WASHINGTON: Joe Biden turns 80 on Sunday, making him the first octogenarian president in US history. He is set to celebrate his birthday with a brunch hosted by his wife, Jill, a celebration that got an extra lift this weekend with his granddaughter’s wedding at the White House on Saturday.
With Biden already the oldest person to serve as president, the 2024 race for the White House is shaping up to be uncharted territory for the United States. The nearly 250-year old democracy celebrates youth, but millions of Americans - including presidents - are now working well beyond the traditional retirement age of 65.
Ronald Reagan was 77 when he left the White House, but Biden would be 86 by the time a second four-year term ends, should he win it. His leading potential Republican opponent, Donald Trump, would be 82 when he left office if he won in 2024.
As a society, the United States is aging, and working until later in life. The 65-and-older population is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060. By 2026, more than one in four men over 65 will still be working, the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau projects.
Some Americans have concerns about the advanced age of the two most likely 2024 candidates.
While 71% of Democrats think Biden is “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges,” 46% say he may not be up to the challenge of running in 2024, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken Nov. 8 and 9. About a quarter of Republicans, 26%, think Trump may not be up to 2024 because of his age.
Political affiliation aside, 68% of people surveyed think Biden may not be up for the challenge two years from now, and 49% say the same about Trump. Some 86% of Americans said they believe the cutoff for serving as president should be age 75 or younger, the poll found.
Biden’s occasional verbal stumbles and tendency to meander off script during live appearances have been seized on by his Republican critics as proof he’s too old for the job. His supporters say the president, who overcame a childhood stutter, has been ad-libbing in public speeches for decades.
Biden’s prospects for a second term got a boost last week when the Democrats did better than expected in midterm congressional and gubernatorial elections.
Asked about concerns over Biden’s age ahead of his 80th birthday, the White House said his recent record speaks for itself.
“As then-candidate Biden said in 2019, ‘watch him,’” responded spokesperson Andrew Bates.
“Since then, he won the most votes of anyone in American history, achieved unprecedented job creation, made big corporations pay their fair share in taxes, empowered Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, and signed the most significant gun reform in 30 years and the biggest infrastructure investment since the 1950s,” Bates said, calling it “the most successful legislative record of any president since Lyndon Johnson.”
“Keep watching,” he added.
Some Biden supporters said they admired Democrats’ success under Biden, but were still uncertain about a possible next term.
“I think he’s done a great job in the time that he has had,” said Illinois resident Paul Klenck. “I am concerned that someone well into their mid-80s would serve as president. I can’t think of a more demanding job than that.”
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