Since his election as head of the United States of America, the age of Joe Biden – 80 years old all the same – has continued to fuel comments, whether humorous spikes or harsh criticism. And now the man has decided to represent himself in 2024, which would push his retirement to 86 years old, an age when one imagines more making homemade strawberry jam than leading the first world power.
At the White House correspondents’ gala dinner this Saturday, a few days after the announcement of his candidacy, the opportunity was too good for the comedians present to make the link between this canonical age and the demonstrations against the pension reform in France. Thus, the humorist of the “Daily Show” Roy Wood Jr quipped: “The French revolted because they did not want to work until they were 64. Meanwhile, in America, we have an 80-year-old man begging us to work four more years,” prompting a broad smile from the head of state.
“I am a man of first youth”
“Call me old – I call that seasoned,” the president replied. “They say I’m an elder – I say I’m wise. They say I’m not very young anymore – Don Lemon would say I’m a man of first youth”.
Don Lemon, a star CNN anchor, was recently fired by the channel after he sparked controversy when he said Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, 51, was “no longer young.”