OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a strong rebuttal to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday when he brought up former President Donald Trump’s latest comments about Vice President Kamala Harris.
During a rally in Savannah, Georgia, earlier that day, Trump had asserted that Harris suffers from “bigger cognitive problems” than President Joe Biden, intensifying his ongoing criticism of the Biden-Harris administration.
At the rally, Trump criticized the administration’s management of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, highlighting the deaths of 13 servicemembers and the military equipment left behind. However, it was his comments about Harris that dominated the news.
Trump claimed that Harris is facing greater cognitive challenges than Biden, who had faced scrutiny over his mental fitness before ending his 2024 campaign following their late June debate on CNN.
In his interview with Pelosi, Tapper read out Trump’s comments to gauge her reaction. The former House Speaker, however, did not appreciate the line of questioning.
“Why would you even cover that?! This is a person who’s not on the level,” Pelosi snapped, appearing to struggle to speak herself. “He is their nominee for President. He is incompetent. Let’s not even talk about the silliness of it all. And the weirdness of it all. And the assault on women that it is. We’re not gonna talk issues.”
WATCH:
Pelosi just flipped out on Jake Tapper for reading Trump’s criticisms about Kamala’s intelligence, calls it an “assault on women”
“Why would you even COVER THAT?!? 😡”
They get very upset when the press even remotely acts like the press.pic.twitter.com/U8J1gFuzFK
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 24, 2024
A group of Fox News focus group voters, most of whom said they were independents, had a big change of heart following the Trump-Biden debate. Ten of the 15 focus group members switched their choice from Biden to Trump after watching the current commander-in-chief struggle mightily on CNN’s stage in Atlanta.
“Cognitive ability … this is the highest office, and for me, it’s very important that I trust the executive to understand and be cognitively competent,” said one member of the group who changed from supporting Biden to supporting Trump following the debate, Fox News noted.
Biden, who has been facing increasing questions about his fitness to continue serving in the nation’s highest office, sought to dispel any notion that he lacked the physical and mental capacity for another four years as president. However, many critics argue that his performance only served to deepen those fears among voters.
“From the very first moment, Biden looked old, hard to understand, confused, saying scary things, and just throwing mud,” FOX Business’ Larry Kudlow said after the debate was over.
That sentiment permeated the Fox focus group, including one member who said one only needed to replay the video of the debate to see that Trump was the clear choice.
“I’ve lived four years with Trump. I lived three and a half years with [Biden],” the member told Fox’s moderator. “I’ll take the other four.”
Biden did receive some kudos from some members of the group for his stances on taxes and child care, but overall, his decrepit demeanor convinced them he was not fit for another term in office.
“I don’t think anyone is going to remember anything he said tonight,” one member said. “They’re going to remember how he said it.”
WATCH:
An op-ed published by the editorial board of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution following the debate became part of a chorus of voices on the left attempting to convince Biden to leave the race now after appearing raspy, vacant, and unable to speak coherently during the debate.
“The shade of retirement is now necessary for President Biden,” the paper’s editorial board wrote, adding that dropping out would be “for the good of the country.” They argued that Biden failed to convey a “competent and coherent vision for the future of America.”
