Trump's problem with Biden is competence, not age
3 Min Read
The former US President asserts that Biden is not too old to seek a second term but rather incompetent.
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Former US President Donald Trump watches the NCAA Wrestling Championships, March 18, 2023, in Tulsa, Oklahoma (AP)
During an interview for NBC's Meet the Press, former President Donald Trump expressed that current President Joe Biden was not "too old" to run for president once again but was rather incompetent.
The interview coincides with a heated discussion over gerontocracy, or rule by the elderly, which will play a big role in the 2024 elections when Biden will be 82 and Trump will be 78.
In August, a Newsweek poll indicated that a majority of Democrats were concerned about Biden's ability to complete his duties due to his old age, with 75% of voters citing concern that he was 80 years old.
Yesterday, a RAND study suggested that dementia among US officials is a major threat to US national security.
The US leadership is the oldest today than ever, with senior Congress members increasing considerably in recent years. In 1981, only 4% of Congress was over 70, a number that had risen to 23% in 2022.
Read more: Take cognitive test or drop out of 2024 race: Ex-WH doctor to Biden
Vox previously reported that a pharmacist claimed they had filled out Alzheimer's medication for numerous Congress members in 2017.
Trump told NBC that "some of the greatest world leaders have been in their 80s," adding that Biden's real issue is incompetence rather than old age. Last month, Trump suggested that the situation in Taiwan has worsened due to the Chinese leadership's perception of Biden as being incompetent.
Biden, who does not drink alcohol and exercises five times a week, has been deemed "fit for duty" by doctors following a check-up in February, and according to the White House, he is mentally sharp for the job.
Biden has repeatedly been the subject of gaffes and incoherent ramblings during his time in office.
Polls say Biden too old, Trump too corrupt to run in 2024
Last month, in a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, President Joe Biden is "old" and "confused", while Donald Trump is "corrupt" and "dishonest".
These are among the top adjectives Americans use to characterize the two in an open-ended question asked in the survey.
In a poll by the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, the majority of those polled mentioned Biden's old age, while Trump's main issue was his conduct.
After being indicted in 4 cases in a total of 91 criminal counts, the words most used to describe Trump were "corrupt", "crooked", and "bad", followed by "liar" and "dishonest".
Meanwhile, 26% of respondents described Biden with words like "old" or "outdated", while 15% used words like "slow" and "confused".
The poll indicated that 24% of Americans approved of Biden's second run for president, while 30% approved of it for Trump.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
