The Economist magazine surprised social media users yesterday, July 4, with a cover that criticized the US president, Joe Biden of his age and suitability for the position.
More specifically, the cover showed a “Pi” for seniors with the presidential seal.
Shared on X, the agency’s new cover gained significant attention on the platform, garnering more than 1 million views in just a few hours. In addition to the provocative cover, the article takes aim at Biden for his appearance in the debate, saying he has proven he is “unfit” to be president.
As head of state, the president of the United States embodies the virtues of the republic. The more he is seen as a stubborn old man who leaves the real work to his courtiers, the more he will undermine Americans’ faith in their system of government. https://t.co/Ju2EYXuZrI
– The Economist (@TheEconomist) July 5, 2024
“The debate was torture”
The article began by saying: “It was torture to watch a confused old man struggling to remember words and events. His inability to argue against a weak opponent was disheartening. But his campaign’s business of denying what tens of millions of Americans saw with their own eyes is the more toxic of the two because his dishonesty inspires contempt.”
He continues: “Democrats rightly argue that Trump is unfit to be president. But the debate and its aftermath have proven that Biden is unfit, too. First, because of his mental decline. Biden can still appear energetic during brief, scripted appearances. But you can’t run a superpower on automatic command. And you can’t postpone an international crisis because the president is having a bad night.”
“Should we trust someone who can’t complete a Medicare proposal with the nuclear codes?” the outlet also asks.
The editorial followed several others published by the New York Times, the Boston Globe and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution urging Biden to drop his reelection bid following CNN’s June 27 presidential debate with former President Trump.