Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia, which was supposed to be included in his recent trip to Europe, was postponed because White House officials feared the extended trip would be “crazy” for a man of his age.
While aides cited “diplomatic” reasons for postponing the trip, the New York Times reported that White House apparatchiks were trying to manage the 79-year-old president’s workload.
Combining the two trips would add up to 10 days on the road, which the newspaper said was considered unnecessarily taxing.
Mr. Biden has said he plans to run in 2024, health permitting, meaning he will be 86 at the end of his second term.
Inevitably, Mr. Biden’s opponents have repeatedly tried to exploit the president’s gaffes and halting gait, and much has been made of him falling off his bike while cycling in Delaware a few weeks ago.
However, the president’s supporters place great importance on the fact that he is still capable of sustained cycling, citing this as evidence of his physical fitness, along with his daily training sessions with a trainer.
But as the Telegraph reported last month, there is growing disquiet among Democrats who are alarmed by the optics of an aging president and worried that the party could lose the White House if he runs.
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