Following the June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump, former Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan slammed President Joe Biden for vetoing several measures that Biden argued could have allayed concerns about his age.
Biden has resisted calls to resign after a poor performance during a CNN debate with former President Donald Trump in which he lost his words at least twice, lost his train of thought and made multiple gaffes. Under attack Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who came under fire for his comments about Biden, said he was “trying to tell the truth” about concerns about Biden's mental capacity. (Related article: Trump trails Biden with key Democratic voting bloc: poll)
“I have a right to say what I want to say. If I had a microphone that was a little bit bigger than most citizens, I would certainly use it. And if it made you a little bit uncomfortable, that's not my problem,” Ryan told Fox News host Neil Cavuto. “I like John Fetterman. He ran a good campaign. I ran a good campaign. He came out on top. I didn't. But I still have a voice. What we need in this democracy are citizens who are not afraid to speak up if they might offend somebody. And if you're genuinely offending people, then you're potentially speaking a truth that exists out there.”
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Former Democrat slams Biden for avoiding “hostile environment” and not taking “cognitive testing” after debate pic.twitter.com/j9CUyVauoi
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“I'm not going to turn a blind eye to what I saw on Thursday night,” Ryan continued. “I think we need to go in a different direction to win this election. You can call me names and make fun of me all you want, I'm not going to be swayed. I'm just trying to speak a very powerful truth. And that's why a lot of Democrats are so worried.”
Biden has faced calls to withdraw from the presidential race since the debate, with Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett becoming the first Democrat to issue a statement urging Biden to drop out, and at least eight other House Democrats reportedly following suit. Axios And that New York Daily News.
“They need a voice, they need someone to speak up. And to tell someone not to speak up, to shut up because they might say something you don't agree with, do cognitive testing, etc. Do town hall meetings. Do Fox town hall meetings like I did when I ran for U.S. Senate. Put yourself in a hostile environment, speak your mind, make your case, prove it to people,” Ryan said.
“You can't just read off a teleprompter or read off a phone interview card and expect everyone to just line up, as with this latest news that a doctor went and didn't answer questions,” Ryan continued. He was referring to a fiery White House press conference on Monday afternoon, when multiple reporters grilled White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about reports that a neurologist who specializes in Parkinson's disease had visited the White House physician.
Ryan also blasted Democrats for criticizing people who have raised concerns about Biden.
“So what do you want us to do?” Ryan asked rhetorically. “We're seeing this with our own eyes and you're getting mad at us. That's ridiculous and anyway, that's all I have to say.”
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