In a brief speech Monday night from the White House, President Joe Biden once again appeared to struggle to speak without a teleprompter. He spoke for only five minutes and declined to take questions from even friendly reporters, raising concerns about his health.
Biden’s disastrous performance in the June 27 debate against Donald Trump is a central concern for the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as American voters. As the fallout from the Biden-Trump debate continues, more questions than answers are emerging.
Here are some questions the White House and Democrats need to answer about the health of our nation’s commander in chief:
When Did Biden’s Inner Circle Know the Truth?
It is clear that Biden has difficulty being coherent and aware, especially when he has to process and answer questions spontaneously, rather than delivering a speech with a teleprompter. During the debate, Biden repeatedly lost his way, mumbling and slurring his words. In a few instances, he was unable to articulate a complete thought. Pundits, politicians, and the American public have noticed this, leading to widespread calls for the Democratic Party to reconsider Biden as a candidate.
This raises one of the most pertinent questions Democrats must answer: When were members of Biden’s inner circle informed of the president’s precipitous decline?
It’s clear from his debate performance and other gaffes we’ve seen in public that Biden’s decline must have been obvious to those closest to him.
It also explains why Biden rarely takes questions from reporters, gives speeches without a teleprompter, and is largely hidden from the public. The effort to protect Biden and hide the truth from voters was intentional. Democratic leaders need to be honest about the fact that they know how long Biden has been in decline.
Can Biden stay president until January?
Now that Biden is struggling to get elected, even Democrats are calling for Biden to be replaced as the party’s nominee. While it’s somewhat shocking how quickly Democrats have turned on their own leader, their recognition of the president’s problems raises other questions: If Democrats don’t think Biden is fit to be the nominee, how can he continue to be president? How will he function as the nation’s chief executive for another six months?
Do Democrats Care What Foreign Leaders Think?
A day after the debate, I posted on X: “Think about it: The foreign leaders who met with Biden over the last year knew about his cognitive decline before you did. They knew, they snickered, and they felt a sense of Schadenfreude.”
That same day, the Wall Street Journal ran a story headlined, “The World Watched Biden’s Condition Deteriorate. Democrats Ignored the Warnings.” This damning picture reveals something uncomfortable: Foreign dignitaries probably knew more about Biden’s health than the American people did. Biden, after all, was shielded from the American public but was required to be present in person for meetings with foreign leaders.
Americans often forget that the world is watching us. They are watching our strengths, but also our weaknesses.
What do President Joe Biden’s allies and enemies see when they meet with him? If Biden’s performance in the presidential debate is any indication, he likely struggled to engage and articulate U.S. positions on policy and defense. Why would Democrats knowingly put the United States in a position where it can’t appear strong, whether in meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping or the recently defeated British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak?
In “The Art of War,” Sun Tzu said, “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” I fear that when foreign dignitaries met with Biden, America appeared weak—and was.
Do Democrats Think Trump Is Worse Than Biden?
I am not a fan of former President Donald Trump. I do not think he is a good presidential candidate or a good representative of the Republican Party. He is an arrogant, touchy, narcissistic buffoon. He is a convicted felon fighting new charges. Americans deserve better.
For years, Democrats have exploited Trump’s character flaws: “At least our guy is not a fraud or a criminal.” Yet, their This guy showed the world that he was not mentally or physically fit to be president.
Now that Biden’s poor health has been revealed, even I can’t help but wonder: Is Trump really worse than Biden?
This is not to say that I think Trump is good, but have we reached the point where we can recognize that both are quite bad, just in different ways?
The debate revealed the truth.Democrats Manipulated Americans About Biden’s Cognitive Decline
To put it another way, Trump’s flaws have long been exposed, and everyone can decide for themselves whether he is fit for elected office. But suppose the Republican Party had supported a man suffering from severe cognitive decline and denied to the American public that he was in decline? Would Republicans ever hear the end of it?
Wouldn’t Democrats use such a scandal as a weapon until the end of time? Of course they would.
It’s time to weigh the serious flaws of Biden and Trump: Is one worse? Are they both awful? If so, where do we go from here?
Why did the Democratic Party hide the truth for so long?
Now that we know Democratic leaders knew about Biden’s decline, why did they hide it for so long?
The answer is important because there are only two possible answers, and neither of them is correct.
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Either Democrats covered up Biden’s poor health because they don’t respect Americans or the public’s right to full disclosure.
Or the Democrats hid what they knew about Biden because they want to hold on to power, no matter the cost to America’s well-being.
Is their lust for power greater than their respect, empathy and goodwill toward the American public?
Do Democrats dare to answer honestly?
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
