Victor Davis Hanson: Biden is suffering a mental eclipse
Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson reacts to criticism of Biden's age and mental acuity.
Author and Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson told "The Story" Wednesday that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's first press conference in 89 days did not quell concerns about his fitness to lead America.
"Almost the first thing he said to a reporter was ... 'you're a dog-faced liar.' And that was something that he should have avoided because before, remember, he said, 'You're a dog-faced pony soldier ...'" Hanson told host Martha MacCallum. "He was reading the names of the people he was supposed to call and he had these pauses, and this was after almost 90 days.
"I'm just reflecting what 20 percent of the Democratic Party stalwarts believe," Hanson added. "That he's not cognitively able."
At Tuesday's event in his hometown of Wilmington, Del., Biden condemned President Trump's handling of the coronavirus outbreak as well as the administration's response to intelligence indicating Russia had paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants for the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
Biden also defended his cognitive ability and said he “can hardly wait” to compare it to President Trump's as the general election campaign heats up.
“I’ve been tested, I’m constantly tested,” Biden said in response to a question from Fox News’ Doug McKelway. “Look, all you’ve got to do is watch me and I can hardly wait to compare my cognitive capability to the cognitive capability of the man I’m running against.”
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"Where has he been tested the last 90 days?" Hanson asked. "He could have at least have four or five Skype or Zoom interviews, but he didn't. And you know why he didn't? Because he's not able to ... [in] an impromptu, ad hoc, extempore fashion, to reply to questions in a coherent manner."
"When people have those challenges," Hanson added, "staying in the basement doesn't make them more sharp. He needs the stimuli, and he got it in his first press conference, and I think most, you know, felt underwhelmed by it. They were disturbed. They were worried about it."
Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
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