White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked whether President Joe Biden’s age may pose a challenge for him to run in 2024.
What they’re saying: To this Jean-Pierre said, “That is not a question that we should be even asking,” per CNN.
- “Oh, my gosh, he’s the President of the United States, you know, he — I can’t even keep up with him,” Jean-Pierre told Don Lemon, a CNN reporter. “We just got back from New Mexico, we just got back from California ... just look at the work that he does, and look what he’s, how he’s delivering for the American public.”
Why it matters: A New York Times report published Saturday quoted David Axelrod, the chief strategist to former President Barak Obama, who said that Biden would be “closer to 90 than 80 at the end of a second term” creating a major issue in dealing with the “monstrously taxing job” of being president.
- The article quoted other Democrats who questioned Biden’s ability to run for office in 2024.
State of play: Jean-Pierre dismissed the report and called it “hearsay,” according to Fox News.
- “We care about how we are going to deliver for the American people. How we’re going to make their lives better. That’s what the president talks about. That is his focus and that’s what we’ll continue to focus on,” she added.
- According to the Independent, Biden confirmed he was planning to run for reelection since last March, even though recently polled American voters believe he would drop out of the race.