White House Aides Adjusted To Biden's Cognitive Struggles From Day 1: Report

White House aides reportedly took extensive measures to conceal signs of Joe Biden's mental decline since the outset of his presidency. A report in The Wall Street Journal states that efforts were always made to manage the 82-year-old president's public appearances and workload, including altering his schedule following moments of apparent confusion.

According to the report, Biden's team restricted in-person interactions soon after his inauguration in January 2021. Aides reportedly tailored daily plans around his energy levels, scheduling meetings on his “good days” and postponing others on “bad days.”

The report added that a national security official purportedly told at the time, “He has good days and bad days, and today was a bad day so we're going to address this tomorrow.”

Inside the White House, officials reportedly kept meetings brief and direct, while some cabinet members experienced difficulty securing one-on-one discussions with the president.

Joe Biden's daily engagements were reportedly timed to accommodate a limited window of optimal function, often ending around 4 pm. This scheduling pattern first gained attention during the 2020 presidential campaign when staff admitted Biden struggled outside this timeframe.

To address public concerns, the White House hired voice coach Jeffrey Katzenberg to refine Biden's tone, which had grown faint and raspy. Negative news reports were allegedly removed from his daily briefings to prevent discouragement, despite plummeting approval ratings.

In a statement, Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates refuted the claims saying, “President Biden speaks with members of his cabinet daily, and with most members multiple times a week, staying close with them about implementation of key laws and strengthening our national security.”

Throughout his presidency, indications of difficulty were evident — Joe Biden often relied on notecards, used large-font instructions, occasionally misstated the names of foreign leaders or key details and stumbled when deviating from prepared remarks or his teleprompter. 

During preparations for an interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur regarding classified documents, Joe Biden reportedly struggled to retain his lines and maintain energy levels, requiring extensive preparation over three-hour sessions.

The report also delves into Biden's re-election campaign, where staff reportedly withheld polling data from him and channelled updates through aides. Concerns emerged among campaign staff that First Lady Jill Biden might overshadow the president during public events. Michael LaRosa, her former press secretary, claimed he was told by a senior White House adviser, “The more you talk her up, the more you make him look bad.”

Jill Biden is said to have tried to limit her husband's exposure during press conferences, fearing prolonged questioning might catch him off guard.

Despite the controversies, Bates said in a statement to The New York Post, “During every presidency, there are inevitably some in Washington who do not receive as much time with whomever the president is as they would prefer, but that never means that the president isn't engaging thoroughly with others, as this president does.”