US President Joe Biden has stood by his choice to continue his presidential campaign, despite increasing worries about his age and mental sharpness. In a discussion with NBC News anchor Lester Holt on Monday, Biden tackled the matter directly, saying that his mental acuity is “pretty damn good.”
During the interview, Biden acknowledged his age, saying, “I’m old.But I’m only three years older than Trump, number one. And number two, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good.”
He highlighted his accomplishments during his presidency, expressing his willingness to be evaluated based on his record.
Biden’s resolve to remain in the race persists, even as some Democratic lawmakers question his ability to effectively challenge Trump following his performance in the June 27 debate. He stressed that Democratic voters had chosen him during the primary season and that he listens to them.
When asked about who he consults on campaign decisions, Biden’s answer was simple: “Me. I’ve been doing this a long time.”
The current state of the race, according to Biden, was always anticipated to be close. A recent NBC news poll supports this, showing Trump with a narrow lead over Biden, although the poll also revealed that a majority of Democrats would prefer a different candidate, and a significant portion of all voters expressed concerns about Biden’s mental and physical abilities.
In his efforts to demonstrate his competence post-debate, Biden has occasionally stumbled, such as referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” and his vice president, Kamala Harris, as “Vice President Trump.” However, he maintained that he is fully in command, saying, “What I’m doing is going out and demonstrating to the American people that I’m in command of all my faculties. I don’t need notes. I don’t need teleprompters. I can go out and answer any questions at all.”
Biden also criticized the media for not subjecting Trump to the same level of scrutiny, pointing out fact-checks that showed Trump making multiple incorrect statements during the debate. He challenged the press, asking, “Why doesn’t the press ever talk about this?” and questioned why they weren’t discussing the lies Trump told during the debate, even as Biden acknowledged having a bad night himself.
During the interview, Biden acknowledged his age, saying, “I’m old.But I’m only three years older than Trump, number one. And number two, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good.”
He highlighted his accomplishments during his presidency, expressing his willingness to be evaluated based on his record.
Biden’s resolve to remain in the race persists, even as some Democratic lawmakers question his ability to effectively challenge Trump following his performance in the June 27 debate. He stressed that Democratic voters had chosen him during the primary season and that he listens to them.
When asked about who he consults on campaign decisions, Biden’s answer was simple: “Me. I’ve been doing this a long time.”
The current state of the race, according to Biden, was always anticipated to be close. A recent NBC news poll supports this, showing Trump with a narrow lead over Biden, although the poll also revealed that a majority of Democrats would prefer a different candidate, and a significant portion of all voters expressed concerns about Biden’s mental and physical abilities.
In his efforts to demonstrate his competence post-debate, Biden has occasionally stumbled, such as referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” and his vice president, Kamala Harris, as “Vice President Trump.” However, he maintained that he is fully in command, saying, “What I’m doing is going out and demonstrating to the American people that I’m in command of all my faculties. I don’t need notes. I don’t need teleprompters. I can go out and answer any questions at all.”
Biden also criticized the media for not subjecting Trump to the same level of scrutiny, pointing out fact-checks that showed Trump making multiple incorrect statements during the debate. He challenged the press, asking, “Why doesn’t the press ever talk about this?” and questioned why they weren’t discussing the lies Trump told during the debate, even as Biden acknowledged having a bad night himself.