Latest news with #2024:HowTrumpRetookthe
Mint
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
‘Confident he would pass' — Biden's staff still avoided his cognitive test in Feb 2024 over backlash fears: New book
Former US President Joe Biden's top staff privately discussed the idea of having him take a cognitive test early in 2024, amid growing concerns about his age and mental sharpness, according to a forthcoming book by three political journalists. The book, 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, is co-authored by a New York Times journalist and details behind-the-scenes discussions within the Biden camp. 'Biden's aides were confident that he would pass a cognitive test,' the book says, according to the New York Times. 'But they worried that the mere fact of his taking one would raise new questions about his mental abilities.' The debate over the cognitive exam reportedly occurred in February 2024, while Biden was actively campaigning for a second term. Ultimately, the White House opted not to go forward with the test. The decision would later come under renewed scrutiny after Biden's disastrous June 2024 debate against Donald Trump, which raised alarms even among loyal Democrats. Biden's performance in the first debate stunned the political world, triggering calls from within his party for him to reconsider his campaign. 'I never saw that person — not a single time — that was on that debate stage,' former Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a recent interview, distancing herself from the fallout. Psaki left the White House in 2022. Under intense pressure following the debate, Biden ultimately suspended his campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place on the ticket. Harris went on to become the Democratic nominee — but lost to Trump in the general election. The book suggests that early anxieties about Biden's age and fitness were known internally long before they exploded into public view. The book adds to the growing number of post-election analyses that argue the Democrats' failure to confront Biden's vulnerabilities earlier cost them the White House. Biden's late-stage decision to run — and his eventual withdrawal — may have reshaped how his presidency will be remembered. First Published: 5 May 2025, 03:03 AM IST
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First Post
04-05-2025
- Health
- First Post
Cognitive test for Biden? Aides debated but dropped the idea, book reveals
The 82-year-old leader had to drop out of the presidential race following his dismal performance in the presidential debate against Trump read more United States President Joe Biden and first lady Dr Jill Biden depart board the helicopter to take them from the East Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC after the swearing-in of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. File Image/Reuters Joe Biden's staff last year explored the possibility of the then-president taking a cognitive test but eventually dropped the idea, a book is set to reveal. Biden's mental health and his cognitive abilities were a major poll issue ahead of the 2024 presidential elections. The 82-year-old leader had to drop out of the presidential race following his dismal performance in the presidential debate with then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. Now, a new book, titled '2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,' written by three experienced American political journalists, has brought to light discussions among Biden's staff. According to a report in the New York Times, one of whose journalists is a co-author of the book, Biden's aides had serious conversations about administering a cognitive test. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Biden's aides were confident that he would pass a cognitive test, according to the book, but they worried that the mere fact of his taking one would raise new questions about his mental abilities,' the paper said. The book reveals that the discussions took place around February last year. Although no such test was conducted, Biden's poor performance in the debate forced him to step aside and make way for then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The Biden White House would remain reluctant to discuss details about the president's health, but it used to release annual updates from the White House physician about his physicals, something that Trump never did. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had released limited information about his health. The primary disclosure was a doctor's letter that claimed he would be 'the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.' This statement, however, was not accompanied by extensive medical records or detailed health information. In a March interview, Trump again mocked Biden, saying the 'only thing' he loved about his predecessor was his 'ability to fall asleep within minutes.' 'He'd go to a beach, lay down on a cot – barely able to get his feet through the sand – he'd lay down and within minutes he's sleeping and have cameras watching.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I would never be able to sleep like that. That's the only thing that I think that was wonderful,' the US president added. During Biden's time in the White House, Trump repeatedly called him 'Sleepy Joe.' During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump even criticised Biden for spending too much time at the beach and even sleeping in a swimsuit, according to the New York Post.
