‘I Think That’s Lunatic’: CNN Commentators Clash Over Whether Biden Will Survive to End of Second Term
CNN’s Kasie Hunt led a discussion about President Joe Biden’s uncertain political future on Tuesday, and two commentators ended up having a sparky debate over whether or not he could even survive a second term.
Speaking from the left was Kate Bedingfield, formerly White House Communications Director under Biden, and from the right was commentator Jonah Goldberg. Goldberg was vehement over the need for honesty about Biden’s decline, but Bedingfield pushed back on claims that the president was unable to serve for another term:
Goldberg: He also spends his career saying that whenever he is knocked down, he gets back up and you never count Joe Biden out. He lost running for president twice. There were unique circumstances why he won in 2020 that he cannot recreate.
Bedingfield: But he’s the President of the United States right now. So he got back up —
Goldberg: Barely!
Bedingfield: — And became President of the United States. Barely?!
Goldberg: Yeah. Barely.
Bedingfield: What does that mean?
Goldberg: I don’t think he’s up to the job. I think —
Bedingfield: Are you questioning —
Goldberg: I’m questioning his fitness right now to serve as president. Flat-out.
Bedingfield: “Barely, barely president.” You’re suggesting that he’s not capable of doing the things that we’ve seen him accomplish in these last four years?
Goldberg: The last three and a half years mean nothing to me, nothing to me. And I think it’s a crazy argument. You know, if financial markets… Financial firms are required by law to say past performance is not predictive of future results. That same principle applies to politics. If you watch that George Stephanopoulos interview and were reassured that he’s up to the job, then I think you’re kind of in a bubble because that was not reassuring. And when he says — and Democrats say this election is about democracy and the future of the country — and then he says, “Well, if I lose, I gave it my best shot. Who cares?” That is a terrible answer. He was clearly prepped, and he still gave a terrible answer.
Bedingfield: Saying the last three years mean nothing to you when you have a president who has gotten more done in a bipartisan way than anybody thought was possible, has gotten meaningful gun legislation done, has gotten an infrastructure bill —
Goldberg: If he had a heart attack, you wouldn’t say, well, look what he did the last three and a half years.
Bedingfield: That’s that’s like saying it doesn’t — so it doesn’t matter who’s president, because it doesn’t matter what happens when this person is in office? That’s saying that only the campaign is the only thing that matters. I don’t think that’s true. I don’t think that’s true.
Then Goldberg went full-morbid:
Goldberg: You honestly think he can serve four and a half more years?
Bedingfield: I do.
Goldberg: I think that’s a lunatic, I really do. I think it’s lunatic that you think he can actually serve for four years.
Bedingfield: You are entitled to your opinion.
Watch the video above via CNN.
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