Donald Trump clearly wants to run against Joe Biden, even though many Democrats and media liberals want the president to bow out.

But he’s starting to rough up Kamala Harris, just in case.

There may be a little reverse psychology at play here, as well as a fundraising bonanza. The more that Trump argues that Biden is toast, the more he may stiffen the president’s resolve not to be pressured out of the race. Not even by the New York Times, which yesterday ran a second editorial: “He has come to regard himself as indispensable. He does not seem to understand that he is now the problem — and that the best hope for Democrats to retain the White House is for him to step aside.”

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Trump is so certain of a big victory after Biden’s debate meltdown that it may well affect his VP choice, which I’m certain will be unveiled at week’s end. He had been talking about an announcement the first day of next week’s Milwaukee convention, which would blow out coverage of the first couple of days, but has switched saying before the convention. And it has probably given a big boost to J.D. Vance.

In a phone interview last night with Sean Hannity, Trump was asked if he wanted to run against Biden.

“Well, we prepared for him, but I don’t think it’s going to matter,” Trump said, adding that the president is “only semi-running things” while the people that surround the Oval Office are really in charge. 

What about the talk that if Biden steps aside, it would be Kamala Harris?

“Well, I think that it will be her,” said Trump. “I think they are very concerned about the vote if it’s not her. They are very, very– I mean, they’re gun-shy, they don’t want to do it any other way. I’ve actually come to believe that’s what they’re going to do.”

He concluded, “I think she’s an ineffective person, she was in charge of the border, she’s never been there, she didn’t do a good job, and she hasn’t done a job on a lot of other things, but it would seem to me from a political standpoint that’s who they’re going with.”

Trump had called her “pathetic” in those golf cart comments taped by an aide. 

The subject lines of two recent fundraising emails: “Biden is dropping out!” and “President Kamala Harris?” .

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Biden insists he’s doing nothing of the sort, but he’s had an awful couple of weeks. He has lost Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, two anti-Trumpers, especially Colbert, who held a softball session with the president just three months ago.

More important, the White House has been caught in another coverup. The New York Post first reported that the White House physician, Kevin O’Connor, brought in a Parkinson’s specialist who visited the building 10 times between 2022 and last March. 

This neurologist, Kevin Cannard, examined the president three times, but it was buried in a report as if it were a routine part of Biden’s annual physical. What many are missing is that Cannard met with a liaison in the medical unit and was undoubtedly providing Parkinson’s guidance to Biden’s longtime doctor. 

Karine Jean-Pierre was absolutely hammered at Monday’s briefing, with CBS’s Ed O’Keefe accusing her of misleading the press. O’Connor released a BS letter confirming Cannard’s role that was basically a non-denial denial.

Getting information out of this White House is like pulling teeth.

What’s more, Politico reports that O’Connor was basically in business with Biden’s brother Jim, introducing him to hospital officials in an effort to drum up business.

The leak of Biden’s comments to Democratic governors that he won’t do events after 8 p.m., so he can get more sleep, brought plenty of mockery.

The Wall Street Journal, which drew so much condemnation from the MSM a month ago for its piece “Biden Seems to be Slipping,” was back yesterday with devastating new reporting.

“The White House has limited Biden’s daily itinerary and shielded him from impromptu exchanges…and sought to make sure meetings with donors stuck to scripted pleasantries. 

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“Senior aides dismissed travel suggestions over worries the president didn’t have the stamina for them…including an idea for Biden to make weekly cross-country trips in 2022 to tout the benefits of his infrastructure law.”

Anita Dunn, who oversees communications strategy, and such longtime loyalists as Steve Richetti and Mike Donilon, are getting some of the blame.  

All of this unfolded as Biden’s slips became increasingly obvious, and his top advisers were assuring everyone the president was fine. 

Regarding Biden and Dunn’s shared disdain for the media, a spokesman said, “The president and Anita only feel that way about some of the press.”

Another telling anecdote: German officials, knowing of the fatigue issue, planned a 2022 event for Biden in the early evening. But Biden didn’t show, and Tony Blinken filled in, saying the president had gone to bed. The secretary of State denies saying this.

Having fumbled the Stephanopoulos sitdown, when he could have been doing five interviews, Biden faces one more test: A solo press conference tomorrow at the NATO summit in Washington. It’s his chance to show he’s quick enough to deal with aggressive questioning. And a supposed revolt by congressional Democrats hasn’t materialized.

After lying low, Trump will seize the spotlight again with his veep announcement. And his expectation that he’ll win easily has given a boost to Vance, who is backed by Don Jr.

The Ohio senator, despite being in office less than two years, has become perhaps the most forceful advocate of a populist version of the MAGA agenda, one that favors tariffs and America First isolationism over traditional Republicanism. Although the “Hillbilly Elegy” author opposed Trump in 2016, even likening him to Hitler, they have long since mended fences. And Vance is a veteran who served in Iraq. 

If Trump sees himself coasting to victory, it’s easier to go with Vance.

The other alternative appears to be Marco Rubio, who spoke at a Trump rally in Florida last night. Rubio is a nationally known figure and foreign policy expert who guided Trump on Latin American affairs. He would energize at least part of the Hispanic community and is a plausible president who could take over if necessary.

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The downside is that Rubio would start running for the 2028 nomination on day one, which could draw coverage from a boss who likes to be the center of attention. 

Vance is the ideological pick; Rubio is the governing pick.

Trump told me in our interview that it doesn’t matter who he selects, that people vote for the top of the ticket. And he’s right about that.

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But after insisting in several interviews that his only retribution would be success, he was back to making threats yesterday, seeming to target Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg:

“We will pursue Election Fraudsters at levels never seen before, and they will be sent to prison for long periods of time. We already know who you are. DON’T DO IT! ZUCKERBUCKS, be careful!”