Cornyn defends controversial tweet as not about Biden’s competency

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said a controversial tweet he sent last week was not meant to question President Biden’s competency.

During an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Cornyn defended the tweet in an interview with Chris Wallace after the anchor asked him “is that helpful, to be sending out a tweet questioning President Biden’s mental faculties?”

Cornyn said the tweet was not meant to question Biden’s acuity. 

“That tweet was not meant to suggest anything about the president’s competency, physical or mental. I know some people have suggested that,” Cornyn replied. 

Cornyn said suggesting that someone other than Biden was running the government “certainly wasn’t my intention.”

Instead, Cornyn, pointing to Biden’s history of legislative compromise and promises of bipartisanship, said he he was trying to reconcile the president’s rhetoric with his actions in office. “We need the reality to match the rhetoric,” he said.

In the April 12 tweet, Cornyn said the tightly controlled nature of Biden’s public appearances “Invites the question: is he really in charge?” 

Invites the question: is he really in charge?

— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) April 12, 2021

The tweet linked to a story by Politico about Biden’s media strategy, and noted he is not on social media as much as former President Trump, whose nonstop tweeting was a hallmark of his presidency.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed the topic when she was asked about Cornyn’s tweet last week.

“Well, I can confirm that the president of the United States does not spend his time tweeting conspiracy theories.  He spends his time working on behalf of the American people,” Psaki said.