’Rigor mortis’: Joe Biden’s worrying decline exposed

There are new claims that far from a one-off, Joe Biden has had worrying mental episodes as many as 20 times in the past few years.

Concerns about US President Joe Biden’s sharpness were first noticed almost a year ago and unsettling episodes have occurred on 15, or potentially as many as 20, occasions, a senior journalist has claimed.

Talking to CNN, legendary journalist Carl Bernstein, who found fame reporting on the Watergate presidential scandal of the 1960s, said he was told of one incident when President Biden was at a fundraiser where he became “stiff,” almost like “rigor mortis,” and a chair had to be brought out for him to continue the event.

Yet, Bernstein said it was clear that at other times Mr Biden was “as sharp as can be,” including in a speech on Monday where he criticised a Supreme Court ruling that was seen as a victory for Donald Trump.

“We’re clearly dealing with two sets of one person and it really needs to be explored”.

President Biden during the first 2024 Presidential Debate in Atlanta, GA. Picture: CNN

On Tuesday, the first Democratic politician called on Mr Biden to step aside.

“Recognising that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so,” said Lloyd Doggett, a Congressman from Texas, according to AFP.

Questions have swirled about Mr Biden’s mental acuity for months but have been dismissed by the White House.

That was before last week’s abysmal debate performance against candidate Donald Trump where Mr Biden appeared to stumble on his words, mumble and look blank when not talking.

That led to numerous calls from within the Democratic Party for him to step aside and allow another candidate to take on Mr Trump in November’s election.

Bernstein claims Biden’s staffers have witnessed up to 20 incidences of cognitive decline in the last 18 months. Picture: CNN

But Mr Biden seems determined to go head to head with his rival at the polls. The White House has acknowledged it was a “bad debate” but has insisted he shouldn’t be judged on one performance.

However, Bernstein, who helped break the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon in the 1970s, said the Democrats had seen multiple occasions that were of concern.

“These are people, several of them who are very close to President Biden, who loved him, have supported him, and among them are some people who would raise a lot of money for him.

“They are adamant that what we saw the other night is not a one-off, that there have been 15, 20 occasions in the last year and a half when the president has appeared somewhat as he did in that horror show that we witnessed,” said Bernstein.

President Joe Biden gave a far more assured performance at the White House on July 1, 2024, days after the debate. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

“I’ve talked to people in the last year (who have said) we have a problem. There have been numerous instances where the President has lost his train of thought (and) can’t pick it up again.”

Bernstein did not suggest he had seen the instances first hand himself.

Former President Barack Obama, President Biden, and Jimmy Kimmel during a Democratic fundraiser. Picture: X / @chrissgardner

‘Rigor mortis’

Bernstein spoke of one such alleged occasion in New York in June 2023.

“There was a fundraiser which he started at the podium, and he became very stiff, according to the people there, as if it were almost a kind of rigor mortis

“A chair had to be brought for him to do the latter part of the event.”

Bernstein added that some Biden supports have acknowledged that “yes, he’s great when we see him as we have tonight,” referring to his Supreme Court address days after the Trump debate, “but he also has these inexplicable moments”.

The journalist was at pains not to write Mr Biden off, however.

“There is no question about how sharp Joe Biden is in his national security meetings.

“He has an absolute command of the facts as sharp as can be. You see the evidence of his being the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate, of his work as Vice President on Foreign Relations.

“So we’re clearly dealing with two sets of one person and it really needs to be explored according to the people I’m talking to,” said Bernstein.

“But this is a problem. It’s not going to go away. Unless it’s explicable.

“Does this mean doctor’s reports? Obviously, it’d be great if we could have real doctor’s reports from both candidates.

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” he added.

Originally published as ’Rigor mortis’: Joe Biden’s worrying decline exposed