'I'm Supposed To Be Dead': Donald Trump Reflects After 'Very Surreal' Brush With Death

I appreciate the honesty, but damn

The Chameleons, also known as The Chameleons UK in the United States, is a post-punk band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1981. The band’s classic lineup consists of Mark Burgess (vocals, bass), Reg Smithies (guitar), Dave Fielding (guitar), and John Lever (drums), although Lever was replaced by Brian Schofield for their debut album. They are known for their atmospheric, guitar-driven sound, which was a significant part of the British post-punk scene of the early 1980s. The Chameleons released three influential studio albums during their initial run: Script of the Bridge (1983), What Does Anything Mean? Basically (1985), and Strange The post Complete List Of The Chameleons Albums And Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The relationship between X and the powerful advertising group known as the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) keeps getting increasingly interesting – and puzzling. X predecessor Twitter was a member, but the social platform left GARM after Elon Musk became the new owner. However, only recently, X announced that it was “excited” to rejoin GARM. And now Musk has declared that X “has no choice but to file suit against the perpetrators and collaborators in the advertising boycott racket.” “Hopefully, some states will consider criminal prosecution,” his post reads. But it’s not just any “boycott racket” – he was referring to a US House Judiciary Committee interim report, that goes into how GARM (set up by the World Federation of Advertisers, WFA, and associated with the World Economic Forum, WEF) colluded to leverage advertising in a bid to control speech on his platform, and conservative media outlets. That’s despite GARM’s stated purpose of simply providing “brand safety.” But it turns out the alliance, which gathers scores of the world’s largest and richest corporations and advertiser associations with a collective share in the ad market reaching close to a trillion dollars annually – may have been doing “a little extra.” Namely, just after Musk took over in November 2022, “brand safety” was used as a weapon to blacklist creators, content, and companies. It proceeds from the Committee’s report that this had to do with exerting influence and carrying out online censorship for what, at least in the case of the recommendation to boycott Twitter (because of the Musk takeover) appear to be political reasons. Namely, the liberal part of US (and not only) politics and media were and continue to be strongly critical of Musk, and it has now been revealed that targeting Twitter’s already shaky revenues was one of the anti-Musk tactics and a successful one. Despite GARM head Robert Rakowitz’s statements denying any organized boycott, an email from early February 2023 that the Committee obtained said the company rebranded as X was facing “80% below revenue forecasts.” The Committee’s report said it came as GARM “recommended that its members ‘stop all paid advertisement’ on Twitter in response to Mr. Musk’s acquisition of the company.” The report adds, “GARM’s internal documents show that GARM was asked by a member to ‘arrange a meeting and hear more about (GARM’s) perspectives about the Twitter situation and a possible boycott from many companies.” Although Musk’s threat of legal action doesn’t name any names, including GARM itself, it will put X’s decision to renew the GARM partnership to the test – and perhaps explain it. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Elon Musk Threatens To Sue Advertising Alliance, Despite Re-Joining It appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

King Henry VIII is one of the UK’s most iconic yet controversial monarchs, and this was the case with his coinage as well. Overspending by Henry VIII to pay for his lavish lifestyle and to fund foreign wars with France and Scotland meant the country’s finances were in poor shape, so in 1544 Henry VIII introduced a policy known as The Great Debasement. Here we take a look at The Royal Mint’s archive of Henry VIII’s ‘coppernose’ coins, and explore more about The Great Debasement and how its economic effects continued for many years. The Great Debasement The main aim of the policy was to increase revenue for the Crown at the cost of taxpayers through savings in currency production, with less bullion being required to mint new coins. This was achieved by reducing the amount of precious metal in gold and silver coins and, in some cases, replacing it almost entirely with cheaper base metals such as copper. In May 1544, Henry VIII’s debased coins entered circulation and by July of the same year, foreign merchants had discovered the reduced value of the newly minted silver groats and begun offering a lower price for them. Non-debased coins with an accurate value were often hoarded which took them out of circulation and further exacerbated the problem of an inaccurate currency. This ruined the credibility of British merchants and of the crown itself. ‘Old Coppernose’ The thin layer of silver on Henry’s debased testoons had a tendency to wear off, particularly over the protruding nose of his portrait, revealing the copper colour underneath – earning Henry the nickname of ‘Old Coppernose’.  