President Joe Biden cracked jokes about his age and reiterated his ability to run the country during his State of the Union address on Thursday.
As he neared the end of his speech, Biden, 81, joked, “I know it may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while.”
He later added “When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever.”
Biden then dismissed concerns about his age, claiming the issue facing the country "isn’t how old we are, it’s how old our ideas are"
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
"Hate, anger, revenge, retribution are among the oldest of ideas," Biden said. "But you can’t lead America with ancient ideas that only take us back."
Age is a big issue in the 2024 race. And as he and Trump square up for a likely rematch, they’re contending with widespread concerns about whether either one is sharp enough for the job.
According to a new AP-NORC poll, 63% of U.S. adults are “not very confident” or “not at all confident” that Biden has the mental capability to serve effectively as president. A slightly smaller but similar share (57%) is not confident in Trump’s mental capability. Biden, though, faces greater concern from independents about his acuity and memory: 80% are not confident in Biden’s mental abilities, while 56% are not confident in Trump’s.
