According to reports, Biden’s staff has provided the president with instructions ahead of the event, which will feature the 81-year-old commander in chief, with large letters and photos illustrating the interior of the venue and the planned entrance route.
documents Obtained by Axios Reports Sunday shed light on how staff guide Biden to events, including specific directions to the podium. The reports come as the Democratic nominee is facing relentless questioning about whether he is fit for the Oval Office following his poor performance in last month’s debate with presumptive Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.
“It was surprising that a seasoned political professional like the president would need detailed verbal and visual instructions on how to enter and exit a room,” a person who worked on Biden events over the past 18 months told the outlet.
“I was a staff member at a simple fundraiser at a private home, but he acted like it was a NATO summit,” said the anonymous staff member.
According to Axios, the White House has sent event staff a template to follow when preparing their own guidance for the president, as part of what it calls “pre-work.”
One template shows large photos of the event venue on each page with large text such as “View from the podium” and “View from the audience,” while two pages feature another photo with the text “Please walk to the podium.”
But a White House spokesman downplayed the directive, telling Axios that “a high level of detail and precision is essential to any pre-presidential effort, regardless of who the president is, and these are fundamental approaches used by any modern pre-presidential team, including the Office of the Vice President and any government agency.”
A spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed the Biden administration officials’ claims in a statement to the media.
“These documents are standard logistics briefings and photographs for all senior officers, including the vice president,” a spokesman for the vice president said.
The revelation came the same day that several House Democratic leaders urged Biden not to seek reelection in a private call with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to multiple reports.
Some House Democrats have expressed concern about Biden moving forward as the top contender, but the octogenarian has been adamant he has no plans to withdraw from the race.
