Bill Clinton Pushes Back on Biden Decline — Claims ‘He Was in Good Shape’

Former President Bill Clinton rejected claims of President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline during a CBS Sunday Morning interview, saying he had “never seen him and walked away thinking, he can’t do this anymore.”

Clinton made the comments in a sit-down with correspondent Tracy Smith, who asked about Original Sin, a bombshell book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson. The book alleges senior aides observed Biden suffering from mental and physical deterioration during his presidency.

Biden has denied the claims in the book.

“I haven’t read the book,” Clinton said. “I saw President Biden not very long ago, and I thought he was in good shape.”

Smith pressed the former president on whether he ever witnessed signs of mental decline in Biden. Clinton dismissed the suggestion and said he saw a person who was fit to lead.

“No,” he said. “I thought he was a good president.”

“The only concern I thought he had to deal with was, could anybody do that job until they were 86?” Clinton said, referring to Biden’s age. “We’d had several long talks. He was always on top of his briefs.”

Original Sin, published last month, cites anonymous aides and insiders who questioned Biden’s fitness for office in his final year. Tapper and Thompson allege there was widespread internal White House concern about Biden’s memory, confusion, and stamina, especially during critical moments.

Asked why he chose not to read the book, Clinton said he believed the criticism of the country’s 46th president was politically motivated.

“I didn’t want to because he’s not president anymore, and I think he did a good job,” Clinton said. “And I think we are facing challenges today with our president in our history. Some people are trying to use this as a way to blame him for the fact that Trump was reelected.”

Watch above via CBS News.