During a segment on Fox News’ Outnumbered on Friday, liberal contributor Leslie Marshall sparked controversy by suggesting that former President Donald Trump exhibits as much mental decline as President Joe Biden. The discussion centered on whether the 81-year-old Biden should step aside for a younger Democratic candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
Marshall pointed out that medical professionals on both sides of the political spectrum have noted signs of age-related decline in both Biden and Trump. “I’ve seen doctors on television and heard them on podcasts on both sides saying that there is age decline for Biden and Trump, that there are signs of dementia for both Biden and Trump, depending on which doctor that you’re hearing from,” she said. “But the voters don’t care.”
She elaborated, “If you poll them about the age, it bothers them. But these are the two people they’re going to choose between. Whether it’s 35 seconds of silence with Donald Trump, or him stumbling over Venezuela, or thinking Obama is still president, or the things that you’ve seen with Joe Biden — although it makes people uncomfortable, we see that in the polls it’s not going to flip either one of them into or out of the White House.”
Marshall’s comments drew immediate pushback from her colleagues. Kayleigh McEnany dismissed the comparison, stating, “I just gotta say, I totally disagree that Trump has the same mental acuity problems. He’s sharp as a whip.” She referenced an interview with Dr. Marc Siegel, who concurred with her assessment. “I thought he was sharp as a whip!” Siegel agreed. He further emphasized the importance of cognitive reserve for a president, highlighting the need for quick and clear thinking in emergency situations, such as a hypothetical 4 a.m. crisis call.
Emily Compagno also rejected Marshall’s comparison, saying, “Respectfully, I think there’s absolutely no comparison between Joe Biden’s existing state and Trump’s not even in this conversation at the moment.”
