Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida said the Democrats planned to elect President Joe Biden to the White House because he is “too fragile” to hinder his progressive agenda.
In a recent letter, led by Representative Jimmy Panetta of California, more than two dozen Democrats in the House asked Biden to relinquish his exclusive authority to launch nuclear weapons. They argued that allowing a single power to start a nuclear war “involves real risks” and called for the structure to be reformed.
Gaetz opposed their position in a Wednesday night appearance on Fox News’ Hannity.
“I oppose this letter because I believe that no matter who the president is, they must have the authority to be the commander in chief, to take care of the country, even if it is Joe Biden during that time,” he said.
Florida Republican, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, also accused Biden of not having the mental capacity to rule the country and said Democrats consciously elected him for that reason.
“‘Sleepy Joe’ was not just a political nickname, it appears to be a government strategy for the Biden government,” he said. “You see an increasing number of Democrats who are now concerned with giving Joe Biden the codes of the nuclear system. I would be concerned with giving Joe Biden the code for controlling my garage door.”
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Trump coined a series of derogatory nicknames for his rivals during his presidential campaign and four years in office. The former president referred primarily to Biden as “Sleepy Joe” to support his campaign’s attacks on the Democrat’s mental aptitude. At the time, he also used “Joe Hidin ‘” to highlight his claim that Biden was hiding in his basement during the 2020 campaign.
Gaetz went on to call the Democratic charter seeking to expand responsibility for nuclear attacks “all part of his plan”.
“Having a very fragile Joe Biden to face his efforts to decentralize power, take over the economy, limit people’s rights, extend the limits of executive action beyond what is constitutionally allowed, they are able to do these things because Joe Biden does not is in a position to make decisions every day, “he said.
Newsweek contacted the White House and Panetta’s office for comment.
The House letter urging Biden to diversify nuclear weapons authority did not mention his mental ability.
“Former presidents have threatened to attack other countries with nuclear weapons or exhibited behavior that has prompted other officials to express concern about the president’s trial,” the letter said.
He added: “Although any president presumably consults advisors before ordering a nuclear attack, there is no requirement to do so. The military is required to comply with the order if it considers it legal under war laws. Under current laws posture of the US nuclear forces, this attack would happen in minutes. “
In December, Dr. Kevin O’Connor of George Washington University released a medical summary of Biden, in which he called the then president-elect a “healthy, vigorous 77-year-old man, able to perform successfully the duties of the Presidency include those of Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief. “
Despite their comments, 33 percent of Americans indicated in a recent Insider poll that they are not satisfied with Biden’s mental fitness.