Steps addressed the subject of his age and its influence on the prospects of his 2024 re-election bid. At eighty years previous, he is at present the oldest president ever and would be 86 when he stepped down if he wins.
Though the veteran Democrat not often speaks about his age, polls reveal that it’s a matter of significant concern for voters and one which his Republican opponent will undoubtedly exploit.
During a press conference yesterday, alongside South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the White House Rose Garden, Biden acknowledged that it was natural for folks to have concerns. He admitted that he had given the difficulty considerable thought before deciding to run for president.
“I respect them taking a hard have a glance at it. I’d take a hard have a look at it as nicely – I took a hard look at it earlier than I decided to run,” he mentioned.
Biden appeared optimistic in regards to the upcoming election and maintained that he was still up to the challenge of one of many world’s most strenuous jobs.
“I really feel good, I really feel excited concerning the prospects,” he stated. “People are going to seek out out. They are going to see a race and they will judge whether I even have it or don’t have it.”
Biden tried a lighthearted joke, saying, “I can’t even say I guess how previous I am. I can’t even say the number — it doesn’t register.”
The president historically makes mild of his prolonged political career, which included serving as a senator for 36 years and vp to the youthful Barack Obama for eight. However, voters appear less amused.
A recent NBC News poll found that 70% of Americans, together with 51% of Democrats, assume he mustn’t run in 2024. Additionally, 69% of respondents who said he shouldn’t run cited issues over his age as a serious or minor purpose.
If re-elected, Biden can be 82 when he began his second term in January 2025. This would surpass the previous document held by Ronald Reagan, who was seventy seven when his second time period led to 1989.
Biden’s motivation to proceed presumably stems from a sense of historical obligation to stop Donald Trump, who he defeated in 2020, from returning to the presidency. Trump is presently the Republican frontrunner, despite going through a number of authorized circumstances and allegations surrounding his makes an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
When Biden opposed Trump in 2020, the Republican brutally attacked him over his age, dubbing him “Sleepy Joe” and making crude remarks about his psychological state. It is extremely doubtless that these tactics will return with larger depth if Trump secures his party’s nomination..