Biden’s Cognitive Health: Concerns and Controversies Ahead of 2024

President Joe Biden, now 81, continues to face scrutiny regarding his cognitive health, especially in light of recent reports highlighting lapses during private meetings with congressional leaders. These concerns are intensifying as the 2024 presidential election approaches.

 

Biden’s advanced age and mental sharpness have been under a microscope, with both voters and lawmakers expressing skepticism about his ability to effectively fulfill his presidential duties. The Wall Street Journal, after speaking with 45 lawmakers and administration officials, detailed various instances where Biden appeared to struggle cognitively during important meetings.

While most of the critical voices were from Republicans, some Democrats also acknowledged signs of Biden’s aging. Participants and those briefed on the meetings noted that during a January discussion about additional funding for Ukraine, Biden often spoke so softly that he was hard to hear, read from notes for straightforward points, and sometimes seemed to drift off.

In a one-on-one meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson in February, Biden reportedly referred to a significant policy change jeopardizing major energy projects as merely a study, raising concerns about his grasp of his own administration’s policies. This incident was relayed by six individuals who had been informed about Johnson’s account of the meeting.

Last year, during debt ceiling negotiations with House Republicans, Biden’s performance appeared inconsistent. On some days, he was sharp and engaging, while on others, he seemed to rely heavily on notes and mumbled through his remarks. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and others familiar with these talks noted this variability in Biden’s demeanor and command of details.

Kevin McCarthy, reflecting on his previous interactions with Biden when he was vice president, remarked on the noticeable change in Biden’s cognitive abilities. Despite once being known for his legislative negotiating skills and detailed policy knowledge, Biden’s recent interactions have raised questions about his cognitive capabilities, especially after Republicans gained control of the House.

White House officials have largely dismissed these accounts, attributing the criticisms to partisan politics. They assert that Biden remains a savvy and effective leader, pointing to his legislative achievements as evidence of his capability. According to White House spokesman Andrew Bates, claims of cognitive decline are politically motivated and contradict previous positive statements made by Republicans and other critics.

During the January meeting on Ukraine, administration officials and some participants defended Biden, stating that it is common practice to use notes in such settings. Bates also denied that Biden misspoke in his February meeting with Johnson about energy policy, emphasizing that the president was clear and accurate in his remarks.

Administration aides involved in the debt ceiling negotiations last year recalled Biden’s effectiveness, noting that he provided detailed instructions and was not directly involved in the day-to-day talks. They also mentioned that McCarthy had privately praised Biden’s performance, despite his public criticism. The successful passage of both Ukraine funding and a debt ceiling increase without major Republican concessions was cited as evidence of Biden’s competence.

Former President Donald Trump, Biden’s primary challenger in the upcoming election, has also faced scrutiny over his mental acuity. At 77, Trump has been criticized for memory lapses and inaccuracies in his public statements, providing ammunition for both Democrats and Republicans to question his cognitive fitness.

Some attendees of the meetings with Biden attribute his occasional slip-ups to his speech impediment and tendency to be verbose. While concerns about uneven performance were noted, they did not align with the image of a confused leader that some political opponents have portrayed. The White House has reiterated that Biden’s doctors have found him fit to serve, with no need for a cognitive test based on his recent annual physical.

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Administration officials highlighted instances where Biden demonstrated sharpness and engagement, such as during long hours in the Situation Room in April amid Iran’s missile attack on Israel, and during late-night calls with lawmakers from the White House. They argue that these examples counter the narrative of cognitive decline.

Voters’ concerns about the mental acuity of both Biden and Trump are largely shaped by their public appearances and speeches. During a campaign event in Detroit last month, Biden mistakenly suggested he was vice president during the COVID-19 pandemic, which occurred during Trump’s administration. He also made a gaffe during a Rose Garden event, initially stating that a U.S. hostage held in Gaza was present before correcting himself.

In January, Biden mixed up two Hispanic cabinet secretaries, confusing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Additionally, at a February fundraiser, Biden inaccurately recalled speaking to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and former French President François Mitterrand, both of whom had passed away long before the events he referenced.

Trump has had his share of cognitive missteps as well. He confused then-Republican presidential opponent Nikki Haley with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a January speech. In March, during a rally in Virginia, Trump mistakenly referred to Biden as former President Obama when discussing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s views on U.S. leadership. During his criminal hush money trial in New York last month, Trump was noted for closing his eyes for extended periods.

After the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, concerns about Trump’s mental state led some cabinet officials to discuss the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. A spokeswoman for Trump countered these concerns, asserting that he remains “sharp as a tack.”

Concerns about Biden’s mental state were further amplified earlier this year when Special Counsel Robert K. Hur, who interviewed him for five hours over two days last October during an investigation into his handling of classified documents, noted that Biden’s memory was “significantly limited.” Biden responded to Hur’s report by asserting his competence, stating, “I know what the hell I’m doing.”

Americans have had limited opportunities to observe Biden in unscripted moments, as he has been reluctant to give media interviews. By the end of April, he had given fewer interviews and press conferences than any of his recent predecessors, according to data from Martha Joynt Kumar, an emeritus professor at Towson University. Biden’s last town-hall-style meeting with an independent news outlet was in October 2021.

Visitor logs indicate that Biden has held fewer small meetings with lawmakers as his term has progressed. During his first year in office, he hosted over three dozen meetings with fewer than 20 lawmakers in the West Wing, even with pandemic restrictions. This number decreased to about two dozen in his second year and roughly a dozen in his third year.

2 thoughts on “Biden’s Cognitive Health: Concerns and Controversies Ahead of 2024

  1. I want to thank you, Matt and Olivia, for all your informative and inspirational shows that you work so hard on, to get out to the community. Your love and respect for each and your children is truly inspiring. I watch all the time, but don’t say very much, because I am a terrible typist and make lots of mistakes. Keep up the great work and all the guests that you have invited in lately really puts more zip into the show. It is nice to hear other views. Thank you for all you do. Now, I have to go take a nap because I am exhausted from all the typing! (LOL)

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