Biden’s age is now under scrutiny. His campaign needs to respond with careful candor
The IndependentSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And indeed, while Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report said that Biden “willfully” held onto classified materials at his home in Delaware and the office of a think tank, it also said it would not recommend crimiminal charges for the president. But at other times, it led to uncomfortable moments — such as when Julián Castro asked Biden during a debate, “Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?” Biden himself seemed to acknowledge his age when he said, “I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else” for an “entire generation of leaders.” The deal Democrats made with voters seemed to be: elect dear old Joe Biden to defeat Trump and he will clear the deck for the next generation. The Biden campaign and White House has always been quite aware that the president’s advanced age is a liability. During his presser on Thursday, Biden said Israel’s actions appeared “a little over the top,” perhaps his biggest public break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to date.