Fauci Speaks Out About Doubts Around Biden's Mental State

Dr. Anthony Fauci defended President Joe Biden as "analytical" amid growing calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race over his debate performance against former President Donald Trump last week.

During the CNN debate in Atlanta, Georgia, Biden, 81, sounded hoarse and appeared to mumble through several answers, doing little to quell concerns from swing voters about his age. Polls prior to the debate signaled his mental fitness was a key concern among voters, and many Democrats, including one member of Congress, are now calling on him to drop out of the race.

Fauci, however, said that when he was working for the Biden administration, the president seemed capable and "analytical" during an interview on CBS News' podcast, The Takeout.

Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key figure overseeing the United States response to the COVID-19 pandemic said that it would be "inappropriate" to call Biden's debate performance alarming, as medical professionals cannot diagnose someone based only on a 90-minute debate.

"Did he have a bad cold? Did he take an antihistamine to make him groggy? We don't know what went on," Fauci said.

Fauci said he did not have concerns about Biden's capability while serving in the White House. He was Biden's chief medical adviser until the end of 2022 and has not worked in politics since.

"He's very probing in his questions, very analytical, very calm about things when you go into brief him...you better really know your topic because he's going to ask you very relevant questions; and he's very reflective on things and just doesn't jump out with questions on anything but is very analytical. My interactions with him, I have to say, have been very, very positive in every way," Fauci said.

He said that, based on his interactions with Biden, he has "no doubt" about the president's mental capabilities.

Newsweek reached out to the Biden campaign for comment via email.

As Biden seeks to squash concerns about his age from his own party, the White House on Tuesday said Biden would speak with congressional leaders later this week, give an interview to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, and hold a press conference in the coming days.

Biden has thus far resisted calls to remove himself from the presidential race. Most high-profile Democrats have publicly rallied behind Biden, but some reports suggest there have been private concerns. CNN reported on Tuesday that several Democratic governors have communicated concerns about Biden.

It remains unclear how much damage the debate caused. While Democrats have panicked about Biden's performance, polls have been mixed. Some show Trump gaining ground against Biden, but others show minimal changes.