Democrats know Biden is compromised.
In the wake of a special counsel report that thrust questions about President Joe Biden’s age into the spotlight of the 2024 presidential race, Democrats find themselves grappling with how best to address what has become a pivotal issue on the ballot.
Following the release of special counsel Robert Hur’s report on February 8, which portrayed Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” the President and his inner circle swiftly pushed back. Biden held a rare evening press conference mere hours after the report’s publication, and in the ensuing days, Vice President Kamala Harris dismissed the report as “politically motivated,” while First Lady Jill Biden joined a chorus of allies affirming Biden’s vigor and mental acuity.
However, despite efforts to pivot away from the report’s damaging implications, concerns have emerged among White House allies and Democratic circles that downplaying Biden’s age as a mere distraction may not be the most effective approach to tackling an issue that refuses to fade quietly into the background.
While some Democrats privately express unease over Biden’s perceived failure to robustly address concerns about his ability to serve well into his eighties, there exists a divergence of opinion regarding the most effective messaging to assuage public apprehensions about the President’s age. Moreover, there is debate over whether Biden himself or his surrogates are better positioned to deliver such a message convincingly.
These anxieties and conflicting viewpoints on the optimal strategy for Biden’s reelection bid underscore the broader unease within the Democratic Party, particularly in anticipation of a likely rematch against former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner. Biden’s notably low job approval ratings and lackluster performance in head-to-head polls against Trump have fueled speculation about whether Democrats should consider an alternative candidate to safeguard against a potential Trump victory.
Progressive voices within the party, such as Ezra Klein, have openly suggested that Democrats may have superior options to Biden, adding to the mounting pressure on the President to address concerns regarding his age and fitness for office more assertively.
Despite calls for a stronger defense from Biden and his allies, internal disagreements persist within the party regarding the nature and scope of such a response. Vice President Harris articulated the frustration felt by many in the White House and Biden campaign, characterizing Hur’s focus on Biden’s age in the report as “gratuitous” and “clearly politically motivated.”
Hur’s findings, which revealed that Biden retained classified information after leaving the vice presidency but did not warrant criminal charges, were overshadowed by his assessment of the President’s “limited memory” and inability to recall significant moments in his life, including the date of his son Beau Biden’s passing.