Coins from the reign of Henry VIII What happened after The Great Debasement? As a result of The Great Debasement, when Elizabeth I came to power in 1558, the poor quality of England’s coinage had greatly affected both confidence in the monarchy as well as the country’s trading relations. The Queen believed that these problems could be solved by restoring England’s coinage to its previously high standards. In 1560, debased coinage began to be withdrawn from circulation and the withdrawn coins melted down and replaced with newly minted coins with an accurate value. This process was aided in 1561 by trials into producing coinage using machinery as a method to replace the crude system of hammer struck coins, and The Crown even made an estimated profit of £50,000. The success of the initiative and the restoration of the integrity of England’s coinage led to economic recovery and an expansion in trade. Long-term effects of The Great Debasement Elizabeth restored the coins back to an accurate value which restored faith in England’s coins, but it’s hard to overstate just how much The Great Debasement had affected trade relations and the way in which foreign merchants, and foreign countries viewed England’s coinage. To cover their backs, merchants would carry their own scales and weights to prove that their coins, and the coins they were trading with, were accurate.

Some of the many fascinating objects held in The Royal Mint Museum is their collection of merchant books. These rare and early examples of merchant books are some of the oldest printed material in their collection, and highlight the importance of a reliable coinage that can be traded across different countries.  Here we explore more about how merchants ensured quality control following The Great Debasement to prove that their coins, and the coins they were trading with, were accurate – and the importance of this in England’s credibility in global trade. The Great Debasement During the reign of King Henry VIII, England faced significant economic changes, notably marked by the Great Debasement. The Great Debasement refers to a deliberate policy undertaken by Henry VIII to devalue the currency as a means to bolster the royal treasury and address financial woes. In order to increase revenue for the Crown, from 1544, Henry VIII began reducing the amount of precious metal in gold coins. This act aimed to create more coins from the same quantity of silver, effectively increasing the money supply. However, the consequence was a decline in the value of currency, leading to inflation and economic instability. The process of debasement continued with subsequent reductions in the silver content of coins. In some cases, the precious metal content was replaced almost entirely with cheaper base metals such as copper. This policy had a profound impact on the economy, resulting in rising prices, economic uncertainty, disruption of trade, and a loss of public trust in the currency. While the Great Debasement temporarily aided the Crown’s financial situation, it ultimately contributed to economic turmoil and long-term consequences for England’s monetary system, requiring subsequent monarchs to address and stabilise the currency. Impact on trade The accuracy of a coin’s value was not just important internally, but also of upmost importance for merchants trading oversees – both for their personal credibility and indeed the credibility of the nation. The devalued currency caused by the Great Debasement led to a decline in the purchasing power of English coins abroad. This made English goods more expensive for foreign buyers, diminishing the competitiveness of English exports in international markets. As a result, England faced challenges in maintaining its previous levels of trade and struggled to sustain favourable trade balances with other countries. Furthermore, the fluctuating value of the currency caused uncertainty for foreign merchants and traders engaging in commerce with England. The diminished value of English coins made transactions and negotiations complicated, affecting trust and confidence in trade dealings. Merchants’ Scales and Weights, probably made in the mid-17th century in CologneImage Credit: Brandeis University / Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections Recovery The recovery of English trade after the Great Debasement was gradual and spanned several decades. Subsequently, to cover their backs, 17th century merchants carried their own scales and weights to do quality control checks themselves, proving and verifying that their coins, and the coins they were trading with, were accurate. They also used ‘merchant books’ which detailed all of the characteristics, dimensions and weights that coins should be, as well as featuring drawings of all their coins. During the late 16th and early 17th centuries, under the reign of Elizabeth I, England began to witness a resurgence in trade. On ascending to power, Elizabeth I restored coins back to an accurate value, restoring faith in England’s coins. However, it’s hard to overstate just how much the Great Debasement had affected trade relations and the way in which foreign merchants, and foreign countries viewed England’s coinage. Coins from the reign of Elizabeth IImage Credit: The Royal Mint However, eventually the Elizabethan Era saw significant advancements in trade and commerce. England’s maritime exploration, including voyages led by explorers like Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, opened up new trade routes and expanded commercial opportunities. Additionally, the establishment of trading companies, such as the East India Company in 1600, further bolstered England’s trade endeavours, leading to economic growth and prosperity. This would not have happened should the Great Debasement have still been in effect.

