Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden should undergo “neurological evaluations.”
Robert Costa: Next up is Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, joining us from Seneca, South Carolina. Senator Graham, good morning. Your colleague Senator Bernie Sanders just told us that he’s not going to meet with Senator Warner or his Democratic colleagues about the future of the nominee. You recently spoke with former President Trump, who is an ally, and even played a little golf with Trump. How do Republican senators, and in particular former President Trump, view what’s going on on the other side of Congress?
Graham: Well, I think most of us are concerned about the impact on national security of this debate about President Biden’s health. The problem Bernie Sanders has with Biden is that he’s not liberal enough. 70% of the public thinks President Biden is mentally and physically incapable of serving as president. 70% of the public thinks the country is on the wrong track. A majority of Democrats are worried about Biden winning the election. I’m worried about Biden being commander in chief for the next four months. We have a meeting with NATO in Washington next week. On October 7, Israel was attacked by Hamas. On October 8, President Biden interviewed with the special counsel, who determined that he was a good person with a bad memory and would not be able to convince a jury that he did nothing wrong. I would like to see that tape made public. So what I would like to see is for President Biden to undergo cognitive testing. I would recommend that every person who succeeds him,
Costa: Do we even need President Trump?
GRAHAM: Yes, yes, I think it’s both. Every nominee for president going forward should have a neurological exam as part of their comprehensive physical exam. I think any potential successor should have a neurological exam. My predecessor, Senator Thurman, was a very healthy man, but he was 100 years old. He was President pro tempore of the Senate. This is a wake-up call for the country. We need to make sure that any potential successor is capable of serving as commander in chief under tough circumstances. What I’m worried about is that our allies will view Joe Biden as someone who has compromised him, and our enemies will view Joe Biden as someone who has compromised him. I find the idea that he shouldn’t be tested, given all the evidence that’s before us, infuriating. Not only is he in denial, but it’s a dangerous time for the American people to have a man who appears to be compromised leading the ship of state. So at the very least, have a test of competency for both President Biden and President Trump.
