A former Trump official on Monday suggested that President Joe Biden is lifting a page from Ronald Reagan’s playbook by leaning into the age issue.
Alyssa Farah Griffin during an appearance on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” with guest host Brianna Keilar credited Biden with how he’s handling questions about his age but said she believes it’s a “legitimate issue.”
The former White House communications director's comments followed Biden earlier in the day leaning into his age in response to a question earlier in the day at a Labor Day event, video of which Keilar played during the segment.
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“I tell you what, someone said, ‘You know, that Biden, he’s getting old, man. I tell you what,” the 80-year-old president said.
“Well, guess what? Guess what? I can — and, you know, the only thing that comes with age is a little bit of wisdom. I — but I — I’ve been doing this longer than anybody. And guess what? I’m going to continue to do it with your help.”
Asked Keilar: "Do you think that works for him with independent voters who want someone besides Trump?”
Farah Griffin likened Biden’s approach to Reagan who during a 1984 presidential debate against Walter Mondale famously said "I want you to know also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience."
Reagan was 73 at the time.
“Well, listen, he's taking a page out of Ronald Reagan's playbook,” Farah Griffin said.
“I think it's the only thing we can do is embrace his age, but I think there's a broader conversation the American public needs to have about the gerontocracy that's essentially governing us in Washington, whether it's Diane Feinstein, Mitch McConnell, we have to be able to have a conversation about age without just jumping to agism if you say that somebody may be too old for four more years of a job."
“We have, you know, an age requirement to run for office, it may be worth thinking about if this is a person who's up for it. And I say this every time to note that Donald Trump is just several years younger than Joe Biden as well. This is an issue on both sides. But I do think it is a very real one, 73 percent of Americans care about it and here's why.”
Farah Griffin said it could be a tough sell for Biden.
“And I don't want to be morbid about saying it but the median age for a male in the US is about 78 years old, so people's perception is Joe Biden has likely outlived their grandfather, just statistically speaking, so it's hard for them to see why this is someone they think they could trust in office for four more years. Listen, he's making the case he's leaning into it,” Farah Griffin said.
“I think that's the only thing in the right thing he could do, but it is a legitimate issue.”
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