Members of President Joe Biden's cabinet are now trying to discredit a damaging report that was recently published by the Wall Street Journal. 

In the process of doing so, however, they appear to have only discredited themselves.

In case you missed it, the Journal's report, which was published on June 4, is titled, Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping. 

In general, what the report does is cast more doubt on Biden's mental health, which is the last thing that Biden and the White House need with the 2024 presidential election in sight.

The details

What the Journal specifically focused on was recent meetings that Biden has had with congressional leaders.

The Journal reports:

The 81-year-old Biden is the oldest person to hold the presidency. His age and cognitive fitness have become major issues in his campaign for a second term, both in the minds of voters and in attacks on him by Republicans. The White House and top aides said he remains a sharp and vigorous leader.

Some who have worked with him, however, including Democrats and some who have known him back to his time as vice president, described a president who appears slower now, someone who has both good moments and bad ones.

The Journal highlights some of the bad moments.

For example, the Journal reports:

When President Biden met with congressional leaders in the West Wing in January to negotiate a Ukraine funding deal, he spoke so softly at times that some participants struggled to hear him, according to five people familiar with the meeting. He read from notes to make obvious points, paused for extended periods, and sometimes closed his eyes for so long that some in the room wondered whether he had tuned out.

This is what has prompted a response from members of Biden's cabinet.

'The article was BS'

This is what members of Biden's cabinet, according to Fox News, are now trying to claim about the Journal's report.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, for example, said, "The president is utterly on his game. He is the wisest, most knowledgeable person in the room. He asks the toughest questions and has the keenest insights on the complex questions brought to him. He is sharp, thoughtful, and wise."

It's a similar story from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

He told Fox, "I’ve worked for President Biden for 22 years. Now as then — in strategy discussions and in meetings with foreign leaders — his depth of knowledge, fluency with policy and politics, and ability to cut to the chase and argue his case are exceptional. He’s invariably one step ahead of us."

Other members of Biden's cabinet said the same. The problem, of course, is that these statements are clearly contradicted by Biden himself during those few times when he is allowed to make a public appearance. In other words, no one is buying what Biden's cabinet is selling.