As the books tumble out exposing the Democrats hiding the mental decline of Biden -- and that includes the press -- some hardcore partisans are going to trash the trend. Who needs these books?
On ABC’s The View Friday, during the usual shrieking against President Trump, they mentioned former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain telling author Chris Whipple that by debate time in 2024, Biden was in no shape to run for president, but Ana Navarro still maintained that she would rather “have Joe Biden in a coma over Trump.”
Joy Behar raised the subject, saying that Klain “claimed there was a lot of concern that Biden couldn’t keep up with the debate prep, and he would fall asleep by the pool.”
The idea of theoretically the most powerful man in the world being in that health would have alarmed many people. Sarah Haines quipped “me too,” while Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed.
Behar tried to brush the allegations off with the comment, “If any of this is true, what can Democrats do now? I mean, it seems to me this ship is sailed. What's the point?... [D]o we really believe that Trump is not falling asleep in the chair at Mar-a-Lago?”
Safely back on Trump, Sunny Hostin agreed, "I'd rather read a book about what Trump did to us when he was president, and what he's doing to us now. I’m much more interested in that. I'm not interested in looking back. I mean, we’re in a constitutional crisis right now."
Farah "Yeah, respectfully, there were more books about Trump than I feel like anyone ever needed to read." She also suggested Biden's ego was Trumpian: "People always think I'm, like, so critical just cause I think he needed to step aside and give someone else a chance- he does start to come off the more we're learning like ‘I alone can fix it.’ It almost comes off Trumpian."
Sarah Haines didn't like how Democrats didn't listen to voters and their concerns about his fitness.
I would say the learning lesson here is ‘listen to the voters,’ because one thing that really pissed me off, as an independent- and I was one of the people that sat here and said, after seeing President Biden, ‘I voted for Biden, I really liked Biden.’ I actually had been happy with him and I would have voted for him if he continued to run.
But I did look at him and think, ‘I think maybe you do need to step aside,’ and now the rumors that we're hearing- starting to make sense. And what happened is, everyone said, ‘You're disloyal if you say that, shut up and fall in line,’ and that's why people want to be independents these days. Because, partisan politics -- they lie.
Behar returned to complaining: "So why say it- or write it? What’s- It's kind of mean." Joy Behar doesn't like mean??
Navarro chimed in:
[U]sually I like these books…But, these are not normal times, so \I'm just not interested in palace gossip from a year and a half ago because I'm more interested about the children who are losing food, because this government is cutting off their program, and the federal workers who are losing their jobs, and I'm interested about the deportation people who have no due process...
Haines said two things can be true at once, "you can despise Trump," and "still be able to see straight what happened here.
Navarro, though, remained adamant, “I always said I would prefer, you know, Joe Biden in a coma over Trump, and I maintain that.”
Apparently, if the persistent allegations were true, that the leader of the free world had literally been incapacitated, Navarro was not interested in the cover-up because she can only focus on Donald Trump.
To view the full transcript click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
04/04/2025
11:16 AMJOY BEHAR: The 2024 presidential campaign was even more of a mess for Democrats than we even saw. According to several new books about the last few months of the election, that’s- they're writing books about it now- In one book, Biden adviser Ron Klain claimed there was a lot of concern that Biden couldn't keep up with the debate prep, and he would fall asleep by the pool.
SARA HAINES: Me, too.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: The same.
BEHAR: Me too.
Another book claims President Obama didn't want VP Harris to take Biden's place, his choice was Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Now, these are books that people are writing so we have to take a lot of this, I think, with a bit of a grain of salt. I mean, if any of this is true, what can Democrats do about it now? I mean, it seems to me this ship is sailed. What's the point?
SUNNY HOSTIN: I'd rather- read a book- about what Trump did to us-- when he was president, and what he's doing to us now.
BEHAR: Yeah.
HOSTIN: I’m much more interested in that. I'm not interested in- in looking back. I mean, we’re in the- we’re in a constitutional crisis right now.
BEHAR: And do we really believe that Trump is not falling asleep in the chair at Mar-a-Lago?
FARAH GRIFFIN: Yeah, respectfully, there were more books about Trump than I feel like anyone ever needed to read.
