MSNBC Host Addresses Calls For Biden To Drop Out of the Race Due to Age

MSNBC commentator and former Democratic Congressman Lawrence O’Donnell dedicated a segment of his show to challenging increasing calls from other political commentators for President Biden to end his 2024 candidacy due to age.

Amidst incessant coverage about the 81-year-old president’s age and voter concerns about it—manifest in consistent polling—O’Donnell specifically addressed an opinion piece in the New York Times by liberal commentator Ezra Klein. 

In it, Klein praised Biden’s presidency and accomplishments, but expressed doubt that the president can assuage voter concerns, urging him to end his 2024 candidacy. 

“All of the people who suggest that Biden should step aside because they want the Democrats to win are basing that strategy on the notion that Joe Biden is just too old,” O’Donnell began. “And the notion that Joe Biden is too old is based on a complete and utter misunderstanding of the work of the presidency.” 

“The job is to make decisions, not speeches. History writes about the decisions, that’s what matters. If you worked in government, you know that. Because speechmaking is the only thing the news media is allowed to watch. In a presidency, the news media insists that that must be important. It’s just like the Super Bowl. You can remember what Patrick Mahomes did on the field, but you can’t remember a word of his speech. And that’s for a very good reason: the job is on the field.”

O’Donnell reminded watchers that those who interact with President Biden—including Republicans like then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy—report both publicly and privately of his sharpness and engagement.

The MSNBC host also addressed a viral question from comedian Jon Stewart about Biden’s private performance—“Did anybody film that?”—by saying “that’s the problem with the presidency. We only film the parts that don’t matter. We’re not allowed to film the real job.”