Presidents are supposed to be very good on their feet, fielding questions from the White House press corps and giving memorable, off-the-cuff responses to reporters’ stupid questions.
Except if they’re nearly 79 years old and in their dotage. In that case, they need a cheat sheet.
Joe Biden toured the devastation in Louisiana caused by Hurricane Ida on Saturday, playing the role of comforter in chief and promising billions of dollars in disaster relief. It’s something all presidents are expected to do and, judging by the reaction from Louisiana’s residents, the president’s visit was a success.
But as Biden toured the disaster zone, he carried with him notes stuck in his back pocket that included the names of local politicians and “fact flakes” on several issues. It raised the issue — once again — of Joe Biden’s fitness for the office.
Recommended: Communist China Tells Climate Czar Kerry No Cooperation on Climate Change Unless U.S. Shuts Up About Human Rights
“Can Joe Biden do anything without a cheat sheet? He couldn’t give a speech on Afghanistan after 5 p.m.?” asked Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe. “It’s abundantly clear he’s not operating on full cylinders.”
Biden, who toured and spoke in the state following widespread destruction from Hurricane Ida, visited damaged areas in Reserve and LaPlace. Biden could be seen carrying the notes in his back pocket as he was met on the tarmac in New Orleans by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and John Kennedy, R-La, according to the New York Post.
On the notes that were photographed in Biden’s back pocket, the names of Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell could be seen.
Biden also needs help in remembering the names and faces of reporters. He carried “a sheet that appeared to show the pictures and news outlets of journalists who attended his news conference,” according to the Fox News report. These are men and women the president sees almost every day and he goes over their on-air reports about him with his staff all the time. And yet, he still can’t remember their names?
“Given his track record of hiding in his basement during the presidential election, it’s not surprising that President Biden depends on cheat sheets,” Fox News contributor Deneen Borelli said about the controversy. “Biden is lost and fumbles badly without notes and the teleprompter. It’s fundamentally dangerous the U.S. has such a weak and incompetent president. The world is watching including our adversaries.
Borelli added, “Then-candidate Biden wasn’t challenged by the media and when interviewed was given softball questions. Now America knows why his handlers want him to have limited media access because he’s incapable of sensible communication.”
For those Biden acolytes who dispute the notion that the president is not showing his age, one need only look at the way his handlers protect him from unwanted questions. Joe Biden wouldn’t need to be sheltered if he wasn’t a world-class gaffe machine — a political disaster waiting to happen. He stumbles and mumbles his way through media appearances and meetings with Congress. Eventually, when it will be impossible to hide his deteriorating condition, he will have to be kept away from the public entirely.
Is the nation ready for President Kamala Harris?
Join the conversation as a VIP Member