Wait, does George Clooney read Bloomberg Opinion?

You know Biden's in trouble when the celebs start weighing in. [Bloomberg]( This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a raging torrent of Bloomberg Opinion’s opinions. [Sign up here](. Today’s Must-Reads - It’s time that Biden [steps aside](. - NATO’s [bridge]( is not a guide. - Hertz and Avis are [eagle-eyed](. - Water [machines]( were falsified. Great Minds Think Alike At 5 a.m. Eastern today, senior executive editor Tim O’Brien [published an op-ed]( in Bloomberg Opinion titled, “Biden Needs to Accept That It’s Time to Step Aside.” Five hours and 46 minutes later, George Clooney [published an op-ed]( in the New York Times titled, “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.” There’s only one explanation! George must have read Tim’s thoughtful column and said, “Hey, I ought to do the same thing.” OK, I’m joking. As much as I’d love for a four-time Golden Globe [winner]( to be a regular Bloomberg Opinion[1](#footnote-1)reader, it’s probably just a coincidence. Nearly every elected Democrat is [thinking]( the same thing — that Biden’s gotta go — but most [aren’t brave]( enough to say it out loud: Yet voters have little patience for politicians who choose to [panic]( about the president’s [old age]( behind [closed doors](. As Clooney said in his op-ed, “our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw. We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign.” Tim’s on the same page, noting that Biden’s “candidacy could poison the prospects of Democrats in down-ballot races and jeopardize the party’s congressional prospects.” Although Biden’s post-debate [interview]( with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos was supposed to strengthen his image as the leader of the free world, it backfired in more ways than one. Anyone who watched it could see that Biden “has more in common with Father Time than Mr. President,” Tim writes. And yesterday, TMZ revealed [a secret recording]( of Stephanopoulos — who was decked out in athleisure on the streets of Manhattan — telling a stranger, “I don’t think he can serve four more years.” Biden has been “a lifelong and honorable public servant with a thick record of distinguished achievements,” Tim writes. But his leadership team must wake up to the fact that he isn’t the best person to beat Trump. Years from now, we can look back at July 10, 2024 and say, “ha remember when [George]( and [Tim]( changed the course of the election?” Or we can cede power to a twice-impeached felon and sexual predator. The ball is in Biden HQ’s court. Bonus 2024 Election Reading: Strip away the chaos of Trump’s rhetoric and the infighting in Biden’s camp, and you get ... [really bad]( fiscal policies. — Bloomberg’s editorial board [Welcome]( [to Hell]( Did somebody at NATO order a tattooed Canadian Prime Minister wearing ASICS and a muscle tank?? Because that’s what the [DC heat]( gave us, and I’m *not* mad about it! But some people are, because Justin Trudeau’s caravan of Black SUVs caused them to be [20 minutes late]( for work. Seriously, who takes a Suburban to go running at the National Mall? Although this year’s summit has given us plenty of [memes]( (hi, [Tony P]( and [Tony P’s agent](), there has been some serious stuff happening in Washington. Namely, with Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken [indends to offer]( Kyiv “a bridge to membership” that is “strong and well-lit.” But Andreas Kluth [says]( that metaphor might get him into some trouble: “A bridge is something you can fall off while attempting to cross a raging torrent. Well-lit or not, it’s a place between two banks and in the safety of neither. It’s also something that enemies try to blow up while you’re still building it,” he writes. Either that, or [extreme heat]( renders it useless. Such a bridge will not provide Ukrainians with a security guarantee, as outlined by Article 5, nor will it deter Putin from wreaking more havoc on the battlefield. NATO’s 32 allies would be better off telling Zelensky the truth, Andreas argues: “We can’t defend you. But we’ll give you everything you need — and much more than we’ve given so far — so that you can beat Putin on your own.” Read [the whole thing](. Telltale Photo, Meet Telltale Chart I’m not the first person to say this, but this photo[2](#footnote-2) from the [anti-tourism protests]( in Barcelona is perfection: Photographer: JOSEP LAGO/AFP I’m not sure how effective these protests are, but if locals were [squirting water guns]( at me while I was enjoying a glass of Rioja Blanco, I’d immediately pay the bill and start packing my bags, Airbnb cancellation fees be damned. Perhaps my fellow [American tourists]( would be better off exploring national parks in our own backyard. The rental car will be cheap, at least! But if you have the [driving skills]( of Paul Mescal, who [passed]( his driver’s test with a “handful of minor issues,” you miiight wanna stick to the passenger seat. Chris Bryant [says]( companies have gotten a lot better at tracking your every movement. Avis, for instance, has technology that films the car from multiple angles on departure and Sixt has “Car Gates” that capture up to 300 photos of each vehicle. “Sharing time-stamped photos with the customer should remove any doubt about who’s to blame, but if you’re hoping the lessor won’t notice a dinged mirror or scratched door, prepare to be disappointed,” he writes. Further Reading The Supreme Court has [stacked the deck]( for MAGA. — Francis Wilkinson A [“big bang”]( may be needed to fix the UK’s housing market. — Matthew Brooker Rachel Reeves is a woman with [a plan](. — Mohamed A. El-Erian China’s not amused by [the rally]( in long-term bonds. — Daniel Moss Samsung’s [unprecedented strike]( is a taste of AI’s future. — Catherine Thorbecke S&P 500 [projections]( never served investors well anyway. — Jonathan Levin ICYMI Bill Hwang was [found guilty]( in the Archegos trial. AOC [wants to impeach]( Justice Thomas and Justice Alito. [Emergency helicopters]( don’t like the heat. Jack Schlossberg is Vogue’s [newest nepo baby](. New York is [a battleground state]( now. Kickers [This movie]( is gonna make me cry. USA gymnasts already set [an Olympic record](. We’re wearing [comforters as pants](. Costco sells an [apocalypse dinner kit](. Angela Simmons sat in a [bathtub of Oreos](. Notes: Please send [Mint Chip Oreos]( and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. [Sign up here]( and follow us on [Threads](, [TikTok](, [Twitter](, [Instagram]( and [Facebook](. [1] Mr. Clooney, if you’re reading this, please [subscribe]( to all of our newsletters. [2] If you’re wondering what “[balconing](” is, it’s when one jumps from a balcony onto another balcony or into a pool — basically, Europe’s version of subway surfing. Dangerous! Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](