A high school student has completed an ambitious project after three years of work: creating a model rocket that lands vertically.Landing a rocket vertically is a pretty difficult task, being literal rocket science. Just ask SpaceX, who have blown up many a rocket stage in their attempts to land rocket boosters, though sometimes they do land before they explode.Student Aryan Kapoor began work on his own vertical lander back in August 2021, and finally made a successful landing at the end of May 2024.       "The way this rocket works is different from traditional model rockets," Kapoor explained in a video for his YouTube channel JRD Propulsion. "Instead of using fins for stability, my rockets use thrust vector control. Thrust vector control allows the rocket's engine to pivot around in a gimbal, providing control over the rocket's flight path."Especially impressive is the fact that the rocket's flight is controlled automatically by software."To guide the rocket a flight computer makes all inflight decisions such as steering the rocket and deciding when to ignite the landing motor."During the first test flight of the rocket in 2023, the onboard barometer incorrectly measured the rocket's altitude. "The rocket performed well in all other aspects and collected valuable data," Kapoor added on his JRD Propulsion website. "Future flights will use only the accelerometer to measure altitude, providing much higher accuracy and precision."Now, with this fifth attempt, Kapoor has achieved a successful landing. 

Princess Martha Louise, Norwegian Princes, believes she is haunted by a ghost of a Nazi general, reports geo.tv. Daughter of Norway’s King Harald, Louise touches upon terrible tales from her nights, where she is frightened by a ‘staring man.’ She told the ‘Modern Royalty’ podcast: “When I moved into this room, I became terribly afraid of the dark. And there was a man staring at me.” She continued: “I told everyone. Every night, my nannies or my parents would look behind the curtains, pull them back and say, ‘Look, there is no one behind the curtains. There is no one here’.” Louise revealed when she discussed her ordeal with father, he claimed: “Oh, that’s the room where the Nazi general took his own life.” Waffen SS General Wilhelm Rediess famously took his life after shooting himself in his bedroom. Louise then thought: “It’s only now that you are telling me this?” Martha Louise is fourth in line to Norway’s throne and stepped down form her Royal duties due to troubles with her husband and the monarchy. The post Norwegian Princess haunted by dead Nazi general appeared first on Anomalien.com.

On Friday, CBS Mornings hosted Biden campaign surrogate Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California. However, Khanna at least acknowledging President Biden’s gaffes and pleas for Democrats to stick with Joe fell on deaf ears at the table. CBS co-host Tony Dokoupil began however by mentioning the press conference that Biden held on Thursday: “Congressman Jim Hines came out and said, if you take a cold, hard look at the Biden presidency and candidacy, he's not gonna win and he could lose the House and the Senate for Democrats. How cold and hard is your view this morning? Should he step aside?”     When Dokoupil asked Khanna if he thought the president should step down, Khanna quickly answered “No Tony, he shouldn’t,” adding that Biden was “at his best yesterday" and defined Biden as “comfortable” and “substantive” when discussing public policy. Dokoupil quickly cut him off and asked “But Congressman – this is not about substance, nor is it about policy. It’s not a question of does he govern behind closed doors. It’s can he sell his presidency to the American people. ”  Dokoupil wondered why Biden should “stick in the race” when he couldn't find any Democrats who want him to remain. Khanna responded with an odd claim that Biden is the “underdog” in this election. Although he admitted that Biden is “not as articulate as he was in 2020,” to Khanna the race will “come down not just to who's the best talker, but who do people trust on the economy and my view is that no polling has shown that he doesn't have a path victory.” Co-host Natalie Morales wanted to draw attention to Biden’s recent gaffes the day of the NATO summit and his press conference. These slip-ups included him calling President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "President Putin" and referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump." Morales explained that citizens are focusing on these “missteps” more and more. When Morales asked Khanna if Biden’s gaffes were a concern, he answered that “it is a concern” and this is “true about anyone who has followed Vice -- President Biden’s career, but those gaffes have been exacerbated by