WATCH: Nancy Pelosi Questions Biden's Fitness For Office - 'Is This An Episode Or Is This A Condition'

During an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) questioned whether President Joe Biden's performance on Thursday evening at the first presidential debate was just an outlier or a "condition." Pelosi's comments come after multiple high-profile members of the press, former Democratic officials, and some elected officials have either called for Biden to withdraw from the race or heavily criticized the president's performance.

"We have all of these things that he was masterful in helping to orchestrate, to write, and to pass. So he has vision, he has knowledge, he has judgement, he has strategic thinking and the rest. He had a bad night," Pelosi said. "Now, again, I think it is a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is it a condition?'"

"It's going to be up to Joe Biden to do what he thinks," the former speaker explained. "I'm not a doctor, I can't say what happens four years down the road, in my experience he will continue to be a great president of the United States." The California representative then explained that the 81-year-old president needs to sit down for interviews with journalists to prove to the American people that he is capable enough to lead the country for another four years.

Pelosi's comments could be a watershed moment for Democrats concerned about the president's age and it could lead to elected officials calling for the president to step aside and allow a more youthful candidate to take the reins. Former Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) has called for President Biden to step aside and allow Vice President Kamala Harris to lead Democrats into November.

"He also promised to be a bridge president to the next generation. I liked that idea. I envisioned him defeating former President Donald Trump, stabilizing the country, and passing the torch to the next generation," Ryan wrote in an op-ed in Newsweek. "Regrettably, that bridge collapsed last week. Witnessing Joe Biden's struggle was heartbreaking. And we must forge a new path forward."

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said that he was "horrified" by Biden's debate performance, saying, "I think people want to make sure that this is a campaign that's ready to go and win. That the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition, that this was a real anomaly and not just the way he is these days."

President Biden's debate performance on Thursday was devastating to his re-election campaign and could doom his candidacy if enough Democrats revolt against him. As one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, Pelosi's comments could be enough to allow more elected Democrats to call for Biden's withdrawal.

WATCH:

🚨PELOSI STARTS TO TURN ON JOE BIDEN OVER COGNITIVE DECLINE:

“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition?”

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— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 2, 2024

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