ANA NAVARRO: I wish he did.
HAINES: You wrote one.
BEHAR: I did. I did.
FARAH GRIFFIN: You did. We’re in a moment we’re in [sic.] where a lot of people are scared, they're nervous, they’re worried that we're seeing America fundamentally changed.
And, a reason for that, not just the little asterisk, is that Joe Biden did not win, did not step aside in time to allow someone else to win-
BEHAR: Right.
FARAH GRIFFIN: And I do think it is a story that warrants some reflection because even beyond the electoral consequences of Trump winning and what we're going to experience the next four years, I think there is also- what I'm struck by- and I think highly of Biden-
BEHAR: Yeah.
FARAH GRIFFIN: People always think I'm, like, so critical just cause I think he needed to step aside and give someone else a chance- he does start to come off the more we're learning like ‘I alone can fix it.’ It almost comes off Trumpian.
BEHAR: And it was late, also. He was late.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Well, he should have done it sooner.
BEHAR: Right. Right.
FARAH GRIFFIN: If he had, after the debate, that would have given someone enough runway to actually run a winning campaign.
HAINES: Well, I would say the learning lesson here is ‘listen to the voters,’ because one thing that really pissed me off, as an independent- and I was one of the people that sat here and said, after seeing President Biden, ‘I voted for Biden, I really liked Biden.’
FARAH GRIFFIN: Yeah.
HAINES: I actually had been happy with him and I would have voted for him if he continued to run.
But I did look at him and think, ‘I think maybe you do need to step aside,’ and now the rumors that we're hearing- starting to make sense. And what happened is, everyone said, ‘You're disloyal if you say that, shut up and fall in line,’ and that's why people want to be independents these days. Because, partisan politics- they lie.
It was the Democratic Party that made that choice, that said, ‘To be- you're betraying him if you call it like you see it.’ And the point here was is [sic.], he wasn't necessarily fit to run for another four years.
BEHAR: Okay, okay.
NAVARRO: Look, I know Ron Klain. I was- texting with him yesterday. He's one of the longest advisers and very, very close to Biden, so this is probably very painful to them both.
BEHAR: So why say it- or write it? What’s- It's kind of mean.
HOSTIN: He’s saying that the framing’s wrong.
NAVARRO: Because they- you know what? Folks get caught up talking about post mortems of campaigns-
BEHAR: Oh, they want to sell books.
NAVARRO: And talking to reporters who- are their friends. And usually I like these books, usually I like the- campaign gossip- of- Primary Colors after Clinton, or O after Obama, or Game Change after McCain.
But, these are not normal times, so I'm just not interested in palace gossip from a year and a half ago because I'm more- more interested about the children who are losing food, because this government is cutting off their program, and the federal workers who are losing their jobs, and I'm interested about the deportation people who have no due process and I'm- you know- interested in the fact that we are at war with -- a trade war with- the rest of the world, and threatening allies like Panama and- you know- and Greenland.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Some of us warned that- some of us warned that all of this, specifically, was coming. You know, there were people beating the drum, explaining explicitly what a second Trump term would be.
HOSTIN: Project 2025, everyone.
NAVARRO: Right.
FARAH GRIFFIN: They were saying it but the Democrats could not put up something formidable enough to beat it.
HAINES: Well, and two things can be- two things can be true at once, you can despise Trump, and everything the Republicans stand for, and still be able to see straight about what happened here, and denying it and telling people you're not seeing what you're seeing is never going to win voters. Ever.
HOSTIN: I bet you every single person that voted- for- for Kamala Harris wishes that Kamala Harris won right now.
HAINES: I do.
HOSTIN: I- I bet you that- and I bet you, there are a lot of people that voted for Trump, that wish that Kamala Harris was in the White house.
NAVARRO: You know, there are probably a lot of people who didn't vote, who are probably regretting it now.
HOSTIN: Yes.
BEHAR: To me this is- to me this is-
NAVARRO: You know, I always said I would prefer- you know- the- Joe Biden in a coma, over Trump, and I maintain that.
BEHAR: We’ll be right back.
