In an interview on NewsNation Friday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said people should be voting for “a president who we expect to complete the term.”
Kennedy, a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, made the statement in response to a question about Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent statement of her own in which she said she’s prepared to be president “if necessary.” Her boss, President Biden, has faced concerns over his health and age throughout his presidency and going into the next presidential election.
“If Kamala Harris feels that she should be president, then let’s run and let’s, you know, let’s have a contest,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy’s statement also comes in the wake of other recent notable instances of national news about U.S. politicians’ ages and health status. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to freeze up twice at two different press conferences within weeks of each other. Sen. Dianne Feinstein was missing from the senate for months earlier after being hospitalized for shingles.
Biden’s most likely rival for a general election, Donald Trump, is no spring chicken himself at 77 years old. In a recent The Economist/YouGov poll, 76 percent of Americans said there should be an age cap on the presidency.