President Biden made a bold prediction in the early 1990s that he would be “dead and gone” by 2020, the year he actually ran against then-President Donald Trump in the presidential election.
Biden’s comments came in 1991 during a speech at Detroit Law School in the midst of his tenure as a United States Senator from Delaware, a position he held for more than 35 years.
Speaking to law students at the time about the importance of selecting Supreme Court justices, Biden, who was in his mid-50s at the time, said: “The decision will affect what happens in this country long after Senator Biden is gone, long after President Bush is gone, long after President Reagan’s administrations are forgotten.”
“If they live, if Judge (David) Souter, God willing, lives as long as the average age of the court now, he will make historic decisions in the year 2020. I will be dead and gone in all probability,” added the then-senator. Biden, who will turn 81 this November.
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So-Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., said in 1991 that he would be “dead and gone” by 2020. (Mark Reinstein/Corbis, Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Biden’s comments on the images, which were resurfaced by the New York Post, revealed that he was wrong on both counts. Souter, after nearly 20 years of service on the high court, retired in 2009, and Biden is still alive today.
If Biden wins re-election next year, he will be 86 at the end of his second term. With his age on the minds of Americans, Biden has faced concerns about his ability to lead the nation, including some from his own party, as he ages.
Last year, Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota suggested it’s time for Biden to retire in grace.
“I think he’s done a wonderful job of being the bridge he promised to be,” Phillips told the Wall Street Journal. “The problem is that it is time for a new generation of leaders to participate.”
“You can see the differences between how it used to be and how it is now,” Liano Sharon, a delegate to the Democratic National Committee, told the outlet, adding that Biden has “lost a step.”
Biden, amid numerous blunders and mishaps, admitted last October that questions about his age are “totally legitimate.”
“I think it’s legitimate to worry about anyone’s age, including my own. That is totally legit. But I think the best way to make the judgment is, you know, watching me. Am I slowing down? Is it me, don’t I have the same rhythm? Biden said in an interview with MSNBC.
President Biden clears his throat during remarks on March 4, 2022. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Earlier this month, during a trip to Lithuania to bolster support for Ukraine amid its war with russiaBiden made multiple mistakes in speaking, including confusing the two nations and their leaders.
LOOK: BIDEN CONFUSES UKRAINE WITH RUSSIA, ZELENSKYY WITH PUTIN DURING A TRIP FULL OF GAFFES TO LITHUANIA
Biden referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “Vladmir,” apparently mistaking Zelenskyy for Russian President Vladmir Putin.
Seeming unaware of his mistake, Biden went on to say that he “shouldn’t be so familiar” and referred to Zelenskyy as “Mr. Zelenskiy”.
At a post-summit event, Biden confused the two nations, referring to Ukraine. like Russia.
“Russia could end this war tomorrow by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and recognizing its international borders and ceasing its attacks, its inhumane attacks, against Russia, I mean Russia against Ukraine,” Biden said, correcting himself.
In a separate interview with the outlet in May, Biden tried to ease concerns about his age by framing his 80 years of life experience as a positive rather than a negative.
“Because I have gained so much wisdom,” Biden told MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle when asked “why an 82-year-old Biden” would be the “right person for the most important job in the world” in 2024.
President Biden is photographed after attending services at St. Edmond Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on April 15, 2023. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
“I know more than the vast majority of people. I have more experience than anyone who has run for office and I believe I have proven myself honorable and effective,” he said at the time.
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Biden is the oldest person to serve as president, and he will be almost 82 years old on Election Day 2024.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom, Andrew Mark Miller and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
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