Concern over Joe Biden’s ability to defeat Donald Trump in November amid questions about his age and mental fitness have already reached a fever pitch across the liberal media, with columnists and editors with the campaign’s ear exhorting the president to step aside. But now members of Biden’s own party, including those at the very top, are following suit in voicing their worry after Biden’s disastrous debate performance. The latest, and most notable so far, is Nancy Pelosi.
The former speaker of the House did not give a ringing endorsement of Biden when asked by MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Tuesday. Though she lauded the Biden administration’s achievements during his term, she also echoed fears about Biden’s condition during the debate.
“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, ‘Is this an episode or is this a condition?’” she said. “When people ask that question, it’s legitimate.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi says “both candidates” deserve scrutiny over their age, but says it’s fair to question Biden’s health:
— The Recount (@therecount) July 2, 2024
“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, ‘Is this an episode or is this a condition?’ And so, when people ask that question, it’s legitimate.” pic.twitter.com/Y5OJCgtgmG
Pelosi went on to suggest that both Biden and Trump should take mental fitness tests. “Both candidates owe whatever test you want to put them to, in terms of their mental acuity and their health — both of them,” she said.
The 84-year-old California representative is not the first elected Democrat to acknowledge the questions swirling around Biden’s candidacy, or even the loudest voice to do so–Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett called for Biden to withdraw from the race Tuesday–but she, along with South Carolina Representative James Clyburn, who was essential to Biden’s winning the Democratic nomination in 2020, is the highest-profile member of a growing chorus questioning Biden’s stamina in a race against Trump. Post-debate polls, including Democratic internal polling, show Biden behind Trump nationally, as well as in key swing states.
The Biden campaign responded to the initial swell of post-debate criticism by decrying the “bedwetting brigade.” But now, with Democratic governors holding a private phone call to express their worry, prominent party members like Pelosi and Clyburn publicly equivocating, and the urgency of messaging and energetic campaigning growing with each Supreme Court decision, it’s clear that Biden’s campaign can no longer afford to dismiss the issue.
