New details have surfaced regarding President Joe Biden’s cognitive state, highlighting concerted efforts by White House staffers to manage his schedule and public appearances strategically.
Inside the White House, aides have been quietly adapting their strategies to shield the President from potentially embarrassing public episodes.
Reports indicate that efforts have been made to limit his exposure to long working hours and high-pressure situations, confining his most active presidential duties to a six-hour window between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.
This operational adjustment, referred to colloquially as managing the “10am to 4pm president,” aims to mitigate moments where Biden’s cognitive slips could become evident.
The internal strategies, which include limiting the president’s exposure to situations that might highlight his cognitive challenges, have become increasingly apparent following a series of public incidents and a notable presidential debate. During these events, Biden’s performance raised concerns among voters and Democratic insiders about his ability to continue leading.
The debate, watched by over 51 million viewers, particularly underscored these concerns as Biden appeared incoherent at times, prompting discussions within Democratic circles about the feasibility of his continuing candidacy.
This revelation aligns with a jaw-dropping statistic from a recent CBS News/YouGov poll, where 72% of registered voters expressed doubts about Biden’s mental and physical capacity to serve effectively as president.
Among Democratic voters, only 59% now believe that Biden possesses the necessary cognitive faculties to be president, a stark decrease from previous figures.
Adding to the narrative are Biden’s own admissions post-debate, where he conceded to not debating as well as he used to, alongside troubling scenes of the President appearing disoriented during public events.
Despite assurances from the White House that Biden remains mentally sharp and physically capable, citing his active engagement in international diplomacy and domestic policy achievements, the public and some Democratic leaders have expressed stark apprehensions.
Chandler West, the White House’s former deputy director of photography, offered a candid perspective on Instagram, revealing that shielding tactics have been the norm rather than the exception.
“It’s time for Joe to go,” West wrote, reflecting a sentiment that has been privately discussed among those close to the president. “They will say he has a ‘cold’ or just experienced a ‘bad night,’ but for weeks and months, in private, they have all said what we saw last night — Joe is not as strong as he was just a couple of years ago,” he added.
A former White House residence official shared with Axios that the protective measures have extended even to routine interactions within the White House, creating a significant separation between Biden and the residence staff.
This official noted that such a division was not typical, even during previous administrations like Trump’s. “The separation between the family and the residence staff was so big, so divided,” the former official said. “It’s not supposed to be and usually isn’t.”
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates countered these narratives by highlighting the president’s active role in governance and his historical achievements, “President Biden fights hard for families every day, working with a wide range of team members at what he is proud is the most diverse White House ever – and achieving historic results for the American people because of his determination, values, and experience.”
As the Democratic National Convention approaches and another debate with Donald Trump looms, the party faces critical decisions about how to address the growing skepticism surrounding Biden’s fitness for office.