Victor Davis Hanson on Media's Use and Discard of Joe Biden

Media's Shifting Narrative on Biden's Fitness

• 📺 The media, particularly CNN, is now expressing shock at Joe Biden's perceived infirmity, despite years of downplaying or ignoring signs of his cognitive decline.
• 💡 "Cheap fakes," or out-of-context video clips, were used by some media outlets to portray Biden as unfit, a tactic now being re-examined.
• 🎯 Figures like Chris Cillizza and John Harwood are highlighted for previously dismissing concerns about Biden's age and capability, only to shift their stance later.

The Media's Role in Biden's Candidacy

• 🧠 Victor Davis Hanson argues that the Democratic establishment and media found Biden a "useful vessel" and an "empty vessel" for their agenda.
• 🚀 His perceived moderate stance and struggles were advantageous for the hard left, allowing them to push policies under a thin veneer of normalcy.
• 📉 The lack of a robust primary in 2020 and 2024 is presented as evidence of the establishment controlling the nomination process.

Hypocrisy in Diagnosing Political Figures

• 🎭 The media's past willingness to entertain psychiatric diagnoses of Donald Trump, including by Yale psychiatrist Bandy Lee, is contrasted with their current reluctance to address Biden's cognitive state.
• ⚖️ The double standard is evident in how figures like Jake Tapper hosted Mary Trump to discuss Donald Trump's mental state after criticizing others for similar diagnoses.
• 🎤 Hanson points to Trump's extensive public appearances and interviews as evidence of his cognitive capability, questioning the validity of diagnoses made from afar.

Biden's Policy Impact and Departure

• 💥 Policies related to the border, the Afghanistan withdrawal, and economic spending are cited as examples of the administration's radical agenda.
• 🚪 When Biden could no longer serve as a sufficient veneer for these policies, the establishment "got rid of him" by ending any pretense of an open primary.
• 🚫 The swift dismissal of potential candidates like Joe Manchin, Dean Phillips, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. illustrates the party's determination to control the narrative and succession.

The Autopen Scandal and Border Policy

• ✍️ President Trump's claims about the use of an "autopen" for signing legislation, particularly concerning border policy, are discussed as a potential scandal.
• 🌍 The implication is that legislation was enacted without the president's direct, informed consent, potentially by "radical left lunatics."

Financial Instability and Gold

• 💰 Concerns are raised about the potential decline of the US dollar's global dominance due to initiatives like the BRICS nations' "Rio Reset."
• 📈 Diversifying savings into gold is suggested as a way to mitigate risks associated with potential shifts in global currency power.