Questions about Mr. Biden’s fitness have nonetheless weighed on his public reputation. In a June survey by Harvard’s Center for American Political Studies and the Harris Poll, 64% of voters thought he showed he was too old to be president, including 60% of respondents aged 65 or older. .
Mr. Biden’s public appearances have fueled this perception. His speeches can be flat and apathetic. He sometimes loses his train of thought, has trouble calling names, or seems momentarily confused. More than once, he promoted Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her “President Harris.” Mr Biden, who overcame a childhood stutter, stumbles over words like “kleptocracy”. He said Iranian when he meant Ukrainian and repeatedly called Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, “John,” confusing him with the late Republican senator of the same name from Virginia.
Republicans and conservative media gleefully highlight such moments, posting viral videos, sometimes exaggerated or distorted to make Mr. Biden even worse. But the White House had to backtrack on some of his off-the-cuff comments, such as when he promised a military response if China attacked Taiwan or said President Vladimir V. Putin “cannot stay in power” in Russia.
Mr Biden was notoriously gaffe-prone even when he was younger, and his aides point to his marathon meetings with the families of mass shooting victims or his rope work during a trip to Cleveland last week as evidence. of stamina.
Mike Donilon, a senior adviser who started working for Mr Biden about 40 years ago, said he saw no change. “On the way back from long trips when staff are wiped out, he’ll want to spend four hours planning how we approach the ground on domestic politics, when all the much younger staff want to do is sleep “, did he declare.
Mr Biden is not the first president to grapple with age issues. The issue has come up repeatedly under President Donald J. Trump, who is four years younger. Mr. Trump’s diminished vocabulary, tendency to wander, sometimes incoherent remarks, light office schedule and difficulty processing information have led critics to conclude he was on the decline.