Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended President Biden in a CNN interview after the presidential debate on Sunday and suggested former President Trump has “dementia.”
CNN host Dana Bash asked Pelosi if there were any areas where she thought Biden should step aside.
“I’m a Biden-Kamala Harris supporter. This is an opportunity for Joe Biden to go out there and show that he’s got stamina,” she responded. “By the way, the press, and for some reason I don’t think so, some medical experts, think Trump has dementia and that he’s not connected or thinking clearly. He doesn’t just lie, he doesn’t even know the truth. So if we’re just talking about mental capacity, let’s be fair.”
Pelosi said lawmakers have seen Biden “up close” and argued he has a good understanding of the issues facing the American people.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared on CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday to defend President Biden after his performance at the debate. (Screenshot/CNN)
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“We know how sensitive he is to the issues, how well-informed he is. I will debate the issues with him. Not debate, I will talk to him. He’s there. So, either way, it was a bad night. Don’t sugar coat it. It was a bad night. It was a great presidency. And that’s a choice the American people have to make,” Pelosi continued.
After Pelosi praised Biden and listed some of his accomplishments, Bash told Democrats that she “made the case for his reelection in a way that Biden didn’t.”
Bash asked whether there was a mechanism that would work if Biden wanted to step down.
“Anything short of Joe Biden standing up and carrying the ball over the goal line, some other mayhem will occur,” Pelosi responded.
President Joe Biden looks down as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election with former U.S. president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia, June 27, 2024. (Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
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“I’m not going to say it’ll never happen, because it could happen right now. It’s happened historically. But understand this. This is really important for people to understand: Joe Biden has won the nomination. He has won the nomination,” Pelosi said.
Bash fired back, saying he had not yet been formally appointed.
“Because of the timing of this election, roll calls are being held across the country. This year is unlike any other year,” Pelosi countered.
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Tom Friedman, a New York Times columnist and friend of Biden’s, said he “cried” during the debate and called on the former president to back off.
“If he insists on running and loses to Trump, Biden, his family, and the staff and party members who supported him will be unable to show up,” he wrote.
