Staff Reports
During Monday’s White House press briefing, the first of its kind in weeks, the press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, addressed videos circulating of former President Barack Obama guiding President Joe Biden off of the stage at a Los Angeles fundraising event. Jean-Pierre dismissed the concerns and insisted that the clips were “cheap fakes” put out in “bad faith” by “right-wing critics of the president.”
Biden is senile and decrepit but not sure Obama needed to lead him away. Biden had been applauding moments earlier and then stood there absorbing the applause for a bit when Obama reached out and grabbed his wrist. I bet WH staff is annoyed with Obama. https://t.co/uBqJtGIpfc
— Brit Hume (@brithume) June 16, 2024
As reporters questioned signs of Biden’s decline, Jean-Pierre became particularly irate, deflecting attention from the issue by highlighting Biden’s legislative wins and alleging that the videos were designed to mislead the public. The press secretary’s emphasis on attacking the source of the videos rather than addressing the concerns about the president’s cognitive abilities was notable.
Moreover, the dismissive response from the Biden campaign spokesperson, Adrienne Elrod, who labeled the video as “disinformation” and suggested it should be censored, further demonstrated the administration’s reluctance to address the concerns about Biden’s fitness for office.
During the briefing, Jean-Pierre engaged in a heated exchange with a reporter from Newsmax, James Rosen, as she continued to downplay the significance of the videos and instead focused on attacking Republicans. When Rosen brought up concerns from the public about Biden’s cognitive abilities, Jean-Pierre repeatedly referred to the videos as “cheap fakes,” refusing to directly address the issue.
These dismissive responses from the White House come at a time when polls consistently show that voters have serious concerns about Biden’s cognitive abilities and his ability to serve as president. The administration’s strategy of deflecting and attacking the source of the videos rather than addressing the concerns may not be effective in reassuring the public.
As the first presidential debate approaches, the administration’s handling of these concerns about Biden’s cognitive abilities will likely continue to be a topic of discussion. The dismissive and confrontational approach taken by the White House during the briefing may not alleviate the concerns raised by the videos showing potential cognitive decline in President Biden.
