After months of having to defend his age, President Joe Biden seems willing to discuss it — and its limitations — openly. Sitting for an interview on “The View” on Wednesday, he subtly acknowledged how age factored into his decision to drop out of the election.
“I never fully believed the assertions that somehow there was this overwhelming reluctance of my running again. I didn’t sense that,” Biden said. He said that his polling remained within reasonable ranges, though in reality, his numbers dipped significantly after his June debate against former President Donald Trump.
But the president soon switched to a different topic — while maintaining a humorous tone, Biden seemed to recognize that being history’s oldest presidential candidate posed legitimate challenges.
“There were some folks who liked to see me step aside so they had a chance to move on. I get that. That’s just human nature,” he said, nothing that wasn’t the reason he stepped down.
Biden said it’s hard for him to think about or vocalize how old he has gotten.
“I stepped down because I started thinking about it,” he said.
“It’s hard for me to even say how old I am,” he added.
The hosts laughed, but Biden pressed on his earnestness: “No, I’m serious!”
He then moved into a more lighthearted cadence, joking with one of the hosts about their shared age. While Biden stopped short of pinning his decision on his age alone, he openly hinted at the toll being an 86-year-old president would have taken. In the past, he’s said that he chose to step down to prevent damaging down-ballot Democrats’ chances of winning their races.
Biden started defending his age well before his disastrous debate performance against Trump, who, at 78, is now the oldest candidate to run for president. Questions began to plague him in February after special counsel Robert Hur called him “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” in a report.
At his State of the Union speech in March, Biden simultaneously joked about and worked hard to justify his age. Voters repeatedly expressed he was too old to seek reelection despite reports from his doctor that he is in good health.
Beyond his tacit recognition of his limitations, Biden yet again insisted he is “confident” he could have beat Trump.
Biden’s disdain for his longtime opponent was on full display. When Whoopi Goldberg, one of the hosts, compared Trump to a bug, Biden slapped the table, miming killing the insect to raucous applause.
He also expressed his confidence in Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her “tough” and “honorable.”
He said that as his number two, she takes on a range of responsibilities, dealing with foreign and domestic policy alike.
Ultimately, Biden said he is “at peace” with his decision. Now unburdened by the task of defending his health on the campaign trail, he may be more at peace with his age, too.
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