Hillary Clinton says Biden's age a 'legitimate issue,' but he should 'lean into' years of experience

Hillary Clinton advised President Biden to 'lean into' his years of experience

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Hillary Clinton weighed in on concerns surrounding President Biden's age, saying it's a "legitimate issue."

"I talked to people in the White House all the time, and you know, they know it’s an issue, but as I like to say, ‘look, it’s a legitimate issue,’" Clinton told MSNBC’s Alex Wagner on Wednesday. 

The former Democratic presidential nominee noted that it is also a "legitimate issue" for former President Donald Trump in his campaign for the Republican nomination.

"It’s a legitimate issue for Trump who’s only three years younger, right?" Clinton said. "So it’s an issue."

FLASHBACK: DEMS RAN DEFENSE ON BIDEN'S AGE BEFORE SPECIAL COUNSEL PUT DAMNING SPOTLIGHT ON HIS ‘POOR MEMORY’

Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden

Hillary Clinton dismissed concerns over President Bidens age on Thursday during an appearance on "Morning Joe." ((Left: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque, Right: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein))

The former first lady continued, saying that she is for Biden because of his "merits."

"Once you say that, you need to also talk about what is at stake in this election," Clinton continued. "And I'm for Joe Biden because of the merits."

"I think he has done a really good job as president," she added.

the clintons

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former U.S. president Bill Clinton.  ((Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))

Clinton suggested that the president should focus more on the wisdom he has gained over the years and "kid" about his age.

"I think Biden also should lean into the fact that he’s experienced, and that experience is not just in the political arena," she said. "It’s like, the stuff of, you know, human experience, character, wisdom.

EX-CLINTON AIDE SAYS HE ‘WET THE BED’ OVER SPECIAL COUNSEL'S REPORT ON BIDEN: ‘TERRIBLE FOR DEMOCRATS’

"I think he should be willing to really pull that out … and I think he should kid more about it," Clinton said.

James Carville on "Real Time"

Democratic strategist James Carville during a recent appearance on "Real Time." (Screenshot/HBO)

Hillary's comment came as former President Bill Clinton's lead strategist, James Carville, argued Saturday that the White House has little confidence in President Biden after he turned down a Super Bowl Sunday interview.

Carville, a long-time Democrat, gave his take on the situation while being interviewed on CNN on Saturday.

"It’s the biggest television audience, not even close, and you get a chance to do a 20-25-minute interview on that day," Carville began.

"And you don’t do it? That’s a kind of sign that the staff or yourself doesn’t have much confidence in you," Carville continued. "There’s no other way to read this."

JAMES CARVILLE SAYS BIDEN SKIPPING SUPER BOWL INTERVIEW IS A ‘SIGN’: ‘NO OTHER WAY TO READ THIS’

Earlier this week, former Bill Clinton strategist and CNN political commentator Paul Begala admitted that Special Counsel Robert Hur’s indictment of President Biden’s memory and Biden's response was "terrible for Democrats."

"Oh yeah. Look, I’m a Biden supporter, and I slept like a baby last night: I woke up every two hours crying and wet the bed," Begala quipped on CNN last Friday.

"This is terrible for Democrats. And anybody with a functioning brain knows that," he declared. 

President Joe Biden press conference split image

President Joe Biden held a press conference on Thursday in response to Special Counsel Robert Hur's description of his age and memory. (Reuters)

The top democratic strategists' comments came after Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report revealed that Biden willfully retained classified U.S. documents as a private citizen.

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The report recommenced no charges against the 46th president over his actions, partly because he would have a defense at trial as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

Fox News' Andrea Vacchiano and Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

She is a native of Massachusetts and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.

Authored by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten via FoxNews February 10th 2024