Biden uses ‘cheat sheet’ at first news conference
‘Fox News Sunday’ anchor Chris Wallace on President Biden using a script for first press conference.
President Joe Biden traveled on Friday to Louisiana where he appeared to bring along a “cheat sheet” which featured names and photographs of local officials with certain talking points, according to a report detailing his visit.
Biden, who toured and spoke in the state following widespread destruction from Hurricane Ida, visited damaged areas in Reserve and LaPlace. Biden could be seen carrying the notes in his back pocket as he was met on the tarmac in New Orleans by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and John Kennedy, R-La, according to the New York Post.
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On the notes that were photographed in Biden’s back pocket, the names of Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell could be seen.
“Can Joe Biden do anything without a cheat sheet? He couldn’t give a speech on Afghanistan after 5 PM,” said Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe. “It’s abundantly clear he’s not operating on full cylinders. He should be in retirement, not leading a country. It’s time we start talking about it more. Everyone sees it.”
Kayleigh McEnany, who served as former President Trump’s press secretary, told Fox News that Trump never relied on a “cheat sheet.”
“President Trump certainly never carried a ‘cheat sheet’ with him,” McEnany said. “As any good staff would, we often provided him with a pocket card before he left the plane, but he usually just left it on Air Force 1 and definitely never relied on it to remember the names of those he was meeting on the tarmac.”
This is not the first time Biden has been seen carrying a “cheat sheet.” In March, during his first formal press conference, Biden continuously referenced notes he had brought with him that were printed on cards.
Photos taken at the event showed Biden holding a card labeled “infrastructure,” with key statistics and talking points. One bullet point noted that “China spends 3 times more on infrastructure than U.S.”
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In another photo, Biden was seen consulting a sheet that appeared to show the pictures and news outlets of journalists who attended his news conference. Some of the pictured reporters had a circled number next to their images.
“Given his track record of hiding in his basement during the presidential election, it’s not surprising that President Biden depends on cheat sheets,” Fox News contributor Deneen Borelli said about the controversy. “Biden is lost and fumbles badly without notes and the teleprompter. It’s fundamentally dangerous the U.S. has such a weak and incompetent president. The world is watching including our adversaries.
Borelli added, “Then-candidate Biden wasn’t challenged by the media and when interviewed was given softball questions. Now America knows why his handlers want him to have limited media access because he’s incapable of sensible communication.”
The use of note cards is not unprecedented at presidential news conferences. In November 2019, former President Donald Trump held a notebook with handwritten prompts during a news conference on testimony delivered at his first impeachment hearing.
Fox News’ Thomas Barabbi and David Aaro contributed to this article.
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