Vice President Harris on Wednesday brushed aside polling that shows many voters remain concerned about President Biden’s age as he seeks another term in the White House, saying she has seen firsthand his ability to handle the rigors of the job.
“I see him every day,” Harris told The Associated Press in an interview in Indonesia. “A substantial amount of time we spend together is in the Oval Office, where I see how his ability to understand issues and weave through complex issues in a way that no one else can to make smart and important decisions on behalf of the American people have played out.
“And so I will say to you that I think the American people ultimately want to know that their president delivers. And Joe Biden delivers,” she added.
Harris said every vice president has an understanding that they may have to take over the job of being president when they are sworn in, and that she is no different.
“Joe Biden is going to be fine, so that is not going to come to fruition,” she said.
Biden, who is 80 and would be 86 at the end of a potential second term, has faced concerns about his age dating to the 2020 campaign, and those concerns have persisted into his time in the White House.
A recent AP/NORC poll found that 77 percent of Americans and 69 percent of Democrats think he’s too old for a second term.
A Wall Street Journal poll published this week found 73 percent of Americans and roughly two-thirds of Democrats said the phrase “too old to run for president” captures Biden at least “somewhat well.”
The president has said it’s fair for voters to bring up his age as an issue, but that they should judge him on his ability to do the job.