Democrats spent their Sunday morning on the cable news circuit defending President Joe Biden, who was furious after a special counsel report last week suggested his memory wasn’t up to par.
The report by special counsel Robert Hur was released following his investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents. Hur did not recommend that the president be charged. However, he described Biden’s memory as “poor” at times, even bringing up details regarding the May 2015 death of his son, Beau Biden.
Days after Biden’s fiery response to the report, his colleagues and supporters came to his aid on the Sunday shows.
On CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California said he’s seen Biden twice in the last few weeks and that the president was “completely mentally sharp” during discussions about the Middle East.
“I do think the special counsel’s gratuitous mention of Beau Biden, whatever you think of the rest, but to talk about someone’s dead son and to put that in … what is this country coming to that we’re politicizing that?” Khanna said. “People deal with [grief] differently. Some people remember the exact date. Some people block it out, and that was totally uncalled for.”
At 81, Biden has acknowledged his age as a consideration for voters and encouraged those concerned to let the democratic process play out, Khanna said on CNN.
On “Inside with Jen Psaki” on MSNBC, Biden’s former White House press secretary had words for Hur as well.
“I wasn’t aware that he was also a doctor, but he included this line, basically questioning the cognitive abilities of Joe Biden. And that has been the major focus of coverage about the Hur report,” Psaki said, arguing that, while it’s not optimal, nobody is shocked when Biden makes gaffes at his age.
On NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said he hasn’t seen any reason to question Biden’s mental faculties. Mayorkas, a member of Biden’s cabinet, referenced his own history as a federal prosecutor in his comments.
“The responsibility of a federal prosecutor is to investigate and learn the facts and apply the law to those facts,” Mayorkas said. “The Special Counsel did this in the case, made a conclusion that there is no case — case closed — then made gratuitous, unnecessary, and inaccurate personal remarks, and those are improper. The most difficult part about a meeting with President Biden is preparing for it, because he is sharp, intensely probing and detail oriented and focused.”
Biden’s age has been a constant focus for his Republican opponents, particularly those campaigning for former President Donald Trump, who, at 77, has also made a series of public gaffes.
