Former NBC host Chuck Todd has firmly dismissed claims that mainstream media neglected to report on former President Joe Biden’s mental decline, labeling it a “right-wing manufactured” narrative aimed at undermining journalists.
In a conversation with former CNN commentator Chris Cillizza on his Substack on Monday, Todd asserted that any alleged concealment of Biden’s cognitive issues should be blamed on Democratic Party leaders, not journalists.
The ex-“Meet the Press” host acknowledged that some MSNBC and CNN pundits “absolutely carried water” for Biden, distinguishing them from what he regards as actual journalists. Todd argued that these commentators were former strategists, not true members of the press.
Todd’s remarks followed criticism from Axios reporter Alex Thompson, who called out media colleagues during Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner for insufficient coverage of Biden’s cognitive issues. Thompson, co-authoring a book on the subject with CNN’s Jake Tapper, used his speech to spotlight what he perceives as a major journalistic shortcoming.
Defending the profession, Todd cited several examples of what he considers substantial coverage of Biden’s condition during his presidency. He mentioned Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who published a column in October 2023 questioning Biden’s fitness for a second term.
Todd stated he personally supported Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips in the primaries because Phillips’s campaign “made a lot of sense” concerning Biden’s fitness concerns.
The veteran broadcaster differentiated between the coverage of Biden’s decline and what he considers a genuine media failure: the reporting on weapons of mass destruction during the Bush administration. According to Todd, the current situation does not reflect a similar institutional failure of journalism.
“This was not that failure,” Todd said, describing current media criticism as “virtue signaling” and an attempt to create conflict among news organizations while deflecting blame from Democratic Party leadership.
Todd specifically identified Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, First Lady Jill Biden, President Biden himself, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Democratic members of Congress as those accountable for what he termed a “disaster.”
“There were water carriers, but they’re not real journalists!” Todd declared, specifically referring to former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, now a commentator for MSNBC.
This debate over media coverage arises as multiple journalists prepare books about Biden’s cognitive decline and alleged efforts to conceal it. The controversy intensified after Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, with increasing scrutiny of how his condition was portrayed during his presidency.
In a recent appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Todd offered a somewhat contradictory view, admitting that mainstream media were hesitant to directly address questions about Biden’s mental acuity during the 2024 presidential campaign. Todd told Morgan that journalists were reluctant to press harder on Biden’s age out of concern that it would benefit then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Todd explained that the media approached the subject indirectly. He told Morgan they covered Biden’s decline by noting behaviors like the president using back staircases instead of front staircases and avoiding interviews, but stopped short of drawing explicit conclusions about his fitness.
“Look, we were subtle,” Todd said to Morgan. He admitted there was reluctance among mainstream journalists to directly question Biden’s capabilities.
Meanwhile, former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has called for a thorough investigation into what she describes as a cover-up of Biden’s decline. Appearing on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” McEnany argued that such an investigation needs to be pursued “fervently” over the next four years.
Public trust in media has fallen to a five-decade low, according to recent polling, with the Biden coverage controversy potentially exacerbating this trend. Multiple journalists have acknowledged missing or downplaying signs of Biden’s cognitive issues during his presidency.
The debate highlights ongoing tensions between the press, political parties, and the public regarding expectations of journalistic accountability and transparency in covering high-profile political figures. As books and firsthand accounts continue to emerge about the Biden presidency, the question of whether the media adequately informed the public about his condition remains contentious.
