Joe Biden is currently unfit to be president

After 54 years in political office, President Joe Biden has reached his breaking point. In his eventful four years as president, Biden oversaw the nation’s rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and made significant improvements to health care and industrial policy. His administration was also marked by failures, embarking on a misguided quest of NATO expansion amid wars in Ukraine and Gaza, while presiding over rampant inflation and mass immigration. His biggest shortcoming, however, was not a policy issue, it was his consistent mental and physical deterioration, which in the last months has become so apparent it has overshadowed each of the president’s public and even private appearances. On July 21, Joe Biden faced the music and dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.

While Biden has finally given up his 2024 election bid, his rapid mental decline and present inability to effectively navigate his role call into question his viability as president over just the next six months. Biden couldn’t juggle campaigning and presidential duties and, even though he has ended his campaign, still can’t do the latter properly. He is no longer of sound mind or body, and allowing him to continue as president for the next six months is a danger to the nation. To appoint a president better equipped to lead the nation against advancing foreign policy crises and reinvigorate domestic affairs, Section 4 of the 25th Amendment must be invoked on President Biden to allow Vice President Kamala Harris to serve until the elected candidate assumes office in January of 2025.  

Ratified in 1967, the 25th Amendment has proven to be an effective tool in handing presidential duties to the vice president in the instance that the president is unable to fulfill said duties. Despite being used quite rarely and only in extreme circumstances, such as when the president is in surgery or very ill, Joe Biden’s present state of debilitation necessitates Kamala Harris invoking the amendment. 

The president’s decline was receiving media attention well before the June 27 debate, but it became the story in the aftermath of his disastrous showing. Biden blamed his poor performance on a “bad day,” but “bad days” continue to roll in. His post-debate interviews and public appearances have not been reassuring of his competency. The president doesn’t appear well for extended periods of time and, even with a teleprompter, he struggles to find his words. If Biden doesn’t trust his own ability to hold another four years in office, why should the public and political establishment trust he’s capable of successfully acting as president over the next six months? What’s stopping him from having one of these “bad days” when the stakes are at their highest? 

Considering his difficulty speaking in public at a presidential caliber, it is unsurprising that Biden has held by far the fewest number of press conferences and media interviews when compared to the last seven presidents. After his shocking performances in the public eye over the last month, it appears Biden’s team kept such appearances to a minimum as part of a deliberate strategy to minimize his visibility with the press and public to stifle narratives over his decline. 

Joe Biden’s decline has become too significant to cover up. Biden’s COVID-19 diagnosis and continued gaffes since the debate have harmed the nation’s reputation on a global scale. In a time of great turmoil across the world, there is a necessity for decisive and vigorous leadership. President Biden is nowhere near the man who was sworn in over three years ago, and keeping him as president over these next six months could have catastrophic consequences. With the recent announcement of her presidential campaign, there is no better time for Harris to take over the office than now. This is an unprecedented opportunity to provide legitimacy to her candidacy and prove her mettle as Biden’s stand-in. Harris is far younger, more energetic and is more capable to lead the United States than Biden in his current state. 

The Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars continue to be devastating, and Biden hasn’t shown that he is capable of winding down either conflict. While Biden touts further NATO expansion as one of the major victories of his presidency, these efforts have done little to achieve global peace and serve only to deepen fissures between the United States and its opponents. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza rages on with no apparent end in sight, and Biden’s half-measured attempts at forging lasting peace have unsurprisingly proven fruitless. The war in Ukraine has devolved into a war of attrition in which waning aid and declining manpower mean it is only a matter of time before Russia achieves its goals. Given the magnitude of these conflicts with no end in sight, Biden cannot be allowed to continue to represent U.S. efforts towards peace.

The United States needs a president capable of standing up for its values and negotiating with some of the world’s most savvy leaders. Upon seeing in excruciating detail how Biden carries himself in public speaking engagements, it is unsurprising that Biden has been unable to persuade the combatants in Israel and Ukraine to permanently cease fire and come to a peace agreement. Even worse, Biden has refused to take responsibility for his part in the continuation of both conflicts while they rage on unabated.

Returning to the home front, Biden also needs to step down for the sake of his Democratic colleagues. Down Ballot candidates have typically performed better than the president in primaries, indicating that support for Democratic party policy positions remains strong. Biden simply isn’t the individual most fit to represent them. A strong president capable of effectively representing his party’s policies is crucial for the health of its constituency, and keeping Biden threatens to undermine the trust of voters nationwide. Harris needs the strongest possible springboard to rise to the occasion against a monumental political opponent in former President Donald Trump.

The threat of another Trump presidency and its consequences for the United States should be scary enough for Democrats that they maximize the remaining months before November. Proceeding in the 2024 election with their best foot forward should be the party’s priority. Under Biden, it has become abundantly clear this is impossible. Although elevating Harris to the Oval Office does not guarantee improved political stability, it makes a healthier domestic situation more likely while simultaneously giving the Democrats the best opportunity to aid Harris’ presidential campaign.

With six months to go, it may be too late for Democrats to make any significant progress that tips the election in their favor. Nevertheless, they cannot stand idly as Biden’s decline continues. While the nation is bereft of capable leadership under President Biden, Harris’ bid for the presidency becomes increasingly daunting. Invoking the 25th Amendment and installing Harris as president over the next six months may be the nation’s best bet. With the nation’s political future on the line, why not take a chance with Harris?

Maximilian Schenke is an Opinion Columnist who writes about whatever is on his mind, but typically focuses on politics. He loves receiving criticism or otherwise at maxsch@umich.edu.

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