One cannot help but notice the major change in tone of the media coverage of President Joe Biden.
It started as anonymous grumblings from Democratic Party operatives talking to the New York Times about the president’s job performance. But now, we’re seeing louder, on-the-record screams about Biden’s competency. These primarily concern the president’s age and polling, which suggests his diminishing reelection chances. Take Politico’s new reporting on the progressive groups now openly calling on Biden to abandon plans for a second term.
It’s a marked change in attitude.
Until recently, the national media had been heavily sympathetic to Biden. However, we’re now several policy missteps later. These include a shortage and delay of COVID-19 tests at the beginning of this year, a supply chain crisis while the Secretary of Transportation went missing for over a month, and a baby formula shortage. These failures were simply kindling thrown on the fire that is inflation and high gas prices, made worse by Biden’s massive stimulus rescue plan.
Yet, none of these issues broke through the national media to show Biden’s apparent lack of empathy and competence. So why the sudden shift in tone that saw the New York Times broaching the verboten topic of Biden’s age? The same paper ran a headline this week putting Biden’s poor approval front and center, declaring “Democrats want 2024 Options.” This comes amid media speculation that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is making moves toward a 2024 presidential campaign, as is Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who recently relocated to Michigan. Questioning Biden’s fitness and age for office is no longer off the table.
The explanation for the media shift is very simple. It has everything to do with Biden’s tepid response to the Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson, the case that saw the overturning of Roe v. Wade, one of the religious pillars of Democratic Party politics. Abortion is also part of the political culture that many in the media reflexively defend down to their very bones.
The response to the landmark decision has involved minor protests and skirmishes from activists but almost no legitimate executive orders or policy solutions. On the day the ruling came down, Biden gave brief remarks and then got on his airplane and flew out of the country. His words and actions have been largely performative and had even the Atlantic wondering if Biden was “a Man out of Time.”
The Democratic activist base and the media want bold, loud, concrete action. Whether that means abolishing the filibuster to codify Roe, adding additional Supreme Court justices, or even impeaching them, as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has called for, they want action. Failing that, Joe has to go. The media were always going to hold Biden accountable from the Left flank on the issues they care about, such as climate change and abortion. They see a tired, part-time president and sinking poll numbers, not to mention the terrifying possibility of a Ron DeSantis presidency or the return of Donald Trump, and have hit the panic button.
All polling points to Biden’s majorities in the House and Senate being wiped out come the November midterm elections. When that happens, and I mean the very next day, these innuendos and grumblings for Biden to step aside will become full-bore primal screams, and he won’t be able to survive them.
Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) has written for National Review, the New York Post, and Fox News and hosts the Versus Media podcast.
