Joe Biden said that he would not seek a second term as president if his health deteriorates while in office.
A voter at a CNN town hall in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday night asked the former vice president, 77, if he would commit to serving only one term.
“No, I wouldn’t do that, but, I tell you what, you’re going to be able to make a judgment,” Biden said. “And, by the way, the two youngest people on the stage now are me and Buttigieg,” he joked, referring to 38-year-old former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the youngest candidate in the race.
Biden said, however, that he would not seek a second term if his health declined.
“I’m in pretty good health, but, look, I guarantee you this: If anything changed in my health, making it incapable for me to fully exert all the energy and mental acuity that was needed to be done, then I give you my word: I would not run again,” Biden said.
If elected, Biden would be the oldest president in history. President Ronald Reagan, the current record-holder, was 77 when he left office.
Biden explained that part of his reasoning for not committing to one term was because it would make it harder to accomplish policy goals.
Civil liberty advocates sue blue state over ‘show your papers’ gun law
Trump Says He Canceled 11th-Hour Iran Bombing at Request of Saudi Leaders Amid New Peace Talks
Supreme Court Bluntly Swats Down Virginia Dems’ Power Grab
DHS, War Dept join probe into Singham network allegedly sowing discord in US
‘Unelected mayor of DC’: Trump continues Washington makeover despite backlash
Los Angeles School District Pivots Away from Denying Equal Treatment to Student Bible Club
Poland seeks answers after Pentagon scraps planned US armored brigade rotation
Blue-state tax burden fuels Americans fleeing to Republican-led southern states
An unburdened Bill Cassidy doesn’t regret Trump impeachment vote after primary loss
Former Virginia assistant principal on trial after allegedly ignoring warnings before 6-year-old shot teacher
What the Data Actually Says About Abortion and Women’s Health
California’s New Congressional Maps Favoring Dems Could Be Struck Down by the Supreme Court: Report
Oct. 7 Exhibit Sign in London Removed After Police Warn It Could Attract Terrorists
Breaking: OJ Simpson Witness and LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman Dead at 74
Report: Immigrants Are Voluntarily Leaving US in Record Numbers Under Trump
“Look, anybody who starts off saying, ‘I’m only going to serve one term,’ is already behind the eight ball because then you’re a one-term president, and no one worries about what the hell’s going to happen after that,” Biden said.
He added that it is “totally legitimate” to consider candidates’ ages and health, noting that several candidates are over 70 years old and that his young age was questioned when he ran for Senate in 1972, when he was 29.
Biden primary competitors Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are both 78, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is 70.
“That’s why I give all my medical records. OK. Everything,” Biden said.
Biden released medical records that revealed he has a heart condition and high cholesterol but makes no mention of mental agility.
