On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) stated that President Joe Biden is mentally on top of things, but “you’ve also got to remember that this is a guy that has always had a stuttering issue,” “but he’s somebody that, one-on-one, and in small groups, has always been the dynamic, thoughtful leader that he is today.”
Host Erin Burnett asked, “The New York Times poll this weekend perhaps gave you pause, as it did many, in understanding at least the current state of the race according to that poll. It shows Trump beating Biden and nearly three-quarters of voters in that New York Times poll say Biden is just too old to be an effective president, and that includes 61% of voters who supported Biden last time around, Governor. Now I know that you were recently with Biden at the White House. You’re the vice chair of the National Governors Association. So, you just had a chance to spend some time with him personally. What can you tell us about that? Do you have any concerns about his mental acuity or ability to do the job?”
Polis answered, “Well, look, first, of course, this is going to be a race down to the wire. It was last time, too. Look, no, I spent a lot of time with the President and I actually sat at his table for a dinner. He was nice enough to entertain me and Gov. Cox (R-UT) and my daughter was with me, and he and Jill were terrific and he just spoke frankly with us and 42 governors — or however many were at that event. He answered questions on the spot, he even called on additional questions. So, he was in Colorado a few months ago, in Pueblo, where he visited a wind turbine factory. I got to spend a lot of time with him. Look, the President is terrific, he’s the same guy he always was. I got to know him when he was vice president. He was just a wonderful, thoughtful person, always shows that empathy and warmth and he surrounds himself with a great team that I think is doing well with record-low unemployment and I think inflation’s on its way down and those fundamentals will help his re-election.”
Burnett then asked, “But in terms of the mental acuity issue, just since this is clearly so front and central with voters, is there sort of any anecdote that you could share on that?”
Polis answered, “Well, again, first of all, he’s the same age basically as the likely Republican nominee. They were in high school at the same time, and I think that there’s — if you’re comparing health problems to health problems, there’s — it’s probably more likely that the other guy has more problems than the likely Democratic nominee. But, no, look, he’s right on top of everything. He’s the same guy that I’ve always known, and he’s able — he enjoys telling fun stories and engaging and I think it’s great that his staff is getting him out there more. It’s busy being president. I get that. I’m a chief executive of a state. You always have to balance the work you do with being available to the public. I’m glad he’s getting out there more. I’m glad he went to the border. I’m glad he shows his strength. And I think the more he gets out there and interacts with people, the better he’ll do. And you’ve also got to remember that this is a guy that has always had a stuttering issue, he’s very open about it, he’s talked about it, he’s — and I think that’s part of his charm, frankly, is that very human dimension to his story. But you’re not going to compare him on oratory to an orator, but he’s somebody that, one-on-one, and in small groups, has always been the dynamic, thoughtful leader that he is today.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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