Joe Biden’s efforts to manage his public image following the release of audio recordings highlighting memory lapses have prompted a wave of criticism from within his own party, intensifying pressure on his inner circle as both Democrats and Republicans call for accountability.
The audio, reportedly recorded during Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur and released late on a Friday evening, revealed the former president struggling to recall basic facts, including when he was elected and the date of his son’s death.
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The timing of the release — late on a Friday, just one week before Memorial Day weekend — appeared designed to blunt the media impact, a strategy commonly used in political public relations to bury unfavorable news.
The release came shortly after Biden’s team hired longtime Democratic communications operative Chris Meagher.
Biden hires veteran operative to help defend his reputation
Dude.. there is not enough money in the WORLD to defend or repair your so called “reputation”.
Hiring Chris Meagher, ( a former Biden deputy press secretary and Defense Department spokesperson) is not going to do… pic.twitter.com/CSBoXc1EOe
— Denise (@Likeshesays) May 8, 2025
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Politico reported that Meagher, a former deputy White House press secretary and Defense Department spokesperson, was brought on to help manage Biden’s public image and oversee appearances such as his May sit-down with The View — his first live interview since President Donald Trump was sworn in.
Just last week Jill Biden dragged Joe on set to tape The View. It was Joe’s worst TV interview ever. Halting, gasping, foggy. Jill constantly interrupted to answer for him as he painfully spiraled. Now we know Joe was riddled with cancer for some time, among other crippling… pic.twitter.com/6Ns76T2udy
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 19, 2025
While the source of the leaked audio remains undisclosed, some analysts have speculated that Meagher may have facilitated the leak in an attempt to manage the timing and optics.
Neither Meagher nor Axios, which first reported the contents of the tape, have confirmed any details about the leak’s origin.
The fallout from the recording has triggered a sharp divide between Biden’s public relations team and the broader Democratic Party, whose members are increasingly distancing themselves from the former president following Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 electoral loss to Trump.
The internal split surfaced publicly when former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, during an appearance on Pod Save America, said, “Just to be clear, Biden should not have run again. And to be even more clear, he failed this country in the most important job that he had.”
“Just to be clear, Biden should not have run again. And to be even more clear, he failed this country in the most important job that he had.” —@BetoORourke pic.twitter.com/HFeYpDoaIb
— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) May 16, 2025
O’Rourke added, “We might very well lose the greatest country that this world has ever known. And it might be in part because of the decision that Biden and those around him made to run for reelection.”
O’Rourke’s remarks, coming from a former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, signal what some observers believe will be a wave of internal party criticism.
Democratic strategists and operatives have reportedly been in active discussions about how Biden’s refusal to step aside may have contributed to Harris’s general election defeat.
According to The Hill, party insiders want Biden to publicly take responsibility for the 2024 loss and acknowledge that running again was a mistake.
“There’s a growing view that President Biden should accept responsibility, not just for losing the race, but for forcing the party into a no-win scenario,” one Democratic fundraiser told The Hill.
The backlash also comes amid a growing media focus on Biden’s mental fitness.
With prominent journalists such as CNN’s Jake Tapper and NBC’s Alex Thompson circulating commentary on the tapes and Biden’s condition, Biden’s defenders appear to be losing credibility.
Here’s three minutes of legacy media telling us how sharp Joe Biden was. pic.twitter.com/11LaJVoM5X
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 17, 2025
Here’s Jake Tapper incensed over Joe Biden’s “stutter” and outraged over claims of Biden’s cognitive decline.
Now he’s cashing in on a book about Biden’s cognitive decline and media cover up. There is no bottom for these people.
pic.twitter.com/rdNdqh4YKQ— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 26, 2025
As Biden’s ability to respond to criticism weakens, some Democratic operatives are shifting focus toward rebuilding the party’s image ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders continue to amplify the issue, highlighting it as further evidence of what they have long described as Biden’s unfitness for office.
The next phase of political fallout may involve further revelations from inside the Biden team, as former staffers and operatives work to preserve their reputations amid what appears to be a shifting party narrative.
With both parties now publicly aligned in their critiques, Biden and his remaining allies face growing isolation heading into the final stretch of the post-presidency transition.
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