Special Counsel Robert Hurr’s report concluded that President Joe Biden should not be prosecuted for mishandling classified documents because he is an “elderly man with a poor memory.” A confident and competent Biden could have laughed off an outlying report, not even bothering to acknowledge its existence.
But the problem for Biden and his hopes of reelection is that Hurr’s conclusions are not anomalous. The president has a well-established record of embarrassing and disturbing mental lapses.
There was a time when he couldn’t remember the name of his own secretary of defense, just weeks after moving into the office.
And a time he made up getting arrested at a civil rights protest, a mistake White House aides were forced to correct afterward.
And a time he made up going to the Tree of Life synagogue after a shooting, which, again, White House aides were forced to correct.
And a time Biden repeatedly called for Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski to join him at the podium for a nutrition event — eight weeks after she had died in a car crash.
Then there are all his physical mishaps. On one occasion, he fell not once, not twice, but three times, trying to walk up the boarding stairs into Air Force One. And the time he fell off his bike in front of reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. There have also been countless times he has seemed lost walking the wrong way offstage after speeches.
It is because of these incidents, and not because of a dastardly Republican plot, that a recent NBC News poll found a whopping 76% of voters have either major (62%) or moderate (14%) concerns about Biden lacking the necessary mental and physical health to be president.
Biden then reaffirmed this perception by rushing out to do a press conference at 8 p.m. on Thursday night to deny the suggestion. During this attempted repair job, he not only called Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi “the president of Mexico” but also clearly forgot the name of the church where his son Beau got his rosary.
According to reports, Biden was livid that Hurr’s report specifically mentioned that he forgot when exactly Beau died. But as painful as this may be for Biden, it fits the pattern of his obvious mental decline. The president has falsely stated on many occasions, including this week, that Beau died in Iraq. This is false. Beau served in Iraq and died later back in America. Biden is either lying every time he repeats his falsehood or has just forgotten.
The White House is reportedly trying to undo the damage from the report and Thursday’s press conference with a series of interviews to highlight Biden’s mental sharpness. Good luck with that risky plan. It is clear Biden’s best mental days are long behind him, and they were never exceedingly good. He is not a 54-year-old John Fetterman whose brain has sharpened as he has recovered from his stroke. Biden is an 81-year-old man whose mental abilities are only going to get worse.
Voters deserve a real choice this November. Democrats must realize what a disaster it would be if that put this tottering champion on the ballot. National party conventions have become coronations in recent years, but the party can still replace Biden on the ballot, and there is increasing talk that that is the plan — or must be, given the circumstances.
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Surely, it is asked incredulously, they cannot plan to keep him? That speculation is only heightened by a plan for a taxing series of interviews, each of which might drive further nails into the lid of his political coffin. It does not have to be Vice President Kamala Harris who replaces him — she is even more unpopular than he is. There is constant talk of California Gov. Gavin Newson, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and even Michelle Obama.
This would probably take a brave decision by Biden to remove himself from contention rather than his ouster, but given this week’s debacle, Democrats should plan for the contingency. Biden is bound to slip up again and again between now and August. Will he slip and stagger on, or will he slip and fall?