Joy Behar calls out The View cohost for saying Joe Biden might have a 'senior moment' during debate: 'Not fair'

The 2024 presidential debate hasn't even aired yet, and already tensions are high at The View regarding the monumental political duel between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Shortly after the talk show began its Thursday morning edition, the cohosts engaged in an impassioned preview of the upcoming debate, with longtime panelist Joy Behar, 81, calling out 35-year-old cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin — who previously worked for Trump's communications team — for speculating that Biden's age might get in the way of his performance.

Griffin analyzed both candidates' potential showing in the debate by pointing out likely hinderances for both Biden, 81, and Trump, 78. "If Donald Trump goes off the rails, like he did in that first last debate, [calling for the] Proud Boys [to] stand back, stand by, that moment where Joe Biden said, 'Would you shut up?' and he looked unhinged — that hurt him," Griffin estimated. "If that Donald Trump shows up tonight, that could have a real impact. On the flip side, if Joe Biden were to have a senior moment..."

Moderator Whoopi Goldberg cut in to ask what Griffin meant by "senior moment," and she clarified: "If he had trouble gathering his thoughts or expressing what he [thinks] for an extended period of time." She later stressed that she's "not saying this is going to happen," but that it "could change the outcome" in the eyes of the public.

Later, Behar called Griffin out for her prior comments.

"This senior moment business, everybody has a senior moment," Behar said, pointing toward Griffin. "It's not fair to the guy if he's thinking and he stutters. He's overcome a lot of disabilities, the poor guy, in his life. Leave him alone."

Griffin attempted to clarify her remarks as Behar spoke, telling her colleague, "I agree, it's just how it'll be perceived," while Sara Haines could be heard saying, "It's the optics of it," as Behar spoke.

Given her prior tenure among Trump's staff (she eventually resigned in 2020, and later spoke out against the dangers of Trump in subsequent years), Griffin also provided the Hot Topics table with insight into how Trump prepares — or, according to her, doesn't prepare — to take the debate stage.

"Donald Trump does not prep," she claimed. "Even if you do try to get in front of him and say, 'This is how you answer this question on the border, here's the answer on Jan. 6,' he doesn't internalize, he doesn't listen to feedback."

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The issue of Biden's age regularly comes up on The View, with Behar often pushing back against those who criticize the president's age.

"Joe Biden and I are the same age. Would you say I could not do my job for the next four years? Of course I can," Behar said on the show in February 2023. "And the haters can go stick their heads in something, because I'm not moving out of this seat."

In March of this year, Griffin said that Biden outperformed expectations of his capabilities "by not tipping over at the dais" during a State of the Union address.

The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.