{"id":2407775,"date":"2025-02-28T07:03:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T12:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-and-media-rekindle-biden-age-debate-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T07:04:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T12:04:59","slug":"democrats-and-media-rekindle-biden-age-debate-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-and-media-rekindle-biden-age-debate-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats and media rekindle Biden age debate &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-and-media-rekindle-biden-age-debate-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2407775&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the renewed debate surrounding President Joe\u200b BidenS age and fitness for office, sparked by former aides and a \u2062forthcoming book by journalists Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper. Former White house press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described a\u2063 &#8220;firing squad&#8221; within the Democratic Party that sought to push Biden out of the presidential race,reflecting a broader concern among\u2063 Democrats regarding his ability to run for a\u2062 second term given \u2064his \u2062age. \u2062 <\/p>\n<p>The piece details how <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">initial media coverage downplayed questions<\/a> about Biden&#8217;s age, attributing them \u200dto partisan bias. Though, after a disastrous debate with Trump, concerns about Biden&#8217;s advanced age \u2064became more pronounced, with\u2063 many Democrats feeling he was a political liability heading into the election. Polls indicate a \u2063strong desire among younger Democrats\u2062 for a \u200ddifferent nominee,\u2062 highlighting generational\u2064 tensions within the party.<\/p>\n<p>Key figures, including\u2062 Democratic \u2063strategist David Axelrod, acknowledged the toll that the \u200bpresidency takes and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-pennsylvania-newspaper-blasts-fetterman-his-excuses-to-get-out-of-debate-do-not-cut-it\/\" title=\"Top Pennsylvania Newspaper Blasts Fetterman: His Excuses To Get Out Of ... Do Not \u2018Cut It\u2019\">raised legitimate concerns<\/a> about Biden&#8217;s capabilities as he approaches \u200cthe age of 86. As\u2064 the media is scrutinized for its \u200dapproach to covering the administration, the\u2063 piece suggests that Biden&#8217;s decision to run for reelection is increasingly viewed as a mistake, though his supporters argue that he is uniquely positioned to defeat Trump based on past successes.\u200d The article \u200bcaptures the ongoing internal conflict within\u200b the Democratic Party as they grapple with\u200c the implications of Biden&#8217;s candidacy for the 2024 \u200delection.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Democrats and media rekindle Biden age debate<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2021786\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The debate over how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Democrats<\/a> and the media handled questions about former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Joe Biden&rsquo;<\/a>s age-related decline has been reopened by former aides and a forthcoming book.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">White House <\/a>press secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/karine-jean-pierre\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Karine Jean-Pierre<\/a> described a Democratic &ldquo;firing squad&rdquo; forcing her boss out of the presidential race. &ldquo;I had never seen a party do that in the way that they did,&rdquo; she said at the Harvard Institute of Politics. &ldquo;And it was hurtful and sad to see that happening. A firing squad around a person who I believe was a true patriot, a person who I believe did everything he can for this country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Now lots of people have terrible debates,&rdquo; top former Biden adviser Michael Donilon said at the same forum, mentioning President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a> and former Presidents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ronald-reagan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Ronald Reagan<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Barack Obama<\/a>. &ldquo;Usually, the party doesn&rsquo;t lose its mind. But that&rsquo;s what happened here. It melted down.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>These takes from Biden loyalists have circulated amid news that journalists Alex Thompson of <em>Axios <\/em>and Jake Tapper of CNN are publishing a book, due out in May, titled <em>Original Sin: President Biden&rsquo;s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again<\/em>. Tapper was a co-moderator of the Biden-Trump debate and has faced questions about his own handling of the Biden age question in the past.<\/p>\n<p>Biden held an early debate with Trump to shore up Democrats&rsquo; confidence in his ability to wage an effective reelection campaign. Instead, the debate was a disaster that produced the opposite result. Democrats who had been nervous about Biden were now apoplectic and those who had believed he was fine were deeply shocked.<\/p>\n<p>Until Democrats were ready to show Biden the door after the debate, the tone of most media coverage suggested that questions about his age, mental acuity, and overall fitness for office were largely the product of partisan deception. When the <em>Wall Street Journal <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/podcasts\/the-journal\/behind-closed-doors-bidens-age-is-showing\/ac31b8a6-9bb7-4e00-a258-646927503f52\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reported<\/a> that Biden was starting to show his age even behind closed doors &mdash;&nbsp;Democrats often maintained that is where the 46th president really shined &mdash; the newspaper was slammed for relying too heavily on Republicans for on-the-record quotes.