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Joe Biden is the oldest U.S. president ever — an item that has become a key topic of the 2024 presidential election.
A hypothetical matchup against former President Donald Trump leaves voters with a decision between two candidates who are both over 77 years old.
Vice President Kamala Harris was recently asked about Biden’s age in an interview.
Since January 2021, Harris has served as the U.S. Vice President as a result of the Democratic Party winning the 2020 election with the Biden/Harris ticket.
Harris could find herself serving as the Vice President of the country once again if Biden wins the 2024 presidential election.
As Vice President, part of the job is being ready to take over as president if anything happens to the leader of the country, something Harris acknowledged in an interview.
“Questions about the president’s age often go hand in hand with questions about how you would step in the role if necessary. Do you feel prepared for that possibility?” Associated Press reporter Chris Megerian asked Harris, as reported by the New York Post.
Harris told the reporter that she is ready, but after answering yes, shared her thoughts on Biden’s health.
“Well, first of all, let’s — I’m answering your hypothetical, but Joe Biden is going to be fine. So, that is not going to come to fruition,” said Harris.
Of the 46 U.S. presidents, eight have died while in office, according to the New York Post, representing around 18%. Four died from natural causes and four were assassinated.
“But let us also understand that every vice president — every vice president — understands that when they take the oath, that they must be very clear about the responsibility they may have to take over the job of being president. I am no different.”
Biden is the oldest serving president, currently 80 and set to turn 81 years old in November.
Most politicians avoid answering hypotheticals about health and age of other elected officials.
Age has become a key factor in the 2024 presidential election with the potential matchup of Trump vs. Biden, a rematch of the 2020 presidential election.
The late former-President Ronald Reagan stands as the oldest re-elected president that could be set by either Trump at 78 years old or Biden at 82 years old. Reagan was 73 years old at the time he was re-elected for a second term.
If Biden is re-elected, he would be 86 when he leaves office at the end of his second presidential term.
A president has not died in office since John F. Kennedy in 1963. With the age of Biden and Trump, voters will likely see the potential role of a vice president who would be next in line as a bigger priority.
This could make a decision for Trump’s vice president a big item as it gets addressed later on in the election cycle.
Produced in association with Benzinga
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