President Joe Biden has prioritized sleep during his time in office, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The establishment media’s post-debate coverage highlighted this common theme.
Biden reportedly scheduled debate prep to start no earlier than 11:00 a.m. and took naps during each of the six days of preparation.
He also informed governors that he avoids scheduling events after 8:00 p.m. in order to prioritize sleep.
The president, aged 81, has been known not to work later than 8:00 p.m., and reportedly did not attend an informal event with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in June 2022, sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his place due to needing rest.
The White House denied these claims, but reports indicated that Biden appeared worn out at a summit due to the lack of air conditioning, although the State Department disputed this.
Additionally, there were reports of White House staff being protective of Biden’s time with the media.
They placed barriers in front of reporters at times and kept the media at a distance during events, even playing music to prevent Biden from hearing questions.
When the media does get a chance to speak with Biden, his aides speak with the media members to obtain the questions, the Journal reported:
Senior White House advisers for more than a year have aggressively stage-managed President Biden’s schedule, movements and personal interactions, as they sought to minimize signs of how age has taken a toll on the oldest president in U.S. history.
The White House has limited Biden’s daily itinerary and shielded him from impromptu exchanges. Advisers have restricted news conferences and media appearances, twice declining Super Bowl halftime interviews—an easy way to reach millions of voters—and sought to make sure meetings with donors stuck to scripted pleasantries.
Senior aides dismissed travel suggestions over worries the president didn’t have the stamina for them, including an idea for Biden to make weekly cross-country trips in 2022 to tout the benefits of his infrastructure law.
Seventy-two percent of registered voters believe Biden does not have the “mental” and “cognitive health” to serve as president, a July CBS News/YouGov poll found, up seven points after the debate.
Biden, whom Special Counsel Robert Hur described as “an elderly man with a poor memory,” suffers from atrial fibrillation, peripheral neuropathy in his feet, and hyperlipidemia, according to his annual physical by physician Kevin O’Connor.
The reason for Biden’s struggle to maintain his balance could be attributed to health challenges. During his presidency, he tripped, tumbled, and stumbled at least five times.
To minimize attention to his physical ailments, Biden adopted a strategy of walking with multiple aides to and from Marine One.
Additionally, he started boarding Air Force One from the shorter steps at the rear of the aircraft instead of the taller staircase at the front.
As part of his wardrobe adjustments due to age-related needs, Biden wears specially crafted sports shoes instead of typical dress shoes with his suits.
