Vice President Kamala Harris said she would be transparent with the American people in the event that there is a “problem” with President Joe Biden regarding his advanced age.
The comments came during an onstage interview at a New York Times summit on Wednesday.
Host Andrew Ross Sorkin paraphrased Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who also made an appearance at the summit and said he doesn’t believe the 81-year-old Biden has the mental capacity to serve as president.
The former House speaker said he felt during recent debt ceiling negations with the president that Biden simply “talked from cards” and could not perform the basic duties of his office.
Harris responded to the remark by taking a shot at McCarthy. “I don’t think he’s a judge of negotiations,” she said, referring to his ouster as speaker.
She added that in her opinion, Biden commands rooms behind closed doors.
“Age is more than a chronological fact,” Harris said. “I will tell you that he is in front of — often — everyone in the room in terms of thinking about how we can resolve issues.”
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Sorkin followed up by pointing out, “A lot of people would say, ‘She can’t say anything else.’”
Harris interrupted to say, “I’m not lying. I’m telling you a fact.”
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But Sorkin persisted with his questioning about Biden’s mental acuity.
“But if there ever is a problem, do you think that you could go tell the American public?” he asked. “Do you think in your role that you’re in a position to do that?”
Harris responded, “Of course, if necessary, but there’s no need for that.”
“It is important we not be seduced into one of the only arguments that that side of the aisle has right now on this issue,” she added.
Harris then claimed that the concerns being raised about Biden’s age are intended to “distract” from his accomplishments as president.
