Biden needs voters to evaluate his power stage, not age By Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden sought to reassure Democratic voters who’ve doubts about whether or not the 79-year-old ought to run for re-election, whereas additionally saying in an interview that he might “drop lifeless tomorrow.”

Already the oldest president in American historical past, Biden could be 86 if he served out a second time period. He has repeatedly mentioned he’ll run for re-election in 2024, whilst many Democrats have questioned whether or not the get together ought to help a youthful candidate as an alternative.

A New York Occasions/Sienna School ballot in July discovered solely 26% of Democratic voters supported renominating Biden for 2024, with age cited as the largest purpose for these opposed.

In September, Biden publicly sought out Jackie Walorski, an Indiana Congresswoman who died in a automobile accident the earlier month, seeming to overlook that she had handed away.

“I am in good well being. All my, the whole lot bodily about me continues to be functioning nicely, so you already know, and mentally too,” the president, who will flip 80 subsequent month, mentioned within the interview with MSNBC that aired on Sunday.

Biden mentioned he ought to be judged primarily based on his present vigor on the job, fairly than his age, although he acknowledged the difficulty is a “authentic” voter fear.

“I am an awesome respecter of destiny. I might get a illness tomorrow. I might, you already know, drop lifeless tomorrow … when it comes to my power stage, when it comes to how a lot I can do, I believe individuals ought to look and say – can he nonetheless have the identical ardour for what he is doing?” Biden mentioned.

“And in the event that they suppose I do and I can do it, then that is superb. If they do not, then they need to vote in opposition to me – not in opposition to me, they need to encourage me to not go. However that is not how I really feel.”