The Biden administration has been accused of concealing the President's deteriorating mental health throughout his tenure, according to a damning report.
The White House reportedly employed a vocal coach, delegated presidential duties to other officials, cancelled meetings on the President's 'bad days', and kept him at a distance from his own Cabinet members.
As reported by the Daily Mail, an in-depth investigation by The Wall Street Journal revealed a calculated and prolonged cover-up. The administration was accused of discrediting those who suggested that Biden's cognitive abilities had declined since his time as Vice President under Barack Obama.
Despite the diligent efforts of his team, Biden's decline became increasingly evident, particularly after Special Counsel Robert Hur released a report last year portraying a forgetful and frail 81-year-old Biden. Hur refrained from charging Biden for keeping classified documents in his Delaware garage, stating that he 'would likely present himself to a jury [...] as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.'
The Journal reported that Biden was unable to repeat lines fed to him by his staff during preparation for his interview with Hur. At the White House, Biden would often cancel crucial national security meetings, leaving aides to explain to attendees that the President had 'bad days and good days'.
A well-informed Democratic strategist confirmed to DailyMail.com that influence over Biden had been 'concentrated by people who are not external facing,' including his close advisors Bruce Reed, Steve Ricchetti, and Mike Donilon. Lower-level staff have long complained about this secretive 'triumvirate' also known as the 'Biden whisperers' and their disproportionate influence over America's oldest ever president. As his term draws to a close, many in Washington are questioning who is truly running the country.
One glaring example of the White House's concealment efforts involves Democratic Congressman Adam Smith. In 2021, as chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Smith tried desperately to contact Biden ahead of the botched Afghanistan withdrawal to express his serious concerns. His attempts were ignored. After the tragic deaths of 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghans, Smith publicly criticized Biden and was reprimanded by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Close aides were also deeply concerned about comparisons between Biden and his wife Jill Biden, who is eight years his junior and maintained a packed schedule that only accentuated the President's slow pace and frailty. Even before his first day in the Oval Office in 2021, there were concerns that Jill's 'energy' was making Biden 'look bad'.
By late June this year, Biden's decline was on full display during a debate with Donald Trump. The President's gaffes, fumbles, and blank stares filled the hour-and-a-half televised event, proving disastrous for his campaign. The debate ultimately led the public, and even senior Democrats in Washington, to call for Biden to withdraw his bid for reelection.
During Biden's presidency, aides often had to repeat cues to him at events. He was given simplistic instruction cards with detailed pointers on where to walk, sit, and look. Biden's team even enlisted Hollywood studio mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg to find a voice coach to improve his wavering and fading voice. When his voice did fail him, the team would help Biden by finding ways to avoid phone calls or public events.
Senior advisors, including counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and National Economic Council head Lael Brainard, were put into roles that others felt the president should have occupied. A source who witnessed Biden's last four years told the Journal that a small group of aides stuck close to him at all times and provided intense 'hand holding'.
Press aides tasked with compiling news clips were instructed by senior staff to omit any negative stories about the president. The protective circle around Biden was heightened because he entered the White House at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his staff took extensive steps to avoid him catching the virus.
However, the strategy was also designed to prevent Biden from making gaffes or taking physical missteps, which would damage his image or create headaches for Democrats. Biden, who has been an undisciplined public speaker throughout his more than 50-year political career, often cites a childhood stutter as the reason for his verbal stumbles.
Despite the efforts of aides, Biden is leaving office with members of his own party criticizing him for being 'selfish.' Many believe that he was only looking out for himself by staying in the 2024 presidential race past the point of being unfit for another term. Others are furious over his decision to pardon his son Hunter, 54, earlier this month after he was convicted of lying on a federal form to purchase a gun in 2018. As Biden prepares to leave office, polls show his approval rating hitting an all-time low.
Login