When tensions rise, conversation often misses the mark. This is a lesson political advisors should keep in mind. The president of the United States, Joe Biden, chose not to pursue charges in the classified documents case this Thursday, yet he also sought a personal response to the special prosecutor’s report, which presents a stark portrayal of the 81-year-old leader’s mental state.
Biden’s reactions can feel emotional and forceful, but they have also become a heated exchange with reporters. The moment reads like a public relations exercise for a president whose strain grew after he criticized Israel’s Gaza intervention as excessive. In one instance, Abdel Fattá slipped by calling Al Sisi “the president of Mexico” instead of stating a correct regional fact.
Biden unexpectedly and swiftly rolled out an agenda aimed at journalists at the White House. He emphasized exemptions and, following the prosecutor, drew a clear line between his case and the probe that led to one of four impeachments of Donald Trump. He wanted to address the portrayal of his mental faculties, question the prosecutor Robert Hur, and note that he “didn’t remember when his son Beau died.”
Holding the rosary worn on his wrist since his son’s passing, Biden appeared both heated and unsettled. He asked, “How dare you discuss this?” and insisted that “irrelevant comments have no place in the report” while contending that the authors “didn’t know what they were talking about.”
I know what I’m doing
He opened the floor for questions and reminded viewers that one reason charges were not filed at first was that the prosecution team believed a jury might acquit in a trial. He framed himself as “a well-intentioned elder with a memory that isn’t flawless.”
“I mean well, I’m an old man and I know what I’m doing,” Biden asserted. “I am the president and I helped revive the country. I don’t need your advice.”
Asked whether his memory had worsened, he replied, “My memory is good. Look at what I’ve accomplished since becoming president. None of you believed I could approve of what I’ve done.”
The follow‑up questions echoed the same worry, with some voters voicing concerns about his age. Biden pushed back, denying that such concerns exist and framing them as the press’s opinion that clashes with polling and conversations with voters.
“I am the most suitable person to be president in this country,” he asserted, adding that there is “no room” for a younger Democratic challenger to face Donald Trump.
Israel criticisms overshadowed other issues
Biden has repeatedly said that responsibility for handling confidential documents rested with his staff. As reporters moved on to ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas, the president returned to the microphone, making a slip by calling Al Sisi “the president of Mexico.”
The moment felt especially out of place on a day already marked by other recent events. He recalled past conversations with world leaders at fundraisers in 2021, mentioning Helmut Kohl, and noted the deaths of two women in 2017, one during a Sunday rally recalling a 2021 discussion with Emmanuel Macron. Biden also declined the traditional interview granted to presidents during a long-standing presidency for a second consecutive year. It stood as one of the year’s most-watched television moments.
The confusion surrounding Egypt and Mexico was used to defend Biden’s standing, even as his condemnation of Israel’s response to Hamas attacks and the humanitarian situation in Gaza drew attention. Biden stated that the reaction in the Gaza Strip was severe and asserted that efforts to provide humanitarian aid had been intensified, emphasizing that innocent people were dying and needed help to end the suffering. [CITATION: News analysis, attribution to contemporaneous reporting]