Hillary Clinton says Biden’s age is ‘legitimate issue,’ but he should ‘lean in’ to experience

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she believes President Biden’s age is a “legitimate issue” that has raised concerns among voters, but advised him to “draw from” years of experience.

“I’ve always talked to people in the White House and they know it’s an issue, but what I’m saying is, look, this is a legitimate issue,” Clinton said. He told MSNBC’s Alex Wagner. He said this in a sit-down interview earlier this week. “It’s a legitimate issue [former President] Trump is only three years younger. So that’s a problem. ”

The former first lady went on to say that both Biden and Trump may have difficulty connecting with certain voters because of their age. Instead, she said the president should focus more on the wisdom he’s gained over the years.

“I think we should look at the fact that Biden also has experience, and that experience is not just in the realm of politics. It’s like the human experience,” she said. “I think he should be willing to really go for it…and I think he should be more mindful about it.”

A recent NBC News poll found that Biden’s age and health are serious concerns for voters. Asked whether Biden, 81, has the mental and physical acuity to be the nation’s top leader, 76% of respondents had serious or moderate concerns.

Clinton said Biden sometimes jokes about his age, but he should joke about it more often.

This comes after Special Counsel Robert Hur, who investigated the storage of classified documents at his Delaware home and the former vice president’s office, released a report that painted the president as a “sympathetic and well-meaning person.” At a news conference Thursday night, Biden angrily defended himself. He is an old man with a bad memory. ”

Biden insisted he had no memory problems and knew “what he was doing,” but at a subsequent press conference he mistakenly referred to the Egyptian president as the “President of Mexico.”

Clinton said Biden’s age is an issue, but voters should consider “what’s at stake in the election” as she prepares for a rematch with Trump, who is likely to be the Republican nominee. did.

“I support Joe Biden’s re-election because I think he’s done a really good job as president,” Clinton said. “So I think he should continue to go out and campaign.”