Another Democrat weighed in on President Biden’s mental fitness and whether he’s capable of serving a second term.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-N.Y., acknowledged in an interview with NBC on Friday that Biden is not the same person he was four years ago, but insisted that Biden is “the best mind” he has ever worked with and remains “mentally” healthy.
“You’re traveling with him next week, you’ve spent more time with the president than any member of Congress, but is this the same Joe Biden we saw two years ago?” interviewer Craig Melvin, who supported Biden in the 2020 presidential election, asked Clyburn.
A defiant Biden says he’s “determined to run” as new polls show him narrowly ahead of Trump after the press conference
Biden speaks to reporters at the White House press conference during the NATO summit in Washington, DC, on July 11, 2024. (Graham Sloane/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Well, I grew up in …” Clyburn began, before being asked again: “Is that the same Joe Biden?”
“no,” Clyburn emphasized. He added, “I’m not the Jim Clyburn I was four years ago.”
Clyburn later said he doesn’t think Biden is physically the same as he was during the last presidential election.
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Rep. James Clyburn, D.C., speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol following the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I think mentally, he does,” Clyburn declared. “He still doesn’t understand what this country is all about.”
“He is one of the most brilliant minds I have ever met, as those who have been around him will tell you. So I ask that we focus on the essence of this man and how he has run this country, rather than on the words and phrases that are sometimes misuttered.”
Biden: A wave of online ridicule The remarks came after he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” ahead of a press conference on Thursday.
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President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the launch of the Ukraine Compact at the NATO 2024 summit in Washington, D.C. President Biden mistakenly referred to President Zelensky as “Putin,” the Russian president responsible for the invasion of his home country. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
During the press conference, Biden referred to his Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, as his vice president.
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Biden was bombarded with questions from reporters asking whether he would resign amid growing pressure within his party following his dismal performance in last month’s debate.
The president denied that he was “slowing down” and insisted he was “determined to run” in this year’s election.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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