White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged the question of whether President Biden would “survive” a full second term – instead defending Biden’s record on infrastructure and budget.
She was asked at Monday’s White House press conference about criticism from former Republican UN ambassador Nikki Haley – who repeatedly hit Biden’s cognitive ability and said Monday that a vote for Biden was ‘effectively a vote for President Harris’ – in reference to Vice President Kamala Harris.
“What do you say to anyone wondering if the president would survive a full four-year term?” Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich asked him.
Jean-Pierre responded by citing the Hatch Act, which places limits on the politics of US government officials while on official duty, but wouldn’t necessarily prevent it from affecting the president’s health, which Republicans seek to do. in the countryside.
“So let me say this – I’m not going to comment on 2024 – she’s a candidate,” replied Jean-Pierre, adding that she wanted to be careful. “And we’re following the Hatch Act, so I want to be really, really mindful here,” she added.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did not respond directly when asked about a comment by Nikki Haley that a vote for Biden, 80, was a vote for “president.” Harris”. He was asked bluntly if Biden survived a second term
Then she went into a defense of Biden’s legislative record. “Look, he’s a president, if you look at his track record – and I’m saying this more broadly, if you look at what he’s been able to do, he’s been able to push through and move bills forward historic,’ she said.
“He has done more than any other president when it comes to infrastructure or legislation. when you think of the last president, it was a joke. We were talking about “Infrastructure Week” – it was literally a joke. Now you hear the president talking about the “decade of infrastructure”.
She then talked about Medicare, job creation and the bipartisan budget deal Biden signed over the weekend.
“It matters to the American people,” she said.
His comments came after Biden, 80, fell while presenting diplomas to cadets at the Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony last week in Colorado, sparking new questions about his condition as he prepares for a grueling campaign.
Biden joked with reporters after the incident, jogging towards the White House and saying he had “sandbaged” himself – in reference to the black sandbag he had obviously tripped over on stage.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said a vote for Biden was a “vote for President Harris.” She renewed her call for ‘mental competency tests’
Biden, 80, seeks to become oldest president to win re-election
Haley sought to shift focus to Vice President Kamala Harris
President Joe Biden is picked up after a fall during the graduation ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. He fell while presenting diplomas to the cadets
That led to a deep dive into The New York Times on Sunday by The New York Times, which quoted people calling Biden “sharp as a nail,” but also noted the diagnosis of spinal arthritis and stiffness. in his approach by the White House doctor.
Haley, 51, kicked off her campaign citing doubts about Biden’s mental capacity. On Fox News on Monday, she sought to link him to his vice president, who, like Biden, has an underwater approval rating and has struggled on immigration and other issues.
“We cannot continue on this path. And let’s be very clear if they think it’s going to be President Biden, a vote for President Biden, it’s actually a vote for President Harris. We race against Kamala Harris. Don’t worry about it,” said Haley, who polls at about 4% of the RealClearPolitics average.
Harris, the nation’s first black and first female vice president, has a 51% disapproval rating, according to Fivethirtyeight, with 38% approval. Biden has higher disapproval, at 55%, but also higher approval, at 41%.
