33 Comments

I really think you're making way too much of the Biden thing. I don't think he was then or is now mentally deficient. He's old and slow moving and has difficulty walking, and I suppose a bit slow in thinking. But none if that means he is incapable of making the decisions that need to be made as president.

As for covering up, that's a difficult situation for the staff to be in. Are they supposed to call a press conference and announce that he is not up to the job. Can you imagine doing that at any place you worked? I do think somebody might have said earlier, "Joe, I think you should drop out."

And Trump is nuts. If anybody should be called out by his underlings, it's him.

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While Biden has definitely slowed down a lot, I'd choose to have Biden and his team in the situation room over Trump and his team any day. Having the Trump team in charge of a crisis is very scary to me. I'd take the Biden and his team, as well, in carrying the daily duties of a president.

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Still in denial, it’s crazy. Joe Biden should not be trusted to look after a neighbors pet. He is certainly mentally deficient to be President. Please stop with this.

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Just this week, I watched 99 year old Dick Van Dyke cavort and watch in awe as Chris Martin adlibbed a song. Van Dyke is old af and so slow compared to 2010. But he is sharp and witty.

I didn't want Biden to run. I don't think the health of the USA can be candidly discussed whether it's FDR, Trump, or Biden. The problem for the latter two is that it's painfully obvious that they have issues. As a stammerer, Biden looks worse because stammer control technique is...to...slow...down. It doesn't mean the cheese is off his cracker.

That said, the leader of the US should be vigorous and represent us well on the world stage.

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Trump was just as deficient as Biden was and no one called him out. 2 hour rallies whining about how unfair people were to him, incoherent meandering, the overt racism, dogs being eaten,etc. Trump’s team protected him too. Where Democrats discussed Biden slowing down, no one in Trump’s camp - or the conservative media - criticized/questioned their guy.

It’s too late now but we’ll see over the next 4 years how truly incompetent and impaired Trump really is as he he hits his 80’s

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Utter and complete Republican bs. If you ever actually went to see him speak and watch him walk on and off stage it was pretty F’ing obvious he was old. Democrats didn’t care. And he wasn’t hiding.

For the last 4 years Jake Tapper pretty consistently mocked Biden’s stutter and inability to respond quickly. Democrats still didn’t care.

Several white Democrats stood against Biden but got absolutely nowhere.

After THE debate performance, the media went absolutely completely nuts in the way they didn’t after Trump’s misstatements, violent rhetoric and constant stream of lies. The reason, why we discover was that their billionaire owners were Republicans and happy to bribe him to stop him from coming after them.

50% Republicans still didn’t care. In fact the Congressional Black Caucus supported him. The rest, mostly white Congressmen, in marginal seats were concerned that they’d lose their seats.

Trump is a convicted felon. Lies constantly. Encourages violence. Is clearly insane. (Just take a look at this week’s events) Yet a majority of idiot Americans voters chose him. That’s completely insane:

Why oh why are you apologizing for Biden but not Trump? I just don’t get it Chris.

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Your essays are invaluable. And anyone who admits to an error deserves the highest praise and thanks.

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Chris, I don’t fault you at all for

not uncovering the truth about Biden. The White House was doing a superb job of covering it up. They own the result.

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No they weren’t, this was in plain site. I was in spaces like this six months prior sounding the alarm. The emperor was buck naked and people kept talking about his beautiful clothes. I appreciate Chris acknowledging he was wrong.

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Here’s the deal. Biden is on his way out and will have no effect on the future running of the country. I don’t get the continuing navel gazing on stuff that just really doesn’t matter any more. However - trump is going to be president for the next 4 years…well maybe not - maybe it will be Musk. I think your time might better be spent on navel gazing about how Musk has gained power over trump and about why the GOP members of Congress immediately responded to Musk’s demand to scuttle the bi-partisan funding deal. THAT matters going forward, Biden doesn’t.

