White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared to hang up on a North Carolina radio host Tuesday after the host asked whether President Joe Biden has dementia.
Jean-Pierre called the question from WBT’s Mark Garrison offensive and insulting, highlighting that the president’s physician has laid out a comprehensive report on the president’s health.
“I can’t even believe you’re asking me this question,” Jean-Pierre said. “That is an incredibly offensive question to ask. … Let me be very clear about this: For the past several years, the president’s physician has laid out, in a comprehensive way, the president’s health. This is a president, if you watch him every day, if you really pay attention to his record and what he has done, you will see exactly how focused he’s been on the American people, how historic his actions have been. And so I’m not even going to … take the premise of your question. I think it is incredibly insulting.”
The press secretary requested the next question, which she also firmly answered, regarding gas and grocery prices. Garrison questioned how the president can expect to win votes when voters have less disposable income.
“When the president walked into this administration, there were multiple crises happening,” Jean-Pierre said. ” … The president took action on gas prices. Let’s not forget: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine skyrocketed prices of gas, and because the president took action, we see we are in a different place than we were a year ago on gas prices. Eggs, milk, seafood products, all the important groceries — those costs have gone down because of what this president has been able to do, and with that, thank you so much Mark, have an amazing, amazing day.”
The line then went dead, leaving Garrison and another radio host stunned.
“Wow, she hung up,” Garrison said, with his partner suggesting he get a press corps badge and go to the White House to ask more questions.
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The interview comes after critics of the 81-year-old president have expressed concern over his mental capability to serve another four years as the commander in chief. However, a summary of the physical findings by the president’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, in February noted that Biden “continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations.”
If Biden is reelected in November, he would be 86 at the end of his second term. If former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, wins, he would be 82 when leaving office.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment.