US President Joe Biden. AP
Joe Biden, America’s oldest president, said Monday that while he understood the spotlight on his age, he was running for re-election because Donald Trump sought to “destroy” US democracy.
The 80-year-old normally avoids the age question, but he brought it up during a fundraiser at a Broadway theatre in New York, claiming his expertise helped him cope with crises such as Ukraine and Covid.
“A lot of people seem focused on my age,” Biden said. “I get it believe me, I know it more than anyone.”
He added, “I’m running because democracy is at stake because in 2024 democracy is on the ballot once again. And let there be no question: Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy.”
The Democrat went on to say that he would not “bow down” to “dictators” and accused Trump of doing so to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose campaign slogan is “Make America Great Again (MAGA).”
Opinion surveys reveal that American voters are concerned about Biden’s age ahead of a rematch with Trump, whom he defeated in 2020.
Last Monday, a renowned US journalist, David Ignatius of the Washington Post, urged Biden not to run, saying he risked compromising his “greatest achievement” in defeating Trump.
Biden, who is in New York this week for the UN General Assembly, would be 86 by the end of a second term, and his Republican opponents have often brought up the matter.
Trump — who is 77 and would be the oldest president ever elected if he wins next year — said in an interview broadcast Sunday that Biden was “not too old” but was “incompetent”.