CNN commentator Van Jones said Thursday that Democrats are “scared” to talk about President Joe Biden’s flagging poll numbers or address the “real trouble” in his reelection chances.
Biden, 80, is the oldest person ever elected to the White House, and his tenure has been marred by crises such as a botched withdrawal of Afghanistan, unprecedented illegal immigration, and soaring inflation. Voters have also shown concern about Biden’s age, which has been fodder for critics, especially Republicans running in the 2024 primary.
Democrats have been largely hesitant to broach concerns about Biden as the elderly president is expected to run for reelection in 2024. Jones, a Democrat, said the reluctance to discuss Biden’s viability as a candidate may harm Democrats’ election chances next year.
“A lot of people are terrified that Joe Biden is in real trouble and that you can’t talk about it,” Jones said. “Today, I think a lot of Democrats look at these [poll] numbers and say, the whispers are finally showing up in this data. People are talking behind their hand. They worry about Joe Biden.”
“Joe Biden’s like that grandpa that you love, that you believe in, you owe a lot, but you start to wonder, you know, would you give this grandpa a high-stress job for six more years, or would you want something else for him?” Jones continued. “That’s what’s being talked about. And people are scared to come out and say anything about it.”
“But I think it’s important for us to have this conversation now. I think this may be the bottom for Joe Biden. He may go up as the economy improves. But right now the economy is getting better and fears about the economy are getting worse,” Jones said.
A poll published by The Wall Street Journal earlier this week found that 73% of voters consider Biden to be too old to run for president again, including two-thirds of Democrats. The concerning results for Democrats came on the heels of an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll that found 77% of voters, including 69% of Democrats, feel the president is too old.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday denied that the president is treated like a “toddler” by staff, a claim recorded by Biden biographer Franklin Foer in his new book. Jean-Pierre also disregarded Americans’ concerns about Biden’s age, saying that they do not reflect the energy she sees from the president.
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“Look, here’s what I know. Here’s what I can speak to. I can speak to that – a president who has wisdom. I can speak to a president who has experience. I can speak to a president who has done historic – has taken historic action and has delivered in historic pieces of legislation. And that’s important,” Jean-Pierre said.