Republican members of the House and Senate foreign affairs committees have expressed alarm over President Joe Biden’s apparent declining mental health amid a growing terror threat both in the United States and abroad.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told The Daily Signal, “In last week’s debate, the president sent a dangerous message of incompetence that will further embolden our adversaries. The world is already on fire and his debate performance only made it worse.”
Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, echoed these sentiments, stating, “The first presidential debate evidenced what I have been saying for months—that President Biden is no longer mentally fit for office. And this puts America at great risk.” The Daily Signal sought comments from both Republican and Democrat members of the House and Senate foreign affairs committees concerning the president’s health and national security, but only Republicans responded.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., expressed his concerns as well, telling The Daily Signal that he is “deeply concerned that the commander in chief is mentally unfit to do the job.” Similarly, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, questioned how Biden could be “responsible for the nuclear codes yet oblivious to everything around him.”
Jackson elaborated, “Joe Biden’s cognitive state is one of the biggest threats to our national security currently—especially after our allies and adversaries saw his true, feeble state on full display at the debate. Our country is in disarray under the ‘leadership’ of a weak Commander-in-Chief, who is the one responsible for the nuclear codes yet oblivious to everything around him.”
Moran also criticized Biden’s foreign policy, saying his “weak and feckless” decisions have prompted a “new Axis of Totalitarianism” consisting of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. “Not only is President Biden weak, but now it is clear to the world that he also lacks the mental capacity to analyze complex information and make timely decisions critical to our national security,” he added.
The concerns about Biden’s mental fitness were amplified following Thursday’s debate, the first in the 2024 election cycle, hosted by CNN in Atlanta. Biden’s performance drew widespread fear, concern, and scorn from both sides of the political spectrum, with social media, network television, newspapers, and radio quickly reflecting the public’s reaction.
While some liberal pundits had previously voiced concerns over Biden’s mental decline at fundraisers and international events, many legacy media outlets and Biden administration officials have defended the president, claiming that unflattering footage was “misleading,” “edited,” or “cheap fakes.”
After the debate, some major newspapers’ editorial boards and columnists began questioning Biden’s ability to stay in the race or remain in office. Axios reported, “From 10 am to 4 pm, Biden is dependably engaged—and many of his public events in front of cameras are held within those hours.” Biden’s aides admitted that the president is “more likely to have verbal miscues and become fatigued” at other times, suggesting that he is only coherent during limited windows throughout the day, thus neglecting evening events.
These revelations have prompted new concerns from members of the House and Senate foreign affairs committees, questioning whether the president can provide leadership amid several global crises.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., warned in a post-debate interview on Fox News, “Our adversaries watched that debate, and they were smiling. Our allies watched that debate, and they were trembling.”
In contrast, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed in a press conference on Friday that the president was “fine,” attributing Biden’s debate performance to a cold and sore throat.
While Democrat members of the House or Senate foreign affairs committees have not called for Biden to reconsider running for reelection or resign, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Budget Committee, called for Biden to drop out of the 2024 race.