Biden is 'slipping,' report says as concern over his mental fitness grows

WASHINGTON (TND) — President Joe Biden is "slipping" behind closed doors, relying heavily on note cards during high-level meetings, and waffling between a man with command of the room to someone who has trouble with details. That’s the focus of a damaging Wall Street Journal article citing interviews with 45 people over several months, characterized as mostly being critical Republicans along with some Democrats.

Republicans have tried to use Biden’s age against him to cast him as a man unfit for office.

“He is obviously mentally declining, and physically declining, I get that he’s an 81-year-old man. It’s sad to see that in any human being. But this is the President of the United States, and he refuses to acknowledge it," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., after the article was released.

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The White House called some of the accounts in the article false claims, while other Democrats say it was a hit piece.

“Now, in 2024, House Republicans are making false claims as a political tactic that flatly contradict previous statements made by themselves and their colleagues," read part of a statement from White House spokesman Andrew Bates.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., went on record in the article saying the President “was not the same person” he was when he served as Vice President.

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., met with Biden this week and said he was sharp. Rep. Costa said McCarthy’s comments are different than what he’s said in the past.

“He time after time commented upon how on top of the game the President was in negotiating these difficult issues. Now to say something else is more of the problems that Kevin McCarthy had in maintaining his credibility in his own conference that resulted in his downfall," Rep. Costa said.

Biden’s supporters, including his wife, are quick to point out that Donald Trump isn’t much younger than the current President.

“Donald Trump’s going to be 78, and Joe’s 81, they’re basically the same age. But this election isn’t about age, it’s about character," Jill Biden said in late May on "The View."

Multiple polls show Biden’s age is a significant concern for voters leading up to November’s election. He’d be 86 at the end of a potential second term.