President Joe Biden’s speech on Wednesday night explaining to America why he halted his reelection bid did little to ease concerns felt by Wyoming’s congressional delegation about the president’s ability to continue as the nation’s leader through the end of his term.
It was his first extended public comments since making the announcement Sunday that he’s dropped out of the race against former President Donald Trump.
During his speech, Biden said it was time to “pass the torch to a new generation,” but he said nothing about his own age or mental capacity that led so many Democrats to desert him in recent weeks.
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, told Cowboy State Daily she found the whole speech a lie.
Hageman said the words she would’ve rather seen from Biden were, “I’m resigning from the presidency.”
“But he didn’t say that, and he didn’t offer any explanation for what happened behind closed doors when Democrat politicians bludgeoned him into giving up the job he has spent his whole life pursuing,” she said. “If he’s too feeble to be a candidate, he’s too feeble to be president.”
Makes America Look Weak
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis agreed and told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday after the speech the fact Biden took three days to give this speech after making the initial announcement kept America in the dark and made the country look weak on the world stage.
“Tonight’s address did little to ease the very legitimate concerns the people of Wyoming have surrounding our current commander in chief,” she said. “I am very concerned about his ability to continue functioning as the sitting president of the United States, and I believe we should be having a larger conversation about his ability to continue serving.”
Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee for president.
“Tonight, Joe Biden touted a record that Americans have already rightfully rejected. He made it clear that a Kamala Harris presidency will double down on these same failed policies,” Sen. John Barrasso said. “The people of Wyoming understand that Kamala Harris is a San Francisco liberal. This November, we have the opportunity to vote to get our country back on track and secure a better future for our state.”
Track Record
Biden made no acknowledgement about any degradation to his mental abilities or any of the specific pressure he received to step aside. Instead, he put a focus on his plans for his next six months and his achievements in office.
Biden listed a to-do list of goals he wants to accomplish before leaving that include bringing back some peace to the Middle East, growing the economy, stopping Russia from succeeding in its war with Ukraine and overhauling the Supreme Court.
But as his days wane in office, so will his influence on Capitol Hill, particularly after the election.
Hageman believes a Harris presidency would look the same as Biden’s, painting an apocalyptic picture to Cowboy State Daily.
“His vice president is even more unpopular than he is and would only continue the same policies of high inflation, sky-high energy bills, a wide-open border and a world in flames,” she said. “Biden says he wants to pass the torch, but all he and Kamala Harris are going to do is burn the whole country down.”
Precedent
No president has ever backed out of a presidential election as late as Biden has.
He’s far from the first president to not seek reelection while continuing to serve his term in office, though.
Former President Lyndon Johnson surprised the nation in March 1968 when he announced he would not seek reelection. His reason was entirely different than Biden’s, however, as he stepped down because of the politics involving the Vietnam War.
Former Presidents Harry Truman, Calvin Coolidge, James Polk, James Buchanan, Rutherford Hayes and Theodore Roosevelt also declined to seek reelection when eligible, and none of them stepped down immediately when making their announcements.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
