Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
Reports Detail White House Aides’ Concerns Over President Biden’s Cognitive State
Individuals close to President Joe Biden have reportedly disclosed instances suggesting he was “out of it” during his later period in the White House. These accounts describe instances where fluorescent tape was affixed to carpets to guide the president’s movements at public events, highlighting concerns about his cognitive acuity. These revelations come amidst ongoing scrutiny of the president’s health and fitness for office.
Using Tape for Direction
According to insiders, this measure was implemented to ensure the then-president, an octogenarian, could navigate event spaces without constant personal guidance. The bright tape served as a visual aid, directing him on where to walk.
Confusion During Debate Preparation
One high-ranking aide recounted that while preparing for a debate with Donald Trump, President Biden appeared confused, seemingly believing he was “President of NATO” instead of the United States. This episode raises questions about his mental focus during crucial preparations.
Books Reveal Inside Accounts of Biden’s Presidency
These revelations are emerging from multiple forthcoming books that examine President Biden’s presidency. Several publications are set to be released in the coming months, promising further insights into his administration and his health.
Aides’ Awareness of and Actions Regarding President’s Health
Some of the emerging details shed light on what White House aides knew about the president’s health and the steps they purportedly took to conceal his condition from public view, adding a layer of intrigue and controversy to the narrative.
Multiple books about President Joe Biden are set to reveal details concerning aides’ knowledge of his health and measures allegedly taken to obscure his condition.
Debate Preparation at Camp David and Concerns Raised by Aides
Ron Klain, former chief of staff, in discussions with author Chris Whipple, detailed the intensive six-day period at Camp David aimed at preparing President Biden for his debate with Donald Trump. This debate was viewed as a critical juncture in Biden’s political trajectory.
Klain told Whipple for his upcoming book, “We sat around the table. [Biden] had answers on cards, and he was just extremely tired. And I was struck by how disconnected with American politics he was. He was just very, very focused on his interactions with NATO leaders.”
“He just became very absorbed with being the head of NATO,” Klain stated.
Whipple notes that Klain “wondered, in a somewhat serious manner, if Biden believed he was president of NATO rather than the US.”
Whipple’s book, “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” is scheduled for release next week. Excerpts were published by The Guardian.
Post-Debate Incidents and Further Guidance Needs
Following the debate with Trump, President Biden reportedly required fluorescent tape to direct him at a fundraiser hosted by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, allegedly to prevent him from getting lost.
While tape markings are common for politicians and performers to ensure proper camera positioning, in Biden’s case, the bright markings were described as “colorful bread crumbs [that] showed the leader of the free world where to walk.”
According to authors Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes in their book “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House,” an aide explained, “He knows to look for that.” Their book was released this week.
Parnes stated on ‘Rising The Hill’ that President Biden had ‘fluorescent tape on the floor to guide him where he needs to go’ at the fundraiser.
Additional Measures and Public Appearances
She further added, “On foreign trips, there’s a makeup artist who comes in first thing in the morning to kind of enliven him and do his makeup ahead of these meetings. This wasn’t for television appearances but for meetings.”
During the same fundraiser, President Biden reportedly needed a teleprompter to address a small gathering on the patio and, even with this assistance, still deviated from his prepared remarks.
President Joe Biden reportedly relied on fluorescent tape for direction during a fundraiser at New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) residence – Pictured: Biden and Murphy at the White House in July 2021.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden during their presidential debate on June 27th in Atlanta.
President Joe Biden stumbled multiple times while ascending the stairs of Air Force One in March 2021.
More Revelations Expected
Further potentially damaging information is anticipated to surface.
Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” is scheduled for release on May 20th.
Thompson was among the few journalists who raised concerns about President Biden’s health during his presidency.
Past Incidents and Health Questions
President Biden has stumbled and tripped on several occasions during his presidency. He acknowledged experiencing walking difficulties after fracturing his foot during the 2020 presidential campaign and not consistently wearing a protective boot as advised. He also made numerous verbal errors that impacted his administration’s messaging.
Additionally, Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf’s book, “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” is set to be released on July 8th.
President Biden reportedly did not grant interviews to any of these book authors.
2024 Campaign and Health Concerns
Throughout the 2024 campaign, President Biden faced persistent questions regarding his physical and mental health. Donald Trump frequently referred to him as “Sleepy Joe” and cast doubt on his cognitive abilities.
The White House consistently defended the president, asserting he was in excellent condition.
The June 27th Debate and Public Perception
However, the June 27th debate in Atlanta significantly altered public perception of President Biden. During the event, he often appeared to stare blankly, struggled to articulate answers, and seemed unsteady.
