A Fox News host criticized his colleagues on the network for questioning whether former Vice President Joe Biden has the mental capacity to handle the rigors of the presidency.
“I always criticize liberal commentators for saying things like ‘President Trump is mentally ill’ and ‘President Trump has psychosis, and he’s narcissistic and all that,’ so I do think it was unfortunate that some commentators on Super Tuesday, Brit Hume, Marc Thiessen, people I respect, said Joe Biden is senile or getting there,” Kurtz argued. “Certainly, he’s forgetful with his memory lapses, and you can question his performance,” Howard Kurtz, the host of Media Buzz, said on Sunday’s show.
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Biden, 77, has faced questions regarding his mental acuity after a series of mental flubs throughout the primaries, such as his recent botched attempt at reciting lines from the Declaration of Independence. The topic has gained momentum with Biden’s recent success in the Democratic primaries thus far.
Commenting on Biden’s success on Super Tuesday, Brit Hume, a senior political analyst for Fox News, questioned whether the former vice president is senile.
“But how many other people voted for him tonight would agree that he’s senile? Or getting there?” Hume asked. “I think not many,” which prompted a fellow analyst to declare the comment “a little harsh.”
Marc Thiessen, a Fox News contributor who is also a Washington Post columnist, similarly argued, “You’ve got a race that’s basically coming down to — Democrats are going to have to choose between socialism and senility.” In response to the quip, anchor Bret Baier equated Democrats accepting Biden despite the verbal slip-ups to about how Republicans feel toward Trump.
One of Fox News’s most prominent opinion hosts, Sean Hannity, derided Kurtz for saying the comments about Biden’s mental acuity were inappropriate.
“Are you saying Howie that all of these ‘moments’ are not at all alarming to you??” he asked on social media. “Thanks, but no thanks for the for lectures.”
“When someone repeatedly forgets what day it is, what state they are in, seems to be regularly confused, that needs to be discussed as part of a normal vetting process,” Hannity added in a subsequent tweet. “Howie, being the President of the United States of America is the Hardest job in the world. Whether any candidate has the physical strength, the stamina, the focus and mental toughness needed to do this job is critical.”
Hannity’s argument in defense of questioning Biden’s mental capacity came after he dedicated time on his show last week to the topic. Last Thursday, the prime-time host said it is a “legitimate question” as to whether Biden “has the stamina and the strength, the mental acumen and focus required” to be commander in chief. He also argued that Biden “is struggling,” and that “if he had a fastball, it’s gone” — as is his “slow pitch” if he had one.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Biden’s mental acuity, claiming he’s “not playing with a full deck” and has “truly lost his fastball.”
