AP slammed for saying 81-year-old Biden is 'often sharp' but also 'confused and forgetful'

The Associated Press was slammed after publishing a report on Wednesday that said Joe Biden is "often sharp and focused" at 81 years old, but is also "confused and forgetful" at the same time. The report comes after Biden had a disastrous debate performance last week against Donald Trump.

There were five AP reporters on the byline of the article titled, "Biden at 81: Often sharp and focused but sometimes confused and forgetful," which was slammed repeatedly online for the article. The article title sparked backlash from many users online.

Editor-in-Chief of The Post Millennial posted a screenshot of the report and commented, "It's real." Others were also surprised that such a report would be coming from the outlet.

Kyle Mann, editor at the Babylon Bee, wrote in response, “How are we at The Babylon Bee supposed to compete with AP?"

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has endorsed Trump since the Republican primary, wrote, "The AP is really doing this…"

The report from the outlet was a look at Biden and his "conduct behind closed doors" as well as in meetings at various different locations. The outlet reported from speaking to those who are around Biden, "He is often sharp and focused. But he also has moments, particularly later in the evening, when his thoughts seem jumbled and he trails off mid-sentence or seems confused. Sometimes he doesn’t grasp the finer points of policy details. He occasionally forgets people’s names, stares blankly and moves slowly around the room."

"Biden’s occasional struggles with focus may not be unusual for someone his age," the reporters added in the article and also addressed the dismal debate performance from Biden that has appeared to strike his poll numbers in areas where he won in 2020. However, Biden has vowed that he will be staying in the race after the performance.

Although the AP report comes from sources close to the president, the outlet added, "Biden’s public interactions — with journalists especially — have been greatly limited under a mandate led by one of his top advisers, Anita Dunn. Even during major events with Democrats or other supporters."

The White House reportedly will limit how much time Biden spends with an audience, possibly in an effort to prevent him from having the stumbles that have become common during his tenure. Aides to the president have admitted that he is often only fully alert between the hours of 10 am to 4pm.