When a California Democrat in Congress previously spoke with Sen. Dianne Feinstein for a lengthy period of time, they expected a serious policy debate, similar to those they’d had with her many times over the previous 15 years. Instead, they had to repeat themselves to Feinstein numerous times over the course of a several-hour conversation, according to the legislator, seeming unfit to serve.
WATCH Dianne Feinstein deny it on video:
Instead of delving into policy, Feinstein, 88, asked the congressman the same small-talk questions, such as what was important to people in their area, the member of Congress claimed, with no apparent understanding that the two had previously had a similar chat.
The incident was so distressing that the politician who spoke to The Chronicle on the condition of anonymity due to the delicacy of the subject began expressing concern with colleagues to see if there was any way to persuade Feinstein to resign. Feinstein’s tenure is set to expire in 2024. The talk took place a few weeks before her husband died in February, as stated in a report.
“I’ve known her for years and long enough to remember how she used to be: always in power, always in control, always on top of the facts, and couldn’t seem to resist a debate about some bill or some proposal.” “It’s all gone,” the legislator stated. “She was a powerful intellectual and political figure not long ago, which is why my meeting with her was so startling. Because there was no sign of it.”
In recent interviews with The Chronicle, four U.S. senators, some of whom are Democrats, as well as a few former Feinstein employees and a Californian Democratic member of Congress, said her memory is fast fading. They claim she can no longer keep up her job responsibilities without her team completing most of the work necessary to represent California’s approximately 40 million residents.