Axios reporter Alex Thompson alleges that the White House has spent years "gaslighting" the media and the public about President Biden's age-related "limitations," which were on full display during the recent presidential debate.
An Axios reporter has accused the White House of hiding President Biden's age-related "limitations" for years, flaws that he says were exposed for all to see in Thursday's presidential debate.
Axios national political reporter Alex Thompson made the allegations on CNN Friday, saying that the White House had a history of "deflecting, gaslighting, and not telling the truth" about Biden's limitations.
Biden White House Accused of Hiding President's "Limitations
"I've covered the Biden White House for three-and-a-half years," Thompson said. "And as someone that's reported on his age quite a few times, I can tell you that the White House's response every single time that it's come up for three-and-a-half years has been to deflect, to gaslight, to not tell the truth, not just to reporters, not just to other Democrats, but even at times to themselves about the president's limitations at his age."
Thompson's comments come after Biden's performance in the debate drew widespread criticism, with many commentators calling for him to withdraw from the 2024 race.
Biden White House Accused of Hiding President's "Limitations
Thompson said that the White House had sought to protect Biden from public scrutiny by hiding his limitations from the press and the American public.
"There's a reason why he has not done as many interviews or press conferences as any president in decades," Thompson said. "There's a reason he does not do events almost ever before 10:00 A.M. and is rarely on camera after 6 P.M., and the reason is because he has limitations."
Biden White House Accused of Hiding President's "Limitations
"He is 81 years old," Thompson concluded. "But the problem was, they were not forthright with other Democrats. They weren't at times forthright with themselves. And that is why Democrats are in full freakout mode, because what they saw is finally what they have been obscuring."
Thompson's comments were echoed by fellow Axios reporter Hans Nichols, who wrote in a piece after the debate that Biden's performance was a "DEFCON 1" moment for Democrats.
"Voters, Democrats very much included, have consistently worried that 81-year-old Joe Biden is too old for the job," Nichols wrote. "Last night, Biden showed why."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive an immediate reply.
The White House has previously defended Biden's age, saying that he is "mentally sharp" and "up to the job." However, Biden's age has been a frequent topic of discussion throughout his presidency, with many Democrats expressing concerns about his fitness for office.
A recent poll found that 60% of Americans believe that Biden is too old to be president. The poll also found that 53% of Democrats believe that Biden should not run for re-election in 2024.
