Biden defends his age: “a hell of a lot of wisdom” and experience

US President Joe Biden has dispelled doubt that his age would make him unfit for another term. “I’ve gained an awful lot of wisdom. I know more than the vast majority of people,” the 80-year-old said in an interview with MSNBC on Friday night (local time). this post has run. And I think I’ve proven myself to be both honorable and effective.”

Biden entered the White House in 2021 as the oldest president of all time. At the end of April, the Democrat announced that he wanted to run for a second term in next year’s presidential election. Biden will be 81 if elected in a year and a half, and he would be 86 at the end of a possible second term.

The grandfather of seven children has been in politics for decades. He served in the Senate for over 35 years. He served as deputy to then-US President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, before rising to the highest office in the United States four years later.

Biden’s age and eligibility to run for president again have long been the subject of debate, including within his own party. The Democrat regularly mocks slips of the tongue. Biden was only mistreated on Friday for announcing a “major press conference” for the afternoon during a White House appearance, causing confusion. Nothing was known or happened about a press conference by the president. US media, citing the White House, reported that Biden was referring to the recording of the MSNBC interview when he made his announcement – thus almost misphrasing it. The political competition regularly uses these kinds of minor missteps to question Biden’s mental fitness.

Ex-President Donald Trump is running again for the Republicans, against whom Biden had already contested his 2020 election campaign. Biden defeated the incumbent Republican at the time. Without mentioning Trump, Biden said, “We cannot allow the same man who was president four years ago to run for president again in this election.” When asked what sets him apart from Trump, he replied, “Everything. Everything. Everything.”

A broad field of participants is expected for the Republicans. In the case of the Democrats, on the other hand, Biden, as an incumbent, is unlikely to have serious competition. To actually run as his party’s official nominee, Biden must be confirmed in the party’s internal primaries.

Biden has already committed to returning to the race with his deputy, US Vice President Kamala Harris. However, Harris had remained pale for the past two years, suffered from image problems and was barely able to score politically. In the election campaign, therefore, Biden’s team should also be interested in polishing their external impact. Biden’s first campaign video, with which the Democrat announced his re-election ambitions, already offered a foretaste of this: Harris was given a lot of space in it. When asked about this, Biden said in the interview with MSNBC, “I just think Vice President Harris didn’t get the recognition she deserved.” She was “really, really good” and didn’t get the attention she deserved. (sda/dpa)