Former President Joe Biden pushed back forcefully Thursday against widespread claims of cognitive decline during the final year of his presidency, calling recent book allegations “wrong” in his first TV interview since leaving office. Appearing with his wife, Jill Biden, on The View, the 46th president dismissed reports from insider-sourced books and defended his capacity during his time in the White House.
“There’s nothing to sustain that,” Biden said when asked about claims of mental deterioration. “They are wrong.”
The question, posed by co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, referenced books reportedly sourced from Democrat insiders who painted a picture of a steep decline in Biden’s mental acuity. Biden, however, blamed the chaotic state of the nation when he assumed office, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest, and inherited challenges.
Jill Biden jumped in to try to defend her husband’s performance, saying critics weren’t in the White House and didn’t witness his daily work ethic. “He’d get up, he put in a full day… It’s the White House,” she said. “Joe worked really hard.”
Despite Biden’s insistence, speculation about his cognitive state has grown in recent months, fueled by special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation, which concluded Biden could not be charged over his handling of classified documents because a jury would see him as a “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”
These claims, along with Biden’s public gaffes and growing calls from within his party for new leadership, culminated in his withdrawal from the 2024 race. As Trump surged in national polling, Democrats faced increasing pressure to reassess their leadership and campaign strategy.
While Biden and his defenders continue to push back on concerns about his age and acuity, the release of Hur’s interview audio and ongoing scrutiny of his presidency may continue to dominate headlines as 2025 unfolds.
