KJP Does Not Understand Why Reporter Is Asking About Biden’s Mental, Physical Stamina

On August 30, 2023, a White House reporter asked Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about a forthcoming book titled “The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future.” The Guardian had published excerpts claiming that Biden had privately told aides he felt tired, which allegedly explained why so few public events were scheduled before 10:00 a.m. When the reporter pressed Jean-Pierre on whether that was the reason for the recent pattern of “breakfast lids” and “brunch lids,” the press secretary seemed confused by the question itself, asking the reporter to repeat portions and ultimately dismissing the entire line of inquiry as “a ridiculous assumption to make.”

The exchange highlighted a recurring dynamic in the Biden-era White House briefing room: legitimate questions about the president’s stamina and work schedule were routinely deflected rather than addressed, even when they were tied to specific reporting and observable scheduling patterns.

The Exchange in Full

The reporter opened with a straightforward reference to the upcoming book and its excerpts: “There’s a new book coming, ‘The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future.’ The Guardian has excerpts today saying the President has told aides in private that he felt tired and that explains why there are so few events before 10:00 a.m.”

The reporter then asked two specific questions: whether the recent pattern of late-morning lids was connected to Biden’s reported fatigue, and whether the president had acknowledged his tiredness to Jean-Pierre directly.

Jean-Pierre’s first response was not an answer but a request for clarification: “Wait, say that last part.”

The reporter tried again: “So, is that why we had a breakfast lid this morning? I mean, there — the book is —”

Jean-Pierre interrupted: “A what?”

“There was a break— the breakfast lid came to the press for the first time, I think,” the reporter explained. “We’ve had some brunch lids in recent weeks as well. So my question is: Is that a reflection —”

Rather than answering, Jean-Pierre attempted to reframe the question: “So you think we’ve had those lids because the — because of this excerpt?”

The reporter corrected her: “Not because of the excerpt. The book is suggesting the President tells aides he’s tired.”

Jean-Pierre pressed back: “But that’s in the excerpt, right?”

“Yeah,” the reporter confirmed. “And that that’s why there have been so few public events before 10:00 a.m.”

Jean-Pierre’s final answer was curt: “I mean, that’s a ridiculous assumption to make.” She then repeated herself: “I mean, that’s a ridiculous assumption to — to make.”

What Is a “Breakfast Lid” and a “Brunch Lid”?

For readers unfamiliar with White House press terminology, a “lid” is a notification from the press office indicating that the president will make no further public appearances or statements for the day or for a defined period. A “breakfast lid” means this notification comes first thing in the morning, effectively signaling that the president has no public events scheduled for the early part of the day. A “brunch lid” arrives slightly later, around mid-morning.

The significance of these lids was that they suggested Biden was not engaging in public-facing activities during morning hours, which is traditionally one of the busiest parts of a president’s schedule. Press pool reporters track these lids carefully because they provide indirect evidence of the president’s daily routine and activity level.

The fact that “breakfast lids” and “brunch lids” were becoming more frequent in August 2023 was the observable pattern that gave the book’s claims added credibility. The reporter was not engaging in speculation; they were connecting published reporting to a documented scheduling trend.

Jean-Pierre’s Deflection Strategy

Jean-Pierre’s handling of the question followed a pattern that had become familiar during her tenure. Rather than addressing the substance of the question, she employed several deflection techniques in rapid succession.

First, she asked the reporter to repeat portions of the question, which consumed time and disrupted the questioner’s momentum. Second, she expressed confusion about terminology (“A what?”) that a press secretary would be expected to know intimately. Third, she attempted to recharacterize the question as being about the book excerpt rather than about the president’s schedule, which was a subtle but important distinction. Fourth, she dismissed the entire line of inquiry as “ridiculous” without providing any factual rebuttal.

At no point did Jean-Pierre offer an alternative explanation for the late-morning lids, describe Biden’s typical morning schedule, or dispute the specific claim that Biden had told aides he was tired. The dismissal was purely rhetorical, offering no information that might have put the matter to rest.

The Book and Its Claims

“The Last Politician” was written by Franklin Foer and published in September 2023. The book was based on extensive reporting and interviews with Biden administration officials and provided an inside account of the Biden White House’s operations. The excerpt published by The Guardian ahead of the book’s release contained the specific claim that Biden had acknowledged fatigue to his staff.

The claim was consistent with what reporters and observers had noted throughout Biden’s presidency: a schedule that was lighter than those of his recent predecessors, fewer press conferences and impromptu interactions with reporters, and a pattern of spending weekends away from the White House at a rate that exceeded most modern presidents.

Biden was 80 years old at the time of this exchange, making him the oldest person ever to serve as president. Questions about his stamina, cognitive sharpness, and physical endurance were not partisan attacks but legitimate areas of public interest, particularly given that he was expected to seek re-election in 2024.

The Broader Pattern of Stamina Questions

The August 30, 2023, exchange was far from the first time Jean-Pierre had been asked about Biden’s fitness. Throughout 2022 and 2023, reporters had repeatedly pressed her on Biden’s health, his visible physical difficulties including multiple stumbles and falls, his occasional verbal confusion during public remarks, and his relatively light public schedule.

Jean-Pierre’s responses to these questions followed a consistent script. She would describe Biden as energetic, note that he “outpaces” his staff, and suggest that anyone who spent time with him would see a vibrant and active leader. These responses stood in tension with the observable evidence of a president who rarely appeared before mid-morning, frequently stumbled over words during prepared remarks, and had experienced multiple publicly documented physical incidents.

The tension between the official narrative and the visual evidence available to anyone watching Biden’s public appearances contributed to a credibility gap that dogged the White House communications operation throughout his presidency.

What Happened Next

Biden’s stamina and cognitive fitness would become the dominant issue of his 2024 re-election campaign. The concerns that this reporter was raising in August 2023 were early indicators of the crisis that would eventually overwhelm his candidacy. Biden’s performance in the June 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump brought the stamina issue to a head, leading to his withdrawal from the race in July 2024.

In retrospect, the reporter’s August 2023 questions about breakfast lids and the book’s claims about Biden’s fatigue were among the earliest and most specific press inquiries that attempted to pin down the White House on an issue it desperately wanted to avoid. Jean-Pierre’s dismissal of the question as “ridiculous” aged poorly as the very concerns the reporter raised proved to be central to Biden’s political future.

Key Takeaways

• On August 30, 2023, a reporter asked Karine Jean-Pierre about book excerpts claiming Biden privately told aides he was tired, connecting it to the pattern of late-morning “breakfast lids” and “brunch lids.”
• Jean-Pierre appeared confused by the question, asked for portions to be repeated, and ultimately dismissed the entire inquiry as “a ridiculous assumption to make” without offering any factual rebuttal.
• A “lid” is White House press terminology for a notification that the president has no further public events; breakfast and brunch lids indicated Biden had no morning public schedule.
• The book, “The Last Politician” by Franklin Foer, was published in September 2023 and contained inside reporting on Biden’s White House operations.
• The stamina concerns raised by this reporter in August 2023 proved prescient, as Biden’s fitness became the central issue of his 2024 re-election campaign and ultimately contributed to his withdrawal from the race.