Axios: Part-time president -- and his handlers -- seek to avoid "age trap"

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Some of us are morning people. Some of us are night people. And one of us, according to Axios, is more of a “between lunch and naptime” person.

Alex Thompson writes today that Joe Biden wants to avoid the “age trap,” having declared for re-election at age 80 and turning 82 shortly after the 2024 general election. His description of Biden’s work habits offer evidence that Biden avoids lots of stuff. He’s too pooped to Corn Pop most of the day, as even his advisers acknowledge sotto voce:

Advertisement

Behind the scenes: Biden’s close advisers say he’s mentally sharp. But even some of them concede his age has diminished his energy, significantly limiting his schedule.

Many White House officials say they’re amazed at Biden’s stamina — often adding the caveat: “for his age.”

Some White House officials say it’s difficult to schedule public or private events with the president in the morning, in the evening, or on weekends: The vast majority of Biden’s public events happen on weekdays, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

So Biden can only reliably work six hours a day — and that includes lunch? Those are Dr. Pepper hours, not the availability required for the $400,000 gig as the Leader of the Free World. Bear in mind that these hours are local time to DC, too. By 10 am, it’s 3 in the afternoon or later in most of Europe, where our strategic allies live — and where a war is taking place that involves them and us.

It’s not just energy, either. Thompson reports that the White House has begun worrying about “improvisational settings,” where Biden has to think on his feet. That leads us directly to this week’s scandal of media collusion:

Advertisement

The White House rarely puts Biden in improvisational settings — or in front of hostile questions from reporters. So it’s tough for anyone outside his tight bubble to truly appraise the reality of Biden being the oldest president in U.S. history.

“Improvisational settings”? Do those include press conferences where reporters ask questions extemporaneously? The exposure of the notes Biden held which matched the supposedly fresh question asked by LA Times reporter Courtney Subramanian shows that the White House comms team is cooking these “improvisational” press conferences — and that the media is colluding with them to make Joe Biden look competent. It’s corrupt to its core, and it’s designed to “avoid the age trap” that Biden has created with his presidency and his decision to run for a second term.

Thompson points out a few statistics from Biden’s schedule this year for backup. He’s only had four public events before 10 am, only a dozen after 6 pm, and those have been “mostly dinners and receptions,” including fundraisers. We’re only four months into the year, and Biden has had 12 weekends already without any public events. Biden has undertaken 20 trips, including one to Kyiv, but usually disappears for a couple of days after returning. Two days after returning from Ireland this month, the White House still called a lid at 9:15. In the morning.

Advertisement

This is a tired and barely competent old man who’s getting propped up by others around him for their own purposes. The media is colluding in the sham, and got caught almost literally with their hand up their puppet’s posterior this week. It’s an utter disgrace, and it shows that it’s not just Biden that has to avoid the “age trap” of his re-election campaign.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on HotAir Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Ed Morrissey 10:00 PM | November 22, 2024
Advertisement
Advertisement