age.” Khanna claimed that “where he is strong is on the substance.” Khanna suggested he could do an interview with The New York Times or The Washington Post, since they have been going after Biden, or come on CBS. Biden hasn't granted an interview to either of these papers during his entire presidency. Dokoupil shared some cold, hard truths including a CBS poll that showed half of Biden’s voters from 2020 don’t want him to run. Khanna said primary voters picked Trump and Biden. "We will get a new generation, there are 20 talented Democrats, 20 talented Republicans, I can't wait 'til we have a new generation. But that is not this election." Dokoupil hit one last time “You can’t govern and you can’t stand up to Putin if you can’t win and people have doubts about his ability to win.” Looking to play the underdog card one last time, Khanna replied “I think we can win. I think we're an underdog, but there is clearly a path to victory.” Click "Expand" to view the transcript: CBS Mornings 7/12/2024 8:00:28 p.m. TONY DOKOUPIL: Well we’re gonna begin this hour with one of President Biden’s biggest supporters to get his take on last nights’ news conference in Washington. The President did answer questions for nearly an hour, most of them or at least many of them about his health and the growing calls for him to step away from the presidential race. California Congressman Ro Khanna is on the Biden campaign's national advisory board and he's been taking and answering questions from critics on the left, in person, and on social media and he joins us now. Congressman, thank you very much for being here. You know, after yesterday's press conference, Congressman Jim Hines came out and said, if you take a cold, hard look at the Biden presidency and candidacy, he's not gonna win and he could lose the House and the Senate for Democrats. How cold and hard is your view this morning? Should he step aside? REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA (D-CA): No Tony, he shouldn't. First of all, he was at his best yesterday. I mean, he is most comfortable when he is talking about policy. On foreign policy, frankly, he was more substantive than 90% of people in Congress and he was very thoughtful on calling for a new industrial policy. I mean, one of the points that he made is we have had a rebound in the most deindustrialized parts of this country -- the parts that Trump talked about record job creation there in the last three years more than in the last 20 years. And yeah -- DOKOUPIL: But, Congressman -- KHANNA: Yeah? DOKOUPIL: -- this is not about substance, nor is it about policy. KHANNA: Right. DOKOUPIL: That is something that people want to get to talking about but right now we’re talking about a presidential campaign. KHANNA: Sure. DOKOUPIL: You know, it’s not a question of does he govern behind closed doors. It’s can he sell his presidency to the American people. I talked to voters in Wisconsin this week. Uniformly, Democrats say no. I can't find any Democrat actually all around this country in my travels who says, yes, stick in the race. So why stick in the race? KHANNA: Well, there are -- he has a lot of support still. I mean, even the polling yesterday, ABC poll had it at a dead heat. I grant that he's an underdog and I grant that he is not as articulate as he was in 2020 and that there are legitimate concerns about who can win. But even if you think that he's a few points down, that doesn't mean that the race is not winnable. Ultimately, the race is going to come down not just to who's the best talker, but who do people trust on the economy and my view is that no polling has shown that he doesn't have a path victory. I mean, the swing states are still fairly close. DOKOUPIL: They're still swinging. NATALIE MORALES: Congressman -- yes, but Congressman Ro Khanna, there is also this sort of, before every event now people are watching these events, these news conferences, watching debates and it’s sort of like with bated breath, like, what is -- what is the misstep going to be this time? And we saw failures yesterday and it seems like a lot of people are focusing on this with, of course, President Biden at that NATO event calling President Volodymyr Zelenskyy President Putin and then calling Vice President Kamala Harris Vice President Trump. I mean, these are things that people and voters are focusing on and they're saying there are more and more of these missteps happening. Is that a concern for you at all? KHANNA: It is a concern, Natalie and look, he always had certain gaffes. I mean, this is true about anyone who has followed Vice -- President Biden’s career, but those gaffes have been exacerbated by age. But where he is strong is on the substance. Now, what I would say is he has to do a few things. One, he should go to The New York