Biden Tackles Age Concerns Head On In State Of The Union
President Joe Biden attempted to put concerns about him being too old to run for reelection to rest during the State of the Union on Thursday.
“In my career, I’ve been told I’m too young and I’m too old ... My fellow Americans, the issue facing our nation isn’t how old we are, it’s how old our ideas are,” he said. “Hate, anger, revenge, retribution are among the oldest of ideas. But you can’t lead America with ancient ideas that only take us back.”
“To lead America, the land of possibilities, you need a vision for the future of what America can and should be,” he added.
Biden, who at 81 is the oldest president to hold office, has been subjected to skepticism and doubt about his age from voters as well as some lawmakers, especially in recent months ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Last month, the scrutiny surrounding his age and mental acuity was amplified with the release of a report from special counsel Robert Hur, in which he cited Biden’s “significantly limited” memory as one of the reasons he decided not to indict Biden for retaining classified documents when he was vice president.
The report arrived the same week that Biden mistakenly mixed up the names of former German Chancellors Angela Merkel and Helmut Kohl during a speech at a New York reception.
A recent poll from The New York Times and Siena College found that 70% of voters were concerned about Biden’s age, while less than half of voters shared that concern about his opponent, former President Donald Trump, 77.
In Biden’s physical exam for this year, his physician said the results showed “no new concerns”and that he’s “fit for duty.” A cognitive test was not included in the exam because both Biden’s physician and a neurologist determined that it wasn’t necessary.
Both Biden and Trump dominated the Super Tuesday races, inching their way closer to a likely rematch in the 2024 presidential election in November.
