The most glaring examples of Joe Biden's decline, even as the White House covered it up

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

The truth about President Joe Biden 's physical and mental decline is getting more coverage thanks to Democrats finally conceding it was a mistake for him to run again in 2024.
Most of them blame Biden's family and closest aides for hiding the truth about the president's condition despite obvious signs that he was suffering the effects of old age.
However, in truth, concerns about Biden's age and glaring examples of its effects were apparent as early as his 2020 campaign at the age of 77.
At the time, the most favorable interpretation was that it was just 'Biden being Biden' - he was the affable gaffe-ridden politician who struggled from early youth with a stutter.
Biden won the presidency in 2020, but he was protected in a closely watched cocoon of staff as the coronavirus pandemic raged and his public and media appearances were limited and carefully scripted.
His isolation only added to his disoriented demeanor when he forgot to wear his coronavirus mask at times, leaving it behind or fumbling for the right words during a press conference.
Here are some of the biggest moments that show the former president's decline had been apparent for some time:
March 18, 2021: Biden falls on the stairs of Air Force One
The president fell repeatedly on the stairs while boarding Air Force One, on a trip to Atlanta, Georgia, despite trying and failing to stand up and regain his balance.
White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted the president was doing '100 percent fine' and blamed the wind for his stumbles.
August 19, 2021: Biden makes multiple errors in interview about Afghanistan
During the botched exit from Afghanistan, President Biden continued keeping his remarks closely scripted for days, refusing to respond to shouted questions from reporters and staying on script with his talking points.
The country was not satisfied with his responses, prompting staff to schedule an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos to allow the president to defend his decision to pull U.S. troops from Afghanistan
Biden made multiple errors and gaffes throughout the interview that aired on August 19, 2021 and they had to be clarified and corrected by the White House.
The terrorist suicide bombing that killed 13 American warfighters and more than 170 Afghan civilians shook Biden as he struggled to defend the botched exit from the country.
August 26, 2021: Joe Biden's botched press conference
When he finally took questions from the press at a news conference on Afghanistan, Biden found himself frustrated, struggling to finish sentences and recall basic facts and talking points.
At one moment he bowed his head with frustration and anger, clenching his briefing book of talking points as Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked him a question.
Even many who voted for Biden questioned the president's ability to handle the chaotic events, and the decisions he made about the way to withdraw forces from Afghanistan.
January 2022: White House clarifies Biden's remarks on Russia
Biden held an extended press conference after a long drought in communications with the White House press but staff rushed to clarify his remarks about Russia making a 'minor incursion' into Ukraine that might not trigger a response from the United States and NATO allies.
A National Security Council spokeswoman immediately said that Biden was only speaking about possible non-military, paramilitary, or cyber attacks.
The president had not even finished speaking when the clarifications began.
March 2022: White House rushes to correct Biden's comment about Putin
White House staff scrambled to correct Biden after he delivered a speech in Poland to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine.
'For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power,' Biden declared forcefully, suggesting he was supportive of regime change in Russia.
The White House immediately said that Biden's comments were not about regime change and that it was not in his prepared remarks.
Biden himself was frustrated by his staff's corrections, wondering if they would have done the same for former presidents who routinely went off script like Ronald Reagan.
June 2022: Biden tips over on his bike
While riding his bicycle on his beach vacation, Biden stopped to talk to a group of people and tripped over when he came to a stop.
He later explained his spill was the result of his feet getting clipped into the pedals.
That summer, Biden's coughing was no longer smothered by the occasional cough drop, his voice grew thinner and weaker, and his gait grew more stiff, prompting additional questions about his abilities.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly defended Biden's acuity.
'Oh, my gosh, he's the President of the United States, you know, he – I can't even keep up with him,' she told CNN's Don Lemon in an interview, urging skeptics to look at the work he was achieving.
August 2022: Joe Biden struggles with his jacket
President Biden traveled for a visit in Kentucky but found himself lost on the tarmac as he struggled to put on his suit jacket for about 15 agonizing seconds.
First Lady Jill Biden ultimately assisted him and started walking off but the president's sunglasses then fell off his face, prompting him to stop down and pick them back up.
September 2022: Where's Jackie?
President Biden sparked more concern after he arrived at an event with members of Congress and called out to Rep. Jackie Walorski, who had passed away more than a month earlier in a car crash.
