"I don't care if he's pooped his pants. I don't care if he can't put a sentence together. Show me he can't do the job and then I'll say, okay, maybe it's time to go," Whoopi Goldberg (left) said of President Joe Biden (right).
Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images; Samuel Corum via Getty Images
Whoopi Goldberg says she isn't bothered by Joe Biden's recent debate with Donald Trump.
"I have poopy days all the time. I step in so much poo you can't even imagine," she said on Monday.
Goldberg said that people should give Biden a chance and wait for his follow-up debate with Trump.
"I don't care if he's pooped his pants. I don't care if he can't put a sentence together," the cohost of ABC's "The View" said in an episode that aired Monday. "Show me he can't do the job and then I'll say, okay, maybe it's time to go."
"I have poopy days all the time. I step in so much poo you can't even imagine. Now, I'm not running the world, but I don't know anybody who doesn't step in stuff at some point," Goldberg added.
But floundering at his second debate appears to be a redline for Goldberg, who said that she would stop supporting Biden if he flops again. Trump and Biden's follow-up debate is set to take place on September 10.
"So I'm just simply saying, yeah, there are two debates. And if he can't do what he needs to do for the second debate, I'll join any crew that says get rid of him," Goldberg continued.
BIDEN SAYS HE'S "NOT GOING ANYWHERE": As several House Democrats call for Pres. Biden to step aside, #TheView co-hosts weigh in and question if his recent interviews have reassured voters. https://t.co/cVclFZQmjApic.twitter.com/4YnsMdfU0P
On Monday, Biden sent a letter to congressional Democrats where he reiterated his plans to stay in the race.
"The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it's time for it to end," Biden wrote. "Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us."
"It's time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump," the letter continued.
This morning, I sent a letter to my fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill. In it, I shared my thoughts about this moment in our campaign.
It’s time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/ABtAaJrr0n
Now, Nvidia's suppliers and upstream partners are riding on the hype, too.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, ADR shares on the New York Stock Exchange briefly crossed the $1 trillion valuation mark on Monday after gaining as much as 4.8%. The stock is up nearly 80% this year to date.
TSMC's shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange were 0.5% higher at 1,040 New Taiwan Dollars apiece, or $32.26 apiece, at 10:55 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
TSMC's stock surge on Monday came after Morgan Stanley said it expects the chip giant to hike full-year sales estimates next Thursday when it announces second-quarter earnings.
"Our latest supply chain checks indicate that TSMC is delivering a message that leading-edge foundry supply could be tight in 2025 and customers may not get sufficient capacity allocation without 'appreciating TSMC's value,'" wrote Morgan Stanley analysts led by Charlie Chan on Sunday.
The analysts called the strategy "hunger marketing."
Last month, TSMC CEO C.C. Wei hinted that the company was considering a price hike for its products.
Meanwhile, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said there's so much demand for his company's chips that he has to allocate them "fairly."
It's not just TSMC that's reaping the benefits of Nvidia's meteoric rise.
Dutch company ASML, TSMC's equipment supplier, also got a lift with shares briefly crossing 1,000 euros, or $1,082, apiece for the first time on Monday.
ASML shares closed 0.5% higher at 997.90 euros apiece on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange on Monday and are 42% higher year to date.
ASML's stock is now worth 395 billion euros — making it the third-most valuable company in Europe after Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk and French luxury behemoth LVMH.
The New York Times reported that an expert on Parkinson's disease regularly visited the White House.
In a Monday letter, Joe Biden's physician said the expert's visits weren't for the president.
Dr. Kevin Cannard hosted neurology clinics for active-duty White House staff, per Biden's doctor.
In a letter released late Monday, Joe Biden's physician said the reason a Parkinson's expert visited the White House monthly was to host routine neurology clinics for active-duty staff.
Kevin O'Connor, Biden's physician, wrote the letter to address reporting by The New York Times about the repeated visits by Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist specializing in movement disorders.
