"My memory ..."

Tantrum turns into an election campaign disaster for Biden

Biden's supporters are worried about his cognitive state.

(Bild: AP)

US President Joe Biden is described in a special investigator's report as an "elderly man with a bad memory" - a steep template for Donald Trump, which the Democrat in the White House exacerbated in a hastily convened press conference.

At first glance, Robert Hur's eagerly awaited decision was a win for the president. This US special prosecutor announced that Joe Biden should not be prosecuted - even though he had illegally taken top secret files home and stored them unsecured in the garage.

However, Hur's reasoning was more damaging to the incumbent than an indictment would have been. In particular, the sentence "He is a good-natured, elderly man with a bad memory" sparked rumors in Washington that Biden might announce his resignation at a hastily convened press conference. But things turned out differently - and even worse for the 81-year-old.

Biden falls behind
Although his poll ratings are still historically poor and he is trailing former President Donald Trump in almost all election-deciding states, Biden has been riding a wave of success this week.

Unexpectedly good economic data and a booming stock market at least gave the president's financial policy a mega boost. The success of "Bidenomics" meant that the annoying questions about his age and embarrassing lapses at official appointments took a back seat in the short term.

Special investigator sees memory lapses
Until Hur, a former federal prosecutor from Maryland - dropped the political bombshell on Thursday morning. In his 388-page investigative report, he declared that he could not win a case against Biden despite obvious violations of US secrecy laws. His reasoning was that jurors would not find Biden guilty out of pity because of his "mental deficiencies". Quoting Hur: "At trial, Mr. Biden would most likely present himself as he did during our questioning - as a good-natured, elderly man with a poor memory."

Biden kept secret documents in his home in Wilmington.

(Bild: AP)

For the Republicans, on the other hand, it was a feast for the eyes. Trump spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said: "If you're too senile to be put on trial, then you're too senile to be president."

Offensive backfired
When even allies from Democratic circles had to admit that Biden's re-election chances were in greater danger than ever before, the White House pulled the emergency brake. Biden appeared at a press conference and rejected the accusation of "mental deterioration" in a veritable fit of rage: "The attacks on my memory are unfounded and completely out of line. My memory is good."

Biden's supporters are worried about his cognitive state.

(Bild: AP)

Just when it seemed he could regain the upper hand with his aggressive tactics, Biden scored a verbal own goal - as he has done so often before. He referred to Al-Sisi (the Egyptian president), with whom he had negotiated humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, as the head of state of Mexico.

Voters in great concern
It is not yet clear how much damage will be done to the elections. Already 74 percent of voters are worried that Biden is not mentally and physically up to the demands of a second term in office.

Biden repeatedly suffers serious lapses: 

The ABC channel's survey on Biden's mental fitness dates from last week - even before the US president confused France's François Mitterrand (tweet above) with Emmanuel Macron and allegedly exchanged views with former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who died in 1996, three years ago.