KJP Hosts Press Briefing After Debate


Let's dive into the recent White House briefing where Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tackled the tough questions about President Joe Biden's fitness for office following his less-than-stellar debate performance last week.

In this briefing, it became clear that the Biden team had a strategy: reframe the narrative of what people witnessed during the debate. Jean-Pierre repeatedly returned to a set of talking points designed to put the president's performance into context.

First up, she acknowledged that Biden had a bad night. The message here was that it wasn’t about cognitive decline; instead, he simply wasn’t at his best. Everyone has off days, and according to Jean-Pierre, this was just one of those nights for the president.

Secondly, she emphasized that despite his age, Biden "knows what he's doing." The argument was that with age comes wisdom and experience. This is an attempt to reassure the public that the president's slower responses are a result of his age, not a lack of competence or cognitive ability.

During the Thursday night debate against former President Donald Trump, Biden lost his train of thought multiple times and made some confusing statements. One particularly notable moment was his rambling and incoherent response about healthcare, which ended bizarrely with, “We finally beat Medicare.”

Naturally, reporters had questions. One asked bluntly, “Is [Biden] disabled?” Jean-Pierre quickly shut this down with a firm "No" and reprimanded the reporter for shouting out the question, asserting, “You know better! Come on.”

Another pointed question asked if Biden, at 81 years old, has Alzheimer’s, any form of dementia, or any degenerative illness that might cause such lapses. The reporter suggested that if Jean-Pierre didn't know the answer, she should. Her response was sharp and clear, “I have an answer for you. Are you ready for it? It’s a no. And I hope you’re asking the other guy the same exact question.”

Jean-Pierre conceded that Biden is not a young man and acknowledged his slower walking and speaking pace. “We get that,” she admitted, attempting to frame this as a normal part of aging rather than a significant issue.

Looking ahead, Jean-Pierre announced that Biden will sit down for an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos over the weekend and will hold a news conference at the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., next week. These events are positioned as opportunities for Biden to demonstrate that the debate performance was an exception, not the rule.

However, there's a broader context to consider. Biden has had multiple public moments where he appears to freeze on stage or experiences mental lapses. These instances have fueled ongoing concerns about his cognitive health and ability to lead effectively.

Despite the White House's efforts to reframe the debate performance and reassure the public, it remains a challenge to spin these repeated lapses as anything other than signs of decline. As Biden continues to face scrutiny, the coming interviews and public appearances will be crucial in shaping public perception.

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