President Joe Biden has been showing signs of cognitive decline during closed door meetings, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
nnnnJournalists Annie Linskey and Siobhan Hughes elaborated on this in a June 4 article, citing “interviews with more than 45 people over several months.” The interviewees involved both Republican and Democratic officials who either participated in meetings with the chief executive or were briefed on them contemporaneously. Most GOP interviewees attested to Biden’s poor performance, while some Democrats also attested to this decline.
One instance went like this: “When Biden met with congressional leaders in the West Wing in January to negotiate a Ukraine funding deal, he spoke so softly at times that some participants struggled to hear him, according to five people familiar with the meeting. He read from notes to make obvious points, paused for extended periods and sometimes closed his eyes for so long that some in the room wondered whether he had tuned out.”
nnnnThe WSJ journalists also recounted another instance in February that happened at the Oval Office. Biden had been with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) at the time, according to six people. The president reportedly claimed that a recent policy change by his administration that jeopardizes some major energy projects was “just a study” – worrying Johnson, who had been concerned that Biden’s memory had slipped about the details of his own policy.
nnnnEven former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) pointed out Biden’s inconsistent demeanor during negotiations to lift the debt ceiling last year. According to him and two other individuals familiar with the talks, Biden had loose and spontaneous exchanges with GOP lawmakers on some days, but mumbled and relied on notes on other days.
nnnn“I used to meet with him when he was vice president. I’d go to his house,” McCarthy said in an interview. “He’s not the same person.”
nnnnWhite House to the rescue
nnnn“The 81-year-old Biden is the oldest person to hold the presidency. [But] his age and cognitive fitness have become major issues in his campaign for a second term, both in the minds of voters and in attacks on him by Republicans,” the WSJ piece stated.
nnnnDespite this, the White House and top aides said Biden remains a sharp and vigorous leader. The White House also mentioned that the president’s doctors have found him fit to serve and that his recent annual physical exam showed no need for a cognitive test. Federal officials also dismissed many of the negative accounts from those who have met with Biden, merely dismissing them as motivated by partisan politics.
(Related: Republican lawmakers call on Biden to take cognitive test IMMEDIATELY.)
nnnn“Congressional Republicans, foreign leaders and nonpartisan national security experts have made clear in their own words that President Biden is a savvy and effective leader who has a deep record of legislative accomplishment,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates. “Now in 2024, House Republicans are making false claims as a political tactic that flatly contradict previous statements made by themselves and their colleagues.”
nnnnLinskey and Hughes also mentioned that the White House kept close tabs on some of the WSJ‘s interviews with Democratic lawmakers. When asked about this, Bates answered: “We thought it was important that all perspectives be represented [against] false and politically motivated claims.”
nnnnBut even though the White House insists that Biden is still fit to serve as chief executive, Americans beg to differ. A WSJ survey of voters in seven battleground states conducted in March found that only 28 percent believe Biden is better suited for the presidency both physically and mentally. In contrast, 48 percent believe former President Donald Trump is better suited for the role.
nnnnnnnn nnnn
EXCLUSIVE: Canadian Gov. Attempts To Euthanize Woman Paralyzed By COVID Shots
nnnnn ]]>