Joe Biden may be facing an “ace-cold, inconvenient reminder” ahead of a potential 2024 presidential run if he is re-elected this year– questions about his age, mental acuity, and physical stamina.
According to a late June poll from NBC News, 60 percent of voters believe Biden‘s age would be an issue in a 2024 presidential run, and 43 percent say it would be a major issue. The same survey notes that 57 percent of voters believe Biden should not run for a second term.
This comes as the President has been criticized for his frequent vacations and the belief that he is being hidden from the public eye. In the past month, Biden has taken four days away from the office, including three weekends at Camp David and one in Rehoboth Beach, which the White House equated to one “full day” of Biden being on “official business.”
These trips and Biden‘s embarrassing gaffes, flubs, and general confusion, when he is in the public eye, have only furthered the conversation. RNC Research noted the timing of the poll after Biden started his latest round of vacays, adding that the White House “pays close attention” to their Twitter page.
Since taking office, the public has been able to witness some of Biden‘s lapses in physical and mental health, leading many to question whether he can handle the rigors of the presidency for four more years.
These questions about Biden‘s mental and physical health were raised during the early days of his 2020 presidential campaign, mostly by the media and other Democrats in the primary. But the fact that Biden was purposely secluded in the White House basement for most of the campaign kept these concerns from mainstream public discourse.
And while his defenders may insist he is “just fine,” the photographs and videos that exist tell a different story. It is clear that the President is not coping well with the demands of his position and that it is those in his orbit who are doing the bulk of the heavy lifting.
To succeed in 2024, Biden will need to prove that he is up to the task of running the country for four more years. His age and his apparent physical and mental deterioration will be issues he will need to address head-on if he wants to continue his stay in the Oval Office beyond 2021.
NBC POLL: “More than two-thirds of all voters say they have concerns about [Biden] having the necessary mental and physical health to serve” pic.twitter.com/s7ajbSJrvo
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 29, 2023
