Former New York Times editor accuses White House of 'massive cover-up' on Biden's decline
A former editor of the New York Times accused the White House of covering up President Biden's decline and chastised the press for not exposing it more.
A former editor of the New York Times on Tuesday accused the White House of covering up President Biden’s decline.
"The Biden White House clearly succeeded in a massive cover-up of the degree of the President’s feebleness and his serious physical decline, which may be simply the result of old age," Jill Abramson wrote in an op-ed in Semafor.
She added, "Shame on the White House press corps for not to have pierced the veil of secrecy surrounding the President."
Abrams, who was executive editor of the New York Times from 2011 to 2014, said it is "laughable and immoral for Democrats to blame the press now for over-reacting to that reality."
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Abramson went on to say that the media’s "first duty" is to hold officials accountable and "poke through White House smoke screens and find out the truth."
She went on to say, "But I do think if enough reporters had pushed, the story was reportable. I worry that too many journalists didn’t try to get the story because they did not want to be accused of helping elect Donald Trump. I get that."
"But this is no excuse for abandoning our first duty, which is to report the truth and hold power accountable. President Biden should be held accountable for his obvious lapses of mental acuity, even if there are periods of lucidity."
Biden's campaign and White House press team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Wall Street Journal published a report last month on Biden's behind-the-scenes struggles in meetings, which was greeted with fierce pushback from liberal media figures and Democrats.
Biden's debate performance was widely criticized by top Democrats and other commentators in the media and some have called for him to withdraw from the race.
The New York Times editorial board last week called for Biden to drop out of the race, and several New York Times columnists who are highly supportive of Biden have also called for him to step aside so Democrats have a better chance of keeping the White House.
"The president appeared on Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant. He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans. More than once, he struggled to make it to the end of a sentence," the editorial board said. "Mr. Biden has been an admirable president. Under his leadership, the nation has prospered and begun to address a range of long-term challenges, and the wounds ripped open by Mr. Trump have begun to heal. But the greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election."
Former White House press secretary-turned-MSNBC host Jen Psaki on Monday defended President Biden’s presidential debate prep team, saying his performance was just "bad."
Psaki's comments came after several reports that Biden's family is blaming his staff for his shaky debate performance.
"It was a bad debate. I have no doubt they were tough, strategic and direct. (Believe me I have seen them in action) but prep does not always determine the outcome. Biden was bad. Important convos about what happens next. But if you are directing your ire at ‘prep’ you are not talking about the right things," Psaki wrote on X.
Furthermore, comedian Bill Maher called for Biden to step aside for another candidate to take on Trump.