Former President Joe Biden made comments on Friday suggesting he could “beat the hell outta” CNN anchor Jake Tapper and journalist Alex Thompson, both of whom co-authored a book highlighting Biden’s mental decline while in office and the alleged efforts to obscure it.
The remarks were made during a public appearance in Delaware.
A reporter brought up ongoing discussions about Biden’s mental and physical state during his presidency, according to a report from RealClearPolitics.
In response, Biden said, “You can see that I’m mentally incompetent and I can’t walk, and I can beat the hell out of both of them,” appearing to refer to Tapper and Thompson.
Although Tapper contributed to the book addressing Biden’s cognitive decline, he has previously been criticized by conservatives for not acknowledging those issues while Biden was in office.
A second reporter asked Biden if he wanted to address recent health reports and concerns from within his own party about his reelection bid in 2024, according to the Daily Wire.
Biden responded by challenging his critics, saying, “Why didn’t they run against me then? Because I’d have beaten them.”
He said he had no regrets about his decision to remain in the presidential race and expressed pride in his tenure.
“There’s a lot going on,” Biden stated. “I think we’re in a really difficult moment—not only in American history, but in world history.”
He added that current decisions will shape the next two decades and said he had been warning of such turning points for some time.
Biden expressed confidence in his leadership, saying, “I’d put my record as president against any president at all.”
He also referred to rankings by presidential historians, saying that ten of the top twelve had placed him high on the list of U.S. presidents.
Biden contrasted that with their evaluation of Donald Trump, claiming that Trump was rated last by those same historians.
In addition to political topics, Biden spoke briefly about his recent cancer diagnosis, which had been publicly disclosed earlier this month.
He described the prognosis as good and said, “We’re working on everything. It’s moving along, so I feel good.”
Biden elaborated on his treatment, explaining that he is taking a specific pill for six weeks, to be followed by another medication.
He emphasized that the cancer had not spread to any organs, saying, “My bones are strong. It hasn’t penetrated.”
Concluding his remarks on his health, Biden said he remains optimistic and is feeling well despite the diagnosis.
