Before we get too deep into the new year, let's take another look back at one of the big news stories of 2024. This story was apparently considered not newsworthy by most of the mainstream media.
Throughout most of his presidential term, Joe Biden's mental acuity was on the decline. We saw many news footage of him wandering around. We also heard the White House telling the American people not to believe what our eyes are showing, but to believe what Biden's public relations machine is telling us.
Even after a disastrous debate performance in late June, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. guaranteed Americans rate Joe Biden as “as sharp as ever.”
She wasn't alone. Despite Biden's mental breakdown, his family did not disclose his condition to the public. His closest friends must have known as well. Democratic leaders said he was in good mental health after the Wall Street Journal report. It was reported in early June Sources told the paper that behind the scenes, the president's movements had slowed considerably.
His family, friends, and political allies are all putting their personal or perceived party interests above the interests of the American people.
But none of that would have happened if the mainstream media hadn't stood by largely silently, showing an astonishing lack of concern about the president's apparent weakness.
When the Wall Street Journal exposed the president's apparent slowdown in early June, the White House wasn't the only one to blame. Media allies echoed the same narrative, repeating the administration's largely Republican narrative. The source behind the story.
But whatever Jean-Pierre was telling reporters, that secret was exposed when Biden broke down in real time on national television during a presidential debate in late June.
Why have so many journalists shirked their responsibility to the American people for so long? It's a strong possibility: They hate Donald Trump, and they hate him (or later Kamala Harris). Because I didn't want to do anything that could hurt my chances of winning. I understand that it may sound easy. There's a reason. Because it's so easy.
Democrats love to talk about how Donald Trump is a “threat to democracy” – like they can cover up a mentally failing president and solve a Rubik's Cube in under 30 seconds. It's a threat to democracy.
But now everything is in the rearview mirror. So let's move on to the new year.
President Trump has a mile-long laundry list of things he says he will do on his first day in office. One of those priorities is his promise to pardon some of those arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
Why would he do that? Because President Trump told them the election was stolen and they were either loyal to President Trump or stupid enough to believe him.
So pardoning people he called “patriots” and “political prisoners” would send a message that loyalty to Trump comes with benefits. And that's a message that almost certainly resonates far beyond the prisons housing the January 6th rioters.
Republican politicians in Congress will likely hear that message, too. If you're a good military man and agree with Trump's policies no matter what, he won't call you weak or stupid, and he won't find someone more to his liking than you in the next election. Probably not. If he can do favors with the people who stormed the Capitol, he can also do favors with his allies in Congress, as long as they stay aligned.
Republicans pride themselves on being the party of “law and order,” while Democrats tell us they are soft on crime. If President Trump pardons the criminals who invaded the Capitol, why would anyone believe the Republican Party is tough on crime?
Many Republicans in the House and Senate know that pardoning rioters, especially those who engage police, would be a big mistake. No matter what President Trump says or thinks, to the public the people who stormed the Capitol are not heroes. However, Republicans are hesitant to say the same thing publicly, fearing retaliation from President Trump.
On this Sunday's “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker asked new Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.S.D., to pardon the Jan. 6 offenders on his first day in office. I asked him what he thought about President Trump's promise to do so. Instead of giving a straight answer about whether he thought it was a good or bad idea, Thune could only come up with, “That's ultimately going to be a decision for President Trump.” Ta.
His answer struck me as petty, like fear disguised as loyalty. Whatever Mr. Thune's motives are, whatever the motives of Republicans as a whole, they are putting President Trump's interests ahead of what's best for America — and Biden's friends are putting Biden's interests ahead of what's best for America. It's like prioritizing profits.
Sometimes the future looks a lot like the past.
bernard goldberg He is an Emmy Award-winning and Alfred I. duPont Columbia University Award-winning author and journalist. He is the author of five books and publishes exclusive weekly columns, audio commentaries, and Q&As. substack page. follow him @Bernard Goldberg.
