Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said Tuesday he wasn’t worried about President Joe Biden forgetting the name of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Manchin told “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier he wasn’t concerned because he had forgotten names before, joking that Baier would eventually “get there.” (RELATED: ‘It’s Really, Really Incredible’: Dana Perino Says No One Can ‘Sit On A Fence Like Joe Manchin’)
WATCH:
Baier began by mentioning Biden’s apparent struggle to remember the name of Austin.
Whoops: Biden forgets the name of the Pentagon, as well as the name of his secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin pic.twitter.com/ZtcgHLBIAO
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 8, 2021
“Senator, some of his critics, the president’s critics, say he’s lost a step or two or more,” Baier turned the question to Manchin. “There are even allies who are concerned that he hasn’t had a press conference in the time he’s been in office. You’ve worked with him. You’ve been with him. What do you think about President Biden and are you concerned about any of that?”
“He hasn’t missed a step,” Manchin replied, noting he had met with Biden privately and was not overly concerned. Manchin added that he and the president have always been forthright with each other, saying, “The thing I appreciate most, he says, ‘Joe, I never ask you to go against your convictions,’ and I said, ‘Mr. President, I appreciate that because I wouldn’t.'”
Manchin said there were certainly issues on which he and Biden did not see eye-to-eye, but they were always able to talk through them.
“You’re not worried that he’s not had a solo press conference?” Baier pressed again.
“I’m really am not. As far as forgetting a person’s name, I’ve done that before too, and I hope they haven’t thought I’ve lost it. And Bret, you’ll get there too buddy,” Manchin joked with Baier.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki recently said that President Biden will have a solo press conference by the end of March.