Democratic Strategist Concedes Joe Biden Was a 'Cognitive Mess'

Democratic strategist Chris Hahn conceded on Sean Hannity's radio show Monday that former President Joe Biden was "a cognitive mess" by the end of his term and that hiding his decline was a mistake, a rare break from Democrats' usual defense of Biden.

The admission came during a combative segment of The Sean Hannity Show, in which Hannity, the Fox News host, pressed Hahn — a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer who now hosts The Chris Hahn Show — on whether Biden's team misled the public. Hahn agreed the decline was real but rejected Hannity's contention that it predated the presidency. The two also clashed over how many people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody have criminal records.

Chris Hahn Breaks From Democrats on Biden's Decline

"They said that Joe was cognitively strong for four years since 2019. I was saying he was a cognitive mess who was right. They were or I was," Hannity said.

"I think that towards the end of his presidency, he was a cognitive mess," Hahn replied. I will tell you that it was with him. But during his presidency, he clearly made a rapid decline. And I think it was a mistake for people to hide that."

Hannity played clips of Biden from the 2020 campaign, including the "you know the thing" moment, as evidence of earlier impairment. Hahn brushed it off: "You know that we could put together a supercut of me and you doing the same thing."

Hahn's account echoes Original Sin, the 2025 book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson on Biden's decline during his presidency.

Border Clips and a 'Somewhat Misleading' Answer

Hannity played a montage of Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling the border "closed" or "secure," then asked whether they had lied. "I think they were somewhat misleading in those answers," Hahn said. Pressed further — "somewhat misleading or lying" — he demurred: "I don't know the full context of what you're asking here."

What the Data Shows on ICE Detainees' Criminal Records

Hannity pivoted to crime, asserting that "the murder rate under Donald Trump in 2025 was the lowest in the history of this country" and blaming "defund, dismantle, no bail madness" in Democratic-run cities. Hahn countered that enforcement is sweeping up people without records: "You do realize that only 15 percent of the people detained by ICE have those kinds of records," he said, calling for ending "the occupation of our cities by ICE."

The crime figures are broadly supported by the record, though the decline began well before Trump returned to office. The Council on Criminal Justice's year-end 2025 report found homicides fell 21 percent across 35 cities last year, after a 17 percent drop in 2024, and said the national rate could prove the lowest recorded since 1900 once full FBI data is in. FBI figures showed murder down 18.1 percent in 2025, and crime analyst Jeff Asher told CBS News it was "the third straight year of a record drop in murder." Asher told ABC News that homicides also fell in 2022, 2023 and 2024, all under Biden.

Federal data undercuts Hahn's figure. As of July 11, 2026, ICE held 65,765 people, and 29.4 percent had a criminal conviction, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse — nearly double the 15 percent Hahn cited. ICE's own count from January 2026, reviewed by PolitiFact, found roughly 26 percent convicted, 26 percent with pending charges, and 48 percent with neither.

Schumer, El-Sayed and the Michigan Senate Race

Hannity opened by tying Hahn to Schumer and to Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan. "My first real job was working for Chuck Schumer, yes," Hahn said, adding, "I'm part of ... Schumerland, my friend, and I love him."

Hannity said El-Sayed went to Washington last week and "got $10 million in a pledge from Schumer and the Democrats for his campaign," and asked whether that amounted to Schumer's "seal of approval" for a candidate who campaigned with streamer Hasan Piker, who said in 2019 that America "deserved" the September 11 attacks and later walked the comment back. Hannity described the money as a pledge rather than spending; PolitiKool could not independently confirm the figure.

"I think Chuck Schumer will rather have El-Sayed than Mike Rogers, and I think the people of Michigan feel the same way," Hahn said, referring to the Republican nominee, a former congressman. El-Sayed declined to disavow Piker's remark when asked at a campaign event, calling the demand "cancel culture," according to PolitiFact, which separately noted El-Sayed telling Fox News in April, "Of course I don't think 9/11 was justified." PolitiFact rated Rogers' claim that El-Sayed believes America deserved 9/11 as "Pants on Fire."

PolitiKool's polling average shows El-Sayed leading Rogers 47.3 percent to 45 percent.

Economy Fight Over Census Numbers

Hannity cited new Census Bureau data, saying "median income rose to $87,600, a record most ever." The bureau's report, released last Tuesday, put the actual figure at $87,460 in 2025, the highest on record, with the official poverty rate falling to 10.2 percent and poverty among children and Hispanic individuals reaching historic lows.

Hahn dismissed the statistics as beside the point: "Sean, Sean, you're trying to tell people what to feel about the economy. You're giving them numbers that they don't even understand." He argued Michigan voters care more about gas prices and trade-war costs.

The numbers have not lifted the president's standing. PolitiKool's polling average puts Trump's approval at 38.8 percent, with 58.2 percent disapproving, and Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot by 6.7 points with the midterms 43 days away.

What Happens Next

Hahn's concession lands as Democrats weigh how to address Biden's final years ahead of November. Whether other party figures follow his lead — while contesting when the decline began — remains an open question.