Inside the West Wing, staff interpreted the piece as a sign that the paper was reverting to partisan form ahead of the November election. There was some speculation that the paper’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, was showing his preference for a Donald Trump victory, according to two people familiar with the communications team’s thinking.

“Complete and utter editorial fail by the @wsj,” White House communications director Ben LaBolt posted on X. “Makes you wonder who they’re taking orders from.”

A spokesperson for The Journal said that the paper stands by its reporting.

While much of the paper’s portrayal of Biden is evidenced in his own public appearances, the item drew intense, immediate pushback, largely for how it was structured.