Filmmaker Michael Moore is slamming those who are pushing President Joe Biden to continue with his reelection bid, accusing them of committing "elder abuse."
"The problem here is that I think there's a form of elder abuse going on here, where the Democratic Party and the people that are part of the apparatus are pushing and pushing and pushing him to stay," the "Fahrenheit 9/11" director told MSNBC on Sunday.
"In spite of my criticisms about Gaza with Biden, watching the debate a week ago was heartbreaking," Moore added about the president's performance against former President Donald Trump late last month.
The 81-year-old Biden has described the debate as a "bad episode" after he gave rambling answers in a raspy voice and appeared frail on the Atlanta stage. Calls for him to exit the 2024 presidential race — including some from within his own party — began almost immediately after the debate ended.
"Imagine that was your father up there. … why isn't anybody doing anything?" Moore said. "Why did they do it? Why did they even let him go out on the stage in this condition? Who was looking out for him? Who's looking out for him right now?"
Those with older family members have "seen the decline of the people we love as they get older," he said.
"It's normal," he continued. "It happens. That's not to say that somebody shouldn't be able to be president at 81 — I don't believe that."
The 70-year-old Academy Award winner stressed that he didn't have "an ageist attitude."
"Something was wrong that night," Moore said. "We all saw it. We can't unsee it. And as Richard Pryor and before that, Chico Marx said, 'Who are you going to believe, me or your own lying eyes?'"
"My eyes weren't lying, and yours weren't either," he said.
Moore, who is one of Trump's harshest critics, also criticized Biden's answer to a question from ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos about how he would feel if Trump beats him in November and is returned to the White House.
"I'll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the good as job as I know I can do, that's what this is about," Biden answered during the interview on Sunday.
Moore said, "You don't say something like that when you're the president of the United States."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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