Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on voters to accept the reality of President Joe Biden's age and re-elect him in the 2024 election to save democracy from former President Donald Trump, whom she labeled as "dangerous" and "barely making sense when he talks." In a candid interview on the Mornings with Zerlina radio show on SiriusXM, Clinton, 76, acknowledged that both Biden, 81, and Trump, 77, are old but urged Americans to prioritize protecting democratic values over concerns about the candidates' ages.
"Somebody the other day said to me ... 'Well, but, you know, Joe Biden's old.' I said, 'You know what, Joe Biden is old. Let's go ahead and accept the reality. Joe Biden is old," Clinton said during the interview. "So we have a contest between one candidate who's old but who's done an effective job and doesn't threaten our democracy. And we have another candidate who is old, barely makes sense when he talks, is dangerous, and threatens our democracy."
Clinton's remarks come as recent polls indicate that a majority of Americans lack confidence in both Biden and Trump's mental capability to serve effectively as president. According to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, roughly 6 in 10 respondents say they're not very or not at all confident in Biden's mental fitness, while nearly the same proportion expressed doubt about Trump's mental acuity.
Despite these concerns, Clinton remains one of the few high-profile Democrats to openly address the president's advanced age. Other party members, such as Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., have defended Biden's sharpness and job performance, with Blumenthal telling DailyMail.com in February that the president "is as sharp as ever."
The debate over Biden's age intensified following a January Department of Justice report by Special Counsel Robert Hur, which claimed that during the investigation into the president's mishandling of classified documents, it was clear that he has a "poor memory" and "diminished faculties." The report described Biden as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man" who couldn't remember when he served as vice president or even the date his own son Beau died. The president, however, pushed back on these claims, asserting that his "memory is fine."
As the 2024 election looms, Clinton's call for voters to prioritize safeguarding democracy over age concerns has reignited the conversation about the fitness of the nation's top leaders. While acknowledging that both Biden and Trump are old, she emphasized the importance of choosing the candidate who will uphold freedom, the rule of law, and the protection of fundamental rights.
"So, really, pick between your two old ones and figure out how you're going to save our democracy," Clinton advised. "Because no matter where you stand on the political spectrum, you want to maintain freedom and the rule of law and protection for people's fundamental rights, or at least I used to think so."
Clinton's criticism of Trump extends beyond concerns about his age and mental acuity. In February, she warned that the former president is not joking about potentially becoming a "dictator" and urged people to take his words seriously.
"We have a long struggle ahead of us, and the obvious point to make about Donald Trump is take him literally and seriously," she said. "He means what he says. People did not take him literally and seriously in 2016. Now he is telling us what he intends to do, and people who try to wish it away, brush it away, are living in an alternative reality."
As the nation gears up for what promises to be a contentious and closely watched presidential election, Clinton's remarks serve as a stark reminder of the high stakes involved and the difficult choices voters will face as they weigh the candidates' ages, mental fitness, and commitment to democratic principles.