The Times' report, published Monday amid growing critiques of Biden's age and capacity to run for reelection, relied on visitor logs to track eight visits by Cannard in as many months but did not specify why he'd traveled to the White House so often.
O'Connor wrote that Cannard "was the neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals" but stressed that Cannard's monthly visits are not related to the president.
"Prior to the pandemic, and following its end, he has held regular Neurology Clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations," O'Connor wrote.
He added: "Many military personnel experience neurological issues related to their service, and Dr. Cannard regularly visits the WHMC as part of this General Neurology practice."
O'Connor reiterated that Cannard's findings related to the president's health have been made public following each annual physical, adding that Biden "has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical."
Representatives for the Biden administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
In an interview with The New Yorker published on Monday, Cage voiced his concerns about having his likeness manipulated by AI after sharing that he was going to "get a scan done" for a show and a movie he was working on.
"Well, they have to put me in a computer and match my eye color and change — I don't know. They're just going to steal my body and do whatever they want with it via digital AI," Cage told The New Yorker. "God, I hope not AI. I'm terrified of that. I've been very vocal about it."
He went on to share his discomfort with the direction that creative industries are heading toward.
"And it makes me wonder, you know, where will the truth of the artists end up? Is it going to be replaced? Is it going to be transmogrified? Where's the heartbeat going to be?" Cage said.
What's more concerning is that studios can have control over his likeness even after he dies, he added.
"I mean, what are you going to do with my body and my face when I'm dead? I don't want you to do anything with it!" he said.
In November 2023, the actor told Yahoo Entertainment that his Superman cameo in "The Flash" was different from what he had filmed.
"First and foremost, I was on set," Cage said. "What I was supposed to do was literally just be standing in an alternate dimension, if you will, and witnessing the destruction of the universe."
But that wasn't the scene he saw in the final movie.
"When I went to the picture, it was me fighting a giant spider. I did not do that. That was not what I did," Cage said.
The actor said he wasn't aware of what had happened, although he doesn't think it was AI.
But then he offered his thoughts on AI: "AI is a nightmare to me. It's inhumane. You can't get more inhumane than artificial intelligence."
The use of AI in Hollywood has been a controversial topic in recent years and was a key issue of contention during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which lasted 118 days.
Cage isn't the only actor who has spoken up against the use of AI in Hollywood.
"So you want my scans and voice data and all that. OK, here's what I think is fair: I want your daughter's, because I want to create a virtual replica of her and invite my friends over to do whatever we want in a virtual party right now. Would you please look at the camera and tell me you think that's cool?" Penn told Variety.
And not just the acting industry is up in arms over AI replacing jobs.
A 2023 Goldman Sachs report found that generative AI could lead to "significant disruption" in the labor market and affect around 300 million full-time jobs globally. The study also found that white-collar workers, particularly US legal workers and administrative staff, are most likely to be affected by new AI tools.
A representative for Cage did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
Season 21 of "The Bachelorette" starring Jenn Tran premiered Monday.
On night one, Jenn gave the first impression rose to Sam McKinney.
Sam is a general contractor from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the season 21 premiere of "The Bachelorette."
Jenn Tran's season of "The Bachelorette" is just getting started, and she's already developing connections with the men vying for her heart.
Sam McKinney, one of the 25 guys competing on season 21, quickly hit it off with Jenn after stepping out of the limo. At the end of the night, Jenn gave him the first impression rose.
Here's everything to know about Sam M. and his growing connection with Jenn.
Sam M. is a general contractor from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Sam, 27, is one of five children. He attended Socastee High School, where he was on the football, baseball, and wrestling teams. After graduating, he attended Wofford College.
According to his bio on ABC's website, outside his current work as a contractor, Sam enjoys "riding motorcycles, golfing, and watching 'Sons of Anarchy.'" Based on his Instagram profile, he seems to be a dog lover, too.
Prior to "The Bachelorette," Sam was single for almost a year.
During the season premiere, he explained that his fiancé, who he had known since middle school, cheated on him and there was "no repairing that relationship."
"That was definitely the biggest heartbreak I've ever experienced," he said.
