1/ Biden passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, saying: “America, I gave my best to you.” In what is perhaps his last major political speech, he then ad-libbed: “I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you.” Biden was greeted by a four-minutes standing ovation by the crowd that chanted “Thank you, Joe,” and “We love Joe” as he entered the stage. In his 52-minute speech, Biden said choosing Harris as his running mate in 2020 was “the best decision I made my whole career,” and vowed to be the “best” campaign “volunteer” the campaign “have ever seen.” He added: “As your president, I’ve been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back.” Harris made a surprise appearance earlier in the evening, thanking Biden for all he’s done “and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you.” Hillary Clinton, the first woman to win a major party’s nomination as the Democratic pick in 2016, thanked Biden for being “democracy’s champion” before reminding Democrats how close they came to breaking the “highest and hardest glass ceiling” as she celebrated Harris as the party’s new torch-bearer, saying “The future is here.” Clinton also attacked Trump, saying he “made his own kind of history” as “the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions […] We have him on the run now.” The crowd erupted into chants of “lock him up.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez began her speech by thanking Harris and Walz for their “vision,” and Biden for his “leadership” before turning her attention to Trump, calling him a “two-bit union buster” who “would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing palms of his Wall Street friends.” She added: “There is nothing wrong with working for a living. Imagine having leaders who understand that.” Night two of the DNC will include speeches from Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Doug Emhoff. (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / Politico / Axios / NBC News / Associated Press / NPR / NPR / Axios / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg)

  • Proud and Impassioned, Joe Biden Passes the Torch at the D.N.C. “In a valedictory speech in Chicago, the President mapped his legacy and asked to be remembered as a man who pulled the country from the maw of tragedy.” (The New Yorker)
  • Biden’s Emotional Speech Hints at a Bigger Takedown of Trump to Come. “Biden aggressively defended his economic record. But he also subtly pushed back against Trump’s sleazy racist attacks on Harris—and that’s essential to winning.” (The New Republic)
  • Joe Biden’s Late Goodbye. “The Democratic National Convention’s first night had a delicate mission: to honor the sitting president before quickly switching gears to celebrate Kamala Harris.” (The Atlantic)
  • In 2016, Obama Passed a Baton. Tonight, He’ll Aim to Resurrect a Movement. “In his speech at the Democratic National Convention, the former president will have the tricky task of helping to reassemble the kind of coalition that powered his own rise.” (New York Times)

2/ House Republicans released their initial impeachment inquiry report on Biden, accusing him – without evidence – of “impeachable conduct” related to his family’s “egregious” business dealings. The report, however, offered no proof that Biden participated in any criminal wrongdoing. The White House dismissed the impeachment inquiry as a “failed stunt” that “will only be remembered for how it became an embarrassment” because it “only managed to turn up evidence that refuted their false and baseless conspiracy theories.” The House doesn’t return until September, when it’s possible that Republicans could force a vote on impeachment. While Republican don’t have the votes to impeach Biden, but if the effort were successful in the House, it would fail in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. (New York Times / Politico / NBC News / CNN / Washington Post / Axios / Associated Press)

3/ In March, Biden approved a highly classified nuclear strategic plan to shift America’s deterrent strategy to China’s expansion of its nuclear arsenal. The “Nuclear Employment Guidance,” which was never publicly announced, also orders the U.S. to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear challenges from China, Russia, and North Korea. Reportedly weighing on the Pentagon is “the significant increase in the size and diversity” of China’s nuclear arsenal, according to nuclear strategist Vipin Narang, who served in the Defense Department until this month. (New York Times / Semafor / Reuters)

4/ The running mate of the Los Angeles man, who launched an independent campaign for president after discovering a dead worm in his brain and confessed to leaving a dead bear cub in Central Park in 2014 because he thought it would be “amusing,” revealed that the campaign may drop its bid and “join forces” with Trump. Nicole Shanahan said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering abandoning his independent bid for the White House, which is losing money and facing legal challenges to ballot access. “There’s two options that we’re looking at and one is staying in, forming that new party, but we run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump,” Shanahan said. Kennedy recently tried to meet with Kamala Harris to discuss a cabinet job in exchange for him dropping out of the race and endorsing her. Harris rebuffed the meeting. (Axios / CNBC)

✏️ Notables.

  1. Republican George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. The plea deal will require Santos to pay restitution of $373,749.97 and forfeit another $205,002.97 will allow Santos to avoid a trial in the case. He faces between two and 22 years in prison. (Axios / New York Times / Washington Post)

  2. Democrat Bob Menendez will resign from Senate after bribery convictions. “Menendez, 70, was convicted on charges that he used his influence to meddle in three different state and federal criminal investigations to protect the businessmen.” (Associated Press)

  3. U.S. intelligence officials concluded that Iran was behind the hack of Trump’s presidential campaign and the attempted attack on the Biden-Harris campaign. “The assessment from the FBI and other federal agencies was the first time the U.S. government has assigned blame for hacks that have raised anew the threat of foreign election interference and underscored how Iran, in addition to more sophisticated adversaries like Russia and China, remains a top concern.” (Associated Press / CNN)

  • 📅 The WTFJHT Calendar: Now until then.

  • 🫏 Aug. 19-22: Democratic National Convention.
    ⛔️ Sept. 2: Labor Day – No WTFJHT.
    📺 Sept. 4: Fox News presidential debate. (unlikely)
    📺 Sept. 10: ABC News presidential debate.
    ⚖️ Sept. 18: Trump is sentenced.
    📺 Sept. 25: NBC News presidential debate. (possible)
    📺 Oct. 1: CBS News vice presidential debate.
    📆 Oct. 6: Last day to register to vote in some states.
    ⛔️ Oct. 14: Indigenous Peoples’ Day – No WTFJHT.
    🗳️ Nov. 5: Presidential Election.
  • ✅ Get election ready: Register to vote, update your address, or request an absentee ballot at Vote.org, TurboVote.org, RocktheVote.org, or VoteFromAbroad.org.

  • 📈 The WTFJHT Election Poll Tracking Tracker ™️

  • Harris 49% – Trump 47% (New York Times)
    Harris 46% – Trump 43% (538)
    Harris 47% – Trump 44% (Nate Silver)
    Harris 48% – Trump 45% (The Economist)
    Harris 48% – Trump 46% (RealClearPolitics)
    Harris 49% – Trump 48% (Election Betting Odds)