Alex Thompson

We had cabinet secretaries, multiple cabinet secretaries tell us that, you know, if there was a crisis at 2 a.m., they would have been worried. They did not have confidence that he would have been a reliable commander in chief with the middle of the night crisis.

We had cabinet secretaries, multiple cabinet secretaries tell us that, you know, if there was a crisis at 2 a.m., they would have been worried. They did not have confidence that he would have been a reliable commander in chief with the middle of the night crisis.

We had cabinet secretaries, multiple cabinet secretaries tell us that, you know, if there was a crisis at 2 a.m., they would have been worried. They did not have confidence that he would have been a reliable commander in chief with the middle of the night crisis.

President Biden's decline? and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth-tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story, and some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows?

President Biden's decline? and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth-tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story, and some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows?

I'm not sure the months were, but I think it was. That's right, Mr. President. And what's happened in the meantime is that as Trump gets elected in November of 2017, 2016, 2016, all right, so

I'm not sure the months were, but I think it was. That's right, Mr. President. And what's happened in the meantime is that as Trump gets elected in November of 2017, 2016, 2016, all right, so

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And in fact, Alex and I started writing this book after the election of 2024. And we spoke with more than 200 people, most of whom, almost all of whom were Democrats, and almost all of whom wouldn't be honest with us or wouldn't be candid with us until after the election.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And in fact, Alex and I started writing this book after the election of 2024. And we spoke with more than 200 people, most of whom, almost all of whom were Democrats, and almost all of whom wouldn't be honest with us or wouldn't be candid with us until after the election.

And then after the election, we found out all of these things that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden, At the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating. But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

And then after the election, we found out all of these things that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden, At the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating. But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

Will you pledge that if you're elected, you will be transparent about your health, all facets of your health, with urgency so that we know? One poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024, and the top reason they gave was your age. You know, that's not a good number for President Biden.

Will you pledge that if you're elected, you will be transparent about your health, all facets of your health, with urgency so that we know? One poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024, and the top reason they gave was your age. You know, that's not a good number for President Biden.

Two-thirds of the American people say he's not sharp enough to be president. Yeah, I mean, how can you use the bully pulpit when you don't have a bully you can put in the pulpit? Okay, so you're part of the 23% of adults who are not concerned about the president's ability to be president because of his age and stamina.

Two-thirds of the American people say he's not sharp enough to be president. Yeah, I mean, how can you use the bully pulpit when you don't have a bully you can put in the pulpit? Okay, so you're part of the 23% of adults who are not concerned about the president's ability to be president because of his age and stamina.

I mean, I know incumbents in general are not popular right now, but do you ever think, maybe we should have a new candidate?

I mean, I know incumbents in general are not popular right now, but do you ever think, maybe we should have a new candidate?

This is a particularly bad week for this report and its comments about President Biden's faculties and his memory to come out because twice this week, he has acted as if he, in 2021, spoke to European leaders who have been dead for years. Part of the job of president is having the confidence of the American people in your faculties.

This is a particularly bad week for this report and its comments about President Biden's faculties and his memory to come out because twice this week, he has acted as if he, in 2021, spoke to European leaders who have been dead for years. Part of the job of president is having the confidence of the American people in your faculties.

You're about to turn 80 next month. Happy birthday. I had a time. Whenever anyone raises concerns about your age, the oldest president in the history of the United States, you always say, watch me. Voters have been watching you. Democratic voters approve of the job you're doing. Democratic voters overwhelmingly like you.

You're about to turn 80 next month. Happy birthday. I had a time. Whenever anyone raises concerns about your age, the oldest president in the history of the United States, you always say, watch me. Voters have been watching you. Democratic voters approve of the job you're doing. Democratic voters overwhelmingly like you.

But one poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024. And the top reason they gave was your age. So what's your message to Democrats who like you, who like what you've done, but are concerned about your age and the demands of the job?

But one poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024. And the top reason they gave was your age. So what's your message to Democrats who like you, who like what you've done, but are concerned about your age and the demands of the job?

That's what I'm saying. That's 77 percent who are concerned.

That's what I'm saying. That's 77 percent who are concerned.

Sorry, okay.

Sorry, okay.

How do you think it makes little kids with stutters feel when they see you make a comment like that?

How do you think it makes little kids with stutters feel when they see you make a comment like that?

It's so amazing.

It's so amazing.

Yeah, I think you were mocking his stutter. And I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline. I would think that somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses. diagnosing politicians from afar. Plenty of people have diagnosed your father from afar, and I'm sure it offends you, your father-in-law from afar.

Yeah, I think you were mocking his stutter. And I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline. I would think that somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses. diagnosing politicians from afar. Plenty of people have diagnosed your father from afar, and I'm sure it offends you, your father-in-law from afar.

I'm sure it offends you. You don't have any standing to say... I'm not diagnosing him.

I'm sure it offends you. You don't have any standing to say... I'm not diagnosing him.

I'm not sure the months were, but I think it was. That's right, Mr. President. And what's happened in the meantime is that as Trump gets elected in November of 2017, 2016, 2016, all right, so

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And in fact, Alex and I started writing this book after the election of 2024. And we spoke with more than 200 people, most of whom, almost all of whom were Democrats, and almost all of whom wouldn't be honest with us or wouldn't be candid with us until after the election.

And then after the election, we found out all of these things that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden, At the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating. But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

Will you pledge that if you're elected, you will be transparent about your health, all facets of your health, with urgency so that we know? One poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024, and the top reason they gave was your age. You know, that's not a good number for President Biden.

Two-thirds of the American people say he's not sharp enough to be president. Yeah, I mean, how can you use the bully pulpit when you don't have a bully you can put in the pulpit? Okay, so you're part of the 23% of adults who are not concerned about the president's ability to be president because of his age and stamina.

I mean, I know incumbents in general are not popular right now, but do you ever think, maybe we should have a new candidate?

This is a particularly bad week for this report and its comments about President Biden's faculties and his memory to come out because twice this week, he has acted as if he, in 2021, spoke to European leaders who have been dead for years. Part of the job of president is having the confidence of the American people in your faculties.

You're about to turn 80 next month. Happy birthday. I had a time. Whenever anyone raises concerns about your age, the oldest president in the history of the United States, you always say, watch me. Voters have been watching you. Democratic voters approve of the job you're doing. Democratic voters overwhelmingly like you.

But one poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024. And the top reason they gave was your age. So what's your message to Democrats who like you, who like what you've done, but are concerned about your age and the demands of the job?

That's what I'm saying. That's 77 percent who are concerned.

Sorry, okay.

How do you think it makes little kids with stutters feel when they see you make a comment like that?

It's so amazing.

Yeah, I think you were mocking his stutter. And I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline. I would think that somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses. diagnosing politicians from afar. Plenty of people have diagnosed your father from afar, and I'm sure it offends you, your father-in-law from afar.

I'm sure it offends you. You don't have any standing to say... I'm not diagnosing him.

President Biden's decline? and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth-tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story, and some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows?

So... I mean, I'm not here to defend coverage that I've already acknowledged. I wish I could do differently. We didn't come on the show thinking that this was going to be a softball interview.

So... I mean, I'm not here to defend coverage that I've already acknowledged. I wish I could do differently. We didn't come on the show thinking that this was going to be a softball interview.

Like, listen, listen. And conservative media absolutely has every right to say anything. We were hip to this, and the legacy media was not. Now, I do not accept that I was part of a cover-up. I do not accept that I was just providing cover for Joe Biden. I think a lot of these clips are not fair. The one that is fair is the Laura Trump clip, and I own it.

Like, listen, listen. And conservative media absolutely has every right to say anything. We were hip to this, and the legacy media was not. Now, I do not accept that I was part of a cover-up. I do not accept that I was just providing cover for Joe Biden. I think a lot of these clips are not fair. The one that is fair is the Laura Trump clip, and I own it.

I think it was considerable. I think Hunter was driving the decision making for the family in a way that people he was almost like a chief of staff of the family.

I think it was considerable. I think Hunter was driving the decision making for the family in a way that people he was almost like a chief of staff of the family.

It's bizarre because I think he is provably, demonstrably unethical, sleazy and prone to horrible decisions.

It's bizarre because I think he is provably, demonstrably unethical, sleazy and prone to horrible decisions.

So... I mean, I'm not here to defend coverage that I've already acknowledged. I wish I could do differently. We didn't come on the show thinking that this was going to be a softball interview.

Like, listen, listen. And conservative media absolutely has every right to say anything. We were hip to this, and the legacy media was not. Now, I do not accept that I was part of a cover-up. I do not accept that I was just providing cover for Joe Biden. I think a lot of these clips are not fair. The one that is fair is the Laura Trump clip, and I own it.

I think it was considerable. I think Hunter was driving the decision making for the family in a way that people he was almost like a chief of staff of the family.

It's bizarre because I think he is provably, demonstrably unethical, sleazy and prone to horrible decisions.

The people that we're naming would be Mike Donilon, Steve Reschetti. Mike Donilon is his top political advisor. Steve Reschetti is his top legislative advisor. Ron Klain, when he was chief of staff. Bruce Reed, his basically longtime policy advisor. Those are sort of the four. They were known as Politburo, Gray Hairs, Poobahs, and they were with him the most of anybody.

The people that we're naming would be Mike Donilon, Steve Reschetti. Mike Donilon is his top political advisor. Steve Reschetti is his top legislative advisor. Ron Klain, when he was chief of staff. Bruce Reed, his basically longtime policy advisor. Those are sort of the four. They were known as Politburo, Gray Hairs, Poobahs, and they were with him the most of anybody.

