Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday argued that old people in Congress hurt President Biden’s reelection chances.
During a panel discussion regarding questions about the president’s age and health, podcaster Kara Swisher asked the group, “Does it help or hurt that there’s other elderly people struggling in our political universe? Right. You see Dianne Feinstein, Mitch McConnell having his moments. Does that affect it, that everyone’s thinking – old Congress and there’s the head of it.”
Psaki, now an MSNBC host, said it “unquestionably hurts.”
Americans look at these lawmakers and see their age, she said.
“They’re so old and white and they’re disconnected from what we’re experiencing and what we’re living,” Psaki added. “And all of them are old. And why are all these old people running Washington now?”
While she noted that not all old politicians are the same—it’s difficult to explain the different health challenges each faces. “So I think it’s unquestionably bad,” she said.
Psaki went on to reference a recent Washington Post column by David Ignatius, who said the president’s advanced age is a main reason he shouldn’t run in 2024. She disagreed with his assessment and argued it’s not an issue Americans are focused on, but one that’s more likely a topic of conversation at dinner parties in D.C. and other elite areas.
“My point is, are those important people? Sure. But, like, it is not a definition of what the challenges are. There are different challenges in my view,” Psaki said.
According to a recent CBS News and YouGov survey, only 34 percent of registered voters believe Biden would finish a second term if elected, and 44 percent think he'd leave office before finishing a second term.