Watch: Kari Lake Comes to Trump's Defense After Newsmax Host Compares His Age to Biden's
In September, a poll from NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ revealed that more than half the country’s voters were worried about President Joe Biden’s mental cognizance.
In contrast, only 38 percent of voters had the same concern for former President Donald Trump, according to The Hill.
A CBS News/YouGov poll in the same time period showed that only 34 percent think Biden would finish a second term if re-elected, while 55 percent feel the same for Trump if elected in 2024, Axios reported.
Clearly, the American people see a striking difference between the cognitive abilities of Biden and Trump.
However, it seems as if Newsmax’s Rob Finnerty doesn’t agree.
During an interview with Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake on “Wake Up America” on Tuesday, Finnerty surprised Lake when he said, “This selection’s going to be huge for two reasons. One, Donald Trump’s an old man just like Joe Biden, but also Trump, if elected, can only serve …”
Kari Lake defends President Trump after Newsmax anchor calls him an “old man.” pic.twitter.com/IATwxZ4Dr1
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 23, 2024
Noticing Kari Lake’s confused tilt of the head, Finnerty paused for a second before reiterating, “He’s 77 years old. He’s an old man just like Joe Biden who is 81 years old,” he went on as Lake shook her head vigorously in disagreement.
“If Trump is elected, he can only serve four years. So this pick is huge. If it’s not you, who would you like to see Trump run with?” Finnerty said, persisting in his portrayal of Trump as Lake can be seen getting more and more annoyed.
“I thought we were going to talk about New Hampshire today,” Lake said with a dismissive laugh.
“We’re going to talk all about it. But I just, I’m curious because if you’re not on the shortlist, what do you like?” Finnerty asked as if it was a cross-examination.
“Well, first of all, I think that’s a derogatory way of referring to, you know, President Trump, saying he’s an old man,” Lake said, rising to Trump’s defense. “He’s one of the most energized, vigorous …”
“I’m not … I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m not disagreeing with you, just chronologically … Donald Trump … My dad’s 81. I would say the same thing,” Finnerty cut in.
“I’m just saying that Donald Trump is an older man, and he is someone that can only serve four years,” he continued, “So his pick, more so than eight years ago in 2016, is going to be crucially important. If it’s not you, who would you like to see run with the former president?”
Although it took Lake a few seconds to collect herself from what she clearly felt was an ambush, she came back strong.
“Well, first of all, Donald Trump is not an old man,” Lake said. “He is a very sharp man. His cognitive abilities are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I talk to him all the time. He’s incredible.”
“And, you know, it was one of our founding fathers — Benjamin Franklin was 81 years old when he helped to draft and write the United States Constitution,” she added.
@NEWSMAX @RobFinnertyUSA The interview this morning with @KariLake was disgusting to watch as Rob Finnerty absolutely acted like a disrespectful punk. Shame on him. Of course, Kari handed his A$$ back to him at the end. He shouldn’t try to argue with an adult.
— OriginalAmericanWoman (@RedWhiteProud) January 23, 2024
Lake picked a great example to counter Finnerty’s assertion that Trump was an “old man.”
Benjamin Franklin was 81 years old at the Constitutional Convention.
Georgia delegate William Pierce wrote of Franklin, “He is … a most extraordinary Man, and tells a story in a style more engaging than anything I ever heard … He is 82 years old, and possesses an activity of mind equal to a youth of 25 years of age. “
Sounds a lot like a former president we all know.
Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, reigned till her death at age 96, working almost up to the very end of her life.
It is impossible to broadly generalize on mental acuity in advanced years. While some may demonstrate declining sharpness with age, others continue vibrant engagement and contributions well into their 80s and 90s. Chronological age alone reveals little about any one individual’s capabilities.
“Age is just a number,” Lake told Finnerty. “It’s what’s going on up here. And there’s a lot going on up here with President Trump.”
“Unfortunately, with Joe Biden, there’s not much going on up here. And so that’s the problem,” she said.
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