President Joe Biden joked about his old age on Monday, his 81st birthday, even as the White House forcefully defended his stamina and rebuffed polls and one senior Democrat's suggestion that the topic may lose him votes in next year's race.
We think it's about the president's experience, not age, she said, noting that Biden had successfully pushed through Congress a sweeping public works package, public health initiative, and climate change initiative and visited active war zones in Ukraine and Israel.
«We believe we have to assess him by what he's done, not by his numbers,» Jean-Pierre stated. “I would put the president's stamina, wisdom, and ability to get this done for the American people against anyone. Anyone, any day.”
While pardoning the turkeys Liberty and Bell, Vice President Joe Biden informed the throng on the White House South Lawn that it was his birthday today.
Biden, the oldest U.S. president, has used comedy to diffuse the problem for months, even though surveys show it's serious. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that 77% of Americans, including 69% of Democrats, thought Biden was too elderly to serve for four more years in August.
Biden may face former President Donald Trump, 77, the oldest person elected to a first term until Biden. Trump has made major mistakes recently. However, 51% of people and 28% of Republicans felt Trump was too elderly for a second term in the same AP-NROC survey.
“His physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional,” stated New Jersey Dr. Bruce A. Aronwald, Trump's doctor since 2001 and most recently checked him on Sept. 13.
Aronwald said Trump's recent lab results were “even more favorable than prior testing on some of the most significant parameters,” citing weight loss from “improved diet and continued daily physical exercise, while maintaining a rigorous schedule.”
In a recent interview with The New York Times, David Axelrod, who helped Barack Obama win the presidency in 2008 and later became a prominent White House advisor under Biden, was exceptionally candid.
“I think he has a 50-50 shot here, but no better than that, maybe a little worse,” Axelrod told Maureen Dowd. “He thinks he can cheat nature, which is risky. They have a problem if they expect Trump to win. I recall Hillary doing that.”