Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has predicted that President Joe Biden may not survive for five more years due to his advanced age of 80, adding that his supporters will have to rely on Vice President Kamala Harris if he wins re-election next year.
In an interview with Fox News, Haley stated, “He announced that he’s running again in 2024, and I think that we can all be very clear and say with a matter of fact that if you vote for Joe Biden you really are counting on a President Harris, because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely.”
Biden officially announced his re-election campaign on Tuesday with a video that took aim at “MAGA” Republicans, referring to former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
Haley has positioned herself as a “new generation” of leadership, and in a speech launching her campaign, she suggested that politicians over 75 be required to take a mental competency test, a proposal that first lady Jill Biden criticized as “ridiculous.”
As the oldest president in U.S. history, Biden faces concerns about his age heading into 2024. Republicans are grappling with how far to push the issue in the campaign without alienating older Americans, who tend to be dependable voters.
White House aides have sought to demonstrate that the president is active and fit. The video announcing Biden’s re-election campaign shows him jogging in his suit jacket, and the White House has produced a spreadsheet showing Biden’s rigorous travel schedule through the first four months of the year, which exceeds that of then-President Barack Obama at a comparable period in the 2012 campaign.
In response to concerns about his age, Biden stated, “And with regard to age, I can’t even say I guess how old I am, I can’t even say the number. It doesn’t register with me. I took a hard look at it before I decided to run. And I feel good.”
It remains to be seen how much Biden’s age will factor into the 2024 election, and whether Haley’s prediction of his life expectancy will sway voters.