Despite this, Sam is still determined to fulfill his dream of being a husband and father.
Jenn gave Sam her first impression rose after feeling an 'undeniable connection'
"The Bachelorette" star Jenn Tran and contestant Sam M. on the season 21 premiere.
John Fleenor/Disney
Sam doesn't have an over-the-top limo entrance, but Jenn is immediately taken by his looks and "Southern charm."
During their one-on-one conversation, the first of the evening, Jenn and Sam bond over their similar approaches to dating; they both value being intentional and vulnerable in relationships.
"Sam M. makes me feel excited," Jenn says. There's an undeniable connection and I don't know what it is. I'm looking at how hot he is and I definitely want to kiss him, but it just doesn't feel right in that moment."
After chatting with the other men, Jenn decides to give her first impression rose to Sam, whom she says she couldn't stop thinking about all night. They share a passionate kiss, making Jenn even more confident in her choice to give him the rose.
"I feel like I'm floating on cloud nine," she says. "This kiss is feral. The kiss was really, really good. I feel like I made the right decision in waiting because this was the kiss that had been building up all night. Definitely worth the wait."
New episodes of season 21 of "The Bachelorette" premiere on Mondays on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.
Age is the only thing Nicola Prentis lies about when dating.
Nicola Prentis; Getty Images; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI
Nicola Prentis has lied about her age since she was in her 20s.
She thinks society judges women so much that age has become a loaded topic.
Men often don't respect her privacy and try to find it out anyway.
I've lied about my age for so long that, on any given day, I forget exactly how old I am. I could do the math and work it out, but why would I want to do that?
I don't celebrate my birthday, and until I was outed by their father, I lied to my kids or avoided answering the "How old are you, Mommy?" question. Their father knew I didn't want anyone to know because I'd avoided telling him my age when we got together. It was a subterfuge I'd have happily maintained indefinitely, but he accidentally saw a police form I was filling out for a stolen wallet. I'm half sure he told my sons out of spite once we'd split up.
At 22, I graduated from university in the UK with a philosophy degree. Philosophy isn't exactly a major with a clear career progression, and I spent a couple of years aimlessly taking temporary jobs in local warehouse depots and backpacking in Mexico.
For the first two years, when anyone asked me what I was planning to do with my life, I'd say I didn't know. "You're young, you'll work it out," they'd say encouragingly. But, at 24, that turned into comments basically saying, "It's time to grow up."
As I got older, the pressures linked to my age morphed into expectations around marriage and having children. This was at its height when I lived in Turkey, and my Turkish ex-boyfriend's family said I was too old for him at 34. He was 34 too. In the subsequent relationship, when I did eventually have two babies without complications, they were labeled "geriatric" pregnancies because I was no longer under 35.
Internet dating creates an unacceptable requirement to reveal your age
Being on dating apps raised the issue again because you're required to list your age front and center on your profile — even, ridiculously, on apps where users typically use a handle that's not their actual name.
In real life, that's not how we introduce ourselves to people even in a dating context. You'd find out where they're from, what they do, and about hobbies. The spark comes from a hundred other things than the number of years since you were born. So why should I have to reveal my number before we've even met?
I combatted this by either paying for a profile so age was optional or I just registered with a fake birthdate. Nowadays, no longer internet dating, I just refuse to give a number rather than lie as it gets too difficult to remember who I told what to.
I've heard people claim that lying about age is a huge red flag because it means you'll lie about other things too. That's simply not the case. That's the only thing I lie about in all my relationships, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
Women are judged constantly about their age
It's a sore point for me because age is none of anyone's business, just like my weight, diary, or latest PAP smear results. If people stopped asking this invasive question, I wouldn't have to lie about it. The wrong here is that people ask in the first place. We all know the question isn't a judgment-free inquiry.
"How old are you?" is loaded with society's expectations of what you should look like, act like, or earn for your age. Your answer determines how worthy and how successful you are.
