Nancy Pelosi made comments that drew eyeballs in an interview Tuesday with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell.

The former Speaker of the House said she had not yet spoken to President Biden following the debate before deflecting to former President Trump and the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision on presidential immunity, claiming the ruling set the stage for an “imperial presidency.” She then appeared to provide cover for the question of Biden’s mental fitness, saying it was not “unusual for people to question” candidates’ ability and approach.

Mitchell followed up by pressing Pelosi on the issue of fitness, saying that if Pelosi believed Trump was in fact a significant threat to democracy then the Democrats should confront him with the best possible nominee. Mitchell followed up by asking Pelosi’s opinion on whether this debate was just a bad moment or if the President “needs to be more open” with voters about his current mental state.

Pelosi responded by defending the President’s ability to work on policy, touting his accomplishments, but did not back him further. She then added that the president had a bad night, saying that “it’s a legitimate question to say ‘is this an episode or a condition.’” (RELATED: Biden ‘Ally’ Told The NYT Joe Has Doubts About Saving His Candidacy)

She then deflected toward the former president again, questioning his mental acuity and saying that it is very difficult to debate someone who is lying. Mitchell countered that Biden should have been better prepared for the alleged lies.

“There’s no fact checking in real-time,” Pelosi argued.

Pelosi: ‘Legitimate’ to Ask if Biden Debate Was an Episode or a Condition: Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” that after President Joe Biden’s debate performance, it was a “legitimate… https://t.co/TaZbMJWjKX #Clips #Politics pic.twitter.com/Dle6e9Kw1Y

— Janie Johnson – America is Exceptional (@jjauthor) July 2, 2024

In perhaps the most damaging portion of the interview for Biden, Mitchell asked Pelosi what her “network of people” were saying about the president’s campaign. She said it is “mixed,” saying that some are “very concerned” while others are more focused on Biden’s “vision, knowledge, judgment, integrity … and, of course, great empathy.”

Pelosi was unable to offer unqualifying approval of Biden’s mental state, admitting that it is both a concern for donors and a legitimate question for voters to ask.

This is a significant departure from Pelosi’s previous comments about President Biden’s cognitive strength. She has vehemently defended the president on multiple occasions including referring to him as “very sharp,” “younger than I am” and “always on the ball” in an interview with Anderson Cooper this past February.

A Pelosi spokesperson has spoken out since the MSNBC interview, saying the former Speaker “has full confidence in President Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration on January 20, 2025.”

The Trump campaign has not yet responded to a request for a comment from the Daily Caller.