As the 2024 presidential race looms, President Biden addressed concerns surrounding his age during a joint White House press briefing with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday.
A reporter, citing recent polling data, did not withhold any punches as she pressed Biden on running at his age.
“You’ve said questions about your age are legitimate, and your response is always, ‘Just watch me,'” a reporter began. “The country is watching, and recent polling shows that 70% of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, believe you shouldn’t run again. What do you say to that?”
Related: NBC News Gives Biden the Bad News on How He’s Doing as President: ‘Not in a Good Place’
Responding to these concerns, the President downplayed the significance of the numbers, stating that his current favorability ratings are typical for politicians seeking re-election.
“With regard to age and to polling data, I notice the polling data I keep hearing about is that I’m between 42 and 46% favorability rating, but everybody running for re-election at this time has been in the same position. There’s nothing new about that,” Biden responded.
“You’re making it sound like Biden is really underwater,” he commented.
President Biden then defended his track record, highlighting the CHIPS Act and other legislative accomplishments before directly addressing the matter of his age. He expressed his confidence in his ability to continue leading the country.
“With regard to age, I can’t even say – I guess, how old I am – I can’t even say the number,” Biden said.
“I took a hard look at it before I decided to run, and I feel good and excited about the prospects,” he continued.
At 80 years old, President Biden has faced speculation that he may opt for a single term before passing the torch to a younger successor. If re-elected, he would be 82 on Inauguration Day 2025, making him the oldest person to serve as president in U.S. history.
Biden certainly thought age was a big deal in his 1972 race for Senate when he suggested his 63-year-old opponent was too old to run for office.
Biden’s mental fitness for office has come in to question countless times over his term. It does not help his case when he makes comments like, “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.”
Does he not remember his age? Are there other things that don’t “register” with him?
Related: Biden Publicly Humiliates Himself as He Calls Congresswoman Wrong Name 6 Times in a Row
He went on to say that the American people with have to judge “whether I have it or don’t have it.”
Despite low approval ratings and widespread apprehension among Democrats, Biden insisted he is capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of the office.
The age issue is not exclusive to Biden, as his potential Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, is currently 76 years old.
Regardless of the outcome in the 2024 election, the next president very well may be among the oldest to ever hold the office.