The age question cuts both ways
This week saw a renewed focus on President Joe Biden’s age — and potential successor. A Politico/Morning Consult poll asked about Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability “to perform the job well were she to inherit it,” a not very subtle reference to Biden’s longevity. Republicans spent the week spreading deceptively edited videos of Biden designed to make him look frail, turning “innocuous moments … into attacks on his mental acuity or physical fitness.” Earlier in June, a front-page Wall Street Journal article was slammed by critics as biased and shallow.
On the other side of the political aisle, former President Donald Trump turned 78 on Friday. And if we are going to spend all this time analyzing the age and the running mate of the 81-year-old, it does feel like the 78-year-old and his running mate options warrant attention.
Remember, this is the guy who lied about his height to avoid being deemed “obese,” a man who slurs his words on the campaign trail and who was seemingly incoherent in his recent meeting with CEOs. Trump’s Covid-19 condition was much worse than publicly acknowledged. And let’s not forget the way he seemed to struggle to stay awake during his New York “hush money” trial.
One of Trump’s top vice presidential prospects is 67-year-old Doug Burgum, whose presidential campaign barely got off the ground before it crashed. Also in the running is author and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, whose fealty to Trump (whom he once compared to Adolf Hitler) should be disqualifying. There is Florida Sen. Tim Scott, whose capacity for self-humiliation is seemingly boundless.
The strengths and vulnerabilities of Harris should certainly be a part of the conversation. But we should be paying just as much attention to the presidential caliber of Trump’s possible running mates. And right now, it’s not a pretty picture.
A story you should be following: Baptists come out against IVF
At the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis this week, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. approved a resolution opposing in vitro fertilization. The SBC includes 47,000 Baptist churches and has nearly 13 million members, making it one of the more powerful groups in conservative politics.
The vote is also completely out of sync with overall public opinion. According to recent polling, 86% of Americans support IVF, and only 14% say it should be illegal. Many conservatives seem to be aware of this reality, including Kellyanne Conway, who recently urged Republicans on Capitol Hill not to restrict contraception. Sens. Ted Cruz and Katie Britt offered their own (extremely weak) protections for IVF in a bill blocked by Democrats this week. The bill’s fine print confirmed it included devastating measures against abortion clinics and wouldn’t have protected IVF in many red states anyway.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade unleashed a Pandora’s box of restrictions on women’s health. Republicans have still not figured out how to deal with these restrictions, exposing deep divisions within the party.
Someone you should know: ‘43 and 0’ Gov. Josh Shapiro
There is no question the 2028 primary season will be a busy one. Democrats have a deep bench, but every time I interview Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro I am reminded of why he remains one of the party’s brightest rising stars. If you missed his interview on the show last week, he had a strong message for Donald Trump: “Stop s— talking America.” (As Pennsylvania’s former attorney general he also boasts a strong 43-0 record in legal disputes against Trump, defeating each of Trump’s efforts to overturn the state’s election results).
Shapiro is fearless and candid, and his rhetoric is much more relatable than typical D.C. punditry. Governors often have this advantage, since they are closer to the everyday challenges of state residents than national lawmakers ensconced in Washington.
Sarah Longwell’s weekend routine
Sarah Longwell is a political strategist and the publisher of The Bulwark. She is well known for conducting hundreds of focus groups across the country, and recently appeared on the show to discuss takeaways from a group she turned into a piece for The Atlantic: “The Two-Time Trump Voters Who Have Had Enough.”
What show are you bingeing right now?
“Slow Horses” on Apple TV.
What’s the last book you read?
“The Happiness Curve” by Jonathan Rauch.
What time do you wake up on the weekends?
I have small children, so 6:30 a.m.
How do you take your coffee?
With milk.
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden.