Special Counsel Robert Hur’s Report President Biden’s The mishandling of a classified document that described the president as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” has led some to question how he will respond to future crises.
Several national security experts spoke to FOX News Digital about whether Biden is capable of carrying out his duties forcefully and decisively as president should a threat to the nation arise during his time in the White House. shared their thoughts about.
Former National Security Adviser KT McFarland asserted that “Mr. Biden’s dementia is clear for all to see, but especially to foreign leaders,” and that Mr. Biden’s “irreversible He suggested that the “dangerous” reality surrounding the country’s ability to lead the country reflected its weakness. world stage.
“This is dangerous for two reasons. First, it reinforces the argument that the United States is a wasting power. Chinese leaders have been telling the world for years that the United States is in irreversible decline. , has argued that the future belongs to China. Biden is the embodiment of irreversible decline, lending credence to the idea that American hegemony on the world stage is over.” Former President Donald Trump’s administration said McFarland, who served during the era.
Special counsel calls Biden a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and declines indictment
“Biden’s dementia is clear to everyone, but especially foreign leaders,” former deputy national security adviser KT McFarland told Fox News Digital. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Second, because foreign leaders know now is the time to put pressure on the United States and take advantage of a leadership that is not only weak but disorganized,” McFarland said.
Asked about Biden’s ability to lead the nation given his alleged memory problems, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg took aim at the Biden administration as a whole, saying the president has always “taken long periods of time to make decisions or do things.” It’s taken time,” he said. To deal with the enemy.
“When it comes to national security, it really all depends on the commander in chief, the president of the United States,” said Kellogg, a Fox News contributor. “We want the commander-in-chief to be well-informed at all times, which is what the advisors should do, but to be able to make very quick, rational, understandable decisions. Masu.”
Kellogg noted that short-term delays are typical, but argued that long-term delays usually cause problems in responding to national security issues.
“Frankly, we’re seeing more of the latter than the former in this administration,” he said. “They take a long time to make a decision or do something, so the enemy always gets inside your capabilities.
“Years ago, there was actually a term used in the military called the OODA Loop. [stood for] Observe, instruct, decide, and act. What this means, frankly, is to get inside the other person’s decision cycle. That’s what the president has to do.
“So when you have degraded capabilities, your ability to make quick decisions is obviously in question. And that’s where national security issues arise.”
Kellogg acknowledged that the Biden administration has been “very risk-averse,” adding, “When we look at the Middle East, we don’t know how long it took to respond to an attack on Americans, or how much deterrence it took. Look at what we’ve done to re-establish that.” . Decision-making is slow.
“The reason it’s important is because it forces the enemy to do something different,” Kellogg added. “And it’s always ultimately the commander-in-chief, the president of the United States, who makes those decisions. Does that matter? Of course it does, but it’s an issue that’s been with this administration since its inception.” It’s a concern you have to have when it comes to decision making and mental sharpness. ”
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg criticized the Biden administration, suggesting the president “always took a long time to make a decision or do something” when dealing with his adversaries. (Getty Images)
Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow and director of foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution, was divided by McFarland and Kellogg’s comments, saying he was more concerned about Biden’s “intellectual flexibility and ability to incorporate new information.” He said he is doing so. He pointed to past events related to Afghanistan mentioned in the Special Counsel’s report.
“On the other hand, much of the discussion seems to focus on Afghanistan and then-Vice President Biden’s role in the debate over what to do in Afghanistan during the Obama administration. When we lost and maybe that surge didn’t achieve the desired result, I felt vindicated,” O’Hanlon said. “That said, in my view, he remained a little stuck in his own vision of where Afghanistan was during the first few months of his presidency when he mistakenly ordered us to withdraw.
Biden says he doesn’t remember his son Beau’s death when he was vice president during interviews with special counsel.
“That was a mistake he shared with former President Trump. Both failed to keep up with more recent information. Indeed, for all its flaws and mistakes, Afghanistan still remains in 2020. I don’t think much about memory per se, since the US government needed a modest US military presence (along with a small army of American allies) to at least maintain control of the city. I’m not worried, I’m more concerned about intellectual flexibility and the ability to execute. Take in new information.”
However, regarding Ukraine, O’Hanlon insisted that Biden had “changed rapidly and handled a difficult situation well” as he defended the country from Russian aggression.
President Biden answers questions about the special counsel’s report in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House on February 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Mandel Gunn/AFP via Getty Images)
“He helped Ukraine survive the first Russian attack. He advertised to the world that the attack was imminent so that President Putin could not blame it on us or the Ukrainians. “These were no mean feats and required intellectual flexibility and adaptability,” O’Hanlon said. Told.
“In short, I hope an 81-year-old man never runs for president again, but I think Biden’s memory and brain are stronger than recent reports claim.”
Biden told Americans from the White House on Thursday night. Memory is “ok” He then defended his re-election campaign, saying he was “the most qualified person in this country to be president.”
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Mr. Biden’s address to the nation came just hours after the release of Mr. Hsu’s report, which did not recommend criminal charges against the president for mishandling classified documents. These records include classified documents related to Afghanistan’s military and foreign policy, and involve “classified intelligence sources and methods,” among other records related to national security and foreign policy, Hoare said. he said.
A Monmouth University poll released in October found that 76% of voters said Biden, then 80 years old, was “too old” to serve another term, while 77% Only 48% said the same about Trump.
FOX News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
