On Sunday, former Obama adviser David Axelrod publicly questioned whether or not President Joe Biden should seek reelection in 2024.
After The New York Times published poll data showing former President Donald Trump topping Biden in five out of six critical battleground states, Axelrod posted a series to X providing insight into the current situation.
He said a lot can happen in the next year that no one can predict, and the DNC may be reluctant to change horses this late in the game. He’s been known to defy common wisdom, but Axelrod indicates that this move will cause “tremors of disbelief” within the party.
But the Biden camp insists he remains steadfast in his decision to run for president.
Axelrod elaborated, saying, “The greatest worry is that his biggest liability is the one thing he can’t change.” There are many unknowns in life, but one thing is sure: he is old.
Low approval numbers, bad polling in a hypothetical 2020 rematch against Trump, and doubts about his ability to continue serving as commander-in-chief have prompted some of Biden’s fans and others to urge him to consider dropping out. At the end of a second term, Biden would be 86 years old, making him the most senior president ever. His tendency to lose his train of thought while speaking and times recorded on camera when he has tripped or fallen over have sparked questions about his ability to lead successfully.
In the Obama administration, where Biden was vice president, Axelrod was a key strategist for both of Obama’s successful presidential campaigns. Despite their long history together, Biden’s age has been a concern for Axelrod. But, Donald Trump, according to Axelrod, is a dangerous, deranged demagogue who should be disqualified due to his flagrant disregard for democratic norms, laws, and institutions.
After a devastating poll showing him losing behind former President Donald Trump in 2024, the Democratic strategist credited with steering former President Obama’s 2008 triumph advised President Biden to withdraw from the race.
To deflect criticism of his age, Biden’s campaign has spent the last several weeks highlighting Trump’s gaffes and missteps on the campaign trail, such as his inability to identify the city in Iowa where he was campaigning last month.
