In an interview aired Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris deftly sidestepped a pointed question about President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, a subject that has been a recurring point of discussion throughout his presidency.
NBC News' Hallie Jackson posed the query, reflecting on a particularly challenging moment during a debate between Biden and former President Donald Trump, where Biden’s mental sharpness was noticeably questioned.
Jackson’s approach was straightforward: she asked Harris whether, during her time spent alongside Biden during those critical moments, she had been forthright with the American public about what she witnessed. Her inquiry referenced the days before and after that debate, a time when Harris was vocally defending Biden’s performance and his capacity to serve another term.
Harris, however, gave a carefully measured response. With a pause, she responded, “Of course.” She followed by affirming that Biden is an “extremely accomplished, experienced, and capable” leader—qualities, she suggested, that are essential for the role of president.
While her statement was intended to bolster confidence in Biden’s abilities, the measured delivery and the reliance on vague, positive descriptors of his professional resume did little to address the more specific concern raised by Jackson: whether Biden's debate performance reflected deeper cognitive issues.
Jackson didn’t let the subject rest there. She pressed further, asking Harris whether she ever witnessed anything similar behind closed doors to what had been on display during that fateful debate. Rather than directly engaging with this crucial question, Harris deflected, stating simply, “It was a bad debate.” This deflection, while perhaps strategic, left the core of Jackson’s question unanswered.
The final moment in the exchange was perhaps the most telling. Jackson highlighted the critical fact that Harris was now running for re-election while Biden was not, underscoring the very reason behind the question: was there more behind Biden’s debate performance that the public wasn’t privy to?
Harris, once again, avoided a direct answer, leaving a gap in the conversation that many viewers may interpret as deliberate evasion.
WATCH: Kamala Harris again refuses to answer whether she ever witnessed President Biden in cognitive decline:
Jackson: “I know that Joe Biden is not on the ballot and I understand that. But the reason that you are on the top of the ticket is because he dropped out of this race.… pic.twitter.com/rgYvnkCzZf
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 22, 2024