<\/p>\n<p>Then, when Biden became a clear political liability for Democrats, the coverage turned notably more hostile, and stories began to stream out detailing concerns about his advanced age. Already the oldest president in history, Biden was seeking a second term that would keep him in the Oval Office past his 86th birthday. Democrats were now ready to pull the plug on this experiment, fearing a landslide loss in November.<\/p>\n<p>Rank-and-file Democrats thought Biden was too old even before he decided to run for reelection, much less enter a pre-convention debate against Trump. A 2022 <em>New York Times<\/em>-Siena College poll found that 94% of Democrats under 30 wanted a different presidential nominee. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just going to come out and say it: I want younger blood,&rdquo; a 38-year-old preschool teacher in northern Michigan told the newspaper at the time. &ldquo;I am so tired of all old people running our country. I don&rsquo;t want someone knocking on death&rsquo;s door.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Occasionally, this sentiment was expressed even by elite Democrats. &ldquo;The presidency is a monstrously taxing job and the stark reality is the president would be closer to 90 than 80 at the end of a second term, and that would be a major issue,&rdquo; David Axelrod, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-biden-adviser-departing-white-house-at-months-end\/\" title=\"...s top adviser leaving White House soon.\">longtime senior adviser<\/a> to Obama, said in June 2022. &ldquo;He looks his age and isn&rsquo;t as agile in front of a camera as he once was, and this has fed a narrative about competence that isn&rsquo;t rooted in reality.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The second part of Axelrod&rsquo;s quote indicated that the Democratic strategist wasn&rsquo;t ready to question Biden&rsquo;s ability to serve. It was nevertheless an early warning sign that Obamaworld might cut bait if Biden faltered.<\/p>\n<p>Deeper anxieties about whether Biden was in decline were mostly sequestered in the conservative media. Other outlets amplified the Biden White House&rsquo;s spin that videos of him wandering around aimlessly or giving barely coherent answers to questions were deceptively edited &ldquo;cheap fakes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <em>New York Times <\/em>ran a story about Biden being plagued by &ldquo;the distorted, online version of himself, a product of often misleading videos that play into and reinforce voters&rsquo; longstanding concerns about his age and abilities.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A <em>New York Times <\/em>review of these videos found that some were short and taken out of context, while other clips were cropped in a way that omitted crucial details when compared to additional footage,&rdquo; the outlet concluded.<\/p>\n<p>Both the <em>Washington Post <\/em>and NBC News defended an eyebrow-raising Biden Juneteenth appearance shortly before the debate by saying the then-president doesn&rsquo;t dance. The <em>Washington Post <\/em>gave conservatives and Republicans circulating the clips &ldquo;four Pinnochios&rdquo; in a piece headlined &ldquo;&lsquo;Cheapfake Biden videos enrapture right-wing media, but deeply mislead,&rdquo; while NBC&rsquo;s headline was &ldquo;Misleading GOP videos of Biden are going viral. The fact-checks have trouble keeping up.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>An <em>Associated Press <\/em>fact-checker took issue with footage showing Obama gently leading Biden off the stage at a Hollywood fundraiser, which soon became an apt metaphor for the 2024 presidential campaign. But actor George Clooney later wrote in an op-ed that the Biden he personally saw at this particular event was &ldquo;the same man we all witnessed at the debate.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>All these arguments are returning as the media faces scrutiny over how it covers the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">current administration<\/a> and Democrats plot their return to power.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3220424\/how-democrats-can-adjust-to-avoid-future-defeats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>DEMOCRATS WEIGH CHANGE IN STRATEGY TO AVOID MIDTERM AND 2028 DEFEATS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>That Biden should never have attempted to run for reelection is now the conventional wisdom, though his loyalists point to former Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo;s defeat as a sign he was abandoned prematurely. &ldquo;He believed he was the best person to beat Trump, and the truth is, as we sit here today, he is the only person who has ever beat Trump,&rdquo; Donilon recently said of Biden. &ldquo;No one else has ever done it.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The recriminations of the 2024 campaign continue.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2021786\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2021786\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats and media reignite Biden age discussion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2659,"featured_media":2407776,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25020571619974.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[38901,3620,3685,4188,32076],"class_list":["post-2407775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-age-debate","tag-biden","tag-democrats","tag-media","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25020571619974.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2407775"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2407779,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407775\/revisions\/2407779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2407776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2407775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2407775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2407775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}