Lawmakers on Biden’s Decline: “Not the Same Person”

(USNewsMag.com) – According to a new report, President Joe Biden, 81, cannot recall the details of his policies during meetings with senior politicians. It seems voters’ fears that Biden can’t handle another term may not be unwarranted.

Though many politicians are noticing Biden is “not the same person” he was when he was vice president are Republicans, some Democrats are also acknowledging Biden’s memory lapses.

According to five people with knowledge of a January meeting between Biden and congressional leaders where funding for Ukraine was discussed, Biden paused frequently and closed his eyes for long durations of time. He also allegedly had to use his notes when speaking about easy topics. While some people with knowledge of the meeting stated Biden mostly stayed out of the discussion, instead deferring to other lawmakers or his staff, National Security Council official Casey Redmon said that during the meeting, Biden turned to his aides twice.

“Uncomfortable” was how someone who attended the meeting described it. However, the Democratic House Minority Leader and New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said, during the meeting, Biden was “incredibly strong, forceful and decisive.”

Biden allegedly confused a policy change undertaken by his administration involving permits for shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) to several countries, calling the policy change a “study” during a February meeting between Biden and the House Speaker and Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson, according to five people familiar with the talk. Johnson criticized Biden during the meeting, claiming Biden’s policy change helps Vladimir Putin, and was dismayed when Biden called the policy change a study, according to those with knowledge of the meeting.

Those repeating Johnson’s side of the story from the February meeting are repeating “a false account,” according to White House spokesman Andrew Bates.

During a meeting between Biden and then-House Speaker and California Rep. Kevin McCarthy in May 2023, McCarthy stated Biden used notes during their discussion. McCarthy has also said that Biden is a very different person than he was over a decade ago when he served as vice president.