Biden's Mental Decline: A Descent into Ineptitude

Strategic Insights -

Former President Joe Biden's mental health was reportedly in a state of serious decline throughout the 2024 election, with those close to him and in the public eye noticing the change. A new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios correspondent Alex Thompson details the former president's struggles, including an awkward interaction with actor George Clooney at a Hollywood fundraiser where he seemed "almost catatonic" and unable to recall Clooney's name. This episode was one of many that prompted Clooney to write an op-ed urging Biden to drop out of the race, and it marked the beginning of the end of the former president's campaign.

Key Takeaways:

  • Biden's mental decline was evident months before the disastrous June 2024 debate with Donald Trump, but family and close aides supported his run for president to the bitter end.
  • The former president's interactions at a Hollywood fundraiser in June 2024 were described as "almost catatonic" and showed "clear signs of mental decline," with one witness saying it was "like watching someone who was not alive."
  • During the fundraiser, Biden had to be prompted to remember George Clooney's name, with an aide repeating the actor's full name on two occasions.
  • The awkward moment was one of several that spurred Clooney to pen his now-famous op-ed urging Biden to drop out of the race and for the Democrats to run with a new nominee in the November election.
  • Biden's onetime running mate, Kamala Harris, would often complete sentences for him or push him back on track, according to the book.
  • Emily Favreau, a Democratic campaign consultant and wife to Pod Save America host and Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau, said she wanted to make everyone stay in the room and say, "No one is going anywhere until we have a plan, because this can't be it," in reference to Biden's performance.

Statistics:

  • $30m: The record-smashing total raised by the Biden campaign over a single weekend in June 2024.
  • 100 days: The amount of time left before the November election at the time Clooney wrote his op-ed urging Biden to drop out of the race.
  • 46th president: Biden's title at the time of the interactions described in the book.
  • 2024: The year in which the events described in the book took place.

Sources:

  • Johnson, Owen. "Biden's Pitch was Off, and That's Leaving Some Democrats Torn". The New York Times, July 2024.
  • Thompson, Alex and Tapper, Jake. Originan Sin. New York: Hatchette, 2024.
  • Favreau, Emily. Interview with Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, reported in Originan Sin.