Rep. Steve Cohen defends 'seniors with memory disabilities' after Rep. Matt Gaetz suggested Biden is 'senile' during tense Robert Hur testimony

A Democratic lawmaker tore into Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz for calling President Joe Biden 'senile' and said the word is insulting to 'seniors with memory disabilities.'

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) defended Biden's ability to be president despite faltering memory as he insisted during Special Counsel Robert Hur's hearing on Tuesday that 'answering every single question correctly' is not important.

It came after Gaetz lamented the 'senile cooperator theory' isn't enough for Hur not to recommend bringing charges against Biden, 81, in the case against his mishandling of classified documents.

Cohen, 74, appeared to become flustered and stumbled over his remarks when he condemned the use of the word 'senile' to describe the president and other senior citizens.

Hur's report released last month classified Biden as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with poor memory' and referred several times to 'diminished facilities' and inability to remember key details – like the years he was vice president and when his son Beau died.

Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, 74, tore into Rep. Matt Gaetz at a Judiciary hearing Tuesday for using 'senile' to describe President Joe Biden and said the word is 'disrespectful' of 'seniors with memory disabilities'

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) called Biden 'senile' during his questioning of Special Counsel Robert Hur at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, March 12

This, Hur argued, was reason enough not to recommend charges because he doubted that a jury would not be able to determine intent due to Biden's current cognition.

'The reason you have that doubt is the senile cooperator theory,' Gaetz said during his questioning of Hur during a Judiciary hearing on Tuesday. 'The fact that Joe Biden is so inept in responding that you can't prove the intent. Which, again, I don't quibble with that conclusion.'

'But it's frustrating to be like, oh well this guy is not getting treated the same way as Trump because the elevator's not going to the top floor so we can't prove intent. While at the same time Biden goes out there at the White House and goes – well you know, he just bluntly lies.'

'And what I'm trying to figure out is whether or not Biden's lying because he's still so senile that he hasn't read your report or whether it's a little craftier, and a little more devious and, perhaps, a little more intentional than we might otherwise think,' the Florida Republican concluded.

Biden broke Donald Trump's record for oldest president elected in U.S. history in 2020 and if elected for a second term in 2024 would be inaugurated at the age of 82.

Later in the hearing after Gatez's comment, Rep. Cohen lashed out at use of the word 'senile.'

'It has not anything to do with his memory why you chose not to indict him [Biden],' Cohen said to Hur. 'It was the difference in the facts of the case and how he delt with it. The fact is, Mr. Biden sat through five hours – and he did an admirable job.'

The 74-year-old lawmaker praised Biden's State of the Union address and said 'that's what's important… not if you can be like on the $64,000 question – assuming it was legit – and answering every single question correctly.'

Hur released a report last month calling Biden a 'well-meaning, elderly man with poor memory' – but did not recommend charges in his mishandling of classified documents because a jury would not be able to assess 'intent' 

Biden, 81, is the oldest person ever elected President of the United States

He said presidents 'need to have values' and insists 'that's what Joe Biden does' have. 

'And understanding social security and Medicare – Medicaid are important institutions that help seniors and not senile people!' he said, visibly getting upset.

'I mean, I really object to that comment,' Cohen added. 'See he's not – nobody's suggesting he's senile. And that's disrespectful of senior people with any kind of memory disability.'

'Lots of seniors have memory disabilities but they're not senile,' he said. 'And to say such is shameful. Joe Biden is a competent, good president who knows American values.'

Cohen then froze up searching for the words to 'yield back his time,' a phrase used during congressional hearings for ending his time questioning the witness.

Judiciary Chairwoman Rep. Jim Jordan helped fill in the words and ended Cohen's line of questions.