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They are contemporaries, old primary rivals and not exactly the closest of friends. Their failed 1988 presidential runs are forever linked by RICHARD BEN CRAMER’s peerless narrative of that campaign, “What It Takes.”

Perceived as an early frontrunner in a competitive Democratic primary, DICK GEPHARDT moved his family to Iowa in the summer of 1987, determined to convey his seriousness about winning the first-in-the-nation caucuses and intent on visiting each of the state’s 99 counties. But he lost ground to former Massachusetts Gov. MICHAEL DUKAKIS and struggled to execute a plan to hit his surging rival on the debate stage.

JOE BIDEN’s own short-lived campaign that summer fell apart after it became clear he’d plagiarized parts of his stump speech and inflated his record of student activism.

Thirty-five years later, their eyes are simultaneously on the White House once again, albeit from far different vantage points. Biden is finally president — and Gephardt is trying to go on offense once again, this time in service of a new endeavor that could help his former rival secure a second term.

Gephardt established his new group, “Citizens to Save Our Republic,” for the sole purpose of dissuading the organization No Labels from putting a third-party presidential candidate on the 2024 ballot.

“In normal times, I would have no problem with it,” Gephardt told West Wing Playbook. “But these are not normal times.”

The organization has no affiliation with the president’s campaign. And Gephardt insisted the point is not to bail out Biden. Rather, it’s to prevent former President DONALD TRUMP from a return to the White House that, he believes, could be fatal for American democracy. Polling of voters in six swing states that Gephardt himself paid for showed that’s the likeliest outcome if No Labels were to put a third-party candidate on the general election ballot.

“If it’s just the two candidates, then Biden ekes out another victory almost by the same margin he did in ’20. But if you put a third party independent bipartisan ticket into the mix, he loses,” Gephardt said.

No Labels, a non-profit with undisclosed funders, has said it won’t decide until next spring whether it will attempt to launch a third-party ticket. Responding to blowback about possible repercussions, the group’s spokesperson maintained this week it would only do so if a candidate has a clear path to victory and not if that alternative to Biden and possibly Trump would likely tip the election to the twice-impeached, twice-indicted (so far) former president.

“They say themselves they do not want to have Donald Trump be elected, that they do not want to play spoiler,” Gephardt said. “But by the same token, they say they will only do this if Biden and Trump are the candidates. So that’s a conflicting statement. It makes no sense.”

Even as he has given several interviews criticizing No Labels publicly, Gephardt said he planned to make his case “from a place of respect” for the organization and to avoid questioning the motivations of those behind it.

“I’ve been a supporter of No Labels,” he said. “I’m all about bipartisanship. … One of my worries is that campaigns have a way of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy; and once you get way down this road, and you pick candidates, and you’ve raised a bunch of money, it’s pretty hard to unwind the effort.”

Gephardt hopes to get No Labels to promise to stand down in the event that Trump is the GOP nominee.

“This is not an effort to help Joe Biden,” he said “This is about retaining our democracy. I fully understand people’s frustration and anxiety about a rematch [of the 2020 election]. But this is self-government. We are a free people. And we cannot have Donald Trump back in the White House.”

Three decades ago, a campaign that seemed to epitomize America’s brass-knuckle politics ultimately found Biden quitting amid controversy, former Colorado Sen. GARY HART becoming the first presidential hopeful undone by the media’s focus on an extramarital affair and TV ads for then-Vice President GEORGE H.W. BUSH breaking new ground for scurrilous fear mongering. Today, in the Trump era, all that seems rather quaint.

That, essentially, is why Gephardt is doing this.

“There was never any personal animosity between him and Biden, although he’s not doing this for Biden per se,” said longtime Democratic strategist BOB SHRUM, who worked on Gephardt’s 1988 presidential campaign. “He’s an institutionalist. He never got to be speaker or president, but he played a very large role in American politics for 25 years. And I think he worries — a lot of us worry — about our system of government and how viable it’s going to be in the future.”

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What was RONALD REAGAN’s favorite song?

(Answer at bottom.)

HUNTER, A MAGNET FOR DRAMA: So much for all that. HUNTER BIDEN’s plea deal unraveled in a Delaware courtroom Wednesday after a judge balked at approving the agreement amid confusion over the conditions of the immunity provided to the president’s son in exchange for him pleading guilty to two misdemeanors. As our BETSY WOODRUFF-SWAN and JOSH GERSTEIN report, the deal could still be revived, in which case Hunter could withdraw the not guilty pleas he entered Wednesday and replace them with guilty pleas on tax charges.

