The circus continues as Vice President Kamala Harris’s spokesman insists that President Joe Biden is fit as a fiddle to act as commander-in-chief. Ian Sams, acting as the mouthpiece for Harris, reiterated to Axios that Biden has all his marbles in order, just a few months after the octogenarian stepped back from the 2024 presidential race under intense pressure from his own party. Apparently, slurring words and delivering disjointed thoughts during debates is part of the job description these days.
In a baffling turn of events, the vice president has been bending over backward to defend Biden’s cognitive capabilities. Critics, however, are left wondering if Harris is merely covering for the president, who seems to have forgotten more than just the names of the storms affecting the nation. With about a third of Democrats expressing skepticism about Biden’s mental health, as revealed by a Harvard/Harris survey, and an astonishing 82 percent of Americans concerned about his overall fitness, one has to take a step back and chuckle at the administration’s remarkable confidence in his abilities.
BREAKING: Kamala Harris says she still has “full confidence that Biden has the stamina and around-the-clock mental clarity to handle the domestic and international crises before him.” pic.twitter.com/NMpoClI7c4
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) October 7, 2024
It’s no secret that Biden has gone mostly AWOL since he sidestepped the race. This isn’t a case of strategy; it’s more like an extended game of hide and seek. When he does make an appearance, such as during the recent hurricane relief discussions, viewers are treated to a spook show of confusion. When asked about support for victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, he looked completely lost, as if the storm wasn’t on his radar at all. But really, who needs details when you have aides to keep the show rolling?
Even special counsel Robert Hur’s February report, which politely noted that Biden is “an elderly man with a poor memory,” couldn’t sway Harris’s staunch defense of him. She dismissed the findings as “gratuitous, inaccurate and inappropriate.” But one has to wonder: what’s inappropriate about stating the obvious? In a time when keeping the country afloat requires a steady hand and a sharp mind, choosing an elderly gentleman with memory lapses might not be the brightest choice for leadership.
As Biden continues his cryptic behavior and Harris stands firmly guarding the facade of competence, one has to laugh at the administration’s effort to put a positive spin on the whole thing. It’s almost as if they believe that the American public isn’t paying attention when they see Biden stumbling through basic questions. With each day that passes, however, the narrative becomes harder to sell. The question of who will ultimately take the reins of leadership remains unanswered, but the comedic drama unfolding in the White House appears set to continue for the foreseeable future.