Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy remarked that Biden is “not the same person” as he was when he was elected.
According to the report, Biden’s demeanor and grasp of policy details fluctuated from day to day. He frequently relied on notes and deferred to aides during conferences.
“You couldn’t be there, and not feel uncomfortable,” one source said, recounting a meeting about congressional funding for Ukraine aid in January. Others noted that Biden took about ten minutes to start the meeting and used note cards to state obvious points, making it difficult for participants to hear him clearly.
Much of the conversation during these meetings did not involve Biden directly. The president often asked his staffers to answer questions posed to him, which raised concerns among those present.
In a February follow-up with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Biden appeared unaware of the administration’s liquid natural gas export policy, mistakenly claiming it was “only a study” when it was actually in effect. This exchange reportedly dismayed Johnson and others who witnessed it.
