'Scared for the country': Biden aide claims major decisions are 'being made without him'
An unnamed White House aide speaking anonymously is now claiming that senior members of President Joe Biden's administration are doing an end-run around the president when it comes to major decisions.
According to Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith, one aide speaking on the condition of anonymity said that while they were "super proud" of the administration's policy work, they were concerned about the "opaque" nature of the White House and the insular way Biden's top staffers conducted operations. The aide stressed that even though they had no direct contact with the president and couldn't speak to concerns about his health, they were alarmed by the possibility of consequential decisions "being made without him."
"I’m talking to you because I’m incredibly upset and scared for the country and I would like to do what I can," the aide told Smith. The aide said the exception to their claims was foreign policy, suggesting the administration had a more inclusive approach on issues pertaining to Ukraine and the Middle East.
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Others in the administration pushed back in the aide's claims, however. Deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, who oversees policy, stressed that Biden "is in the middle of everything" and "signs off on everything."
"Many of us have sat with him as he’s made hundreds of decisions," Reed said. "Nobody has the authority to freelance. Not [White House Chief of Staff] Jeff [Zients], not [former White House Chief of Staff] Ron [Klain], not anybody."
Other top Biden staffers also countered the aide's claims of Biden not being privy to major decisions. White House Economist Jared Bernstein told Semafor that the president "makes decisions on everything from student debt relief to 301 tariffs to housing policy," and Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi assured the publication that Biden is "sweating every relevant detail."
"This single source’s claim is directly contradicted by a large body of (even critical) reporting about the policy process, which has continually stressed President Biden’s direct involvement in every major decision," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Semafor in an emailed statement.
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The source's concern about Biden not having full input on decisions could be seen as an extension of concerns about the 81 year-old president's cognitive health after his disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump last week. The fallout from the debate began with an editorial by the New York Times calling on Biden to withdraw from the race, which was soon echoed by others both within the media commentariat and from Democrats in Congress.
An emerging consensus in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris taking Biden's place at the top of the ticket has emerged from both the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and from more establishment-leaning voices. Progressive commentator Mehdi Hasan called on Biden to officially endorse Harris as his successor in an op-ed for the Guardian, and major Democratic donor Reed Hastings — the co-founder of Netflix — also recently opined that Biden is no longer the best candidate to face off against Trump this fall.
Click here to read Semafor's report in full.
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