White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed concerns about President Joe Biden’s mental fitness during a press briefing, stating that he does not have Alzheimer’s or dementia and knows how to do his job. These comments came after senior Democratic officials acknowledged that the concerns were legitimate following Biden’s less-than-stellar debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
During last week’s debate, the 81-year-old president appeared visibly confused at times, mixed up his words, and struggled to finish sentences. This has been declared a disaster by American news outlets and some Democratic Party donors, with some calling for Biden to suspend his reelection campaign immediately.
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC that the concerns about the president’s mental fitness are “legitimate.” During the briefing, Jean-Pierre acknowledged that people had concerns and pointed out that the president had a cold and a hoarse voice during the debate. However, she insisted that President Biden knows how to do his job and can bounce back from setbacks.
Questions about Biden’s mental acuity dominated the press briefing, with journalists asking whether more detailed medical records would be released or if the president would take a cognitive test. Jean-Pierre refused both requests, saying that such an exam is not warranted. She also denied that President Biden was disabled and criticized the reporter for even asking the question.
When directly asked whether President Biden suffered from Alzheimer’s, any form of dementia, or a degenerative illness that would explain his struggles during the debate, Jean-Pierre responded with a simple “no.” A recent CBS News/YouGov poll found that 72% of registered voters do not believe that Biden has the mental and cognitive health necessary to serve as president. Even among Democrats, 45% believe that he should withdraw from the race.