Headline Roundup • June 5th, 2024
WSJ Report Suggests Biden's Memory, Performance are Slipping
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The Wall Street Journal (Center bias) published a report citing multiple sources who've raised concerns about President Joe Biden's memory and performance in meetings.
The Details: Among the examples in the report was a January meeting about aid for Ukraine, in which Biden "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," according to "five people familiar with the meeting." Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was among the few to criticize Biden on the record, saying, "I used to meet with him when he was vice president. I'd go to his house. He's not the same person."
Pushback: White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said it's "a little surprising that The Wall Street Journal thought it was breaking news when congressional Republicans told them the same false claims they've spouted on Fox News for years." Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said she told the Journal that Biden "was absolutely engaged & ran that [Ukraine] meeting in a way that brought everyone together."
How the Media Covered It: Some left-rated sources focused more on criticisms of the report from the White House and Democrats. NBC News (Lean Left) said the Journal "relies on Kevin McCarthy to criticize Biden." Right-rated sources focused more on the details of the Journal's report.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Ron Sachs – Pool via CNP / MEGA
President Biden’s cognitive decline is readily apparent and a concern for dozens who have interacted with the 81-year-old commander-in-chief in recent months, according to a shocking report Tuesday.
Some of the more than 45 Republican and Democratic lawmakers and staffers interviewed by the Wall Street Journal described a president who spoke so softly during meetings that participants struggled to understand him.
Others noted that Biden’s demeanor and grasp of policy details varied by the day and he frequently relied on notes and deferred to aides during conferences.
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In a 3,000-word story headlined "Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping," The Wall Street Journal reports that in meetings with congressional leaders, President Biden "appears slower" and "has both good moments and bad ones."
Why it matters: Biden's age and acuity are among the GOP's top attack lines. Poll after poll shows Biden's age, 81, is a major concern among voters.
Trump, who turns 78 next week, isn't far behind. Despite his own public slips, the polls find voters are less concerned about Trump's mental fitness.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
When President 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.
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