Kamala Harris says Biden’s age is a mere ‘political argument’

Vice President Kamala Harris defended President Biden’s age Wednesday by saying she would “of course” tell the public if something was wrong with the president.

“There’s no need for that,” she said.

Ms. Harris was questioned about the 81-year-old president’s health at the New York Times DealBook Summit, and while she answered the question, she was quick to dismiss the health concerns.

“This is a political argument that is being made that is not based on substance. And you’re asking me to hypothesize around what are my duties to the American people as vice president of the United States that are based on ethics and morals and the law,” she said. 

“I will always follow those rules,” she said. “But I am suggesting to you that it is important we not be seduced into one of the only arguments that that side of the aisle has right now on this issue in a way that is intended to distract from the accomplishments.”

The questions were asked by a reporter who brought up former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s recent comments that Mr. Biden wasn’t the same as he once was.

“When anyone who has had the experience that [Mr. McCarthy] has most recently had, I don’t think he’s a judge of negotiations,” she said of Mr. McCarthy being ousted as speaker in October.

“Age is more than a chronological fact,” she said.

She said Mr. Biden was “authoritative” not only in the Oval Office but in “rooms around the globe.”

“One person makes the decisions ultimately on all these big issues and many that are less known, and that is the president. And in our case, that is Joe Biden,” she said. “He has proven himself to be able to do the work that I do believe the American people want.”