Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer said President Biden should be given two weeks to prove to the American people that he is fit for the office amid concerns about his status as the top Democratic candidate.
in An interview with Los Angeles Times columnist Mark BarabacBoxer said Biden should be given a chance to show that his shaky debate performance was in fact an anomaly.
“He’s done it many times,” Boxer said of Biden in an interview published Wednesday. “Every time, he’s almost given up, but he’s come back. Can he do it again? I don’t know the answer, but out of respect and admiration for what he’s done, I’m going to give him the time to do it.”
“If you can’t do it, you can’t do it,” Boxer said. “Someone else will do it.”
Boxer, who was mentored by the president during his time as a senator, said he was surprised by Biden’s performance last Thursday.
“I don’t know what happened to Joe,” she told Barabac, who said Boxer had speculated that Biden’s lifelong stutter “started under the studio lights” or that he might have been feeling the effects of cold medication.
Still, Boxer told Balabac, “I believe the president owes the people an explanation.”
She stressed the importance of him proving he is competent, saying, “He needs to appear unscripted. He needs to appear without a teleprompter, just face the press, face the public,” adding, “That’s very important.”
The interview came as the party is questioning the best path forward in light of Biden’s difficult debate performance last week. Two House Democrats have already called on Biden to step down, while others have backed the president. The White House has said Biden will serve another four years in office and has dismissed the debate as a poor performance.
