Chris Cillizza Doesn't Think Media Coverup of Biden's Condition Was Intentional Activism

Doug P. | 4:40 PM on April 09, 2025

The co-founders of Axios were on Bari Weiss' podcast this week, and the media aiding in the coverup of then President Joe Biden's condition were among the topics discussed. Jim VandeHei, a co-founder of Politico and Axios was asked about the death of the legacy media and said it was the result of "a couple of bad apples."

Axios' Mike Allen diagnosed the media as having had other motives for helping the Left cover up Biden's condition, but said that reporters didn't want to look like they were being ideological:

Axios founder @MikeAllen says the media’s failure to cover Biden’s mental decline “was all the worst parts of ‘reporter brain’ coming together.”

Reporters had “an insecurity, a herd mentality… The herd wanted the approval of the White House. They didn't want to look like they… pic.twitter.com/ZGSOxDpxb5
— Honestly with Bari Weiss (@thehonestlypod) April 8, 2025

The spin is beyond laughable. The White House media and their allies helped the Democrats try and set a narrative that videos of Biden being NOT "sharp as a tack" were "cheap fakes" and part of a Republican misinformation campaign. It was an activist media on full display:

Media effort to conceal Biden being demented was not “herd mentality” — although that’s its own unforgivable sin — it was intentional activism.
— Emma-Jo Morris (@EmmaJoNYC) April 9, 2025

Former CNN journo Chris Cillizza said the media's helpful reporting about Biden was not "intentional activism," and that's pretty funny for reasons we'll get to in a second:

I don't agree.

While I absolutely believe that the media -- myself VERY much included -- didn't work hard enough to get around the smokescreen the Biden people were putting up around him -- I do not think that it was "intentional activism."

We simply didn't push hard enough. https://t.co/v7B7jVoL29
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) April 9, 2025

"Didn't push hard enough" = didn't push at all except against those who were pointing out the obvious.

Of course it was. If 85 percent of the public could see it, you could. You didn't want to.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) April 9, 2025

Yes, it couldn't have been more obvious, and even Cillizza was in on it:

Hey Chris, all one of you have to do is explain how an LA Times Reporter's question made it onto a notecard prior to her asking the President the same question almost verbatim in the Rose Garden.

We keep waiting for answers to that one, and none of you seem to want to address… pic.twitter.com/zRGdEFf0NX
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 9, 2025

Ok. pic.twitter.com/GPaUaxPIDf
— Flappr (@flapprdotnet) April 9, 2025

Bro…. https://t.co/bAwR4Id0fE pic.twitter.com/V4V2FND1cd
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) April 9, 2025

Self-awareness isn't a desired personality trait among many who claim to be in "journalism."

“We didn’t push hard enough”
Here’s @jaketapper asking people for their medical credentials rather than address the issue pic.twitter.com/NCz7jcUwel
— Carlton Hinds (@methuselaschild) April 9, 2025

You cannot start rebuilding trust with Normal People until you stop lying and sincerely repent. https://t.co/pko60shvxU
— John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte (@NolteNC) April 9, 2025

And that doesn't appear to be imminent.