The White House is forcefully defending President Biden towards claims he’s getting too previous to be president, pointing to his legislative file and a go to earlier this yr to a conflict zone in Ukraine as proof of his expertise and stamina.
Mr. Biden, who turned 81 on Monday, is operating for an additional 4 years within the White House though he already is the oldest sitting president in U.S. historical past.
Polling exhibits Americans are frightened about his age forward of a attainable rematch with former President Donald Trump, himself 77 years previous, and Democratic adviser David Axelrod just lately stated Mr. Biden “thinks he can cheat nature.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was dismissive when requested Monday about Mr. Axelrod’s feedback.
“There’s no alarm happening behind the scenes. I’m certainly not going to comment on everybody who has something to say,” she stated.
“Our perspective is it’s not about age, it’s about the president’s experience,” she stated. “That’s what we believe.”
Still, any verbal flub or wobble on the steps is being amplified by individuals who suppose Mr. Biden is simply too previous to behave as chief of the free world.
Some Democrats have overtly mused about whether or not Mr. Biden ought to exit the stage and permit a youthful Democrat — say, Vice President Kamala Harris or such governors as Gavin Newsom of California or Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan — to battle to be the nominee in 2024.
Ms. Jean-Pierre stated the American folks ought to give attention to outcomes, not age.
“The proof is in the pudding. The president has used his experience to pass more bipartisan legislation in recent [times] than any other president,” she stated.
She additionally stated Mr. Biden is juggling a number of foreign-policy crises whereas reducing the speed of inflation.
“We have to judge him by what he’s done,” Ms. Jean-Pierre stated.
