Behind Closed Doors, Biden's Condition Volatile, Shows Signs of Mental Deterioration - Reports
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - For most of his political career, Biden was known as a skilled negotiator and legal expert, the report by WSJ said, adding that over the last year his image among colleagues has diminished.
The condition of the United States President Joe Biden and his level of involvement behind closed doors are volatile and show signs of deteriorating, as he behaves energetically on some occasions, showing full ignorance of details and relying on notes on others, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing over 45 people familiar with the matter.
Last year, while negotiating raising the debt ceiling with the US House of Representatives, Biden negotiated in such manner, that it seemed that his knowledge of the issue varied from day to day, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and two others familiar with the talks told the newspaper, adding that some days he participated in free and spontaneous chats with legislators, while on other occasions he seemingly relied on his notes and mumbled.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre flustered, scared away by the question of whether Joe Biden has dementia.
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) March 27, 2024
“Oh, let me – no no no no you, Mark – you you you you're taking us down this rabbit hole,” Jean-Pierre stuttered, doing her best impression of an outraged… pic.twitter.com/bQPgxcOrfn
The people also mentioned that in January, while in talks over aid to Ukraine, Biden spoke so silently that people around him had problems hearing him. During that time, he also read his speeches from notes, made very long pauses and closed his eyes for such a long time that some in the room wondered whether he was still conscious, the people added, while some of them attributed that behavior to speech impediment and his tendency to verbosity.
The president also started to see legislators less often, the newspaper said, citing the White House visitor log, which shows a gradual decline in the number of meetings from year to year.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that even members of the Democratic Party, while mainly characterizing Biden as a person with good and bad moments, admit that now he seems slower.
Biden makes a girl burst into tears during Easter celebrations
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) April 1, 2024
During the White House Easter Egg Roll, the US president approached the girl from behind and seemed to ruin the poor child’s day. pic.twitter.com/y6NKEzkzM5
Some people who talked to the media have reached back to it after sharing interviews' records with the White House, the newspaper said. Some of those people decided to call back in order to emphasize Biden's strengths. White House spokesman Andrew Bates told The Wall Street Journal that it was done in order to ensure that "all perspectives be represented" and to correct "false and politically motivated claims."
At age 81, Biden is the oldest president in US history and has been routinely criticized for his cognitive decline and a tendency to fall. Some lawmakers and pundits have called on Biden to step down due to his declining psycho-physical condition.
