President Joe Biden raised eyebrows Wednesday by telling the press he was not “supposed” to be answering their questions.
The moment: Biden was fielding questions from reporters after delivering an update on the coronavirus pandemic.
- As he left the podium, a reporter shouted a question about his meeting with bipartisan congressional leaders earlier in the day, prompting Biden to retur to the microphones.
- “You guys are bad. I’m not supposed to be answering all these questions. I’m supposed to leave,” Biden said. “But I can’t resist your questions.”
- He went on to discuss his optimism following the meeting — although he appeared to forget House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s name, stumbling and opting to refer to him as “the Republican leader in the House.”
The reaction: Biden’s comment stirred up longtime concerns about his mental fitness and whether he is projecting an image of weakness to America’s rivals abroad.
- “Another weird ominous comment about getting in trouble from higher ups,” observed the Washington Examiner’s Andrew Miller, referring to other occasions on which the leader of the free world has talked about getting in trouble with persons unnamed.
- The speculation comes on the heels of an open letter from 124 retired U.S. generals and admirals, questioning the validity of Biden’s election and the “mental and physical condition of the Commander in Chief.”