Now, if you were to ask them, and I still think even if you put them on truth serum today, they would say he was fine. Then there's this other sort of group that aren't the Politburo but are just as powerful. And they were the ones that kept the schedule, affected personnel, and really built the bubble.

Now, if you were to ask them, and I still think even if you put them on truth serum today, they would say he was fine. Then there's this other sort of group that aren't the Politburo but are just as powerful. And they were the ones that kept the schedule, affected personnel, and really built the bubble.

And that would be Annie Tomasini, who was deputy chief of staff and previously Oval Office Operations. And then Anthony Bernal, who was the top aide slash enforcer for First Lady Jill Biden and had incredible influence to the point that even people in the Biden White House would refer to her as one of the most powerful first ladies in history.

And that would be Annie Tomasini, who was deputy chief of staff and previously Oval Office Operations. And then Anthony Bernal, who was the top aide slash enforcer for First Lady Jill Biden and had incredible influence to the point that even people in the Biden White House would refer to her as one of the most powerful first ladies in history.

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And then after the election, we found out all of these things later. that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden at the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And then after the election, we found out all of these things later. that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden at the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating.

But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes.

But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes.

Watch him, right? Watch him. And he... They are watching him. That's what I'm saying.

Watch him, right? Watch him. And he... They are watching him. That's what I'm saying.

Think anybody sitting down for an interview like that where you're being asked specific dates over and over again. You're not going to remember every single one.

Think anybody sitting down for an interview like that where you're being asked specific dates over and over again. You're not going to remember every single one.

I'm sure it offends you. You don't have any standing to say... I'm not diagnosing him.

I'm sure it offends you. You don't have any standing to say... I'm not diagnosing him.

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And in fact, Alex and I started writing this book, after the election of 2024. And we spoke with more than 200 people, most of whom, almost all of whom were Democrats, and almost all of whom wouldn't be honest with us or wouldn't be candid with us until after the election.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And in fact, Alex and I started writing this book, after the election of 2024. And we spoke with more than 200 people, most of whom, almost all of whom were Democrats, and almost all of whom wouldn't be honest with us or wouldn't be candid with us until after the election.

And then after the election, we found out all of these things that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden, At the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating. But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

And then after the election, we found out all of these things that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden, At the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating. But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

Will you pledge that if you're elected, you will be transparent about your health, all facets of your health, with urgency so that we know? Yes. One poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024. and the top reason they gave was your age. You know, that's not a good number for President Biden.

Will you pledge that if you're elected, you will be transparent about your health, all facets of your health, with urgency so that we know? Yes. One poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024. and the top reason they gave was your age. You know, that's not a good number for President Biden.

Two-thirds of the American people say he's not sharp enough to be president. Yeah, I mean, how can you use the bully pulpit when you don't have a bully you can put in the pulpit? Okay, so you're part of the 23% of adults who are not concerned about the president's ability to be president because of his age and stamina.

Two-thirds of the American people say he's not sharp enough to be president. Yeah, I mean, how can you use the bully pulpit when you don't have a bully you can put in the pulpit? Okay, so you're part of the 23% of adults who are not concerned about the president's ability to be president because of his age and stamina.

I mean, I know incumbents in general are not popular right now, but do you ever think, maybe we should have a new candidate? There's a little bit of denialism with the president.

I mean, I know incumbents in general are not popular right now, but do you ever think, maybe we should have a new candidate? There's a little bit of denialism with the president.

This is a particularly bad week for this report and its comments about President Biden's faculties and his memory to come out because twice this week, he has acted as if he in 2021 spoke to European leaders who have been dead for years. Part of the job of president is having the confidence of the American people in your faculties.

This is a particularly bad week for this report and its comments about President Biden's faculties and his memory to come out because twice this week, he has acted as if he in 2021 spoke to European leaders who have been dead for years. Part of the job of president is having the confidence of the American people in your faculties.

The White House's response every single time it has come up for three and a half years has been to deflect, to gaslight, to not tell the truth, not just to reporters, not just to other Democrats, but even at times to themselves.

The White House's response every single time it has come up for three and a half years has been to deflect, to gaslight, to not tell the truth, not just to reporters, not just to other Democrats, but even at times to themselves.

Happy birthday ahead of time. Whenever anyone raises concerns about your age, the oldest president in the history of the United States, you always say, watch me. Voters have been watching you. Democratic voters approve of the job you're doing. Democratic voters overwhelmingly like you. But one poll shows that almost two thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024.

Happy birthday ahead of time. Whenever anyone raises concerns about your age, the oldest president in the history of the United States, you always say, watch me. Voters have been watching you. Democratic voters approve of the job you're doing. Democratic voters overwhelmingly like you. But one poll shows that almost two thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024.

And the top reason they gave was your age. So what's your message to Democrats who like you, who like what you've done, but are concerned about your age and the demands of the job?

And the top reason they gave was your age. So what's your message to Democrats who like you, who like what you've done, but are concerned about your age and the demands of the job?

That's what I'm saying. That's 77 percent who are concerned.

That's what I'm saying. That's 77 percent who are concerned.

So this memory issue is already out there.

So this memory issue is already out there.

How do you think it makes little kids with stutters feel when they see you make a comment like that?

How do you think it makes little kids with stutters feel when they see you make a comment like that?

This is so amazing.

This is so amazing.

Yeah, I think you were mocking his stutter. And I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline. I would think that somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses. diagnosing politicians from afar. Plenty of people have diagnosed your father from afar, and I'm sure it offends you, your father-in-law from afar.

Yeah, I think you were mocking his stutter. And I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline. I would think that somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses. diagnosing politicians from afar. Plenty of people have diagnosed your father from afar, and I'm sure it offends you, your father-in-law from afar.

President Biden's decline. and its cover up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.

President Biden's decline. and its cover up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.

I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust and being defensive about them further erodes it.

I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust and being defensive about them further erodes it.

President Biden's decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth-tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.

President Biden's decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth-tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.

I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust and being defensive about them further erodes it. We should have done better.

I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust and being defensive about them further erodes it. We should have done better.

The people that we're naming would be Mike Donilon, Steve Reschetti. Mike Donilon is his top political advisor. Steve Reschetti is his top legislative advisor. Ron Klain, when he was chief of staff. Bruce Reed, his basically longtime policy advisor. Those are sort of the four. They were known as Politburo, Gray Hairs, Poobahs, and they were with him the most of anybody.

Now, if you were to ask them, and I still think even if you put them on truth serum today, they would say he was fine. Then there's this other sort of group that aren't the Politburo but are just as powerful. And they were the ones that kept the schedule, affected personnel, and really built the bubble.

And that would be Annie Tomasini, who was deputy chief of staff and previously Oval Office Operations. And then Anthony Bernal, who was the top aide slash enforcer for First Lady Jill Biden and had incredible influence to the point that even people in the Biden White House would refer to her as one of the most powerful first ladies in history.

Watch him, right? Watch him. And he... They are watching him. That's what I'm saying.

Think anybody sitting down for an interview like that where you're being asked specific dates over and over again. You're not going to remember every single one.

I'm sure it offends you. You don't have any standing to say... I'm not diagnosing him.

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And in fact, Alex and I started writing this book, after the election of 2024. And we spoke with more than 200 people, most of whom, almost all of whom were Democrats, and almost all of whom wouldn't be honest with us or wouldn't be candid with us until after the election.

And then after the election, we found out all of these things that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden, At the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating. But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

Will you pledge that if you're elected, you will be transparent about your health, all facets of your health, with urgency so that we know? Yes. One poll shows that almost two-thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024. and the top reason they gave was your age. You know, that's not a good number for President Biden.

Two-thirds of the American people say he's not sharp enough to be president. Yeah, I mean, how can you use the bully pulpit when you don't have a bully you can put in the pulpit? Okay, so you're part of the 23% of adults who are not concerned about the president's ability to be president because of his age and stamina.

I mean, I know incumbents in general are not popular right now, but do you ever think, maybe we should have a new candidate? There's a little bit of denialism with the president.

This is a particularly bad week for this report and its comments about President Biden's faculties and his memory to come out because twice this week, he has acted as if he in 2021 spoke to European leaders who have been dead for years. Part of the job of president is having the confidence of the American people in your faculties.

The White House's response every single time it has come up for three and a half years has been to deflect, to gaslight, to not tell the truth, not just to reporters, not just to other Democrats, but even at times to themselves.

Happy birthday ahead of time. Whenever anyone raises concerns about your age, the oldest president in the history of the United States, you always say, watch me. Voters have been watching you. Democratic voters approve of the job you're doing. Democratic voters overwhelmingly like you. But one poll shows that almost two thirds of Democratic voters want a new nominee in 2024.

And the top reason they gave was your age. So what's your message to Democrats who like you, who like what you've done, but are concerned about your age and the demands of the job?

That's what I'm saying. That's 77 percent who are concerned.

So this memory issue is already out there.

How do you think it makes little kids with stutters feel when they see you make a comment like that?

This is so amazing.

Yeah, I think you were mocking his stutter. And I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline. I would think that somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses. diagnosing politicians from afar. Plenty of people have diagnosed your father from afar, and I'm sure it offends you, your father-in-law from afar.

