Former President Donald Trump said that he does not think President Joe Biden is too old to be in office, defending him against concerns about his advanced age.
“JOE BIDEN IS NOT TOO OLD TO BE PRESIDENT—NOT EVEN CLOSE—BUT HE IS TOO INCOMPETENT AND CORRUPT!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night.
Biden, at 81, has made history as the oldest serving president in U.S. history.
However, Trump’s defense of Biden may also be a veiled defense of himself—at 77, Trump is also one of the oldest candidates to have run for president.
Both of the candidates’ ages and cognitive abilities have been major talking points ahead of the 2024 presidential election, especially after both have made regular gaffes on the campaign trail, such as incorrectly naming fellow politicians and world leaders.
Voters appear to be concerned. A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted in March found that 73 percent of registered voters believe Biden is too old to be an effective president, compared with 42 percent of voters who said the same of Trump.
And an April Pew Research survey found that 62 percent said Biden did not have the “mental fitness needed to do the job,” while 48 percent said that about Trump.
While Biden’s gaffes have received particular attention, he has also often been given acclaim for his performances in important speeches, including his last two State of the Union addresses.
During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April, Biden poked fun at concerns about his age.
“The 2024 election is in full swing and, yes, age is an issue,” Biden said. “I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old.”
Biden and Trump are the oldest pair to ever go head-to-head in a U.S. presidential election.
Trump’s final Republican challenger Nikki Haley had honed in on their ages in her campaign ads before dropping out of the race, branding them both “Grumpy Old Men.”
The two main presidential candidates have agreed to hold two debates this summer, the first on June 27 and the second on September 10.
Both candidates are likely eager to have the chance to highlight each other’s weaknesses and win over voters. National polls generally show Biden and Trump neck-and-neck.
Senator Mitt Romney joked about the optics of the upcoming debate in a recent interview, saying: “The image that comes to mind is those two old guys on the Muppets.”
Trump has previously defended Biden against criticisms of his age, instead calling him incompetent.
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