On Thursday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” CNN Political Commentator Paul Begala reacted to remarks about President Joe Biden’s memory in the special counsel report on his handling of classified documents by stating that “People who have been under oath are really, really careful. And so, sometimes they say, I can’t remember if they’re not absolutely precise. And the notion that he’d forgotten that his son died? No. He was probably just under a lot of stress. It was the worst day of his life.” But also said that Biden “was the same way 30 years ago. The gaps are built into the Biden appeal or the Biden dislike. He’s been the same guy.”
Begala stated that the White House has to put Biden out in public more and the report feeds perceptions that Biden is too old and that he has “talked to people who work directly for him. I talked to a former national security official who served in Republican and Democratic administrations who briefed Joe Biden until very recently and said, oh, he’s absolutely sharp. But they’re going to have to make that case.”
He added that the special counsel’s remarks about Biden’s memory are a “cheap shot” and “People who have been under oath are really, really careful. And so, sometimes they say, I can’t remember if they’re not absolutely precise. And the notion that he’d forgotten that his son died? No. He was probably just under a lot of stress. It was the worst day of his life.”
Later, Begala said, “I’ve known Biden over 30 years, he was the same way 30 years ago. The gaps are built into the Biden appeal or the Biden dislike. He’s been the same guy.”
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