'Jackie are you here? Where's Jackie?' Biden said, appearing unaware of her passing.
The White House defended Biden's question and would only say that the deceased congresswoman was 'top of mind,' during his remarks.
June 2023: Joe Biden trips on stage
President Biden tripped over a sandbag and fell sprawling on stage at the Air Force Academy's commencement ceremony. White House aides responded that the president was 'fine' after the undignified incident.
'Calm down you nervous nellies,' wrote Biden's former chief of staff Ron Klain on social media, scolding Democrats for questioning the president's health.
October 2023: Special Counsel Robert Hurr sounds a warning
President Biden struggled during his interview with Special counsel Robert Hur about classified documents found in his possession.
Hur's report revealed his honest assessment that Biden was a 'sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.'
Biden struggled to remember key details about his life after his vice presidency. Hur wrote that he couldn't recall the date when his son Beau died.
When the details were released in early January, Biden was furious about the accusation.
He was running for reelection and already fighting off suggestions that he was too old to be seeking a second term.
Biden held a press conference defending his abilities, but after insisting 'my memory is fine,' he mistakenly referred to the president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, as 'the president of Mexico' without correcting himself.
April, 2024: Joe Biden reads the word 'pause' off of the teleprompter
President Biden visited union members in Washington, DC where he appeared to read the world 'pause' off of his teleprompter instructions.
'Four more years. Pause,' he said, as members of the Members of North America's Building Trades Unions ultimately chanted 'Four more years!' after the president's mistake.
June 11, 2024: Joe Biden freezes at White House concert
President Biden attended a White House concert to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday, but observers expressed alarm as the president froze for a solid minute as people around him danced and sang.
At one point, he appeared to forget where he was, looking around confused prompting others around him to reach out and engage with him.
June 14, 2024: Joe Biden wanders off at the G7 summit
After President Joe Biden and other world leaders watched a parachute jump, the president slowly stated walking away.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni walked over to guide him back to the group for a photo opportunity with the other world leaders.
The embarrassing video went viral but the White House repeatedly dismissed it as a 'cheap-fake,' asserting that the video failed to show the paratrooper that Biden was trying to walk over and talk to.
June 16, 2024: Barack Obama guides Biden off stage
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Biden's staff repeatedly defended the president's mental and physical abilities.
But behind the scenes donors attending fundraising events were incredibly alarmed as he often trailed off during speeches and struggled to remember who he was talking to.
After a fundraiser with President Obama, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Jimmy Kimmel, Biden paused and gazed out at the crowd appearing confused when he was supposed to be exiting the stage.
Former President Barack Obama paused and reached back to help guide Biden off of the stage.
It was not an isolated event. Biden appeared at times to be lost on stage, looking to staff to point him in the proper direction.
Biden's public demeanor was so bad by the summer of 2024 that donors were openly questioning the president's decision to run for reelection.
June 27, 2024: President Joe Biden participates in the CNN Presidential Debate
In the presidential debate in June 2024, Biden struggled to finish his sentences and mixed up his prepared talking points as he tried to compete with Trump.
Biden's frail, hoarse and raspy voice alarmed debate viewers as he claimed there were 'a thousand trillionaires' in the United States who needed to be taxed more.
Later in the debate he declared that 'we finally beat Medicare' and struggled to deliver his prepared attacks on Trump.
'I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either,' Trump quipped.
The botched debate performance prompted a host of Democrats to publicly call for Biden to exit the race.
But Biden refused.
President Biden visited union members in Washington, DC where he appeared to read the world 'pause' off of his teleprompter instructions.
'Four more years. Pause,' he said, as members of the Members of North America's Building Trades Unions ultimately chanted 'Four more years!' after the president's mistake.
July 11, 2024: NATO Summit
Biden introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as 'President Putin' before correcting himself.
The president also referred to his vice president as 'Trump' instead of Kamala Harris during a press conference at the summit.
'Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn't think she was qualified to be president,' he said.
Biden continued insisting he was 'fine' and fit for reelection.
'If I slow down, I can't get the job done. That's a sign that I shouldn't be doing it. But there's no indication of that yet, none,' he said.
July 21, 2024: Biden withdraws from the presidential election
Amid intense pressure, Biden announced his decision to exit the race in a 1:46 pm post on X.
He later detailed his decision in an Oval Office address:
'I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future all merited a second term, but nothing - nothing - can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition,' he said. 'So, I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation.'