Former President Donald Trump said he “can’t believe” President Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential race, citing the latter’s cognitive mental decline in recent years.
“The guy can’t talk. The guy can’t put two sentences together. So I do think this: I cannot believe he’s going to be the nominee. I hope he is. But I can’t believe he’s going to be the nominee,” he said in an interview with Breitbart on Thursday.
President Trump’s comments on President Biden’s cognitive decline is a concern that the American voters have also raised.
A poll published last month by George Washington University showed that only 38 percent of respondents rated President Biden as having the mental soundness to serve as president. For President Trump, this was higher at 46 percent.
A September poll from NBC News asked respondents about President Biden’s mental and physical health. An overwhelming 74 percent said they had “major” or “moderate” concerns about the issue. For President Trump, only 47 percent raised such concerns.
With questions being raised about President Biden’s mental health, some are looking at alternative options for the Democratic presidential nomination.
When asked during the interview as to who could replace President Biden as the Democratic nominee for 2024, President Trump replied, “I don’t know.”
While Vice President Kamala Harris is being touted as a successor to President Biden, her weaknesses like policy failures, will make Democrats drop her as a nominee, President Trump said.
He noted that during the 2020 race, President Biden promised Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) to choose a black woman as his running mate in exchange for the lawmaker’s support. This helped President Biden win the Democratic nomination at the time.
“There’s a whole thing that it has to be Kamala because of the whole deal with [Clyburn]. I don’t think they’ll get her by,” he said.
At some point, the Democrat election will become a “free-for-all” as many candidates try to get to the top of the ballot. “I don’t think that Biden will make it to the gate,” he said.
President Trump’s Breitbart interview comes just weeks ahead of the New Hampshire primaries and Iowa caucuses where he enjoys a massive lead over other Republican nominees in GOP polling.
Other than Ms. Harris, other Democrats who could potentially secure a presidential nomination include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Presidency and Mental Health
President Biden’s mental status has been raised as a major issue by several Republican lawmakers. In an interview with Fox News last month, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), who previously served as a White House physician, said that the president’s cognitive decline is “happening quickly.”“I’ve taken care of three presidents … So, I know firsthand what it takes to be the commander-in-chief and the head of state. It’s a grueling job, both mentally and physically. This man can’t do the job. He’s proven to us every single day that he can’t do the job, but this is going to get worse,” he said.
Mr. Jackson pointed out that President Biden’s cognitive decline has been evident for some time.
“It’s just unbelievable how much he’s degenerated just during his time in office. We cannot afford to have this man in office for the remainder of this term and then [for] another four years after that. He’s already putting us at great risk right now,” he said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised questions about President Trump’s cognitive abilities. However, the former president dismissed such concerns, welcoming testing and affirming he would pass such tests.
On Nov. 20, President Trump published a statement from his doctor Bruce Aronwald which confirmed the GOP candidate’s good health.
“I am pleased to report that President Trump’s overall health is excellent. His physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional,” the statement said.
“It is my opinion that President Trump is currently in excellent health, and with his continued interest in preventative health monitoring and maintenance, he will continue to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle for years to come.”
According to a Dec. 19 update by Morning Consult, President Trump has a two-point lead over President Biden in the polls. While 44 percent of voters supported President Trump, 42 percent extended support to President Biden. Among Independents, President Trump had a 10-point lead over President Biden.
Morning Consult’s surveys show President Biden trailing President Trump in seven key states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
