US Elections 2024: White House staff prepare detailed documentation for President Biden’s events, including large print and photographs outlining his exact route to the podium. The practice has raised questions among some Democrats about whether the focus on minutiae is intended to conceal the 81-year-old president’s limitations, Axios This information was given on Monday.
According to a staffer who helped with one of Biden’s events, the documents are “short and simple,” with large photos of the venue and large text labels such as “view from the podium” and “view from the audience.” The documents also include different photos of the president walking up to the podium, which has surprised some staffers who have worked with Biden before.
According to one employee, a simple fundraising event was staged as if it were a NATO event. “I organized a simple fundraising event at a private residence, but they treated it like a NATO summit with their movements,” said one of the employees.
The White House has defended the practice as standard procedure for presidential events, saying “a high level of detail and accuracy are critical to the President’s advance work – no matter who the President is – and these are basic approaches used by any modern advance team, including the Vice President’s Office and agencies.”
Kirsten Allen, a spokeswoman for Vice President Kamala Harris, said Axios“These documents are standard logistical briefing material and photographs for any head of state, including the vice-president.
The scoop: President Biden’s staff has prepared a small document with large print and photos for his events, including his exact route to the podium, according to an event template sent to staff by the White House. https://t.co/Zw5252NmHH
— Axios (@axios) July 7, 2024
One of the staffers said he was surprised how an experienced politician like the president could need detailed instructions on how to enter and exit a room. “I was surprised that an experienced political supporter like the president would need detailed verbal and visual instructions on how to enter and exit a room,” the staffer said. Axios,
The probe comes after the US presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Joe Biden on June 27, where he struggled to put sentences together and at times appeared to be standing with his mouth open. The use of teleprompters even for small events has raised concerns among Democrats. Republicans have used Biden’s video to suggest he is not “mentally fit” for office.
Meanwhile, a White House official said it’s a common reaction if people aren’t accustomed to seeing how advanced teams work. Two former staff members told Axios that during Biden’s tenure as vice president, preparations often relied on site diagrams.
