Joe Biden's Whisper Has Become More Pronounced Recently, but What Causes It?

Throughout his long career in public life, Joe Biden has gone through many phases. As he's come under massive scrutiny following a disastrous debate performance on June 27, everything that the 81-year-old president does is being closely monitored by the media, his fellow Democrats, and the public.

On July 11, Biden gave a press conference following the latest NATO Summit where he had been tasked with proving that he was vigorous enough to be president and to win re-election. During that press conference, many noticed that he was doing a lot of whispering and wondered why that seems to be his default.

Whispering has long been part of the president's rhetorical bag of tricks. He used to do it largely for emphasis, to suggest that the topic he was focused on at the moment was particularly important or serious. In 2024, though, it seems to have become more like a default mode of communication, and it's unclear exactly why he seems to be speaking that way almost all the time.

The most obvious answer, as has been the case with most things about Biden in 2024, is that age is responsible for his quieter, more raspy speaking voice. It's not uncommon for people to lose some of the heft their voice once had as they age, and that could explain Biden's vocal qualities today. Biden also claims that he is recovering from a cold, which could also explain why his speaking voice is so quiet.

As president, it's likely that Biden spends much of his day talking and active. This kind of constant speaking can also wear out a voice. Other presidents and presidential candidates have been known to occasionally lose their voice, especially when they're in the midst of a campaign. Whatever the explanation might be, though, Biden's low whisper has contributed to the impression among some that he is no longer vigorous enough to run for president.

While Biden has remained insistent that he is staying in the race and is the person best positioned to defeat Trump, since his debate performance, there has been increasing speculation that he should step away from the race. That speculation has even come with calls from some elected leaders for him to step aside and make way for someone younger to take up the nomination.

With each day that passes, the possibility that Biden steps away from the race gets slightly more remote. He won't be officially nominated by the Democratic Party until August, though, so the days before the Democratic National Convention are the best window for him to step away from the race.

Polling has remained relatively unchanged since the debate, though, but it shows Donald Trump with a substantial lead. If the president does stay in the race, he will have to engage in a vigorous and exhausting campaign in order to come away with a victory.