Times and sit down and have an editorial board interview. You know, Napoleon once said that having four hostile newspapers is worse than having a thousand people with bayonets. Let me tell you that is a lesson for the Biden campaign. I mean, every day The Times is going after him, The Post is going after him. Have him come and do a conversation with all of you on CBS Morning --- MORALES: We would love that -- we invite him. KHANNA: -- have him do town halls that are out there with voters and I don’t think -- the American people are very fair. We can't gaslight them. You can’t say he's the same person as he was. We gotta say, look, he has wisdom, he has experience, he has the right values, he can do the job but he is going to make gaffes and there are going to be time where's he's not going to remember someone in the way that he did. VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: But congressman -- DOKOUPIL: Congressman, we're talking about the presidency, I mean, those times could come at very inopportune moments in a very unstable world and that’s what voters are concerned about. And you talk about the polls, half of his own voters from 2020, in a CBS poll, don’t want him to run. There is more polling that came out this morning, two-thirds of voters, Democrats, don't want him to run. Why is that message not getting through? KHANNA: Tony, two-thirds of the voters don't want either of them to run, right? Look, this country wants something new. I get that. They want a new generation of leadership. That’s not who we nominated on either side. We have a democratic process. We will get a new generation, there are 20 talented Democrats, 20 talented Republicans, I can't wait 'til we have a new generation. But that is not this election. DUTHIERS: -- Congressman, let me ask you, you're on this advisory committee, do you acknowledge that the administration made some missteps in the wake of that disastrous debate performance? Should the President – the President should have come out and held that press conference that he held last night 12 days ago. Perhaps that would have quelled some of these drum beats that we hear for him to step out of the race. What happened there? KHANNA: Yes, there was a mistake. I mean, one -- DUTHIERS: It was a mistake? KHANNA: -- absolutely there was a mistake. One, there was too much defensiveness. Second, people saw with their own eyes that the president had not just a bad night, but that -- the -- whether he was the same person as he was a few years ago. And I think he had to be honest about that. And people, they shouldn't have dismissed the critics as bed-wetters and as elites. I mean, these aren’t just elites. These are ordinary voters who are -- have these concerns. DUTHIERS: Is that why the donor money is drying up because the President criticized those people who had those real concerns after what they saw on their television screen -- KHANA: Look -- DUTHIERS: -- 50 million Americans? KHANNA: -- there are donor concerns, absolutely, but donors aren't going to pick the nominee of the party and the President's money hasn't dried up. I was just on a call with 500 donors last night, probably, many of whom have concerns but many of whom are still gonna support him. Look at the end of the day, my view is what the voters are asking -- is we've got a binary choice, who is going to do more to keep this country secure, and who is going to do more for their lives economically? In terms of security, I thought the President is gonna -- made it clear, he’ll stand up to Putin. Donald Trump, we have to ask, is he gonna give Putin one fifth of Ukraine? DOKOUPIL: That’s exactly what it's about though. You can’t govern and you can’t stand up to Putin if you can’t win and people have doubts about his ability to win. You apparently do not. Are you saying that, if you could wave a magic wand, you would still stick with President Joe Biden as the candidate? KHANNA: It is unclear to me at this time, if I -- if I could wave -- wave a magic wand and have an open primary going back two years, I would take that. But with three months, four months, it is unclear to me someone new can come in and win. I don't think Barack Obama, who was the greatest talent in the last 50 years, if you put him in -- in a three-month sprint, would be able to convince the American people. And so, we’re at a point where President Biden said he's the nominee and until he says otherwise, we've gotta make the case for him. And I think we can win I think we're an underdog, but there is clearly a path to victory. MORALES: Okay. DOKOUPIL: Oh, boy. MORALES: I guess the key now is seeing if the rest of your party will come together on that. Well, Representative Ro Khanna, we’re out of time. Thank you so much. We could spend a lot more time with you.

