Trump's Mental Acuity Called Into Question With Devastating Debate Comparison

CNN s Abby Phillip pointed out how Donald Trump s debate answers have veered off course on immigration since 2016 while asking whether theres a double standard over his mental acuity compared with President Joe Biden s.

The anchor noted on Thursday that the GOP nominee previously called Bidens mental fitness into question before shifting her attention to Trumps rambling at his rallies as well as his performance at the debate against Vice President Kamala Harris .

She then set up a comparison between Trumps responses to debate questions eight years ago and how he addressed immigration on Tuesday.

That is right there in his wheelhouse, said Phillip of the topic before tossing to the clips of Trump.

Well, first of all she wants to give amnesty which is a disaster, very unfair to all of the people waiting in line for many, many, years. We need strong borders, said Trump when asked about how his plan on immigration compared with that of his opponent Hillary Clinton in the final 2016 debate.

In response to a question on immigration Tuesday, Trump instead addressed Harris comments on his rallies and also warned of World War III occurring should she be elected president.

Theyre eating the dogs, the people that came in. Theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating, theyre eating the pets of the people that live there, Trump added in a racist lie .

Trumps mental acuity has been called into question on several occasions during his campaign.

The former president has rambled in response to a question on child care, has gone on rants about sharks and boats , and has spewed a head-spinning argument on bacon and renewable energy .

CNN panelist Ryan Girdusky, a former campaign staffer for Trumps running mate JD Vance, said Harris threw Trump off tremendously by getting under his skin but his signs of aging werent at the level of Bidens debate performance.

He later argued that Trump has an ability not to be judged like every other politician.

[Its] the fact that he was a celebrity for a long time and celebrities, they just, they can sit there and say things that are a little outrageous and you say, OK, its fine, whatever, Girdusky said.

It just doesnt make sense, I mean, and thats the problem. I mean, he has a case to make on immigration, presumptively, but he didnt make it, Phillip replied.

Watch more from the CNN panel below.