Watch VP Harris Assure US 2024 Election Voters Biden Still ‘Very Much Alive’
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While long known for his gaffes, Joe Biden has struggled to win the confidence of Americans amid a series of bizarre slip-ups and other incidents that seem to suggest the octogenarian head of state might not be up to the task of leading a nuclear superpower any longer.
In an interview with US television that aired on Sunday, US Vice President Kamala Harris assured American voters that US President Joe Biden is still “very much alive” as she deflected a question about the president’s increasing age.
“We were talking to some Democratic donors and they have told us that, should something befall President Biden and he is not able to run, that there would be a free-for-all for who would run as president. You are in the spot that that would be a natural for you to step up, but we’re hearing from donors that they would not naturally fall into line. Why is that?” journalist Bill Whitaker asked Harris in the clip.
Kamala Harris reminds America that Joe Biden is alive
— ALX 🎃 (@alx) October 30, 2023
“Joe Biden is very much alive and running for re-election”
pic.twitter.com/VztEra4ZGU
“Well, first of all, I’m not gonna engage in that hypothetical because Joe Biden is very much alive and running for re-election,” Harris replied.
Whitaker pressed Harris for a response, emphasizing the “legitimate concern” over Biden’s frailty.
“I hear from a lot of different people a lot of different things,” Harris then said. But let me just tell you, I’m focused on the job. I truly am. Our democracy is on the line, Bill, and I frankly, in my head, do not have time for parlor games when we have a president who is running for reelection. That’s it.”
Born in 1942, Biden will be nearly 82 years old when the 2024 US presidential election is held in early November of next year. While the White House physician has repeatedly given Biden the clearance to continue holding office, an increasing number of Americans have said they are worried about Biden’s age and health, and especially his mental acuity.
One poll last month found 52.21% said they were “very concerned” and another 22.1% said they were “somewhat concerned” about the 80-year-old leader’s cognitive health.
27 October 2023, 22:19 GMT
Several Democratic candidates have emerged to challenge Biden’s nomination for the Democratic Party ticket in 2024, including self-help author Marianne Williamson and US Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN); Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. recently announced his departure from the Democratic race in favor of running on an independent ticket. However, Biden continues to command the lead in voter polls.
Harris ran against Biden in the 2020 race, but dropped out early due to low polling numbers and a shriveling number of donors. According to recent polls, those attitudes haven’t much changed, with the VP enjoying an approval rating of just 41% - which, it must be noted, is still higher than Biden at a dismal 37%.
