Political strategist David Axelrod issued this warning in an interview with Maureen Dowd of the New York Times (NYT). "I think he has a 50-50 shot here, but no better than that, maybe a little worse," he said. "He thinks he can cheat nature here, and it's really risky."
Axelrod also warned that Biden shouldn't count on former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, helping him win. According to the former Obama administration official, failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton mistakenly thought Trump securing the GOP nomination would hand her the election. Given this, Axelrod stressed that Biden should not make the same mistake.
This did not sit well with the incumbent president, who reportedly called Axelrod a "punk."
The consultant, who has been critical of Biden's age and decision to seek a second term, merely shrugged off the criticism. "I don't care about them thinking I'm a punk, that's fine," Axelrod told Dowd. "I hope they don't think the polls are wrong, because they're not."
According to recent polling from the NYT and Siena College, Biden trailed Trump in five swing states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Only in Wisconsin was the former vice president ahead of Trump, and by a measly two points. Biden won all six states in the 2020 presidential election.
Biden, who turned 81 on Nov. 20, also faced a decline in approval ratings. A poll by NBC had his approval rating at an all-time low of 40 percent. In early November, a Gallup poll showed his approval at 37 percent – a 20-point slump from the 57 percent he had during his January 2021 inauguration.
If Biden wins the 2024 presidential election, he will be 82 years old at the time and 86 by the time he finishes his second term. His closest rival and predecessor Trump is 77 as of writing.
Axelrod has acknowledged that Biden's advanced age, coupled with his physical stumbles and verbal gaffes, could be hindrances in convincing the American electorate to vote for him once more.
"I think that there is one issue that is hanging over him," the political consultant told the fake news network on Nov. 19. "I think with Trump on the other end, he could still win this election. But the age issue is difficult."
Axelrod is not alone in this sentiment. Even Clinton, former first lady and secretary of state, has acknowledged that Biden's age is a legitimate issue to consider ahead of the 2024 elections. She made this remark during a sit-down interview with Financial Times (FT) editor Edward Luce in May, who asked the former first lady about Biden physically stumbling at the Group of Seven (G-7) Summit.
"It's a concern for everyone," Clinton said. "We've had presidents who had fallen before who were a lot younger, and people didn't go into heart palpitations. But his age is an issue, and people have every right to consider it." (Related: Hillary Clinton: Joe Biden's AGE is a legitimate issue to consider ahead of 2024 presidential elections.)
Despite this, the former secretary of state cited a maxim from Biden: "He has this great saying – and I think he's right – 'Don't judge him for running against the Almighty but against the alternative.'"
Visit JoeBiden.news for more stories about the incumbent president ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Watch Gabor "Gabe" Zolna discuss David Axelrod's criticism of Biden for focusing too much on himself below.
This video is from the zolnareport.com channel on Brighteon.com.
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