Joe Biden is the longest president in American history at 80 years old. He dismissed age-related concerns on Wednesday, stating, “It doesn’t register with me.”
The president announced his candidacy for re-election on Tuesday. If successful, he would leave the White House at age 86. Concerned about Biden’s age and health, some Democrats have questioned whether he is their top candidate.
Biden shrugged it off when asked about his advanced age during a press conference with South Korean President Yoon Sun Yeol.
‘With regard to age, I can’t even say — I guess how old I am, I can’t even say the number, it doesn’t register with me,’ he said. He added he expected voters ‘to take a hard look at it, I would as well. I looked at it before I decided to run.’
Biden’s doctor has cleared him to serve, but he is beginning to exhibit signs of aging: he walks with a limp on occasion, he has fallen while ascending the stairs to board Air Force One, and he has made numerous verbal errors.
However, due to the risks associated with COVID, he will be more visible to the public in the upcoming year than he was during the 2020 election, when he held campaign rallies via satellite meetings and in random vehicles.
He will frequently engage with electors and demonstrate his suitability for office in public.
Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican nomination, poses a “threat to democracy,” according to remarks made by Joe Biden on Wednesday.
‘I know him well and I know the risk he brings to our democracy,’ he said, acknowledging that he’may not be the only’ Democrat who could defeat Trump.
He claimed that he would run even if Trump did not want to repeat their 2020 election.
Yes, I believe I would still be running if he weren’t, he said. “I believe we need to complete the task and seal the deal.”
In addition, he dismissed concerns about his favorability rating in the low 40s by citing the ratings of his predecessors.
He stated, “I noticed the polling data I keep hearing about is that I’m between 42 and 46% favorable rating, but everybody running for re-election in this time has been in the same position, nothing new about that.”
Many of Trump’s 2020 campaign themes, such as a concentration on the “battle for democracy,” were reiterated by Biden in his Tuesday announcement video. This is an indication that Biden and his staff view Trump as a potential opponent in the general election.
Republicans have questioned Biden’s age and health as the campaign intensifies.
Some candidates, including presidential candidate Nikki Haley, have requested that those over 75 undergo a cognitive test.
Additionally, the GOP is expected to use Biden’s age to cast doubt on Kamala Harris’ eligibility to serve as president. As Republicans question Americans if they are comfortable with her becoming the next president, it is anticipated that she will become a campaign target.
As some Democrats fear, it remains to be seen if she proves to be a political liability.