Democrats keep trying to move past the cover up around Biden's decline. It's not helping their credibility
The two reporters are due to release Original Sin, a collection of their reporting on the cover up around Biden's mental and physical decline, on May 20. The book's excerpts are already causing a ruckus, as they detail startling instances of Biden's gaps in mental acuity that were reportedly hidden from the public through 2024.
Biden, whom aides reportedly considered putting in a wheelchair at points, reportedly did not recognize Hollywood megastar George Clooney at an event the president had flown in to Los Angeles specifically for Clooney to host on his behalf. Other excerpts claimed he forgot the names of longtime aides, including that of his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan.
The top quote of the week: 'It's all Biden. He totally f***ed us.'
David Plouffe's declaration in Original Sin gives voice to the party's furious silent undercurrent of supporters, many of whom did vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 but still watched helplessly on election night as she underperformed nationally and lost ground to Republicans even in deep blue states. The architect of Barack Obama's 2008 campaign juggernaut, Plouffe's complaint followed an evisceration of the Biden administration policy on Israel/Gaza by the Obamaworld hosts of Pod Save the World.
The right, meanwhile, keeps hammering the two reporters and the Washington media at large for the so-called revelations. Arguing that reporters (including from Tapper's network, CNN) led the charge to hide Biden's deficiencies, Republicans argued this week that the two are attempting to cash in on their own failures.
They are correct to do so. Democrats (led by Biden's inner circle and a defiant president himself) willingly undermined their own credibility by getting the party into this mess, and should show some capacity for self-reflection — not more breathless attacks on the press — to overcome it.
'I think some of the criticism is fair, to be honest,' said Tapper on Wednesday.
Inside Washington claims at least partial innocence here; in February of 2024, we wrote that Biden's age provoked real questions for voters, and that his team 'risk[ed] being seen as trying to conceal something' by ignoring those concerns. But with the imminent release of Tapper and Thompson's book, questions are likely to be raised about just how far back the former president's decline really went.
Many Bidenworld loyalists continue to circle the wagons, in true Trumpian fashion. Whether denying the book's revelations outright or chastising reporters falsely for 'focusing' on the issue, the former president and his loyalists continue to insist that they are beyond reproach.
"The only reason I got out of the race was because I didn't want to have a divided Democratic Party," he told the hosts of The View this month.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, interviewed this week by CNN's Kasie Hunt, dodged questions on the issue entirely.
MSNBC's Chuck Todd, who called the criticism of the media a 'right-wing manufactured' narrative, tore into Schumer on a CNN panel.
'He's as responsible as anybody else,' said Todd. 'He was a leader in the party. He could've said something sooner, and he didn't.'
The defenses are beginning to become grating to hear even for Democrats, who believe that Biden is doing himself no favors.
Steve Schale, who ran the 'Draft Biden' PAC ahead of the 2016 primary, said: 'There is a way for President Biden to build his post-presidency, but this isn't it.
'I really wish he'd embrace the thing that's been his calling card for 50 years: his humanity.'
Most importantly: the president's defenders give voters the impression that Democrats are still engaged in deception — at a time when the party's supposed advantages include Donald Trumps' low marks for honesty and integrity.
The ex-president was underwater on this issue through the entirety of 2024. The release of Original Sin is going to be the last nail in the coffin, not the first.
No one is going to believe the denials now — especially when many of the people making them insisted that there were no problems and that the president wouldn't even consider withdrawing from the race.
