Photographs from a White House briefing on Wednesday show that US President Joe Biden knew which order to call reporters in, and was given advance notice of their questions. The 80-year-old president has been ridiculed for relying on such notes before, with opponents arguing that his cognitive capacity is declining.
A folded sheet of paper in Biden’s hand informed the president that Los Angeles Times reporter Courtney Subramanian would ask him “How are YOU squaring YOUR domestic priorities – like reshoring semiconductors manufacturing – with alliance-based foreign policy?”
The sheet included a picture of Subramanian and a guide on the pronunciation of her name, while informing Biden that he should call on her first. Biden did call on Subramanian first, who phrased her question slightly differently than the guide suggested.
Further photos from the event showed that Biden was instructed to say that he’s “never been more optimistic about the country’s future,” and to boast about his efforts to “protect freedoms, ensure dignity and respect.” Another angle showed a note reminding Biden that “YOU” would be present at a preparatory session ahead of the briefing.
Biden has previously admitted that his aides give him lists “of the people I’m going to call on” before meeting the press, a practice that has rankled reporters. “The press can’t really do its job in the briefing room if the White House is picking and choosing the questions they want,” one correspondent told the Daily Beast in 2021. “That’s not really a free press at all.”
Biden was snapped using a list of canned “Tough Putin Q&A Talking Points” during a news conference after he seemingly advocated for regime change in Russia last March. Despite being told what to say, Biden ended up wandering off-script and repeating that the Russian president “shouldn’t be in power.”
Three months later, Biden accidentally flashed another cheat sheet to reporters, this one containing precise instructions guiding him through every minute of a news conference. “YOU enter the Roosevelt Room and say hello to participants,” the card began, also reminding the president “YOU take YOUR seat” before reporters arrived.
Biden’s reliance on prepared answers, his aversion to press briefings, and his visible confusion during public appearances have all been cited by his Republican opponents as proof of his declining mental acuity. Biden announced on Tuesday that he will seek re-election in 2024; however, a Reuters poll published the same day found that 61% of registered Democrats consider him too old for the job.