This is especially the case for women. We're judged harshly for getting older, but somehow we are also at fault for not embracing it. Every day I am bombarded with headlines in the media criticizing celebrities who are aging as well as those who are trying to reverse aging with fillers or surgery. "Age gracefully" is shorthand for "don't look older but also don't try not to." Men who try to defy aging, on the other hand, are celebrated as "biohackers" and inspirational visionaries for what the human body can achieve.
Far worse than my evasion or lie is how people, especially men, don't respect my privacy or boundaries even though I don't ask or care about their age. Several men have searched my social media profiles for clues or threatened to look for my passport. Would they do the same about my weight?
I understand that it's impossible to keep my age a secret forever in a long-term relationship. There's simply too much life admin to do together to hide it. But until that point comes, I will continue to avoid the topic or choose an age I think I can get away with. My real age is no one's business.
Got a personal essay about dating or life as a single parent that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com.
The Florida manatee is a sub-species of the West Indian manatee and travels around the Atlantic Ocean.
Kike Calvo/Getty Images
A manatee was spotted in an artificial lake in South Florida.
Manatees can travel through canals and drains, especially after stormy weather.
Marine biologists think the manatee should have enough food to survive in the lake.
South Florida residents recently noticed an unusual new neighbor in their artificial lake: a manatee.
Last week, a resident of the Cedarwoods neighborhood in Pembroke Pines took video footage of the marine mammal swimming around, according to news station WPLG Local 10. A couple also spotted the manatee in late June, and they believe it may have had a baby with it.
"This is the first one we've seen on the lake," Bill Barnett, one of the residents who filmed the sea cow, told the news station.
The artificial lake is about 10 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
Looking at a map, it might seem like the manatee wouldn't have a good route to reach the lake from the coast, but there are underground passageways the map doesn't show.
"The culverts in this area are big enough for manatee to safely swim through," she said. There is a floodgate in the area that it had to navigate, but it's often open during the state's rainy season.
That's likely how this manatee ended up in its current locale.
Manatees can travel hundreds of miles in search of food
A manatee is seen at an inactive power plant in Riviera Beach.
Thomson Reuters
Florida manatees, a sub-species of the West Indian manatee, have faced difficulty finding food in the past several years, with hundreds dying annually. Algae blooms that kill seagrass, a huge source of food for the manatees, are partly to blame.
Though they're marine mammals, manatees can survive in fresh, brackish, and salty water. And they can roam quite far in search of food and warm water.
Some Florida manatees travel through the ocean around the US, from Texas to as far north as Delaware. However, the mammals also spend a lot of time in freshwater rivers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Since they prefer shallow water, they'll often head inland, like this manatee. Finding food in the lake shouldn't be too difficult, either.
"In this area, there is a lot of shoreline vegetation, which they'll take advantage of," Howell said.
Experts have seen manatees in this area for the past few years, so the big visitor isn't totally unique. "We have absolutely no concern" for this particular animal, Howell said.
How to help your local, neighborhood manatee
Sometimes people can be a little overzealous in trying to help manatees, Howell said. They might see a manatee in shallow water and try to move it deeper.
But sometimes it's an exhausted female who's taking a rest from a nearby mating herd. "It's the worst-case scenario to push her back into that group," Howell said.
If Florida residents are concerned about a manatee who seems in distress, they can call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922, Howell said.
Olivia Culpo's wedding dress became the center of controversy.
NDZ/Star Max/Getty Images
Olivia Culpo told Vogue she didn't want her Dolce & Gabbana ceremony gown to "exude sex in any way."
The dress divided social media users, with some saying Culpo pushed a "conservative agenda" with it.
Culpo wore two other dresses on her wedding day that weren't as modest.
Olivia Culpo's wedding dress is causing a stir online.
The former Miss Universe married NFL player Christian McCaffrey on June 29 in Rhode Island, a little over a year after they got engaged.
Culpo wore three custom Dolce & Gabbana dresses throughout her wedding day, including a simple ball gown for her ceremony.
But the gown became controversial after Culpo emphasized its modesty in an interview with Vogue.