The June 27 debate between former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden seems to be the most pivotal moment so far in a presidential campaign season already fraught with drama. Despite Biden's noticeable physical and mental frailty and his rambling incoherence on the debate stage, his party's campaign leaders still view him as their nominee, as evidenced by multiple grassroots campaign events held online. Blaze News attended several such events both before and after the debate. Though the language and tone of these events shifted slightly after Biden's debate performance, the hosts have consistently expressed confidence in the president and his prospects in the election this November. Background of DNC virtual meetings In all, Blaze News attended three sessions in June and attempted to attend three in July, though one event was canceled without notice. Most of these events were called Organizer Strategy Sessions and were generally hosted by the same two women. These discussions uniformly revealed the DNC campaign leaders on the ground believe that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will remain at the top of the Democrat ticket in the 2024 election. We also attended one National Organizing Call and even managed to speak on the phone with one campaign associate who offered further insights into the current Democratic mood regarding Biden. These discussions uniformly revealed that DNC campaign leaders on the ground believe that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will remain at the top of the Democrat ticket in the 2024 election. 'Relational conversations': More details about strategy sessions The Organizer Strategy Sessions both before and after the debate always followed the same basic formula. They typically lasted 30 to 60 minutes and had anywhere from two dozen to more than 100 attendees. They also always began with hosts inviting participants to introduce themselves and share their favorite ice cream flavor. As one host later explained with a giggle, "We like to do that because Joe Biden loves ice cream." In the first 10 minutes or so, the hosts reminded participants about Democrats' 2020 campaign efforts in key battleground states that ultimately ushered Biden into the White House. Hoping to duplicate that success in 2024, the hosts then stressed the importance of everyday voters initiating "relational conversations" with friends and family on behalf of Team Biden. Left unsaid was that this general distrust almost certainly stems from media coverage that has overwhelmingly favored Democrats like Biden and Harris. "Which call is easier to ignore?" one host asked as an image of a phone with two different callers flashed on the screen. "We have an unknown caller [on the left], and on the right, we have sweet Mom." "Which call is easier to ignore?" she repeated. This hypothetical, which appeared in almost every session, demonstrated that the best political outreach starts at home, just as it revealed the ineffectiveness of rapid-fire spam calls and messages, a lesson that some GOP-affiliated groups and strategists might take into consideration. But the "which call is easier to ignore" question also alludes to another problem for both parties: visceral distrust among the electorate. "I think it was about 23% of Americans trust information from campaign staffers and just from folks like us that are just, like, pretty much calling them," one woman said. Americans are now not only showing a healthy skepticism of political messaging, but they are also increasingly doubtful about reporting from the mainstream media, a point that the hosts likewise acknowledged. "Folks are rarely trusting media, folks are rarely trusting these news sources," the woman continued. Left unsaid was that this general distrust almost certainly stems from media coverage that has overwhelmingly favored Democrats like Biden and Harris. For instance, most media outlets dutifully reported in 2020 that Hunter Biden's infamous laptop was a Russian disinformation hit job meant to thwart Biden's presidential hopes. As evidence, they cited a letter from 51 intelligence officials whose wild assertions were later thoroughly debunked. This case of apparent journalistic malpractice likely affected the outcome of the race. In a survey from the Technometrica Institute of Policy and Politics, 47% of all respondents — "including more than two-thirds (71 percent) of Democrats" — indicated that they would have voted differently in 2020 had they known the laptop was real, Politico reported. 'Here is the truth': Biden bombs in prime-time debate Though the hosts of the DNC Organizer Strategy Sessions gave the same general presentation with the same general graphics and pitches both before and after the debate, the debate nevertheless still had a significant impact on these strategy sessions. In the weeks leading up to June 27, the session hosts made several references to the debate, expressing excitement about its importance for the momentum in an otherwise tight race. "Watch party events [are] coming up where you will be able to host your own virtual or in-person debate watch party," one host said on June 6. "We will also host our own nationally, like, a nationwide debate watch party as well that you all are very much also invited to." 