Source on Biden: 'Isolated and angry'

 

Joe Biden
Democrat source on Biden: Isolated and angry

Martina Karpmyr

Updated 13.28 | Published 13.12

Joe Biden is protected by a small group of advisers from bad news and advice from outsiders, according to White House aides.

The president is described as increasingly isolated and easily irritated.

- People are terrified of him, says a source to Politico.
 

Quick version

• White House staff protect US President Joe Biden from negative information and outside advice, reports Politico.
•  After a weak debate performance, demands are growing from Democrats that Biden should resign from his post.
•  Biden claims his poor debate performance was due to jet lag rather than health issues.

That Joe Biden  is negatively affected by his age and health was known in the White House long before last week's high-profile debate with Donald Trump, according to a high-ranking source in Biden's administration.

During Biden's presidency, his closest advisers have built a protective wall around him.

Any information that associates bring to the president is tailored by senior officials to avoid negative reactions from the 81-year-old, reports Politico.

- It's something like: "You can't bring that, then he gets angry" or: "Bring that, he likes it," says the source.

Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Employees are "terrified"

Politico's source describes it as Joe Biden only taking advice from a few top officials and becoming increasingly isolated from the media and advice from outsiders.

- It's like a Rorschach test, not a review. Because he is not a nice person to be around when he is informed.

- It is really difficult. People are terrified of him.
 

Democrat top: Should resign

Joe Biden's political opponents have long questioned the president's state of health. But after the debate with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, discussions about Biden's health took a new turn.

During the performance, Biden lost the thread several times and stumbled over his words.

Now voices are also being raised from within his own party that Biden should resign.

"I hope he will make the painful and difficult decision to resign," Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett said Tuesday.

Julián Castro, Democrat and former housing secretary under Barack Obama, is on the same track.

- It would be wise to find another candidate, he told MSNBC.

Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Biden: "Almost fell asleep"

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre understands the concerns about Joe Biden's health, she said at a news conference on Tuesday.

- He had a cold. It was not a good night for him to debate. He himself has said that he is no longer a young man.

Joe Biden himself says that the faltering effort in the debate was due to  Jet-lag, reports the BBC. It was "not very smart" to "travel around the world a couple of times" before the debate, according to the president.

- I didn't listen to my staff, and then I almost fell asleep on stage.

Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP

The inner circle decided on the debate

The decision to have Joe Biden conduct the debate was made by a small group of advisers in the president's inner circle, three anonymous sources told Politico.

- Everyone was told that it was best that way, an employee at the White House tells Politico and adds:

- Now it has become the worst possible outcome. Everyone is trying to understand why the people who know him best and make all the decisions didn't seem to be able to foresee that this could happen.
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