Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has written a letter to his Senate Republican colleagues expressing concerns about President Joe Biden’s performance in Thursday’s debate. In the letter, Tillis suggests that Biden, 81, should step down “for the sake of the country” due to his declining physical and cognitive abilities.
Tillis stated that watching the debate was “painful” and that he feels bad for Biden. He believes that displaying cognitive decline on a debate stage is not normal and that it is a sign of a leader who is no longer fit for office. Tillis’s call echoes similar sentiments expressed by some House Republicans, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who has filed a resolution to compel Vice President Kamala Harris to convene the Cabinet and declare Biden “incapable of executing the duties of his office.”
Tillis also questioned how Biden would perform in a national security crisis, citing his inability to articulate his policies and speak coherently during the debate. Despite acknowledging that Biden is a “decent man who cares about the country,” Tillis believes that he is “unfit to continue serving as leader of the free world.”
This is not the first time that Harris and Cabinet members have faced calls to invoke the 25th Amendment. In February, special counsel Robert Hur described Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” prompting many Republicans to suggest removing him from office.
In response to the criticism, Biden acknowledged his age and its effects on his debate performance, stating that he knows right from wrong and how to get things done. He also expressed his confidence in his ability to recover from setbacks, saying that he knows how to get back up when knocked down. Biden is scheduled to face presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in another debate on September 10.
