Staff Reports
The Biden administration’s aversion to transparency has reached comedic heights, as staffers have seemingly taken it upon themselves to build a fortress around the president. This has resulted in a notable lack of interaction between Biden and key lawmakers, including those from his own party, raising eyebrows about the apparent need for a protective bubble. If only they could construct something to keep the negative headlines at bay as well.
A recent exposé by The Wall Street Journal highlights the growing discontent among members of Congress, particularly from Senator Joe Manchin, who spent countless hours trying to negotiate with the White House. Apparently, Manchin had his doubts about Biden’s fitness to lead long before the president’s age became a mainstream talking point. Staffers, dubbed “eager beavers” by the senator, have been reported as obsessive gatekeepers preventing direct access to Biden. One can almost picture them armed with walkie-talkies, determinedly blocking any lawmakers approaching their beloved commander-in-chief.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not been exempt from this peculiar behavior either. Reports indicate that his once regular one-on-one briefings with Biden have dwindled significantly. So much for keeping our military leaders in the loop while dealing with international crises! Correspondence must now go through a team of gatekeepers who would likely have seemed more at home in a kindergarten playroom than the nation’s capital during wartime.
Former Congressman Adam Smith chimed in with his frustrations, detailing how even during times of crisis, he found it nearly impossible to communicate with Biden about the Afghanistan withdrawal. Apparently, staffers were too busy playing “telephone” to connect him with the president before the chaotic exit that led to tragic loss of life. It almost sounds as if Biden’s aides are treating the president like a celebrity on a red carpet—no questions allowed and definitely no contact with the common folks.
They always knew he was diminished and so did their media allies, all of which lied to us. Does the FEC or FCC care? I know @marklevinshow does…he's been on this.
Biden’s ‘eager beaver’ aides masked his decline by keeping key DC figures at bay https://t.co/YfltNdauj2 via…
— Paul Bedard (@SecretsBedard) December 19, 2024
As the story unfolds, the trained eye discovers a systematic isolation of Biden from many aspects of governance. Whether polling data is going through senior adviser Mike Donilon or the president simply isn’t meeting with top Cabinet officials, the situation paints a picture of a leader being shielded from reality. For comparison, during his first terms, both Barack Obama and Donald Trump managed to hold significantly more Cabinet meetings than Biden, further highlighting a glaring lack of engagement.
For conservatives, this news serves as a reminder of the old adage: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Four years into Biden’s administration and concerns about communication, engagement, and transparency are as relevant as ever. The real question is whether Biden’s aides are truly looking out for him, or if they’re just trying to protect their own necks from the inevitable fallout as Biden’s cognitive decline becomes harder to disguise.
