On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that he thinks President Joe Biden is “completely sharp enough to” run his administration and has “good” judgment, but his own staff clearly acts “like he has a big problem” with his age and pointed to them turning down “an easy” pre-Super Bowl interview.
Brooks said, “I think the special counsel used — talked about the age because his job is to think through how a jury would think. And the argument was, a jury would not convict the guy because they think he’d be a well-intentioned guy with memory problems. Nonetheless, prosecutors are also not allowed to insult people who they don’t charge, because they — the people they’re insulting don’t get their day in court to fight back. And so, this is [prosecutorial] standards, and I think he sort of very much flirted or went over the line on that.”
He continued, “On the age issue, I think it’s a perfectly legitimate issue. Listen, I’ve been interviewing Joe Biden for 30 years. He’s not as quick as he was. I say he was a pitcher who used to throw 94. He now throws 87. So, the age is a factor, and you’ve got to think, it’s 86 he will be if he’s re-elected. It’s a totally legitimate issue. His staff seems to think it’s a legitimate issue, because they act like he has a big problem. I was stunned that he turned down the Super Bowl interview for the second year in a row this time. Your guy is behind. You have a chance for an easy interview to talk to tens of millions of people, and you turn it down because they’re so cautious, the staff thinks he’ll say something stupid?”
Brooks concluded, “Now, my own personal opinion, based on my own direct contact and my reporting, is that his judgment is — his memory may sometimes slip, but his judgment is good, and he absolutely runs the White House. He’s in charge of that administration. He’s completely sharp enough to do that. But will he be able to do that in five years? I think it’s a legitimate issue for voters to think about.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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