word that, as long as Ukraine adopts democratic reforms, it will inevitably become a full-fledged NATO member.

On Sunday, outgoing NATO Secretary General JENS STOLTENBERG told reporters in Washington that “we are now negotiating the language, and the language matters. So we are working on the exact language on how to express that Ukraine is going to become a NATO ally.”

FOREIGN INFLUENCE STRIKES AGAIN: The U.S. has detected Iranian government actors seeking to “opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years,” Director of National Intelligence AVRIL HAINES said in a statement Tuesday. These government actors have posed as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protestors.

What We're Reading

The Democratic Party Must Speak the Plain Truth to the President (NYT Editorial Board)

The Problem with Coronating Kamala Harris (The Atlantic’s Jerusalem Demsas)

'Wall Street Journal’ sued by star reporter for discrimination (NPR’s David Folkenflik)

The Oppo Book

In 2016, when MERRICK GARLAND was being considered for a Supreme Court spot, a devastating piece came out in the Chicago Tribune that we’re absolutely sure changed the trajectory of the now-attorney general’s career.

FRED EISENHAMMER described meeting Garland for the first time in high school. He appeared to be a straight-A, keep-your-head-down type of kid. But a year or two later, Eisenhammer discovered Garland’s true colors at a summer day camp in Chicago.

Picture this: It was sports competition day. There were two teams, and Eisenhammer was the first pick. Garland, “a good athlete but not known as an exceptional one,” was chosen by the opposing team. And they both were going to be their teams’ respected anchors in the relay race.

The opposing team had the lead by the time the anchors took off, but Eisenhammer — who was confident he was the faster athlete — chased Garland down, narrowing the gap to about five yards with about 70 yards to go.

“Then an unusual thing happened,” Eisenhammer wrote. “Merrick cut to the left in front of me before veering back on course. I staggered to avoid crashing into him but righted myself and kept running … Merrick finished narrowly ahead of me, and I was greatly disappointed. Then one of my friends on my team screamed at Merrick, telling him that he had cut me off and that it was illegal. Merrick shouted at me. I don’t remember what he said, but he was angry.”

“Cross his path, and you’ll come out second best,” Eisenhammer ended the piece.

POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER

Bush, while trailing Democrat MICHAEL DUKAKIS in the 1988 presidential campaign, briefly but seriously considered Hollywood legend CLINT EASTWOOD to join his ticket, ABC News’ DEVIN DWYER reported in 2011. This was revealed after more than 350 hours of audio interviews with 50 senior officials from the Bush administration was released.

“When we were way behind. Honestly, [Eastwood] was suggested in not an altogether unserious – Well, he was a mayor. He was a Republican mayor,” former Bush campaign chairman and Secretary of State JAMES BAKER said. (Eastwood had served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for two years in the 80s.)

A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it!

Edited by Steve Shepard and Rishika Dugyala.