On “CNN News Central” on Wednesday, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) declined to say whether he thinks President Joe Biden is fit to serve at this time, saying Biden is “working through” the issue. Welch also said he wasn’t taking a position on the matter out of sensitivity to the issue and respect for the president.
Co-host Brianna Keilar asked, “In your opinion, is President Biden fit to serve as president at this point?”
Welch responded, “Well, that’s the issue. He’s wrestling with it, he’s reading the polls. He had a terrible debate and his campaign has freely admitted that. And, by the way, I’m confident that the president will ultimately make a decision based on what’s best for the country. That’s the way he’s approached his entire public life. He puts country first. He knows that keeping Donald Trump out of office is an existential challenge. So I’m confident that he’ll make a decision and he’ll make a decision based on serving the country.”
Keilar then asked, “Would you be considerate in not taking a position on that issue?”
Welch responded, “Well, the answer is yes. But there is also great love and respect in the Democratic Party for Joe Biden as a person and what he’s accomplished. In fact, Vermont gave Biden the largest majority in the country in the last election. So we all saw what we saw. This is a serious issue. The campaign is obviously taking this seriously. All reports suggest that the president himself is taking this seriously and reading the polls. So, in my opinion, with great respect for all the president has done for us in keeping President Trump out of office and doing an extraordinary job, I’m going to let the president make his own decision.”
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