Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday clarified her comment on President Biden’s 81 years, asserting that longevity is a testament to luck and that the age difference between Mr. Biden and former President Donald Trump, 77, is negligible.
“When you’re fortunate enough to live into your 70s or 80s, a few years’ difference is hardly significant,” Mrs. Clinton wrote on Instagram. “Joe Biden and Donald Trump are effectively the same age, and with this in mind, I support Biden. What about you?”
Her statement came a day after she said the president is “old.”
In her original remark, Mrs. Clinton, 76, candidly confronted the topic of Mr. Biden’s age, pressing the public to recognize his seniority and endorsing him as the guardian of democracy against Mr. Trump. On a radio show with host Zerlina Maxwell, the former first lady relayed a recent conversation, saying, “Someone said to me, ’Joe Biden is old.’ And I responded, ’Yes, Joe Biden is old. Accepting that fact, Joe Biden is old.’”
She then outlined a stark choice, “We have one candidate who, though old, has performed effectively and safeguards our democracy, and another who, also old, often struggles to articulate, poses a danger and threatens our democratic fabric.”
While Mrs. Clinton downplays the age factor for the 2024 election, surveys indicate that voters are apprehensive about its influence on Mr. Biden’s capability to serve a second term.
According to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, nearly 60% of voters express doubts about Mr. Biden’s cognitive aptitude to serve effectively. The poll reflects an equivalent lack of confidence in Mr. Trump’s mental capability.
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