(Headline USA) Even the White House is admitting that President Joe Biden, who turned 81 years old last month, is incapable of keeping up with the demands of the job.
Aides close to the president acknowledged that Biden’s age is a growing concern among his team as he struggles to handle the day-to-day responsibilities of the White House and campaign for reelection.
“He is his own worst enemy when it comes to his schedule,” a former Biden aide told Axios.
First lady Jill Biden has also grown concerned, allegedly pushing her husband to eat healthier and helping him manage his schedule.
When asked whether Jill Biden has grown more involved, a White House official said Joe and Jill keep “an eye on one another’s schedules for the sake of balance—and they are far from the only couple in the administration who does that.”
Joe Biden has also downplayed concerns about his age and mental acuity, both outside and inside the White House. He frequently tells his aides some version of, “I feel so much younger than my age,” Axios reported.
The White House’s public statements have also minimized concerns about Biden’s health.
“Since he first ran for Senate, President Biden has always been a hard worker who is eager to do more than any schedule could accommodate,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said.
“Like when he became the first president to visit two war zones not controlled by the U.S. military, [his] late-night discussions with members of Congress as he passed the most groundbreaking legislative agenda in modern history, or this past week as he continued to work around the clock on critical national security priorities long after House Republicans stopped trying to keep up and left Washington on vacation,” Bates added.
Biden has far ecliped all other presidents in modern history for the most time spent on vacation, with calculations from September revealing that nearly 40% of his presidency had been spent on R&R.
A shirtless Joe Biden enjoys a relaxing day at the beach.
Biden has spent 353 days — 39.2% of his presidency — on vacation. pic.twitter.com/1IpnjlNglS
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 8, 2023
He has drawn sharp criticism at times for appearing to ignore major crises, such as a devastating fire in Hawaii, while instead lounging on the beach at his Delaware vacation home.
Voters, meanwhile, said Biden’s age was a top concern for them. More than 70% said in a recent poll that they don’t think Biden should serve a second term because of his age.
“His age is clearly something voters are worried about, fairly or not, and yelling, ‘Nuh-uh’ isn’t cutting it,” a former Biden official said.
