Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed concerns about President Biden's cognitive abilities and questioned the true leadership behind the White House after his poor showing in the CNN presidential debate.
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has raised alarm over President Joe Biden's performance in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle, suggesting that Biden's fitness for a second term is in doubt.
Speaking on "Fox & Friends" Friday, RFK Jr. described Biden's debate performance as "a sad story for democracy," emphasizing the lack of focus on addressing critical issues such as the housing crisis and inflation.
RFK Jr. Slams Biden's Debate Performance, Questions Who's Running the Country
"We have 341 million people in this country, and the two political parties produced two men who bickered over, really, irrelevancies without telling us how they're going to get our kids into houses," RFK Jr. said. "This is the first generation in American history who's going to be worse off than their parents."
RFK Jr.'s concerns echo those of many Democrats who have expressed alarm at Biden's performance. CNN's John King noted a "very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party" following the debate, while CNN colleague Kasie Hunt described Democrats as "nearly beside themselves" over Biden's appearance and demeanor.
RFK Jr. Slams Biden's Debate Performance, Questions Who's Running the Country
MSNBC host Joy Reid also criticized the Biden campaign's decision to position Biden on the right side of the debate stage, suggesting it hindered his ability to engage with former President Donald Trump.
RFK Jr., who was excluded from the CNN debate, held a rival event where he answered the same debate questions in real time on X, formerly Twitter. He emphasized the importance of addressing the challenges facing young Americans in purchasing homes, highlighting the decline in homeownership and its impact on the American middle class.
RFK Jr. Slams Biden's Debate Performance, Questions Who's Running the Country
"The American middle class is the greatest economic engine in the history of mankind... it works because we had them in our homes. People could get equity," RFK Jr. said. "We're going from a society of owners to a society of renters, and this is a crisis for our country."
Biden's poor performance has sparked calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 race. CNN's John King reported that "party strategists, it involves elected officials, it involves fundraisers. And they‘re having conversations about the president’s performance, which they think was dismal, which they think will hurt other people down the party in the ticket, and they‘re having conversations about what they should do about it."
RFK Jr.'s criticism of Biden's leadership extends beyond the debate, suggesting that Biden is not in full control of the White House. "He does not seem to be the person who's making the decisions in the White House," RFK Jr. said. "I think our government is being run by anonymous men in lanyards, and it's scary."
The concerns raised by RFK Jr. and other Democrats underscore the uncertainty surrounding Biden's ability to lead the nation effectively, as the 2024 election cycle intensifies.
