In what appeared to be deflection from calls for President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 race, California Rep. Adam Schiff surmised that if former President Donald Trump took a cognitive test, the results would show he had a "serious illness."
Calls for Biden's exit from the race have grown since his concerning debate performance with Trump late last month.
Schiff made his remarks and threw his support behind Biden during a Sunday interview on NBC News' Meet the Press with host Kristen Welker.
“This is a decision President Biden is going to have to make and President Biden alone,” Schiff said, adding Biden has been an "extraordinary president."
"He has created millions and millions of jobs. He has expanded and strengthened our NATO alliances. He has brought back manufacturing in this country. He has brought about the most aggressive attack on climate change. He has done more in one term than most presidents ever do, no matter how many terms they get," the California representative said.
Schiff went on to claim Trump was a "pathological liar" and "ran the country into the ground" with his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during his final year in office.
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“Not only a pathological liar, but [he] is immoral, indecent, and unfit for office,” Schiff said of Trump. “But the performance on the debate stage, I think, rightfully raised questions among the American people about whether the president has the vigor to defeat Donald Trump."
Schiff said the 2024 presidential race was "existential" for the country, lauded Biden's "incredible record," and claimed Biden should be "mopping the floor with Donald Trump."
"Joe Biden’s running against a criminal. It should not be even close. And there’s only one reason it is close, and that’s the president’s age," Schiff conceded. "I would advise the president [to] seek out the opinions of people you trust. He’s obviously talked to his family about this. And that’s important. But he should seek out people with some distance and objectivity. He should seek out pollsters who are not his own pollsters. He should take a moment to make the best informed judgment. And if the judgment is run, then run hard and beat that S.O.B.”
The California representative went on to say he would be "happy" if Biden and Trump took cognitive tests, adding they both should be "willing" to take one.
“I think, frankly, a test would show Donald Trump has serious illness of one kind or another," Schiff surmised. "But, ultimately, the decision is going to come down to what Joe Biden thinks is best. ... And if his decision is to pass the torch, then the president should do everything in his power to make that other candidate successful."
Last Wednesday, former Speaker of the House and fellow California representative Nancy Pelosi similarly encouraged Biden to speak with "serious journalists" to quell concerns over his health.
