Quote:If you're a conservative or any style of Republican, you've long known how shameless the mainstream press is. Still, the shamelessness with which the current about-face on Joe Biden's health is occurring is truly next-level. As we'll get to, though, not everyone is buying the "comeback" narrative.

It was fun while it lasted, I suppose. For about two weeks, the press came down with a case of honesty and reported on Biden's ailing condition. The leaks came hard and fast, and even some long-time sycophants in the media expressed a realization of reality.

That all changed on Thursday after Biden's "big boy" press conference, and it wasn't because the president performed well. On the contrary, he confused Kamala Harris with Donald Trump while rambling aimlessly in the face of an onslaught of softball questions from a curated list of reporters. Things got so bad that Karine Jean-Pierre stood up and tried to end the presser before Biden overrode her and attempted to answer another question.

No matter, though. The marching orders went out.

No, there wasn't a memo that went out. That wasn't needed. Rather, all the press needed to circle the wagons was Biden convincing them that he's staying in the race. They have to protect him now, which means that two weeks of honesty is getting memory-holed while they describe disastrous public appearances as "masterful."

So is Biden's campaign saved? In the eyes of the press, perhaps, but in the eyes of Western diplomats who choose to still believe their eyes and ears, not so much.

For some of America’s allies, it’s time to bet on the other guy.

European diplomats and officials have described their shock at President Joe Biden’s faltering, error-strewn public performances and revealed they have already started reaching out to Donald Trump...

...Then, on Thursday, came Biden’s long press conference at the close of the NATO summit in Washington, during which he insisted he was fit enough to serve another term and the best person to beat Trump. When Biden introduced Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin,” there was an audible gasp among Europeans in the room.

One of those present texted POLITICO: “OMFG.”

A second added: “The European leaders froze onstage, although they did their best to keep smiling and clapping. Nobody mentioned it with the Biden team afterward.”

I don't know about you, but I'm sensing a slight disconnect between what the compliant American press is saying and the descriptions above. Could MSNBC and The Washington Post be lying to me? I shudder at the thought.

Notably, the Europeans, despite some of their outward bluster about supporting Biden, are turning to Trump behind the scenes. For the moment, they seem to expect the current president to go down in flames.

Another senior European diplomat in D.C. said colleagues have been busy reaching out to those who are likely to join the Trump team for months — setting up meetings, attending the same events, and inviting Trump’s allies to dinner.

Asked if there’s any pressure back home not to do this due to Trump’s polarizing image, one diplomat said: “No. We would be failing our duty if we were not trying to build connections with his people now.”

I'm somewhat conflicted in that I think the Europeans should have to suffer their idiocy and past proclamations about preferring Biden. By that, I mean that it'd be very deserved if Trump and his team gave them the cold shoulder and didn't allow them to influence a possible upcoming administration. That's not realistic, though. Allies are allies, no matter how self-serving and back-stabbing they are. Besides, the Europeans will be learning the hard way in their own countries given some of the most recent election results.

That aside, it's comical to see the gulf between what the press is preaching and what those who actually have skin in the game believe. Perhaps Biden will execute the greatest political comeback since 2016 and save the Europeans from having to deal with a president who stands up for the United States, but for now, they obviously think things are going the other way.