It was supposed to be just another hearing on Capitol Hill, but what unfolded in the chamber today was nothing short of a political spectacle—a moment that crystallized the yawning gap between what the American public sees with its own eyes and what the Democratic establishment insists we believe. Senator Eric Schmitt, never one to shy away from a fight, seized the moment with a move that was as devastating as it was simple: he played a video. Not just any video, but a greatest-hits reel of leading Democrats and Biden administration officials, all parroting the same improbable claim—that President Joe Biden is “sharp,” “detail-oriented,” “at the top of his game,” and, if you believe them, more mentally fit than ever.

The minority, Schmitt pointed out, hadn’t bothered to call any witnesses. They didn’t need to, apparently, because their strategy was to pretend there’s nothing to see—just as they’ve pretended not to notice the president’s very public decline. But Schmitt wasn’t about to let that slide. “They have chosen to ignore the hearing as they chose to ignore President Biden’s mental decline,” he said, his voice ringing with the kind of incredulity that millions of Americans feel every time they watch a White House press conference these days.

And then came the video. For a few minutes, the hearing room was filled with the voices of Biden’s most loyal defenders—cabinet officials, Democratic lawmakers, party strategists—all lining up to assure the country that, despite what we might see on TV, Joe Biden is as sharp as a tack. The effect was almost surreal.

“Does the president have the stamina, physically and mentally, to continue on even after 2024?” a reporter asked. The response was almost comical in its exasperation: “Oh my gosh, he’s the president of the United States! You know, I can’t even keep up with him!” The implication was clear: if you think Biden is slowing down, the joke’s on you.

Another official chimed in: “The most difficult part about a meeting with President Biden is preparing for it, because he is sharp, intensely probing, and detail-oriented and focused.” You could almost hear the staffers in the background nodding along, as if reciting lines from a script.

One after another, they came forward with their testimonials. “I can testify because I’ve been working very closely with this president for the past two years. I’ve known him for 30 years, and I’m telling you, this guy’s tough. He’s smart. He’s on his game.”

The words tumbled out, each more effusive than the last. “Joe Biden has vision. He has knowledge. He’s a strategic thinker. The president is focused, he’s detail-oriented, he’s always thinking about the big picture. He is engaging, he is capable, he has an incredible record as president, and I’m often with him on foreign trips—he’s at the top of his game.”

It didn’t stop there. “He has vision, he has knowledge, he has judgment, he has strategic thinking. I met with the president, I don’t know, five or six weeks ago and he seemed fine to me. I have complete confidence in the president. I have watched him expertly guide meetings of staff and cabinet members. I could not have more confidence in the president.”

More voices. More reassurance. “I meet frequently with the president, and every single time I meet with him, he is just fine. He is knowledgeable, wise, incredibly sharp, incredibly probing, incredible command of the details. He is sharp. He is on top of things. There is nothing to these suggestions that somehow he’s not sharp and he’s not capable.”

And finally, the pièce de résistance: “We see Joe Biden up close. We know how attuned he is to the issue, and you’re going to see how smart he is and the experience he has. I say his age is an asset. He’s wise—yes, and he’s wise. He has wisdom, he has experience, and his experience because of his age and his wisdom has been invaluable to this country. A lot of countries, people who’ve been in office a longer period of time are praised for their wisdom. I have seen a lot of 72-year-olds not as capable as this 80-year-old. It is hard for us to keep up with this president. His mental acuity is great, it’s fine, it’s as good as it’s been over the years I’ve been—he’s fine. All this right-wing propaganda that his mental acuity has declined is wrong, and this kind of sense that he’s not ready for this job is just a bucket of BS that’s so deep your boots will get stuck in.”

If it weren’t so serious, it would be funny. But for millions of Americans, it’s not a joke—it’s a daily source of anxiety. Because, no matter how many times Democratic officials insist that Biden is “at the top of his game,” the evidence of our own eyes tells a different story.

