On Monday, President Joe Biden turned 81 years old. While this is a noteworthy accomplishment for the oldest sitting president in American history, his milestone birthday is not likely to garner much attention. He is hosting a number of holiday events with first lady Jill Biden, and the country is still in mourning over the passing of former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
A lot of customs take place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on the Monday before Thanksgiving. On the South Lawn of the White House, President Biden will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in the morning. In the afternoon, military families will be present alongside the 72-year-old first lady as she welcomes the official White House holiday tree. On Sunday, at the Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia, the Bidens gave a “Friendsgiving” dinner for service members to start the week.
The first couple will spend the rest of the week in Massachusetts starting on Tuesday, making up for any lost family time.
Some voters are particularly concerned about Biden’s age in the run-up to the 2024 election. Since he would be 86 years old at the end of a potential second term, a February poll revealed that a majority of voters are concerned about his age as his reelection campaign heats up.
In a White House report earlier this year, Biden’s doctor declared that “the president remains fit for duty,” and the president has dismissed rumors that he is becoming slower.
At the 2023 White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April, Biden cracked a joke about the questions surrounding his age, stating, “Look, I get that age is a completely reasonable issue.” I don’t dislike Rupert Murdoch, despite what you might believe. When a guy makes me look like Harry Styles, how can I not like him?”
“Call me old, I call it becoming seasoned,” the lawmaker went on. “You claim I’m old, but I claim to be wise. Don Lemon would say, ‘That’s a man in his prime,’ when you say I’m over the hill.”
At the age of 78, Biden became the oldest person to take the oath of office as commander-in-chief during his inaugural ceremony.
Prior to this, Donald Trump was the oldest president to assume office, having been 70 years old when he was sworn in in 2017. At the next election, in 2024, Trump, who is running for president again, will be 78 years old.