Yes, there was a conspiracy to hide Joe Biden's decline
For the last 25 years, American politics has been roiled by conspiracy theories. Whether it was the claim that 9/11 was an inside job, that Republicans stole the 2004 election, that Democrats ran a Satan-worshipping child abuse racket out of a DC pizza joint or stole the 2020 election, they had a reassuring tendency to be wrong.
After listening to the Hur tapes released on Friday, the claim that a vast left-wing conspiracy kept Joe Biden in power during his first term and tried to keep him in power for a second term when he could not do the job is true. Democrats including members of the Cabinet, leaders in Congress, political consultants and White House staffers from lowly personal aides all the way to the chief of staff hid the fact that the president wasn't functional at all times – maybe for years.
Biden's memory lapses
The October 2023 interviews of Joe Biden by Robert Hur as part of the Justice Department investigation of the president's Delaware garage larded with top secret documents reveal a credible president for about the first hour. After that the memory lapses of basic facts, long silences, sentences that just trail off into nothing and typical elderly reminiscences of events long past, reveal a man who shouldn't have been trusted with the nuclear codes.
As a New York Times reporter put it, 'Again and again, Mr. Biden answers the prosecutor not as someone under federal investigation but as an aging politician recounting his life story for posterity.'
When Hur described Biden as more well-meaning old man than sharp political operator, Hur was telling the unvarnished truth. That doesn't just matter for journalistic fact-mavens who like the truth to be out there as a matter of principle. It matters for Americans who want a president capable of performing all his duties big and small.
For very practical reasons, the presidency is a 24/7 job. You never know when a terror attack is going to hit just after you've had a full day of stressful meetings. You never know when Russia is going to invade a neighbor in the middle of the night. Hurricanes, earthquakes and the deaths of Supreme Court justices don't tend to happen at convenient times.
The extent of the 'cover-up' is revealed in several new books that outline the knowledge and involvement of dozens of high government officials who strategized on how to minimize Biden's exposure to the public, who managed his schedule to cater to Biden's fragile mental state and who went before the cameras to claim that Biden was sharp as a tack.
Since we now undeniably know that a fully-functioning president was not always available for unknown periods over the last four years, the people responsible for covering it up and then attempting to foist an inadequate president on us need to be held accountable. Many of us quite reasonably wonder who was in charge when Biden was not available.
Operation Memory Care
In the years of conspiracy theories that preceded Operation Memory Care across government, social media and academia, there grew a large apparatus aimed at getting Americans to stick to the facts and drop all the conspiracy talk. Perhaps it would be more helpful to the cause if the people at the peak of political power and responsibility did not engage in conspiracies.
This weekend, Biden was revealed to have aggressive prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. We can all feel empathy for anyone suffering such a grim diagnosis, but the need for accountability is not about Joe Biden.
Former vice president Kamala Harris appears to be planning a run for California governor. Former cabinet member Pete Buttigieg is thought to be preparing a run for president. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries could be speaker of the House in a little under two years. White House staffers are fanning out into government, academia, the news media and business where many will hold positions of trust.
What they did — hide the fact that the man who was president was not up to the job for months or years — when they had a constitutional duty to do something about it, is every bit as awful as the conspiracy that led to Donald Trump's attempted coup on Jan. 6, 2021.
Both events featured blizzards of lies and behind the scenes conspiracies. One tried to put a man who shouldn't have been president in office while the other tried to keep a man in office who could no longer do the job.
