FIGHTING BACK

Feinstein Admits She ‘Forgets Sometimes,’ but Says Doubts About Her Cognitive Abilities Not Fair

The 87-year-old senator hinted that she was hurt by recent anonymous briefing about her mental abilities, saying she had “taken a few arrows lately.”

Last week, a distressing New Yorker article quoted unnamed sources close to Sen. Dianne Feinstein casting doubt on the California Democrat’s cognitive strength, with one claiming that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had to twice ask her to step aside from her leadership role on the Senate Judiciary Committee after she completely forgot their first conversation. But the 87-year-old—the oldest U.S. senator—has challenged the claims in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. Asked if she’d thought about stepping aside because of a decline in her short-term memory, she responded: “No, I haven’t.” She went on: “I don’t feel my cognitive abilities have diminished... No, not really. Do I forget something sometimes? Quite possibly.” Feinstein hinted that she was hurt by the quotes in the New Yorker piece, commenting to the LA Times that she had “taken a few arrows lately.”