Newly released transcripts from a five-hour interview with President Joe Biden have raised concerns regarding his memory and clarity on key events. The interview, conducted last year, reveals Biden’s struggles with recalling significant dates and moments in his life, including the year of his son Beau’s death and when Donald Trump first won the presidency. The results come at a moment of growing concern about Biden’s choice to seek a second term. His advanced age of 81 only heightens the alarms that alarmists cry.
In that interview, Biden opened up about taking the second half of the 2016 presidential election cycle off. He expressed that former President Barack Obama had reservations about his candidacy and believed Hillary Clinton had a “better shot of winning the presidency than I did.” These comments were a breath of fresh air, revealing Biden’s awareness of the unbelievable political ground that he is standing on. They were outpaced by some alarming memory slips.
Lengthy inaction marked almost every reply Biden offered during the hour-long interview. Most significantly, he could not remember which year Beau passed away, raising alarm bells over his cognitive condition. He showed a profound lack of understanding on key political happenings. Biden didn’t even remember the date on which Trump won his first presidential election, and this is one of the most important U.S. historical moments in American history.
Special Counsel Robert Hur, who reviewed the transcripts, described Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.” His report ultimately found that there was not sufficient evidence to charge Biden with any crimes. Rather than harmlessly ignoring it, it made the president’s mental acuity a legitimate topic of public concern.
The conversation took some unexpected turns. From weighty issues of the day, Biden took a pitstop to discuss the legacy of the Gutenberg printing press and relive his joyriding in a Corvette with comedian Jay Leno. These interactions provided some much-needed comic relief. At the same time, they kept alive the notion that Biden could be very out of touch with today’s political discourse.
Biden’s expected re-match with Trump in the form of Biden’s re-election this November has only heightened the microscope on his physical and mental capacity for office. Fresh polling data shows that a majority of Americans think he’s too old to run for a second term. This state of affairs is made worse by reports on the sharp rise in his memory lapses.
Biden seemed genuinely upset at the headline-making question about how the interview opened. He responded sharply to one query, stating:
“How in the hell dare he raise that? Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself it wasn’t any of their damn business.” – Joe Biden
Biden’s comments are an acknowledgment, perhaps unconscious, of the reality that public discourse about his age and mental sharpness is extremely touchy. We know that the political landscape is evolving at a breakneck speed. These memory issues could have huge ramifications for his campaign strategy and the way the public perceives him.
As the nation heads into the unprecedented election season, Biden’s general election prospects hinge on his persuasiveness and relatability. The release of this transcript has only fanned the flames in these continuing conversations regarding the fate of certain presidential candidates. It calls into question their cognitive health and ability to govern effectively.