Dems rip Kevin McCarthy’s about-face on Biden’s mental fitness

A top Republican who once praised President Joe Biden’s mental acuity during high-stakes negotiations has changed his tune as the GOP hopes to revive questions over whether the 81-year-old is fit to serve another four years as America’s chief executive.

Though 78-year-old convicted felon and former president Donald Trump has had his share of gaffes and exhibits evidence that he, too, is nearly a decade older than he was when he first ran for president during the 2016 election, Biden’s mental agility comes under fire in a Wall Street Journal story based on interviews with Republicans and a small number of Democrats who’ve met with him in recent months. “Most of those who said Biden performed poorly were Republicans, but some Democrats said that he showed his age in several of the exchanges,” the WSJ story says.

The article quotes just one Republican who was willing to attack Biden — the oldest person ever to serve as president of the United States — on the record: former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who resigned from Congress last year but is reported to be seeking a top role in a potential second Trump administration.

McCarthy accused Biden of having exhibited diminished cognition during negotiations over government spending last year, telling theJournal Biden “would ramble” during the negotiations and used pre-printed notes.

“He always had cards. He couldn’t negotiate another way,” he said.

The ex-congressman’s comments are consistent with how Trump and his allies have spent years denigrating Biden, who is a mere three years older than his potential successor, as unable to function, frequently confused, and allegedly suffering from dementia. They’ve often highlighted out-of-context video clips of the president or made