OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
President Joe Biden will undergo his yearly routine physical on Wednesday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Given his age, this will probably be the final health update before the 2024 presidential election.
The president will likely see Dr. Kevin O’Connor, his physician, who has already provided a report on the president’s health after physical examinations. When Biden speaks to reporters at 1:30 p.m. ET, he will discuss crime prevention strategies and community safety.
Later on Wednesday, the White House said it would make a written account of the president’s physical examination available to the public. Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. is also the time of the daily press briefing.
“At 81, Biden is the oldest president to have held the office. He would be 86 years old at the end of a potential second term. Concerns about Biden’s age and stamina and criticism have followed him around for a long time,” CNN reported.
A recent CNN-SSRS poll earlier this month found that 46% of Democrats expressed concern about his age.
According to a recent nationwide Quinnipiac University survey, just 35% of registered voters believe Biden is physically fit enough to serve a second term, while 34% believe he is mentally fit enough.
In a recent press conference, Biden attempted to address the matter directly, denouncing Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report that characterized him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
“I am well-meaning. And I’m an elderly man. And I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been president – I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation,” a visibly seething Biden said at the time.
At an off-camera fundraiser a few weeks later, Biden acknowledged his age, saying “I may not run as fast as I used to.”
“I tell you what: I’ve been around long enough to know what’s going on,” he told a group of donors in Beverly Hills, California. “I’ve been around long enough to hopefully, with age, have a little bit of wisdom about how we can get things done.
Earlier this week, during an appearance on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Biden tested a new line of attack against former President Donald Trump, suggesting that voters should take into account “how old (their) ideas are” in addition to a candidate’s age. Biden has framed his age as a source of wisdom from experience.
A recent Harvard Harris Poll found that Biden suffers from a growing perception that he is no longer mentally fit to serve as commander-in-chief.
The poll found that less than one-third — 32 percent — of respondents believe that Biden is mentally fit to serve as President, while 68 percent expressed doubts about his mental acuity.
Meanwhile, the survey found that in a Democratic race, most voters prefer Biden. Yet, should he choose to drop out, the survey found Vice President Kamala Harris takes the forefront as the preferred candidate.
When Biden remains in the race, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. trails with 16 percent. Conversely, if Biden is out of the picture Harris takes a commanding position with 44 percent, effectively doubling RFK’s backing of 22 percent.
The results of the poll indicate that the findings could potentially have an impact on the 2024 presidential election. Despite Biden’s overall approval rating standing around 40 percent, the question of his mental fitness might play a decisive role for undecided voters. Poll analysts said that Democrats must proactively address these concerns if they wish to secure a second term for Biden.
In hypothetical matchups, Trump maintains a five-point lead over Biden and a nine-point lead over Harris. In direct matchups, DeSantis essentially ties both Biden and Harris, the survey found.
A separate survey revealed similar findings and sentiments about Biden.
According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, a majority of Americans, by a 62 percent-to-36 percent margin, think Biden does not have the mental capacity to continue serving as president beyond his first term.
“Biden did, however, actually see a slight increase in his approval rating to 45%, up 4 points from last month. That indicates there will likely be a significant number of people who believe there are serious concerns about Biden’s mental fitness but will vote for him anyway,” NPR reported.
