Democrats in the Senate are standing by President Joe Biden in an attempt to downplay growing concerns about his old age and mental acuity.
The 81-year-old president’s competency was put on blast in a scathing report by Special Counsel Robert Hur last week. He claimed that during the investigation into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, it was clear the president has a ‘poor memory’ and ‘diminished faculties.’
Biden was described as ‘a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man’ who couldn’t remember when he served as vice president or even the date his own son Beau died.
Biden immediately pushed back on the damning claims buy Hur, saying his ‘memory is fine.’
But to make matters worse, even voters are concerned. A recent poll found that 86 percent of Americans think Biden is ‘too old’ to run for a second term.
When pressed by DailyMail.com on the report’s findings and characterization of the president’s mental fitness, Democrats dismissed concerns.
Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, told DailyMail.com that Biden ‘is as sharp as ever.’
President Joe Biden’s mental sharpness has come under scrutiny since the DOJ report
Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia said Biden is doing ‘incredible’ and that he looks forward to supporting him in 2024 despite concerns over his age
‘The president is doing an incredible job, and I look forward to making sure he gets re-elected in 2024,’ Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., added.
Another Democrat Elizabeth Warren agreed, saying said. ‘I know his ability to do the job because he is doing the job. He is delivering every single day for the American people.’
Republicans, meanwhile, largely said the polar opposite.
‘I’ve been saying before he got elected, he’s unfit for office,’ Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told DailyMail.com. ‘It’s been obvious for years.’
‘It’s kind of sad that takes a special counsel to point out the obvious, but guess I’m glad the special counsel did,’ he added.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is nearly a decade older than Biden, wanted to withhold judgement until he could ‘make a personal observation,’ of the president’s mental acuity.
Though, he added, ‘I haven’t had a face to face conversation with him for three years.’
Several GOP members raised concerns about how the report indicated that the president was unlikely to get charged due to his mental fortitude.
‘Either [Biden] committed a crime and he should be prosecuted for it or he doesn’t have mental acuity to stand trial, in which case he doesn’t have the acuity to be president,’ Sen. J.D. Vance told DailyMail.com.
‘The report was very damning,’ he continued.
Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt told DailyMail.com: ‘The idea that he’s not mentally competent to stand trial should concern Americans.’
‘His inability to recall when he was vice president is certainly raises a lot of big concerns,’ he continued.
Biden poked fun at his age during an address in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
‘I know it doesn’t look like it but I’ve been around a while,’ the president said during a speech to the National Association of Counties.
Joe Biden joked about his memory during a speech in Washington, D.C. on Monday
Special Counsel Robert Hur recommended that President Biden not be charged for his illegal mishandling of classified documents at his Delaware home and Washington, D.C. office
‘I do remember that,’ Biden, 81, added. The crowd of local officials laughed and cheered.
Last week, several members of Congress called for Cabinet officials to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Biden from office.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., even wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on him to begin proceedings relating to the 25th Amendment.
The 25th Amendment, which outlines presidential succession, gives the vice president and Cabinet power to remove the commander in chief from office via a majority vote in the event it’s determined he or she is no longer fit for office.
It has never been used in U.S. history.
