(Headline USA) Joe Biden, who turns 80 on Nov. 20, said it’s “totally legitimate” for voters to question whether someone his age can manage the demanding stresses of the American presidency. Biden made the comment in response to a question about his age during an MSNBC interview that aired Sunday.
He said people should judge for themselves whether he is up to the task.
Biden would be 82 on Inauguration Day in January 2025.
“I think the best way to make the judgement is to watch me. Am I slowing up? Am I going at the same pace?” Biden said in the interview that was taped Friday during a visit to the Delaware State University campus to promote his student loan debt forgiveness executive order.
Biden has yet to officially announce whether he will run for a second term, but has repeatedly said it is his intention to seek reelection.
During his 2020 campaign, Biden often presented himself as a “transition candidate” who would build a bridge to new Democratic talent.
The age and health of Biden loomed throughout a race that was decided by a younger and more diverse electorate and at a moment when the nation is facing no shortage of issues of consequence.
In the MSNBC interview, Biden said voters should look at his “passion” for the work as they consider his age in factoring whether they should vote for him.
Biden joked that he’s still coming to terms with becoming an octogenarian.
“I can’t even say the age I am going to be. I can’t even get it out of my mouth,” Biden said.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
