What isn’t scripted about this presidency? It’s part of the reason why so many in liberal America got gutted during the June 27 debate. When Biden must defend his record without the cushion of anticipation, he wilts quickly. The president got dog walked during his first debate with Donald Trump, which has sparked the most significant political crisis of his presidency, as donors, Hill Democrats, and even close allies and aides are trying to convince him to step aside, unconvinced he has the juice it takes to defeat Trump in November.
The television interviews are scripted. The press conferences have pre-selected questions from reporters, where the president has been busted for reading from flashcards giving him the names and outlets of reporters from the approved list. Even radio interviews are manufactured events, with questions being pre-selected. A black radio host busted that story wide open, admitting to the protocol, which later got her fired. The Biden campaign, humiliated again, vowed to stop this practice, but now we’re learning that cabinet meetings follow the same procedures; they must submit questions. Also, some don't know of Biden's health condition because they virtually never see him (via CNN) [emphasis mine]:
CNN: Cabinet officials are expected to "submit their questions and talking points" in advance of meeting with Biden.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 11, 2024
"The entire display is kind of an act." pic.twitter.com/xeImKnAhYp
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 11, 2024
Back in Washington, there have been clear signs throughout his term of Biden being increasingly stage-managed, with lists of talking points, names of questioners and drawings of where he should walk presented to him by aides. Ahead of closed-door Cabinet meetings that Biden attends, it is customary for Cabinet officials to submit questions and key talking points that they plan to present in front of Biden ahead of time to White House aides, two sources with direct knowledge told CNN.
“The entire display is kind of an act,” one of those sources told CNN. “They would come and say, ‘Hey, the president is going to call on you about 25 minutes in, and ask this question. What are the bullet points you’ll respond with?’”
The second source, who echoed that same description, said when Biden attends Cabinet meetings, they are “not free-wheeling, and pretty well-orchestrated.” And the meetings themselves are infrequent, with one Cabinet secretary telling CNN they are uncertain of Biden’s condition because they so rarely see him.
In fact, the last full Cabinet meeting took place on October 2, 2023. Sources also said Cabinet meetings during the Obama years, which Biden attended as vice president, were not pre-scripted this way.
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Nate Silver, who has been vocal in his calls for Biden to step down, said this development isn’t normal, akin to what you’d usually see in an authoritarian country:
This isn't normal or acceptable for an American president. It sounds like a story from an authoritarian country. https://t.co/ml2TRRVxiX pic.twitter.com/uqNiN02byL
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) July 11, 2024
This week, NBC’s Chuck Todd finally admitted to what a cabinet secretary told him: that the meetings are infrequent and that this person would be shocked if Biden ran again—this was two years ago. So, while this CNN report is damning, it also exposes that the media could have reported on this president’s condition if they wanted to and not mock us for being right all along about Biden’s mental state
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