A prominent Washington Post columnist argued this week that President Joe Biden should not seek another term in office. The column from a media source normally friendly to the White House could also reflect growing concerns about the Biden family’s business dealings and the president’s age.
David Ignatius wrote Tuesday that he did not believe that “Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris should run for reelection.”
Alongside a positive assessment of the Biden administration, Ignatius wrote that if he ran again he stood a good chance of losing to former President Donald Trump. He added that Harris was a “liability.” In a month or so, this decision will be cast in stone,” he wrote.
“It will be too late for other Democrats, including Harris, to test themselves in primaries and see whether they have the stuff of presidential leadership,” wrote the columnist.
The problem for Dems is one that Biden intentionally created as a defense mechanism. He picked an extremely weak VP so it's difficult for the party to even try to move on.
Without an obvious alternative, you could end up w a candidate that has worse negatives than Biden's age. https://t.co/zls7eIAfsL
— AG (@AGHamilton29) September 13, 2023
He added that “time is running out.”
Biden appears to be facing severe political strain over the coming weeks and months. This week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) formally endorsed a formal impeachment probe against the president.
Members of the House Oversight and House Judiciary Committees have found evidence regarding millions of dollars of payments linked to Biden family businesses. Furthermore, IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley described potential Justice Department interference in the federal investigation of Biden’s son Hunter.
Furthermore, a number of public stumbles have reignited debate over the president’s age. Biden, 80, is currently the oldest president in American history. He has fallen down several times, including once on the stage of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s graduation earlier this year.
Polling has reflected widespread concern about Biden’s age. A recent CBS News/YouGov poll found that 77% of the public supported an age cap for political leaders.
The proposition was supported by large majorities of Democrats and Republicans. More than half of voters believe that the office of the presidency is “too demanding for someone over the age of 75%.”
