Joe Biden’s Age: From Political Liability to Resilient Presence after State of the Union Address
The clock cannot be reversed, and no president can turn back the hands of time. For President Joe Biden, who is currently 81 years old, one of his most significant election liabilities remains his advanced age. However, recent events have significantly altered the political narrative surrounding Biden’s fitness for office.
Last week, President Biden secured an essential milestone in his re-election campaign by amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination at the 2024 convention. This achievement, combined with his robust State of the Union address, has not only reset the political landscape but continues to yield dividends.
The State of the Union speech provided a prime-time opportunity for Americans to witness Biden in his element, dominating the stage with energy and confidence. This powerful display served as an effective counterpoint to previous instances where questions about the president’s mental acuity arose, such as his confusion over geographical locations and phone conversations with deceased contact leaders.
The controversy surrounding these incidents was ignited by a report from Special Counsel Robert Hur, who investigated the mishandling of classified documents by Biden after his vice presidency. While no criminal charges were brought against the president, the report characterized him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” This assessment sparked renewed debate regarding whether Biden should consider stepping aside and allowing a younger Democrat to lead the party against presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.
During an angry appearance, Biden passionately defended himself by questioning how Hur could make such a claim about his recollection of the death of his late son Beau. However, upon further examination of the 258-page transcript released on Tuesday, it appears that the reality of the interview may not entirely align with either Hur’s or Biden’s descriptions.
Although Biden occasionally struggled to recall specific dates during the interview, the transcript does not provide conclusive evidence of advanced cognitive decline. Instead, it shows a president who is proud of his family, passionate about his home state of Delaware, and eager to discuss the merits of his administration’s foreign policy. The interview also contains moments of levity, like Biden’s recollection of his bow-and-arrow prowess during a trip to Mongolia and his assessment of the country’s prime minister.
As Hur defended his findings in a House hearing on Tuesday, he declined to lend credence to Republican claims that Biden’s mental faculties have diminished. Despite this, the age issue is unlikely to fade away entirely as the campaign progresses. Biden has acknowledged that concerns about his age will continue to be a vulnerability and has addressed this in an ad released over the weekend, emphasizing his ability to get things done for the American people.
Republicans have attempted to revive the age debate by sharing footage of Biden stumbling on Air Force One’s steps and falling off his bike. Former President Trump, who is also 77 years old, has seized the opportunity to focus on Biden’s age as a campaign issue, reflecting the reality that one strong week will not erase the harsh realities of the coming eight months.
Biden and his supporters argue that there is a double standard regarding age, given Trump’s proximity to Biden in terms of years. However, the ex-president’s brash personality and divisive rhetoric often undercut this argument.
Despite these challenges, it appears that Biden’s resilient presence following his State of the Union address has helped him to regain momentum and defuse some of the criticism surrounding his age. As he continues on the campaign trail, he will need to maintain this energy and address other issues that pose challenges to his re-election bid.
