Bill Maher has excoriated Joe Biden and his advisers for failing to grapple with the reality that the president's age is catching up with him as he runs for a second term in office.
Biden's age and mental capacity appear to be proving problematic as the election approaches and the majority of Americans, including Democrats, believe he is too old to run for president again.
The HBO Real Time host urged Biden, 81, to embrace his age and “let his old fart flag fly.”
“If Democrats want to win the next presidential election, they need to find a way to make the Biden age question work for them.” Because you know what’s really outdated about Joe Biden? “I complain about his age,” Maher began his monologue Friday night.
“Real Time” host Bill Maher urged President Biden to embrace his age and suggested he “let his old fart flag fly.”
“Instead of trying to refute all the “too old to be president” slams, Joe needs to embrace them. Stop saying “I’m sharper than ever.” Nobody buys that. Don't try to deny the age thing, just embrace it. Lean forward, lean forward like you’re eating soup,” jokes Maher.
“And just admit it! Say, “Yes, I'm not good with names and walk around like a toddler with a full diaper, but I believe in democracy.”
Maher pointed out that Democratic candidates have recently gone on the defensive when it comes to who they really are, noting that American voters can see through any insincerity.
'Be yourself! And Joe, you yourself are old,” Maher said. “You're so old that you once fell down the stairs on the subway.” “You're so old that your bad kid with a drug problem is 54,” Maher joked.
He advised him to behave similarly to former Republican presidential candidate John McCain during his 2008 campaign.
“I'm older than dirt, I've got more scars than Frankenstein, but I've learned a few things along the way,” McCain, then 71, said during a debate.
Maher then joked that Biden should appear at the State of the Union embracing his age — and using a walker
“Nobody cares if you can ride a bike, and trying to do things like that just sets you up for failure,” Maher said, referring to a June 2022 photo of Biden falling off his bike
“Nobody cares if you can ride a bike, and trying to do things like that will only set you up for failure,” Maher said, referring to a photo of Biden falling off his bike.
“You recently joined TikTok to win over the kids, stop it immediately! It's fake and won't work!” He advised.
“They don’t follow demographics.” In 2020, a record number of eligible voters under the age of 24 came out – as gay! But came out to vote? Not as much. Less than the half. But almost 72 percent of those over 65 voted. These are your people, Joe. This “Matlock” crowd. Contact them… Take all your Twitter ads and put them on CBS. Tell America I feel your joint pain.'
“When the president gives the State of the Union, I say he should fly the old flag,” Maher continued.
Maher then joked that Biden should finally accept his age and use a walker at next week's State of the Union address.
This isn't the first time Maher has pushed Biden and his team to confront the realities of Biden's age.
Earlier this season, he called Biden “Ruth Bader Biden” and compared him to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Ginsburg famously decided not to resign while President Obama was in the White House, allowing then-President Trump to appoint a Republican successor after her death in 2020.
Biden's age and mental capacity appear to be proving problematic as the election approaches and the majority of Americans, including Democrats, believe he is too old to run for president again
Biden's long-standing reputation for embarrassing gaffes and misstatements — in 2018, he described himself as a “gaffe machine” — has served him in some ways so far, allowing his team to explain away mistakes as his folksy, goofy Uncle Joe charm.
But the dramatically increased frequency of his verbal stumbles raises alarms. And there was also evidence of physical frailty.
Since 2021, he has reportedly tripped eight times while navigating the steps of Air Force One, the presidential jet, including three times on a single flight to Atlanta.
In 2022, he fell off his bike after getting caught in the pedals; In 2023, he stumbled down a small staircase at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan; Later that year, he tripped over a sandbag and fell on stage at an Air Force Academy graduation ceremony.
And when the stairs to Air Force One were shortened last year so he could board the plane at a lower level, Biden stumbled over them too.
When he was vice-president, he stumbled as he took the stage to give a speech at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney in July 2016.
In September 2022, he appeared to have lost his way as he left the stage after his remarks at the Global Fund Conference.
As the applause followed, the US President began to walk off the stage before stopping abruptly and looking around with a confused expression on his face.
Then he appeared to ask the people on the floor how to get off the stage and took a few stuttering steps.
Sleepy Joe – as Trump called him – is already by far the oldest president in US history.
If he were to retake the White House, he would be 82 years old when his second term begins in January 2025. (If Trump wins, he would be 78 years old.)
Biden's latest gaffes only increase calls for his departure, as a new poll suggests Democrats would do better without him in the upcoming presidential election.