Global Courant 2023-05-06 19:52:20
President Biden said on Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris “has not been given the credit she deserves” as he defended his re-election campaign strategy to feature the vice president prominently amid questions about his advanced age.
During an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, the 80-year-old Biden was asked what message his campaign was sending by showing Harris “10 times” in the video announcing his candidacy for re-election.
“Look, I just think Vice President Harris didn’t get the credit she deserves,” Biden said. “She was California Attorney General. She’s been a United States Senator. She’s really, really good. And with everything going on, she hasn’t gotten the attention she deserves.”
Ruhle continued by noting that Biden, who is already the oldest serving president in US history, would be 82 at the start of his second term if he wins re-election.
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President Biden lamented the “negative” press coverage he received during an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle (Screenshot/MSNBC)
Critics would say you elevate (Harris) because they think you wouldn’t serve a full term, and it’s fair to say there isn’t a Fortune 500 company in the world looking for a CEO in their 80s.
“So why would an 82-year-old Joe Biden be the right person for the most important job in the world?” she asked.
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Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks with President Joe Biden at an event to mark National Small Business Week in the White House Rose Garden on May 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Because I have gained an awful lot of wisdom and know more than the vast majority of people,” Biden replied.
“I have more experience than anyone who has ever run for the office and I think I have proven myself to be both honorable and effective,” he said.
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Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks with President Joe Biden at an event celebrating the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act on the South Lawn of the White House on September 13, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Despite the president’s assurances, polls show Biden’s age remains a major concern for voters and the majority of Democrats do not want him to run for re-election. A CBS poll released last week found that only 22% of Democrats were “enthusiastic” about Biden’s re-election campaign. The poll also found that nearly half of Democrats who say they don’t want him to run are overwhelmingly concerned about the age of the 80-year-old president.
Other polls have ranked Biden’s approval rating in the low-to-mid 40s. At the same time, Harris consistently ranks lower than Biden, with approval ratings stagnating in the high 30s.
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Axios reported last week that senior Biden adviser Anita Dunn has instructed White House teams to schedule more events with Harris and have her promote more popular aspects of the Democratic platform as part of an effort to rehabilitate her at the voters.
In the first two years of Biden’s presidency, Harris was tasked with the least popular and most difficult issues, such as electoral reform and addressing the crisis on the US-Mexico border. Some Democrats have argued that Harris “intended to fail” with an impossible portfolio, though the vice president has dismissed those concerns.
Jessica Chasmar, Brandon Gillespie and Anders Hagstrom of Fox News contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a writer for Fox News Digital. Send tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
