MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough is facing mounting backlash after his now-viral declaration that former President Joe Biden is “the best he’s ever been” was put under the microscope in light of Biden’s shocking prostate cancer diagnosis, which experts say likely developed years ago. Scarborough, a longtime Biden defender, commented in March 2024 despite obvious signs that Biden’s health was declining.
Speaking to Mark Halperin during his show, “Next Up with Mark Halperin,” the longtime political analyst played the clip for Scarborough to watch in which he argued that Biden was "far beyond cogent.”
During the clip, the MSNBC host praised Biden during a "Morning Joe" broadcast, claiming the 82-year-old is not only mentally sharp but also intellectually and analytically better than ever. He emphasized that the former president’s decades of experience have made him the "best Biden ever" and challenged critics to accept that assessment.
“Looking back at that, do you say, well, it was misleading to say ‘best Biden ever’ without caveating it and saying, except on the days when he’s not the best Biden ever?” Halperin asked Scarborough.
Scarborough, however, refused to walk back his previous remarks, saying that he “never saw those days personally.”
Halperin pushed back further on Scarborough, pointing to moments where Biden appeared confused, such as addressing a deceased congresswoman. He argued that there have been several instances showing Biden was clearly not at his best. Yet the liberal host continued to insist he'd never witnessed any signs of mental decline in Biden. Instead, he shifted focus to President Donald Trump, claiming the 47th president also shows signs of unsteadiness.
“Yeah, he stumbled and bumbled around Mark. I mean, yeah, he certainly did. Donald Trump did. Other politicians did,” Scarborough said. “And again he bumbled around and he stumbled around, but he has for quite some time. That didn’t seem to me to get in the way of Joe Biden being able to analyze the most important issues. And I certainly think he has a better grasp on it than probably the overwhelming majority of his critics or certainly did when I spoke with him.”
Scarborough argued that Biden’s occasional stumbles never interfered with his ability to analyze the most important issues.
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