Biden has been making headlines recently - and it’s not because of his son Hunter this time around. Concerns have been mounting over the 80-year-old’s health in the run up to the 2024 election. The fact that he is even in the polls with Trump, who is facing several indictments, shows that voters have limited faith in his ability to lead the US for another term. Biden will turn 81 in November, and is the oldest person to have been elected president as he was 78 in 2020.
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As ABC’s George Stephanopoulos put it:
It is kind of shocking in a way, that despite all of the baggage that Donald Trump carries, he’s tied with Joe Biden right now.
Other world leaders have also faced speculation over their health, with Russian President Putin coming to mind first. However, the concerns are coming from people who actually want to support Biden and that makes them seem more valid.
Who said 'death is imminent' for Joe Biden?
This came from Sharon Sweda, the leader of the Democratic Party in Lorain County in Ohio, who said that the American President ‘is in a period of his life where passing and death is imminent’. She told the Washington Post:
We are all on a ticking clock. But when you’re at his age or at Trump’s age, that clock is ticking a little faster, and that’s a concern for voters.
Sweda has since apologised for the comments, claiming they were taken out of context from a 45-minute interview with the publication.
However, she is far from alone in thinking that Biden is past his prime.
Read more:Jill Biden is being accused of hypocrisy online for this bizarre reason
Voters are concerned about Biden’s health
Some concerned individuals are even suggesting that Biden would be better to step down now, including one senior Democrat who reportedly explained:
The worst-case scenario is we get past the nominating process with President Biden as the nominee, and then he’s no longer able to continue on as the nominee. That’s the nightmare scenario for Democrats.
As the Express points out, Donald Trump is only 3 years younger than Biden. However, Biden’s age is increasingly becoming his identifying characteristic while Trump has a plethora of controversial actions to define him.
Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville said, ‘The voters don’t want this, and that’s in poll after poll after poll’. He told the New York Times:
You can’t look at what you look at and not feel some apprehension here.
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius agrees that Biden risks ‘undoing his greatest achievement’ by staying in the race:
It's painful to say that, given my admiration for much of what they have accomplished. But if he and Harris campaign together in 2024, I think Biden risks undoing his greatest achievement — which was stopping Trump.
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Sources used:
The Washington Post: Anxiety ripples through the Democratic Party over Biden
Express: Joe Biden health fears grow as Democrat leader warns death 'imminent' at President's age