Democratic Delaware Sen. Chris Coons declared in February that President Joe Biden was “on top of his game” but Friday he shifted the topic and defended his remarks when Fox News host Martha MacCallum pushed him to “reflect” on them.
The Wall Street Journal published a story on Thursday citing dozens of individuals close to Biden’s operations who alleged that aides insulated the president and managed his duties amid mounting concerns about his capabilities. When MacCallum pressed Coons on this topic on “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” he first pivoted and discussed the potential government shutdown and later said he did not notice Biden’s decline until his June debate against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
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“When you see all of this [reporting] coming out, senator, do you reflect on it in terms of the ramifications for the country?” MacCallum asked. “And your own responsibility to the country? You said this in February of 2024. Watch.”
Fox News then aired a clip of Coons on Feb. 11, where he said, “This is a man who is sharp, who is on top of his game.”
“Your thoughts as you look at all of this reporting and things from your own colleagues, as well, coming out?” MacCallum asked.
“Well, Martha, I support President Biden’s record, as someone who has gotten passed year after year significant and consequential legislation,” Coons said.
The senator then criticized Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for their roles in tanking a continuing resolution bill on Wednesday, before once again touting Biden’s record as president as well as his ability to negotiate.
After more discussion of the continuing resolution negotiation and the stakes of a government shutdown, MacCallum repeated her question.
“I want to ask you one more time. When you reflect on your own role in reporting how you saw President Biden and his ability to govern, knowing that the security of this country is the highest responsibility, way over any friendship or personal ties, do you have any regrets about not saying to others, ‘Look, is he fit to serve now, and is he fit to serve for another four years,’ senator?” MacCallum asked.
“Look, Martha, the first time I saw an incident where President Biden seemed to me to not be on top of his game was his debate with President-elect Trump. That, for me, was a challenging moment, and it produced a several week process where I started asking my colleagues and folks at the White House about whether they had seen anything similar,” Coons said. “I do not hang out with the president on the weekends. I don’t spend time with him socializing and in person. My experience with him in the time up to that debate led me to believe that he was fully capable of competently leading our nation, both from a security perspective and legislatively.”
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Rumble/Fox News)
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