GOP to Spend Election Season Labeling Joe Biden as Senile and Promoting Trump as Youthful | Vanity Fair

Written by Bess Levin

Last week, special counsel Robert Hur released a report in which he referred to Joe Biden as an "old man with a weak memory", a move seen by some as a significant positive development for the Republican Party. This occurred amidst the backdrop of a government lockdown that resulted in former President Bill Clinton having perhaps too much leisure time. Some have speculated that Hur’s commentary about Biden was politically motivated to discredit him. Regardless of the truth of these speculations, it is expected that the Republicans will seize this opportunity and focus their conversation on this issue up until the upcoming presidential election.

The reaction of the GOP may well mirror that of the Benghazi incident, only potentially worse. According to Axios, House Republicans are said to be initiating a strategy, likely to last several months, aimed at keeping President Biden's mental capability under scrutiny. This strategy may involve carrying out hearings and possibly even issuing subpoenas for documents and recordings.

Republican sources have frankly admitted, it won't matter what they uncover. From their perspective, any conflict they generate will cast a poor light on the White House and continue to highlight Biden's perceived vulnerability.

Yesterday, three House committee chairs filed a request with Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking for a transcript and any recordings of Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur. According to insiders, House Republicans intend to subsequently summon Hur to testify. At this point, they would question him on two issues: whether Biden's allegedly poor handling of sensitive documents put national security at risk, and his impressions on the president's mental sharpness during the interview.

Insiders report that the Republicans are anticipating Hur's testimony to be very revealing, which they want because they aim for political drama rather than a discussion about Biden’s memory. It is predicted that Hur will be asked to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, where he may receive the question of whether Biden is capable of leading as the president. Given his comments about Biden’s memory, it wouldn’t be surprising if he implies that Biden isn't fit for the role. Regardless of what he says, the situation could be incredibly damaging to Biden, especially with regards to his chances of reelection.

As for the upcoming election, it seems the Republicans have no intentions to speak about the various reasons why Donald Trump may be unsuitable to lead the country. In the interim, one can anticipate that the Republicans will spend the next 265 days claiming that Biden is more suitable for a nursing home and that Trump is better suited for a body-building contest of youthful intellectual elites.