Biden's Response to Reporter: 'Are You a Junkie?'

Joe Biden confirmed he has not taken a cognitive test in a testy exchange with a CBS reporter—and it sounds like he definitely doesn't intend to. "Why the hell would I take a test? Come on, man," the 77-year-old said in response to a question from CBS' Errol Barnett about whether he had taken one. "That's like saying you, before you got on this program, you take a test where you're taking cocaine or not. What do you think, huh? Are you a junkie?" The question came during a virtual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, footage of which was shared Wednesday, per Politico.

Barnett then asked for Biden's reaction to President Trump's boasts about how he has performed on such tests. Biden's reply: "Well, if he can't figure out the difference between an elephant and a lion, I don't know what the hell he's talking about." In June, Biden didn't give a clear answer on whether he'd taken a similar test but said he'd been "constantly tested" by campaign demands. He also said he was eagerly awaiting a debate in which he could "compare my cognitive capability" to Trump's, per CNN—a claim he repeated to Barnett. "I am very willing to let the American public judge my physical and mental … fitness," Biden added. The interview is to air in full on Thursday. (More Joe Biden stories.)