Biden responds to Trump’s criticism on mental capacity: ‘Watch me’
Despite Trump's "Sleepy Joe" jabs, most voters think the former vice president has the mental and physical stamina necessary for the Oval Office.
President Donald Trump catapulted to national political acclaim giving his opponents creative nicknames that they couldn’t counter or shake. He has tried to brand Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe.”
Trump has tried to deride Biden’s mental acuity, given that at 77, the former vice president would be the oldest president-elect in U.S. history.
In an interview with ABC News’ David Muir and Robin Roberts that aired Sunday night, Biden maintained that “it’s a legitimate question to ask anybody over 70 years old whether or not they’re fit and whether they’re ready.” He said that his message to Trump and the American people is “Watch me.”
“Look at us both,” he said, sitting a safe social distance away from his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris. “Look at us both, what we say, what we do, what we control, what we know, what kind of shape we’re in.”
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Earlier this month, Fox News aired a brief interview of Biden riding a bike in his Wilmington, Delaware neighborhood. A July poll found that 52 percent of voters say they are very or somewhat confident that he has the mental and physical stamina necessary to carry out the job of president. That compares with 45 percent who are very or somewhat confident about Trump.
The president has criticized Biden for spending quarantine inside his home. He frequently described him as hiding in his basement.
“Guess what? I have left my basement, and in the meantime, 500 million people have watched what I’ve done out of my basement,” Biden countered. “It’s about being responsible.”
“Look what happened with his events. People die. People get together, they don’t wear masks, they end up getting COVID,” Biden said, referring to Trump. “They end up dying, one of his strongest supporters … the point is that this is about the science.”
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Biden seemed to be referencing businessman and Trump supporter Herman Cain, who died from COVID-19 after attending a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Nearly one year ago, Dr. Kevin O’Connor of George Washington University released a three-page medical summary of Biden, calling him a “healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief.”
