White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre found herself in a state of alarm when a reporter loudly demanded to know if President Joe Biden was “awake” and ready to address the media.

Since his debate with former President Donald Trump last Thursday, Biden has been facing increasing criticism. There have been several instances where the 81-year-old, with a hoarse voice due to an apparent cold, struggled to articulate his thoughts.

Recent polls indicate that 72% of Americans doubt Biden’s “mental and cognitive health to be president.” On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) became the first sitting member of Congress to openly call for Biden to withdraw from the race.

Biden’s campaign received more bad news when a New York Times/Siena College poll showed Trump leading Biden by 6 points nationally. Rumors of internal Democratic discontent, nervous campaign staff, and calls for him to step aside continued to circulate. Despite this, Biden has maintained that he intends to stay in the race.

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