YIKES! Rep. Maloney Dances Between Apologizing, Praising Biden’s Holy Name – and Still Claiming He Won’t Run in Surreal CNN Hit

New York Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney turned in an all-time cringeworthy appearance on CNN, doing damage control for her Biden gaffe — with a sledgehammer and a bucket of dynamite.

Rep. Maloney is trying to recover from a debate Tuesday night — with Democratic rivals Suraj Patel and Rep. Jerry Nadler — that featured this stunning exchange in the “lightning round”:

ERROL LOUIS: Should President Biden run again in 2024?

SURAJ PATEL: Yes.

ERROL LOUIS: Mr. Nadler?

REP. NADLER: Too early to say. It doesn’t serve the purpose of Democratic Party to deal with them until after the midterms.

ERROL LOUIS: Ms. Maloney?

REP. MALONEY: I don’t believe he’s running for reelection.

Maloney tersely backtracked on Wednesday, but the debate display was the hot political story all day Wednesday.

And so it was that Rep. Maloney found herself on Thursday morning’s edition of CNN’s New Day getting turned uncomfortably on a spit by co-anchor Brianna Keilar.

To open, Keilar asked Maloney, three different times, why she said she didn’t believe President Joe Biden would be running in 2024. Maloney took three pregnant-pause-laden swings at answering — first with praise and avoidance, then two increasingly intense double-downs:

BRIANNA KEILAR: You took heat for those comments. You did later say that if President Biden does run for reelection, you’re going to back him. But why did you why did you say that? Why do you think he’s not going to run for reelection?

CAROLYN MALONEY: Well, first of all, I think we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to President Biden. He saved the country by running against former President Trump and he defeated him. And he has also done an incredible job as president, passing the Build Back Better — the American Rescue Plan, the infrastructure plan, and now the infrastructure Inflation Reduction Plan, which is based off the Build Back Better. So I think he’s done an incredible job and is giving us a record to run on in the 22 elections. Let’s finish the 2022 elections before we get to 24.

BRIANNA KEILAR: But why did you why do you think he’s not running?

CAROLYN MALONEY: That was just my own personal belief, which I’m not going to do, but I will support him if he runs and it’s totally his decision.

BRIANNA KEILAR: But why do you have that personal belief?

CAROLYN MALONEY: Well, we’re all entitled to have our own information and our own beliefs, but I will support him if he runs for president.

Maloney then tried to duck down a winding alley of Biden praise that somehow landed her at the Post Office charging her electric car.

Keilar summed up and tried to change the subject, saying, “Okay. You’re a fan of his. You’re a fan of his. To be clear, even as you said that you, you think he won’t be running? I do want to ask you…”

Maloney cut Keilar off to volunteer one more — and somehow even more awful — shot at making it worse by apologizing and thanking Biden for all things everywhere at all times, past present, and future — and still doubting he will run in 2024:

I think I probably should — Mr. President, I apologize. I want you to run. I happen to think you won’t be running, but when you run or if you run, I will be there 100%. You have deserved it. You are a great president, and thank you for everything you’ve done for my state and all the states and all the cities in America. Thank you, Mr. President.

“We’ll see if he hears that. I bet he probably will,” Keilar said, perhaps with a touch of wicked humor.

Biden has repeatedly said he will run in 2024 with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Watch above via CNN.