In the aftermath, Biden aides attributed his performance to a cold, describing it as a “bad night.” Some sources suggested he was excessively coached and rehearsed, rather than allowed time to recover from his illness.
Debate Preparation Team at Camp David
Klain was among three aides who spent considerable time preparing President Biden for the debate. He and Biden have a long-standing professional relationship, including Klain’s tenure as chief of staff during Biden’s vice presidency. Mike Donilon and Bruce Reed were the other two key aides.
The trio, along with the president, arrived at Camp David the Saturday before the debate to commence five days of intensive preparation.
President Joe Biden applauds Ron Klain in February 2023 upon his departure as chief of staff.
President Joe Biden’s debate performance stunned viewers as he appeared unfocused and struggled with responses.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden disembark Air Force One for a fundraiser in New York.
President’s Exhaustion Prior to Debate Prep
President Biden was reportedly exhausted leading up to debate preparations, having just completed extensive travel that included a state visit to France for the D-Day anniversary in Normandy, followed by trips to Italy for a G7 meeting and the West Coast for campaign fundraisers.
He had limited time for rest and recovery.
At Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, he underwent policy discussions and mock debate sessions to prepare.
However, Klain told Whipple that President Biden, while battling a cold, left debate prep and fell asleep by the pool.
He also seemed unsettled and confused.
Whipple wrote that the then-president “didn’t know what Trump had been saying and couldn’t grasp what the exchange was,” “didn’t really understand his argument on inflation,” and “had nothing to say about a second term beyond ‘finish the job.'”
President Biden also expressed preoccupation with foreign leaders’ opinions, stating, “These guys say I’m doing a great job as president, so I must be a great president.”
Concerns During Mock Debates
The first mock debate, initially planned for 90 minutes, was cut short by Klain after 45 minutes because “the president’s voice was gone, and so was his comprehension of the subject matter,” according to Whipple.
During the second mock debate, President Biden concluded after just 25 minutes.
“I’m just too tired to continue, and I’m afraid of losing my voice here, and I feel bad,” he reportedly said, as documented in the book. “I just need some sleep. I’ll be fine tomorrow.”
He then retired for the night.
President Joe Biden walks towards the White House with senior staff members including Bruce Reed, Mike Donilon, and Annie Tomasini in April 2024.
President Biden faced inquiries regarding his mental capabilities while in office.
Jill and Joe Biden with Donald and Melania Trump on Trump’s Inauguration Day.
Debate Deemed a ‘Nationally Televised Disaster’
“The president was fatigued, confused, and detached,” Whipple writes. “Klain feared the debate with Trump would be a nationally televised disaster.”
And it proved to be so.
Post-Debate Fallout and Doubts About Candidacy
In the aftermath, the debate ignited numerous questions about the viability of President Biden’s candidacy and his capacity to perform the duties of the office.
Publicly, President Biden’s family, friends, and aides offered defenses.
Privately, however, concerns were present.
Private Worries Among Democrats
“Publicly, Democrats dismissed Republican assertions that Biden was not up to the job,” Allen and Parnes write. “But privately, some had long worried they were placing excessive faith in an aging man who, at best, had lost his peak abilities.”
According to the authors, a friend of both Biden and Obama described President Biden’s decision to seek reelection as the “original sin” of the 2024 election. This individual reportedly faulted President Biden’s family and close advisers for not recommending against a reelection campaign.
Whipple told Politico that he believes President Biden’s aides saw what they wanted to see.
“I happen to think that to call it a ‘cover-up’ is simplistic. I think it was stranger and way more troubling than that. Biden’s inner circle, his closest advisers, many of them were in a fog of illusion and denial. They believed what they wanted to believe,” the author stated.
Calls for Biden’s Departure from Race
Democratic leaders, meanwhile, worried President Biden’s struggles could lead to losing the White House and negatively impact House and Senate candidates.
Some voiced concerns publicly, questioning President Biden’s fitness to remain the nominee. Following growing calls for his withdrawal, purportedly including behind-the-scenes actions by Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi, President Biden withdrew from the race on July 21st.
Klain’s Regret Over Biden’s Decision
However, Klain, despite his apprehensions about President Biden, believed he should have continued in the race.
He received a call from Jeff Zients, his successor as chief of staff, informing him of President Biden’s decision to step down.
He told Whipple it was a “gut punch.”
He recounted telling Zients: “I think that’s a mistake. I think this was an avoidable tragedy.”
Kamala Harris became the party’s nominee and ultimately lost to Trump.