There’s a huge range between “so bad that Democrats unify behind the need to replace him and say so publicly” and “so good that Biden dispels the doubts,” and the president’s interview with George Stephanopoulos was just barely better than his debate appearance — an exceptionally low bar. But the interview offered plenty of reasons to wonder how well the president remembers events, even recent ones.
Mind bogglingly, Biden could not clearly answer whether he watched the debate afterwards.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And– did you ever watch the debate afterwards?
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I don’t think I did, no.
Either the president did, or he didn’t, or he watched excerpts. This is not testing the president’s memory from months or years ago. This is asking a basic question about the past two weeks, and Biden cannot say for certain that he watched the debate.
Biden then claimed, “After that debate, I did ten major events in a row, including until 2:00 in the morning after the debate.”
No, Biden did not. Biden did an event at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta at 11:10 p.m. Eastern Thursday night, and then just after midnight, the president made his appearance at the Waffle House, where, despite suffering what he now calls “a really bad cold,” he shook everyone’s hands.
The president’s next event was at 12:30 p.m. Friday, the rally in Raleigh, N.C. At 4:30 p.m., the Bidens flew to New York City, where they delivered remarks at the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center opening ceremony. At 8:30 p.m. Eastern, Biden attended a campaign reception in New York City.
So, if you want to count the Waffle House stop, Biden had four events in the following 24 hours. On Saturday, at 1:20 in the afternoon, Biden attended a campaign reception in East Hampton, N.Y. At 6:20 p.m., the Bidens attended a campaign reception at the residence of New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, in Red Bank. They arrived at Camp David about four hours later.
In other words, Biden had six events over the next two days, mostly closed-door campaign receptions where the president made brief remarks to the friendliest crowd imaginable. As the Washington Post summarized on Wednesday, July 3, “Biden, 81, has appeared in public four times since a rally Friday in North Carolina — for remarks on a Supreme Court decision, on extreme weather, at Stonewall National Monument in New York and at a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House on Wednesday — to speak for a total of 32 minutes, exclusively while using teleprompters.”
Keep in mind, Biden is convinced he’s keeping a Herculean schedule that would exhaust and ruin much younger men:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Are you more frail?
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: No.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I know you–
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Come keep my schedule. (LAUGH)
Biden’s refusal to have a neurological and cognitive evaluation infuriated usual allies like the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I know you said you have an ongoing assessment. Have you had a full neurological and cognitive evaluation?
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I’ve had– I get a full neurological test everyday with me. And I’ve had a full physical. I had, you know, I mean, I– I’ve been at Walter Reed for my physicals. I mean–uhm yes, the answer.
Biden’s last physical was February 28.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Would you be willing to undergo an independent medical evaluation that included neurological and cognit– cognitive tests and release the results to the American people?
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Look. I have a cognitive test every single day. Every day I have that test. Everything I do. You know, not only am I campaigning, but I’m running the world. Not– and that’s not hi– sounds like hyperbole, but we are the essential nation of the world..
Later in the interview, we got a strong indication that no, Biden did not watch the debate.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Well, it came to me I was havin’ a bad night when I realized that even when I was answering a question, even though they turned his mic off, he was still shouting. And I– I let it distract me. I– I’m not blaming it on that, but I realized that I just wasn’t in control.
With the exception of some crosstalk during the talk about who was the better golfer, Trump didn’t really shout, interrupt, or otherwise attempt to talk while Biden was talking. We know this because most of the debate featured a split screen, and Biden doesn’t seem to know this — so maybe he really didn’t watch the debate.
Biden’s perception of his own accomplishments is so wildly exaggerated that I wonder how accurately he’s being briefed, or if he accurately remembers what he is briefed. “George. I’m the guy that put NATO together, the future. No one thought I could expand it. I’m the guy that shut Putin down. No one thought could happen.” “I also was the guy who put together a peace plan for the Middle East that may be comin’ to fruition.” “I was also the guy that grew the economy. Di-you-just just see today, just announced 200,000 new jobs. We’re movin’ in the direction that no one’s ever taken on.” “I took on big pharma. I beat them. No one said I could beat them.”
Biden is convinced that his presidency has been a phenomenal success at home and abroad, and the only reason anyone could have a gripe with him is because he had a subpar debate night caused by a bad cold and Trump’s constant shouting.
Some might argue that’s close to evidence of neurological impairment by itself.