While Democrats have heretofore held a united front where any questioning — much less criticism — of President Biden’s age and physical and mental fitness is concerned, Hillary Clinton told a journalist over the weekend that “his age is an issue and people have every right to consider it.”
Clinton made her remarks on Saturday at the Financial Times Weekend Festival in Washington, D.C. Financial Times editor Edward Luce asked Clinton about Biden’s recent stumble at the G7 Summit in Japan. “There was that heart-stopping moment when he almost fell over coming down the stairs a day or two ago,” he stated, adding, “He didn’t use a railing, and Jill wasn’t there with him.” He followed that with, “Every time that happens, your heart is in your mouth because these things could be consequential,” and asked, “Is that a concern?”
Clinton responded as if she were expecting the line of questioning, saying, “It’s a concern for anyone. We’ve had presidents who had fallen before who were a lot younger, and people didn’t go into heart palpitations,” adding, “But his age is an issue, and people have every right to consider it.”
Clinton was quick to praise Biden for what she called his “good record” as president, saying:
But, you know, he has this great saying — and I think he’s right — don’t judge him for running against the Almighty but against the alternative. I am of the camp that I think he’s determined to run; he has a good record that, three years ago, people would not have predicted would have gotten done.
She added that Biden “doesn’t get the credit yet for what is happening out in the country in terms of jobs and growth and planning for the future,” and said, “I obviously hope he stays very focused and able to compete in the election because I think he can be reelected, and that’s what we should all hope for.”
So while Clinton’s acknowledgment that Biden’s age is “a concern for anyone” is a departure from the head-in-the-sand approach of other Democrats, her admission appears to be couched in terms of damage control. It’s as if she said, “Biden is old enough and feeble enough that when he stumbles, we all need to be prepared for the worst, but that doesn’t matter — we should all hope that he can stay focused and win reelection.” After all, the alternative is that a Republican moves into the White House and begins dismantling all those things for which Clinton says Biden “doesn’t get the credit yet.”
To put in the for-what-it’s-worth column, Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history, and will be 81 years old when the votes are counted an election day. At an age where anyone who is not the victim of economic policies advocated by Democrats is enjoying retirement in their golden years, Biden is running for reelection and falling up and down stairs. And while Clinton’s remarks signal that she is at least concerned about that, she — and her fellow Democrats — seem to hope that he can stumble (literally and figuratively) over the finish line to another term as president.
And while the Constitution lists a minimum age for the presidency, it does not limit the maximum age. The 25th Amendment does, however, make provisions for a “declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” In such cases, he can be declared such by “the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide.” In such a case, “the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”
And while it is possible that an 81-year-old-man could possess the mental and physical faculties to perform the duties of president, Biden’s accelerating mental and physical decline appears to be the rule that proves that exception. As such, Clinton’s “hope” that Biden “can be reelected” is clearly not in the best interests of the country. Such a reelection would merely kick the can down the road and postpone the inevitable. Because it has been clear to many for more than three years that Biden is unfit to serve in his current position.