WHERE’S … BIDEN? As his son’s legal drama unfolded, the president had only a 10 a.m. briefing listed on his public schedule. When asked during the press briefing what he was up to all day, press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE came ready with answers: He taped a podcast with JAY SHETTY that will drop on Monday about the mental health crisis, he had internal meetings throughout the day and he will deliver a toast at a staff gathering later Wednesday to celebrate outgoing director of legislative affairs LOUISA TERRELL.

As for Hunter, Jean-Pierre steered clear of any questions about him (including one from CBS’ WEIJIA JIANG about whether Biden, as a proponent of gun control, believes that someone who is charged with illegally possessing a firearm should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law).

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by the Washington Post’s JEFF STEIN about how Republicans may need to return to the drawing board to consider a new line of criticism of Biden’s economic performance as inflation continues to fall. Stein writes that recent inflation figures “have led Republican analysts to begin early discussions about whether, or how, the party should adjust its attacks on Biden to account for the new economic reality.” The Treasury Department’s MIKE GWIN retweeted this piece.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by the Wall Street Journal’s ANDREW DUEHREN about how the “Made in America” provisions under the Inflation Reduction Act are rankling companies that fear the law doesn’t go far enough in ensuring materials are sourced domestically. They’re also worrying allies abroad who say subsidies for U.S.-made components are hurting business. The U.S. wants to wean itself off reliance on China, but the country remains the world’s lead supplier in clean energy products, creating a challenging environment for firms that may be paying more to comply with the law’s requirements, Duehren writes.

USA! USA! USA!: While on a five-day trip that includes stops in Tonga, New Zealand and Australia, Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN stopped in Wellington on Wednesday to support the U.S. Women’s National Team ahead of their World Cup matchup against Netherlands.

ANOTHER ONE TUBERVILLED: Biden has tapped Gen. DAVID ALLVIN to serve as the next Air Force chief of staff, our CONNOR O’BRIEN, LEE HUDSON and PAUL MCLEARY reports. Allvin would succeed former chief of staff Gen. C.Q. BROWN, who was nominated to serve as chair of the Joint Chiefs.

Allvin may have to wait a while before he can start his new job. Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-Ala.) has yet to show signs of relenting in his monthslong hold on military abortions due to his staunch opposition to the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy.

CRAB CAKES, FOOTBALL, AND THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET: Former Maryland Gov. MARTIN O’MALLEY is Biden’s pick to serve as commissioner of the Social Security Administration, our JOHN SAKELLARIADIS reports. KILOLO KIJAKAZI has served as the agency’s acting commissioner since 2021 after Biden fired ANDREW SAUL, a holdover from the Trump administration.

MORE NOMINEES: Biden nominated PAUL MARTIN to be the next inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Martin has served as NASA’s inspector general since 2009 and will assume responsibilities currently held by NICOLE ANGARELLA, the agency’s acting IG, once confirmed.

The White House also announced the nomination of CARDELL RICHARDSON SR. to serve as inspector general at the State Department.

LET’S TEAM UP: The Commerce and Defense Departments are working to develop a plan to jointly strengthen the nation’s semiconductor defense industrial base. Both departments signed a memorandum on Wednesday allowing them to collaborate on how to implement the CHIPS and Science Act.

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE: The White House convened its first methane summit on Wednesday to find ways to reduce emissions, particularly through leaks in the oil sector. The effort will include creating a Cabinet-level task force, embracing new technology and leading global efforts to curb methane use. ROBIN BRAVENDER has the details for Greenwire.

A ‘LOW POINT’ FOR HIGHER ED: Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA on Wednesday previewed several proposals aimed at addressing the challenges ahead for higher education following the Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action, which he called “a new low point” for higher education.

He announced a $45 million program that would help underrepresented communities graduate from college and efforts to alter the way colleges recruit K-12 students. Our BIANCA QUILANTAN has the details.

Gov. Abbott’s Policing of Texas Border Pushes Limits of State Power (NYT’s J. David Goodman)

Why Won’t Simon Ateba Stop Shouting? (NYT’s Joseph Bernstein)

The Vice Presidency Is Hard. Kamala Harris Has It Harder Than Most. (Julia Azari for POLITICO)

Reagan’s favorite song was “Nancy with the Laughing Face,” which was composed by JIMMY VAN HEUSEN in 1942 and later recorded by FRANK SINATRA in 1944.

Thanks to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute for this question!

A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it!

Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.