The Associated Press was slammed on Monday for a piece about President Biden's "mission to connect" with Americans and voters one-on-one.
"Biden has never been at his best in big speeches, where his delivery can be stilted, his stories sometimes meandering. It’s the end of his speech that often marks the beginning of Biden’s favorite part of an event — the rope line, in the parlance of political operatives. He whirls around, scans the crowd and zeroes in on his first target for a one-on-one connection," the AP reported.
The outlet reported that his closest allies believe Biden's approval would soar if the president could interact with every American in this way.
Critics suggested the piece could be considered an "in-kind contribution to the DNC."
"I mean… what?" Author and Washington Times columnist Billy Hallowell asked in response to The Associated Press on Twitter.
Mary Katharine Ham reacted by saying, "here is an important news update."
The Washington Free Beacon's Chuck Ross said that the piece was a "news article, allegedly."
Biden's aides told The AP that the president perfected his "selfie arm" and that "personal politicking" has been a challenge for him since he became president.
Amid concerns over his age and whether he might run again, Biden sat down for an interview with MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart over the weekend and told him that questions surrounding his age and health were "totally legitimate."
"I think it’s a legitimate thing to be concerned about anyone’s age, including mine. That’s totally legitimate. But I think the best way to make the judgment is to, you know, watch me. Am I slowing up? Am I — don’t have the same pace?" Biden said.
"It could be, I am a great respect of fate. I could get a disease tomorrow, drop dead tomorrow. In terms of my energy level, in terms of how much I am able to do, I think people should look and see, does he still have the same passion for what he is doing? If they think I do, then it is fine. If not, they should vote against me," he continued.
Andrew Wagner, the communications director for the Minnesota House Republicans, said the article was "deeply unserious" ahead of the midterm elections.
A Fox News poll conducted in the middle of October found that the president's approval rating increased slightly as 46% of voters approve of the job he's doing.
Despite the recent approval rating bump, the poll found that just 33% would re-elect Biden in 2024 if he chooses to run.
