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WATCH: Bernie Sanders Responds To Question About Joe Biden’s ‘Mental Acuity’

   DailyWire.com
Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at a Bernie 2020 rally at the Stifel Theater in downtown St.Louis, Missouri on March 9,2020. - Former vice president Joe Biden received the backing of another former rival for the Democratic presidential nomination on March 9, 2020 ahead of a crucial head-to-head primary matchup with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in six US states.
TIM VIZER/AFP via Getty Images

Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) hesitated to comment on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s “mental acuity” when asked the question during a Fox News town hall, but noted that he gives much longer speeches than Biden does.

“Some of Joe Biden’s answers don’t make sense,” an audience member said to Sanders. “Do you think it’s acceptable for a presidential candidate to respond to questions like Joe Biden does?”

“When I give a speech, often, it’s 45 minutes or an hour, OK, because there are a lot of challenges that the country faces. And I have got to talk about them,” Sanders responded. “I think Joe was somewhere in — where was he? I don’t know, Michigan or someplace else the other day, and he spoke and he spoke for seven minutes. I don’t know how you say anything, other than minimal discussion in seven minutes.”

“The question of Joe Biden’s mental acuity is not something that just comes up anywhere,” Fox News anchor Bret Baier said. “Democrats have brought this up, including Senator Cory Booker, who endorsed Joe Biden today.”

Fox News then played clips of left-wing media and Democrats criticizing Biden’s stumbles.

When asked for his thoughts about the video clips, Sanders responded by saying he would not attack Biden personally but again brought up the length of the speeches that he gives, saying that he can go on “for three hours talking.”

“If I’m going to give a speech to people — and that was at a rally or an event that he held — I can’t do it in seven minutes,” Sanders responded. “You know, there are too many issues. There is healthcare, education, climate change, immigration reform, criminal justice reform. I don’t know how you do that in seven minutes.”

WATCH:

TRANSCRIPT:

MARTHA MACCALLUM: Hi, Nina.

NINA: Hi, Senator Sanders. Some of Joe Biden’s answers don’t make sense. Do you think it’s acceptable for a presidential candidate to respond to questions like Joe Biden does?

BERNIE SANDERS: Let me just say this, Joe Biden is a friend of mine. I have known him for many, many years.

When we do our events and our rallies, we try to give — we respect people, in the sense that we give really substantive, these guys will think maybe too-long-winded answers. But we take people — there are real crises facing this country.

When I give a speech, often, it’s 45 minutes or an hour, OK, because there are a lot of challenges that the country faces. And I have got to talk about them.

I think Joe was somewhere in — where was he? I don’t know, Michigan or someplace else the other day, and he spoke and he spoke for seven minutes. I don’t know how you say anything, other than minimal discussion in seven minutes.

So, all that I have always believed is that, if we believe in democracy, a candidate has got to be honest with the people about what he or she believes, given the many, many challenges facing our country.

And when you do that, when you are honest and you look at the hard issues, and you are going to take on the fossil fuel industry or Wall Street or the drug companies, it brings forth opposition. I know that. I get beaten up every day. That’s fine. That’s what I do.

But all I would say is, I’m not here to criticize Joe, but to say that I think the American people in this incredibly complicated and difficult moment in our history, are entitled to thoughtful answers to the crises we face.

BRET BAIER: Senator, this isn’t a personal attack, but it gets to Nina’s question and the question of Joe Biden’s mental acuity is not something that just comes up anywhere. Democrats have brought this up, including Senator Cory Booker, who endorsed Joe Biden today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIAN CASTRO, FORMER HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY: You just said that two minutes ago. Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?

CASTRO: Are you forgetting already what you said just two minutes ago?

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): I think that Castro has some really legitimate concerns about, can he be someone in a long, grueling campaign, that can get the ball over the line? And he has every right to call that out.

There are definitely moments where you listen to Joe Biden and you just wonder.

JOE SCARBOROUGH, CO-HOST, “MORNING JOE”: Are we afraid to say that lot of his sentences don’t make sense, that he is having trouble completing thoughts?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Senator, your thoughts?

SANDERS: I’m not going to go at that level in attacking.

Joe and I have — you know, that’s for people to decide.

All I can say is, Joe and I have very significant political differences. And I’m not going to be making, you know, personal attacks on Joe. That’s not what I do. But Joe and I–

SANDERS: But, Bret and Martha, I think, as you know, we have — Joe has been in the Senate and I have been in the Senate and the House for a long time.

Joe voted for the war in Iraq. I led the opposition against the war. Joe voted for the Wall Street bailout. I voted against it. Joe has been on the floor of the House over the years talking about the need to cut Social Security veteran’s programs, other veteran — other programs. I have led the opposition to those cuts.

Joe’s views on women’s issues. Joe has supported the Hyde Amendment, which would deny low-income women to use Medicaid funds for their own reproductive needs. I strongly disagree with that approach.

So, on issue after issue, even in terms of how we raise funds for our campaign, Joe has the support of 60, at least 60 billionaires funding his campaign.

MACCALLUM: Let me just ask you one quick question.

You said a moment ago that he gives seven-minute answers.

SANDERS: Yes.

MACCALLUM: Are you suggesting that he lacks substance?

SANDERS: No, I didn’t — well, I’m just saying, look, I’m here. We are talking about real issues.

MACCALLUM: Right.

SANDERS: All right? And we can go on for three hours talking about them.

MACCALLUM: Asking what you meant by that.

SANDERS: If I’m going to give a speech to people — and that was at a rally or an event that he held — I can’t do it in seven minutes.

You know, there are too many issues. There is healthcare, education, climate change, immigration reform, criminal justice reform. I don’t know how you do that in seven minutes.

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