The New York Times editorial board on Friday pressed President Joe Biden to "do better" at showing Americans he can rely on his wits and not lean on the assistance of "teleprompters and aides" to get through the 2024 presidential election.
"He must do better. The stakes in this presidential election are too high for Mr. Biden to hope that he can skate through a campaign with the help of teleprompters and aides and somehow defeat as manifestly unfit an opponent as Donald Trump, who has a very real chance of retaking the White House," The Times editorial board wrote.
The column comes days after Special Counsel Robert Hur published a report on the then-vice president's possession of classified documents where he determined that Biden posed "serious risks to national security" with his possession of classified documents.
Ultimately, however, Hur decided against charges because the president presents himself as an "elderly man with a poor memory" who would draw sympathy from the jury.
Noting Hur's report, The Times went on to say that "Biden's allies are already going to the usual Washington playbook of dismissing the special counsel's report as partisan."
"Regardless of Mr. Hur's motivation, the details that he presented spoke to worries voters already had," The Times continued. "The president has to reassure and build confidence with the public by doing things that he has so far been unwilling to do convincingly. He needs to be out campaigning with voters far more in unrehearsed interactions."
During a presser on Thursday, preceding The Times' column, Biden pushed back on the notion that age had affected his cognition.
"I'm well-meaning," Biden said, "and I'm an elderly man and I know what the hell I'm doing. I've been president; I put this country back on its feet. I don't need his recommendation."
During the press conference, the president grew angrier with every question about his age.
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
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