President Biden is reportedly frustrated with the constant media coverage of his age, which could become a thorn in his side as he approaches the 2024 race.
Biden, who turned 80 last month, is the oldest president in US history. Questions about his fitness to lead have caused concern for both his detractors and supporters.
On Tuesday, Politico ran a story about how “eerily quiet” the 2024 race is. Republicans are mostly worried about former President Trump’s already announced candidacy as his poll numbers slide and legal challenges continue. Meanwhile, Biden did not want to officially announce his desire for re-election, although he has repeatedly said that he intends to run.
BIDEN HAS A SCENE AFTER THE TOYS
US President Joe Biden speaks at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) rally at Richard Montgomery High School on August 25, 2022 in Rockville, Maryland.
(Drew Anger/Getty Images)
“The president has spoken to allies about how often his age is mentioned in the press – ‘You think I don’t know how old I am?'” he told one earlier this year. knows (Sorry, Mr. President!), wrote Politico’s Jonathan Martin.
The White House declined to comment.
In October, Politico reported that the White House felt “daunted” by Biden’s 80th birthday and hoped to “tone down” the celebration. “His age has always been a sensitive topic among his closest allies, and planning continues on how best to handle the situation,” the article noted.
Top Democrats have backed Biden’s re-election bid, especially after the 2022 midterms, where Democrats performed much stronger than expected. But polls continue to show Democratic voters don’t want to see Biden run in 2024, as many worry about his fitness.
During his political career, Biden was known as a “gaffe machine” that lasted only during his presidency. However, some of his GOP critics have pointed to his odd blunders as signs of mental decline.
Perhaps the most poignant in recent months came in September, when he called out a dead congresswoman at an event after admitting she had passed a few weeks earlier.
“Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? She’s probably not here,” Biden said, looking for Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., before continuing. Walorski died in a car accident in August.
Older media focused on the elder statesman, but not always.
For example, in July, The New York Times published a report titled “At 79, Biden Tests Limits of Age and Presidency,” warning that his age “has become an embarrassing issue for him and his party.”
New York Times Says Biden’s Age Is ‘Troublesome Problem’ For White House, Democrats In Shocking Report
The New York Times published a shocking report in July about concerns about President Biden’s health as he looks ahead to the 2024 election.
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However, the same newspaper’s report, published the day before Biden’s 80th birthday on Nov. 20, contained a drastic change in how the president’s age should be covered.
“President Biden is turning 80 years old. In an article titled “Experts Say Age Is More Than a Number,” Biden falls into the category of the “extremely old,” a “small group of people who retain mental and physical function and are prone” to living longer than the average person their age.”