Americans may have concerns about 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s age, but after a successful State of the Union address, another lawmaker caught on a hot mic said they shouldn’t worry.
“No one is going to talk about cognitive impairment now,” said 76-year-old Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) after Biden’s speech.
“I kind of wish, sometimes, that I was cognitively impaired,” quipped the president.
Biden’s sometimes self-deprecating and often biting sense of humor was out in full force during the Thursday event, and this remark is just one example. He started off his address with this: “If I was smart, I’d go home now.”
In response to heckling from some of the Republicans in attendance, Biden was also quick with comebacks. At one point, conservatives began booing his mention of a bipartisan border bill that ultimately failed (Audacy’s The On Deadline Podcast unpacked the situation this week).
“Oh, you don’t like that bill, huh? That conservatives got together and said was a good bill? I’ll be darned, that’s amazing,” he said. Biden later said: “Look at the facts, I know you know how to read,” as they continued to grumble.
Democrats have argued that the GOP rejected the bill so former President Donald Trump could use the border as a campaign talking point. Biden said Trump called Senate members to demand that they block the legislation.
While a report issued last month fueled concerns about Biden’s age as he runs for another term in the White House, other politicians have defended him. They include 82-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 76, and even Trump, 77. Biden has said the concerns are “legitimate,” but that he would prove that age isn’t an issue for him.
His State of the Union speech seemed to restore some confidence in the Commander-in-Chief.
“I know it may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while,” Biden joked at the end of the speech. “When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever. I know the American story.”