LOS ANGELES.–President Joe Biden’s campaign expressed frustration over the way the media covers 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s age, occasionally focusing on his trips-and-verbal-sputters while covering his interactions with the press. When Joe lashed out at CNN’s MJ Lee Feb. 9 for asking her about the Special Counsel report saying he had severe memory problems, the public saw firsthand Biden’s erratic side. Lee simply wanted Biden to respond to the Feb. 6 Special Counsel report that said Biden could not recall when he was Vice President or when his son Beau died of brain cancer. Biden thinks he’s being unfairly targeted for his age by the press when, in fact, he’s been given a pass since becoming president Jan. 20, 2021. Hur’s report
confirmed what the White House has been covering up for over three years that Biden suffers from age-related cognitive decline.
Biden’s campaign handlers say the president hasn’t been aggressive enough in challenging a false narrative that Biden lacks the fitness for another four years. “The more the campaign and the more the White House takes the gloves off and gets aggressive, the better off they are,” said Democrat strategic Jon Reinsh. Reinish knows that every time Biden actually speaks in front of cameras he proves his critics’ point about his age-related cognitive decline. “There have been many instances on many tough issues where they’ve been behind the ball and have not been early as sharp, nearly as persuasive or near as aggressive as they could have been,” Reinish said. Reinish doesn’t admit it’s a huge risk to let Biden respond for himself because he sounds too aggressive, making himself look worse. Political strategists know it’s not about push-back but about optics.
Biden’s approval ratings have run consistently under 40%, a reflection of the public’s frustrations with inflation, foreign wars and the border all conspiring to drag down Biden’s approval ratings. Recent polls show that a majority of voters, as high as 85%, think Biden is too old to run for a second term. So, when reports like Hur’s comes out questioning Biden’s memory, it hurts Biden’s public perception. Biden White House handlers have confronted the press as much as possible about Hur’s report, complaining that it wasn’t appropriate for the Special Counsel to comment about Biden’s failing memory. Well, what was said in the report about Biden willfully retaining classified documents, it was eclipsed by Hur’s statements about Biden’s failing memory. Hur’s report confirms what many voters already think that Joe isn’t fit for four another four years.
Calling the media’s reporting on the Special Counsel report “gratuitous and sensational attacks on the President’s age,” senior Biden campaign adviser TJ Ducklo slammed the press for unfair coverage. White House spin doctors can only discredit the Special Counsel Report because it matches public perceptions of Biden’s age and fitness for a second term. If the Special Counsel’s report were inconsistent with public perceptions, it would be a lot easier for the White House to push back. But any push back now backfires because the public knows that Biden has obvious problems physically and with his memory. White House tried hard to promote former President Donald Trump’s campaign gaffes, recently conflation former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with his GOP rival, former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley. But the push back hasn’t worked.
Trump spends so much time in front of cameras at campaign rallies that his following knows that he doesn’t suffer from anything close to Biden’s cognitive issues. So, the more the White House pushes back against Trump, the more the public feels gaslighted, duped by a Democrat-friendly press. “I’m well-meaning, and I’m and elderly man and I know what the hell I’m doing,” Biden said, hurting his cause with the public. When Biden referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattal el-Sisis as the president Mexico Feb 9, the same press conference he attacked CNN’s MJ Lee, it only made matters worse. “I think the president overestimates his ability to handle the press at times,” said Todd Belt, director of George Washington University’s graduate political management program. Belt’s remark reflects the dilemma faced by Biden’s handlers: More media exposure hurts his cause.
Biden’s problems with the press isn’t unfair treatment, it’s his age-related cognitive decline that makes it increasingly difficult for him to present a coherent message. Covering up Biden’s age-related cognitive decline has been a full-time job for White House spin doctors. Saying Trump suffers from the same problem backfires because Trump spends too much time in front of cameras, eclipsing Biden’s tightly controlled media coverage. If Trump suffered from the same type of cognitive problems, it would be abundantly clear with all his time spent facing the public in large, frequent campaign events. Biden hasn’t been maligned or targeted by the press, if anything they give him a free pass. When Biden deviates from his script, it opens up a can of worms for his handlers. Biden can’t fight back in the press because it only makes him look more geriatric.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