Well, Alex Thompson and I were on the case, as were lots of other reporters, trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But the bottom line is the White House was lying, not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own cabinet. They were lying to White House staffers.

They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten. And then after the election, we found out all of these things later. that when you looked at what was going on with President Biden at the time, it probably doesn't surprise you the extent to which he was deteriorating.

But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes with details that Democrats wouldn't share with us until after Election Day.

But now we have anecdotes and facts about what was really going on behind the scenes.

President Biden's decline. and its cover up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.

I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust and being defensive about them further erodes it.

President Biden's decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth-tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.

I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust and being defensive about them further erodes it. We should have done better.

We get in a little bit to the Biden family lore and the way they look at the world, but there's a lot of not wanting to acknowledge realities.

We get in a little bit to the Biden family lore and the way they look at the world, but there's a lot of not wanting to acknowledge realities.

Well, he was the chief law enforcement officer of the state of Delaware hiding the fact that he was debilitated.

Well, he was the chief law enforcement officer of the state of Delaware hiding the fact that he was debilitated.

And one of the most important parts of understanding Joe Biden is understanding his refusal to accept defeat. And it's, look, it's one of the things that we love about politicians or any sort of public figure. He gets knocked down, he gets back up again. And that's part of the ethos of Joe Biden, right? In this case, he didn't have that.

And one of the most important parts of understanding Joe Biden is understanding his refusal to accept defeat. And it's, look, it's one of the things that we love about politicians or any sort of public figure. He gets knocked down, he gets back up again. And that's part of the ethos of Joe Biden, right? In this case, he didn't have that.

The midterms went better than expected, better than they had for Clinton or Obama in their first terms. Now, I think that a lot of the reason for that was despite Joe Biden, not because of Joe Biden. It was because of and this is according to his own pollsters and people close to him.

The midterms went better than expected, better than they had for Clinton or Obama in their first terms. Now, I think that a lot of the reason for that was despite Joe Biden, not because of Joe Biden. It was because of and this is according to his own pollsters and people close to him.

He did better than everyone thought in the midterms because there was a very engaged Democratic electorate because of the overturning of Roe v. Wade that year. And because Trump had gotten involved in a lot of primaries and backed not the best candidate for the general election, whether Blake Masters in Arizona or Herschel Walker in Georgia. But regardless, yeah, the midterms weren't as bad.

He did better than everyone thought in the midterms because there was a very engaged Democratic electorate because of the overturning of Roe v. Wade that year. And because Trump had gotten involved in a lot of primaries and backed not the best candidate for the general election, whether Blake Masters in Arizona or Herschel Walker in Georgia. But regardless, yeah, the midterms weren't as bad.

And imagine thinking, A, Joe Biden... The Joe Biden we all saw in The View or the BBC interview is capable of being president until January 2029. That's because that's what they think, the Biden first couple and Reschetti and Donilon. That's what they think. And also imagine thinking that the best prebuttal to our book, which quotes extensively the Pre-buttled?

And imagine thinking, A, Joe Biden... The Joe Biden we all saw in The View or the BBC interview is capable of being president until January 2029. That's because that's what they think, the Biden first couple and Reschetti and Donilon. That's what they think. And also imagine thinking that the best prebuttal to our book, which quotes extensively the Pre-buttled?

Extensively quotes Democrats describing what they saw behind the scenes and how much it upset them, that the best way to pre-butt our book is to put him out there. Imagine thinking that. I mean, you know, this isn't an episode of The Twilight Zone where all of a sudden he swims in a pool and emerges with the energy of a 12-year-old. Like, he is still 82 and looks and sounds every day of it.

Extensively quotes Democrats describing what they saw behind the scenes and how much it upset them, that the best way to pre-butt our book is to put him out there. Imagine thinking that. I mean, you know, this isn't an episode of The Twilight Zone where all of a sudden he swims in a pool and emerges with the energy of a 12-year-old. Like, he is still 82 and looks and sounds every day of it.

So as you note, he's not just a movie star. He is a Democrat, a very proud Democrat, and has been involved in some of the biggest fundraisers ever, including in the spring of 2024 at Radio City Music Hall, and then... I think that raised $27 million. Katzenberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg was running the fundraiser. And then he wanted another, Katzenberg wanted another fundraiser.

So as you note, he's not just a movie star. He is a Democrat, a very proud Democrat, and has been involved in some of the biggest fundraisers ever, including in the spring of 2024 at Radio City Music Hall, and then... I think that raised $27 million. Katzenberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg was running the fundraiser. And then he wanted another, Katzenberg wanted another fundraiser.

This one would raise $30 million, which would be the most money ever raised for a Democratic presidential candidate. And Clooney said, sure, tell me where to go. So it's June and Clooney has shown up. He was in Italy filming a movie. He and Julia Roberts are co-hosting this thing. So he's there and he sees Obama walk in and there's Obama, same old Obama. He loves Obama.

This one would raise $30 million, which would be the most money ever raised for a Democratic presidential candidate. And Clooney said, sure, tell me where to go. So it's June and Clooney has shown up. He was in Italy filming a movie. He and Julia Roberts are co-hosting this thing. So he's there and he sees Obama walk in and there's Obama, same old Obama. He loves Obama.

A little grayer, but, you know, same guy. And then Biden walks in and he's shocked. He hasn't seen Biden since December 2022 before he got a Kennedy Center honor, George Clooney. He sees him. He can't believe how slow he's walking, how much he's shuffling. And then Biden walks over and he's saying, hey, how you doing? Thanks for coming. Hey, how you doing?

A little grayer, but, you know, same guy. And then Biden walks in and he's shocked. He hasn't seen Biden since December 2022 before he got a Kennedy Center honor, George Clooney. He sees him. He can't believe how slow he's walking, how much he's shuffling. And then Biden walks over and he's saying, hey, how you doing? Thanks for coming. Hey, how you doing?

Thanks for coming for everybody who's there. And he says, comes over to Clooney and says, hey, how you doing? Thanks for being here. And his aide, Biden's aide says, you know, George. And he's like, yeah, sure. Of course. How you doing? And it becomes very apparent to everyone there that President Biden does not recognize George Clooney.

Thanks for coming for everybody who's there. And he says, comes over to Clooney and says, hey, how you doing? Thanks for being here. And his aide, Biden's aide says, you know, George. And he's like, yeah, sure. Of course. How you doing? And it becomes very apparent to everyone there that President Biden does not recognize George Clooney.

And then the aide has to say, George Clooney, like underlying who this person is, one of the most recognizable faces in the world, the guy who was hosting the fundraiser for you, the guy that you gave a Kennedy Center honor to, the guy you've known for 20 years. And then he's like, sure. Hey, how you doing?

And then the aide has to say, George Clooney, like underlying who this person is, one of the most recognizable faces in the world, the guy who was hosting the fundraiser for you, the guy that you gave a Kennedy Center honor to, the guy you've known for 20 years. And then he's like, sure. Hey, how you doing?

And he wasn't the only one, Clooney and those in that circle who saw something that upset them. Barack Obama saw something. Biden not at his best, where he had to jump in a couple times in these private meetings behind the scenes. And they all just kind of like convinced themselves, look, he's Biden's had a rough travel schedule.

And he wasn't the only one, Clooney and those in that circle who saw something that upset them. Barack Obama saw something. Biden not at his best, where he had to jump in a couple times in these private meetings behind the scenes. And they all just kind of like convinced themselves, look, he's Biden's had a rough travel schedule.

He was in France. Then he was in Delaware for Hunter's trial. Then he's back to Italy for the G7.

He was in France. Then he was in Delaware for Hunter's trial. Then he's back to Italy for the G7.

No, he has Air Force One with a bedroom. Although one of his top aides says to me, like, there's a big difference between Joe Biden getting seven hours and Joe Biden getting eight hours of sleep, which is. OK, that's interesting.

No, he has Air Force One with a bedroom. Although one of his top aides says to me, like, there's a big difference between Joe Biden getting seven hours and Joe Biden getting eight hours of sleep, which is. OK, that's interesting.

It's not a defense. Right. So in any case, Clooney kind of just like goes back to movie world and files it away. It's like, OK, he's old and I guess, you know, he didn't get any sleep and it's been a crazy schedule. But then what happens at the debate? And then Clooney's like, this is what I saw.

It's not a defense. Right. So in any case, Clooney kind of just like goes back to movie world and files it away. It's like, OK, he's old and I guess, you know, he didn't get any sleep and it's been a crazy schedule. But then what happens at the debate? And then Clooney's like, this is what I saw.

So I will say, having watched it on TV, in addition to having watched it in person, it was worse in person. And it's pretty bad on TV. He shuffles out, seems really old. He starts talking. He's obviously got a cold. His voice is already thin and reedy before the cold. So he seems really, really old. I remember thinking like when it started, when he clearly was not, you know, primed and ready.

So I will say, having watched it on TV, in addition to having watched it in person, it was worse in person. And it's pretty bad on TV. He shuffles out, seems really old. He starts talking. He's obviously got a cold. His voice is already thin and reedy before the cold. So he seems really, really old. I remember thinking like when it started, when he clearly was not, you know, primed and ready.

Why did they agree to do this at nine o'clock at night? Having kept Alex's reporting in the back of my mind about how he doesn't, you know, he's sometimes 4.30, that's the end of the workday for him. Why would they do this at nine o'clock at night? And then he gives the first horrible answer, which comes like in the first five or 10 minutes, the one where he says, we beat Medicare.