'How can you replace Biden, how do you get him to do it in a way where he feels respected as he should be respected?' A few days later, another host similarly suggested that participants organize a debate watch party as one of several "very successful and wonderful ways" to campaign for "Biden-Harris." The other ideas she mentioned were having a political discussion at a "family reunion" or even "at church." If any DNC officials hosting these training sessions had their doubts about Biden's physical or mental acuity, they made no mention of them. By all accounts, everyone involved in these sessions eagerly looked forward to watching Biden take on Trump in the first interparty presidential debate of 2024. In all likelihood, they had no idea what was coming. From the moment Biden walked onto the debate stage, he evinced weakness of mind and body. His movements were stilted, his voice raspy, and his facial expressions seemed to oscillate between anger and confusion. Perhaps the most memorable line from the night neatly summarized Biden's apparent cognitive limitations. "I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence," Trump quipped at one point. "I don't think he knows what he said either." — (@) Biden's demeanor and responses from the beginning to the end of the debate were so alarming that many on the left soon devolved into what CNN Democratic operative Van Jones called "a full-scale panic" about Biden's fitness for office. "People are passing around legal memos. PDFs are flying back and forth on WhatsApp trying to figure out what are the options, how can you replace Biden, how do you get him to do it in a way where he feels respected as he should be respected, who should Kamala Harris' vice president be," he claimed. If such panic indeed went on behind the scenes, the DNC made no mention of it in its communications issued immediately following the debate. At 11 p.m., just moments after the debate ended, the DNC sent out an email, professing to be "proud" of Biden's performance and asking for donations to bolster his campaign. In the days that followed, the DNC fired off similar emails soliciting donations in the cause of defeating Trump. None of them — not even the message that read in part, "Here is the truth, and you deserve to know it" — made mention of the debate or Biden's health. Post-debate silence from DNC amid calls to 'switch to Kamala' Nearly all post-debate media coverage focused on Biden and his apparent mental and physical decline, so Blaze News was interested to see whether DNC hosts would mention these issues during their online events or continue to avoid the issue as the DNC emails seemed to do. In the first post-debate DNC event Blaze News was scheduled to attend, the reaction went beyond ignoring the issue to utter silence. 'We absolutely are sticking with Biden.' Blaze News had signed up to attend an Organized Strategy Session on the evening of July 2, just five days after the debate. With pen and paper in hand, Blaze News clicked on the appropriate Zoom link, excited to hear from Democrats in the upcoming meeting. It never took place. Blaze News waited nearly 15 minutes, repeatedly leaving and re-entering the Zoom chat, wondering whether there had been some technological malfunction. Blaze News tried DNC Zoom links sent via email and text message, all to no avail. At 20 minutes past the scheduled start time, we decided to call it quits. In every other instance, the DNC had been punctual about notifying Blaze News about upcoming events and then sending a follow-up text asking for feedback. We never received a message to announce that the Organizer Strategy Session on July 2 had been canceled and never received an apology or explanation afterward. Perhaps of note, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk reported the following day that many leftist get-out-the-vote plans had been suspended pending "the switch to Kamala," though Blaze News could not independently verify that reporting. A Democrat-affiliated man who identified himself only as J.J. happened to call Blaze News at about the time Kirk posted that report to social media. J.J. had not heard of these DNC Organized Strategy Sessions and was unable to account for the apparently defunct meeting. Earlier that morning, J.J. had, however, attended an "all-staff meeting" that included both Biden and Harris, he told Blaze News. During this meeting, he said, Biden and Harris pledged to remain in the race together. "We absolutely are sticking with Biden," J.J. reiterated. 