House Dem Pinpoints GOP Colleague’s Biden Rant: ‘Too Much Fox News’
During a House Rules Committee meeting Tuesday, GOP Rep. Ralph Norman claimed the president “is cognitively gone”—but his Democratic colleague returned fire.

C-SPAN
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) debated the acuity of President Joe Biden during a House committee meeting Tuesday, with Scanlon criticizing her colleague—who insisted Biden “is cognitively gone”—for “watching a little too much Fox News.”
The GOP-led House Rules Committee gathered Tuesday to argue the merits of a formal impeachment inquiry into the president, which House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has said would be voted on this week, even as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) struggles to make substantive claims of wrongdoing by the president.
At one point, Norman expressed his doubts about Biden’s health to Scanlon and the other Democrats on the committee.
“Why don’t you get with his handlers—whoever it is—and you can argue, if you think he’s not cognitively gone, I would wager a good bit of money if you got five doctors, they’d tell you the man’s not there,” Norman said. “That’s what America is concerned about.”
Norman: You got a president who is cognitively gone
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 12, 2023
Scanlon: Have you spent any time with with the president?
Norman: Good God, no, No.
Scanlon: You've been watching a little too much. Fox News. pic.twitter.com/aYfqwXYcAx
Scanlon said she disagreed “vehemently” with Norman’s comments.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Have you spent any time with Mr. Biden?” she asked.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“Good God, no,” Norman answered.
“No, you’ve been watching a little too much Fox News,” Scanlan replied.
For years, Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, for instance, has made Biden’s mental fitness a topic of criticism and in some cases outright mockery, with the primetime host even unveiling a presidential “sippy cup” on his show a few months after Biden took office.
Norman then criticized Biden for not being interviewed on the right-wing network and for not holding what he deems to be a sufficient number of press conferences.
“What can he get off teleprompter and read? You tell me,” he demanded.
In the “hours” Scanlan has spent with Biden without a teleprompter, she said, “the level of his conversation was way above this committee right now.”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
