Biden’s 2024 mental acuity first gauntlet for potential 2028 Democrats

Pete Buttigieg, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, faced tough questions from reporters during a town hall with veterans and military families in Iowa. The first question asked was whether President Joe Biden experienced cognitive decline while in office. Buttigieg responded by saying that every time he needed something from the West Wing, he got it.

When asked if the party would have been better off if Biden had not run for re-election, Buttigieg admitted that with the benefit of hindsight, most people would agree that this was the case. These questions come amidst speculation about Biden’s mental acuity during his final years in office and whether Democrats should have been more vocal in calling for him to step aside during the 2024 election cycle.

A new book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” alleges a White House cover-up of Biden’s cognitive decline. Biden ultimately dropped out of the race in July after a poor debate performance against then-President Donald Trump. He was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose the election to Trump, leading to Democratic losses in both the Senate and the House.

Some Democrats, like Rep. Ro Khanna and Sen. Chris Murphy, have acknowledged Biden’s cognitive decline and the impact it had on the party’s performance in the 2024 election. Khanna suggested that an open primary would have been a better path for the party, while Murphy lamented the fact that Biden’s decision to stay in the race hurt the Democrats’ chances.

Other potential 2028 contenders, like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have been more cautious in their responses, with Whitmer noting that she was focused on her own campaign efforts during the election and did not have frequent interactions with the president.

Despite the differing responses from potential candidates, there is a consensus that Democrats need to look forward and prepare for the future challenges facing the country and the party. The 2028 White House race pre-season is already heating up, with candidates facing tough questions about the past and looking towards the road ahead.