We’ve all seen the clips: the president losing his train of thought mid-sentence, freezing up at public events, wandering off stage in confusion, struggling to answer basic questions without a notecard or teleprompter. We’ve seen the awkward moments at international summits, the gaffes, the misstatements, the blank stares. We’ve watched as world leaders—some of them half his age—look on in barely concealed disbelief.

And it’s not just the right-wing media that’s noticed. Poll after poll shows that a majority of Americans, including many Democrats, are worried about Biden’s age and mental fitness. It’s the elephant in the room—one that the White House and its allies are desperately trying to ignore.

But today, in that hearing room, Senator Schmitt ripped the band-aid off. By playing that video, he forced everyone to confront the absurdity of the current narrative. The message from the Democratic establishment is clear: Don’t believe your lying eyes. Don’t trust your own judgment. Ignore what you see and hear—just listen to us.

It’s the oldest trick in the book, and it’s wearing thin. Americans are a forgiving people, but they’re not fools. They know what it looks like when a president is losing his edge. They remember Ronald Reagan’s last years in office. They remember the whispers about Woodrow Wilson, about FDR, about other leaders who stayed too long at the top. They know that age comes for us all, and that no amount of spin can change that reality.

What makes the current situation so galling is the sheer brazenness of the denials. It’s not enough for Biden’s defenders to say he’s doing his best, or that he’s surrounded by a capable team. No—they have to insist, with a straight face, that he’s sharper, tougher, and more capable than ever. That he’s not just keeping up, but setting the pace. That anyone who suggests otherwise is a liar, a propagandist, or a fool.

It’s gaslighting on a national scale, and it’s starting to backfire. The more the White House insists that everything is fine, the more Americans start to wonder what else they’re not being told. The more the talking heads on cable news assure us that Biden is “at the top of his game,” the more we notice the moments when he’s clearly not.

And make no mistake: the stakes couldn’t be higher. The world is a dangerous place. America needs a president who can command respect, make tough decisions, and project strength on the global stage. We need someone who can inspire confidence—not just in his supporters, but in our allies and adversaries alike. We need someone who can go toe-to-toe with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and the rest of the world’s strongmen—not someone who needs a cheat sheet to remember the names of his own cabinet.

There’s a reason why the question of Biden’s mental fitness has become a central issue in the 2024 campaign. It’s not just a Republican talking point—it’s a genuine concern for millions of voters. And no amount of video montages, no matter how slick, can change that.

So what happens now? If today’s hearing is any indication, the Democratic strategy is to double down. Ignore the critics. Dismiss the concerns. Insist that everything is fine, no matter how implausible that may seem. But as today’s video made clear, that strategy is running out of road.

Senator Schmitt’s move was simple, but devastating. By letting the Democrats speak for themselves, he exposed the absurdity of their position. He didn’t need to call witnesses, or make grand speeches. All he had to do was press “play.”

The reaction was immediate. Social media lit up with clips from the hearing, with Americans on both sides of the aisle weighing in. Some defended the president, insisting that the video was misleading, that the real Biden is as sharp as ever. Others saw it as confirmation of what they’ve suspected all along: that the White House is engaged in a massive cover-up, and that the American people are being lied to.

But perhaps the most telling response came from the Democrats themselves. Instead of engaging with the substance of the video, they attacked the messenger. They accused Schmitt of playing politics, of exploiting the president’s age for partisan gain. They insisted, once again, that the real problem is not Biden’s mental fitness, but the “right-wing propaganda” that dares to question it.

It’s a familiar pattern, and it’s not likely to change anytime soon. But as today’s hearing made clear, the American people are paying attention. They’re watching, they’re listening, and they’re drawing their own conclusions.

In the end, the question is simple: who do you believe? The politicians on the video, insisting that everything is fine? Or your own lying eyes?

For millions of Americans, the answer is increasingly clear. And no amount of spin, no matter how relentless, can change that.

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