New White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre has laughed off a question from the CNN anchor regarding President Joe Biden's ability to serve beyond 2024.
The question came amid a New York Times report that other Democrat leaders are concerned about Biden’s age and ability to finish a potential second term. Any second Biden term would see him reach 86 by the end.
Jean-Pierre rebuked anchor Don Lemon for asking whether Biden had "the stamina, physically and mentally" to serve more than one term. She indicated that questioning the state of health of the US commander-in-chief was something beyond journalistic ethics.
"Don, you're asking me this question. Oh my gosh. He's the president of the United States. That is not a question that we should be even asking", Jean-Pierre exclaimed.
While Lemon did not press the spokeswoman further, she nonetheless claimed that 79-year-old Biden is full of energy and that she herself struggles to keep up with him, mentioning his recent trips to California and New Mexico as part of the presidential routine.
Jean-Pierre proceeded to dismiss allegations that Biden is unfit to serve as "hearsay" and "not what we care about", insisting that people should rather focus on the things that Biden has delivered on.
"We care about how we are going to deliver for the American people. How we're going to make their lives better. That's what the president talks about", the spokeswoman said.
The White House, POTUS and their allies usually mention job growth and the fight against the coronavirus pandemic as the president’s key achievements. When it comes to the acute matters that remain unresolved - such as rampant inflation, record high fuel prices, gun control demands, immigration and the Build Back Better agenda - the White House and Biden either blame Republican opposition in Congress or, most recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The issue of the president's health, specifically in the context of his touted plans to run in 2024, was raised in a recent New York Times article. The journalists asked several prominent Democrats about the issue, with some expressing concerns about Biden's ability to serve another term. Most were confident, however, that Biden would be victorious in 2024, at least against Donald Trump if the latter runs.
At the same time, the newspaper found that there is lack of consensus regarding any potential candidacy to replace Biden should the GOP pick a younger opponent. Among possible candidacies are 2020 Democratic primary frontrunners, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris.
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