Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act event at the White House in Washington, Aug. 16, 2023.
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, and House Rep. Jim Clyburn, of South Carolina, both Democrats, said Tuesday it is fair to raise concerns about President Joe Biden‘s fitness after he stumbled through his first debate with former President Donald Trump on Thursday.
“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, ‘Is this an episode or is this a condition?'” Pelosi said in an MSNBC interview, noting that the question should be asked of both Biden and Trump.
In a separate MSNBC interview shortly after, Clyburn echoed that it is reasonable to wonder whether Biden’s debate performance is a signal of a larger medical issue: “I’ll have to wait on the experts in medicine to give their opinion, because I’m not a doctor, so I have no idea the extent to which all of this may have occurred.”
Clyburn added he has a phone call with Biden scheduled for later Tuesday.
In response to Pelosi and Clyburn’s comments, the White House said questioning the president’s cognitive abilities is “fair” but that the administration has been transparent enough about his medical records.
“I get the question. It is a fair question to ask,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a Tuesday press briefing when asked about Pelosi’s comments. “As it relates to his medical records, we have been transparent, we have released thorough reports from his medical team every year.”
She added that Biden’s medical team does not find further cognitive testing warranted, despite his poor debate showing.
Jean-Pierre also said that Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, did not have any concerns about the president’s medical status after the debate: “Not at all.”
Pelosi’s and Clyburn’s comments come as Democrats monitor the scale of damage from Biden’s difficult debate. Several polls so far have found that the Biden-Trump rematch remains a near dead heat.
A new CNN poll published Tuesday found Trump with a 6-point lead on Biden in a head-to-head matchup, unchanged from the survey’s April results. The margin of error for that question was plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
The poll surveyed 1,045 registered voters from June 28 to 30, the three days following the debate, which means it represents respondents’ immediate reactions.
Both Democrats reiterated their support for Biden for as long as he stays in the presidential race.
“I want this ticket to continue to be Biden-Harris, and then we’ll see what happens after the next election,” Clyburn said.
President Joe Biden is welcomed by U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn on his arrival at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia, South Carolina, Jan. 27, 2024.
Kent Nishimura | AFP | Getty Images
Clyburn and Pelosi are two of Biden’s closest allies. Clyburn in particular was pivotal to Biden’s 2020 victory after his endorsement delivered a key boost and helped the…
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