Everybody’s Talking About Biden’s Meltdown After Reporter Questioned His Mental State

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Joe Biden’s irritable reply to a TV reporter who asked him whether he has been tested for dementia or other cognitive decline has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

The video: The exchange between Biden and CBS News correspondent Errol Barnett was recorded as part of the virtual convention this week for the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

  • It was released on Wednesday morning ahead of the broadcast of the full multi-moderator interview on Thursday.

“No, I haven’t taken a test. Why the hell would I take a test?” said Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and former vice president, in response to Barnett’s question.

  • “C’mon man. That’s like saying, ‘You, before you got on this program, you took a test where you’re taking cocaine or not, what do you think? Huh? Are you a junkie?'”
  • Alluding to President Donald Trump’s repeated boasts about his own performance on a mental acuity assessment, Biden said, “Well, if he can’t figure out the difference between an elephant and a lion, I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. Look, c’mon man, I know you’re trying to goad me, but I’m so forward looking to have an opportunity to sit or stand with the president on the debates.”

The reaction: Trump’s team quickly seized on the clip as further proof of Biden’s supposed cognitive decline.

Many conservative commentators, like Dan Bongino, saw it the same way.

Others suggested Biden’s gaffe-proneness and defensiveness could be a liability in any future presidential debates with Trump.

Katrina Pierson, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, linked Biden’s comments to previous statements he has made that offended black Americans.

Donald Trump Jr., the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, wondered what changed since Biden answered the same question in June by saying: “I’ve been tested, and I’m constantly tested.”

Later on Wednesday, the Democratic National Convention announced Biden will no longer be traveling to Milwaukee the week of August 17 to accept his party’s nomination.

  • The DNC said it nixed the travel plans of all national officials due to COVID-19 concerns, which Biden’s campaign has previously cited to explain his relatively limited public exposure during the race so far.
  • But the Trump campaign has accused Biden of hiding out to avoid exposing his manifest unfitness for office.
Source: Flickr
By We'll Do It Live