House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a sharp rebuke to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday when he referenced former President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris.
During a rally in Savannah, Georgia, Trump had claimed that Harris suffers from “bigger cognitive problems” than President Joe Biden, ramping up his continued criticism of the Biden-Harris administration.
At the rally, Trump had also criticized the administration’s handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, particularly focusing on the loss of 13 servicemembers and the military equipment that was left behind. However, his comments about Harris quickly became the focal point of media attention.
Trump alleged that Harris’s cognitive challenges were even more significant than Biden’s, referencing ongoing concerns about Biden’s mental acuity, which had been a talking point before he ended his 2024 campaign following a CNN debate in late June.
In an interview with Pelosi, Tapper read Trump’s comments aloud to gauge her response. Pelosi, however, was visibly unimpressed and expressed her frustration with the question.
“Why would you even cover that?! This is a person who’s not on the level,” she responded, referring to Trump. She continued, “He is their nominee for President. He is incompetent. Let’s not even talk about the silliness of it all. And the weirdness of it all. And the assault on women that it is. We’re not gonna talk issues.”
Pelosi’s strong reaction was widely discussed, particularly on social media. Many interpreted her comments as an attempt to shut down Trump’s criticism and refocus the conversation on what she saw as the more pressing concerns of his candidacy.
Meanwhile, a Fox News focus group made up of mostly independent voters showed a significant shift following the Trump-Biden debate.
Of the 15 members, 10 switched their support from Biden to Trump after witnessing the president’s struggle during the debate on CNN’s stage in Atlanta.
One focus group member cited cognitive ability as a crucial factor in deciding who to support.
“This is the highest office, and for me, it’s very important that I trust the executive to understand and be cognitively competent,” they stated, explaining their change in allegiance from Biden to Trump.
President Biden, who has faced increasing scrutiny regarding his fitness for office, attempted to reassure voters of his mental and physical capacity for another term. However, many critics felt that his debate performance only exacerbated existing concerns.
Fox Business host Larry Kudlow echoed these concerns, saying, “From the very first moment, Biden looked old, hard to understand, confused, saying scary things, and just throwing mud.”
Despite some voters appreciating Biden’s stances on issues like taxes and child care, the general consensus among the focus group was that his performance during the debate left doubts about his ability to serve another term.
One participant remarked, “I don’t think anyone is going to remember anything he said tonight. They’re going to remember how he said it.”
In the aftermath of the debate, even left-leaning voices began to express doubts about Biden’s future candidacy. An op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggested that Biden should step down for the good of the country, as he had failed to convey a “competent and coherent vision for the future of America.”
