How Joe Biden’s mental decline and the media’s support for it betrayed America
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is usually seen as a celebration of the media’s history and role in a free society. But this year, it turned into an unexpected reckoning. Under the sparkling chandeliers and the sound of glasses clinking, there was a rare moment of self-awareness that cut through the normal smugness. The prestigious Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence was given to investigative reporter Alex Thompson from Axios. He did not accept it as a respect to those in power, but because he kept reporting on a story that too many others tried to hide: President Joe Biden’s clear mental decline.
It was a night that showed how bad America’s so-called free press really was—a press that had voluntarily given up its job in favor of partisan protectionism. Even in the middle of the Beltway, the truth got too big to ignore that night.
One reporter’s bravery in the face of a wall of silence
Alex Thompson’s work is a strong warning that being brave as a journalist doesn’t mean taking official stories at face value. It is found by publishing uncomfortable facts and asking tough questions, no matter what the political cost.
The people of the United States had seen for years the signs that President Biden’s brain was failing. A sad picture was drawn by stumbling speeches, blank stares, forgotten names, and a growing need for handlers. But instead of raising concerns, the major news sites chose to act as Biden’s Praetorian Guard, protecting him from scrutiny under the guise of “responsible reporting.”
Thompson followed the highest standards of American news by being brave and revealing what many people refused to see. He said what every honest person could see: that there was a coordinated effort to trick the people into thinking that the man in the highest office in the country was not fit for the job.
The White House’s Web of Lies
It is scary to think about how far Biden’s handlers and the Democratic establishment as a whole went to hide his illness. High-profile appearances were planned down to the second, questions were pre-screened, and reporters who tried to go off script were quickly scolded.
It wasn’t just normal political stage management; it was a planned lie. And it wasn’t just party workers who did it. Important people in the media took part, editing video and interviews and giving coverage that was so positive it almost felt like propaganda. In another time, this kind of cooperation would have caused a scandal on a huge scale. It was just seen as “normal” in today’s world.
The reporting by Alex Thompson broke through this wall of silence and reminded people that openness is not a partisan demand; it is a basic right in a constitutional society.
Cracks in the Wall: Biden’s Public Falling Apart
Biden’s decline could not be hidden forever, no matter how hard media supporters tried. Public appearances became more and more strange. It got really painful to watch press talks. His mental slip-ups were reflected in his physical weakness, and no amount of editing could completely hide the truth from the public.
The front got weaker with each stumble down Air Force One’s stairs, each confusing answer given to the press, and each important person’s name forgotten at foreign summits. People in the United States could see that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes, even though the court writers said he was.
It’s one thing for a president to make mistakes; it’s quite another for them to have trouble thinking straight. The change isn’t just about looks. It affects the safety of the country, the stability of international ties, and the legitimacy of government. Because of what Alex Thompson said, the Democratic establishment and its media allies were unable to stop an important national conversation.
The Trust Crisis in Journalism
The media’s role in hiding Biden’s decline did a terrible amount of damage to public trust, which was already very weak. Liberal bias in major media outlets has been a worry for conservatives for decades. But the fact that Biden’s illness was hidden showed something even worse: the use of information as a weapon.
Journalists used to be proud of the fact that they could hold power accountable for any party. These days, too many people had turned into palace guards and were spinning, obfuscating, and plain lying to get the political results they wanted. They lied to their viewers, broke their morals, and hurt the democracy they said they were fighting for.
Alex Thompson’s speech of acceptance wasn’t just a victory lap; it was an attack. He admitted that the field had made mistakes, including his own, and called for a return to honesty and humility. It was a harsh warning that the news media cannot work for the government. It needs to be a strong wall against it.
No one wants to talk about the threat to democracy
Populist groups and critical Twitter accounts are not the real threat to democracy. The real threat is the unholy union between a biased media and a corrupt political machine. The very idea of democratic government falls apart when people don’t believe what they are told about how fit their leaders are.
The Biden cover-up is more than just a failure of one administration. It’s a sign that the idea that the media should put the people first has died. If lies are okay to keep one president safe, they will be okay to keep all leaders safe. Falls and problems can be hidden more than once if they can be hidden once.
This is how republics die from the inside—not with dramatic coups or fiery uprisings, but with the truth slowly being twisted.
There is guilt by association for the White House Correspondents’ Association
Thompson’s praise of the White House Correspondents’ Association for protecting free speech was one of the most interesting parts of the dinner. But the uncomfortable truth is that many people in that group have helped bring it down.
It doesn’t make sense to defend press freedom in theory while helping the government lie in practice. Freedom of the press doesn’t mean anything if the press is tied down by partisanship. It’s not enough to be able to question power; you also have to want to.
The American people will not know what’s going on until media from all political parties have the guts to question power, no matter what party they belong to. Until then, democracy will continue to weaken.
An Example from Alex Thompson: A Plan for Redemption
Thompson’s acts show how journalism can start to make things right. The first step is to honestly admit when you’ve failed in the past. It takes a strong dedication to truth over party, facts over stories, and openness over privacy.
For investigative news to be real, it has to be against power and not for it. It has to be ready to lose friends, hurt feelings, and lose jobs if that’s what it takes. Not much more than that is just stenography.
The public wants things to be real. They don’t need reporters to question their morals or politics; they just need them to watch and listen. They need them to find out what the strong want to hide.
The Broader Conservative Defense
Conservative Americans have been called conspiracy thinkers for years because they are worried about Biden’s health. They were made fun of, ignored, and silenced. Still, time has shown that they were right about a lot of things, like border security, inflation, and energy policy.
The media’s sudden and reluctant admission that Biden is losing support is not a victory for freedom of the press. It’s a confession that was made too late because truth can’t be denied. Conservatives should never forget how harshly their valid worries were portrayed as threats, and they should keep calling for institutions that let them down to be held responsible.
Recent information about Biden’s health supports conservatives’ doubts about the stories told by the elite. These examples show that not trusting the main stream media is not cynicism, but rather knowledge gained from life.
In the end, the fight for truth has only just begun
Every American who cares about the future of the country should be shocked by the news of President Biden’s mental decline and the huge efforts made to hide it.
This isn’t just a story about a man’s health getting worse. It’s a story about how our institutions are broken, how cocky our leaders are, and how important truth is in public life. This is a warning that freedom comes with always being alert, and the first step in being alert is to expect more from people who say they work for the public.
These risks have been known for a long time by conservatives. Now, there is no doubt about the proof. There is still work to be done to get truth, openness, and responsibility. It’s just getting started.
The brave work of reporters like Alex Thompson has shown the American people that there are still people who are willing to tell the truth to power, no matter what the cost.
