President Joe Biden held a White House meeting this week that wrapped with some feeling more concerned about his 2024 presidential run than before.
First reported by The New York Times, Biden told Democratic governors that his plan for events moving forward is to not have them after 8 p.m. so he can get more sleep. Despite worries that Biden can successfully run against Republican opponent and twice-impeached President Donald Trump, Biden assured more than 20 state leaders that he plans to have an effective campaign that results in a November win.
But Biden also made a joke that didn't go over smoothly with a few people in the room. "I’m fine—I don’t know about my brain, though," the 81-year-old said, to which Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden's campaign chairwoman, added that Biden said, "All kidding aside."
Although an official comment hasn't been made by the White House, Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz shared that following two trips to Europe, the 46th U.S. President participated in office duties outside of campaign hours.
"President (George W.) Bush went to bed at 9, and President (Barack) Obama made dinner at 6:30," said Munoz. "Normal presidents strike a balance, and so does Joe Biden. Hardly the same rigor as Donald Trump, who spends half of his day ranting on Truth Social about plans that would cause a recession and the other half golfing."
Biden, who's the oldest president in U.S. history, has caused a stir with allegations of mental decline, recently being seen making vacant expressions during public events.
In recent days, calls have continued to grow for Biden to step aside after a bad performance in a recent president debate against Trump. He made it clear on a campaign call earlier this week that he would remain in the presidential race. "No one is pushing me out," Biden said.