CNN’s Van Jones gets 'nervous' about Biden verbal stumbles: 'You wonder ... is something else there?'

 

CNN’s Van Jones said Democrats are looking closely at President Biden’s advanced age and admitted Tuesday he gets "nervous" over some of the president's verbal stumbles.

CNN’s Erin Burnett cited a recent New York Times report that noted former Obama White House adviser David Axelrod is among an increasing number of Democrats who believe Biden could be too old to seek reelection in 2024. Biden, already the oldest president to ever hold office, turns 80 in November and would be 86 years old at the end of a second term. 

"The presidency is a monstrously taxing job, and the stark reality is the president would be closer to 90 than 80 at the end of a second term, and that would be a major issue," Axelrod told the paper. 

Burnett then asked Jones for his thoughts on questions about Biden’s age. 

"I think everybody is looking very closely now, when Biden does well, he does really well. That gun speech he gave it was perfect, he was, it was powerful. When he does badly, when he stumbles, you get nervous," Jones said. "You wonder is it just his stutter? Is he tired? Or something else there? So I think that… honestly, a lot of Democrats are like, ‘If this guy is ready to go, we’re behind him. But if he’s not ready to go, he should let us know.’" 

Politico recently published a scathing opinion piece in which author Jeff Greenfield pointed out Biden is already older than President Ronald Reagan at the end of his second term. 

"When Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1980 [at age 69], his age was a serious challenge. If he won, he’d be the oldest elected president ever. Eight years later, when he left the White House after a second term with clear signs of declining abilities, he was younger than Joe Biden was the day he began his presidency," Greenfield wrote. "No candidate has ever run, and no president has ever served, at age 80 or above." 

Media speculation about Biden's ability to run in 2024 mirrors Democrats who have expressed concern over his age and low approval numbers, and questions from media pundits regarding a Biden reelection have become more commonplace in recent months. A number of media members have even asked guests what candidate they would like to see in Biden’s place.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has insisted Biden's age is not a problem. 

"I can't even keep up with him," she recently said. "Just look at the work that he does, and look what he's, how he's delivering for the American public."