Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks during the commemoration of the Inflation Reduction Act at the White House in Washington, August 16, 2023.
Celel Gunes | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, both Democrats, said Tuesday it is fair to raise concerns about President Joe Biden's fitness to run after he stumbled during his first debate with former President Donald Trump on Thursday.
“I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?'” Pelosi said on an MSNBC broadcast interviewnoting that the question should be asked of both Biden and Trump.
In a separate MSNBC interview shortly afterward, Clyburn reiterated that it's fair to wonder whether Biden's debate performance signals a larger medical problem: “I'll have to wait for the experts in medicine to weigh in, because I'm not a doctor, so I have no idea to what extent this has occurred.”
Clyburn said he has scheduled a phone call with Biden later on Tuesday.
In response to Pelosi and Clyburn's comments, the White House said that questioning the president's cognitive abilities is “fair” but that the administration has been transparent enough about his medical records.
“I understand the question. It's a fair question to ask,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Tuesday press briefing when asked about Pelosi's comments. “In terms of his medical records, we've been transparent, we've released thorough reports from his medical team every year.”
She added that Biden's medical team does not believe further cognitive testing is necessary despite his poor debate performance.
Jean-Pierre also said that Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, was not concerned about the president's medical condition after the debate: “Not at all.”
Pelosi and Clyburn's comments come as Democrats are assessing the extent of the damage from Biden's difficult debate. Several polls so far have shown the rematch between Biden and Trump remaining virtually even.
A new CNN Poll published Tuesday found Trump with a 6-point lead over Biden in a head-to-head matchup, unchanged from the April poll results. The margin of error for that question was plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
The poll was conducted among 1,045 registered voters from June 28 to 30, the three days after the debate. This means that the poll reflects the immediate reactions of the respondents.
Both Democrats reiterated their support for Biden as long as he remains a presidential candidate.
“I want this Biden-Harris ticket to stay, and then we'll see what happens after the next election,” Clyburn said.
President Joe Biden is welcomed by U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn upon his arrival at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia, South Carolina, January 27, 2024.
Kent Nishimura | AFP | Getty Images
Clyburn and Pelosi are two of Biden's closest allies. Clyburn in particular was crucial to Biden's 2020 victory after his endorsement provided a significant boost and helped the president build support among Black voters.
Their comments Tuesday were the first by leading Democrats to publicly acknowledge recent concerns about the president's ability to run a successful campaign against Trump.
Hours after Pelosi's appearance on MSNBC, her spokesman, Ian Krager, doubled down on her support for the president.
“Speaker Pelosi has full confidence in President Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration on January 20, 2025,” Krager said in a statement to CNBC.
Despite Pelosi's efforts to emphasize her support for Biden, her earlier acknowledgement that there are concerns about the president opens the door for other party members to do the same.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) on Tuesday became the first Democrat to officially call on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.
“Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I hope he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw,” Doggett said in a statement. “I respectfully urge him to do so.”
A Biden campaign aide responded in a statement to NBC News that the president “remains in the race.”
Later on Tuesday, Adam Fristhe Democratic candidate who narrowly failed to defeat Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado last election cycle did the same: “We deserve better. President Biden should do what's best for the country and withdraw from the race.”
Biden's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Pelosi and Clyburn's television appearances.
