Brian Stelter Bristles at Criticism of Media’s Focus on Biden: This Is an ‘Unprecedented Crisis’ Caused by the ‘American Gerontocracy’

Brian Stelter pushed back on those who criticized media coverage of President Joe Biden’s struggles since his disastrous debate performance, arguing that there was an “unprecedented crisis” created by the “American gerontocracy.”

Biden has been facing increasing scrutiny since his verbal stumbles during his debate against former President Donald Trump. Recent polling showed 72% of Americans do not believe he has the “mental and cognitive health to be president.” The days following the debate continued to bring more tough headlines for the president, as rumors swirled about internal discontent among Democrats — including some public calls for him to step aside — and anxiety among campaign staff.

Nonetheless, Biden remains adamant that he intends to stay in the race, and said so during a rally in Wisconsin, his interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that aired last Friday, and a surprise call-in to MSNBC’s Morning Joe Monday morning.

Stelter joined Jim Acosta and Atlantic columnist Tom Nichols on CNN Newsroom shortly after Biden’s Morning Joe appearance to discuss the state of the campaign.

Acosta brought up how he was hearing “over and over again” questions about why the media was not talking more about Project 2025, the agenda championed by the Heritage Foundation for Trump’s potential second term as president that would involve “stocking the new administration with Trump loyalists.” The CNN anchor brought up a list of people who were involved with the first Trump administration and had been involved in creating Project 2025.

“There are a lot of critics out there who say, why don’t you guys cover that? What do you think?”

Stelter replied that “there has actually been play a bit of news coverage” of Project 2025, and he was “sure” there would be more in the coming weeks, “even though Trump is trying to distance himself from it.”

“Biden would benefit from talking more about what Trump is proposing” and what te Heritage Foundation wants to do, Stelter continued, “and to contrast that with [Biden’s] own plans for the future rather than talking about the past.”

He then addressed the “unprecedented” nature of the current situation and how the media was covering it:

I think in terms of the media critique, right now, it’s an unprecedented crisis of the Democratic Party, this has never happened before in our lifetime, the idea of this elderly man, whether he should step aside, whether he should step down. We’re in uncharted territory, so it’s a major, major media story, but there’s of course, many, many months, months to come — not months, the many weeks to go in this campaign…

And here I think the bigger story, Jim, this is not just about Biden, it’s not just about Trump. It’s about the American gerontocracy. It’s about elderly people running the government and most younger voters being sick and tired of it, the average 30, 40, 50, 60-year-old does not want 80-year-olds running the government. That’s the story here.

And Biden’s a part of the story right now. It’s Biden’s turn to be scrutinized by his own party, but Trump would also be one of the oldest presidents in living memory. So I think the bigger story here is about the gerontocracy. And that should be coming through in the news coverage.

Acosta asked Nichols for his take, and he replied that he thought the criticism of the media by Biden supporters was “unfair” because “a lot of us out here have been talking about Trump and Project 2025, and the terrible things that will happen.”

“But the Biden campaign created this story,” Nichols continued. “Why are you so obsessed with us? Well, you told us to, to watch that debate. You told us to watch what would happen Friday night, and twice that’s gone really badly.”

“They’re acting as if the president seeming to be having problems, health problems, or concentration problems, isn’t a real story and of course it’s going to be covered — as Brian said, it’s an unprecedented crisis,” he concluded. “And the notion that you should just stop talking about it and start talking about Trump again — everybody involved here can chew gum and walk at the same time. There are many stories to cover…but this is a story and it’s unavoidable.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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