The Wall Street Journal’s editor-in-chief said she felt vindicated over her publication’s coverage of President Biden’s “slipping” mental acuity — particularly after Thursday’s disastrous debate performance by the 81-year-old Democrat.
British-born journalist Emma Tucker, the first woman to lead the Journal in its 135-year-old history, was pilloried by Biden supporters for running a story earlier this month quoting those who have come into contact with him as saying he was “slipping.”
Following Biden’s debacle against former President Donald Trump, Tucker was asked by Semafor if she felt vindicated.
“Very much so,” she told the outlet. “The reporters took a lot of grief for covering a story that needed to be covered and that no other mainstream publishers were willing to touch. I am very proud of them.”
On June 4, two Journal reporters — Annie Linskey and Siobhan Hughes — co-authored a story which cited sources who had encountered Biden in person in recent weeks as saying that they struggled to hear the president because he spoke so softly during meetings in the Oval Office.
The president would also refer to his notes frequently and pause for extended periods when trying to make an obvious point, according to people who witnessed Biden up close.
Several people told the Journal that Biden appeared to have memory lapses — often forgetting details about his own policy as it related to issues such as funding for Ukraine.
But the story was met with derision by the White House and supporters of Biden in the media who accused the Journal of relying on Republican-aligned sources to wage a partisan-fueled attack.
However, Biden’s mumbling responses during the debate have led to hand-wringing within his own party.
The president appeared to freeze at times while struggling to gather his thoughts and articulate his answers during the CNN debate.
Biden’s voice was hoarse as he spoke in whispers and coughed frequently — further fueling doubts about his stamina and his ability to withstand the rigors of the job.
The president’s debate performance shocked his supporters — particularly high-profile media figures who are now demanding that he step aside and allow a younger candidate to take his place as the Democratic nominee this fall.
Sources close to Biden told CNN on Friday morning that not only does the president have no intention of dropping out of the race but that he is focused on preparing for the second presidential debate on Sept. 10.
The Journal is owned by Dow Jones, a subsidiary of The Post’s parent company, News Corp.
A Democratic source familiar with the campaign’s thinking told The Post that while “the president started off slow … the reality is he warmed up as he went on.”
“He drew the contrast that he needed to on a lot of points,” the source said. “That’s not to say he had his best performance by any means.”
Nonetheless, “the dials for voters moved very strongly in the president’s favor,” according to the source.
The Post has sought comment from the Trump campaign.
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