When Biden Was Hidin'

"The stark contrast in how Biden followed the laws and norms of our system versus Trump's violations makes the way he went out that much more tragic. And they did it to themselves."

The one thing I can’t stand is rank hypocrisy. True hypocrites. All human beings rationalize certain decisions, but when someone cannot admit the truth when the evidence is stapled to their forehead, it drives me f’in nuts.

In the 1960s and early 70s, Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon were unquestionably dishonest about the Vietnam War with both the U.S. Congress and the American people. Throw Watergate on top of it after Nixon’s reelection in ’72, and you have the beginning of our country’s downward spiral in terms of its massive loss of trust in the people whom we elect.

Some folks will say that all American presidents lie. That it comes with the job — especially when it comes to complex national security issues. That may be true, or just another rationalization — or both. But it doesn’t wash as a blanket excuse for presidential dishonesty.

The new book authored by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper, Original Sin, documents former President Biden’s decision to run again in 2024, and the false premise that he was cognitively qualified to do so. His decision itself may have been dishonest, but there is no question that his hiding from the public and his staff’s complicity in not giving the American people — and officeholders in his own party — the full picture of his lack of capacity was dishonest.

In early 2024, I had so hoped that Biden would step aside and leave the stage as a hero, having eliminated in 2020 the most dangerous president to have ever entered the Oval Office, in my view. Beyond what condition he was in, Biden had nothing left to prove. The irony of his first term was that although he looked and sounded awful at the end of it — his legislative record had made history in his first two years, which included the signing of:

• The American Rescue Plan

• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

• The Chips and Science Act

• The Inflation Reduction Act

Though Americans can debate the merit of these laws and others signed by Biden, the achievement is in the passing of them. Strong presidents build support with the House and Senate so that whatever bills they sign will stand the test of time. Social Security. Medicare. Civil Rights. Voting Rights. Clean Air…

Donald Trump has set a new presidential record for signing the most executive orders in his first 100 days, and he continues apace. To reiterate: This is not a show of presidential strength; rather weakness. The next president can flip these things on Day One. Not to mention Congress and the courts.

The stark contrast in how Biden followed the rules and norms of our system versus Trump makes the way he went out that much more tragic. And he did it to himself. They did it to themselves.

Once I watched Biden’s disastrous debate performance on June 27, I had the same reaction that millions of Americans did: He is over. Days later, after I’d seen no evidence of the president coming out and facing the music, I wrote an article entitled “Joe and Jill: One Litmus Test.” In it, I argued that:

“The cat and mouse game of trying to set up little events for the president to amble his way through has become nothing less than embarrassing. If a president of the United States cannot stand in front of reporters to manage their questions and answer them in real time — then he or she is not equipped to lead the country. Much less run for another term.”

But Biden couldn’t.

Most Democrats wrote back to me in agreement. But one member of Congress whom I deeply respect lacerated me in an email. This representative was critical of the journalists for hammering Biden. We had a substantive exchange, and then virtually hugged it out. The irony here is that Jake Tapper himself said today that he had failed as a journalist:

“I can point to times where I asked him this or I asked them tat, but knowing that I know now, I barely scratched the surface. I need to run more toward the discomfort of questions about health because they’re so important and they’re undercover in Washington.”

Journalism is hard. Excelling in covering any White House is even harder. You are reporting on the most powerful person and people in the world.

Among my friends who support Trump, there are two or three who will take what I’ve written above about the Biden team’s deceit and eat it up with a spoon: “Aha!”

Yes, I am sad to admit that I didn’t know until the debate just how bad of shape Joe Biden was in. I know political veterans who have relationships with the folks who were in the White House — and they were deceived too. And none too happy about it now. Just like me.

But the question I have for Trump supporters who carry even an average I.Q. is this:

Have you yet admitted to the massive election scandal Donald Trump led for months in 2021-2021 that led to violence, death, and loss of trust in the presidency?

If you cannot — you are a hypocrite. Anyone can be wrong or get conned. But unmitigated hypocrisy is a character-defining sin.

MICHAEL GOLDEN is the cofounder of One Million Degrees, a national award-winning journalist and bestselling author of Unlock Congress.

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