Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) on Friday defended President Biden amid intense scrutiny over his age and mental state, insisting that Biden was “very astute” during a news conference at the NATO Washington summit on Thursday.
“He’s very sharp,” Greene said, reacting to footage of Biden speaking at a news conference. “As an 81-year-old gentleman, there are moments when he skips words and looks tired. That was the same when Ronald Reagan (Republican) was president, and he served two terms that were considered by many to be particularly successful,” the Hawaii governor said. In an interview with host Blake Berman on “The Hill on NewsNation.”
Greene, who is also a physician, added that both Trump and Biden are older men and therefore more likely to have “bad days.”
“Former President Trump will have bad days too. These are two old men. Are you surprised? You don’t have to be a doctor to say that,” he said.
“What I would say is that, cognitively, he’s able to put together complex policy pieces,” Greene said of Biden.
Greene rejected concerns about Biden’s ability to do his job and said the president’s team has done a “great job” over the years.
“I got to see him in person exactly one year ago during the Maui wildfires. He walked with us through the disaster area. He greeted 300 people,” he said.
Responding to Berman’s question about concerns that Biden’s team was isolating and isolating the president, he said such a strategy is common in any situation.
“Teams will of course defend their principals. They’ll do that with Trump, they’ll do that with Biden and they’ve done that with every president before,” Green said.
“Ronald Reagan was surrounded by a total inner circle, especially Nancy Reagan, for the last two years of his presidency. Everyone felt at the time that he was in serious decline, but he was still our president,” Green added.
Greene’s comments came after Biden met with Democratic governors last week, including Greene, who said they “support Biden” and have full confidence in the president’s ability to get the job done and win.
But even after Thursday’s press conference, the number of Democrats calling for Biden to resign continues to grow.
New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado has also called on the president to resign, despite Democratic governors reaffirming their support for Biden.
“I am his [President Biden’s] “He has a deep and abiding commitment to the American people and the democratic ideals on which our country was founded. By ending his campaign and making room for new leadership, he will be able to demonstrate his strength and grace and further build on his legacy,” Delgado said in a post on social platform X on Wednesday.
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