Why did they agree to do this at nine o'clock at night? Having kept Alex's reporting in the back of my mind about how he doesn't, you know, he's sometimes 4.30, that's the end of the workday for him. Why would they do this at nine o'clock at night? And then he gives the first horrible answer, which comes like in the first five or 10 minutes, the one where he says, we beat Medicare.

Because he's having trouble. It's not just we've all had colds and we've all forgotten names and we've all forgotten names. But this was a man who could not put thoughts together and who could not explain basics of his policy. I'm not a doctor. I can't diagnose what it was. But this was somebody who was not able to communicate like he himself was able to communicate even four years ago.

Because he's having trouble. It's not just we've all had colds and we've all forgotten names and we've all forgotten names. But this was a man who could not put thoughts together and who could not explain basics of his policy. I'm not a doctor. I can't diagnose what it was. But this was somebody who was not able to communicate like he himself was able to communicate even four years ago.

And I was shocked. We had iPads. Dana bashed my co-moderator and I so we could communicate with the control room because we can't talk. And I wrote... Holy smokes. Because I didn't know who was in the control room. I thought maybe, you know.

And I was shocked. We had iPads. Dana bashed my co-moderator and I so we could communicate with the control room because we can't talk. And I wrote... Holy smokes. Because I didn't know who was in the control room. I thought maybe, you know.

Well, I would have said something else. But, you know, I thought maybe Zaslav was there. I didn't want to offend anybody. But like, I was stunned. And then his answers were really bad. And even his best answers were barely serviceable. And it almost didn't even matter. I mean, Trump was Trump, you know, full of...

Well, I would have said something else. But, you know, I thought maybe Zaslav was there. I didn't want to offend anybody. But like, I was stunned. And then his answers were really bad. And even his best answers were barely serviceable. And it almost didn't even matter. I mean, Trump was Trump, you know, full of...

bombast and false claims and, but he was disciplined, you know, say what you will about Donald Trump. The only thing he said about what I think empirically is the very worst debate performance in the history of televised debate since 1960. The only thing Trump said was, I don't understand what he just said there. And I don't think he does either.

bombast and false claims and, but he was disciplined, you know, say what you will about Donald Trump. The only thing he said about what I think empirically is the very worst debate performance in the history of televised debate since 1960. The only thing Trump said was, I don't understand what he just said there. And I don't think he does either.

I don't know if it was humanity as much as when your opponent's blown himself up to get out of the way.

I don't know if it was humanity as much as when your opponent's blown himself up to get out of the way.

I think a lot of us have covered Joe Biden's aging and the accompanying inabilities to do things the way he used to do throughout his presidency. But what we uncovered after the election was over, when all the people that we had been talking to for months and years...

I think a lot of us have covered Joe Biden's aging and the accompanying inabilities to do things the way he used to do throughout his presidency. But what we uncovered after the election was over, when all the people that we had been talking to for months and years...

There is a degree to which Kamala was insurance for Biden. I don't think it was consciously so, but they would... If anybody ever said anything in internal discussions, not to Biden himself, but in internal discussions about should he run, et cetera, the answer was always, if it's not him, it's going to be Kamala Harris. You think she can win? You think she can be president? And that's a...

There is a degree to which Kamala was insurance for Biden. I don't think it was consciously so, but they would... If anybody ever said anything in internal discussions, not to Biden himself, but in internal discussions about should he run, et cetera, the answer was always, if it's not him, it's going to be Kamala Harris. You think she can win? You think she can be president? And that's a...

No, she's less popular than him, which she was until she became the nominee, and less capable.

No, she's less popular than him, which she was until she became the nominee, and less capable.

Well, there are a lot of reasons for that. One of the reasons was – When Biden called Harris on July 21st to tell her that he was dropping out and she was supportive, you know, don't let them chase you out, Joe. And he said, no, I think I've got to do this. It's what's best. You know, are you ready for a kid? And she wanted to do it.

Well, there are a lot of reasons for that. One of the reasons was – When Biden called Harris on July 21st to tell her that he was dropping out and she was supportive, you know, don't let them chase you out, Joe. And he said, no, I think I've got to do this. It's what's best. You know, are you ready for a kid? And she wanted to do it.

They sent over the note that he was going to put on social media. Doesn't mention her. She says, you know, you don't mention me in here.

They sent over the note that he was going to put on social media. Doesn't mention her. She says, you know, you don't mention me in here.

Yeah. And he says, well, I was going to endorse you in an Oval Office address later in the week. So this is Sunday. He was talking about doing this Wednesday or Thursday. And she said that that would be interpreted as weakness. And so the Donnellans and Reschettis and Bidens talked about it and then came back and said, you know what we're going to do? We're going to put out this note.

Yeah. And he says, well, I was going to endorse you in an Oval Office address later in the week. So this is Sunday. He was talking about doing this Wednesday or Thursday. And she said that that would be interpreted as weakness. And so the Donnellans and Reschettis and Bidens talked about it and then came back and said, you know what we're going to do? We're going to put out this note.

And then like 15, 20 minutes later, we're going to put out the note endorsing. And so they did do that. Harris had made calls and was ready to go. Um, she decided she wanted to call, in addition to, obviously, the Clintons and the Obamas, and the Democratic leadership, she wanted to call any possible rival, anybody who might throw their hand into the ring.

And then like 15, 20 minutes later, we're going to put out the note endorsing. And so they did do that. Harris had made calls and was ready to go. Um, she decided she wanted to call, in addition to, obviously, the Clintons and the Obamas, and the Democratic leadership, she wanted to call any possible rival, anybody who might throw their hand into the ring.

And the first person she called, because the one they were the most concerned about, or maybe the one they thought was the most eager or ambitious, was Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania. They called him, but he's on board immediately. And then they call around. The only two of the prospective Democratic...

And the first person she called, because the one they were the most concerned about, or maybe the one they thought was the most eager or ambitious, was Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania. They called him, but he's on board immediately. And then they call around. The only two of the prospective Democratic...

possibilities who don't endorse her that day are Gretchen Whitmer, who is kind of like taken aback by all of it, And J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois. Pritzker kind of calls around that day, is anybody going to run? I think if anybody else had run, maybe Pritzker would have run.

possibilities who don't endorse her that day are Gretchen Whitmer, who is kind of like taken aback by all of it, And J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois. Pritzker kind of calls around that day, is anybody going to run? I think if anybody else had run, maybe Pritzker would have run.

But he certainly was not going to be the only one running against the incumbent vice president, the first ever black woman vice president in history. So by the next day, it was a done deal. Whitmer and Pritzker were on board. Obama announced that he was on board, and that was that.

But he certainly was not going to be the only one running against the incumbent vice president, the first ever black woman vice president in history. So by the next day, it was a done deal. Whitmer and Pritzker were on board. Obama announced that he was on board, and that was that.

And all of the people who had been saying, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, were suddenly willing to talk about what had been going on. But it was only after the election that we were able to get the inside point of view.

And all of the people who had been saying, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, were suddenly willing to talk about what had been going on. But it was only after the election that we were able to get the inside point of view.

They still hate her though, the Bidens.

They still hate her though, the Bidens.

And the other thing from the Obama perspective is that, one, he feels like what he says to Joe Biden isn't heard because, and he's used these words, Joe's still pissed at me about Hillary. He knows. Biden will not listen to him. There was this kind of mythology that some people posited on MSNBC that Obama had gotten George Clooney to write that op-ed, which is not true.

And the other thing from the Obama perspective is that, one, he feels like what he says to Joe Biden isn't heard because, and he's used these words, Joe's still pissed at me about Hillary. He knows. Biden will not listen to him. There was this kind of mythology that some people posited on MSNBC that Obama had gotten George Clooney to write that op-ed, which is not true.

Before that, the only insider point of view we really got was from the Her report, when the special counsel said what he saw behind closed doors, sitting down with Biden for an extended period of time.

Before that, the only insider point of view we really got was from the Her report, when the special counsel said what he saw behind closed doors, sitting down with Biden for an extended period of time.

George wrote it on his own. But beyond that, Obama told him not to publish it, that it was just going to get Biden's backup. So there is a degree to which, A, he thinks like this guy just doesn't listen to me at all. The best thing I can do is just be here and say.

George wrote it on his own. But beyond that, Obama told him not to publish it, that it was just going to get Biden's backup. So there is a degree to which, A, he thinks like this guy just doesn't listen to me at all. The best thing I can do is just be here and say.

No. He checked in on him in 2023 and just tried to reaffirm to Biden how much tougher this was going to be and how tough Trump was going to be. Thought Biden was Biden. Thought Biden was old. Thought Biden was, you know, who he is. But that's the degree to that, that he said anything. He would talk to Schumer. He would talk to Pelosi. He would talk to Hakeem Jeffries. And he would guide them

No. He checked in on him in 2023 and just tried to reaffirm to Biden how much tougher this was going to be and how tough Trump was going to be. Thought Biden was Biden. Thought Biden was old. Thought Biden was, you know, who he is. But that's the degree to that, that he said anything. He would talk to Schumer. He would talk to Pelosi. He would talk to Hakeem Jeffries. And he would guide them

There was the polling became very important to the crowd that was trying to the real top crowd trying to get Biden out of the race. Pelosi, Jeffries, Schumer.

There was the polling became very important to the crowd that was trying to the real top crowd trying to get Biden out of the race. Pelosi, Jeffries, Schumer.

