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New Report Raises Questions About Biden's Age

Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway debate the new special counsel report that's leading to questions and concerns about President Joe Biden's age and memory. Listen to the full conversation on our latest episode, wherever you get your podcasts. #pivot #podcast #biden #trump #election #age

Kara SwisherhostScott Gallowayhost
Feb 13, 20247mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Biden Age Furor, Hur Report Fallout, And Media’s Double Standard Exposed

  1. Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway unpack Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s classified documents, arguing that its commentary on Biden’s memory was either poor judgment or a political hit piece unrelated to the legal findings. They contrast Biden’s cooperation with Trump’s alleged obstruction in separate document cases, emphasizing that the two situations are not legally or morally equivalent. The conversation broadens into concern over the advanced ages of both Biden and Trump, questioning why a nation full of talent is left with two octogenarian candidates. They also criticize major media, particularly the New York Times, for obsessing over Biden’s age while downplaying Trump’s inflammatory NATO remarks and increasingly incoherent rhetoric.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Hur’s report mixed legal findings with subjective commentary.

While Hur concluded Biden should not face charges and distinguished his cooperation from Trump’s obstruction, his remarks calling Biden a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” are seen as outside his legal mandate and politically explosive.

Biden and Trump’s document cases are substantively different.

The hosts stress that Biden self-reported, turned over documents, and cooperated, whereas Trump is alleged to have concealed and destroyed evidence, making Trump’s claim of ‘selective prosecution’ misleading.

Both leading candidates are unusually old for such a demanding office.

Galloway notes that statistically there is a significant chance of serious health events for people in their late 70s and 80s, arguing that regardless of character, neither man is biologically suited for the extreme cognitive and physical demands of the presidency.

Media coverage is amplifying Biden’s age while minimizing Trump’s extremism.

Swisher criticizes outlets like the New York Times for running multiple stories about Biden’s age while failing to give equivalent prominence to Trump’s call for Russia to attack NATO members that don’t meet spending guidelines.

Trump’s incoherence is normalized by constant exposure.

They argue that Trump frequently makes nonsensical or inaccurate statements, but because he has always been erratic and lies often, his cognitive issues are under-credited compared to Biden’s more visible but less frequent gaffes.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

He’s not there to be a neurobiologist and make comments that he…you realize this is gonna be blown up into something much bigger and it has no legal frame.

Scott Galloway

People this old should not be put in positions that require this exacting a cognitive, physical, and emotional, and mental stamina which nobody has at that age.

Scott Galloway

Trump is incoherent and occasionally is coherent and Biden is coherent and is occasionally incoherent.

Kara Swisher (quoting someone she read and endorsing the line)

Trump is the guy in the cafeteria who accuses everyone of stealing his fork or his jello…The reason he seems more vigorous is ’cause he’s louder, but that doesn’t make him any less cognitively disabled.

Kara Swisher

The day after his comments encouraging Russia to do whatever the hell they want…this is a dangerous, incoherent person…If he’s not incoherent, then he’s dangerously leading us into a world war.

Kara Swisher

Robert Hur’s special counsel report on Biden’s classified documentsCharacterization of Biden’s memory and cognitive abilities in the reportLegal and behavioral contrasts between Biden’s and Trump’s document casesAge and fitness of Biden and Trump to serve as presidentMedia framing, bias, and coverage priorities (especially the New York Times)Trump’s incoherence, dangerous NATO comments, and broader mental fitnessPublic perception and political implications of age and cognition in 2024

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