It's time for Joe to ride off into the sunset. His defenders need to stop lashing out at everyone around them and get back to rebuilding voter trust ahead of the next election cycle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
13 minutes ago
- USA Today
What's Trump's approval rating? Latest polls on job performance, immigration
A string of recent polls shows President Donald Trump's approval rating has remained largely steady over the last week, even as a new Gallup survey gave him his lowest numbers of his second term. Aggregations of recent approval polling from the New York Times and RealClearPolitics place Trump's approval between 44% and 45%, respectively, with a 53% to 42% disapproval. See last week's polling: Trump approval drops in new poll as more Americans oppose immigration policies In a July 25 poll from Emerson College, the president had a 46% approval rating and 47% disapproval. That's a one-point increase on both counts from the survey's June results. "About six months into the second Trump administration, the president's approval rating has stabilized in the mid-40s," the poll's executive director, Spencer Kimball, said in statement. "While his disapproval has steadily increased about a point each month since the inauguration and now stands at 47%." In a Gallup poll released a day prior, the president's approval rating was significantly lower, coming in at 37%. The pollsters called it the lowest mark of his second term and only a few points higher than his all-time-low rating of 34% at the end of his first term. Both polls showed what has long been a deep divide between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to Trump and his policies, especially over immigration, foreign policy and the economy. Here's a round-up of some of the last week's polls. Emerson College poll Trump notched his highest single-issue approval rating on immigration, the poll said, with 45% approving and 46% disapproving of Trump's policies. The highest disapproval numbers were on the economy, with a 41% approval rating and 51% disapproval. That continued to sink with Trump's tariff policy, with 36% approving while 50% disapproved. Trump's support – both on overall job performance and on specific issues – was fueled by Republican respondents in the poll. Just 10% of Democrats said they like the president's job performance, compared to 87% of Republicans and 38% of independents. The difference support was widest by party on immigration, with 12.9% of Democrats approving compared to 80% of Republicans. More: 16% of voters approve of Trump's handling of Epstein files, poll shows The survey of 1,400 registered voters was conducted July 21-22 and has a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points. Gallup poll The poll marks a 10-point drop from the 47% approval rating Americans gave Trump at the beginning of his second term in January. About 29% of independent voters said they're pleased with Trump's job performance in the new survey, the lowest Gallup has tracked with the group in either of Trump's two terms. It's a 17-point decline from the 46% the president enjoyed among independents at the start of his second term earlier this year. Trump's ratings on some of the most significant issues facing the country also faltered, according to Gallup pollsters. He received the strongest support for his handling of the conflict with Iran, at 42% approving, followed by foreign policy at 41%. The president's handling of Iran – where U.S. troops bombed three nuclear sites last month – earned Trump the greatest support from independents, at 36%, while the federal budget gave him the lowest at 19%. The survey of 1,002 Americans was conducted July 7-21, and has a margin of error of ±4 percentage points. Fox News poll Trump's support was lowest on issues of inflation and tariffs, with 36% of respondents backing the way Trump has approached two central forces in America's economy. He received his highest ranking for border security, with 56% of respondents approving and 44% disapproving. Along party lines, support was highest among Republicans, with 88% backing the president. Thirty-seven percent of independents and 7% of Democrats agreed. The survey was conducted by Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research. 1,000 registered voters were surveyed July 18-21, and the poll has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
The Hill
13 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump this time is trying to help GOP avoid messy primary fights
President Trump is using his influence to help Republicans avoid messy primary fights as the party prepares for the midterms. Trump recently waded into both Michigan's Senate race and the New York gubernatorial contest in an effort to convince notable candidates — Rep. Bill Huizenga (R) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R), respectively — to opt out of the contests. In both cases, the candidates bowed to pressure. The president's moves underscore how Republicans are already seeking to coalesce around candidates in some of next year's most high-profile races, as they look to buck historical trends that suggest the president's party will lose congressional seats and other contests. 'He's clearly far more involved in this round than he was in 2017 and 2018 but at the same time it's a totally different situation,' one national Republican operative said of Trump. The different situation is the narrow House GOP majority. It leaves Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dealing with very tight margins on crucial votes. The president's political operation is effectively being led by Chris LaCivita, a Republican operative who served as co-campaign manager on Trump's 2024 presidential bid. One source close to the White House said Trump and his team would like to avoid messy, drawn-out GOP primaries in state-wide races that could damage candidates for the general election or divide the resources and attention of Republicans. The source pointed to the contentious Pennsylvania Senate primary in 2022 between now-Sen. Dave McCormick and Mehmet Oz, who prevailed in the primary but lost in the general election. Trump spoke directly with Huizenga earlier this month and urged him not to launch a Senate bid, a source familiar with the meeting confirmed to The Hill. NOTUS first reported that Trump had directly asked Huizenga to stay out of the race, effectively clearing the field for former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), whom Trump endorsed Thursday. In North Carolina, Trump is backing Michael Whatley, who is expected in the coming days to announce his campaign to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). The source said Whatley would not have entered the race without Trump's blessing to leave his position at the Republican National Committee. 