I think what did it are two things. One, Schumer telling Biden about the meeting that the Democratic senators had with the Politburo, with these top aides, in which a lot of people expressed concerns. And ultimately, at the end, John Fetterman, who was a Biden supporter, a dead ender, says, who's with me?

I think what did it are two things. One, Schumer telling Biden about the meeting that the Democratic senators had with the Politburo, with these top aides, in which a lot of people expressed concerns. And ultimately, at the end, John Fetterman, who was a Biden supporter, a dead ender, says, who's with me?

And there were maybe five Democratic senators out of a 51 senator caucus that were with Biden. Schumer told that to Biden and Biden did not know that because Donilon had not told him and Reschetti had not told him. And then the second thing was Mignon Moore, who set up the Democratic National Committee, longtime respected Democratic operative,

And there were maybe five Democratic senators out of a 51 senator caucus that were with Biden. Schumer told that to Biden and Biden did not know that because Donilon had not told him and Reschetti had not told him. And then the second thing was Mignon Moore, who set up the Democratic National Committee, longtime respected Democratic operative,

She had, when she took the job to run the DNC, started this ad hoc committee called the What-If Committee. And that was just to prepare for anything. And one of the things the What-If Committee did was keep track of the delegates, especially after the debate. And the What-If Committee conveyed to Reschetti and Donilon

She had, when she took the job to run the DNC, started this ad hoc committee called the What-If Committee. And that was just to prepare for anything. And one of the things the What-If Committee did was keep track of the delegates, especially after the debate. And the What-If Committee conveyed to Reschetti and Donilon

Biden can still win the nomination at the convention, but it will be tight and it will be ugly. And I think that those two things, your senators have abandoned you because he thought Biden always thought of himself as a creature of the Senate and you can win, but it's going to be a very hideous victory. I think that just convinced him.

Biden can still win the nomination at the convention, but it will be tight and it will be ugly. And I think that those two things, your senators have abandoned you because he thought Biden always thought of himself as a creature of the Senate and you can win, but it's going to be a very hideous victory. I think that just convinced him.

Plus, by the way, he made this decision while he was really sick with COVID, which could not have encouraged him that he was up to this over the next few weeks.

Plus, by the way, he made this decision while he was really sick with COVID, which could not have encouraged him that he was up to this over the next few weeks.

Before that, it was all a lot of, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine. But now, Alex and I have spoke with more than 200 people after the election, and unencumbered by their fears of, if I say this, then Joe Biden won't get elected or Kamala Harris won't get elected. they were much more candid.

Before that, it was all a lot of, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine. But now, Alex and I have spoke with more than 200 people after the election, and unencumbered by their fears of, if I say this, then Joe Biden won't get elected or Kamala Harris won't get elected. they were much more candid.

Look, I'm 56. I am not capable of doing things that I could do when I was 35. And I don't just mean, you know, running up and down a basketball court. Like I'm not as cognitively sharp now. Am I wiser? Sure. So I get that argument. But at a certain point, when I have aged past my cell date, CNN will show me the door or whoever I'm working for at the time.

Look, I'm 56. I am not capable of doing things that I could do when I was 35. And I don't just mean, you know, running up and down a basketball court. Like I'm not as cognitively sharp now. Am I wiser? Sure. So I get that argument. But at a certain point, when I have aged past my cell date, CNN will show me the door or whoever I'm working for at the time.

But the presidency and politics in general is the only world in which there is no one, no boss to do that. It is the voters. It's up to the voters and the voters can be snookered in an era of tribalism. They can be told it doesn't matter if so-and-so is a kumquat. All that matters is that he's not the other guy.

But the presidency and politics in general is the only world in which there is no one, no boss to do that. It is the voters. It's up to the voters and the voters can be snookered in an era of tribalism. They can be told it doesn't matter if so-and-so is a kumquat. All that matters is that he's not the other guy.

And so we are not only in a gerontocracy, we're in a gerontocracy where tribalism makes it easier to do. I mean, it's still amazing to me that after everything that happened with Biden, Kay Granger, who was the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, somehow managed to quietly step down from leadership and then just check herself into a home for dementia.

And so we are not only in a gerontocracy, we're in a gerontocracy where tribalism makes it easier to do. I mean, it's still amazing to me that after everything that happened with Biden, Kay Granger, who was the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, somehow managed to quietly step down from leadership and then just check herself into a home for dementia.

while still drawing a congressional salary as if she was showing up to work every day. And Republicans in Congress, some of them knew about it, and they would just say, oh, it's so sad, it's so sad. Yes, it's very sad. But also, why is she drawing a congressional salary?

while still drawing a congressional salary as if she was showing up to work every day. And Republicans in Congress, some of them knew about it, and they would just say, oh, it's so sad, it's so sad. Yes, it's very sad. But also, why is she drawing a congressional salary?

And look, it's very important that folks were noting that, you know, he tripped on stage at a graduation at the Air Force Academy. But comparing that to him not being able to conjure forth the name of George Clooney or recognize George Clooney, somebody he'd known for decades and somebody throwing him the most lucrative fundraiser in the history of the Democratic Party.

And look, it's very important that folks were noting that, you know, he tripped on stage at a graduation at the Air Force Academy. But comparing that to him not being able to conjure forth the name of George Clooney or recognize George Clooney, somebody he'd known for decades and somebody throwing him the most lucrative fundraiser in the history of the Democratic Party.

Those are two different things. Noting that he, you know, mistakenly thought that in 2021, he'd had a conversation with Francois Mitterrand as opposed to Emmanuel Macron. We all saw that and we noted it and we talked about it. But that compared to him not knowing the name of one of his top advisors in December 2022, There's a difference.

Those are two different things. Noting that he, you know, mistakenly thought that in 2021, he'd had a conversation with Francois Mitterrand as opposed to Emmanuel Macron. We all saw that and we noted it and we talked about it. But that compared to him not knowing the name of one of his top advisors in December 2022, There's a difference.

And what we found by writing this book was that everything that we saw was going on in front of the camera. It was much worse behind the scenes.

And what we found by writing this book was that everything that we saw was going on in front of the camera. It was much worse behind the scenes.

There's also, um, a couple other things to unpack with that. One is that the issues that animated Joe Biden the most in his presidency were national security issues, was NATO, was the Middle East, was Ukraine, Russia. And so I don't doubt that he was most engaged and also that those meetings when they scheduled them were in peak performance time, noon, one o'clock.

There's also, um, a couple other things to unpack with that. One is that the issues that animated Joe Biden the most in his presidency were national security issues, was NATO, was the Middle East, was Ukraine, Russia. And so I don't doubt that he was most engaged and also that those meetings when they scheduled them were in peak performance time, noon, one o'clock.

But the other thing that Blinken says... Hang on, Jake.

But the other thing that Blinken says... Hang on, Jake.

Not a couple, but 10 to 4 is what Alex's reporting was in 2023. And that, I think, is even generous because he was not in the Oval Office every day from 10 until 4.

Not a couple, but 10 to 4 is what Alex's reporting was in 2023. And that, I think, is even generous because he was not in the Oval Office every day from 10 until 4.

And you hear this argument a lot from not just the Politburo, which is what some of the administration came to calling Tom Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, the two top aides, and not just the first family's eyes and ears, Anthony Bernal and Annie Tomasini. But what... Others would say, oh, his decision-making was always fine. His decision-making was always fine. Okay.

And you hear this argument a lot from not just the Politburo, which is what some of the administration came to calling Tom Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, the two top aides, and not just the first family's eyes and ears, Anthony Bernal and Annie Tomasini. But what... Others would say, oh, his decision-making was always fine. His decision-making was always fine. Okay.

The job of the president is not just decision-making.

The job of the president is not just decision-making.

One top aide said to us, the job is making hard decisions and communicating them to the American people. And this aide said, he was always able to do number one. Number two was a struggle, and it got worse throughout his presidency. But number two is... So much. Yes, you want the person to be able to make good decisions, but you also they need to persuade. They need to cajole.

One top aide said to us, the job is making hard decisions and communicating them to the American people. And this aide said, he was always able to do number one. Number two was a struggle, and it got worse throughout his presidency. But number two is... So much. Yes, you want the person to be able to make good decisions, but you also they need to persuade. They need to cajole.

They need to be able to the American people need to have faith in this person. Our Western leaders need to have faith in this person. And he lost a lot of that.

They need to be able to the American people need to have faith in this person. Our Western leaders need to have faith in this person. And he lost a lot of that.

Yeah. And if it hadn't been for COVID, who knows if that would have even worked in 2020. I mean, COVID, as one aide told us, was a huge tragedy and disaster for the American people, but a gift to Biden in 2020 because it enabled him to basically have a very inactive campaign schedule that was largely dependent on him doing Zooms.

Yeah. And if it hadn't been for COVID, who knows if that would have even worked in 2020. I mean, COVID, as one aide told us, was a huge tragedy and disaster for the American people, but a gift to Biden in 2020 because it enabled him to basically have a very inactive campaign schedule that was largely dependent on him doing Zooms.

No. No. And in fact, so in October 2023 is the last cabinet meeting, I think, until September 2024. And that period begins what one cabinet secretary of several we spoke with described as the weird period. where they were kept at bay. They didn't get a chance to interact with the president. There were exceptions to this, Blinken, the Secretary of State, and Austin, the Secretary of Defense.

No. No. And in fact, so in October 2023 is the last cabinet meeting, I think, until September 2024. And that period begins what one cabinet secretary of several we spoke with described as the weird period. where they were kept at bay. They didn't get a chance to interact with the president. There were exceptions to this, Blinken, the Secretary of State, and Austin, the Secretary of Defense.

