Daily Wire Emeritus and bestselling author Ben Shapiro swiped CNN commentator and former state Rep. Bakari Sellers (D-SC) during an appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday. 

The back and forth started when Shapiro noted that Democrats are in the worst possible position after President Joe Biden’s news conference following a NATO summit on Thursday, since the president did just well enough to argue he shouldn’t be dumped by the party, while still being incoherent at times. The conservative quipped that Biden is “mostly dead, which is still slightly alive — which is exactly what you’re looking for if you’re a Republican.”

Astonishingly, Sellers, in response, went to bat for Biden and told Shapiro he has “no reason” to believe Biden wouldn’t finish out a second term. “Really?” Shapiro, with a smile on his face, said to Sellers. “No Reason? Zero Reason?”

Host Bill Maher even swooped in and told Sellers, “I’m surprised you’re carrying this kind of water [for Biden].”

The former state rep responded that Biden “is the nominee” and said the focus on Biden’s decline is a “failure of our foundation in media.” 

“The media covered it up for like two years,” Shapiro responded. 

“Really? No Reason? Zero Reason?”@benshapiro to Bakari Sellers after he claims there is no reason to believe Biden can’t finish a second term on @RealTimers. pic.twitter.com/pG4ZBBqF5a

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) July 13, 2024

Shapiro also took on the Left’s latest narrative that no one knew about how bad the president’s mental decline was until his disastrous debate two weeks ago. He explained that folks on the Right have been talking about Biden’s deterioration for years, contrary to the Democrats and their allies in the media’s claims. 

“I want to know why it is that for two long years, anyone who pointed out that [Biden] was very unlikely to finish a second term was labeled as some sort of crazy kook,” Shapiro said. “Do you know how many leaks have come out in the last three weeks alone about the kind of insanity that has been going on at the White House?”

The conservative went on to detail recent leaks that seem to evidence a coverup of the issue by some in the White House.

“They haven’t had a cabinet meeting in nine months!” he said. “Why did it take until now for us to find that out? We know the foreign leaders in 2022 were going to meetings with him, and they were bewildered about what they were seeing. Why are we finding this out now?”

WATCH:

.@benshapiro on @RealTimers about the broad-scale media cover-up of Biden’s quickly declining health.

“I want to know why it is that for two long years, anyone who pointed out that [Biden] was very unlikely to finish a second term was labeled as some sort of crazy kook. Do you… pic.twitter.com/z1HA9Ht8hm

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) July 13, 2024

Related: Ben Shapiro Fires Back After ‘The View’ Guest Questions His Intellect: ‘I’m Ready To Take On This Extraordinary Intellectual Challenge’

President Joe Biden’s meeting with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Friday did not go as planned as at least one member told him directly that he needed to drop out.

Biden showed up to the event an hour late — something that has become a common occurrence for the 81-year-old — and his handlers controlled the event with an iron grip, refusing to let many members ask questions on the Zoom call.

His handlers only allowed two of the dozens of members to ask questions and when Biden tried to allow others to ask questions they shut down multiple members that had concerns about Biden’s cognitive health.

The members would use the “raise hand” feature on Zoom to indicate that they had questions and Biden’s team repeatedly lowered their hands and would not let them talk, Axios reported.

During the meeting Biden said that he strongly agreed with one lawmaker who said that Biden needed to tell illegal aliens that they will be given a pathway to citizenship if he is re-elected, according to NOTUS.

Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), who has called on Biden to drop out of the race, managed to tell Biden during the meeting that he needed to quit his campaign.

“That’s why I’m going out and letting people touch me, poke me, ask me questions,” Biden responded. “I think I know what I’m doing — because the truth of the matter is I’m going to say something outrageous — no president in three years has done what we have in 3 years other than Franklin Roosevelt, because of your help. That’s not hyperbole, that’s a fact. No president.”

“And so that doesn’t answer the question,” Biden continued. “That’s — that was great when you were feeling good, Biden, are you okay now? That’s what’s underlying. That’s what people are worried about. ‘I’ve got a grandfather who’s 85 years old and he can’t walk.’ It’s a legitimate concern for people, but that’s why I think it’s important I gotta get out and show people everything from how well I move to how much I know and that I’m still in good charge.”

After Biden said he would take another question, one of the members, Biden supporter Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), cut him off and ended the meeting.