Bernie Sanders Admits Joe Biden's Age Is an Issue

Senator Bernie Sanders on Sunday conceded that President Joe Biden's age is an issue for 2024, but said "broader issues" will be more important and that Biden seems fine in their meetings.

Biden is officially running for reelection to a second term in 2024 and, as has been typical for incumbents across United States history, is all but guaranteed to secure the Democratic Party's nomination. His age, however, remains a prominent issue for voters.

Biden was 78 years old when he took the oath of office in 2021, making him the oldest individual to ever hold the office of president. He is currently 80, and by the end of his potential second term in January 2029, he will be 86. Worries about his advanced age have dogged his time in office, frequently cited by voters as a negative as his approval ratings have lagged, despite several notable legislative successes.

Sanders, a Vermont independent aligned with the Democratic Party, has in the past dismissed worries about Biden's age, saying that his stances on key issues are more important and has claimed that the president's mental acuity has been fine during their interactions. During a Sunday appearance on NBC News's Meet the Press, Sanders reiterated these points when pressed by host Chuck Todd, but did concede that age is an issue.

"When people look at a candidate, whether it's Joe Biden, or Trump, or Bernie Sanders, or anybody else, they have to evaluate a whole lot of factors," Sanders said. "I met with the president five or six weeks ago, we had a great discussion, he seemed fine to me. But I think at the end of the day, what we have got to ask ourselves is what do people stand for? Do you believe that women have the right to control their own bodies? Well, the president has been strong on that. Do you think that climate change is real? Or do you agree with the Republicans that it's a non-issue? Do you think we should raise the minimum wage?... Age is an issue, Chuck, but there are a lot of broader issues than just that."

Newsweek reached out to Sanders's office via email for comment.

Sanders himself, at 81, is a year older than Biden, with Todd noting that he appears able to maintain his famed energy and a hectic travel schedule. The senator also previously ran for president on the Democratic ticket in 2016 and against Biden in 2020, with the issue of his age not being raised as much against him during those campaigns.

Despite previously running against him, and despite their evident political differences, Sanders has pledged his support for Biden's reelection effort in 2024.

This issue has also not been brought up as frequently in regards to Biden's presumed Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. At 77, Trump is only around three-and-a-half years younger than Biden. While he has frequently asserted his own sharpness, some critics have often questioned his mental acuity and coherence.