Both conspiracies put partisan political interests over the American people's interest in having a real president. We deserve better.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
29 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Dozens of LA-area mayors demand the Trump administration stop intensified immigration raids
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dozens of mayors from across the Los Angeles region banded together Wednesday to demand that the Trump administration stop the stepped-up immigration raids that have spread fear across their cities and sparked protests across the U.S. But there were no signs President Donald Trump would heed their pleas. About 500 of the National Guard troops deployed to the Los Angeles protests have been trained to accompany agents on immigration operations , the commander in charge said Wednesday. And while some troops have already gone on such missions, he said it's too early to say if that will continue even after the protests die down. 'We are expecting a ramp-up,' said Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, noting that protests across the nation were being discussed. 'I'm focused right here in LA, what's going on right here. But you know, I think we're, we're very concerned.' Hours later, a demonstration in Los Angeles' civic center just before start of the second night of the city's downtown curfew briefly turned chaotic when police in riot gear — many on horseback — charged at a group, striking them with wooden rods and later fired crowd control projectiles, including one that struck a woman who writhed in pain on the ground. After the curfew went into effect, a handful of arrests were made before the area cleared out and the evening quieted down. The LA-area mayors and city council members urged Trump to stop using armed military troops alongside immigration agents. 'I'm asking you, please listen to me, stop terrorizing our residents,' said Brenda Olmos, vice mayor of Paramount, who said she was hit by rubber bullets over the weekend. 'You need to stop these raids.' Speaking alongside the other mayors at a news conference, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the raids spread fear at the behest of the White House. The city's nightly curfew will remain in effect as long as necessary. It covers a 1-square-mile (2.5-square-kilometer) section of downtown where the protests have been concentrated in the city that encompasses roughly 500 square miles (1,295 square kilometers). 'If there are raids that continue, if there are soldiers marching up and down our streets, I would imagine that the curfew will continue,' Bass said. Those who have been caught up in the nationwide raids include asylum seekers, people who overstayed their visas and migrants awaiting their day in immigration court. The administration has cited the protests in its decision to deploy the military. Governor asks court to step in California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has asked a federal court to put an emergency stop to the military helping immigration agents in the nation's second-largest city. This week, guardsmen began standing protectively around agents as they carry out arrests. A judge set a hearing for Thursday. The Trump administration called the lawsuit a 'crass political stunt endangering American lives' in its official response on Wednesday. The military is now closer to engaging in law enforcement actions such as deportations, as Trump has promised in his crackdown . The Guard has the authority to temporarily detain people who attack officers, but any arrests must be made by law enforcement. The president posted on the Truth Social platform that the city 'would be burning to the ground' if he had not sent in the military. Some 2,000 National Guard soldiers are in Los Angeles and are soon to be joined by 2,000 more along with about 700 Marines, Sherman said. Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press and ABC, Sherman initially said National Guard troops had already temporarily detained civilians in the Los Angeles protests over immigration raids. He later said he based his comments on photos and footage he had seen that turned out not to be a representation of Guard members in Los Angeles. Curfew continues in downtown LA Police detained more than 20 people, mostly on curfew violations, on the first night of the curfew and used crowd-control projectiles to break up hundreds of protesters. But officers were more aggressive in controlling demonstrators Wednesday evening and as the curfew took effect, police were beginning to make arrests. Los Angeles police have made nearly 400 arrests and detentions since Saturday, the vast majority of which were for failing to leave the area at the request of law enforcement, according to the police department. There have been a handful of more serious charges, including for assault against police officers and for possession of a Molotov cocktail and a gun. Nine police officers have been hurt, mostly with minor injures. Some were transported to a hospital and released. Protests have spread nationwide Demonstrations have also spread to other cities nationwide, including Dallas and Austin in Texas, and Chicago and New York, where thousands rallied and more arrests were made. In New York City, police said they took 86 people into custody during protests in lower Manhattan that lasted into Wednesday morning. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the majority of demonstrators were peaceful. A 66-year-old woman in Chicago was injured when she was struck by a car during downtown protests Tuesday evening, police said. Video showed a car speeding down a street where people were protesting. In Texas, where police in Austin used chemical irritants to disperse several hundred demonstrators Monday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's office said Texas National Guard troops were 'on standby' in areas where demonstrations are planned. Guard members were sent to San Antonio, but Police Chief William McManus said he had not been told how many troops were deployed or their role ahead of planned protests Wednesday night and Saturday. Officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety said the Texas National Guard was present at a protest downtown. The protests began Friday after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles. ___ Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Julie Watson in San Diego, Jesse Bedayn in Denver, and Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Fox News
