Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy PelosiD-Calif., said Tuesday that it is valid for people to ask whether President Joe BidenHis poor performance in Thursday night’s debate was merely “an episode” or part of a “condition.”
“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, is this an episode, or is it a condition? And so when people ask that question, it’s completely legitimate — for both candidates,” Pelosi, still a prominent member of the Caucus Democratic House of Representatives. said in an interview on MSNBC “Andrea Mitchell Reports.”
“Both candidates owe it to whatever test you want to give them, in terms of their mental acuity and their health — both,” she added.
Asked for further clarification, Pelosi’s spokesman Ian Krager said she “has complete confidence in President Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration on January 20, 2025.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at the daily briefing later Tuesday that the administration has been transparent about Biden’s health.
“We’ve submitted a full, transparent annual report on his health, so they’ve said it’s not warranted, it’s not necessary” to do a cognitive test, she said.
When asked if Biden was seen by a doctor or underwent a neurological scan after the debate, Jean-Pierre said people should “take a step back” and that Biden aides understand the president had a “bad night.”
During last week’s debate, Biden repeatedly seemed to lose his train of thought and stumbled several times over his words. His performance — which even close allies acknowledged was a setback — renewed speculation about whether he should be replaced as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Trump, who is 78, has also faced questions about his mental fitness after confusing Pelosi with former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley earlier this year. Several business leaders who met with Trump in Washington, D.C., last month also told CNBC that he was “extremely flustered” and “couldn’t keep a straight thought” throughout the event.
Speaking from a teleprompter at a campaign event on Friday, Biden, who is 81, acknowledged that he has gotten older and doesn’t debate as well as he once did. But he insisted he was ready for the job.
Pelosi said she has heard mixed messages from elected Democrats on whether Biden should remain in the race. On the one hand, she said, people say, “Joe is our guy. We love him; we trust him. He has vision, knowledge, judgment, integrity. The other guy has none of the above.”
“It will be up to Joe Biden to do what he thinks,” she said. “There is no man more patriotic in our country than the president of—this president of the United States.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas on Tuesday became the first Democrat in Congress to call on Biden to drop out of the race. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., told CNN on Tuesday that while it’s ultimately the president’s decision whether or not to step down, “we have to be honest with ourselves that it wasn’t just a terrible night.”
Pelosi said she is not a doctor and cannot predict what will happen in three or four years, but she said her experience tells her he “will continue to be a great president of the United States.”
She stressed that Biden needs to show what he’s like without writing to the American people, and said her recommendation is that he sit down for some interviews with serious reporters, in which any question is fair game and Biden can “just sit down.” there and be Joe.”
“Not one, maybe two — several of them. I think it’s essential,” Pelosi said. “I think it’s essential that they do that.”
Later Tuesday, ABC News announced that Biden will sit down for an interview with anchor George Stephanopoulos on Friday.
Pelosi said she has not spoken to Biden since last week’s debate. Rep. James Clyburn, DSC, the former House Democratic campaign and a close Biden ally, said in a separate interview on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” that he also has not spoken to the president since the debate.
The White House last released Biden’s health information in February 2024 after a routine physical.
At the time, Jean-Pierre dismissed suggestions that Biden take a cognitive test, saying the president “passes a cognitive test every day” as he “moves from one topic to another, understanding the granular level of these topics “.
Trump in November 2023 released a letter from his doctor, which said the former president was in “excellent” physical and mental health. The document, however, contained no details on vitals or test results.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
#legitimate #question #Bidens #debate #performance #condition #episode
Image Source : www.yahoo.com