But for the most part, a lot of these secretaries were just completely kept at arm's length. And one of them said that during that period, spring of 2024, the secretary did have a meeting with Biden, and he was mumbly, and incoherent and difficult to understand. And this person left the cabinet, that meeting, this cabinet secretary left that meeting upset and disturbed. But no one came forward.

But for the most part, a lot of these secretaries were just completely kept at arm's length. And one of them said that during that period, spring of 2024, the secretary did have a meeting with Biden, and he was mumbly, and incoherent and difficult to understand. And this person left the cabinet, that meeting, this cabinet secretary left that meeting upset and disturbed. But no one came forward.

When they would complain internally, they were told he's fine, be quiet. And this is a real large, this is a larger topic for

When they would complain internally, they were told he's fine, be quiet. And this is a real large, this is a larger topic for

what we all need to reckon with when it comes to the American presidency today and the degree to which one person is bestowed with so much power and surrounded by individuals whose own power depends on that person maintaining power regardless of whether or not it's good for the White House, the party, or the country. But that power and the fear of what happens.

what we all need to reckon with when it comes to the American presidency today and the degree to which one person is bestowed with so much power and surrounded by individuals whose own power depends on that person maintaining power regardless of whether or not it's good for the White House, the party, or the country. But that power and the fear of what happens.

Look at Robert Herr came forward, did his job. He wasn't able to get a job for months. Dean Phillips came forward, said, Joe Biden should be challenged in the primaries. He's not up to this. He was essentially defenestrated. I mean, there was a real price to coming forward.

Look at Robert Herr came forward, did his job. He wasn't able to get a job for months. Dean Phillips came forward, said, Joe Biden should be challenged in the primaries. He's not up to this. He was essentially defenestrated. I mean, there was a real price to coming forward.

A lot of the tools that may have started out innocently enough for Joe Biden, every White House, indeed any successful person, is surrounded by people to help make them look as good as possible. Right. So a lot of those tools, note cards and teleprompter, et cetera, that were put there innocently enough for a 79-year-old president at the beginning of his term,

A lot of the tools that may have started out innocently enough for Joe Biden, every White House, indeed any successful person, is surrounded by people to help make them look as good as possible. Right. So a lot of those tools, note cards and teleprompter, et cetera, that were put there innocently enough for a 79-year-old president at the beginning of his term,

became crutches, and ultimately tools of the cover-up by the end. Because if you are a president, if you're 81 years old, and you're not able to go into a room full of donors and speak extemporaneously for 10 minutes, then there's something wrong. And that was happening in 2023. And Bill Daley, former Obama chief of staff, he went to one of those and he was distressed.

became crutches, and ultimately tools of the cover-up by the end. Because if you are a president, if you're 81 years old, and you're not able to go into a room full of donors and speak extemporaneously for 10 minutes, then there's something wrong. And that was happening in 2023. And Bill Daley, former Obama chief of staff, he went to one of those and he was distressed.

He tried to get other Democrats to run in the primary against Joe Biden. He reached out to Pritzker. He reached out to Newsom or Beshear. And nobody would do it. It's a fool's errand to take on an incumbent president in a primary, generally speaking. But... People saw this and they were disturbed. So, again, some things might start off like, look, we're just trying to help the president.

He tried to get other Democrats to run in the primary against Joe Biden. He reached out to Pritzker. He reached out to Newsom or Beshear. And nobody would do it. It's a fool's errand to take on an incumbent president in a primary, generally speaking. But... People saw this and they were disturbed. So, again, some things might start off like, look, we're just trying to help the president.

He wants a teleprompter. No big deal. All of a sudden, he can't answer questions at a fundraiser in 2023.

He wants a teleprompter. No big deal. All of a sudden, he can't answer questions at a fundraiser in 2023.

We get in a little bit to the Biden family lore and the way they look at the world, but there's a lot of not wanting to acknowledge realities.

Well, he was the chief law enforcement officer of the state of Delaware hiding the fact that he was debilitated.

And one of the most important parts of understanding Joe Biden is understanding his refusal to accept defeat. And it's, look, it's one of the things that we love about politicians or any sort of public figure. He gets knocked down, he gets back up again. And that's part of the ethos of Joe Biden, right? In this case, he didn't have that.

The midterms went better than expected, better than they had for Clinton or Obama in their first terms. Now, I think that a lot of the reason for that was despite Joe Biden, not because of Joe Biden. It was because of and this is according to his own pollsters and people close to him.

He did better than everyone thought in the midterms because there was a very engaged Democratic electorate because of the overturning of Roe v. Wade that year. And because Trump had gotten involved in a lot of primaries and backed not the best candidate for the general election, whether Blake Masters in Arizona or Herschel Walker in Georgia. But regardless, yeah, the midterms weren't as bad.

And imagine thinking, A, Joe Biden... The Joe Biden we all saw in The View or the BBC interview is capable of being president until January 2029. That's because that's what they think, the Biden first couple and Reschetti and Donilon. That's what they think. And also imagine thinking that the best prebuttal to our book, which quotes extensively the Pre-buttled?

Extensively quotes Democrats describing what they saw behind the scenes and how much it upset them, that the best way to pre-butt our book is to put him out there. Imagine thinking that. I mean, you know, this isn't an episode of The Twilight Zone where all of a sudden he swims in a pool and emerges with the energy of a 12-year-old. Like, he is still 82 and looks and sounds every day of it.

So as you note, he's not just a movie star. He is a Democrat, a very proud Democrat, and has been involved in some of the biggest fundraisers ever, including in the spring of 2024 at Radio City Music Hall, and then... I think that raised $27 million. Katzenberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg was running the fundraiser. And then he wanted another, Katzenberg wanted another fundraiser.

This one would raise $30 million, which would be the most money ever raised for a Democratic presidential candidate. And Clooney said, sure, tell me where to go. So it's June and Clooney has shown up. He was in Italy filming a movie. He and Julia Roberts are co-hosting this thing. So he's there and he sees Obama walk in and there's Obama, same old Obama. He loves Obama.

A little grayer, but, you know, same guy. And then Biden walks in and he's shocked. He hasn't seen Biden since December 2022 before he got a Kennedy Center honor, George Clooney. He sees him. He can't believe how slow he's walking, how much he's shuffling. And then Biden walks over and he's saying, hey, how you doing? Thanks for coming. Hey, how you doing?

Thanks for coming for everybody who's there. And he says, comes over to Clooney and says, hey, how you doing? Thanks for being here. And his aide, Biden's aide says, you know, George. And he's like, yeah, sure. Of course. How you doing? And it becomes very apparent to everyone there that President Biden does not recognize George Clooney.

And then the aide has to say, George Clooney, like underlying who this person is, one of the most recognizable faces in the world, the guy who was hosting the fundraiser for you, the guy that you gave a Kennedy Center honor to, the guy you've known for 20 years. And then he's like, sure. Hey, how you doing?

And he wasn't the only one, Clooney and those in that circle who saw something that upset them. Barack Obama saw something. Biden not at his best, where he had to jump in a couple times in these private meetings behind the scenes. And they all just kind of like convinced themselves, look, he's Biden's had a rough travel schedule.

He was in France. Then he was in Delaware for Hunter's trial. Then he's back to Italy for the G7.

No, he has Air Force One with a bedroom. Although one of his top aides says to me, like, there's a big difference between Joe Biden getting seven hours and Joe Biden getting eight hours of sleep, which is. OK, that's interesting.

It's not a defense. Right. So in any case, Clooney kind of just like goes back to movie world and files it away. It's like, OK, he's old and I guess, you know, he didn't get any sleep and it's been a crazy schedule. But then what happens at the debate? And then Clooney's like, this is what I saw.

So I will say, having watched it on TV, in addition to having watched it in person, it was worse in person. And it's pretty bad on TV. He shuffles out, seems really old. He starts talking. He's obviously got a cold. His voice is already thin and reedy before the cold. So he seems really, really old. I remember thinking like when it started, when he clearly was not, you know, primed and ready.

Why did they agree to do this at nine o'clock at night? Having kept Alex's reporting in the back of my mind about how he doesn't, you know, he's sometimes 4.30, that's the end of the workday for him. Why would they do this at nine o'clock at night? And then he gives the first horrible answer, which comes like in the first five or 10 minutes, the one where he says, we beat Medicare.

Because he's having trouble. It's not just we've all had colds and we've all forgotten names and we've all forgotten names. But this was a man who could not put thoughts together and who could not explain basics of his policy. I'm not a doctor. I can't diagnose what it was. But this was somebody who was not able to communicate like he himself was able to communicate even four years ago.

And I was shocked. We had iPads. Dana bashed my co-moderator and I so we could communicate with the control room because we can't talk. And I wrote... Holy smokes. Because I didn't know who was in the control room. I thought maybe, you know.

Well, I would have said something else. But, you know, I thought maybe Zaslav was there. I didn't want to offend anybody. But like, I was stunned. And then his answers were really bad. And even his best answers were barely serviceable. And it almost didn't even matter. I mean, Trump was Trump, you know, full of...

bombast and false claims and, but he was disciplined, you know, say what you will about Donald Trump. The only thing he said about what I think empirically is the very worst debate performance in the history of televised debate since 1960. The only thing Trump said was, I don't understand what he just said there. And I don't think he does either.

