Democratic presidential candidate Tim Ryan said frontrunner Joe Biden is “declining” and lacks “clarity” when he speaks, questioning the former vice president’s fitness to contend with President Donald Trump.

“I just think Biden is declining,” Ryan, the Ohio congressman, told a Bloomberg reporter Friday. “I don’t think he has the energy. You see it almost daily. And I love the guy,” he added.

Ryan stood by his characterization of Biden on Saturday.

“I’m not backtracking from it. It is a concern you’re hearing from a lot of people in the country,” Ryan told reporters, adding that when Biden speaks “there is a lack of clarity and I’ll leave it at that.” (RELATED: Joe Biden Forgot Which State He Was In)

Biden’s campaign didn’t immediately return the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment on Ryan’s remarks.

Biden’s campaign has been marked by a steady stream of gaffes and mental slip-ups.

Ryan’s line of attack on Biden echoes that of Trump, who has hinted that Biden’s mental acuity is slipping.

“Joe Biden has lost his fastball, that I can tell you,” Trump told reporters last month.

“Look, Joe is not playing with a full deck… Joe Biden is not playing with a full deck,” Trump also said last month. “This is not somebody you can have as your president.”

Follow Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.