Written by Stephen M. Lepore Dailymail.Com
06:52 February 27, 2024, updated 07:44 February 27, 2024
President Joe Biden joked that Donald Trump is “about my age” in an interview with Seth Meyers on Monday, blaming his predecessor for the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. .
Biden’s visit to “Late Night,” Meyers’ 10th anniversary show on NBC, comes as the president, while eating ice cream with the host, told members of the media that within a week, there would be a relationship between Israel and Hamas. He had already made headlines for saying he believed a ceasefire could be reached.
Liberal-leaning host Meyers asked the president about this, but he also pressed him on concerns about his age. A majority of voters believe the president is too old to run the country in preparation for a rematch with Trump in 2024.
After joking that information about his age was “secret,” the 81-year-old Biden, the oldest president in U.S. history, said: “Look at the other guy. He’s about the same age as me.” he said. He broke the record previously set by the 77-year-old Trump.
He also blamed President Trump and the Republican Party over the immigration crisis, holding the former president responsible for blocking the immigration reform deal.
“We’re going to pass that border bill. This bill has overwhelming support from both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate because — I don’t know the facts, but I’ve heard. — Because Trump is on the phone and calling America.” The Speaker of the House says, “Please don’t pass it.”
‘why? Not because I think it’s bad, but because it gives Biden an advantage,” he said, adding that he continues to insist, “This is not your father’s Republican Party.”
“That’s not the way to run a country, that’s not the way to deal with it.”
The $118 billion bill, which combines border security with aid to Ukraine and Israel, has President Trump and his allies who believe the bill is weak and would water down the asylum process at significant human cost. It faces opposition from some Democrats and progressives.
If this longstanding hurdle can be overcome, this bill would fundamentally change how asylum is handled at the border. Once a policy afterthought, asylum is now a major issue at the border.
In early February, President Trump suggested the bill represented a “death wish” for Republicans in 2024.
“This is a Democratic trap. It’s a very stupid Republican trap to sign a bill like this. You can’t sign this bill,” President Trump said.
Biden said his views matter more than age, given Trump’s beliefs on issues that have been “American stalwarts” for decades, such as abortion and other policies.
He also riffs with first guest Amy Poehler, with whom he has previously appeared on the show and guest-starred on her sitcom Parks and Recreation in 2015. are doing.
“The question is how old are your ideas? Look, I mean, this is the guy who’s trying to bring us back. He wants to take us back to Roe vs. Wade,” he said. said.
Biden even joked that Trump “can’t remember his wife’s name,” in an apparent reference to Trump’s visit to the Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Washington last weekend.
President Trump caused confusion on social media by referring to his wife Melania as “Mercedes” while praising his wife, Melania Trump. Later, former aide Mercedes Schlapp, who helps run the group, was in the audience. It was thought that it might be.
Mr. Biden reiterated his recent criticism of Mr. Trump, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of suggesting he would encourage invasions of NATO allies that do not meet their financial commitments.
When Meyers said that Biden “has bigger things to do right now and won’t be able to appear on the show’s 10th anniversary,” Poehler responded, “Yeah, you can have him,” before saying. “Hello, Mr. President,” he said, and Biden responded by walking. on stage.
The president also criticized President Trump for praising those who took part in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and promising pardons for those who assaulted police officers and tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election. did.
“That’s what’s happening in Eastern European countries,” Biden said. “That doesn’t happen in America.”
Biden also discussed a conspiracy theory that the Super Bowl was rigged for Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs to get an endorsement from Taylor Swift, as well as further questions about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
After taping the interview, Biden stopped by for Van Leeuwen’s mint chip ice cream, and Meyers joined him for the honeycomb flavor. Earlier, he attended an event with donors at a Midtown hotel where he was also pressed about the Middle East conflict.
Late-night shows remain a staple of American television, but now there’s an emphasis on creating social media clips that have the potential to reach younger viewers as well as home TV viewers.
Earlier this month, Biden again eschewed the president’s traditional Super Bowl TV interview and instead debuted on TikTok, appealing to younger viewers on a platform that the U.S. government officially considers a national security risk. tried to target.
His team is also producing a stream of lighter content for social media in hopes of drawing in voters who avoid TV news and news websites.
During his presidency, Biden has interviewed YouTube stars and podcasters, and occasionally appears on friendly TV shows.
A majority of American voters (86%) say Biden is too old to serve another term, according to a new poll.
This comes after the release of a damning Justice Department report citing Biden’s failing memory and “diminished capacity” as reasons for not prosecuting him in the classified documents case.
Meanwhile, an ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 62% of respondents said former President Donald Trump, at 77, is too old to serve in the White House.
59% of respondents said both of their top competitors in 2024 are too old, and 27% think only the current president is too old to be considered.
A separate Financial Times poll found that Mr. Trump leads Mr. Biden by 11 points in the proportion of people who trust him to steer the economy, 42% to 31%.
Since September, an ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 74% of Americans think Biden is too old to serve, and 49% think the same about Trump. There are growing concerns about Biden’s age and suitability for the presidency.
Biden is the oldest president in US history. When he took office in January 2021 at age 78, he broke Trump’s record by eight years.
If Biden wins a second term, he will be 82 years old when he takes office.
Considering only their own party preferences, 73% of Democrats think Biden is too old, compared to just 35% of Republicans who think the same about Trump.
Ninety-one percent of independents say Mr. Biden is too old, and 71% of these voters say the same about the former president.