When ABC News anchor David Muir asked Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden about the "blistering attacks we've seen from President Trump this week alone on your mental fitness, whether you're up for the job," Biden laughed. "Watch me. Mr. President, watch me," Biden said, in a joint interview with running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) that aired Sunday night.
"Look at us both, what we say, what we do, what we control, what we know, what kind of shape we're in," Biden said. "Come on. This is, look, I think it's a legitimate question to ask anybody over 70 years old whether or not they're fit and whether they're ready. But I just, only thing I can say to the American people, it's a legitimate question to ask anybody. Watch me." Biden, who at 77 is the age Ronald Reagan was when he left office, "absolutely" did not rule out serving two terms if elected and said he "can't wait" to debate Trump.
Parrying other charges Trump and other Republicans are likely to make at this weeks Republican National Convention, Biden noted he has never proposed to "defund" the police — in fact, "I think they need more help, they need more assistance," he said, pointing at Trump's proposed cuts to local law enforcement in his 2021 budget: "So the only guy that actually put in a bill to actually defund the police is Donald Trump" — and won't raise taxes on "mom and pop" businesses or anyone earning under $400,000 a year.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Biden also said he wants Harris to be the kind of vice president he was to President Obama. "I want you to be the last person in the room on every major decision," he said. "I know she will not be intimidated by the Oval Office. I know she'll not be reluctant to tell me exactly what she thinks."
-
Africa could become the next frontier for space programsThe Explainer China and the US are both working on space applications for Africa
-
Video games to curl up with this fall, including Ghost of Yotei and LEGO PartyThe Week Recommends Several highly anticipated video games are coming this fall
-
‘Peak consumption has become the Holy Grail of the energy debate’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
