CNN Panel: Is Biden Really in Charge?

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
Garcia-NAVARRO: “What was, I think, disconcerting is that he apparently thought that because it was Christmas he could kind of slide in and get — and not be noticed that he was sick, and that he was having to get this operation. I mean, he’s the secretary of defense. As we know, the Middle East doesn’t take a vacation, wars don’t take a vacation, and so the fact that he did this shows incredible — incredibly poor judgment. I’ll say that I don’t know that it’s a sign that President Biden isn’t at the wheel.”

SALAM: “I will say that part of this is a narrative which I frankly think has some basis to it that there are geopolitical crises unfolding in the world right now that might not be there if there were another commander in chief in the White House. If that is something that many Americans believe, and I believe it is, I certainly believe it myself, then the fact that you have this chaos —“

Wallace: “Let me follow up. You’re saying that Putin wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine or Hamas wouldn’t have invaded Israel if somebody else was president?”

SALAM: “It depends who that somebody else is, but yes. I think that when there’s a perception that you don’t have decisive American leadership, when you believe that you have a president who’s asleep at the switch, then I do think that our rivals are willing to take more chances and push the boundaries. And I think that that’s the story of what’s happened with these geopolitical crises under President Biden. And this absolutely reinforces and exacerbates that sense. I will tell you in the Chinese politburo there are a lot of folks who noticed this story, have paid careful attention to it, and it’s taught them something about the Biden Administration.”

Wallace: “Well, I’m going to pick up on this because, you know, this is a talking point for Republicans that Joe Biden is old, he’s not running things, somebody else is. Doesn’t this feed directly into that point and, therefore, isn’t it damaging, the idea that, you know, this isn’t forgive me, the secretary of labor, this is the defense secretary. We do have ships and military out in the field in the Middle East, and these two guys aren’t in touch for days.”

SWISHER: “You know — no. I don’t think that. I don’t agree with you, reihan. I think that he made a bad judgment, he should resign and get it over with, and put someone else in. Biden did respond very quickly to Israel. He did respond — he actually pre-responded to Ukraine saying the Russians are coming in here, the Americans were the ones who said that. I don’t think he wasn’t responding. I think it’s that this guy made—“