Cabinet members who proudly defended President Biden’s fitness for office ahead of Thursday night’s presidential debate took a more restrained but clear stance after the dust settled Friday morning.
Speaker of the House Rep. Mike JohnsonRepublican Sen. John Kerry issued a statement Friday stressing that the debate “clearly” showed “that Biden is unfit for office.”
“His mental and physical deterioration has been evident throughout his presidency,” Johnson said. “For those who haven’t been paying attention, last night should have been a warning.”
Fox News Contributor Liz Peake said CNN’s post-debate analysis This highlights that Biden does not appear capable of serving four more years, with even his most ardent supporters on the fence.
And Cabinet members responded briefly to questions about Biden’s performance, whereas before the debate they had offered a more passionate defense of Biden’s ability to carry out the duties of president of the United States.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks to media about an overview of public safety plans for Super Bowl week at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on February 7. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)
When asked whether the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Standing by his previous statement, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “Yes.” Mayorkas last week dismissed accusations that Biden was “slipping,” instead claiming that “the president always draws on our past conversations and past events in analyzing issues and coming to his own conclusions.”
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The spokesperson also stressed that the 25th Amendment should not be invoked to force Biden out of the race and make room for another candidate.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also stands by his comments made earlier this month, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, stressing that no one is commenting on the matter individually. Talking about implementing the 25th amendmentIt can be exercised by the Cabinet when the President becomes incapacitated to such an extent that he is unable to discharge his responsibilities.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a speech at the McCain Institute’s Sedona Forum on May 3 in Sedona, Arizona. (AP Photo/Jake Bacon)
In previous comments to Fox News Digital, Blinken stressed that in his 22 years of working with Biden, “his depth of knowledge, fluency in policy and politics, and ability to get straight to the point and argue his case are extraordinary. He’s always one step ahead of us.”
A spokesperson for Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said she had “nothing to add” beyond comments she made last week, in which Haaland praised Biden’s mentorship and described his leadership as “a strong, experienced hand as well as a kind heart in this era of environmental and political challenges.”
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“Each time, he takes charge and urges us to think more deeply about the task of moving our country forward,” Haaland said in her earlier remarks.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm She also expressed her support for Biden, according to Amanda Finney, public relations director for the Energy Department.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm testifies during a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Committee at the Rayburn Building in Washington, DC, on March 23, 2023. The topic of the hearing was “Department of Energy Appropriations Request for Fiscal Year 2024.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
“Yes, the Secretary stands by his prior comments,” Finney said in an email to Fox News Digital.
a spokesperson said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Fox News Digital that the secretary “stands by his previous comments, including the statement to Fox Digital” and dismissed talk of the 25th Amendment, saying there is no speculation and “it will not be invoked”.
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Yellen previously told Fox News Digital, “Both In Washington And in meetings with world leaders around the world — including difficult negotiations with (Chinese) President Xi — I’ve always seen President Biden to be extremely well-informed, well-versed in facts and highly effective in advancing American interests.”
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Ministers Meeting press conference on November 13, 2023, in San Francisco. (Lorraine Elliott/AFP)
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In response to an inquiry Vice President HarrisA White House spokesperson did not respond to the question in a message on CNN and MSNBC airing shortly after the debate Thursday night and instead referred the campaign for any comment.
Other Cabinet members did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the time of publication.
