Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Pushes Back On Special Counsel Report Questioning His Cognition
The Hill: Biden Angrily Defends Memory, Age In Contentious Press Conference
President Biden on Thursday fiercely defended his cognitive abilities and memory in the wake of a special counsel report that offered a scathing assessment of the president’s recollection of key elements of his life and political career. “I’m well-meaning and I’m an elderly man and I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been president, I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation,” Biden told reporters in last minute remarks at the White House. “My memory’s fine. My memory’s– take a look at what I’ve done since I became president… how did that happen? I guess I just forgot what was going on,” he said, striking a sarcastic tone. (Gangitano and Samuels, 2/8)
The Washington Post: Special Counsel Report Paints Scathing Picture Of Biden’s Memory
President Biden, during interviews with the special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents, had trouble recalling the years he served as vice president. He could not pinpoint, even within several years, when his son Beau had died. His memory about a crucial debate on troop levels in Afghanistan was hazy. The first day of questioning, at the White House in early October, Biden could not recall when his vice-presidential term had ended. “If it was 2013 — when did I stop being vice president?” he asked, apparently not recalling that he left office in January 2017. The next day, as the interviews continued, he could not remember when his term began, saying, “In 2009, am I still vice president?” (Viser and Pager, 2/8)
The Hill: GOP Lawmaker Calls On Cabinet To ‘Explore’ Removing Biden Under 25th Amendment
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) called on members of the Biden administration to “explore” removing President Biden under the 25th Amendment after a special counsel cleared him of any wrongdoing but painted him as an elderly man with a failing memory. ... She argued that Biden, who is 81, is lacking the ability to execute his responsibilities as president. “So it is incumbent upon you to explore proceedings to remove the President pursuant to the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution,” she wrote. “President Biden needs to be charged, or he needs to be removed.” (Irwin, 2/8)
In case you missed it —
BU Today: Are Verbal Flubs By Trump Or Biden Signs Of Cognitive Decline Or Innocent Mistakes?
Neurologist Andrew Budson says voters should adjust expectations and accept campaign-trail confusions from tired older candidates. (1/25)
Also —
KFF Health News: Do We Simply Not Care About Old People?
The covid-19 pandemic would be a wake-up call for America, advocates for the elderly predicted: incontrovertible proof that the nation wasn’t doing enough to care for vulnerable older adults. The death toll was shocking, as were reports of chaos in nursing homes and seniors suffering from isolation, depression, untreated illness, and neglect. Around 900,000 older adults have died of covid-19 to date, accounting for 3 of every 4 Americans who have perished in the pandemic. (Graham, 2/9)
