The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) recognized Alex Thompson of Axios for his hard-hitting article on President Biden's cognitive decline in his June 2024 Axios article. For the WHCA members, this was a big acknowledgement, for the American people (at least for the conservatives), this was too little and too late.

In his acceptance speech, Alex Thompson addressed the WHCA's biases. What I found far more damaging is that the WHCA recognized Thompson as the hero, but he was no better than the rest of the WHCA members, who failed to tell the truth and prostrated themselves to the court's favor of the liberal establishment.

This recalls Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Emperor's New Clothes.

In the story, a vain emperor is duped by swindlers who claim to weave magical garments visible only to the competent. Not wanting to appear incompetent, the emperor praises the nonexistent clothes. The emperor then wears the clothes at the royal court, and all the court members praise the emperor for his selection of his new clothes, because none of the court members wishes to appear incompetent. During a grand procession, the townspeople, equally afraid of seeming foolish, admire the emperor's attire—until a child blurts out, "The emperor has no clothes!" The spell breaks, and the truth is exposed.

When WHCA members chose Thompson for the award, it indicated they believe they are heroic figures (for example, Woodward and Bernstein). Still, heroes do not prostrate themselves for power and prestige while abandoning truth. The WHCA might have salvaged its credibility had they invited a comedian who skewered not just President Biden, but every media figure who reinforced the illusion Biden was competent and performing the duties of the President of the United State of America.

The WHCA currently advocates for Democratic presidents and antagonizes Republican Presidents while failing to pursue the truth. To once again become the unofficial fourth branch of government, it must doggedly pursue the truth no matter where it leads.

While the WHCA members were protecting President Biden from removal from office in accordance with the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, I investigated President Biden's mental capacity using the same tools that American children will use to determine if their elderly parents can no longer drive or live independently. The results of my investigation were published in the American Thinker in October 2021.

My first step was to review the Centers for Disease Control's warning signs of Alzheimer's. Then, I reviewed media accounts of President Biden's public appearances. This was difficult because the mainstream media would not publish articles indicating President Biden was struggling, so I was left with foreign and local news accounts.

The President Is Not Competent (condensed version, American Thinker 10/3/21, "How does Biden stack up against a list of Alzheimer's symptoms?"

Since the media avoids examining President Biden's cognitive abilities, I will, by comparing his behavior to the CDC's 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's:
1. Memory loss disrupting daily life: Australian media (unlike American outlets) highlighted Biden's reliance on prepared notes during a Hurricane Ida press conference.
2. Difficulty planning or solving problems: The Afghanistan withdrawal fiasco speaks for itself.
3. Trouble completing familiar tasks: In March 2021, Shore News Network reported Biden losing his way to Marine One, needing Vice President Harris and aides to redirect him.
4. Confusion with time or place: During a 2020 South Carolina event, Biden declared he was in "North-South Carolina" and later expressed looking forward to appointing the first African American Senator, forgetting Kamala Harris already held that distinction.
5. Trouble understanding visual images or spatial relations: No reported incidents.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing: In a March 2021 press conference, The Sun reported Biden forgetting what he was saying, mumbling incoherently, then walking away mid-question.
7. Misplacing items and losing the ability to retrace steps: At an April 2021 rally, Biden told the crowd, "I'm looking for my mask. I'm in trouble," only to find it in his pocket. Troubling question: who did he think he was in trouble with?
8. Decreased or poor judgment: Biden humiliated France by announcing a submarine deal with Australia and the U.K., sidelining French interests.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities: Biden spends most weekends secluded with the First Lady. Even MSNBC noted his isolation during the Afghanistan crisis, showing him alone in a Camp David conference room.
10. Changes in mood or personality: The Independent reported Biden snapping at a CNN reporter, saying, "You're in the wrong business." Joe seems to forget it's not personal, it's just business.

The CDC guidelines note that if an individual exhibits three of the ten Alzheimer's symptoms, medical professionals should perform an extensive medical exam. President Biden exhibited nine of the ten symptoms we all saw and understood. The President was incompetent, and the WHCA and much of the conventional news media have been corrupted. We are witnessing the awakening of the Independent Press that broke the shackles of the British Empire.