The debate surrounding President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week has largely focused on the election results of whether he will stay or drop out of the presidential race. But one should also question whether he is fit to rule at the moment.
During the debate, Biden asked aides to be suffering from cold — seemed unable to string a sentence together at times, struggled to communicate Democrats’ message on some of the most important issues in the 2024 presidential election, and repeatedly failed to hold former President Donald Trump accountable for his rampant lies.
The performance sparked days of debate over the 81-year-old’s ability to win the election, but before that there were concerns about the president’s age. After Biden defeated Trump in 2020, those concerns were calmed and stayed Dismissed when they start shedding again Earlier this year.
Now, though, there’s no arguing with what everyone who’s watched the debate has seen: a man who doesn’t seem to possess the stamina or mental acuity necessary to handle the notoriously demanding job of running the United States.
Biden has a team Forcefully refuted Any claim that his performance in debate reflects how he is at work, even reports to the contrary, have begun to pile up. on foreign travelinside Personal meetings with current and former officialsand at public events where he wrong word or The clot appearsHe is said to be showing alarming signs of an inability to recall details or communicate clearly.
something Biden’s allies argued It does not matter if the President is capable of carrying out his duties because he is surrounded by competent people. But voters didn’t elect those officials and advisers, and there isn’t a clear picture of how accountable they are for decisions coming from the White House.
That’s why the question is not just whether he should make way for another Democratic nominee, but whether Vice President Kamala Harris should take over the reins before Biden finishes her first term.
Democrats are focused on Biden’s ability to defeat Trump and his ability to serve a second term. They worry that Biden has lumps Just getting worse And in another four years he will deteriorate further. A firestorm surrounds his age Down-ballot candidates are in jeopardy.
However, these concerns also present a strong argument against Biden remaining in office. It’s a conversation that needs to happen, but few are currently discussing it
This raises an urgent question of accountability and transparency: Who is running the country?
A cascade of reports suggests Biden is struggling to do his job
Reports in recent days indicate that Biden may only be able to serve as president for part of the time.
Some White House sources claim that Biden is “reliably engaged.” Between 10 am and 4 pm; Otherwise and on foreign trips, he’s “more likely to make verbal mistakes and get tired,” reports Axios. Both Republican and Democratic members of Congress told the Wall Street Journal That he showed his age in meetings with them, sometimes forgetting his own principles or speaking so quietly that he was not heard.
At a G7 summit in mid-June, he was the only leader who did not attend a less scripted dinner. Although diplomats said he was sharp at times, he repeatedly struggled with his talking points, The Wall Street Journal also reported. On the anniversary of D-Day in June, he also spoke so quietly that reporters covering his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strained to listen as he described what the $225 million the United States is sending to Ukraine would be used for. He said the wrong thing. . It was munitions to protect electrical grids and other targets; He said it was “restructuring the electrical grid”.
Over the past year, several people close to Biden have reached out to former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein Express concern According to CNN political analyst Carl Bernstein, he is losing his train of thought and unable to pick up where he left off, much like he was on the debate stage. In the days following the debate, White House aides disclosed Concerns about the president’s mental health And says they are working without leadership and guidance.
Even former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who defended the late California senator Dianne Feinstein from calls for her resignation over the difficulty of her duties, is now asking what? he told MSNBC A “legitimate question.” Speaking about Biden’s debate performance, he asked, “Is this an episode, or is this a condition?”
Early June CBS/YouGov poll65 percent said he lacked the cognitive ability to be president; After the debate, that number rose to 72 percent. The same share said he should not run for president. By comparison, 49 percent said Trump lacked the cognitive ability to be president.
All presidents rely on a large administration to carry out their policies, but these events raise questions about who he is relying on around him to get the job done. Recent reports suggest there are few people Biden actually listens to. It includes First Lady Jill Biden, her sister Valerie Biden Owens, Ted Kaufman (his longtime friend and former US senator from Delaware), Klein, and Mike Donilon, who has advised him closely since the 1980s. Post-debate (and to the dismay of House Democrats), his son Hunter Biden, who was Convicted of three felony gun charges Happened last month too High level meeting with senior advisors.
Biden is surrounded by a plethora of other aides, but it’s unclear how much influence they even have with members of Biden’s team. As one House Democrat told Axios, “I don’t know who is making the decisions. Why is Biden on the phone with the leadership of Congress?
Of course, no president can be everything at once—he has to rely on his staff for advice and to execute his vision. How much of the Biden administration’s policy comes from Biden’s vision and how much comes from other sources is a matter of debate. And if his closest advisers probably have more influence in the country than usual, they have a personal incentive to encourage Biden to stay in office and seek a second term regardless of his condition: They have the president’s ear; Their power disappeared when he left the White House.
What will happen if Biden leaves office now?
At this point, voters have the only say on whether Biden will be president in the November election. Republicans Concept entertainment To push Biden’s cabinet to bring in the 25th Amendment and remove him from office if he is unable to carry out his duties, their motivations are mostly political and it is not clear that Biden stepping down will help them in November.
If Biden does not voluntarily resign, Harris and most of the cabinet can disqualify him from serving under the 25th Amendment. That would require him to vacate his office, after which Harris would immediately assume the role of acting president. Harris can then nominate someone to be vice president, who must be confirmed by a majority vote in both houses of Congress. If Biden contests the assessment that he is unfit to serve, two-thirds of both chambers of Congress would have to find him fit to be reinstated as president.
However, this would be a virtually unthinkable last resort for Democrats. It is highly likely that Biden will decide to resign without forcing anyone.
For this he should write a simple letter of resignation addressed to the Secretary of State, viz President Richard Nixon did in 1974. Harris would automatically become president.
Harris temporarily stepping down as president means he will likely be the Democratic nominee. It’s the path of least resistance: Unlike other potential replacement nominees, he’ll have immediate access to Biden’s campaign funds, and the party won’t have much time to rally around a new nominee. This is perhaps the most democratic option since he has already been elected by voters nationally, unlike other potential candidates. But it will involve unusual method At the Democratic convention this August.
Dismissing any question of Biden’s resignation, which is not just an election issue, ignores the issue of governance at a time when the Supreme Court Broadly expanding executive powers. The stronger the person at the top, the more confidence voters deserve that they can carry out their duties of office and be held accountable for the promises they make — not just 10 to 4.
