President Joe Biden, in a recent interview, expressed his confidence in his ability to fulfill the duties of the presidency even at the age of 85, stating that he could do it “better than anybody you know.” However, The Wall Street Journal has published an article titled “Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping,” which highlights observations from 45 individuals who have interacted with the president. These individuals suggest that he is displaying signs of aging during various private meetings.

“Some who have worked with him… including Democrats and some who have known him back to his time as vice president, described a president who appears slower now, someone who has both good moments and bad ones,” the Journal reported. “For much of his career, Biden enjoyed a reputation on Capitol Hill for being a master negotiator of legislative deals, known for his detailed knowledge of issues and insights into the other side’s motivations and needs—and for hitting his stride when the pressure was on. Over the past year, though, with Republicans in control of the House, that reputation has diminished.”

A White House spokesperson told the paper, “Congressional Republicans, foreign leaders and nonpartisan national-security experts have made clear in their own words that President Biden is a savvy and effective leader who has a deep record of legislative accomplishment.”

“Now, in 2024, House Republicans are making false claims as a political tactic that flatly contradict previous statements made by themselves and their colleagues,” they added.

The article acknowledged that the majority of individuals who claimed that Biden is displaying signs of slowing down were Republicans. However, it also mentioned that a few Democrats expressed similar concerns.

According to the article, “The White House kept close tabs on some of The Wall Street Journal’s interviews with Democratic lawmakers. After the offices of several Democrats shared with the White House either a recording of an interview or details about what was asked, some of those lawmakers spoke to the Journal a second time and once again emphasized Biden’s strengths.”

“They just, you know, said that I should give you a call back,” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) told the paper.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates told Journal,”We thought it was important that all perspectives be represented.”

The paper also reported, “The president moved so slowly around the Cabinet Room to greet the nearly two dozen congressional leaders that it took about 10 minutes for the meeting to begin, some people who attended recalled.”

“Biden started the meeting reading from notes to make broad points about the need to give money to Ukraine, which struck several participants as odd given that the lawmakers present already generally agreed that more funds were needed. Some attendees had trouble hearing him,” it added.