I don't know if it was humanity as much as when your opponent's blown himself up to get out of the way.

I think a lot of us have covered Joe Biden's aging and the accompanying inabilities to do things the way he used to do throughout his presidency. But what we uncovered after the election was over, when all the people that we had been talking to for months and years...

There is a degree to which Kamala was insurance for Biden. I don't think it was consciously so, but they would... If anybody ever said anything in internal discussions, not to Biden himself, but in internal discussions about should he run, et cetera, the answer was always, if it's not him, it's going to be Kamala Harris. You think she can win? You think she can be president? And that's a...

No, she's less popular than him, which she was until she became the nominee, and less capable.

Well, there are a lot of reasons for that. One of the reasons was – When Biden called Harris on July 21st to tell her that he was dropping out and she was supportive, you know, don't let them chase you out, Joe. And he said, no, I think I've got to do this. It's what's best. You know, are you ready for a kid? And she wanted to do it.

They sent over the note that he was going to put on social media. Doesn't mention her. She says, you know, you don't mention me in here.

Yeah. And he says, well, I was going to endorse you in an Oval Office address later in the week. So this is Sunday. He was talking about doing this Wednesday or Thursday. And she said that that would be interpreted as weakness. And so the Donnellans and Reschettis and Bidens talked about it and then came back and said, you know what we're going to do? We're going to put out this note.

And then like 15, 20 minutes later, we're going to put out the note endorsing. And so they did do that. Harris had made calls and was ready to go. Um, she decided she wanted to call, in addition to, obviously, the Clintons and the Obamas, and the Democratic leadership, she wanted to call any possible rival, anybody who might throw their hand into the ring.

And the first person she called, because the one they were the most concerned about, or maybe the one they thought was the most eager or ambitious, was Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania. They called him, but he's on board immediately. And then they call around. The only two of the prospective Democratic...

possibilities who don't endorse her that day are Gretchen Whitmer, who is kind of like taken aback by all of it, And J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois. Pritzker kind of calls around that day, is anybody going to run? I think if anybody else had run, maybe Pritzker would have run.

But he certainly was not going to be the only one running against the incumbent vice president, the first ever black woman vice president in history. So by the next day, it was a done deal. Whitmer and Pritzker were on board. Obama announced that he was on board, and that was that.

And all of the people who had been saying, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine, were suddenly willing to talk about what had been going on. But it was only after the election that we were able to get the inside point of view.

They still hate her though, the Bidens.

And the other thing from the Obama perspective is that, one, he feels like what he says to Joe Biden isn't heard because, and he's used these words, Joe's still pissed at me about Hillary. He knows. Biden will not listen to him. There was this kind of mythology that some people posited on MSNBC that Obama had gotten George Clooney to write that op-ed, which is not true.

Before that, the only insider point of view we really got was from the Her report, when the special counsel said what he saw behind closed doors, sitting down with Biden for an extended period of time.

George wrote it on his own. But beyond that, Obama told him not to publish it, that it was just going to get Biden's backup. So there is a degree to which, A, he thinks like this guy just doesn't listen to me at all. The best thing I can do is just be here and say.

No. He checked in on him in 2023 and just tried to reaffirm to Biden how much tougher this was going to be and how tough Trump was going to be. Thought Biden was Biden. Thought Biden was old. Thought Biden was, you know, who he is. But that's the degree to that, that he said anything. He would talk to Schumer. He would talk to Pelosi. He would talk to Hakeem Jeffries. And he would guide them

There was the polling became very important to the crowd that was trying to the real top crowd trying to get Biden out of the race. Pelosi, Jeffries, Schumer.

I think what did it are two things. One, Schumer telling Biden about the meeting that the Democratic senators had with the Politburo, with these top aides, in which a lot of people expressed concerns. And ultimately, at the end, John Fetterman, who was a Biden supporter, a dead ender, says, who's with me?

And there were maybe five Democratic senators out of a 51 senator caucus that were with Biden. Schumer told that to Biden and Biden did not know that because Donilon had not told him and Reschetti had not told him. And then the second thing was Mignon Moore, who set up the Democratic National Committee, longtime respected Democratic operative,

She had, when she took the job to run the DNC, started this ad hoc committee called the What-If Committee. And that was just to prepare for anything. And one of the things the What-If Committee did was keep track of the delegates, especially after the debate. And the What-If Committee conveyed to Reschetti and Donilon

Biden can still win the nomination at the convention, but it will be tight and it will be ugly. And I think that those two things, your senators have abandoned you because he thought Biden always thought of himself as a creature of the Senate and you can win, but it's going to be a very hideous victory. I think that just convinced him.

Plus, by the way, he made this decision while he was really sick with COVID, which could not have encouraged him that he was up to this over the next few weeks.

Before that, it was all a lot of, he's fine, he's fine, he's fine. But now, Alex and I have spoke with more than 200 people after the election, and unencumbered by their fears of, if I say this, then Joe Biden won't get elected or Kamala Harris won't get elected. they were much more candid.

Look, I'm 56. I am not capable of doing things that I could do when I was 35. And I don't just mean, you know, running up and down a basketball court. Like I'm not as cognitively sharp now. Am I wiser? Sure. So I get that argument. But at a certain point, when I have aged past my cell date, CNN will show me the door or whoever I'm working for at the time.

But the presidency and politics in general is the only world in which there is no one, no boss to do that. It is the voters. It's up to the voters and the voters can be snookered in an era of tribalism. They can be told it doesn't matter if so-and-so is a kumquat. All that matters is that he's not the other guy.

And so we are not only in a gerontocracy, we're in a gerontocracy where tribalism makes it easier to do. I mean, it's still amazing to me that after everything that happened with Biden, Kay Granger, who was the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, somehow managed to quietly step down from leadership and then just check herself into a home for dementia.

while still drawing a congressional salary as if she was showing up to work every day. And Republicans in Congress, some of them knew about it, and they would just say, oh, it's so sad, it's so sad. Yes, it's very sad. But also, why is she drawing a congressional salary?

And look, it's very important that folks were noting that, you know, he tripped on stage at a graduation at the Air Force Academy. But comparing that to him not being able to conjure forth the name of George Clooney or recognize George Clooney, somebody he'd known for decades and somebody throwing him the most lucrative fundraiser in the history of the Democratic Party.

Those are two different things. Noting that he, you know, mistakenly thought that in 2021, he'd had a conversation with Francois Mitterrand as opposed to Emmanuel Macron. We all saw that and we noted it and we talked about it. But that compared to him not knowing the name of one of his top advisors in December 2022, There's a difference.

And what we found by writing this book was that everything that we saw was going on in front of the camera. It was much worse behind the scenes.

There's also, um, a couple other things to unpack with that. One is that the issues that animated Joe Biden the most in his presidency were national security issues, was NATO, was the Middle East, was Ukraine, Russia. And so I don't doubt that he was most engaged and also that those meetings when they scheduled them were in peak performance time, noon, one o'clock.

But the other thing that Blinken says... Hang on, Jake.

Not a couple, but 10 to 4 is what Alex's reporting was in 2023. And that, I think, is even generous because he was not in the Oval Office every day from 10 until 4.

And you hear this argument a lot from not just the Politburo, which is what some of the administration came to calling Tom Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, the two top aides, and not just the first family's eyes and ears, Anthony Bernal and Annie Tomasini. But what... Others would say, oh, his decision-making was always fine. His decision-making was always fine. Okay.

The job of the president is not just decision-making.

One top aide said to us, the job is making hard decisions and communicating them to the American people. And this aide said, he was always able to do number one. Number two was a struggle, and it got worse throughout his presidency. But number two is... So much. Yes, you want the person to be able to make good decisions, but you also they need to persuade. They need to cajole.

They need to be able to the American people need to have faith in this person. Our Western leaders need to have faith in this person. And he lost a lot of that.

Yeah. And if it hadn't been for COVID, who knows if that would have even worked in 2020. I mean, COVID, as one aide told us, was a huge tragedy and disaster for the American people, but a gift to Biden in 2020 because it enabled him to basically have a very inactive campaign schedule that was largely dependent on him doing Zooms.

No. No. And in fact, so in October 2023 is the last cabinet meeting, I think, until September 2024. And that period begins what one cabinet secretary of several we spoke with described as the weird period. where they were kept at bay. They didn't get a chance to interact with the president. There were exceptions to this, Blinken, the Secretary of State, and Austin, the Secretary of Defense.

But for the most part, a lot of these secretaries were just completely kept at arm's length. And one of them said that during that period, spring of 2024, the secretary did have a meeting with Biden, and he was mumbly, and incoherent and difficult to understand. And this person left the cabinet, that meeting, this cabinet secretary left that meeting upset and disturbed. But no one came forward.

When they would complain internally, they were told he's fine, be quiet. And this is a real large, this is a larger topic for

what we all need to reckon with when it comes to the American presidency today and the degree to which one person is bestowed with so much power and surrounded by individuals whose own power depends on that person maintaining power regardless of whether or not it's good for the White House, the party, or the country. But that power and the fear of what happens.

Look at Robert Herr came forward, did his job. He wasn't able to get a job for months. Dean Phillips came forward, said, Joe Biden should be challenged in the primaries. He's not up to this. He was essentially defenestrated. I mean, there was a real price to coming forward.

