He brushes aside the idea of a second candidacy.
US President Joe Biden may not have the "endurance" needed to run a traditional campaign, but he is "up to the task" to govern, influential elected official Adam Smith said on Wednesday in an interview with the AFP.
The Democrat, number two on the Armed Services Committee in the House of Representatives, will fly this week to the Munich Security Conference.
On site, he will try to reassure his allies after Donald Trump's comments on NATO.
But he will not make any “promises” about validating new aid for Ukraine.
Biden, not a triathlete
“I have not the slightest doubt that the president is mentally up to the task and that he is capable of doing his job,” declared the elected official, in reaction to recent debates around Joe Biden’s capacity, 81 years, to govern.
But the Democrat will not be able to run a traditional campaign, with “12-hour days, 15-20 interviews per day,” he judges.
I don't think at his age he has the stamina to do all that.
It's obvious and pretending not doesn't get us that far.
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It is very rare for Democrats to make such comments, with the vast majority of the Biden camp refusing to take a public position on the captain's age.
“What are you supposed to say?”
Oh, he's fine.
Is he going to do a triathlon tomorrow?
Anyway.
He is 81 years old,” says Adam Smith.
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The elected official, representing the State of Washington in the American Congress, brushes aside the idea that a plan is being concocted for a Democratic alternative to the candidacy of Joe Biden.
“There is no plan in the sense that there would be an obscure group of people who would be choosing our candidate,” assures the 58-year-old man.
“The president decided to run and we all decided he was probably the best qualified person,” he continued.
“No one of note ran against him, so that’s where we are.”
No “promises” for Ukraine
Regarding Ukraine, the elected Democrat is well aware of the concerns of his allies, at a time when $60 billion in financial aid to kyiv is being blocked by Donald Trump's lieutenants in Congress.
“I don't make promises I can't keep, but I can assure you there are a ton of people who are committed to getting things done,” he says.
“This is not an easy exercise because the Speaker of the House of Representatives has enormous power and he has decided to satisfy the most extreme members of his party, rather than meeting the national security needs of the United States,” explains Adam Smith.
“We’re trying to change his mind.”
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The elected official, in office for more than 25 years, also expects questions from his partners in Munich on Donald Trump's comments on NATO.
The former Republican president, candidate in the November election, threatened to no longer guarantee the protection of NATO countries against Russia if they did not pay their share.
“The world needs to understand that there is a strong consensus in the United States between Democrats and Republicans that this approach by Trump is wrong, and that we are going to fight it,” said Adam Smith.
Trump 'instigates Xi to seize Taiwan'
“The second thing, more complicated to explain, is that the world is changing,” he says.
“The United States will continue to be a leading partner (…) but it is no longer the 60s or 70s,” judges the elected official, calling for the construction of “a new global security framework which better distributes responsibilities ".
The elected official also fears that Donald Trump's comments on NATO will be interpreted by China as an invitation to attack Taiwan.
“Trump wants to present himself as being firm on China,” he says.
But if you give Ukraine to Putin and God knows how many other Eastern European countries, you strengthen China.
He is inciting Xi to take over Taiwan.
there is no doubt.
This is a horrible message.
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