The Wall Street Journal reports that President Biden has been experiencing cognitive decline since the beginning of his presidency, with his inner circle shielding him from scrutiny. Meetings were kept short, access to him was controlled, and his public interactions were heavily scripted. Senior advisors often acted as intermediaries, and negative news stories were excluded from his briefing materials.
Biden's team managed his public appearances by scripting interactions, limiting meeting durations, and ensuring meetings started later in the day when he was more alert. Senior advisors often acted as go-betweens, and negative news stories were excluded from his briefing packages to avoid potential missteps.
Evidence of Biden's cognitive decline includes reports that his staff noticed he became tired during long meetings and made mistakes. Meetings were often rescheduled if he was having an 'off day,' and national security meetings were canceled during the early days of his administration due to his poor mental state.
The media largely ignored or downplayed Biden's cognitive decline, with figures like Brian Stelter dismissing reports as 'fake news.' Journalists like Chris Cillizza later admitted they should have pushed harder for information about Biden's mental state but were influenced by a 'shame campaign' that discouraged such inquiries.
Biden's advisors played a significant role in managing his presidency by acting as intermediaries, controlling access to him, and ensuring his schedule was adjusted to minimize potential missteps. They also shielded him from negative news stories and managed his interactions with senior lawmakers and cabinet members.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Biden's cognitive decline because it had become increasingly difficult to ignore, especially after the 2024 election. The report aimed to provide a retrospective look at how the White House functioned with a diminished leader and to address the growing public awareness of Biden's condition.
During the 2019 debate, Julian Castro called out Biden for forgetting what he had said minutes earlier. The media largely criticized Castro for his remarks rather than addressing Biden's apparent memory lapse, reflecting a broader pattern of shielding Biden from scrutiny.
Biden's cognitive decline led to significant adjustments in his presidency, including shorter meetings, limited interactions with key officials, and a reliance on senior advisors to manage his schedule and communications. His inability to recall key information during critical moments, such as the Afghanistan withdrawal, further highlighted his diminished capacity.
Adam Schiff criticized the investigator, Robert Hoare, for including Biden's poor mental state in his report, arguing that it was unnecessary and politically motivated. Hoare had concluded that Biden was too demented to be convicted by a jury, which Schiff claimed was gratuitous and prejudicial.
Joe Scarborough described Biden as being in the best mental and analytical state of his life, claiming he was more cogent and intellectually sharp than ever before. This portrayal was widely criticized as a blatant attempt to downplay Biden's cognitive decline.
Not that it’s a surprise at this point, but the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that pretty much everyone in Washington DC knew for some time that President Joe Biden was sundowning, and collectively worked to hide the fact from the public. Biden’s inner circle, in particular, shielded the President from scrutiny while also lashing out at anyone in the media who dared to point out the evidence in front of us all about Biden’s mental decline.
Jimmy and Americans’ Comedian Kurt Metzger discuss the Journal story and what it says about the Democratic Party and corporate media.
Plus a segment featuring a compilation of corporate media mouthpieces like Joe Scarborough, Nicole Wallace, Brian Stelter and Chris Cilizza lying about Biden’s cognitive powers.
Also featuring Stef Zamorano and Mike MacRae. And a phone call from Tim Walz!