CNN, describing how President Biden settled into his new routine as president, in February 2021:
He has established a regular schedule, including coffee in the mornings with the first lady, meetings and phone calls from the Oval Office starting just after 9 a.m. and a return to his residence by 7 p.m.
Unlike his most recent predecessors – night owls who spent the dark hours reading briefing materials (President Barack Obama) or watching television (President Donald Trump) – Biden is more of an early-to-bed type.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, discussing President Biden this morning: “It is important to note President Biden does nothing at 9 a.m. He is a night owl. So the fact that he is doing this at 9 a.m. anyway speaks to how vital the White House recognizes it is for him to have his voice out there, conveying that to the American public.”
Psaki: “President Biden does nothing at 9 AM… The fact that he [giving a speech about the bank failure] at 9 AM speaks to how vital the White House recognizes it is.”
pic.twitter.com/mZxMAsUW9j— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 13, 2023
It is indeed true that President Biden rarely addresses the press at 9 a.m.; most of his public events on his schedule begin no earlier than 11:30 a.m. But with rare exceptions for evening speeches like the State of the Union Address, there is no indication from the president’s schedule that he is a “night owl.”
Once again, we are assured by Biden staffers that he’s a much more energetic, much more alert, much more sharp-witted figure behind closed doors when we can’t see him. According to the New York Times, “White House officials insist they make no special accommodations” for Biden’s age. One of the reasons people suspect the 80-year-old president’s health and energy levels are not so great is that his staffers feel the need to assure us that they’re terrific.