The Mystery of Biden's Debate Cold Just Got More Interesting

We’re seeing a Biden White House besieged by the media, Democratic Party members, and even their own aides as the president’s staff deals with the fallout from his atrocious debate performance last week. We were told he had a cold, one of the many unbelievable reasons, was to blame for Biden’s mentally slow and soporific debate performance. Trump wiped the floor with him. As the president and his campaign put out fires among the donors and top Democratic leaders, Biden is also mulling stepping aside, though for now—he’s determined to carry on. We’ll see how the polling fares once the Independence Day holiday passes. 

Besides phone calls, 20 Democratic governors met with the president yesterday, which Politico described as part mea culpa, part brainstorming session, and part pep rally. The first part is something of a surprise since the Biden campaign has opted to double down, claiming that the president is the healthiest he’s ever been while dismissing or ignoring top donors’ concerns about the president’s mental health. Regarding the electorate, that fate is sealed: three-fourths think he’s too old to be president. Yet, there was another surprise at this governor’s meeting: Biden saw the doctor and didn’t tell anyone about it (via Politico): 

Biden’s disastrous debate performance wasn’t just because of a “cold” anymore. He also had “jet lag.”

KJP assures us these aren't excuses but "explanations." pic.twitter.com/nvUWsPbLsa

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 3, 2024

President Joe Biden on Wednesday evening told more than 20 Democratic governors in a private meeting that he underwent a medical checkup after last week’s debate and is fine, according to three people with knowledge of the discussion. 

During an hour-long meeting prompted by intensifying concerns about his health and political viability, one governor asked Biden about his physical condition. The president mentioned having had a checkup in recent days and asserted that he remains in good health, knocking on wood for effect, according to two of those people, who were granted anonymity to describe a private meeting. 

That statement — in a hastily arranged White House meeting that saw nearly a dozen governors travel to Washington while others participated virtually — came just hours after press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sidestepped direct questions from reporters who asked if he’d been examined since the debate.

“The president has regular annual physicals that we release in a thorough report,” she said. “We’re going to continue to do that.” 

Biden’s remark, according to a person familiar with the president’s schedule, was in reference to a short checkup by a White House physician in the days following the debate due to lingering symptoms from his cold. The exam, that person added, was brief and did not include any major tests. 

Two Democratic governors — Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Janet Mills of Maine — expressed concern to Biden over whether he could still win their blue-leaning states, describing them as competitive, two of the people with knowledge of the discussion said.

Who examined him?
When did this happen?
Where is the medical report?

Journalists now is your chance to show us how you were all just cleverly duped by the White House and didn't just blindly go along with things. pic.twitter.com/mAxGPT8rfU

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 4, 2024

The president says he had a medical exam post debate and no one in media knew about it? https://t.co/PxqjCimMNU

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 4, 2024

🚨Either Biden is lying or Karine Jean-Pierre is — either way the White House credibility crisis just got worse pic.twitter.com/MfjFupfNKR

— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) July 4, 2024

Alas, this is why the media’s refusal to cover the Biden White House aggressively, like reporting on his declining mental health, is essential. Someone probably would have found out about this. Instead, the nation, concerned about Biden’s ability to do the job, was unaware he visited the doctor. As Stephen Miller, aka RedSteeze, tweeted, who did the exam, where’s the report, and when did it happen? Three key questions that now linger, inquiries that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre should be ready for at the next press briefing.