32 minutes ago
- Fox News
Left Can't Pick A Side As L.A. Burns
Democrats are full of excuses but have zero solutions. Now, they're watching one of their biggest cities burn down along with their political futures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit FOX News Radio
Boston Globe
40 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Dozens of LA-area mayors demand the Trump administration stop intensified immigration raids
'We are expecting a ramp-up,' said Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, noting that protests across the nation were being discussed. 'I'm focused right here in LA, what's going on right here. But you know, I think we're, we're very concerned.' Advertisement Hours later, a demonstration in Los Angeles' civic center just before start of the second night of the city's downtown curfew briefly turned chaotic when police in riot gear — many on horseback — charged at a group, striking them with wooden rods and later fired crowd control projectiles, including one that struck a woman who writhed in pain on the ground. After the curfew went into effect, a handful of arrests were made before the area cleared out and the evening quieted down. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The LA-area mayors and city council members urged Trump to stop using armed military troops alongside immigration agents. 'I'm asking you, please listen to me, stop terrorizing our residents,' said Brenda Olmos, vice mayor of Paramount, who said she was hit by rubber bullets over the weekend. 'You need to stop these raids.' Advertisement Speaking alongside the other mayors at a news conference, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the raids spread fear at the behest of the White House. The city's nightly curfew will remain in effect as long as necessary. It covers a 1-square-mile (2.5-square-kilometer) section of downtown where the protests have been concentrated in the city that encompasses roughly 500 square miles (1,295 square kilometers). 'If there are raids that continue, if there are soldiers marching up and down our streets, I would imagine that the curfew will continue,' Bass said. Those who have been caught up in the nationwide raids include asylum seekers, people who overstayed their visas and migrants awaiting their day in immigration court. The administration has cited the protests in its decision to deploy the military. Governor asks court to step in Los Angeles Metro police on horseback disperse protesters. Ethan Swope/Associated Press California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has asked a federal court to put an emergency stop to the military helping immigration agents in the nation's second-largest city. This week, guardsmen began standing protectively around agents as they carry out arrests. A judge set a hearing for Thursday. The Trump administration called the lawsuit a 'crass political stunt endangering American lives' in its official response on Wednesday. The military is now closer to engaging in law enforcement actions such as deportations, as Trump has promised in his crackdown. The Guard has the authority to temporarily detain people who attack officers, but any arrests must be made by law enforcement. The president posted on the Truth Social platform that the city 'would be burning to the ground' if he had not sent in the military. Advertisement Some 2,000 National Guard soldiers are in Los Angeles and are soon to be joined by 2,000 more along with about 700 Marines, Sherman said. Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press and ABC, Sherman initially said National Guard troops had already temporarily detained civilians in the Los Angeles protests over immigration raids. He later said he based his comments on photos and footage he had seen that turned out not to be a representation of Guard members in Los Angeles. Curfew continues in downtown LA Jaslyn Hernandez, daughter of a car wash worker, embraces her sister Kimberly Hernandez, and their uncle Juan Medina during a press conference with families of detained car wash workers, in Culver City, Calif. Ethan Swope/Associated Press Police detained more than 20 people, mostly on curfew violations, on the first night of the curfew and used crowd-control projectiles to break up hundreds of protesters. But officers were more aggressive in controlling demonstrators Wednesday evening and as the curfew took effect, police were beginning to make arrests. Los Angeles police have made nearly 400 arrests and detentions since Saturday, the vast majority of which were for failing to leave the area at the request of law enforcement, according to the police department. There have been a handful of more serious charges, including for assault against police officers and for possession of a Molotov cocktail and a gun. Nine police officers have been hurt, mostly with minor injures. Some were transported to a hospital and released. Protests have spread nationwide Demonstrations have also spread to other cities nationwide, including Dallas and Austin in Texas, and Chicago and New York, where thousands rallied and more arrests were made. In New York City, police said they took 86 people into custody during protests in lower Manhattan that lasted into Wednesday morning. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the majority of demonstrators were peaceful. A 66-year-old woman in Chicago was injured when she was struck by a car during downtown protests Tuesday evening, police said. Video showed a car speeding down a street where people were protesting. Advertisement In Texas, where police in Austin used chemical irritants to disperse several hundred demonstrators Monday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's office said Texas National Guard troops were 'on standby' in areas where demonstrations are planned. Guard members were sent to San Antonio, but Police Chief William McManus said he had not been told how many troops were deployed or their role ahead of planned protests Wednesday night and Saturday. Officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety said the Texas National Guard was present at a protest downtown. The protests began Friday after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles. Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Julie Watson in San Diego, Jesse Bedayn in Denver, and Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
