Karine Jean-Pierre defends Biden’s fitness in tense exchange with Fox News

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Piere sparred with a regular sparring partner during the daily White House briefing. In an exchange, Jean-Pierre managed a question from Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy regarding President Joe Biden’s latest gaffe, which has reignited discussions about his mental and physical fitness for the presidency.

Related: Karine Jean-Pierre to Fox’s Peter Doocy: ‘I’m Done Here’

Doocy’s inquiry centered on an incident Sunday in Las Vegas where Biden, 81, appeared to confuse French President Emmanuel Macron with the late former French leader François Mitterrand. Doocy leveraged the moment to probe the president’s ability to reassure voters about his health, referencing a poll indicating widespread concern among the American public. According to a new NBC News poll, 76 percent of Americans are concerned about Biden’s advanced age and ability to do the job, with nearly half of Democrats noting their concern.

“How is President Biden ever going to convince the three-quarters of voters who are worried about his physical and mental health that he is okay — even though in Las Vegas, he told a story about recently talking to a French president who died in 1996?” Doocy asked.

However, Jean-Pierre dispensed with the question.

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Related: 7 Times White House’s Karine Jean-Pierre Was a Total Badass

“I’m not even going to go down that rabbit hole with you, sir,” she said.

“Why is it a rabbit hole?!” Doocy asked.

“You saw the president in Vegas, in California,” Jean-Pierre said. “You’ve seen the president in South Carolina. You saw him in Michigan. I’ll just leave it there.”

Jean-Pierre’s approach aligns with the administration’s broader efforts to neutralize attempts by certain media outlets to cast doubt on Biden’s fitness for office.

The discussion around the mental acuity of presidential candidates is not limited to Biden. Former President Donald Trump, 77, the GOP frontrunner for the 2024 nomination, has also been scrutinized for verbal missteps. According to the Washington Post in January, Trump’s increasing flubs on the campaign trail may risk blunting his significant polling edge on mental sharpness. Trump’s recent gaffes include confusing Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi and struggling to articulate his views on the death penalty.

Biden’s critics have seized upon his verbal slips and physical mishaps as evidence of his unsuitability for the presidency. Conversely, supporters highlight his lengthy public service record, active schedule, and medical transparency as proof of his fitness for the demanding role of president.

While the White House remains steadfast in its assertion that Biden is fully capable of fulfilling the duties of his office, the narrative around verbal gaffes and mental fitness promises to remain a central theme in the national conversation, affecting both major political parties as the November election looms.