Staffers for President Joe Biden have reportedly witnessed at least 15 incidents over the past year and a half where the president appeared as he did during a particularly troubling debate performance, according to Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein. Biden’s performance at the June 27 debate was widely criticized, with his voice sounding frail and raspy, and he frequently lost his train of thought, making several gaffes.
Bernstein, speaking on CNN, revealed that people close to Biden have expressed concerns about his cognitive decline over the last six months. These sources have reportedly approached former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain with their worries about Biden’s mental state. Bernstein also mentioned an incident at a fundraiser at the Four Seasons in New York last summer, where Biden appeared very stiff, almost as if experiencing rigor mortis.
Despite these concerns, Bernstein noted that sources insist Biden remains sharp during national security meetings. He has been speaking to individuals who are very close to President Biden, including some who have raised significant amounts of money for him. These individuals are adamant that the troubling behavior seen during the debate is not an isolated incident. They claim there have been 15 to 20 occasions in the last year and a half where Biden has appeared similarly disoriented.
Bernstein added that these supporters, who have campaigned for Biden and see him often, have noticed a marked incidence of cognitive decline in the last six months. He pointed out that Klain supervised the debate preparation sessions at Camp David in Maryland and that many people have approached Klain over the past year to express their concerns.
There have been numerous instances where the president has lost his train of thought and struggled to regain it. At one fundraiser, Biden started speaking at the podium but became very stiff, necessitating a chair for him to continue the event. Bernstein emphasized that those raising the alarm have been repeatedly pushed back whenever they brought up their concerns.
However, Bernstein also highlighted that he has been told for two years about how sharp Biden is in his national security meetings. Biden reportedly has special briefing books on Ukraine and the situation in Gaza, which contain very detailed military reports. According to Bernstein, Biden has an absolute command of the facts in these meetings and is as sharp as can be. Bernstein concluded that it seems like there are two different versions of the same person.
President Biden’s close circle is not unfamiliar with the “horror show” witnessed during his debate with former President Donald Trump. Bernstein told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that several people close to Biden, who love and support him, have raised concerns about his cognitive decline and physical infirmity over the past 18 months.
These sources have warned Ron Klain that there is a problem, citing numerous instances where Biden has lost his train of thought and struggled to pick it up again. Bernstein mentioned a specific fundraiser where Biden became very stiff, almost like rigor mortis, and had to be seated to continue the event.
The fallout from President Biden’s debate performance has left even some Democrats questioning his fitness for office and his future as the party’s candidate. Former President Barack Obama admitted that Biden had a “bad” debate, while former President Trump suggested that Biden was in a “trance” and “choked.”
Biden addressed a crowd in North Carolina the day after the debate, acknowledging that he doesn’t “debate as well as I used to” but insisted that he can still do the job. The New York Times editorial board called on Biden to drop out of the race, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a similar editorial the following day.
Biden gathered with his family at Camp David to assess the campaign’s future, with his son Hunter reportedly pushing for him to stay in the race. Family members questioned whether the president’s top advisors should be fired after the disastrous debate.
Legendary journalist Carl Bernstein revealed that sources close to Biden have witnessed as many as 20 episodes of cognitive decline in the past year. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first House Democrat to call on Biden to drop out.
Bernstein also mentioned a fundraiser where Biden spoke at the podium before becoming very stiff, almost like rigor mortis. He emphasized that those close to Biden have been saying for a while that while Biden can be great at times, he also has inexplicable moments that are very concerning.
Bernstein claimed that his sources have been repeatedly pushed back whenever they brought up their concerns about Biden’s cognitive decline.
Source: CNN, The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
