The disclosures regarding former President Joe Biden’s deteriorating health during his tenure have brought attention to statements made by administration officials at the time regarding the former president’s health.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was among the most vocal advocates for Biden’s physical and mental resilience.
As early as 2022, she denied on record that the former president was suffering from cognitive decline or other health problems.
Jean-Pierre seemed taken aback when asked if Biden would have the “stamina” to serve out a second term in June 2022.
“That is not a question that we should be even asking,” she said before adding that reports of Biden’s declining cognitive faculties were “hearsay.”
“Don, you’re asking me this question. Oh my gosh. He’s the president of the United States … just look at the work he does. And look how he’s delivering for the American public,” she stated.
In an August 2023 press conference, Jean-Pierre referred to reports that Biden was capping events as early as 10 a.m. due to “ridiculous assumptions” because he was tired. The press secretary retorted the next month when asked if Biden’s staff “treats him like a baby.”
“No one treats the president of the United States, the commander-in-chief, like a baby. That’s ridiculous. It’s a ridiculous claim,” she retorted.
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Jean-Pierre said that special counsel Robert Hur’s assessment “does not live in reality” after he refused to bring charges against Biden for allegedly mishandling classified documents last year, arguing that a jury would see him as a sympathetic “elderly man with a poor memory.”
“The reality is, that report, that part of the report does not live in reality. It just doesn’t. It is gratuitous. It is unacceptable, and it does not live in reality,” Pierre stated.
In a June 2024 interview, she also called videos showing Biden looking confused or weak “cheap fakes” and claimed that they were based on “misinformation.”
Additionally, it is extremely offensive to the people and viewers who are viewing it. Therefore, we think we need to draw attention to that. We have been referring to them as “cheap fakes.” Jean-Pierre stated, “That is something that came directly from the media outlets in calling it that, the fact-checkers and calling it that.”
Jean-Pierre stayed firm at the podium after Biden’s June debate performance shocked Democrats and sparked a campaign to remove him from the 2024 contest. She claimed at one point that Biden was more adroit than before.
After asked Jean-Pierre if there was a White House “cover-up” of his health after he withdrew from the race in July of last year.
Jean-Pierre told, “First of all, there’s been no cover-up, I want to be very clear about that.”
