‘If that’s what dementia is, I hope that’s how I have dementia when I’m older,’ said Sarah Longwell
When former president Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address last year, media pundits quickly lauded his “fiery” and “passionate” speech.
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell took aim at the “punditocracy” for suggesting Biden was not “quick enough,” saying, “It turns out he’s the quickest we’ve ever had at that microphone.” Political strategist Sarah Longwell went as far as to say, “Look, if that’s what dementia is, I hope that’s how I have dementia when I’m older because he was on his game.”
Just months later, Biden ended his reelection bid, the octogenarian’s obvious mental decline too much to overcome.
The hot takes serve as a cautionary tale as President Donald Trump addresses Congress in the opening months of his second term. Long before Trump’s speech ended, Longwell tweeted, “I know we’re all kind of used to how dumb Trump sounds at this point” and urged her followers to “pour one out for the fact-checkers tonight.”
It’s unclear whether those instant reactions will age as poorly as they did a year ago.
