President Donald Trump used a cheat sheet during a White House event — a practice that Republicans sharply criticized when former President Joe Biden was in office.
On Monday, Trump met in the Oval Office with Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old California lifeguard, and Nathaniel Rai, 10, whom Williams rescued from drowning at a Santa Cruz beach in July.
Williams received a certificate of commendation signed by Trump, and the White House hailed him as a “young American hero.”
During the meeting, Trump clutched a curled card in his left hand. A close-up photograph shows the card included photos of the two boys — identified as external participants — as well as biographical information.
The card also contained the president’s schedule, including the entries “1:15 p.m. Photo Opportunity” and “1:30 p.m. POTUS concludes.”
Similar use of staff-prepared notes — which have been used by most recent presidents — drew conservative backlash during Biden’s presidency.
At a March 2021 news conference, Biden was photographed with a cheat sheet listing the names and outlets of reporters that he planned to call on. The document also included factual bullet points, including: “China spends 3 times more on infrastructure than the U.S.,” according to Newsweek.
“Joe Biden had a cheat sheet with the names and faces marked of which journalists to call on, and he knew EXACTLY what questions would be asked of him,” right-wing podcaster Candace Owens wrote on X at the time. “That was not a press conference—that was a play put on by bad faith actors in a pseudo-democracy.”
“It was not very reassuring today that Biden relied so heavily on generic notes from staff to discuss the growing threat from China,” Stephen Miller, then a senior advisor to Trump, told Newsweek.
During an interview with Fox News, Trump himself described the news conference as “very sad” and “ridiculous.”
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The following year, Biden, then 79, briefly displayed a staff-prepared cheat sheet containing directives including: “YOU take YOUR seat”, “YOU give brief comments”, and “YOU depart.”
The specificity of those instructions prompted another wave of criticism from Republicans.
“HOLY SHEET! Biden’s Presidential Cheat Sheet Leaks Online, Reminds Him to Sit Down,” Fox News host Sean Hannity wrote on X.
“Next time someone tries to tell you Joe Biden isn’t a geriatric nursing home patient trapped in the White House, show them this,” right-wing commentator Benny Johnson wrote on X. “He needs a notecard with step by step directions telling him what to do, including ‘YOU take YOUR seat.’”
Those incidents, among many others, fueled a relentless stream of questions about Biden’s fitness for office. An ABC News poll released in February 2022 found that 54 percent of Americans believed he did not have the “mental sharpness it takes to serve effectively as president.”
Biden ultimately announced in July 2024 that he would not seek reelection.
Since returning to office, Trump has also faced scrutiny over his health and fitness for office, including over frequent bruising on his hands and apparent drowsiness at some official events.
In a May ABC News survey, 59 percent of respondents said Trump did not have the mental sharpness it takes to lead the country.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
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