Joe Biden, the oldest American president in the history of the United States, said on Monday that he understands the focus on his age, but he will run in the race for the White House, because Donald Trump wants to “destroy” American democracy.
The 80-year-old president usually avoids the issue of age, but he addressed it during a fundraising campaign at a Broadway theater in New York, explaining that his experience helped him deal with crises such as the war in Ukraine and the Covid pandemic.
Biden added: “A lot of people seem to focus on my age. I understand that, believe me, I know that more than anyone else.”
He continued: "I will run because democracy is at stake, because in the year 2024 the fate of democracy will be tied to the ballot paper again. Let that be clear, Donald Trump and the Republicans who support him are determined to destroy American democracy."
The Democratic president indicated that he would not "bow down" to "dictators," accusing Trump of doing so to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Opinion polls show that American voters have concerns about Biden's age ahead of a potential contest next year against Trump.
Famous American writer David Ignatius, writing in the Washington Post, caused an uproar when he called on Biden last week not to run, saying that Biden risked undermining his “greatest achievement” of defeating Trump.
Biden, who will attend the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York this week, will reach 86 years old at the end of his second term if he wins the next presidential elections.
Trump, 77 years old, who will be the oldest elected US president if he wins next year, said during an interview broadcast on Sunday that “Biden is not very old,” but pointed out that the biggest problem is that he is “incompetent.”
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