Topline
CNN rejected a claim made by a right-leaning news outlet—and spread by former President Donald Trump’s allies—that President Joe Biden’s campaign attempted to renegotiate the terms of the June 27 debate so he could sit down during the 90-minute program, marking the latest attempt by Trump’s backers to play up concerns about Biden’s age.
US President Joe Biden steps off Marine one to board Air Force One at Los Angeles international in ... [+]
Key Facts
The Washington Reporter, a right-leaning political news outlet founded earlier this year by Republican political consultants, tweeted Monday that two anonymous sources, including one from the network, said the Biden campaign is trying to “renegotiate the debate rules to allow Biden to be seated.”
The post was reshared by prominent Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. and Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who tweeted “he can’t stand for 90 minutes - but he’s 100% able to be President?”
CNN, however, rejected the claim, telling Forbes “it’s not accurate” and that both Biden and Trump agreed to CNN’s proposed format when they accepted the network’s invitation to debate.
Concerns about Biden’s mental fitness—coupled with his penchant for gaffes and sometimes-awkward behavior in public—have dogged his campaign, and his adversaries have often sought to capitalize on the sentiment by sharing false or misleading information.
What To Watch For
CNN will host the 90-minute debate from its Atlanta studios on June 27, moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and with no studio audience. Trump and Biden are likely to be the only candidates on stage as independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has yet to meet the terms requiring candidates to qualify for ballot access in enough states to secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Kennedy, who must petition to be on the ballot in most states without the backing of a certified political party, has qualified for access in six states with a combined 89 electoral votes.
Big Number
67%. That’s the share of voters who think Biden is too old to serve another term, compared to 57% who say the same about Trump, according to a February Quinnipiac University poll.
Key Background
Biden, 81, is the oldest president in U.S. history and Trump, if he’s elected again, would be the second oldest. Both candidates have come under heightened scrutiny on the campaign trail for their rhetorical missteps, factual errors and some awkward moments as their respective campaigns have attacked each other’s mental acuity. Trump and his allies have shared selectively edited videos that exacerbate those concerns, including a clip of Biden on Thursday that was cut to make it look as if he absent-mindedly wandered away from the group of G7 leaders during a skydyiving demonstration at the annual summit last week in Italy, when the uncut video shows him congratulating a nearby parachutist. A week earlier, right-wing provocateurs shared a video of Biden hovering for a few seconds in a sitting position to claim he attempted to sit in a “nonexistent chair,” when the full video shows he was actually waiting for a speaker to conclude his remarks before taking a seat.
Contra
Some concerns about Biden’s mental fitness come from serious sources. Special Counsel Robert Hur, in a report detailing his investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents, described Biden as a “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory” and said Biden forgot key dates in an interview his office conducted with the president.
Further Reading
Biden Wanders Away From Other G7 Leaders—And Controversy Ensues: The Video Explained (Forbes)
Biden-Trump Gaffe Tracker: Biden Appears Frozen During White House Concert (Forbes)
No, Biden Didn’t Try To Sit On Nonexistent ‘Invisible Chair’ While Onstage (Forbes)
