When a reporter questioned PresidentJoe Biden on how his age could factor into a second presidential term if he wins the 2024 presidential election, the 81-year-old commander-in-chief clapped back with some heavy-handed sarcasm.
What Happened: A reporter recently asked Biden if, should he win a second term, he would finish or hand over the presidency to Vice President Kamala Harris before January 2029.
"Are you OK?" Biden responded, according to the New York Post. "Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"
The reporter asked for Biden to come closer so they could hear him better.
"I said, ‘Are you OK? Did you fall on your head or something?'" Biden added, drawing laughter from his team.
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Why It Matters: Critics of Biden often cite his age as a disadvantage. And this marks one of the harshest responses heard from the president on the topic, yet.
Harris was asked last year about the potential of taking over the presidency should anything happen to Biden.
"Questions about the president's age often go hand in hand with questions about how you would step in the role if necessary," a reporter asked Harris in September 2023.
Harris said part of the job as VP is being ready to take over as president if anything happens.
"Well, first of all, let's — I'm answering your hypothetical, but Joe Biden is going to be fine. So, that is not going to come to fruition," Harris said at the time.
Of the 45 U.S. presidents, eight have died while in office, representing around 18%. Four died from natural causes and four were assassinated.
"But let us also understand that every vice president — every vice president — understands that when they take the oath, that they must be very clear about the responsibility they may have to take over the job of being president,” Harris said. “I am no different."
Biden, the oldest serving president, is set to turn 82 in November. Ex-President Donald Trump, his Republican opponent, is 77. Trump was also the second-oldest president when he left office in 2021 — trailing only President Ronald Reagan.
If Biden is re-elected, he would be 86 when he leaves office at the end of his second presidential term.
A president has not died in office since John F. Kennedy in 1963. With the age of Biden and Trump in focus, voters see the potential choice of a vice president as a bigger priority.
This could make Trump’s VP decision a major item once it’s addressed.
Many voters have even indicated they would prefer different or perhaps younger candidates in the 2024 presidential election, including names like Harris and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
After all, both Trump and Biden have mixed up names of politicians and made gaffes in their speeches.
Whether the upcoming presidential debates change perceptions about how both candidates speak publicly without following prepared remarks remains to be seen.
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