In a scathing editorial on Wednesday, The New York Post condemned journalists who, the newspaper argues, played a crucial role in covering up President Joe Biden’s mental decline during his presidency. The editorial charges that many media outlets failed to hold the Biden administration accountable for mounting concerns about his fitness for office, instead downplaying or outright dismissing legitimate questions about his cognitive health.
As Biden prepares to leave office, his administration’s handling of concerns about his mental acuity has come under renewed scrutiny, particularly in light of his declining performance during the 2024 presidential race. The New York Postclaims that journalists who defended Biden and dismissed doubts about his health should be held responsible for misleading the public and failing to do their jobs as objective reporters.
The New York Post argues that many reporters saw the same evidence that the public did — signs of Biden’s mental decline — but chose to ignore or obscure it for political reasons. Rather than raising legitimate questions about the president’s cognitive health, many journalists treated concerns as right-wing conspiracy theories. The Post’s editorial board criticized the media for failing to ask the tough questions that the American public deserved answers to.
“Dem-friendly journalists saw the same evidence as the rest of us that Biden was compromised,” the editorial reads, “and instead of being skeptical, asking questions, and putting the White House’s feet to the fire — doing their jobs — they joined the crusade to gaslight America.”
Throughout his presidency, the media repeatedly ran to Biden’s defense whenever speculation arose about his mental sharpness. Journalists downplayed reports from Special Counsel Robert Hur, who described Biden as “well-meaning but forgetful,” and ignored viral videos showing him looking confused or disoriented. When The Wall Street Journal published a report about Biden’s faltering demeanor behind the scenes, the White House pushed back hard — and many in the press parroted the administration’s talking points.
As Biden’s cognitive struggles became more apparent, particularly after his disastrous performance in the June presidential debate, the media continued to protect him. The New York Post argues that many journalists, “spineless” and “in-the-tank,” acted as propagandists for Biden’s team until it became impossible to ignore the president’s mental decline.
The editorial goes on to say that journalists’ failure to address the concerns surrounding Biden’s health is part of a broader crisis in media trust. In the aftermath of the debate, which many saw as a turning point in the 2024 race, media outlets continued to downplay or dismiss the issue, even though it was evident to many that Biden was struggling. The Post claims that these media defenses have now backfired, leaving journalists with “shredded credibility.”
According to Gallup polling, Americans’ confidence in the media has fallen to near record levels, with only 26% of Americans expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the press. This decline in public trust has been fueled in part by the media’s failure to critically examine the Biden administration, particularly on issues related to the president’s health and fitness for office.
The New York Post insists that journalists who defended Biden and obscured his mental decline must be held accountable. “No one who perpetuated, concealed or ignored this grotesque scandal should ever live it down,” the editorial concludes.
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