© EPA/OLIVER CONTRERAS / POOLPresident Joe Biden looks at notes as he answers questions from journalists during the first formal press conference of his presidency.
It's clear Mr. Biden is not up to the job, that's why his team waited 65 days — the longest of any president in 100 years — to schedule his first solo press conference.
Mr. Biden came armed with a binder full of notes, which he read directly from while responding to questions about China, North Korea and Afghanistan. It was his cheat sheet, and he needed it. No reporter asked him about it.
Former press secretary Ari Fleischer tweeted he's never before seen a president bring a typed, multi-page question-and-answers document to a news conference. But this is Mr. Biden's White House, and his team knows their boss needs a study guide.
The 10 reporters who got to ask questions were preselected by Mr. Biden's team. Notably, Fox News' Peter Doocy was never called upon. Too controversial. He might have asked a pressing question that wasn't included in Mr. Biden's prewritten script.
PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor helped kick off the event, asking a question the Democratic National Committee would be proud of: "The perception of you, that got you elected, as a moral, decent man, is the reason why a lot of immigrants are coming to this country and entrusting you with unaccompanied minors. How do you resolve that tension?"
Mr. Biden agreed he was a moral, decent man, and as a moral and decent man, he has a plan.
What is that plan and when will it be executed? He didn't say. But until it is, the press will be cut off from access at the border. The White House press corps seemed fine with it.
Mr. Biden said he agreed with former President Barack Obama that the Senate filibuster is a relic of the Jim Crow era. The filibuster was created long before Jim Crow laws and was used way more in the past two decades than it was in the '50s or '60s, but whatever.
He then went on to say the use of the filibuster is much different than when he "came to the Senate 120 years ago," and it was abused grossly last year — when Democrats were in the minority and used it repeatedly to block Republican bills, like Sen. Tim Scott's police reform legislation.
Not exactly a coherent argument, but at least it comprised full sentences.
When asked about gun control, Mr. Biden spoke of infrastructure, and then asbestosis in schools. When he finished, no one could remember what the original question was about.
"I just find it frustrating," he said, trailing off and not completing his thought.
At another point, he asked, "Where am I?" as he looked down at a list of reporters trying to figure out who his team wanted him to pick on next.
The press just sat there and let him aimlessly wander. There were no interruptions, which were all too common in the Trump era. Yet, you can't blame the press, as they, like the rest of America, were probably working hard trying to follow Mr. Biden's train of thought.
After the press conference ended, the Biden administration called a lid. It was all our commander in chief could handle for the day.
The press conference didn't break any big news — which Team Biden probably views as a success. Now they can tuck Mr. Biden into bed, and our foreign adversaries can come out to play, as he will be asleep for the next 18 hours.
Elder abuse.
At this point I almost pity the man.