Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, slammed the Democratic Party for leading a “coup” against President Biden — with the Ohio senator saying that if Biden isn’t fit to run for president, he shouldn’t be able to serve the rest of his term.
The GOP ticket commented on Biden’s seemingly declining condition and the news that he would not be running for re-election in a clip that aired Monday morning on Fox News, telling “Primetime” host Jesse Watters that Biden shouldn’t get to step down in a way that is only beneficial to his party.
When asked if Biden’s dropping out of the election was a “coup against Joe Biden,” Trump quietly replied with “Sort of,” before Vance jumped in.
“Yeah, I think it is. I mean, look, there’s a constitutional process, the 25th Amendment. If Joe Biden can’t run for president, he can’t serve as president,” Vance replied.
The latest on President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:
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- NY Dems are already lining up behind Kamala Harris to replace Biden — with these big exceptions
- Biden delayed dropping out partly because he doubted Harris’ chances against Trump: report
- Miranda Devine: Joe Biden is too frail to run in 2024 but he’s still our president?
Vance continued voicing his opinion, saying, “And if they want to take him down because he’s mentally incapable of serving, invoke the 25th Amendment. You don’t get to sort of do this in the most politically beneficial way for Democrats. If it’s an actual problem, they should take care of it the appropriate way.”
The interview was taped Saturday before news broke Sunday that Biden was withdrawing from the 2024 general election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive new Democratic nominee.
The Ohio senator expressed a similar sentiment hours before Biden’s announcement, writing on social media that if the president wasn’t fit to campaign, he should not be trusted to remain in the White House.
“Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief,” Vance wrote on X.
What to know about President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:
- President Biden announced Sunday he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race — after weeks of prominent Democrats and donors calling on him to withdraw following his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate.
- In a letter posted on X Sunday afternoon, Biden admitted that it is in the “best interest of my party and country” for him to step down as the Democratic nominee.
- Biden wrote that he intends to serve out the remainder of his term and will address the country on his decision later this week.
- In a follow-up X post, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the suddenly open Democratic nomination. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” the president wrote.
- Former President Donald Trump reacted to the news by labeling Biden the “worst president in the history of our country” in a call with CNN.
“There is no middle ground,” he continued.
During the interview, Trump agreed when asked by Watters if he would investigate the “people that hid Joe Biden’s condition,” including the White House doctors who “keep giving him this wonderful report.”