(NewsNation) — The White House is ripping into what it said is a “contradictory” profile by The Wall Street Journal, which argues President Joe Biden’s mental acuity is the most conspicuous vulnerability threatening his reelection bid.
Published this week, the story, “Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping,” highlighted a January meeting in the West Wing where participants — speaking to the Journal anonymously — said they struggled to hear the 81-year-old president as he spoke softly, claimed he would “read from his notes” or “sometimes closed his eyes for so long that some in the room wondered whether he had tuned out.”
During a one-on-one call the next month with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, the WSJ reported, Biden said a recent policy change by his administration jeopardizing some big energy projects was just a study. This caused Johnson to worry Biden’s memory had slipped regarding his own policy, sources told the publication.
“It’s a little surprising that The Wall Street Journal thought it was breaking news when congressional Republicans told them the same false claims they’ve spouted on Fox News for years, but it’s also telling that the only individuals willing to smear the President in this story are political opponents afraid to use their names — plus one proven liar,” White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement to NewsNation.
Another incident recounted by the WSJ was from last year when then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Biden’s memory on details when negotiating with House Republicans over the debt ceiling seemed to shift “from one day to the next.”
“I used to meet with him when he was vice president. I’d go to his house,” McCarthy told the WSJ in an interview. “He’s not the same person.”
However, this is a clear contrast to the praise McCarthy gave Biden at the time.
“Very professional, very smart. Very tough at the same time,” McCarthy told reporters of his talks with Biden, according to NewsNation partner The Hill.
Democrats criticize WSJ
The White House and Democratic politicians were quick to slam the WSJ article after it came out.
“Many of us spent time with @WSJ to share on the record our first-hand experiences with @POTUS, where we see his wisdom, experience, strength and strategic thinking,” Former House Speaker and current U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on X. “Instead, the Journal ignored testimony by Democrats, focused on attacks by Republicans and printed a hit piece.”
Bates said in a statement that the WSJ’s interviews with McCarthy, the only on-record Biden critic in the story, contradicted “his earlier public and private statements about finding the President sharp in their private meetings.”
The Wall Street Journal told The Hill it stands by its reporting.
Concerns over Biden, Trump’s age
Questions surrounding the ages of both presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Biden have loomed over the 2024 presidential election. Biden, at 81, and Trump, at 77, have both made headlines as voters’ concerns grow over their mental acuity.
A New York Times/Siena College survey released in March showed that 73% of registered voters believe Biden is too old to be an effective president, while 42% think Trump is too old.
Meanwhile, according to the latest polling from NewsNation and Decision Desk HQ, Biden’s approval rating is just above 40%, compared to 58% who disapprove.