WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said he never considered forgoing a reelection bid because of his advanced age and sought to rebuff questions about his ability to serve in a wide-ranging interview with Time Magazine published Tuesday.
“I can do it better than anybody you know. You’re looking at me, I can take you too,” the president said when asked about the rigors of a second term.
Asked if he’s ever considered not running again because of his age, Biden, 81, said: “No, I didn’t.” He repeated his exhortation — “watch me” — when pressed on voters’ age-related concerns.
“Look, name me a president that’s gotten as much done as I’ve gotten done in my first three and a half years,” he told the outlet.
It was a clear summation of Biden’s rationale for running again, despite widespread concerns – even among Democrats – that he’s too old for the job. Polling has consistently shown that age is the issue that most vexes voters who support Biden’s policies and would otherwise be happy to vote for him.
Biden pointed to his legislative accomplishments in the interview, including securing billions of dollars for American infrastructure and the environment despite some critics who had said there was “no way” he could get it done.
“When all of you wrote in Time Magazine I couldn’t get any of it done … the legislation passed,” he said.
Still, Biden acknowledged that continued national disunity was having a corrosive effect, particularly in foreign policy.
“I think it has a significantly diminishing impact on our ability to get things done internationally,” he said. The president emphasized his continued commitment to US allies and the leading role that America should play on the world stage.
He also said American adversaries had an interest in election meddling that would favor Trump.
“There is evidence that meddling is going on. I’m not going to get into, I don’t think I should from an intelligence standpoint,” he said when asked specifically about China.
“I think China would have an interest — let me put it like this — would have an interest in meddling,” he went on. “Everybody, all the bad guys are rooting for Trump, man.”
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