A lot of the tools that may have started out innocently enough for Joe Biden, every White House, indeed any successful person, is surrounded by people to help make them look as good as possible. Right. So a lot of those tools, note cards and teleprompter, et cetera, that were put there innocently enough for a 79-year-old president at the beginning of his term,

became crutches, and ultimately tools of the cover-up by the end. Because if you are a president, if you're 81 years old, and you're not able to go into a room full of donors and speak extemporaneously for 10 minutes, then there's something wrong. And that was happening in 2023. And Bill Daley, former Obama chief of staff, he went to one of those and he was distressed.

He tried to get other Democrats to run in the primary against Joe Biden. He reached out to Pritzker. He reached out to Newsom or Beshear. And nobody would do it. It's a fool's errand to take on an incumbent president in a primary, generally speaking. But... People saw this and they were disturbed. So, again, some things might start off like, look, we're just trying to help the president.

He wants a teleprompter. No big deal. All of a sudden, he can't answer questions at a fundraiser in 2023.

They're just like you guys. You guys should not have believed us so easily. And I thought that was like a really interesting. But I also think that's true. I think I think the media in a lot of ways just was not skeptical enough and did not remember the lesson that they do it to different degrees. But every White House lies.

They're just like you guys. You guys should not have believed us so easily. And I thought that was like a really interesting. But I also think that's true. I think I think the media in a lot of ways just was not skeptical enough and did not remember the lesson that they do it to different degrees. But every White House lies.

Yes. Other campaigns have used fake town halls. Now, I would say those town halls usually are in addition to real town halls.

Yes. Other campaigns have used fake town halls. Now, I would say those town halls usually are in addition to real town halls.

Joe Biden was doing neither. This fake town hall was in order to film it so they could make it into campaign commercials. They filmed it in Delaware with supporters. But Joe Biden at this point, this is the spring of 2024, Joe Biden's town hall, which was closed to press, was so bad that campaign officials determined that it was not usable for a campaign commercial.

Joe Biden was doing neither. This fake town hall was in order to film it so they could make it into campaign commercials. They filmed it in Delaware with supporters. But Joe Biden at this point, this is the spring of 2024, Joe Biden's town hall, which was closed to press, was so bad that campaign officials determined that it was not usable for a campaign commercial.

So they took 90 minutes, two hours out of the president's day. They filmed an entire town hall and they determined that it was not usable.

So they took 90 minutes, two hours out of the president's day. They filmed an entire town hall and they determined that it was not usable.

You know, they they will say that the threat of Donald Trump made it so he didn't really have a choice. And that being said, just given what we've seen of their actions and how they acted after the debate, I think he would have run anyway.

You know, they they will say that the threat of Donald Trump made it so he didn't really have a choice. And that being said, just given what we've seen of their actions and how they acted after the debate, I think he would have run anyway.

I think that's a pretty good justification for wanting to come. They're afraid for their lives. And should it be applied in an even-handed way? That's an easy question. Our foreign policy doesn't require even-handedness. It requires prioritizing the interests of the United States.

I think that's a pretty good justification for wanting to come. They're afraid for their lives. And should it be applied in an even-handed way? That's an easy question. Our foreign policy doesn't require even-handedness. It requires prioritizing the interests of the United States.

Well, no, I would say that the United States... That would seem to be a very easy thing to say. The United States has a right to pick and choose who they allow into the United States. Even based on the color of somebody's skin, you're saying? You're the one that's talking about the color of their skin, not me.

Well, no, I would say that the United States... That would seem to be a very easy thing to say. The United States has a right to pick and choose who they allow into the United States. Even based on the color of somebody's skin, you're saying? You're the one that's talking about the color of their skin, not me.

These are people whose farms were being burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin.

These are people whose farms were being burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin.

Can I respond?

Can I respond?

Well, first of all, your regret for voting for me confirms I'm doing a good job based on what I know.

Well, first of all, your regret for voting for me confirms I'm doing a good job based on what I know.

Can I respond, Mr. Chairman?

Can I respond, Mr. Chairman?

Well, Mr. Chairman... Secretary, please... Well, I'd like to... I can't respond to everything he said because much of these are untrue, but I'll go through a few. First of all, I'm actually very proud of the work we've done with USAID. For example, I don't regret cutting $10 million for male circumcisions in Mozambique. I don't know how that makes us stronger and more prosperous as a nation.

Well, Mr. Chairman... Secretary, please... Well, I'd like to... I can't respond to everything he said because much of these are untrue, but I'll go through a few. First of all, I'm actually very proud of the work we've done with USAID. For example, I don't regret cutting $10 million for male circumcisions in Mozambique. I don't know how that makes us stronger and more prosperous as a nation.

I don't regret psychosocial support services for USAID. I raised Sudan, Mr. Secretary, not Mozambique.

I don't regret psychosocial support services for USAID. I raised Sudan, Mr. Secretary, not Mozambique.

Well, I can go on. I mean, there's other things here. We spent $227,000 for Big Cat's YouTube channel from USAID. We spent $14 million for social cohesion in Mali, whatever the hell that means. So I can go on and on. I got the list here. I didn't even bring the whole list. In the case of El Salvador, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Well, I can go on. I mean, there's other things here. We spent $227,000 for Big Cat's YouTube channel from USAID. We spent $14 million for social cohesion in Mali, whatever the hell that means. So I can go on and on. I got the list here. I didn't even bring the whole list. In the case of El Salvador, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.

We deported gang members, gang members, including the one that you had a margarita with. And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger, and that, and.

We deported gang members, gang members, including the one that you had a margarita with. And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger, and that, and.

It was interesting. I had one conversation with someone. This was after the election while we were reporting this book. And this person said, listen, yes, we deserve blame for X, Y, Z. We were hiding him. But this person also sort of got in my face and they said, listen, the media deserves some blame, too. And we were sort of amazed at some of the stuff we were able to spin and get on.

It was interesting. I had one conversation with someone. This was after the election while we were reporting this book. And this person said, listen, yes, we deserve blame for X, Y, Z. We were hiding him. But this person also sort of got in my face and they said, listen, the media deserves some blame, too. And we were sort of amazed at some of the stuff we were able to spin and get on.

I'm curious about what his advisers were saying at the time as you look at this, as you reported out this book.

I'm curious about what his advisers were saying at the time as you look at this, as you reported out this book.

You have an entire White House press corps, though, following him around. And I'm just curious as to whether or not this kind of trying to hide what was happening with the president at the time had an impact on the press corps. Like, why didn't we hear some of these details from what they actually saw?

You have an entire White House press corps, though, following him around. And I'm just curious as to whether or not this kind of trying to hide what was happening with the president at the time had an impact on the press corps. Like, why didn't we hear some of these details from what they actually saw?

Dealing with trying to get information.

Dealing with trying to get information.

They're just like you guys. You guys should not have believed us so easily. And I thought that was like a really interesting. But I also think that's true. I think I think the media in a lot of ways just was not skeptical enough and did not remember the lesson that they do it to different degrees. But every White House lies.

Yes. Other campaigns have used fake town halls. Now, I would say those town halls usually are in addition to real town halls.

Joe Biden was doing neither. This fake town hall was in order to film it so they could make it into campaign commercials. They filmed it in Delaware with supporters. But Joe Biden at this point, this is the spring of 2024, Joe Biden's town hall, which was closed to press, was so bad that campaign officials determined that it was not usable for a campaign commercial.

So they took 90 minutes, two hours out of the president's day. They filmed an entire town hall and they determined that it was not usable.

You know, they they will say that the threat of Donald Trump made it so he didn't really have a choice. And that being said, just given what we've seen of their actions and how they acted after the debate, I think he would have run anyway.

I think that's a pretty good justification for wanting to come. They're afraid for their lives. And should it be applied in an even-handed way? That's an easy question. Our foreign policy doesn't require even-handedness. It requires prioritizing the interests of the United States.

Well, no, I would say that the United States... That would seem to be a very easy thing to say. The United States has a right to pick and choose who they allow into the United States. Even based on the color of somebody's skin, you're saying? You're the one that's talking about the color of their skin, not me.

These are people whose farms were being burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin.

Can I respond?

Well, first of all, your regret for voting for me confirms I'm doing a good job based on what I know.

Can I respond, Mr. Chairman?

Well, Mr. Chairman... Secretary, please... Well, I'd like to... I can't respond to everything he said because much of these are untrue, but I'll go through a few. First of all, I'm actually very proud of the work we've done with USAID. For example, I don't regret cutting $10 million for male circumcisions in Mozambique. I don't know how that makes us stronger and more prosperous as a nation.

I don't regret psychosocial support services for USAID. I raised Sudan, Mr. Secretary, not Mozambique.

Well, I can go on. I mean, there's other things here. We spent $227,000 for Big Cat's YouTube channel from USAID. We spent $14 million for social cohesion in Mali, whatever the hell that means. So I can go on and on. I got the list here. I didn't even bring the whole list. In the case of El Salvador, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.

We deported gang members, gang members, including the one that you had a margarita with. And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger, and that, and.

It was interesting. I had one conversation with someone. This was after the election while we were reporting this book. And this person said, listen, yes, we deserve blame for X, Y, Z. We were hiding him. But this person also sort of got in my face and they said, listen, the media deserves some blame, too. And we were sort of amazed at some of the stuff we were able to spin and get on.

I'm curious about what his advisers were saying at the time as you look at this, as you reported out this book.

You have an entire White House press corps, though, following him around. And I'm just curious as to whether or not this kind of trying to hide what was happening with the president at the time had an impact on the press corps. Like, why didn't we hear some of these details from what they actually saw?

Dealing with trying to get information.