Democrats are gearing up some ideas for the 2024 election. Right now, we don’t have many Dems who have announced a run against Biden, but don’t count anyone out just yet. Hillary Clinton suggested that voters should consider Joe Biden’s age when casting their ballots in the 2024 election. “His age is an issue, and people have every right to consider it,” Clinton said during an event in Washington, D.C., over the weekend.
Biden is currently the oldest president at 80 and has announced that he’s seeking re-election, which means he would be 86 at the end of a second term. There are concerns about his fitness to serve because of moments caught on camera where he’s tripped or lost his train of thought while speaking. During an interview with 75-year-old Clinton, Financial Times editor Edward Luce brought up one example of concern, which was when Biden stumbled down a set of stairs at the G7 Summit in Japan.
“It’s a concern for anyone,” Clinton replied. “We’ve had presidents who had fallen before who were a lot younger, and people didn’t go into heart palpitations.”
While some of Biden’s allies have defended him from age anxiety, Biden said last month that his age does not “register” with him. “I respect them taking a hard look at it — I’d take a hard look at it, as well. I took a hard look at it before I decided to run, and I feel good. I feel excited about the prospects,” Biden added.
Some candidates who plan to challenge Biden in the 2024 election are using his age as a way to attack him. Vivek Ramaswamy, a GOP candidate, called Biden’s campaign for re-election an example of “elder abuse.”
Jason Miller, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, reacted to Clinton’s comments with a quip. “Sounds like Crooked is warming up in the bullpen!” he tweeted, alluding to one of Trump’s mocking nicknames for Clinton.
Hillary Clinton, who previously served as the Secretary of State and U.S. senator and is also the wife of former President Bill Clinton, lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Although she had rejected the idea of running for president again in recent years, she commented that she expects Biden to seek re-election. In a conversation with Luce, Clinton stated her belief that Biden is “determined” to run, and stressed that he has a “good record” that he doesn’t receive enough recognition for.
“He doesn’t get the credit yet that he deserves for what is happening out in the country in terms of jobs and growth and planning for the future with CHIPS and other stuff,” Clinton said. “So, I obviously hope he stays very focused and able to compete in the election because I think he can be re-elected, and that’s what we should all hope for.”