From the New York Times, I'm Michael Wabaro. This is the daily.

For months, Democrats have downplayed questions about President Biden's age and his memory.

That just got much harder to do.

My colleague Peter Baker explains. It's Wednesday, February 14th.

Peter, when the Special Counsel Report was released a few days ago and ignited into a national

conversation about President Biden's age and memory, all of us here at the daily thought of

you because you've covered

Biden for decades now you've seen him up close as a senator as vice president now

president you've watched him age and in your role as chief White House correspondent you've been examining what it means for

Biden to be the oldest president in American history.

So I just want to start there with your own observations.

Well, yeah, the reality is that Joe Biden has aged and it's hard not to notice and I think over

the past few years that aging has been a pronounced process. There's a real change occurring.

Not surprising, it's normal for somebody of his age. In many ways obviously he's as healthy

and vigorous as any 81 year old you can see, rides he exercises but it's hard not to notice when you watch him up close

Well just explain what you mean when you talk about this aging like you said everyone ages but let's talk about the specifics of

Biden aging here well there's the public presentation right what you see

when he shows up in the East Room for instance or the podium you see it in his

gate first thing out right he's walking to the podium and he kind of

shuffles now into rooms and he has taken a few falls recently you know he once fell on his bike and that was

recorded by cameras which was embarrassing to him so that's the visual element that's

what we see and then you know there's also the verbal element.

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