Well, folks, here we go again. Another Sunday morning political panel, another attempt to convince the American people not to believe their own eyes and ears. This time, it was MSNBC’s Symone Sanders-Townsend taking to the airwaves to deliver a masterclass in spin, arguing that President Joe Biden is “unequivocally” more mentally fit than President-elect Donald Trump.
Now, let’s break this down. Symone Sanders-Townsend, a former Biden campaign aide and Harris staffer turned MSNBC host, didn’t just dip her toes into the waters of partisan denial—she cannonballed right in. With a straight face and all the confidence of someone who thinks sheer conviction can rewrite reality, Sanders-Townsend insisted that Biden is absolutely mentally sharp, that he’s “doing the job,” and that any perception otherwise is just unfair conflation of age and cognitive ability.
But here’s the thing: the American people aren’t buying it. They saw Biden during that debate. They heard his wandering answers, his vacant pauses, and his inability to complete basic thoughts without losing the thread. This isn’t some elaborate deepfake operation cooked up in a conservative basement—this was broadcast live, unedited, and in primetime.
Even Politico’s Jonathan Martin—not exactly a MAGA diehard—couldn’t bring himself to back Sanders-Townsend up. Instead, he pointed out the obvious: Biden’s recent behavior has been more about self-preservation than the good of his party. His decision to run again despite clear voter hesitation, the timing of his son’s pardon, and his choices for prestigious honors like the Medal of Freedom all paint a picture of a man clinging to the trappings of power rather than gracefully stepping aside.
.@marctshort: What hurt Democrats in November to try to tell the American people something they could see with their own eyes wasn’t true.
Symone Sanders: But it’s not true that Biden doesn’t have the mental acuity.
Short: Of course it is, Symone! Imagine people saw that for… pic.twitter.com/ymsn6PJ6Ns
— Bobby LaValley (@Bobby_LaVallley) January 5, 2025
And then there was Marc Short, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence, who delivered the cold, hard truth: “It hurt Democrats in November to try to tell the American people something they could see with their own eyes wasn’t true.”
Short’s comment is the real story here. It wasn’t just Biden’s age or gaffes that turned off voters—it was the insult of being told, over and over again, that everything they were witnessing in real time was somehow not happening. It’s one thing for politicians to spin statistics or reframe policy decisions; it’s another thing entirely to ask voters to pretend reality doesn’t exist.
But Sanders-Townsend wasn’t finished. When confronted with these points, she swerved to the usual fallback: “He can at least put a sentence together. The president-elect is the one I’m concerned about.”
Ah, there it is—the ol’ “but Trump” defense. Now, Trump is no stranger to controversial statements, and he’s certainly had his share of verbal stumbles. But let’s not pretend this is a symmetrical comparison. Biden’s struggles aren’t just about the occasional slip-up; they’re about repeated, undeniable signs of cognitive decline that have been on display for the entire world to see.
Look, Sanders-Townsend can argue until she’s blue in the face, but the fact remains: the Biden narrative is collapsing under its own weight. Democrats know it, the media knows it, and most importantly, the American voter knows it. Biden’s refusal to step aside earlier and his party’s insistence on gaslighting the public have only made the situation worse.
