In the final month of the 2024 campaign, President Biden reportedly did not recognize actor George Clooney at a fundraiser, as revealed in excerpts from forthcoming books.
A segment from “The Original Crime: President Biden’s Decline, Its Coverage and His Devastating Choice,” authored by CNN’s Jake Tupper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, highlights contrasting facets of Biden, with details shared by various sources.
The authors noted that Biden appeared to struggle with recognizing Clooney, seeming to have aged considerably since their last meeting in December 2022. He reportedly took a step toward Clooney, guiding him with his arm.
Upon entering the event, Biden interacted with several guests but appeared momentarily unsure of who Clooney was during their conversation.
“Yeah!” Biden exclaimed. “Hello, George!”
It was noted that Clooney wasn’t the only attendee expressing concern that evening.
“Other high-profile guests who took photos with Obama and Biden described Biden as nearly catatonic,” Tupper and Thompson reported. They observed significant moments where Biden seemed to zone out while on stage and during televised appearances, indicating episodes of confusion and mental lapses.
This incident is just one of several detailed in the book, which is set to be published next week. The authors also discuss Biden’s aides debating whether he might need a wheelchair and attempting to shield him from staff to hide any indications of his frailty in light of reelection considerations.
The encounter with Clooney took place just weeks prior to a discussion Biden had with President Trump, which eventually contributed to him withdrawing from the race. Clooney had urged Biden to reconsider his campaign about a week and a half before the president ultimately caved to pressure and decided to end his reelection efforts.
