The White House is seething after a yearlong investigation into President Biden's handling of classified documents painted a scathing portrait of an "elderly man with a poor memory." A last-minute press conference that sought to convince people that the president is far from that description pretty much backfired, and some are calling this moment a boon for Donald Trump.
So two things: Special counsel Robert Hur's findings, though heavily editorialized, are not great for Biden. His angry response, during which he once again mixed up names and appeared bitterly defensive, was yet another stumble for the 81-year-old president, an age, like it or not, that qualifies as elderly. (This isn't the devil's math; it's fact.) I am of the humble opinion that to disagree with these points, as many Biden supporters have done, is to dabble in a bizarre fantasy that ignores the president's ongoing record of fumbles, gaffes, and yes, apparent memory lapses. Does this mean I don't question the twice-impeached racist plague's mental faculties? Absolutely not; that man's mind genuinely frightens me.
But is this truly a "gold mine" for the Trump campaign, as some Democratic strategists are warning? My colleague Abby Vesoulis talked to one insider who, speaking on the condition of anonymity, called Thursday "Trump’s best day since Biden has been president." But I have some trouble believing this. After all, are there any Trump voters out there who aren't already questioning Biden's age and faculties? As for independents, did they require a special counsel's report to inform them of what is already widely perceived?
In all honesty, I don't think the report evinced much. But I can't say the same thing for Biden's reaction, which came across as resentful and sad.
—Inae Oh
