Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) launched into a critique of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, suggesting that cognitive tests might reveal “serious illness” in Trump. The comments came during a Monday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where Schiff openly discussed the current state of political affairs and leadership concerns in Washington.

“Look, I’d be happy if both the president and Donald Trump took cognitive tests,” Schiff said, adding a provocative follow-up, “They both should be willing to take a test. I think frankly a test would show Donald Trump has a serious illness of one kind or another.”

“Ultimately, the decision is going to come down to what Joe Biden thinks is best. And if his decision is to run, then run hard and beat that SOB. And if his decision is to pass the torch, then the president should do everything in his power to make that other candidate successful,” Schiff said.

The rant was fueled by Schiff’s history of clashes with Trump, often centering on allegations that have been hotly contested by Republicans. Meanwhile, conservative voices continue to defend Trump’s cognitive aptitude, often citing his previous test results, contrasting sharply with Schiff’s recent allegations.

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Biden, addressing his party via a letter, staunchly refused to bow out of the upcoming election on Monday despite mounting pressures following a widely criticized debate performance. In his letter, Biden urged Democrats to end the ongoing internal strife that has fragmented the party, reinforcing his intention to persevere in the political arena. The embattled president rebuffed calls to step aside, saying it is time for Democrats to “come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.”

“Now that you have returned from the July 4th recess, I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” Biden wrote. “I have had extensive conversations with the leadership of the party, elected officials, rank and file members, and most importantly, Democratic voters over these past 10 days or so. I have heard the concerns that people have – their good faith fears and worries about what is at stake in this election. I am not blind to them.”

Continuing on, President Biden confirmed he would not be dropping out of the race and cited strong electoral wins in state Democratic primaries as evidence that the party’s grassroots stands behind him as the nominee.

“I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024. We had a Democratic nomination process and the voters have spoken clearly and decisively. I received over 14 million votes, 87% of the votes cast across the entire nominating process. I have nearly 3,900 delegates, making me the presumptive nominee of our party by a wide margin.”

“Do we now just say this process didn’t matter? That the voters don’t have a say?”

Biden followed up that letter with a Monday morning appearance on MSNBC where he warned Democrats against trying to force his hand. “The bottom line here is that we’re not going anywhere — I am not going anywhere,” he said. “I had a bad night,” he said of his debate. “But the fact of the matter is — if there was something that was wrong that night, it’s not like it’s one night and it goes away. That’s why I’ve been out, I’ve been testing myself.”

“Run against me. Announce for president. Challenge me at the convention,” Biden added. The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end. We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump. We have 42 days to the Democratic Convention and 119 days to the general election. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us.”

On Sunday the New York Times reported that ranking House Democrats, convened by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), met privately to air grievances about President Biden’s refusal to step aside.

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