Biden’s White House Being Strangely Silent

After Vice President Kamala Harris’s crushing defeat to Donald Trump, the White House has largely retreated behind closed doors, with key figures like Harris and President Joe Biden opting for limited public appearances. Harris, who was the Democrats’ presumptive heir to the presidency, has all but disappeared from the public eye since her loss in November, briefly resurfacing for a few events before disappearing to Hawaii. Her absence speaks volumes about the current state of the administration. Biden, who has long struggled to maintain consistent media engagement, also kept a low profile during a recent overseas trip. Upon returning, Biden held several meetings that would typically have involved public appearances, but these were conducted privately with little to no media coverage.

This lack of transparency from the White House is raising serious questions about Biden’s leadership in the final months of his presidency. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently dismissed concerns about the lack of media engagement, insisting that Biden would “certainly continue to engage with all of you” — but Biden’s avoidance of unscripted moments has been a longstanding issue. Former White House Press Secretary Michael LaRosa, who served under Jill Biden, suggested that this strategy could backfire, especially as Biden heads toward the twilight of his presidency. “He should be engaging with the press and defining his legacy,” LaRosa said, criticizing the administration’s reliance on scripted, choreographed events to shape public perception.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Biden’s weak performance in the 2024 campaign, combined with Harris’s failure to gain traction, has left many wondering if the president is truly fit to finish his term. Some Republicans have even suggested Biden should step aside in light of the election outcome and his dwindling public presence. In recent weeks, calls for Biden’s resignation have only intensified, especially as concerns about his mental and physical fitness to serve the remainder of his term have reached new heights.

While Biden’s low-profile approach may be intended to shield him from further scrutiny, it has the opposite effect. LaRosa warned that if Biden continues to remain absent from the public eye, his age and fitness for office will remain a central focus for Republicans, who are already looking ahead to 2024 with growing confidence. At the very least, LaRosa argued, Biden should engage more with the press and public in the coming months, not retreat into the shadows of a “bunker mentality” that served him poorly in previous election cycles.

The administration’s strategy of controlling the narrative by limiting media access may be an attempt to minimize Biden’s vulnerabilities, but it’s only fueling the doubts about his ability to lead in his final year. For a country already grappling with leadership concerns, the White House’s decision to go dark on key issues is a risky move that could further undermine Biden’s standing in the eyes of both the public and his political allies.