During a press conference briefing on Tuesday, the White House had to fend off difficult questions about President Biden’s mental abilities. Reporters had questions about his low performance during last week’s debate with Donald Trump.
Many question whether Biden is unfit to hold the office of president amid ongoing issues with his public performance.
White House Press Secretary Speaks on the Issue
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary, said, “First of all, I want to say we understand the concerns. We get it. The president did not have a great night.”
She added that the administration and Biden’s reelection campaign team watched the same debate as everyone else and weren’t happy with the results.
Major Hits to Biden’s Campaign
The debate was a massive blow to the current president’s reelection efforts. Instead of assuring voters that his age and mental abilities are far from the top issue, it had the opposite effect.
According to officials, campaign coordinators struggled to calm high-profile donors after Biden’s slow and jarring performance in Thursday’s debate.
Democratic Members Are Not Asking Biden To Drop Out
Earlier this week, Lloyd Doggett, a Democratic member of Congress, became the first member to ask President Biden to withdraw from the race.
Now, the call to relinquish the spot for Democratic pick has several supporters. Many say that staying in the race will hand Trump the presidency as much of the voting public won’t trust Biden to maintain his fitness.
Who Would Replace Biden as Democratic Candidate?
If Biden were to withdraw from the race so close to the election, there are a few options for replacements.
Firstly, Vice President Kamala Harris could step into his place. Also, the Democratic Party could push a rush ballot through to select a new leader.
Biden Will Appear in Two High-Profile Events This Week
In an effort to reestablish Biden’s position as a mentally fit presidential candidate, the White House Press Secretary noted that he will appear at two high-profile events this week.
The first is an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, to be aired on Friday, and a solo news conference during the NATO summit in Washington this week.
Members of Biden’s Inner Circle Are Worried
Outside of his public performance, several members of Biden’s inner circle are preoccupied with his mental faculties.
The New York Times reported that his mental lapses are becoming more common. As well his age has also been a recurring topic with high-profile donors who worry that their efforts to push the democratic party toward another victory have been in vain.
Biden Blaming His Travel Schedule
As the campaign efforts ramp up, Biden has been travelling to various press conferences, rallies, and meetings amid his usual presidential duties.
He claims that his poor performance during Thursday’s debate should be blamed on his gruelling travel schedule. However, many critics note that the president should be capable of such activities.
Falling Asleep on Stage
During Tuesday’s fundraising event in Virginia, the president remarked, “I decided to travel around the world a couple of times … shortly before the debate … I didn’t listen to my staff … and then I almost fell asleep onstage.” According to insiders, the remark was met with laughter.
Reporters in the room note that the “falling asleep” line was meant to be a joke. However, several democrats opposed to Biden’s continued run aren’t so sure.
Ongoing Excuses Drawing Concerns
Press Secretary Jean-Pierre noted that the president was also sick before his debate last week, despite having two weeks of rest between his return on June 15 from Italy at the G7 meeting and the debate on June 17.
The excuses from the Biden camp are beginning to trip into each other. The following few months of the campaign are crucial as Trump’s popularity seems to be ramping up.
Could Harris Defeat Trump?
Several hypothetical polling results show that Harris might be a fair match for former President Donald Trump if she was forced to take over for Biden.
A close call of 47% in favour of Trump and 45% for Harris shows that only a margin of error stands between her and the presidency. Currently, Harris has been turning down the idea in the press, stating to CBS on Tuesday: “Look, Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once and we’re going to beat him again, period.”
What Would Happen if the President Became Mentally Incapacitated
Even after the popular vote has been cast, the electors meet in state capitol buildings to vote for the presidency.
While a new name can’t be added at this late stage, the running mate would essentially step in if a president became unable to perform the duties of the office. In the case of Biden, Harris would step into his place with enthusiasm. Currently, Donald Trump says he has several contenders for running mate, although he hasn’t selected one yet.
