I wonder if the current obsession with President Biden’s mental acuity is just another well-engineered distraction—one that conveniently emerges every time Donald Trump finds himself in another pickle, especially when the corruption is too public to ignore.
The political gossip machine is doing a disservice to a man who has dedicated his life to serving the nation. I’m the same age as Joe Biden, so I have some appreciation for the mental strain he’s under. We’ve seen, time and again, that the presidency takes a heavy toll. Every president has aged dramatically while in office. It is mentally and physically exhausting to maintain informed oversight of hundreds of complex issues while navigating the strategy and tactics of political life.
What we’re seeing in Biden is not cognitive decline, but mental exhaustion. Speaking personally: at 82, I can still teach the subjects I know, write with some proficiency, and carry on informed conversations about a wide range of topics. But I’m retired. I’m not responsible for running a major organization—much less an entire country.
Trump, by contrast, doesn’t appear to suffer from the same fatigue. Why? Because he doesn’t burden himself with the work of governance. He doesn’t show much curiosity about issues beyond his own self-interest. He plays at being president. He plays golf. He signs executive orders like they’re props. He spins losses as wins, failures as successes, and chaos as intention. And he does it well enough to convince millions that he’s just the person they want. A lifelong huckster has become a folk hero—for reasons I still don’t entirely understand.
We forget too quickly what Biden and his team have accomplished. Under his leadership, the United States emerged from the deepest post-COVID recession faster than any other nation. Inflation, though painful, was a global issue—not Biden’s creation. The difference is that we brought inflation down without triggering a recession, maintained record-high employment, spurred investment across sectors, and built an economy envied around the world.
All of this while facing relentless opposition from a MAGA movement committed to undermining his every step.
What does Joe Biden deserve from us? He deserves gratitude—for a life of service, for guiding the country through a successful COVID recovery, for initiating a bold rebuilding of our infrastructure, for revitalizing American industry, and for standing up for working people.
And if, by chance, he is experiencing cognitive decline, let it be. He has earned retirement with honor—and in peace.