President Joe Biden just celebrated his 81st birthday on Monday and is already the oldest president in American history. But can he handle the grueling demands of the Oval Office for another four years?
Biden’s age has become the elephant in the room leading up to the 2024 election. And it could very well trample his chances at a second term, not just his failed policies.
With each public gaffe and slip-up, concerns mount over Biden’s mental fitness. And his slowed gait and shaky hands raise alarms about his health, so much so that even a former White House physician expressed his concern, as well as Trump releasing a doctor’s report detailing his “excellent health,” in a stark contrast to concerns about Biden’s health and ability to lead the country.
What does this mean for 2024? Will both Biden and the country suffer under a feeble president in decline?
Monday marked Joe Biden’s 81st birthday, which he celebrated privately along with his family, a move that is likely to keep his age out of the spotlight, amid growing concerns.
It seems that concerns are so high that the former White House physician for Presidents George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump expressed concern Monday about President Biden’s health and mental acuity.
The fact that a doctor familiar with the demands of the presidency is openly questioning Biden’s physical and mental fitness illustrates the extent of worries over the president’s advanced age.
Congressman Ronny Jackson, who is also a former White House physician, said on “FOX & Friends” that he didn’t believe Biden has the cognitive ability to do the job.
In the past few weeks, prominent Democrats like David Axelrod, who advised Obama, and television host Bill Maher have publicly expressed skepticism about Biden pursuing re-election.
In fact, Democrat Dean Phillips literally entered the primary partially due to concerns over Biden’s age, even though challenging an incumbent president of your own party is highly unlikely to succeed.
Their stances reveal growing uncertainty within Biden’s party about his viability as a 2024 candidate given his advanced age.
From his experience as a White House physician, Jackson said the job of president is too demanding for Biden.
“He can’t do this at all,” Jackson told Steve Doocy, unambiguously stating that Biden is completely unable to fulfill the role of president in his current condition.
Jackson also joked that Biden’s aides should convince him that he’s at the end of his second term.
Jackson also made sure to express his pride in supporting Trump’s 2024 bid for president.
Speaking of the former president, GOP front-runner Donald Trump marked Biden’s 81st birthday on Monday by releasing a letter from his physician that he is in “excellent” physical and mental health.
The letter, posted on Trump’s social media platform, details claims from Dr. Bruce A. Aronwald, a New Jersey physician who says he has been Trump’s doctor since 2021 and most recently examined him in September, reported that Trump’s “physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional.”
The letter, recently posted on Trump’s social media platform, is from Dr. Bruce A. Aronwald, a New Jersey doctor who says he has treated Trump since 2021, asserts that Trump is in excellent physical and mental health.
He claims Trump’s physical exam results were all within normal ranges, and his cognitive test scores were outstanding. Aronwald states he has been Trump’s primary physician since last year, and his recent assessment is that Trump possesses normal physical vigor and exceptional cognitive function for his age.
He added that Trump’s most recent lab results were “even more favorable than prior testing on some of the most significant parameters” thanks to his recent weight loss he credited to “improved diet and continued daily physical exercise, while maintaining a rigorous schedule.”
In the letter, Dr. Aronwald concludes that despite being 77 years old, Trump is currently in excellent overall health and can anticipate remaining vibrantly active for years ahead.
Trump was mindful of releasing the letter on Biden’s birthday, as age has emerged as a key issue of the 2024 election.
Though Trump and Biden are not that far apart in age, polls indicate Americans perceive Biden’s age as a greater impediment.
An August poll by the AP-NORC Center found 77 percent of U.S. adults think Biden is too old to effectively serve another 4 year term, including 69 percent of Democrats. In comparison, only 51 percent of all adults and just 28 percent of Republicans said Trump is too old for 4 more years.
Trump’s doctors vouching for his health has become a common occurrence, in a stark difference to Biden.
In late 2015, during his first presidential campaign, Trump released a letter from the late Dr. Harold Bornstein claiming Trump would “unequivocally” be the “healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.”
While in the White House, Trump received more thorough annual physicals with full results.
His 2019 physical officially labeled him obese, while 2018 showed he had common heart disease. Still, then-White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson gave a glowing review after the 2018 exam, praising Trump’s “incredible genes” and joking that with a better diet Trump “might live to be 200 years old.”
Jackson also said Trump had done “exceedingly well” on a surprise cognitive test for early dementia, which Trump still brags about today.
This raises concerns for the upcoming 2024 presidential race, and whether Biden’s age will play a factor in that.
A recent CNN poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire, which will host the very first presidential primary, found that 56 percent see Biden’s age as their top concern. The survey, released last week, revealed over half of New Hampshire Democrats think Biden’s advanced age is a major issue as the first nominating contest approaches.
At the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon on Monday morning, Biden seemed to mix up pop stars Britney Spears and Taylor Swift while making a joke.
He suggested it was harder to be the pardoned turkey than “getting a ticket to the Renaissance tour or Britney’s tour,” seemingly unaware that Swift, not Spears, is currently touring South America.
Biden’s verbal slip at the lighthearted turkey event fueled concerns about his mental acuity.
He also joked about his age.
While Biden was able to joke about his age at the lighthearted ceremony, that still doesn’t take away from the fact that he will have to face the music on Election Day.
When talking to young voters, President Biden’s age is frequently one of the first issues raised, often in the context of questioning whether he remains capable of handling the presidency.
In fact, former president Donald Trump is now more popular with younger voters, polling from NBC shows.
Many young voters have now turned on Biden in an interesting turn of events, as Biden was able to win the presidency in 2020 in part thanks to younger voters.
Regardless of how the 2024 campaign unfolds, including Trump’s pending criminal trials, Biden’s advanced age remains an unavoidable issue.
As the oldest president in history, his age and mental fitness will continue to be a central concern. While many factors could shift during the election, Biden’s birthdate is fixed, and he will be even older on Election Day 2024, and even older by the end of the second term if elected.
Barring health issues forcing him to step aside, Biden’s historic age will loom over his re-election bid.
As Biden’s age and mental decline increasingly hobble Democrats, the stage is set for a dynamic rematch against Trump in 2024. But can Biden even make it that far?
With Biden already the oldest president ever, further deterioration may force him to bow out before the election. And if not, voters will likely reject handing an 86-year-old Biden the nuclear codes and leadership of the free world for 4 more years.
Therefore, Democrats face the prospect of a chaotic primary to replace Biden. This could fracture the party and cripple their nominee.
Meanwhile, Trump appears vigorous and sharp. Backed by glowing health reports, he is chomping at the bit for redemption.
Biden’s fade could be Trump’s gain. Allowing him to contrast his vitality against Democrat infighting and dysfunction.
America may once again witness a late breaking wave toward Trump. As voters clutch for the life preserver of firm leadership rather than face the abyss of Biden’s expiration date.
2024 not only represents a second chance for Trump, but perhaps America’s last chance to reject wokeness, reverse the radical left’s damage, and reclaim the nation’s greatness. An epic battle is ahead.
