President Joe Biden, having just turned 81, faced a sharp question about his age and suitability for re-election while shopping in Nantucket, Massachusetts. A reporter queried, “Mr. President, are you too old to be running for re-election?” to which Biden tersely replied, “That’s stupid,” as shown on “Fox News Sunday.”
Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson: "The oldest president in US history also continues to face questions about his age, even here in Nantucket."
Fox News Sunday then airs a clip of a reporter asking Biden if he's too old to run for re-election. That reporter is Tomlinson. pic.twitter.com/BVSgIiMVC0
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) November 26, 2023
Biden, already the oldest serving U.S. president, would be 86 at the end of a second term. His occasional lapses in speech and physical missteps have fueled debates about his fitness for office. This concern is reflected in recent polls, with even some Democrats, like former Obama adviser David Axelrod, questioning the prudence of his running again.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, 77 and leading the GOP’s 2024 presidential race prospects, exhibits less age-related concern in polls. He recently publicized a doctor’s note highlighting his good health, coinciding with Biden’s birthday.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has downplayed concerns about Biden’s age and health, asserting there’s “no alarm behind the scenes.” In February, the White House released a report from Biden’s physician, asserting his “healthy,” “vigorous” state and fitness for presidential duties, despite various treatments for minor ailments.
The issue of cognitive testing for Biden has been a point of contention, with some Republicans urging him to undergo such testing or withdraw from the 2024 race. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), a former White House physician, suggested in a Fox News interview that Biden has demonstrated an inability to effectively perform presidential duties.
