Donald Trump used a campaign rally to speculate about President Joe Biden's political future, questioning whether he would remain the Democratic presidential nominee.
The former president held a rally in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday ahead of this week's Super Tuesday, in which more than a dozen states will vote in Republican primaries. Trump, the GOP front-runner, is expected to comfortably win the nomination, likely setting up a rematch with Biden in November.
Perhaps with that in mind, Trump has stepped up his criticism of Biden, who at 81, has been met with constant scrutiny about his age and mental fitness. Biden is the oldest president ever, and detractors have pointed to his verbal gaffes and physical missteps, such as stumbling on the steps of Air Force One, as evidence of his incapability.
Special Counsel Robert Hur recently brought Biden's age into the spotlight again when he made remarks characterizing the president as "an elderly man with a poor memory." Saying that his "memory is fine," Biden and a number of his associates have denied the claim.
He has also faced pressure from Democrats, including strategist David Axelrod, who have suggested that he should step aside for an alternate candidate.
"Who thinks he's going to make it to November 5," Trump said of Biden during his speech. "Let's do a poll. This is a poll of people with common sense, you know I don't even say conservatives so much, you're conservative but what are we really? We are people with common sense...."
A spokesperson for Trump told Newsweek: "He was clearly referencing whether Democrats will eventually replace Biden as their nominee."
Newsweek contacted representatives for Biden by email for comment.
While Biden has been attacked over his age, critics also have suggested that Trump, 77, is experiencing cognitive decline, which might make him unsuitable for office. During Saturday's speech, he also made a number of gaffes, including appearing to mix up Biden and former President Barack Obama and appearing to slur words.
"And [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has so little respect for Obama that he's starting to throw around the 'nuclear' word. He's starting to talk nuclear weapons, today," Trump said.
Trump also held a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Saturday to drum up support. But the rally was interrupted because of an unknown medical emergency in the crowd.
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Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more
