On Wednesday, Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, asserted that President Joe Biden’s team must ‘acknowledge his age’ and criticized them for not streamlining his itinerary to safeguard him from potential falls.
As discussions of Biden’s 2024 re-election efforts unfolded, Brzezinski and co-host Joe Scarborough compared his situation to that of the late President Ronald Reagan, whose age was a concern during his successful second-term run.
Scarborough highlighted how Reagan’s staff, considering he was almost 78 at the end of his tenure, were extremely cautious in planning his daily agenda. This provoked Brzezinski’s critique of Biden’s team.
She candidly stated, ‘I believe they could do more to assist the president.’
Expanding on her point, she said, ‘When you are tasked with managing the president’s schedule and his movements on and off stages and planes – particularly when he is 80 – it’s crucial to support him.
‘Your job includes facilitating his movements and ensuring his safety at all costs, especially from tripping hazards like sandbags. The responsibility for this lies with the staff,’ Brzezinski argued.
In a recent incident, Biden tripped over a sandbag left on the stage during a commencement ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado in June.
Making light of the incident later, he jested that he had been ‘sandbagged.’
This wasn’t an isolated incident, as he previously stumbled while climbing the stairs of Air Force One and got his foot entangled in a toe clip, resulting in a sideways fall off his bicycle at Rehoboth Beach the previous June.
‘Incidents like these could harm him,’ Brzezinski pointed out. ‘These clips could easily become a continuous media loop.’
‘Let him focus on his job, his speeches, policy making, and establishing relationships in Congress in a manner that perhaps hasn’t been seen since Clinton’s era. However, ensure his safety and guidance – whether you are part of his security detail or his staff,’ she advised.
Addressing her audience, she clarified that her comments should not be misconstrued as questioning Biden’s mobility.
She illustrated her point with personal experiences, ‘We’ve all been busy and on stage – delivering speeches, consumed by nervousness and effort to get it right. In the aftermath, it’s common to look for guidance on what to do next,’ the veteran news anchor shared.
Brzezinski urged Biden’s team to ‘step up their game.’
She warned that ‘visuals of the president tripping or losing his way are counterproductive. They won’t serve his presidency well, especially given that his age is bound to be scrutinized. The staff’s primary task is to ensure his safe navigation.’
She defended Biden, asserting that he ‘is capable of handling the presidency.’
She concluded by emphasizing, ‘The onus is on the staff to manage his schedule and oversee his movements.’
