
<p>In a previous commentary, I went to some length in focusing on President Biden’s ability to perform in public. ; That is why his public statements are often pre-recorded video messages. ; That is why he built a television set in the White House. ; </p>



<p>Why he rarely utters an impromptu statement – and why he relies on teleprompters and pocket notes &#8212; cheat sheets as they have been dubbed. ; He has become more of a virtual digitally generated image than a flesh and blood President. ; (Note to conspiracy theory types: ; I am not saying Biden IS a digitally generated character – just seems that way.)</p>



<p>His inability to perform off the cuff without gaffes and senior moments is the reason he has held fewer press conferences than any modern President. ; We have recently seen a vivid example of the problem. ; But it is not just Biden’s necessity to rely on notes – even on obvious information. ; (You might recall the time his inadvertently revealed cheat sheet had to inform him to enter the room … say hello to guests &#8230; and sit in his chair at the head of the conference table.)</p>



<p>In his recent rare press conference, Biden not only revealed his need for speaker crutches but a very disturbing relationship between the press and the President. ; There have been both rumors and complaints that the press was either providing Biden with questions in advance – or, even worse, accepting questions provided by the White House Press Office.</p>



<p>We do not need to rely on suspicion or speculation anymore. ; We saw it in real-time. ;</p>



<p>It seems Biden is not a poker player &#8212; or he would know to hide his hand from others around the table. ; Instead, Biden inadvertently revealed the information on his cheat sheets. ; This time it was a scandal-level boo-boo.</p>



<p>Biden’s cheat sheet had a picture of Courtney Subramanian of the Los Angels Times and the question she would ask – along with talking points for his response. ; Then there was the video of her reading the question from her own cheat sheet.</p>



<p>I am sure the leftwing press will play down the incident – largely because they are engaged in the same biased game. ; But in terms of journalistic norms, traditions, and ethics, this is a class-A felony. ; There should be an inquiry into the scope of this problem. ; How many other White House reporters engage in this sort of staged exchange? ; </p>



<p>There should be an explanation from the White House. ; Will this be brought up during the daily White House briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre? ; (It was, and Jean-Pierre dodged).</p>



<p>And what does the <em>Los Angeles Times</em> have to say? ; It is their credibility that is being undermined. ; Will they make a policy statement condemning the practice? ; Will they fire Subramanian &#8212; as they should?</p>



<p>We will have to wait and see how this plays out, but we should not underestimate the harm this conspiracy does to the meaning of a free and independent news media.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

The Puppet President: How Biden Relies on Pre-Recorded Messages and Cheat Sheets
