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Biden Sits Down With TIME For Interview
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Biden Sits Down With TIME For Interview

If you’re wondering why the Department of Justice is so intent on keeping Joe Biden’s special counsel interview under wraps, his recent interview with TIME Magazine provides all the necessary context. Describing this interview as going "off the rails" is an understatement. The President’s performance was so problematic that it begs the question of whether he should be doing such interviews at all.

The interview hit a low point when Biden challenged the interviewer to a fight, but let's start with his comments on inflation. TIME went back to fact-check his statements, and the results were not flattering. Biden claimed, "Wage increases have exceeded what the cost of inflation," a statement that is both grammatically incorrect and factually inaccurate. Instead of clarifying his point, Biden veered into a rant about "shrinkflation" and "price gouging." Here’s his exact quote:

"You have everything from shrinkflation to what's going on in terms of the way in which they're artificially moving significantly to increase, their, their, their, their, their profits."

TIME's fact-check revealed that nothing Biden said in this rant holds up under scrutiny. Contrary to his claim, wages have not kept pace with inflation during his term. There is also no substantial evidence supporting his assertion that the current economic situation is due to "price gouging." In reality, "shrinkflation" is a consequence of inflation, where companies reduce the size of products to maintain price points without raising costs.

As the interview continued, Biden’s performance only deteriorated. He confused Russian President Vladimir Putin with Chinese President Xi Jinping, prompting TIME to add an editor's note for clarification. Given the high stakes of international relations, such errors are deeply concerning. A president needs to be clear and precise, especially regarding geopolitical matters. Unfortunately, Biden’s frequent mix-ups raise serious doubts about his cognitive agility and grasp on key issues.

Then came perhaps the most surreal moment of the interview:

"The last two years of Presidents, two-term President's tenure are usually focused on foreign affairs. You are 81 years old, and would be 86 by the time you left office. Large majorities of Americans, including in the Democratic Party, tell pollsters they think you are too old to lead. Could you really do this job as an 85-year old man?"

Biden's response was astonishing: "I can do it better than anybody you know. You’re looking at me, I can take you too."

Here we have an 81-year-old president, who often struggles with basic physical tasks, snapping at a reporter and challenging them to a fight. This bizarre exchange does nothing to assuage concerns about his age and fitness for office. It’s moments like these that make it clear why the DOJ might want to avoid further scrutiny of Biden’s interviews.

The entire episode underscores a broader issue: the perception of Biden’s capability to effectively lead. With critical decisions on the horizon and an election on the way, the public's confidence in the President’s mental and physical fitness is paramount. Unfortunately, interviews like this one with TIME only fuel doubts and detract from his administration's efforts to project stability and competence.

Written by Arthur Higgens - June 5, 2024