Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently claimed that she couldn’t criticize Joe Biden because of his elderly age as the president is three years younger than her. Pelosi defended him in light of widespread speculation and criticism of Biden’s age and apparent declining cognitive status, stating that “he’s younger than I am.”
Pelosi dismissed concerns regarding Biden’s age, claiming he is “very sharp,” citing a long history of working with the president. Pelosi, who turns 84 next month, explained to CNN host Anderson Cooper that 81-year-old Joe Biden was “always on the ball.”
“I’ve worked with the president for a long time, especially closely as speaker when he was president, and now since then, and he knows– I mean, he’s always on the ball,” she told Cooper. “Anyone who would think that they’re at some advantage because of his age thinks that they’re in peril because he’s very sharp.”
However, Cooper pointed out that the concern relating to Biden’s age and mental capacity is not strictly a partisan issue. The CNN host noted that there is palpable hesitation within the Democratic party, particularly after a recent incident where the president seemingly confused Mexico and Egypt.
“Well, I think that people do make mistakes. I think his age is one thing, that’s an objective fact. His making mistakes from time to time, we all do that. When the former, ex-president, defeated President Trump made a mistake about one thing or another, he would make the same mistake seven times. It wasn’t a slip of the tongue, it was a complete going down a path of something that wasn’t even true, intentionally or otherwise,” Pelosi responded.
“So I think that, again, age is an objective fact. As I say, it’s all relative. He’s younger than I am, so what do I have to say about his age? But he is, again, knowledgeable, wise.” she continued. “Joe Biden has vision, he has knowledge, he has a strategic thinker. This is a very sharp president in terms of his public presentation. If he makes a slip of the tongue here or there, what’s the deal?”
Watch Pelosi here:
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Throughout the Biden presidency, Americans have expressed increasing concern over Biden’s age and mental fitness amid countless public slip-ups. These apprehensions were confirmed by the recent report from Special Counsel Robert Hur, which partially concluded that Biden should not be criminally charged because of his age and memory.
“Mr. Biden will likely present himself to the jury, as he did during his interview with our office, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Hur wrote. “…It would be difficult to convince a jury they should convict him – by then a former president who will be at least well into his eighties – of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”
“Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen,” the report said, noting that Biden also appeared to have trouble recalling details about his time as vice president and the events surrounding the death of his son Beau.