President Joe Biden, who frequently appears confused on stage during events, reportedly receives documents with large print and photos to give him a “precise” guide of where he is supposed to walk.
On Sunday, Axios published a report based on a copy of a template of stage directions prepared for Biden to show him where to walk during events.
The outlet noted “staffers prepare a short document with large print and photos that include his precise path to a podium, according to an event template the White House sends to staffers.”
And one staffer who helped plan an event in the last 18 months told Axios, “I staffed a simple fundraiser at a private residence, but they treated it like it was a NATO summit with his movements.”
“One template — a copy of which was obtained by Axios — is short and simple, with one large picture of the event space on each page, accompanied with big text such as: “View from podium,” and “View from audience,” the outlet reported.”In the five-page document, two pages are separate pictures of, ‘Walk to podium.'”
The staffer who helped with the fundraiser said, “It surprised me that a seasoned political pro like the president would need detailed verbal and visual instructions on how to enter and exit a room.”
However, a White House official dismissed the document, saying, “If individuals are not accustomed to seeing advance teams work, that would be a common reaction, whoever the principal is.”
Axios noted that so-called advance work is “intensive and detail-focused for every commander-in-chief,” and that presidents’ moves are “planned down to every footstep in ways that the movements of a vice president often are not.”
The report comes after a disastrous debate performance by Biden, which raised fresh concerns about his age and whether he will be able to defeat former President Donald Trump in the election. Axios also reported on Sunday at least four senior House Democrats said in a call with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) they believe Biden should step aside.
However, the president told ABC News in an interview he would only step aside if “the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me” to do so.
