Welcome back to The Best & The Brightest, I’m Peter Hamby.

Today, I’ve got some breaking news about Joe Biden taking a significant polling hit in battleground states following his dismal debate performance in Atlanta. According to a private memo from one of the most respected polling firms in the Democratic Party, Biden is falling further behind in every key battleground state—and his diminished stature is now expanding the Electoral College map for Donald Trump. Making matters worse for the White House, other Democrats who might theoretically replace him—including Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer—are now outperforming the president across the 2024 battlefield.

🎟️ P.S.: A quick reminder that on July 10, I'm hosting an event in D.C. focused on voter trends heading into the 2024 election—particularly the importance of older women as a swing voter bloc. I’ll be joined by Kristen Soltis Anderson from Echelon, Margie Omero from GBAO, and Nancy LeaMond from the AARP. Cocktails, bites, and mingling to follow. Sign up for Puck and email Fritz@puck.news to RSVP.

🎧 Also, don’t miss my conversation with Abby Livingston on the most recent episode of The Powers That Be, about the startling chasm between what Democratic officials and electeds are saying publicly about Biden, and what those same people are acknowledging in private. She’ll have more on this in tomorrow’s issue of The Best & The Brightest.