Democrats are outraged by a special counsel report that raises new concerns about President Biden’s memory, adding to a longstanding issue that threatens to become the party’s biggest political liability in November. There is.
Special Counsel Robert Hur argues in a 388-page report that a jury is unlikely to convict the president for his handling of classified documents, leaving the embattled incumbent hoping for positive news. Under normal circumstances, this would have been a huge relief to the president.
But Hsu came to that assessment, calling the president a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory,” infuriating many in Biden’s party and making news the White House desperately wants to avoid. promoted coverage of the issue. Republicans used the line to attack Biden’s age and cognitive abilities, while Democrats criticized it as editorial and highly politicized.
“This is very concerning and points to a larger problem with the way these two people are reporting,” Democratic strategist John Reinisch said. “The scrutiny and coverage of Biden’s gaffes, whatever they may be, will be the same as the scrutiny and harshness and condemnation that Donald Trump receives when he speaks incoherently, confuses facts, and appears to have no grasp of reality. 10,000 times more.”
Reinisch called the display “upsetting.”
Troubled by Thursday night’s reports, Mr. Biden, who is famously reluctant to speak to the press, tried to quell talk of skepticism about his 81-year-old cognitive abilities by holding a last-minute press conference with a large group of eager reporters. appeared in front of. He shocked many people. People watched as he answered questions in a defensive and flustered manner.
“I’m a well-meaning, older man who knows what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been president. I got this country back on its feet. I don’t need his endorsement.” Mr. Biden clarified.
The fear of the moment escalated when Mr. Biden inadvertently confused the leaders of Mexico and Egypt in the same statement, claiming that Mr. Biden lacked the mental capacity to carry out the nation’s highest office. criticism grew even more. Democrats quickly rebutted this, saying that President Trump has targeted Turkish and Hungarian leaders and even domestic adversaries like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and current Republican rival Nikki Haley. reminded the critical audience that they were confused.
Other Democrats drew parallels between Huh’s report and bombshell statements made by former FBI Director James Comey, who attacked then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 for being careless with classified material as secretary of state. Pointed out. What Democrats most need in 2024 is another Comey-style sniper. Many within the party suggested after a dizzying day of news raised further questions about what’s next for Biden.
“I think it could be filed based on the Comey 2.0 file, which is a double standard,” said Anjuan Seawright, a Democrat who last supported Mr. Biden’s campaign in South Carolina. “Because the special counsel clearly did not legally indict Biden, they decided to fabricate a political outrage by indicting Biden politically.”
The poor optics provided fodder for the Republican opposition, but Democrats largely argued that Team Biden still had months to go and tried to adjust the timing as best they could.
Even if that happens, some pro-Biden Democrats say it’s better now than later.
“The good news for Biden and the Democrats is that this report will be released in February, not October. This is not done 11 days before the election like Jim Comey did,” Democrats said. said Doug Gordon, public relations strategist. “There’s still nine months until the election, and there’s plenty of time to change voter perceptions. And there will certainly be other big events that shake up the race during that period,” he said.
The larger Trump factors, these Democrats argue, range from his precarious standing with some voting blocs to the still-unknown outcome of many of his legal issues.
“It also helps that Biden is running against someone who not only has memory loss but also has over 90 criminal charges,” Gordon said.
In Biden World, this year’s presidential election hinges on whether Trump is the most experienced Democrat to defeat Trump since he defeated him four years ago. Allies are still pushing that theory, emphasizing Biden’s success in the last election, contrary to conventional wisdom.
Decent results in the 2022 midterm elections allow Democrats to further inflate their claims, with concrete factors such as a strong economy and several big congressional wins weighing on Democrats’ claims. improved reliability. Most recently, Mr. Biden handily won the first series of early state primaries, facing a much smaller rival within his party, while voters were feeling anxious about what was expected to be a rematch with Mr. Trump. expressed an overwhelming desire to renominate him.
Democrats who support running against Biden see the age issue as a lingering constant that has existed since Biden announced his intention to seek re-election in April.
“The age issue is never going to go away. It was true last week and it’s true today,” said Josh Schwerin, a longtime Democratic campaign strategist who has worked for Clinton and the Democratic National Campaign Committee. Ta. “The reality is we’re in February and both campaigns are going to have good days and days where it feels like the sky is falling.”
Schwerin said the idea that a rematch is almost certain hasn’t necessarily sunk into the public consciousness yet. Opinion polls show voters are hungry for alternatives on both sides of the aisle and are not necessarily resolving between the two politically fractious choices in front of them.
“Many of the voters deciding this election don’t even accept the fact that this race is Joe Biden versus Donald Trump,” he said. “And the public remembers the trauma of President Trump’s first term.”
Still, while Democrats supporting Mr. Biden’s candidacy were prepared to present the event as best they could, others within the party advocating for a change in leadership said Mr. It highlighted serious political flaws.
For example, an NBC News national poll released earlier this week found that 76% of voters have “great concern” that Biden is not physically or mentally fit to serve as president for a second term. I answered yes.
“The newly released special counsel report only reinforces what many Americans feared: a Biden bubble will not be accepted. President Biden may not be able to serve another term.” said Nina Turner, co-chair of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Idaho-Vermont). ) told The Hill that he had been an outspoken opponent of Biden’s candidacy during the 2020 presidential campaign.
“No amount of gaslighting, denial or delusion from Democratic Party insiders will change these facts,” Turner said. “The American people have a right to be concerned. The bottom line is that it would be incredibly selfish for both Biden and Trump to run again at this stage in their lives. Do they have a right to do that? ? Yes. Should I do that? Absolutely not.”
Indeed, critics point out that consistent polling shows that Biden’s age is a priority, often outweighing other, more typical election-era issues. White House officials have been reluctant to get involved in this area of investigation, with Biden himself saying on stage that his “memory is fine” and questioning his ability to carry out his duties as the nation’s chief executive. was neglected.
David Axelrod, President Obama’s former chief political strategist who has often spoken out about problems with Biden’s campaign approach, said: spoke on CNN Friday. For Biden and the White House, “the big question is how to deal with that.”
“I don’t know if putting him in front of hungry, yelling reporters is necessarily the best way for him to communicate,” he said.
Those who believe Mr. Xu crossed the line — one operative even said he was “embarrassed” and that the presentation was “deeply embarrassing” — also said that Mr. He acknowledges that his wording may resonate with voters.
“Unfortunately, this report is unlikely to get through to voters,” said Sawyer Hackett, a political strategist and senior adviser to former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro. “This reinforces Biden’s perceived vulnerability and is a bummer for the highway press and pundit class.”
“Biden won’t be able to dispel the age element. It’s not going to go away,” he said. “But in this election, I’d rather be a well-meaning elderly candidate than a criminal candidate, a corrupt candidate, an authoritarian candidate.”
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