Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) dropped some bombshells on Wednesday about President Joe Biden. Based on his several interactions with the 81-year-old president, McCarthy revealed that he uses notecards when he is having private meetings with small groups of people.
POTUS PROPS: Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reveals talks with President Biden aren’t that different behind the scenes. https://t.co/zQFqxpbIxE pic.twitter.com/Pq6b0KyPcn
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Speaking to the “Bottom Line” co-hosts, Mccarthy said, “He still has a teleprompter when you meet behind closed doors. But the teleprompter are cards. I found when I met with him, it would just be a couple of them. He would read from the card.”
McCarthy went on to reveal that Biden depends on the teleprompter so much that he gets stuck when someone deviates during private negotiations.
“He just sticks to the cards. And if you go, if you deviate from the cards, he can’t continue onward there,” he added.
Going further to explain why Biden’s age and mental strength is a problem for his reelection bid, the former California lawmaker said, “Look, he has served the country, regardless whether you like it or not. I respect the man for serving the country. I thank him for that service, but he is not of the age that is best to be able to be serving in the presidency, especially the position that he is to going forward with what I have watched to serve again.”
The White House was not pleased with McCarthy’s remarks as spokesman Andrew Bates attacked the former lawmaker on Thursday by highlighting his own reported use of notes dring meetings while he was House Speaker.
“Perhaps Speaker McCarthy should make a note of the following reporting on his own cards — so he doesn’t forget it again,” Bates wrote.
McCarthy’s revelation gives substance to reports that Biden relies on notes even during private fundraisers with the donors.
As reported by Axios last Friday, Biden usually looks at his notecards after questions are asked by pre-selected donors who have questions for him at the private events.
The report further calls Biden’s cognitive health to question after a report by Special Robert Hur pointed to problems with his memory, a conclusion it came to while investigating the president’s handling of classified materials.
Recommending that no charges be filed against Biden, Hur said that he would come off to a jury as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory who cannot remember basic details of important events in his life.