'Let's go, Joe!' National DNC campaign officials 'show out' for Biden During his phone conversation with Blaze News, J.J. also referenced a National Organizing Call meeting held on July 2, about two hours after the defunct Organizer Strategy Session was scheduled to begin and less than a week after the debate. Blaze News happened to have attended that meeting as well and can attest that its speakers — a campaign manager, a principal deputy campaign manager, a deputy battleground director, and "some state staff down in Georgia" — are unified in their support for Biden and his continued presidential campaign. In fact, some of the speakers were practically giddy with enthusiasm for a man who may have showered with his adolescent daughter. "The president continues to really step up with strong leadership, with integrity, and with honesty," averred one woman. "We saw Georgia show up and really show out for our president, just like we knew we would," gushed another woman who described herself as the organizing manager of metro Atlanta, the city where the debate was held. "We had volunteers excited to be on the official 'Let's Go Joe' buses. They were posting selfies for everyone to see as they made their way to greet the president everywhere he went." The woman had even arranged to have "a cheer squad doing stunts" while she and other Democrat supporters chanted, "Let's go, Joe!" as Biden made his way around Atlanta, she said. She then beamed from ear to ear as she shared that she actually got to touch the octogenarian president. "Shaking the president's hand was definitely top-tier," she effused. Though perhaps more emotionally temperate, a woman identified as the campaign leader donned a so-called "Dark Brandon" T-shirt and gave a similarly hagiographic characterization of Biden. "President Biden is the perfect leader for us and has the voice of all of you," she insisted. Even with all their praise for Biden, a few of the speakers did at least mention the debate. At some moments, they even hinted that Biden had underwhelmed. "We didn't have our best performance," a male speaker admitted, though at another instance he was more evasive in his criticism. "The debate was one thing," he said cryptically, "but our campaign must continue." "We wish he started a little bit better at that debate," the campaign manager added, "but at the end of the day, he got stronger and stronger." Otherwise, the group raved about the debate watch parties they held and Biden's chances of winning in November. "We have the right candidate," one woman assured the virtual crowd. 'A complex problem': Dems squirm as Biden digs in his heels While all the DNC representatives in these virtual events and on the phone staunchly insisted they are still "ridin' with Biden," other Democrats and their allies in the media are less committed. In fact, many of them — including Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Hollywood mega-donor George Clooney — have publicly asked Biden to step aside. 'I am firmly committed to staying in this race.' Those hoping that Biden will withdraw seem to believe he stands little chance of prevailing against Trump this time around. Even far-left stalwart Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has supposedly admitted in private that Biden will likely lose in November and has tacitly permitted other House Democrats to call for a replacement for Biden if they think doing so will help their re-election efforts, Blaze News previously reported. Thus far, Biden and his team seem intransigent. "I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Trump," Biden told congressional Democrats in a letter dated July 8. Meanwhile, Republicans, members of conservative organizations, and others of like mind are quietly enjoying a rare moment of Democrat and media disarray. In a statement to Blaze News, Mike Howell of the Heritage Foundation likewise described this political moment as "chaos" and the left as "apoplectic." He also said that while Democrats have "a complex problem" on their hands if they want to replace Biden, he and his organization "stand ready to litigate" it if necessary. Howell further noted that signs of the administration's eventual collapse have been obvious for some time. "The dam started to break when President Biden ordered Merrick Garland to assert executive privilege to hide the audio tapes of his criminal interview with special counsel Hur," he said. "This corrupt move was a bridge too far and indicated something very disturbing was on the tapes. In the aftermath, several elder statesmen on the left abandoned President Biden and refused to support his outlandish legal theory. This included Reps. Nadler and Raskin as well as Senator Mark Warner. It's no coincidence to me that some of those same names are leading the charge to replace President Biden now." Christopher Bedford, senior politics editor and D.C. correspondent for Blaze Media, believes the continued controversy surrounding Biden bodes ill for the Democratic Party's upcoming convention. "The longer this drags on without any clear candidate, the less chance they have of a successful convention," Bedford told Blaze News. "Joe Biden and the campaign and the Democrats are really eager to avoid chaos and infighting at the DNC." As Bedford noted, the convention, the event at which nominees are usually formally certified, looms large for both Democrats and Republicans, so if Democrats are going to make a change at the top of their ticket, they must do so soon. Further complicating replacement plans is the fact that some states are already preparing to finalize their November election ballots, bolstering Biden's chances of remaining on the ticket. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!