Politics

Hillary Clinton calls Joe Biden’s age a ‘legitimate issue’

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton said she believes President Biden’s age is a “legitimate” campaign issue even as the commander-in-chief is under fire over a damning special counsel’s report accusing him of being senile.

“I talked to people in the White House all the time, and you know, they know it’s an issue, but as I like to say, ‘look, it’s a legitimate issue,’” Clinton told MSNBC’s Alex Wagner earlier this week. “It’s a legitimate issue for [ex-President Donald] Trump who’s only three years younger, right? So it’s an issue.”

The former Democrat presidential nominee and secretary of state also said during Wednesday’s interview that it might be hard for Biden and Trump to connect with younger voters, the president should highlight his background as an “experienced” leader.

“I think Biden also should lean into the fact that he’s experienced and that experience is not just in the political arena,” she said. “It’s like, the stuff of, you know, human experience, character, wisdom.

“I think he should be willing to really pull that out … and I think he should kid more about it.”

Hillary Clinton during interview
Hillary Clinton said President Biden’s age is a “legitimate” campaign issue. MSNBC

A recent NBC News poll found that 76% of respondents said they’re concerned Biden, 81, is not mentally fit for a second term.

A blistering report from special counsel Robert Hur released Thursday assessed Biden as too senile to be prosecuted over his wrongful retention of classified documents.

It also said the commander-in-chief “did not remember when he was vice president” and “did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died” over two days of interviews in October.

Biden, however, lashed out at the description of his mental acuity at a rapidly arranged press conference later Thursday, insisting, “My memory is fine!” and “I know what the hell I’m doing!”

But he did mistakenly refer to the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as the president of Mexico while speaking to reporters during the gathering.

Joe Biden
A scathing report released Thursday assessed Biden as too senile for prosecution for mishandling classified documents. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Clinton said that will age might be an issue it’s more important that voters elect the best candidate – and that she’s all in on Biden.

 “I’m for Joe Biden for reelection on the merits because I think he’s done a really good job as president,” Clinton said. “So, I think he should continue to get out and campaign. He’s been campaigning pretty vigorously across the country.