Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. challenged President Joe Biden to a debate, in part to show the president’s fitness for office. The debate offer comes as Kennedy continues campaigning as Biden’s top primary opponent in next year’s contests.
Kennedy, also known by his initials RFK, challenged Biden to a potential debate on social media. He wrote that Biden “could put to rest any concerns about his fitness for office by engaging me in a vigorous, issues-oriented debate. Let’s end the speculation and let the voters see for themselves.”
RFK’s challenge to the president also comes as the general public shows considerable concern about Biden’s ability to effectively perform in office.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found wide agreement that Biden, 80, is too old for the presidency.
The poll found that 77% of Americans believed that Biden was too old to do the job effectively for another term. This position was supported by 69% of Democrats.
The public was far less likely to view former President Donald Trump as too old for office. Only slightly more Democrats believed that Trump, 77, was too old to serve another term than they did Biden. Minorities of both Republicans and independents shared the same sentiment.
Furthermore, the same poll found that Americans were concerned about the age of members of Congress and the Supreme Court, with significant majorities supporting age limits for both the legislative and judicial branches. The poll results correspond with two recent incidents in which Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appeared to freeze up while speaking at public events.
The news also comes as Kennedy has held campaign events in Iowa and South Carolina, speaking to voters. RFK welcomed about 600 voters in a recent Greenville, South Carolina event.
RFK Jr drew 600 people to a town hall in Greenville Monday and has hired a dozen staff in South Carolina. From @thestate: https://t.co/ei4mtA0h4W
— Byron York (@ByronYork) August 27, 2023
The son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Sr. (D-NY) has gained considerable attention since entering the race against Biden earlier this year. The only other significant candidate in the Democratic Party primary is author and 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.