Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) has brought forth allegations against the national media, asserting that they have long ignored signs of cognitive decline in former President Joe Biden, which were noticeable to the general public. During a recent segment on Fox News' "Hannity," the senator expressed his concerns regarding the press's commitment to factual reporting and its potential impact on public trust.
Kennedy's remarks were in response to the disclosure of Biden's diagnosis of an advanced form of prostate cancer, which, according to the White House, has metastasized to the bone. This revelation has sparked inquiries about the duration of Biden's illness, with Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a former advisor in the Obama administration, suggesting that Biden likely had the cancer from the start of his term in 2021, indicating that the disease could not have developed in just the last few months.
Throughout Biden's presidency, viral videos circulated online depicting him struggling with speeches, appearing disoriented on stage, or seeming confused. When these incidents became public, the White House attempted to dismiss them, with then-Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre labeling the footage as "cheap fakes" and claiming they were misleading or taken out of context.
Senator Kennedy, as reported by The Daily Caller, stated that Americans did not need manipulated footage to see that something was amiss. He vividly described the former president's condition with a metaphor, "You could bake a Thanksgiving turkey in the time it took him to walk across the stage," illustrating his perception of Biden's slow movements.
The senator's primary concern extends beyond Biden's health to what he perceives as the media’s failure to report it transparently. Kennedy criticized the majority of media outlets for not only neglecting to report on these warning signs but also for actively silencing inquiries regarding Biden's health.
The recent publication of a book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, which details Biden's health struggles while in office, has raised questions about why mainstream media outlets took so long to address issues that Kennedy believes were evident for years.
Senator Kennedy's critique of the media landscape continued as he reflected on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where he observed reporters defending the freedom of the press. He suggested that such defense would be unnecessary if the media did not undermine its credibility through selective reporting.
Concluding his remarks, Kennedy emphasized the media's reluctance to admit to their reporting oversight, saying, "None of them have taken responsibility for not reporting what was so obvious to the American people. Hypocrisy never takes a vacation around here."
