OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
1:05 PM – Monday, November 20, 2023
United States President Joe Biden celebrates his 81st birthday today, as worries about his old age continue to be a prominent topic as the 2024 presidential election approaches.
On Monday, Biden turned 81, marking a milestone in the U.S. as the oldest person to ever occupy the Oval Office.
Opinion polls show that American citizens are becoming increasingly worried that Biden may be too old for the position that he is currently pursuing in his reelection.
Biden is the oldest commander in chief in American history, and if he is re-elected as president next year, he will be 82-years-old at the beginning of his second term and 86-year-old when his term concludes.
The current president has tried to reassure voters that his age and experience gained from more than 50 years in office make him a “valuable asset in addressing the issues tackling the country,” while also addressing those who fear he is too old for the demands of the White House with attempts at humor.
“I know I’m 198 years old,” Biden jokingly said in June.
The president’s common response to those who pressure him about his age has been to simply say, “watch me.”
Additionally, Biden made a few remarks about his age on Monday at the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon at the White House.
“I just want you to know it’s difficult turning 60. Difficult,” he joked. “This is the 76th anniversary of this event. I want you to know I wasn’t there for the first one. I was too young to make it up.”
The Biden Administration has continued to protect the president’s vitality by reinforcing what they define as the “positive attributes of his past record” when asked about his capability to be successful at the job.
“I get the question on age. Certainly, we all do,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in September. “But what we’re going to continue to talk about is the record that this president has had. It’s been a historic record.”
However, several polls have indicated that the topic is still at the forefront of many voters’ minds.
According to a survey administered by the Associated Press, three-quarters, or 74%, of Americans stated that Biden was too old to run for another presidential term. That statistic portrays a 6% increase since May, which was a month after Biden initiated his second White House bid.
In another poll conducted in September, voters voiced their concern regarding Biden’s age and his well-being for office. 77% of respondents stated that Biden is too old to be president, while 39% stated that Biden was “mentally sharp enough” for the job.
Questions about age and politics have not been just restricted to Biden.
Prior to Ronald Reagan, who was 77-years-old at the end of his second term, Biden is currently the oldest president in history. Biden would be 86-years-old at the end of his second term if he is elected in 2024.
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