Culpo and Dolce & Gabbana did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Olivia Culpo said she didn't want her wedding dress to 'exude sex'
Culpo's three Dolce & Gabbana wedding dresses each had a distinct look.
She wore a long-sleeved, crepe ball gown for her ceremony with button detailing on the sleeves and back. It also had a high neckline that ensured her torso was completely covered.
Culpo wore an off-the-shoulder, empire-waist dress with a rosette on the bodice for much of the reception.
At the end of the night, she changed into a mini-romper that was overlaid with a sheer bubble skirt for a more fun look.
Culpo told Vogue's Elise Taylor that she didn't want the ceremony dress she wore "to exude sex in any way, shape, or form" because of her views on marriage.
"It's a covenant," Culpo said. "It's the beginning of the rest of your life — and it's the union and bond of two people forever."
Culpo added that she "wanted something that felt as serious as that commitment" and for the gown to suit her church ceremony. She also thought the dress would fit McCaffrey's idealized vision of her.
"When I think about Christian and what he loves and the moments that he thinks that I'm most beautiful, it's absolutely in something like this: timeless, covered, and elegant," she told Vogue.
The internet was divided on Culpo's modest dress
After Vogue published photos from Culpo's wedding, social media users quickly voiced differing opinions on her ceremony dress, with some praising the look and Culpo's comments about it and others critiquing the gown.
"I love her style," one user wrote. "But this dress is a lot of nothingness."
"This dress is stunning, but I especially love the respect it shows to what a wedding really is," another commented.
"People are not having an issue with the dress. It's her own contradicting statements. Why is she trying to push for a CONSERVATIVE and her next look she is without half the clothes," someone else wrote.
On July 1, Kennedy Bingham, a bridal creator who frequently reviews celebrity wedding dresses, made a video about Culpo's ceremony gown that went viral on TikTok and Instagram.
In the video, which had over 5 million views on TikTok as of Monday, Bingham said Culpo was wearing a "beautiful, simple, elegant dress." However, she added that Culpo's comments to Vogue about why she wanted her dress to be modest were problematic.
Bingham did not respond to a request for comment from BI.
"There is nothing wrong with wanting a modest wedding dress or just modest attire in general," Bingham said. "But the way that she was talking about this went beyond just wanting something modest for herself and pushing this idea of what she thinks all brides should look like."
Bingham said she thought Culpo was pushing a "conservative agenda" in her interview with Vogue, saying her statements implied she thought all brides had to wear modest dresses to take marriage seriously.
Bingham also said Culpo's dress had "no personality," contrasting it with celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lily Collins, who wore more intricate, modest wedding dresses.
She also brought up Dolce & Gabbana's past controversies with racism and homophobia, questioning why Culpo would choose to work with the brand.
"It's very clear that this was not a wedding," Bingham said. "This was a conservative campaign."
Culpo and her husband responded to the video
Culpo and McCaffrey commented on the video, calling Bingham "evil" for her statements.
"What an evil thing to post online," McCaffrey commented on Bingham's Reel. "I hope you can find joy and peace in the world, the way my beautiful wife does."
"Wow what an absolutely evil person you are," Culpo commented on Bingham's TikTok. "I hope no one ever tears you apart in this way because it's extremely hurtful. I love this dress and it was everything I wanted and more."
Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey in 2023.
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images
Bingham also said in her TikTok that Culpo looked like she had eyebrow lamination and lash extensions, to which the former Miss Universe responded: "Also, no I do not have eyebrow lamination or lash extensions. I'm sorry that infuriates you."
"I pointed out your designer has a long history of homophobia and racism and your words push a harmful standard of misogyny and you're upset about the lash comment?" Bingham responded.
Culpo's dress might be part of a resurgence of traditional wedding gowns
Culpo's ceremony dress is a departure from recent wedding fashion trends, as many brides have gravitated toward sheer or heavily detailed gowns.
Jackie Avrumson, a bridal stylist who has worked in the wedding industry for 25 years, told BI that more daring gowns became mainstream as brides looked for alternatives to the strapless neckline, finding inspiration on sites like Pinterest.
