Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said the Democratic Party is "shielding" President Joe Biden from participating in debates in a run-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
What Happened: Ramaswamy, late Tuesday, took to Twitter to challenge Biden and said, "Real men don't hide."
This is not the first time Ramaswamy has launched a blatant attack on the incumbent president. Earlier last week, after Biden announced his re-election bid, the Republican presidential candidate said the president is being used as a "puppet" by a "managerial class" in the White House.
See Also: Joe Biden Endorsed By Bernie Sanders For Presidential Run: ‘Last Thing This Country Needs Is A Donald Trump…’
He also called Biden's re-election campaign "elder abuse" and compared the president to a "hollowed-out husk." Biden is currently 80 years old.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) also recently said that he believes the White House staff "overprotects" Biden. "I think he's actually really good. I think his staff overprotects him," Khanna said in an interview with Fox News.
Why It Matters: The recent polls have shown that Biden's age is a matter of overwhelming concern for voters – and one his Republican opponent will weaponize in the upcoming elections. Nearly half of those surveyed by NBC News attributed Biden's age as the reason why he should not run again.
The veteran Democrat is already the oldest-ever president and would be 86 if he were to finish his second term.
Although Biden rarely talks about his age, he recently addressed voters' concerns and said he was confident about what is likely to be a grueling election battle. "I respect them taking a hard look at it. I'd take a hard look at it as well – I took a hard look at it before I decided to run," Biden said.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
