Bernie Sanders called 'cruel' for advising Joe Biden to 'turn off teleprompter' and interact with people

WASHINGTON, DC: Senstor Bernie Sanders has advised President Joe Biden to engage with voters directly and without the aid of a teleprompter.

Political commentators have raised concerns about Biden's mental sharpness, especially following his debate with former President Donald Trump. 

Bernie Sanders opens up on how Joe Biden can improve public perception after the debate 

Sanders addressed these concerns while also criticizing the media for prioritizing entertainment over substantive policy discussions in a CNN interview. 

"I think what he has got to do is get out there, interact with people, turn off the teleprompter and people can make a judgment for themselves how well he is doing," Sanders said, according to Fox News.

He believes that live events and direct interaction with voters would allow people to assess Biden's capabilities better.

Sanders criticized the media for focusing on the entertainment value of candidates rather than their policies.

"This I really fault media for," he said. "This is not who is the best entertainer. The truth is Trump had a good TV show. He was a very good entertainer," Sanders added.

"So what we’ve got to do is inject policy, the contrast between what Biden stands for and what Trump stands for," Sanders continued, adding "And then if you do that, I think Biden’s going to do just fine."

Bernie Sanders says Joe Biden's 'cognitive ability' will be determined by talking to people 

When asked about Biden's mental sharpness, Sanders responded that voters should judge this issue for themselves through the president's live events.

"What I think is best is for him to get out, to talk to people, to do town meetings, to do press conferences and let the people decide," Sanders said, adding "That‘s how I think you determine cognitive ability."

Sanders also criticized the media, saying it often reduces politics to a superficial contest. "You are voting for somebody on policy," he said, adding "Who is going to improve your life?"

Despite calls for more live interactions, President Biden has conducted several interviews, including with ABC's George Stephanopoulos and MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.' 

However, CNN host Jake Tapper noted that Biden has "not held a press conference to demonstrate" his cognitive ability.

"He continues to do what he has done sparingly in the past, the short taped sit-down with an anchor, in this case George Stephanopoulos," Tapper said.

Similar concerns were echoed in the New York Times opinion piece which suggested Biden was embracing himself by keeping in race. 

Internet reacts to Bernie Sanders’ suggestion for Joe Biden

Online reactions to Sanders' advice have been varied and humorous.

"Teleprompter is his SAVIOUR," wrote one user on X.

Another commented, "He would just stare into space, it wouldn’t work," while one more suggested it was "impossible."

Some users saw Sanders' advice as setting a trap for Biden. "Whoa! Bernie is cruel," wrote one user, implying Sanders was trapping Biden. Another commented, "It is a trap. Bernie supports Harris."

Others encouraged Biden to take up Sanders' challenge. "Yeah Biden, turn off the teleprompter, put down your notes and cheat sheets and show us what kind of man you are," wrote one user. 

Many users expressed skepticism about Biden's ability to speak unscripted.

"Please do! We’ll hear more 'folks' and 'no joke' slurring! So proud he is the leader of our nation," wrote one user. Another suggested, "Joe can't go unscripted," while one says, it is "impossible."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online