President Joe Biden turned 80 on Sunday. He celebrated his big day with a White House family brunch hosted by his wife, Jill Biden. In U.S. history, Biden has now become the first octogenarian in the Oval Office.
Ever since Biden began his presidential run, questions about his physical and mental fitness have been raised.
Biden has said he intends to run for reelection, though he often adds the caveat that he is a "great respecter of fate." The president said he expects to decide by early next year.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump launched his 2024 presidential campaign last week, saying, "America's comeback starts right now."
Now, a new Reuters poll finds that 46% of Democrats say Biden may not be up to the challenge of running in 2024, while 26% of Republicans said the same of Trump, who is 76. In addition, the poll found that 86% of Americans believe the cutoff age for serving as president should be age 75 or younger.
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As Biden considers re-election, some Democrats are asking the increasingly relevant question: how old is too old to be the president?
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) says Biden has done an excellent job of being the bridge he promised. "The issue is that it is just time for a new generation of leaders to participate," The Wall Street Journal quoted him saying.
According to a WSJ poll released just ahead of the midterm elections, 55% of voters disapproved of Biden's overall job performance, while 43% approved. Although, when it came to Democrats, 85% approved of his performance as president.
Democratic National Committee delegate from Michigan, Liano Sharon, said that in his view, Biden has "lost a step," according to the Journal.
"You can see the differences between how he used to be and how he is now," added Sharon.
Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA), who is 61, told WSJ that being occasionally forgetful is normal, and Biden is not showing any sign of decline. "Like right now, I'm trying to think of a word, and I miss it. Everybody does that. I mean, I gotta tell you, I think he's all there," he said.
If Biden makes the decision to run for reelection, the Republicans are expected to make his age an issue.
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