Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) revealed that he still has faith that former President Joe Biden would’ve been fit to be president again for another four-year term.
While appearing on Sunday’s episode of CNN’s “State of the Union,” the congressman told host Jake Tapper that he “never saw anything” that was “out of the ordinary” about Biden’s cognitive function amid a growing investigation into the “cover up of President Biden’s mental decline.”
“I talked to him on the telephone very often,” Clyburn began. “And I never saw anything that I thought was outside of the ordinary.”
Referencing his own father as an example, Clyburn said he watched his dad “reach the age of 80” but declared it “didn’t bother his mental capacity at all.”
“So I never saw anything I thought was unusual,” he said of Biden. “Did he talk as swiftly as he used to talk? No, he didn’t. Did he walk as swiftly? No, he didn’t. But that is to be expected.”
Tapper then countered to Clyburn, whom he’s interviewed frequently, that there “isn’t any comparison” between how “sharp” he is regarding his “ability to talk and answer questions” and “what we’ve seen from President Biden…throughout 2023 and 2024…especially on the debate stage.”
Tapper then questioned, “Do you think Joe Biden really would’ve been able to perform as president all the way through January 2029 when he would be 86?”
Clyburn replied: “Yes, I thought that back then. I still think that.”
The U.S. representative went on to argue that “it’s not all about age.”
“I’ve seen people develop Alzheimer’s when they’re in their 30s and 40s. So it’s not about age,” Clyburn continued. “It’s about the ability to do the job, and I never saw anything that allowed me to think that Joe Biden was not able to do the job.”
“It’s just that simple,” he added.
Clyburn’s comments came days ahead of the release of Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson’s book, “Original Sin,” which claims to uncover details about Biden’s aides’ efforts to hide the politician’s physical and cognitive decline from the public. The book is set to release on May 20.
Watch a clip from Clyburn’s “State of the Union” interview below.