Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is joining a growing number of Democrat leaders concerned about President Joe Biden's mental fitness, reportedly remarking "it wouldn't hurt" if he took a cognitive test.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Whitmer was largely supportive of Biden, asserting "he shows up every day and fights for the American public."
"He cares about other people more than he cares about himself, and that's precisely why I think this moment where we have [former President] Donald Trump, who's been convicted of 34 felonies, who cares only about Donald Trump, we can't lose sight of how high these stakes are," she said. "We have a field, and unless one person, Joe Biden, makes an alternative decision, this is the field, and we've got to go."
Yet, when pressed on Biden's mental acumen, and need for a cognitive test, Whitmer conceded: "I don't think that it would hurt," noting Trump should do the same.
Whitmer herself has been floated as a possible candidate to enter the race should Biden step aside, the outlet reported.
But in the interview she backed Biden and said she was concerned that "we are spending a lot of energy not on Donald Trump and the existential threat before us, and that gives me a great deal of concern.
"I understand that some are playing fantasy football and want to just pick a couple of random leaders that they like across the country and design a ticket. That's just not how this works," she told CNN. "We have a president who's gotten a nomination, who's earned it."
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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