Members of President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden’s inner circle have been working for at least a year to conceal the aging commander in chief’s cognitive decline from the public, according to a shocking new report.
There has been heightened scrutiny over the 81-year-old Biden’s ability to continue in the Oval Office in the wake of his disastrous debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump in June.
Now, The Wall Street Journal reports that Biden’s inner circle, consisting of senior advisers Anita Dunn, Steve Ricchetti, Mike Donilon, Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, have been working as “guardians for the president.”
Meanwhile, Biden insists that only “the Lord Almighty” can convince him to drop out of the presidential race.
Biden’s conduct behind closed doors, in the Oval Office, on Air Force One and in meetings around the world is described in much the same way by those who regularly see him in action.
Questions continue to arise about Biden’s cognitive decline following his debate performance
Left: Anita Dunn, a top Biden administration official, has been called the president’s top campaigner. Right: Mike Donlion is Biden’s top campaign strategist ahead of the 2024 election.
He is usually sharp and focused, but he also has moments, especially at the end of the night, when his thoughts seem jumbled and he runs out of words mid-sentence or appears confused.
Sometimes he misses the finer details of policies. Sometimes he forgets people’s names, stares blankly and moves slowly around the room.
According to the WSJ article, Tomasini’s work within the administration “goes far beyond serving the president.” The article does not go into detail.
The Boston native’s work with Biden dates back to 2009, when she served as deputy press secretary to the then-vice president.
Her current roles are senior advisor and deputy chief of staff.
Speaking to the Journal, White House spokesman Andrew Bates confirmed that both the president and Anita Dunn have “disdain” for some members of the media.
According to her official profiles, Dunn is listed as a senior advisor. 2024 CNN Report He called the University of Maryland graduate “Biden’s fighter-in-chief.”
Dunn has been inflexible Since the debate, there is no chance that Biden will drop out of the race.
Mike Donlion, another member of Biden’s inner circle dating back to the Obama administration, is the president’s chief re-election campaign strategist.
Ricchetti is also a holdover from the Obama administration and now serves as a senior adviser to Biden.
Steve Ricchetti, an adviser to President Joe Biden, is one of many holdovers from the Obama administration
Left: Annie Tomasini, deputy chief of staff in the Oval Office, is pictured here on July 5. Right: Anthony Bernal, considered one of the most important voices in Dr. Jill Biden’s inner circle
Bernal also dates back to the Obama era, when he served as a special assistant to Dr. Jill Biden before taking on the role of travel planner for the then-vice president. Since Biden’s 2020 election victory, Bernal has worked as a senior adviser to the First Lady.
The newspaper report mentions a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in June 2022, which never took place, as an example of the group’s work.
Biden’s non-appearance surprised Scholz. In his place was Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Another example occurred in an incident in New York City in the fall of 2023, when Biden stumbled over a question about the Middle East, prompting his advisers to step in and help him by whispering in his ear.
At a similar event last summer, Biden took no questions and was described by attendees as “frail,” at one point forgetting the word for veteran.
The White House is back in firm damage control mode after it was revealed that Biden’s personal physician met with a prominent neurologist and Parkinson’s specialist at the White House.
Biden’s personal physician, Kevin O’Connor, broke with protocol on Monday by releasing a letter explaining why Dr. Kevin Cannard visited the White House eight times in eight months.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added fuel to the fire on Monday by saying the president had seen a neurologist three times.
Cannard is a movement disorders specialist at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland.
Later Monday, O’Connor released a letter with permission from Biden and Cannard and confirmed that Cannard had been the neurologist who evaluated the president in each of his three physical exams since taking office.
But most of Cannard’s visits to the White House were in his role as a specialist attached to the White House Medical Unit, where he treated patients with a wide range of neurological problems for a dozen years, O’Connor said.
He said Cannard “has conducted regular neurology clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active duty service members assigned to support White House operations.”
“Many military personnel experience neurological problems related to their service, and Dr. Canard regularly visits WHMU as part of this General Neurology practice,” which may explain some of the visits,” he added.
Cannard made similar trips to the White House during the Obama administration, according to visitor logs, and during the Trump administration, which did not release visitor logs, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Cannard had a visit with Biden’s personal physician in January at the White House residence clinic, weeks before the president’s physical in February.
O’Connor repeated that the findings of that physical examination did not detect signs of any neurological disorder.
“President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical exam,” O’Connor said in her letter.
He also endorsed Cannard for his work at the White House during his appearances.