"Brides just wanted to get away from the 'traditional' look and create something that felt a little bit more modern, which led to a little bit more sexy," she said.
However, Avrumson said she's seeing a resurgence of popular bridal trends from the 1980s and 1990s.
"Now, we're seeing more sleeves, we are seeing the square necklines, we are seeing drop-waist ball gowns," she said. "We are starting to steer away from the fitted dresses and going back into the A-line and the ball gown dresses."
"I don't know if it's necessarily modest, but I think a little bit more traditional," she added of the trend.
Brides have also been embracing convertible gowns, which often allow them to wear different looks throughout their wedding day, including a mix of conservative and more daring outfits.
"I think it's really a moment for the bride to be able to wear everything that they can possibly wear as a bride and check off all those boxes," Avrumson said.
In that sense, Avrumson said Culpo's wedding looks were on trend, as her three dresses each had a very different tone.
Avrumson said thinking about Culpo's experience in the public eye can also shed light on how she might have thought about her wedding dress.
"She's a person who has been looked at and judged her whole life," Avrumson said, adding that Culpo may have thought a simple, modest dress ensured the fact that she was getting married was the focus of the day.
Despite her back and forth with Bingham, Culpo reiterated that she loved her dress in another Instagram post about her wedding gown shared on Wednesday.
"One more for the dress of my dreams," she wrote. "Thank you @dolcegabbana for executing my vision perfectly. I cried the first time I tried it on. From the very first sketch, this was it for me. My dream dress."
Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen in season two, episode four of "House of the Dragon."
Ollie Upton/HBO
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen made a crucial choice in the latest episode of "House of the Dragon."
Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was, represented an old order in Westeros.
Her decision sets the stage for Rhaenyra's war, and was a necessary one.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season two, episode four of "House of the Dragon."
"House of the Dragon" isn't a show that pulls its punches, but its latest episode, "The Red Dragon and the Gold," landed its most devastating blow yet.
Those who have read "Fire and Blood" weren't surprised to see Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was, and her dragon Meleys fall to Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar. Rhaenys embarked to Rook's Rest, a modest castle close to Rhaenyra's base at Dragonstone, to meet Ser Criston Cole's advancing force. But when she arrived, she met two dragons: Sunfyre, ridden by King Aegon II, and Vhagar, ridden by Aemond. Though she and Meleys fought until the last moment, Vhagar overpowered them, and she fell to her death.
Rhaenys' death, as a viewer, is a tragedy. But for "House of the Dragon" to fully commit to its devastating dragon war, fought between a woman with a rightful claim to the throne and her usurper younger half-brother, Rhaenys needed to die.
Rhaenys Targaryen flies into battle in season two of "House of the Dragon."
Ollie Upton/HBO
'House of the Dragon's' original sin is denying Rhaenys the throne
"House of the Dragon" takes place during a short period of Targaryen family history — there are a vast number of events, like Aegon's Conquest, that precede it, and obviously, a long history that follows it (you could call some of it "Game of Thrones"). But within the context of the show, the story begins most specifically during the Great Council meeting to determine King Jahaerys' successor.
With Jahaerys' sons dead, the council's choice boiled down to two options: Rhaenys, his eldest descendant, or Viserys, his eldest male descendant. Having never sat a Queen on the Iron Throne, the council chose the comparatively soft Viserys, whose decisions sowed the seeds for Rhaenyra and Aegon's war. Rhaenys, for the rest of her life, bears the slight with grace as the Lord of Driftmark Corlys Velaryon's wife.
Eve Best and Steve Toussaint as Rhaenys and Corlys Velaryon in season two, episode four of "House of the Dragon."
Ollie Upton/HBO
But despite her acquiescence, the wrong of denying Rhaenys the throne hangs like a pall over "House of the Dragon," and Rhaenyra especially. Rhaenys represents and espouses an old "order of things," as she admonishes a young Rhaenyra about in season one: one where a man will always be seen as a legitimate ruler over a woman, regardless of her claim to the throne. When Rhaenyra and Rhaenys' son Laenor are engaged, Rhaenys worries that her son will be endangered during a succession challenge. When her husband, Lord Corlys Velaryon, brings up her denial of the throne, Rhaenys says that she shuttered her ambition "a generation ago."