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Reminds me of the concerns about Reagan (was Nancy running the country, especially in his second term?). this was an interesting article with number counts https://www.allsides.com/blog/biden-less-available-media-past-presidents . I recall back in July (2024) Biden did a press conference on foreign policy. All I kept thinking was that Trump couldn't have answered any of the questions as well as Biden (and most he would not have tried to answer and would have deflected off to the border as he does with everything). I cannot get on the Biden is senile train if the GOP cannot entertain questions whether Trump is on the insane train. Chris' outtakes on whatever Trump is attempting to talk about will be Evidence 1 through a million. When that "weave" gets questioned, I'll be more willing to hear more about Biden's mental or physical shortcomings.... and who's attempting to hide what.

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I'll take senile with a great staff over insane with even more insane backing him up.

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Absolutely!!! Have a great holiday season and awesome New Year!

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So, you liked the stories about sharks vs. electrocution and Hannibal Lecter? How about his claims that he'd leave SS alone - as we speak, his hatchet men Elon & Vivek are crafting language to cut those as well as SNAP and a whole bunch of other programs that are a lifeline to Americans?

What do you think of the House, following Trump's orders, demanding the prosecution of Liz Cheney?

I wrote an old friend the other day who has gone full-on MAGA who says there are 20 million "illegals" here, calling who knows who "traitors" and accusing them of treason?

There's so much more, Chris.

You continue to swallow camels and flail at fleas.

Regardless, Merry Christmas.

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What are they going to do when they don't have Biden and Pelosi and Kamala to blame for everything?

It's going to be non-stop drama watching them eat each other up every day!

Of course, it is the country who suffers.

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The GOP always blames the Dems, no matter what. That's all you heard this morning after the debacle and the GOP CR that was voted down (even though 38 R's voted against it)... the Dems are the problem.

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Again man, you had it right. Van Jones and the groups beloved Stelter had it wrong. If by “those close to Biden” you mean almost every one of your subscribers then that absolutely checks out. History has shown you to be correct. Dispute the headwinds you held your ground. Biden sucks. His legacy is tarnished. He’s completely checked out and his only care is moving as much money to the Ukraine as possible.

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By late 2023 it was sooo obvious that Biden was fading like a flickering candle that ANYONE who stuck by his candidacy was either duped or in denial. That said, it is Biden himself who is to blame for pressuring his handlers to push his absurd "I am as sharp as ever" claim. Shame on him.

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Remember Biden had emergency brain surgery for an aneurysm in the 1980s. Any so called journalist who covered Biden’s health that omitted this fact is not a journalist!

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What was there to “push” about? You attacked anyone who stated the obvious that Biden’s cognitive abilities were impaired.

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Nancy just couldn't stop what she was born to do- control others.

That is why I think the solution is not in anyone's hands.

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I think an awful lot of people will wonder if they could have said or done *something* that would have focused on problems with either Trump or Biden, but look at the times we are in. During the last administration, there were repeated leaks, articles, books, and even testimonies that DJT was unfit for office, didn't care about legal matters, had to be briefed with single-page documents because he didn't/wouldn't read anything, spent his mornings watching television and tweeting, and on and on. How many people who were part of the last administration did not endorse him in 2024 and even warned against voting for him? And what did we get? Re-elected handily.

There is no doubt that Biden has been handled ever more carefully by his aides and should never have committed to run for a second term. All came to a head after the first debate, when no one could ignore his obvious problems. And here we are. I get the feeling I'm supposed to be outraged at recent articles about Biden's situation, but I am numbed after eight years of dealing with someone who has a severe personality disorder. Which is worse: someone who needs help doing his job or someone who won't do it according to our laws and norms? When did kooky talk become a sign of God's special will for us?

It seems as though the Trump and Biden trains are going to ride or derail as they will, unless and until we adopt a more sober policy of evaluating performance fairly. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

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I actually stopped reading or listening to you several years ago but when I got on substack followed you for a bit then realized I was correct several years ago that you are simply attention seeking verbal diarrhea as is this effort to seek attention. The reality is this: by every single measure President Biden has guided America out of a COVID economic night mare and disastrous trump presidency but hate division and disinformation of trump succeeded with significant aid of our media. You Chris are a boorish clown. This ridiculous “apology” is only worthy of being in the NYT ghost written by the NYT publisher. My suggestion: get some kneepads and a blue dress at the gap and apply for a press job with trump or musk.

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You did the right thing, Chris. Don't let the bastards get you down. That's what my Journalism high school teacher wrote in my year book.

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