Late-night host Stephen Colbert battled former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday over former President Joe Biden's mental acuity and the accusation that the former president was betrayed.
"It was very personal for those of us who watched it too, because it was a shock to our system to see that. Because — I mean, you’re talking to a guy who helped raise $25 million for Joe Biden in March of that same year," Colbert, a staunch Biden supporter, told Jean-Pierre. "And three months later, I saw a guy who I had not seen backstage at the benefit that I did. It seemed like a dramatically different person. And at 81 years old, that’s not entirely unexpected. You can imagine why people got so worried."
Jean-Pierre insisted she had seen Biden every day and argued he was able to govern. The former press secretary has expressed frustration with the Democratic Party for forcing the former president out of the race, and writes in her new book, "Independent," that she couldn't "stomach" being part of it anymore.
"I’m not questioning his heart or his policies, but it takes more than that to be the president of the United States," Colbert said. "And in a moment of great pressure on stage, we saw someone shock us and worry us. And nothing could assuage that worry. So I don’t think it was necessarily a betrayal of Joe Biden as other people saying, ‘We don’t think we were shown the Joe Biden that you saw.'"
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE SAYS BIDEN HEALTH TALKING POINTS WERE TIGHTLY CONTROLLED AT SENIOR LEVEL
Jean-Pierre said she did not disagree that Biden’s June 2024 debate performance was disappointing.
"Disappointment is such a light term," Colbert pushed back. "It was harrowing. OK, look, listen, we are never going to agree on this other than the fact that I’m glad that you came here tonight."
Colbert's criticism was notable, given the late-night host is an outspoken Biden supporter.
During an interview with "CBS Mornings" on Monday, Jean-Pierre argued that Biden was sharp and able to govern. CBS hosts Tony Dokoupil and Gayle King were also skeptical of Jean-Pierre's arguments during the interview.
"I have to say, I thought you were going to say that, try as you might to convince Joe Biden to drop out of the race — because what we were seeing is what you were seeing, and he was struggling, and couldn’t do it — I thought you were going to say you were angry at that," Dokoupil began. "What you said in this book is you’re angry at the people who tried to push him out."
"Some Americans are going to say, ‘seriously?’" Dokoupil said.
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King said it was hard to understand how Jean-Pierre didn't witness any evidence of decline, pointing out that she had been on the plane with Biden on the way to the June 2024 debate.
"I want to pick up on what Tony was saying because I, too, thought that," King said. "You said, people said, why didn’t members of his inner circle speak up about what many believe was the apparent decline of Joe Biden and you said you’re a member of the inner circle, and you never saw the decline. After that I wrote, ‘how?’ You even write, Karine, that you were on the plane with him going to the debate, and you didn’t see anything."
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Jean-Pierre claimed she didn't see Biden on their flight to Atlanta together, since his family was with him.
