Former US President Bill Clinton denied recent allegations regarding Joe Biden's mental capacity to govern and said that he was in "good shape," asserting that he had "never" been concerned about the 82-year-old's capabilities.
"I saw President Biden not very long ago, and I thought he was in good shape," Clinton, 78, told CBS Sunday Morning when addressing the explosive claims made in the book "Original Sin", which suggested Biden's cognitive state necessitated a council of advisers to effectively manage the White House.
"No, I thought he was a good president. The only concern I thought he had to deal with was, was, could anybody do that job until they were 86? And we'd had several long talks. I had never seen him and walked away thinking, he can't do this anymore. He was always on top of his brief.," Clinton stated, maintaining his confidence in Biden's mental acuity.
When asked whether he saw any cognitive decline, Clinton said, "So I didn't know anything about any of this, and I haven't read the book. I saw President Biden not very long ago, and I thought he was in good shape, but the book didn't register with me because I never saw him that way."
Clinton acknowledged he hadn't read the book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, dismissing concerning reports from White House sources.
"I didn't want to because he's not president anymore, and I think he did a good job," Clinton explained. "I think we are facing challenges today with our president in our history. Some people are trying to use this as a way to blame him for the fact that Trump was reelected."
"Original Sin", published in May, reported that a group of long-standing Biden associates, including First Lady Jill Biden and his son Hunter, were effectively running the administration whilst the president served a ceremonial role.
The publication alleged Biden struggled to maintain concentration for extended periods, suggesting his team concealed his decline whilst he pursued re-election. Biden subsequently withdrew from the presidential race in July following a problematic debate performance against Donald Trump.
Biden supporters have contested the book's claims. "The people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us, and they didn't see how hard Joe worked every single day," First Lady Jill Biden stated on "The View" in May.
The book's publication coincided with Biden's diagnosis of an "aggressive" prostate cancer.
"I saw President Biden not very long ago, and I thought he was in good shape," Clinton, 78, told CBS Sunday Morning when addressing the explosive claims made in the book "Original Sin", which suggested Biden's cognitive state necessitated a council of advisers to effectively manage the White House.
"No, I thought he was a good president. The only concern I thought he had to deal with was, was, could anybody do that job until they were 86? And we'd had several long talks. I had never seen him and walked away thinking, he can't do this anymore. He was always on top of his brief.," Clinton stated, maintaining his confidence in Biden's mental acuity.
When asked whether he saw any cognitive decline, Clinton said, "So I didn't know anything about any of this, and I haven't read the book. I saw President Biden not very long ago, and I thought he was in good shape, but the book didn't register with me because I never saw him that way."
🚨NEW: CBS News Correspondent Tracy Smith presses Bill Clinton on Biden's decline — he denies *EVER* seeing it🚨
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) June 1, 2025
SMITH: "Did you ever have a moment with him where you thought maybe he was unfit to run for president?"
CLINTON: "No ... I had never seen him and walked away… pic.twitter.com/xLymWvWqtP
Clinton acknowledged he hadn't read the book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, dismissing concerning reports from White House sources.
"I didn't want to because he's not president anymore, and I think he did a good job," Clinton explained. "I think we are facing challenges today with our president in our history. Some people are trying to use this as a way to blame him for the fact that Trump was reelected."
"Original Sin", published in May, reported that a group of long-standing Biden associates, including First Lady Jill Biden and his son Hunter, were effectively running the administration whilst the president served a ceremonial role.
The publication alleged Biden struggled to maintain concentration for extended periods, suggesting his team concealed his decline whilst he pursued re-election. Biden subsequently withdrew from the presidential race in July following a problematic debate performance against Donald Trump.
Biden supporters have contested the book's claims. "The people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us, and they didn't see how hard Joe worked every single day," First Lady Jill Biden stated on "The View" in May.
The book's publication coincided with Biden's diagnosis of an "aggressive" prostate cancer.
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