During a recent press event at the Philadelphia International Airport, President Joe Biden had a tense exchange with a reporter who questioned whether he would consider transferring power to Vice President Kamala Harris during a potential second term. The reporter’s query seemed to irritate Biden, prompting a blunt response in which he questioned the reporter’s well-being, asking, “Are you OK?” and “Did you fall on your head or something?”
The comment drew laughter from the Biden entourage. Republicans often say that voting for Biden is like voting for Harris to become president. Biden’s age and health have been focal points of both media scrutiny and public concern. At 81, Biden is already the oldest president in U.S. history, and his potential re-election would extend his tenure into his mid-eighties. These factors have led to speculation about his physical and cognitive abilities to handle the rigorous demands of the presidency for another four-year term.
Despite the naysayers questioning his stamina, Biden remains ever so confident in his ability to do the job. Biden doubled down on this point at a Philadelphia rally. There, alongside Vice President Harris at Girard College, they were busy wooing Black voters with the usual fanfare of accomplishments and promises.
The president criticized his predecessor, calling him “clearly unhinged,” and told his audience that Trump “wanted to tear gas you” during the May 2020 protests centering around the death of George Floyd. At one point, Biden wondered what Trump would have done “if black Americans had stormed the Capitol” during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
Biden proclaimed that the votes of Black Americans were pivotal in electing him and Kamala Harris as president and vice president. He also committed to signing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and restoring Roe v. Wade as law in his second term.
A campaign official reported that the event at Girard College attracted about 1,000 people, filling roughly half of the gymnasium’s floor and seating areas. The reason for the limited attendance at the event wasn’t immediately clear. However, other public appearances by Biden have been marred by hecklers criticizing his support for the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.