'They're also at the same time trying to do a balancing act where they want to be supportive of people who have been loyal to the president and drive who and what they think is in their best interest,' the national Republican strategist said. The strategist said those two criteria are 'not a perfect match,' pointing to Trump's backing of Whatley. The strategist argued that a candidate like Whatley is a riskier bet in the swing state. 'He essentially sacrificed Tillis who was a much safer bet than Lara Trump would have been or Whatley today,' the strategist said. 'If I were drawing a map, I would shade North Carolina in light blue.' Other Republicans push back on the notion, pointing to Whatley's deep ties to the state's grassroots from his history as chair of the North Carolina GOP. 'No polling has indicated that Thom Tillis was going to be a better candidate than a pro-Trump Republican,' said a second national Republican operative, noting that Trump has won North Carolina three times in the past. Republicans are also seeking to put a bow on Georgia's GOP Senate primary as the party looks to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff, arguably the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent up for reelection in the upper chamber. One other race to watch for Trump's influence is the Kentucky Senate campaign to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R). Trump has so far not weighed in as multiple Republicans have announced their candidacies. In Georgia, Fox News reported Friday that Trump's political operation and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) had butted heads over their preferred candidates, with Kemp pushing former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. Businessman Nate Morris has been building his pro-Trump resume. He announced his candidacy on Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast and has already scored endorsements from Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), both staunch Trump allies. Morris is also close with Vice President Vance. Trump also has not waded into the Texas Republican Senate primary, where state Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking on incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Both Republicans are considered Trump allies, with Paxton being popular with the president's base and Cornyn a key GOP voice in the Senate. Most polls show Paxton with a considerable lead over Cornyn, but hypothetical general election polling shows Cornyn performing better than Paxton against Democratic candidates. Last week Cornyn said Trump has relayed to him that he is not ready to endorse in the race. Democrats argue that their chances at flipping Texas at the Senate level are boosted with a Paxton nomination. 'Paxton can't win a general but Cornyn probably can't win a primary,' the GOP strategist said. 'There's very complicating factors, but I think they're trying to balance their MAGA loyalties with the practicalities of making sure they keep the Senate comfortably and try to find a map that gives them a House majority that includes redistricting.' Redistricting has become a major topic of conversation in national political circles as Texas Republicans pursue redistricting ahead of the midterms. Trump spoke earlier this month with Texas Republicans, where he urged leaders in the state to redraw congressional maps to boost the GOP. The president has also made clear he would support other red states doing the same. 'Just a very simple redrawing, we pick up five seats,' Trump said of Texas. 'But we have a couple of other states where we'll pick up seats also.' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) floated 'middecade' redistricting to reporters Thursday, noting that he has spoken to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the matter. 'They said they were going to redo the count in time for 2026,' the governor said, referring to the census. 'They would have to do that relatively soon because you need time to draw maps and you need time to get that done.' Population shifts in states like Florida could benefit House Republicans, particularly in south Florida, where Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz and Lois Frankel could be negatively impacted. 'Any advantage you can get the better,' the GOP strategist noted. 'That gives you a lot of breathing room even if you lose some tough races.' Trump's poll numbers have wavered in recent surveys, a result largely attributable to independents souring on his handling of key issues like the economy and immigration. But Trump allies argued the president's endorsement is still a make-or-break factor in primaries because of his enduring popularity within the party. 'His numbers are stronger than ever before with the Republican base,' one Trump ally said. 'Republican voters are happier with him now than ever before.' The second national Republican operative called Trump's popularity 'a huge asset' in the midterms. 'If you are trying to run a campaign that wants to win you need to replicate the pro Trump coalition,' the operative said, referring to the president's general election win last year.
The Hill
13 minutes ago
- The Hill
Johnson calls Massie, Khanna Epstein files effort ‘reckless'
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Sunday called an effort from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein 'reckless' as controversy over the disgraced financier roils Washington. 'House Republicans insist upon the release of all credible evidence and information related to Epstein in any way,' Johnson told NBC News's Kristen Welker on 'Meet the Press.' 'But we are also insisting upon the protection of innocent victims. And our concern is that the Massie and Khanna discharge petition is reckless in the way that it is drafted and presented. It does not adequately include those protections,' he added. Earlier this month, Massie said he would try to use a long-shot procedural gambit to force a vote on requiring the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein. 'We all deserve to know what's in the Epstein files, who's implicated, and how deep this corruption goes. Americans were promised justice and transparency,' Massie said in a post on the social platform X in mid-July. 'We're introducing a discharge petition to force a vote in the US House of Representatives on releasing the COMPLETE files,' he added. A discharge petition needs 218 signatures to go past House leadership and force a vote on a measure. Massie and Khanna's bill has 11 Republican co-sponsors, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), all known as staunch members of the GOP's hard-right flank. Khanna and Massie also made a Sunday appearance on 'Meet the Press' in a joint interview, with Massie saying the Epstein controversy 'is going to hurt Republicans in the midterms, the voters will be apathetic if we don't hold the rich and powerful accountable.' 'I think when we get back, we can get the signatures required to force this to the floor. Speaker Mike Johnson should do the right thing and just bring it to the floor and not require us to force it,' Massie said of his and Khanna's effort.
