Ronald Reagan was 73 years old in 1984 when he faced questions about his age and his ability to be president.
During Reagan's infamous debate with Walter Mondale, panelist Henry Trewhitt asked, "You already are the oldest President in history, and some of your staff say you were tired after your most recent encounter with Mr. Mondale. I recall, yes, that President Kennedy, who had to go for days on end with very little sleep during the Cuba missile crisis. Is there any doubt in your mind that you would be able to function in such circumstances?"
"Not at all, Mr. Trewhitt, and I want you to know that also, I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience,” Reagan quipped. "If I still have time, I might add, Mr. Trewhitt, I might add that it was Seneca or it was Cicero, I don't know which, that said if it was not for the elders correcting the mistakes of the young, there would be no state."
It’s a classic moment in presidential debate history that I encourage you to watch if you’ve never seen it:
Reagan clearly killed it. His line drew laughter from the audience, the panelists, and even his opponent.
It goes without saying that Joe Biden is no Ronald Reagan. In fact, Joe Biden was older on his first day in office than Ronald Reagan was on his last day in office. Biden looks older, acts older and weaker, and his record doesn’t even compare. Reagan’s victory in 1984 wasn’t a mere landslide, it was a blowout. Voters clearly weren’t at all concerned about his age because Reagan exuded competence and clarity. Joe Biden does not. That’s why the polls have been saying for some time that voters are concerned about his age and mental competence. How could they not be? He talks gibberish sometimes and gets lost on stage.
Yet it’s quite clear that while Democrat insiders are extremely concerned, Team Biden is refusing to acknowledge its standard bearer's cognitive decline and thinks it can convince people everything is just fine. Biden is a spring chicken — or as one aide said, a “beast” — who leaves his staff in the dust as he works tirelessly on behalf of all Americans.
When Fox News correspondent Mark Meredith asked about the age issue on Tuesday, Karine Jean-Pierre got noticeably irritated.
Karine Jean-Pierre gets visibly irritated when asked about the "age issue." pic.twitter.com/4U4lwfP28F
— Matt Margolis (@mattmargolis) November 22, 2023
She later laughably claimed she would "put the President’s stamina, the President’s wisdom, ability to get this done on behalf of, of the American people against anyone — anyone on any day of the week."
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: "I would put the president's stamina, the president's wisdom, ability to get this done on behalf of the American people, against anyone — anyone, any day of the week!" pic.twitter.com/6fmycTXeJG
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 20, 2023
My first thought watching this was “Are we really going to have to listen to Biden’s people pretending Joe Biden is physically and mentally on the top of his game for another year? It exhausts me to think about it. I can’t imagine that Karine Jean-Pierre is all that thrilled about it, either, because she sounds absolutely ridiculous making these claims, and Biden’s physical and mental acuity isn’t likely to improve between now and Election Day.
Also for our VIPs: Biden Hasn’t Earned Reelection, and the Polls Show It
Ronald Reagan expertly handled the issue with his sharp wit, backed up with competence. Joe Biden doesn’t have that advantage. He’s trying too hard to pretend that he’s something he’s not.
