The White House, via Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, thanked Fox News reporter Peter Doocy after he gave President Joe Biden credit live on the network for working "all through the night" as he flew to Vietnam for a state visit.
After Biden arrived in Hanoi after attending the G20 summit in New Delhi, Doocy reported from Vietnam, stating:
“He has been basically working all through the night, the equivalent of an all-nighter, Eastern time. So, he’s probably pretty tired. Pretty jet-lagged.”
However, Doocy didn't stop there. He continued, pausing briefly and appearing momentarily distracted, before remarking that Biden should take at least "a handful" of questions from the press.
Doocy's words prompted journalist Aaron Rupar to share video of the moment, observing that Doocy had realized he'd "just demolished one of his own network's talking points," referring to the network's reliance on the "Sleepy Joe" narrative by suggesting that Biden is too old and tired to fulfill his presidential duties.
You can hear what Doocy said in the video below.
Soon after, Jean-Pierre acknowledged Doocy's unexpected comment and shared the clip on social media, writing:
"Thank you, Peter."
You can see Jean-Pierre's message below.
Many have mocked Doocy—the son of Fox News personality Steve Doocy—in response.
The suggestion that Biden is both physically and "mentally frail" has become a favorite talking point in conservative circles even though claims about an alleged cognitive impairment are entirely unfounded.
One question they rarely touch on though, is, if Biden's too old, what about Trump? As Frank Bruni raised in his New York Times column:
To our intensifying discussion about whether President Biden has grown mentally fuzzy and too old for a second term, I’d like to add this question: How would we even notice Donald Trump’s lapse into incoherence, when derangement is essentially his brand?
Pretty much any interview he gives is a babble bonanza, and his recent lovefest with Tucker Carlson was no exception. He went on wacky tangents, including one about the wages of building the Panama Canal: “We lost 35,000 people to the mosquito. Malaria. We lost 35,000 people. We lost 35,000 people because of the mosquito. Vicious. They had to build under nets. It was one of the true great wonders of the world.”
“One of the nine wonders,” he added, then corrected himself. “No, no, it was one of the seven.” Seven, nine – he seemed unable to decide, unwilling to commit. “You could make nine wonders,” he ventured.
After all, only one of the two leading contenders for the White House in 2024 is ranting about a mental acuity test.
