White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre left CNN Host Jake Tapper visibly perplexed while claiming that reporters and staff are unable to keep up with 80-year-old President Joe Biden.
“Is the White House worried that questions about President Biden’s stamina could ultimately impact whether or not voters will be able to support him for a second term?” Tapper asked Jean-Pierre during a Tuesday segment of his CNN show “The Lead.”
“I’ve had conversations with some of your colleagues in the White House press corps, when we travel abroad, [about] how it is hard for us to keep up with this president who is constantly, constantly working every day to get things done and making sure that we are delivering for the American people,” Jean-Pierre responded. “And that’s what, I think that’s what matters. I get it. I get what you’re asking me, but the record matters too, Jake. What he has been able to do, no other president has been able to do if you look at his legislative record.”
Tapper cited a Monday Associated Press/NORC poll which showed that Biden’s age is a main concern for 89 percent of Republicans as well as 69 percent of Democrats amid Biden’s 2024 reelection bid. Of those who said they are concerned about Biden’s age, 85 percent said they would prefer if the president did not run for reelection in 2024. (RELATED: ‘People Have Every Right To Consider It’: Hillary Clinton Admits Joe Biden’s Age An ‘Issue’ For 2024 Campaign)
Ahead of the 2024 election, Republicans and independents are less concerned with former President Donald J. Trump’s age, though he is just three years younger than Biden, according to the poll.
Throughout Biden’s term as president, concerns about his age have continued to be reported. Some within the president’s party have voiced their concern with the aging president and the dismal of his approval ratings.
Jean-Pierre also touted Biden’s political record in response to Tapper’s concern about the president’s stamina.
“I get asked that question a lot. Here’s the thing. What this president brings to the administration is wisdom and experience, and that is just true,” Jean-Pierre said, pointing to the prescription drug price cuts for Medicare recipients that Biden secured with the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Look, people have come after the president about his age,” Jean-Pierre continued. “They did it in 2019. They did it in 2020 leading into the general election. And they did it in 2022. And guess what, he beats them every time. Because he has his finger on the pulse of what it is the American people need. He talks about issues that really matter to the American people. And he is delivering.”