Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) defended President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance during an interview over the weekend, claiming that Biden has a hard time getting a “word out” because he is a “stutterer.”

Clyburn made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with co-host Dana Bash.

The 83-year-old excused Biden’s “bad performance” by claiming: “I have been a part of debate preparation before, and I know when I see what I call preparation overload. And that’s exactly what was going on the other night.”

“I saw Joe Biden grabbing for words and phrases and even numbers that he was loaded up with,” he claimed.

He said that he believes that Biden should “very clearly he should stay in this race”, even though new polling released on Sunday by CBS News found that only 27% of voters believe that he has the mental fitness to continue serving as president.

“Joe Biden has a history of stuttering. He did that as a child. All of us know how stutterers operate. I went to school with one,” he said. “So, when you have trouble getting out a word, that is what comes from stuttering. But when he expressed opinions, he was on the money with the opinions. He may not have gotten the word out, but the thoughts were great.”

WATCH:

Even as reports circulated that President Joe Biden was set to spend the weekend reevaluating his 2024 presidential campaign, another report suggested any such confab would have to wait until after the family photo shoot with famed Vogue photographer Annie Leibovitz.

The New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers posted an update on X, noting that the photo shoot had been specifically set for this particular weekend in order to accommodate the now-convicted First Son Hunter Biden and his family.

“Camp David: Biden family spent morning not having a summit but in hair and makeup for a shoot with Annie Leibovitz, Vogue photog who shot Biden/Obama/Clinton in March then suggested doing something informal with the Bidens,” Rogers posted. “Family suggested this week, bc Hunter & family in town.”

Camp David: Biden family spent morning not having a summit but in hair and makeup for a shoot with Annie Leibovitz, Vogue photog who shot Biden/Obama/Clinton in March then suggested doing something informal with the Bidens. Family suggested this week, bc Hunter & family in town.

— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) June 30, 2024

Critics were not impressed with the Bidens’ plans, particularly in the wake of his disastrous debate performance on Thursday. In light of the fact that the date had reportedly been chosen to accommodate Hunter Biden and his family, a number also asked whether Navy Joan — Hunter’s daughter with former stripper Lunden Roberts — would be included.

“Love that we have to have these Succession-like charades so that corrupt political dynasties can decide in hair and makeup whether millions of people get to live,” one posted.

Love that we have to have these Succession-like charades so that corrupt political dynasties can decide in hair and makeup whether millions of people get to live. https://t.co/VPQGryuh4Z

— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) June 30, 2024

“Will they include Hunter’s other daughter, Navy, in the Biden family shoot or continue to pretend she does not exist?” another asked.

Will they include Hunter’s other daughter, Navy, in the Biden family shoot or continue to pretend she does not exist https://t.co/bUy1fkavJC

— Just Mindy 🐊 (@just_mindy) June 30, 2024

Axios reporter Alex Thompson said that the Biden family meeting — which NBC reported was to be a hard look at Biden’s re-election prospects post-debate — had been pre-planned and the photo shoot was to be a part of that.

“.@jeffzeleny reports this AM that the Biden family meeting was pre-planned and that it includes a photo shoot with Annie Leibowitz,” he said.

More details from @katierogers https://t.co/INr4yua2CU

— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 30, 2024