Matt Gaetz says Democrats elected Joe Biden because he is ‘too fragile’ to make decisions

Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida said Democrats were planning to elect President Joe Biden to the White House because he was “too fragile” to obstruct their progressive agenda.

In a recent letter, led by Representative Jimmy Panetta of California, more than two dozen House Democrats urged Biden to relinquish his sole authority to release nuclear weapons. They argued that allowing a single power to start nuclear war “comes with real risks” and called for structural reform.

Gaetz objected to their position during an appearance Wednesday night on Fox News’ Hannity.

“I oppose this letter because I believe that no matter who the president is, they must be empowered to be commander-in-chief, to take care of the country, even if it is Joe Biden during this time.” , did he declare. .

The Florida Republican, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, also accused Biden of lacking the mental capacity to run the country and said Democrats knowingly elected him for that reason.

“’Sleepy Joe’ was not just a political nickname, it appeared to be a government strategy for the Biden administration,” he said. “You are looking at a growing number of Democrats who are now concerned with giving Joe Biden the codes for the nuclear system. I would be concerned about giving Joe Biden the code for my garage door opener.”

Trump invented a series of derogatory nicknames for his rivals throughout his presidential campaigns and four years in office. The ex-president mostly referred to Biden as “Sleepy Joe” in support of his campaign’s attacks on the Democrat’s mental health. On occasion, he also used “Joe Hidin ‘” to highlight his claim that Biden was hiding in his basement during the 2020 campaign.

Gaetz continued to call the Democratic letter seeking to extend accountability for the nuclear attacks “part of their plan.”

“Having a Joe Biden who is too fragile to resist their efforts to decentralize power, to take control of the economy, to limit the rights of people, to extend the limits of executive action beyond that which is constitutionally permissible, they are able to do these things because Joe Biden is not in a position to make day in and day out decisions, ”he said.

Newsweek contacted the White House and Panetta’s office for comment.

The House letter urging Biden to diversify his authority on nuclear weapons did not mention his mental capacity.

“Former presidents have threatened to attack other countries with nuclear weapons or have shown behavior that has caused other officials to express concern over the president’s judgment,” the letter read.

He added: “Although any president would presumably consult advisers before ordering a nuclear attack, it is not necessary to do so. The military are required to carry out the order if they deem it legal. under the laws of war, posture of US nuclear forces, this attack would occur in minutes. “

In December, Dr Kevin O’Connor of George Washington University published a medical summary on Biden, in which he called the president-elect “the healthy and vigorous man of 77, fit to successfully perform the duties. of the Presidency include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander-in-Chief. “

Despite his remarks, 33% of Americans indicated in a recent Insider poll that they were not satisfied with Biden’s mental health.