Vice President Kamala Harris was pressed about whether she was forthcoming to the American people about President Biden’s mental decline in an interview with NBC News’ Hallie Jackson.
During Tuesday’s sitdown, Jackson noted how Harris was a staunch defender of Biden’s whenever she faced questions from the media about his age. She backed him as they sought reelection as the Democratic ticket before his disastrous performance at the CNN presidential debate resulted in his exit from the race.
“Can you say that you were honest with the American people about what you saw in those moments with President Biden, as you were with him again and again repeatedly in that time?”
“Of course,” Harris responded. “Joe Biden is an extremely accomplished, experienced and capable in every way that anyone would want if they’re president.”
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“You never saw anything like what happened at the debate night behind closed doors with him?” Jackson followed.
“It was a bad debate. People have bad debates,” Harris replied.
“But that’s the reason why you’re here and he’s not running for the top of the ticket,” Jackson said.
“Well, you’d have to ask him if that’s the only reason why,” Harris responded.
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“What do you think?” Jackson then asked.
“I’m running for President of the United States. Joe Biden is not,” Harris said. “And my presidency will be about bringing a new generation of leadership to America that is focused on the work that we need to do to invest in the ambitions and aspirations of the American people.”
The NBC News anchor clarified to the vice president that it’s a “judgment question.”
“That’s why I ask. Can the American people trust you in these moments, even when it’s maybe uncomfortable… to level with Americans in that way? So that’s why I ask,” Jackson said. “And it sounds like what you’re saying is you feel like you never saw anything like that from President Biden.”
“I have worked with Joe Biden, whether- hours and hours and hours over these four years, whether it be in the Situation Room or the Oval Office… I speak with not only sincerity, but with a real firsthand account of watching him do this work. I have no reluctance in saying that. No, of course I don’t.” Harris said.
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Harris was previously grilled about her knowledge of Biden’s mental decline during her sitdown with Fox News’ Bret Baier, where she offered a similar response on how she watched Biden work “from the Oval Office to the Situation Room.”
“You met with him at least once a week for three-and-a-half years. You didn’t have any concerns?” Baier pressed.
“I think the American people have a concern about Donald Trump,” Harris responded. “Which is why the people who know him best, including leaders of our national security community have all spoken out, even people who worked for him in the Oval Office, worked with him in the Situation Room and have said he is unfit and dangerous and should never be President of the United States again, including his former vice president, which is why the job was open for him to choose another running mate. So that is a fact. That is a fact.”
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