President Joe Biden has expressed his confidence in winning against former President Donald Trump in the 2024 elections. He addressed concerns about his age during a press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, a day after making his re-election bid official.
The 80-year-old President dismissed the concerns about his age, saying that he doesn’t even register the number. He took a hard look at it before deciding to run and feels good. Biden noted that he’s done it before and knows Trump well when asked if he thinks he can beat him.
Biden launched his 2024 re-election bid with a video message titled “Freedom” on Tuesday, ending months of speculation about his political plans. The video opens with a scene of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, followed by an image of an abortion rights protest. Biden said that after fighting for the country’s democracy during his first term, “MAGA extremists are lining up” to cut the social safety net and take away personal liberties.
The President has faced scrutiny about his age from political opponents and voters in recent months as he hinted at running again. An NBC News poll released this month found that 70% of Americans, including 51% of Democrats, said he should not run for a second term. Nearly half of those who said Biden shouldn’t run cited his age as a “major” reason why.
Biden addressed the concerns by stating that polling data shows that he has a 42-46% favorable rating, which is similar to other candidates running for re-election in this time. He isn’t the only one in this position, and there’s nothing new about that.
The President’s age has been a topic of discussion since he ran for office, with opponents and voters questioning his fitness for office. Biden previously dismissed those concerns, responding “watch me.” If he wins re-election next year and serves out a second term, he would turn 82 just weeks after Election Day and leave office at age 86.
Leave a Reply