As Joe Biden prepares to leave office on Monday, allegations of a years-long effort to obscure his cognitive decline have resurfaced, raising questions about the role of Democratic leaders and the media in shaping public perception.
Among those facing criticism is House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday and was pressed about his past statements supporting Biden’s re-election bid.
During the interview, host Kristen Welker confronted Jeffries with a clip from February 2024 in which he described Biden as “definitely the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump.”
Welker then asked directly, “What do you say to Americans who believe you and other top Democrats misled them?”
Jeffries responded by emphasizing Biden’s role as the incumbent at the time, stating, “Well, Joe Biden was the incumbent president at the time. He was the candidate at the time. And I supported him at the time. And that was the right thing to do based on the incumbent president making the decision that he was going to run. Obviously things changed in late June and early July.”
He added, “But I think what’s most important at this moment is not for us to look backwards, but to look forward, solve problems for hard-working American taxpayers, and get things done. That’s what the American people want to happen.”
Welker pushed further, asking whether Jeffries and other Democrats had a responsibility to be more transparent about Biden’s condition.
Jeffries avoided addressing the question directly, instead pivoting to Biden’s accomplishments.
“What I saw behind closed doors was a president who was working hard to get things done to deliver for the American people on infrastructure, on driving down the high price of life-saving prescription drugs, on bringing domestic manufacturing jobs back home to the United States of America,” Jeffries said.
He continued, “It’s important to understand that President Biden inherited three different catastrophes on Day One: a democracy catastrophe, a public health catastrophe, and an economic catastrophe, all at the same time, and worked hard to put America in the strongest possible position moving forward.”
Critics argue that Democratic leaders and media outlets played an active role in downplaying or dismissing concerns about Biden’s cognitive abilities, prioritizing political interests over transparency.
The issue has been described by some as one of the most significant political scandals in recent history.
Over the years, multiple instances of Biden’s public gaffes and misstatements fueled speculation about his mental fitness.
Despite this, media outlets largely avoided in-depth coverage, and Democratic leaders repeatedly dismissed concerns as unfounded.
As Biden’s tenure comes to an end, some lawmakers and political analysts believe the lack of transparency has damaged public trust.
The perception of a coordinated effort to shield the president’s vulnerabilities has left many questioning the credibility of those involved.
With Biden stepping down and Trump set to take office again, the fallout from this controversy could have long-term implications for the Democratic Party and its relationship with the media.
For many Americans, the scandal has reinforced skepticism about the motives of political and media elites.
While Jeffries emphasized moving forward during his interview, calls for accountability and transparency continue to grow.
