Joe Biden Too Old To Be Us President

It's a question that has provided ample fodder for Republicans and right-wing outlets, while Democrats and most of the US media have been reluctant to broach it.

But as the oldest person ever elected to the top US office prepares for a grueling Middle East tour, a debate is mounting over his apparent desire to run again in 2024.

The issue puts Democrats in a difficult position as there is no clear alternative to Biden -- who turns 80 on November 20.

"He's fit to be president right now. But he's too old for the next election," The Atlantic concluded in a recent article while sharply criticizing right-wing claims that Biden has dementia.

Disenchantment with Biden runs deep inside his camp, with a New York Times poll released Monday showing that 64% of Democratic voters would prefer another candidate in 2024. His age was cited as the main reason for those who want a change.

The president would be 82 at the beginning of a 2nd term and 86 at its conclusion. By comparison, Ronald Reagan was 77 when he left office in 1989.

Biden's "age has become an uncomfortable issue for him and his party," The New York Times wrote on Saturday.

Like his predecessors, Biden has exhausting responsibilities, from the war in Ukraine and runaway inflation to the gun violence plaguing the nation and a fiercely conservative Supreme Court.