On Thursday, a targeted leak from within the White House confirmed what has long been expected. Namely, that Joe Biden is preparing to announce a bid for re-election in 2024.

According to the report, which first appeared in The Washington Post, the president is set to make things official “next week” (which is now this week as of this writing). In an on-brand move, Biden won’t give a speech in front of supporters but will instead simply release a video making the announcement. Perhaps that low-energy decision was part of what had the press in a froth on Sunday morning?

Following the leak about his coming 2024 run, the normally Biden-friendly shows on various left-wing networks broke glass and slammed the red button in a visceral panic. CNN led the way, touting numbers showing the president in a deep deficit when it comes to public opinion about him and his job performance. NBC News did the same song and dance, promoting their own poll numbers showing that most Democrats do not want him to run again.

Then there was ABC News, which pulled no punches and went right at the heart of Biden’s biggest weakness: The fact that he’s old and senile.

ABC's Terry Moran: "My own sense is that most Americans don't want to vote for an 81-year-old man for president…. is the Biden White House operation aware that people are uneasy with his age?" Martha Raddatz then reads part of a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Biden's age. pic.twitter.com/L7MDTyonMP

— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) April 23, 2023

The realization that Biden is actually going to run again has lit a fire under these press outlets. For years, they’ve sought to protect the president at all costs, but now, the full-court press is on to try to dissuade him from following through on a re-election bid. And can you blame them for the attempt? Look at what they are faced with.

Biden isn’t just old, which is already a public relations problem in and of itself. He’s also in the midst of a very visible mental and physical decline to go along with his advanced age. Watching the president walk is downright uncomfortable these days, what with his shuffling steps accompanied but a marked confusion. I’ve lost track of how many times he’s gotten lost on a stage, had to be told where to stand, or started wandering aimlessly. His inability to speak coherently is the biggest tell, though. Over and over, Biden’s appearances in public devolve into bouts of senility. A simple online search would produce enough examples to keep anyone busy all day watching.

In light of all that, these press outlets know they’ve painted themselves into a corner. They spent the last four years propping up Biden without any care for how that would play out in 2024. Now, they are stuck with him because the president believes his own press clippings. He truly believes he’s a transformational figure, and the only person capable of taking on Donald Trump (who Biden and the press assume will be the nominee).

The press created a monster that they can’t control. So while this sudden turn against Biden is entertaining to watch, it’s not going to produce anything. The president is far too arrogant to step aside at this point and his wife is far too ambitious and comfortable in the White House to force him to. Democrats, for better or worse, are stuck with the old man.