Former President Bill Clinton appeared on “The View” on Thursday to defend Joe Biden following his disastrous 2024 debate performance that ultimately led him to drop out of the race.
He also responded to the mounting reports about Biden’s cognitive decline.
Clinton insisted he saw no signs of mental or physical deterioration, stating:
“All I can say is whenever I was around him, [Biden’s] mind was clear, his judgment was good…
“He was on top of his brief.”
But Clinton didn’t stop there—he blamed Biden’s staff for letting the 81-year-old president travel internationally just days before the high-stakes debate:
“But look at that debate, for example, what happened in the ten days before his debate, and what were the White House staff thinking?
“He went to Europe and back twice, and then he went to California once.
“And he was 80 years old, what the heck is he doing that for?
“So, why was that allowed to happen?
“So there’s a lot of questions I don’t know.
“What I do know is, we should think less about that and think more about the future.”
Clinton admitted he couldn’t explain the staff’s decisions but urged Americans to focus less on Biden’s failures and more on the future.
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Clinton also appeared to downplay Biden’s decline by citing past presidents with major cognitive issues, such as Ronald Reagan (Alzheimer’s) and Woodrow Wilson (stroke).
However, the damage control contrasts sharply with what’s been revealed in “Original Sin,” the new book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson.
According to the book:
• Biden frequently fell, prompting fears he’d need a wheelchair if it happened again.
• He reportedly failed to recognize longtime ally George Clooney in June 2024.
• Dr. Kevin O’Connor warned staff about the physical toll of the presidency and advised more rest.
• Staffers hid Biden from the press, organizing historically few press conferences.
• Concerns were repeatedly dismissed by the White House and the media—until the debate made them undeniable.
After the debate, top Democrats began pressuring Biden to drop out, which he eventually did in July.
Clinton’s appearance on “The View” comes after he told “CBS Sunday Morning” that he thought Biden was “in good shape.”
He also claimed that the book “did not register” with him.
“I saw President Biden not very long ago, and I thought he was in good shape, but the book didn’t register with me cause I never saw him that way,” Clinton said.
“I didn’t know anything about any of this,” he insisted.
