Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) said he was “horrified” and remains concerned about President Biden’s performance in last week’s presidential debate, which has put Democrats on the defensive about the presumptive nominee’s health and mental competency.
Whitehouse was speaking to 12 News about his reaction to Thursday’s debate in Atlanta, which pitted Biden against former President Donald Trump.
“Like a lot of people, I was pretty intimidated by the debate,” Whitehouse told the outlet. “President Biden’s gaffes and President Trump’s barrage of lies were not what you’d expect from a presidential debate.”
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“I think Biden is a very strong candidate for the presidency, and he is a very strong candidate for the presidency,” Biden said.
“People want to hear from the president and his team speaking openly about his condition and making sure that this is truly something unusual and not just how he’s been lately,” Whitehouse said.
WASHINGTON – JUNE 13: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Iowa leaves a luncheon for Senate Democrats, Tuesday, June 13, 2023, on Capitol Hill. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has reached out to the senator’s office.
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In response, reporters from a range of media outlets have reported on dozens of Democratic Party officials who say Biden, 81, should consider declining the party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.
“I’m not as good at debating as I used to be,” he told a crowd at a rally in North Carolina on Friday. “I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.”
Other Democrats also raised concerns after the debate performance fell short of expectations.
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“I have been very clear, as President Biden and his team have acknowledged, that his performance in Thursday’s debate was disappointing,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York told MSNBC on Sunday.
“I think it was a tough night” for the president, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) told CNN.
Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.
