CNN panelist Jonah Goldberg debated former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield over President Joe Biden's reelection.
Goldberg argued that Biden's supporters are portraying him as an enemy of the elites as “Trump-style gaslighting” as a growing number of Democrats call for Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. Bedingfield and the committee argued that elites believed Biden couldn't be the presidential nominee in 2020, a claim Goldberg disputed.
“I don't think he's qualified for the job,” Goldberg said. “I'm questioning now whether he's qualified to serve as president, frankly.”
“You're saying he's barely going to be president, and you're saying he can't do what he's done these last four years,” she said.
“These last four years have meant nothing to me. They've meant nothing. I think that's a crazy argument,” Goldberg said.
'Crazy debate': CNN panelists spar with former Biden aide over president's reelection pic.twitter.com/Wp2ZSo3bNZ
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 9, 2024
He said Biden had failed to reassure the public that he was capable of serving a second term, telling ABC News' George Stephanopoulos: [his] If he loses to former President Donald Trump, it will be his “best shot.” (Related article: “We're not even in the same book”: Democratic turmoil continues as House conference fails to reach Biden agreement)
“That was a terrible answer,” Goldberg said of the incident. “He obviously prepared it, and yet he still gave a terrible answer.”
“There's no point talking about the last three years when we have a president who has accomplished more in bipartisan terms than anybody thought possible, who has passed meaningful gun control legislation, who has passed an infrastructure bill,” Bedingfield said.
“If he had a heart attack, he's not going to say, 'Look what I've done in the last three and a half years,'” Goldberg interjected, with Bedingfield arguing that voters valued the president's accomplishments in his first term.
“Do you really think he can serve another four and a half years?” Goldberg asked.
“Yes,” Bedingfield replied.
“I think it's crazy,” Goldberg said. “I think it's crazy to think he can serve another four and a half years.”
A growing number of Americans believe Biden is mentally incompetent to serve a second term. CBS News/YouGov vote The survey found that 72% of voters believe Biden does not have the “mental and cognitive health” needed to be president, while 49% said the same about Trump. Half of those surveyed said Trump has the necessary cognitive health, while 27% said Biden does.
The president has said he intends to continue the campaign, but since the June 27 debate, several Democratic lawmakers have called on him to step aside.