NY Times, MSNBC, CNN, others float Democrats' concerns about Biden’s age, question if he will run in 2024

Some prominent Democrats and mainstream media pundits are openly pondering if President Biden should seek re-election in 2024 as inflation and crippling gas prices, as well as questions about his age, continue to cast a shadow over his administration.  

Biden, already the oldest president to ever hold office, turns 80 in November and would be 86 years old at the end of a second term. 

Biden's ability to lead is being called into question as the party looks for a new strategy, according to a Saturday report by the New York Times, which interviewed over 50 Democrats about their outfit's 2024 prospects.

"The presidency is a monstrously taxing job, and the stark reality is the president would be closer to 90 than 80 at the end of a second term, and that would be a major issue," former Obama White House adviser David Axelrod told the paper. 

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A new poll released Wednesday showed Americans ranked inflation as the "most urgent issue" facing the country over gun violence by a margin of 2 to 1. Biden tied his lowest approval rating to date, and Democrats remained underwater in their midterm election support from registered voters. 

"To say our country was on the right track would flagrantly depart from reality," DNC member Steve Simeonidis told the Times, adding that Biden "should announce his intent not to seek re-election in ’24 right after the midterms." 

Politico recently published a scathing opinion piece in which author Jeff Greenfield pointed out Biden is already older than President Ronald Reagan at the end of his second term.  

"When Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1980 [at age 69], his age was a serious challenge. If he won, he’d be the oldest elected president ever. Eight years later, when he left the White House after a second term with clear signs of declining abilities, he was younger than Joe Biden was the day he began his presidency," Greenfield wrote. "No candidate has ever run, and no president has ever served, at age 80 or above." 

Media speculation about Biden's ability to run in 2024 mirror Democrats who have expressed concern over his age and low approval numbers, and questions from media pundits regarding a Biden reelection have become more commonplace in recent months. A number of media members have even asked guests what candidate they would like to see in Biden’s place.

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On MSNBC, Mehdi Hasan spoke with guest Mark Leibovich about the future of Biden

"Assuming Joe Biden, given his age, decides not to run again in 2024, who do you think the best Democratic candidate should be to take on a Trump or a DeSantis?" Hasan asked in May.

"I don’t think it’s going — I mean, if you believe the polls, Kamala Harris is not that person. I mean, I think a lot of Democrats would say that Biden — most Democrats would prefer Biden to step away if he can, but they also live in total fear of Donald Trump coming back," Leibovich said. He also speculated that having a "considerably younger" candidate than Biden "might be a positive thing."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., dodged a similar question on Sunday when asked if she would support Biden in 2024.  

"You know, if the president chooses to run again in 2024, I mean, first of all, I'm focused on winning this majority right now and preserving a majority this year in 2022," Ocasio-Cortez said. "So, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."  CNN’s Dana Bash pointed out she hadn't said yes, and Ocasio-Cortez declared, "You know, I think we should endorse when we get to it."  

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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre laughed off a question Monday about Biden's physical and mental well-being during an interview with CNN's Don Lemon.

"Does the president have the stamina, physically and mentally, do you think to continue on even after 2024?" Lemon asked.

"Don, you're asking me this question," a visibly stunned Jean-Pierre exclaimed. "Oh my gosh. He's the President of the United States." The press secretary then laughed and told Lemon that she, 47, sometimes struggles to keep up with Biden, 79. She added that Lemon’s question was not one that "we should even be asking."

New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin, during an appearance on the ABC talk show"The View" last month, said he was doubtful that the president would seek a second term, and claimed that Democrats believe the same.  

But, such chatter from Democrats and the media about Biden possibly not running for reelection in 2024 "weakens his ability to govern," according to CNN political analyst and Axios editor Margaret Talev. 

"It weakens Biden's ability to govern, which is already weakened," Talev said. "I think two things are true. Number one, if gas wasn't $5 a gallon and inflation wasn't 8.5 percent, people would be still talking about whether Biden was the strongest person to pit against Trump, which is what this has always been about."

Biden's latest approval numbers are the worst of his presidency, with just 33% of Americans approving his job performance compared to 54% who disapprove, according to a Quinnipiac University poll last week.

Former Bill Clinton pollster Mark Penn expressed skepticism over a potential second term during a recent appearance on Fox News' "The Story with Martha McCallum," admitting he has long questioned Biden’s role after the upcoming midterms.  

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"I’ve always for a long time doubted whether President Biden was actually going to run for reelection," Penn said. "When you’re the president, and you’ve even gotten to the midterms, you really need to tell everybody you’re running because you don’t want to be a premature lame duck." 

Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, Anders Hagstrom, Danielle Wallace and Michael Lee contributed to this report.