Behind closed doors in early 2024, top aides to Joe Biden reportedly considered having the president take a cognitive test amid growing concern over his mental sharpness. But in the end, they chose politics over transparency.
Despite believing that Biden could likely pass the exam, his team feared the optics would be too damaging. Advisors worried that even suggesting a cognitive test would reinforce public doubts about the 81-year-old president’s declining mental fitness — a narrative that had already taken hold across the country.
The internal discussions took place just as Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report described Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” citing significant lapses during interviews. Biden, according to the report, couldn’t recall when he served as vice president or when his own son died — shocking admissions that reignited concerns about his ability to carry out the duties of the presidency.
Rather than confront the issue head-on, Biden’s inner circle chose to avoid it altogether. No test was ever administered. No effort was made to reassure the public with medical transparency. Instead, aides prioritized the optics of the campaign over the reality of the president’s condition.
Those fears proved to be well-founded. As the campaign dragged on, Biden’s debate performance against President Trump was widely seen as lackluster, punctuated by frequent stumbles and meandering answers. Combined with multiple public missteps and verbal gaffes, pressure mounted from both political allies and media commentators questioning whether Biden was truly capable of leading for another term.
Eventually, the pressure became too great. Biden stepped aside, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose the 2024 election to Trump in a landslide.
These behind-the-scenes revelations are detailed in the upcoming book 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, which paints a picture of a campaign in denial, unwilling to deal with the elephant in the room — the president’s deteriorating cognitive state.
Rather than take proactive steps to address public concern, Biden’s team opted for silence and spin. Now, with hindsight, many Democrats are privately admitting what millions of Americans saw for themselves: the president was not up to the job, and the party paid the price.
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