Democrats Debate Biden’s Legacy Amid Health Questions \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Audio of President Joe Biden’s 2023 interviews with federal prosecutors has renewed debate over his age and fitness for office. As Democrats reflect on his decision to run for reelection and the party’s 2024 defeat, Biden’s mental acuity is under fresh scrutiny. A new book alleges staff tried to conceal his decline.
Quick Looks
- Audio of Biden’s interviews reveals memory lapses and pauses.
- Special counsel described Biden as “well-meaning” but forgetful.
- Book Original Sin claims aides hid Biden’s decline.
- Biden says he would’ve won had he stayed in race.
- Democrats split on whether he should have run in 2024.
- Harris lost to Trump after Biden dropped out post-debate.
- Polls show Democrats had long doubts about Biden’s age.
- Pete Buttigieg, Chris Murphy, JB Pritzker weigh in on Biden.
- GOP attacks continue, tying Democrats to Biden’s presidency.
- Strategists say party must own up to past mistakes.
- Biden and Jill Biden rejected claims of cognitive decline.
- Public opinion remains divided on Biden’s post-presidency presence.
Deep Look
Now officially out of public office, Joe Biden’s legacy continues to loom large — not for policies passed or campaigns won, but for persistent questions over his age, memory, and judgment that continue to shape the Democratic Party’s future.
On Friday, Axios released audio excerpts of Biden’s six-hour interview with federal prosecutors in 2023 during their probe into his handling of classified documents after his vice presidency. Though transcripts had been released previously, the recordings added emotional weight and vocal nuance to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s now-famous description of Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
In the clips, Biden’s answers are punctuated by long pauses, and at times, his legal team intervened to help him recall key events — most notably the year of his son Beau’s death in 2015. These moments, while human, have reignited a public debate that defined the 2024 election cycle and continues to divide Democrats in its aftermath.
Months after former President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 race to Donald Trump, political fallout from Biden’s decision to run — and then withdraw after a disastrous debate performance — continues to unfold. A new book, Original Sin, by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, claims White House aides deliberately concealed signs of Biden’s physical and mental decline, further intensifying scrutiny of his presidency and the decision to seek a second term.
While the 82-year-old Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, have consistently dismissed questions about his cognitive fitness, many in their own party now openly admit concerns.
“There’s no doubt,” said Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in an interview with Politico, “that Biden experienced cognitive decline while in office.”
Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary and a rising Democratic figure, was more cautious, replying “maybe” when asked whether the party would have been better off had Biden chosen not to run.
“With the benefit of hindsight, most people would agree with that,” Buttigieg added during a stop in Iowa.
Still, others defended Biden’s faculties. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told CNN that he never saw signs of serious decline in his meetings with the president.
“I saw a guy who brought to the table a lot of good ideas,” Pritzker said.
Democratic voters, too, remain split.
Patricia McEnerney, a 74-year-old Democrat from Goodyear, Arizona, said Biden should have bowed out earlier.
“I think it’s sad the way it ended,” she said, comparing him to General Douglas MacArthur.
“He needs to stop giving interviews. Like MacArthur said, generals just fade away.”
By contrast, Janet Stumps, 66, also from Goodyear, argued Biden’s record should be celebrated.
“Everybody ages,” she said. “And the fact that he did what he did at his age, I think he should be commended.”
Polling shows that concerns over Biden’s age were long-held. In January 2022, an AP-NORC poll found that only 48% of Democrats supported a 2024 run. That dropped to 37% by February 2023, and by August, 69% of Democrats said he was too old to serve another term.
After Biden’s shaky 2024 debate performance, nearly two-thirds of Democrats said he should drop out — and he did. But that decision came late, after months of party defense, internal doubts, and growing Republican attacks.
Those attacks have continued. According to NBC News, Trump mentioned Biden’s name an average of six times a day in his first 100 days of his second term. The GOP strategy remains clear: tie Democrats to Biden’s perceived failures, regardless of his current political status.
In Virginia’s gubernatorial race, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is targeting Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger with digital ads that feature footage of her hugging Biden, with a voiceover from Trump calling her a “friend.”
Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett was blunt:
“The stench of Joe Biden still lingers on the Democratic Party… We have to do the hard work of fixing that, and that includes telling the truth about when we were wrong.”
Hackett, like many others in the party, believes the road to redemption in 2026 and 2028 starts with honesty.
“Those mistakes were largely driven by Joe Biden,” he said. “And any Democrat not willing to say that is not really prepared to face the voters, who want the truth and authenticity.”
Even Republicans are divided on how much traction the issue has. Rick Wilson, a former GOP strategist and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, said trying to keep the focus on Biden could backfire.
“Besides political nerds, no one else cares,” Wilson said. “Most voters have moved on.”
Still, the Biden narrative remains a potent political tool. Democrats are walking a tightrope: distancing themselves from Biden’s missteps, while also recognizing the breadth of his service and his party leadership through a turbulent political era.
Biden himself, during a joint interview with Jill Biden on ABC’s The View, acknowledged responsibility for Trump’s return to power but insisted that he would have defeated Trump if he had stayed in the race. He attributed Harris’ loss partly to racism and sexism and defended his record despite rising doubts.
A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on the newly released audio, but has told outlets that critics have yet to show any situation where Biden’s memory issues compromised national security or presidential decision-making.
The debate over Biden’s decision to run again, and the effort to manage his public image, continues to echo throughout the party as it looks ahead to rebuilding for 2026 and selecting a new standard-bearer in 2028.
Democrats Debate Biden’s
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