Rhaenys' persistence over the course of the series, particularly as Rhaenyra faces further challenges regarding her claim, asks an implicit question: if Rhaenys could bear not becoming Queen, why couldn't Rhaenyra?
Rhaenys' sacrifice represents the true beginning of the war
It feels remarkable when Rhaenys throws her weight behind Rhaenyra, though she does so seemingly reluctantly. She knows that if Rhaenyra pursues her claim, it will bring calamity. But when Alicent installs her son Aegon on the throne, Rhaenys does not bend the knee — but neither can she take the opportunity to end Alicent's bloodline when it's presented to her.
"That war is not mine to begin," Rhaenys tells Daemon and Rhaenyra, justifying her actions.
At the end of season one, Rhaenys persuades her husband, Corlys, to back Rhaenyra, citing the safety of their grandchildren. But she also praises Rhaenyra's restraint in not submitting to all-out war, which proves to be a major theme in season two. It's Rhaenys who incites Rhaenyra's final errand for peace: a face-to-face with Alicent, in the hopes of avoiding a war between dragons.
In the latest episode of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) visits her stepmother, Alicent (Olivia Cooke), to figure out how they can stop the brewing civil war.
Ollie Upton / HBO
And when that falls through, it's Rhaenys who must step up. Eve Best, who plays Rhaenys with a steady hand, told Business Insider that as the voice of restraint — and as Rhaenyra's strongest warrior, astride Meleys — there was no other choice.
But thematically, Rhaenys' sacrifice is a necessary one. As she reminded Rhaenyra in her youth, she's an emblem of the old tradition: one in which the Queen Who Never Was must gracefully bear the insult of being denied a kingdom. No one better understands the trials that Rhaenyra faces and the judgment calls that she must make. That's why Rhaenys makes this final decision for her, telling Rhaenyra, "You must send me."
That decision proves that Rhaenys couldn't — or wouldn't — bear that insult for any longer, though she fights for Rhaenyra's claim and not her own. Her sacrifice symbolizes an open door — one through a which a new order, however bloody the process, may be forged.
It began on Tuesday, July 2, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, who became the first member of Congress to call for Biden's withdrawal. In a statement, he praised the president's record of accomplishments but said an "authoritarian takeover" would come if former President Donald Trump won.
"Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory — too great a risk to assume that what could not be turned around in a year, what was not turned around in the debate, can be turned around now," Doggett said. He later said on NBC that some of his House colleagues privately agreed with him.
On Wednesday, Doggett was joined by Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, who told the New York Times that the debate represented an "opportunity to look elsewhere."
"What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race," said Grijalva. Both men are in their mid-to-late 70s and represent solidly Democratic seats.
On Thursday, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts joined them, telling a local radio affiliate that Biden should "step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump."
On Friday, shortly before Biden's interview with ABC News was set to air, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois said on MSBNC that Biden should "let someone else do this."
BREAKING: Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) calls on Biden to exit the race:
"Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else… pic.twitter.com/tnWOxja5lF
— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) July 5, 2024
And on Saturday morning, Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota became the first swing-district Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw, saying in a statement that she does "not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump."
Separately, two members of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition — Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington — said that they believe Biden will lose to Trump, but did not explicitly call on him to withdraw.
Golden went as far as to say that he is "OK" with Trump winning, saying he rejects the idea that Trump is a "unique threat to our democracy."
Democratic politicians who don't hold elected office have also called on Biden to step aside.
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, one of Biden's competitors in 2020, said that Biden needed to "allow a stronger Democratic candidate to prevent a disastrous second Trump term.
Another 2020 Biden competitor, former Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, published an op-ed on Tuesday calling for Biden to be replaced with Vice President Kamala Harris.