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Biden’s Age and Its Impact on His Presidency: A Revealing Report
The Wall Street Journal has released a significant report based on insights from nearly 50 sources familiar with the workings of the Biden administration. The story sheds light on how President Biden’s age has presented challenges throughout his presidency, starting from the very beginning, and details the efforts made by aides to manage these concerns.
At 82 years old, Biden was 78 when he assumed office. According to the report, officials within the administration began to observe signs of his age within the first few months of his presidency, noting that he tended to become fatigued during lengthy meetings and occasionally made errors in judgment.
In meetings with the president, aides emphasized the importance of keeping discussions concise and focused. There were instances when if Biden was not feeling up to a meeting, it would be canceled altogether. A former aide shared an anecdote of a national security official stating, “He has good days and bad days, and today was a bad day so we’re going to address this tomorrow.”
It was also reported that lawmakers, Cabinet members, and other officials experienced less direct interaction with Biden compared to past administrations. Senior advisers often took on roles that many felt should belong to the president himself. A notable example includes figures such as Jake Sullivan, Steve Ricchetti, and Lael Brainard frequently acting as intermediaries for Biden.
House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith expressed frustrations regarding his attempts to communicate with Biden ahead of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, noting that he had more contact with former President Obama during his tenure, even when he was not in a leadership position. Similarly, Representative Jim Hines remarked that he had minimal personal interaction with Biden compared to his experiences with Obama, which struck him as unusual given their differing roles.
Interactions between Biden and his Cabinet reportedly occurred infrequently and were often highly controlled. Some Cabinet members abandoned efforts to request calls with him, recognizing that such initiatives were generally unwelcome. The report also indicated that Biden struggled to remember key points his team had previously discussed while preparing for his interview with special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating Biden’s handling of classified documents. Hur concluded that a jury might view Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”
During the 2024 campaign trail, Biden’s aides frequently screened questions from event attendees ahead of time. Furthermore, campaign pollsters allegedly did not meet Biden in person, and it appeared that he had limited awareness of polling data indicating he was behind Trump in electoral support.
These ongoing issues reached a climax during Biden’s difficult performance in the debate on June 27. Remarkably, President-elect Donald Trump, like Biden, will also be 78 at his inauguration and 82 by the conclusion of his term.
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