CNN now claims there were ‘clear signs throughout his term’ that Biden was declining

They went on to discuss the ways, saying this pantomime of presidential competency was achieved "with lists of talking points, names of questioners and drawings of where he should walk presented to him by aides. Ahead of closed-door Cabinet meetings that Biden attends, it is customary for Cabinet officials to submit questions and key talking points that they plan to present in front of Biden ahead of time to White House aides." CNN cites two sources close to the matter.

Democrats have recently become outraged by Biden's obviously deteriorating mental state and accused his closest advisers of taking drastic measures to shield the public from the president's evident cognitive impairment. This includes the meticulously choreographed daily operation intended to prevent Biden from spending extended periods of time in unscripted settings.

More than two dozen current and former Democratic officials, some of which are longtime donors and Biden allies, spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity. They asserted it's time for the oldest sitting president in history, 81, to go with advisers acknowledging, "This is only going to get worse."

"There's this general sense of just, unbelievable holding your breath every time he does an event, every time he's with people," a Democrat insider close to Biden's advisers told the network.

That same insider said if someone dared to question the president's age or mental fitness, Biden's closest advisers would lash out," going on to say "Everyone who expressed any level of suspicion or contrary views? They call everyone and they beat the s*** out of them and say: 'Stay on message.'"

An individual involved with Biden's debate preparation at Camp David last month told CNN they were concerned about the president's competence after observing him during the rehearsals. "It's not like Biden's inner circle didn't know this," said one Democratic strategist close to the White House.

Actor George Clooney and other donors' portrayal of Biden at the Los Angeles fundraiser has been refuted by campaign officials. A senior Biden official who was present at the event told CNN that the president was "animated and present" despite criticism that he was anything but.

Biden is now confronted with an increasing number of requests to withdraw from the 2024 campaign after two weeks of defiance following the debate. Many of the sources who spoke to CNN predicted that the pressure would increase and more people would call for his resignation, including a number of Democratic lawmakers.

One former Biden White House official said to "expect a drip, drip, drip." The House Oversight Committee on Thursday subpoenaed three aides close to Biden to try to get a sense of exactly how much presidential business he tends to on his own and how much of the nation's affairs are handled by staff.

The Democrat Party now faces a significant crisis. Democrats are increasingly concerned Biden could undermine the party's ticket, impede the pursuit of reclaiming their House majority, and exacerbate efforts to maintain Senate control.

According to four Democratic campaign officials, the concerns were pervasive and manifested signs of sweeping down-ballot damage by Tuesday of this week, as frontline campaigns reviewed their own internal polling. "Erosion across the board," said one official.

Some even blamed First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for enabling the president to stay in the race, but defenders of FLOTUS said she's just being a supportive wife.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates defended Biden's performance to the network and said: "Joe Biden has always said that it is fair for reporters to ask about his age and has always confidently shown his values, agenda, intelligence, and determination to the American people."

"Officials who meet with him frequently have spoken to his sharpness and command," said Bates. The coming days are pivotal for Biden as all eyes will be on his upcoming appearances. On Thursday, Biden will be conducting a press conference and later this week the president will appear for a one-on-one interview on MSNBC.