OPINION
At the end of last month, I along with millions of other Americans, tuned in to watch the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald J. Trump.
Biden’s graveyard-like performance was hard to watch.
Sadly, it was clear to me and many others that Joe Biden now lacks the vigor and mental acuity necessary to continue leading our country.
As a member of the Michigan State Legislature, the political ramifications of his disastrous debate performance were immediately evident as Democrats across Michigan and the nation grappled with a top of the ticket many now believe will be a drag on their 2024 electoral prospects.
Some Democrats even concede that the top of the ticket is all but lost.
But there is much more to be concerned about than parlor game discussions as to who may be the Democratic Party nominee, and what happens at the Democrats’ nominating convention in Chicago next month the safety and security of the United States of America should be our top concern.
As a former intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency, more concerning to me were those outside the United States who were also watching the debate — namely our adversaries: China, Iran, Russia, Hamas, and other global terrorist groups.
The commander in chief they saw on the debate stage hardly struck fear into the hearts of our enemies. This visual did not reassure our close allies in Europe and Asia.
Rather, Biden’s weakness on the global stage presents a clear and present danger to our national security.
Unfortunately, President Biden’s national security track record is already dismal.
His disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan emboldened threats from Vladimir Putin in Ukraine to Hamas and their barbaric attacks of Oct. 7, 2023 in Israel.
For years, he green-lit a daily crisis on our southern border, one which overwhelms our brave U.S. Border Patrol agents and enables deadly drugs like fentanyl to flood into our streets.
Unfortunately, Biden’s clearly diminished capacity has the potential to make things go from bad to worse.
While working for the Department of Defense as an intelligence officer, we were constantly aware of how closely foreign leaders, militaries and bad actors monitored the leadership of the United States for indications of intent and aimed to exploit their areas of vulnerability and moments of weakness.
Americans watching at home on big screen TVs or in a sports bar didn’t have to squint to see, or strain their ears, to hear Biden’s glaring gaps on the Atlanta, Georgia debate stage.
You can bet our hostile adversaries including Putin, Xi Jinping, Hamas and the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) all took notice.
Combined with press reports that Biden is only reliable between the hours of 10:00am– 4:00pm we clearly have a serious national security liability with Joe Biden in the Oval Office.
Translation?
He is as a part-time president.
When I worked in the Mideast, I would regularly brief generals.
A U.S. general there once told me "Terrorists don’t take holidays" — we can't expect our foreign adversaries to follow Biden’s modest working hours.
Threats and attacks can come at any hour.
We need a president capable of soundly leading our nation.
Further, the president of the United States must instill confidence in our allies to ensure we remain the global hegemon, especially as a matter of international security.
Our national security demands a president who can respond swiftly and effectively to threats.
President Biden's current capacity no longer allows him to keep our homeland safe or protect our military members deployed throughout the world — his limited working hours do not align with the 24/7 nature of the threats we face.
Thus, we need a commander in chief who can act decisively at any moment, day or night.
Moreover, the president must be a figure of confidence for our allies.
In an increasingly unstable world, our global partners look to the United States for leadership, strength, and assurance.
Following the fallout from the debate performance, the White House’s attempt to quell the American people’s fears fell flat.
The interview on ABC News with George Stephanopoulos did absolutely nothing to reassure us that President Biden possesses the cognitive ability to lead America.
Rather, the interview reaffirmed what we saw on the debate stage — a president who is significantly forgetful and evasive.
If the Biden administration truly wanted to mitigate concerns, they would have no problem scheduling an unscripted 8pm media availability with the White House press corps in the Brady Briefing Room.
President Biden’s incapacitated state undermines our global standing and threatens the stability of international alliances.
Our foreign adversaries are watching closely, ready to exploit any sign of weakness.
We can't afford to appear indecisive or vulnerable — our nation's security, global leadership, and future depend on it.
The recent presidential debate was quickly followed on the calendar by the Fourth of July holiday, when we celebrated our nation’s independence and reflected on the freedoms we cherish as a country.
This special holiday also serves as a reminder that while the leaders of our nation for the last 248 years were imperfect, we have been strongest as Americans and indeed the world has been safest, when we have had vigorous and tough leadership in the Oval Office.
Ronald Reagan’s "Peace Through Strength" doctrine was more than a focus group tested slogan, it was a leadership ethos which resonated with the American people, across the United States government, and globally.
All Americans should be wary of the message being sent abroad now by the weak presidency of Joe Biden.
Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Mich., Midland) represents the 95th District in Michigan’s House of Representatives. He previously served as a civilian intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency working in Washington D.C., Mexico and the Mideast.