Pelosi attacks Trump, says he may be suffering from ‘dementia’ after Biden’s bumpy debate

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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined her Democratic colleagues on Sunday in attacking Joe Biden after his disastrous performance at the debate in Atlanta last week.

Biden, who was already facing serious concerns from voters about his age, seemed lost on stage at times during Thursday’s debate, even forgetting his topic mid-sentence. The president’s voice sounded scratchy and hoarse, suffering from a cold.

Responding to calls from some Democrats and newspaper editorials for Biden to step down, as well as polls showing a clear majority of Americans believe he does not have the mental capacity to be president, Pelosi pivoted to attack the Republican candidate.

“There are health experts who believe Trump has dementia,” she told CNN. “If we’re just talking about mental acuity, let’s be fair.”

“Not even that he is lying; that he does not know the truth,” continued the former Democratic leader in the House.

She also responded directly to criticism that she and other Democrats were supporting the president in his election campaign, a criticism that she flatly rejected: “We see Joe Biden up close. We know how well he knows the issues and how well informed he is.”

“I discuss laws with him. Not a debate, but a discussion. And he is right.”

“It was a bad night. We shouldn’t sugarcoat it. It was a bad night. It was a great presidency,” Pelosi said. “And that’s what the American people must elect.”

Polls have shown that the share of voters who believe the president lacks the mental fitness required to hold office has grown significantly. For example, a CBS poll found that only 27 percent of respondents believe Biden has the mental and cognitive health required to serve as president.

Other Democrats took to various news shows on Sunday to voice their opinions on the president’s performance. All agreed that Biden did not perform well. Only one, Jamie Raskin, was willing to admit that Democrats were having discussions about the way forward and whether Biden should remain on the ballot.

Most refused to break with the president, including senators from the important swing states of Pennsylvania and Georgia.

“After my debate, there was the same kind of panic, and I could even say I had a more difficult evening than the president. And here I am now, having this conversation,” said John Fetterman Fox News Sunday the reaction to Biden’s debate.

James Clyburn, a key Biden ally in the Congressional Black Caucus, also joined the argument that the president should stay in the race.

But behind the scenes, panic, or at least great concern, continues to reign within the party. Democratic sources familiar with The Independent After the debate, they were sure that the president would make the difficult decision.

“Terrible,” said a Democratic strategist The Independent“(Kamala) Harris must take over. The cleanest option.”

Polls currently show the incumbent president trailing his 2020 opponent, Donald Trump, in several key swing states. While he continues to hold a fundraising lead over Trump, it has yet to pay off in the campaign. The president’s campaign said it saw another surge in fundraising in its favor after the debate — as of Sunday, the campaign said it had raised more than $33 million.

“It’s a familiar story: After Thursday night’s debate, the Beltway class expects Joe Biden to be out of the race. But the data from swing states tells a different story,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dixon added in a memo to supporters this weekend.

“Our team knows how to hustle and work hard to win difficult elections,” she continued. “This is going to be a very close election. That was clear from the beginning… That was the goal of our campaign.”

Biden himself spoke about the event at a campaign fundraiser on Saturday.

“I understand the concern about the debate. I get it. I didn’t have a great night,” Biden said at the event, which was attended by radio legend Howard Stern, among others. “But here’s what I – (what) isn’t being reported: Voters reacted differently than the pundits. Since the debate, the polls have shown a slight movement, and we’ve actually moved up.”

“He – and the Times, by the way – had their editorial,” the president continued. “And you know what? They also pointed out that he lied 28 times in 90 minutes.”