President Joe Biden‘s announcement that he plans to run for a second term has sparked a flurry of criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley didn‘t mince words on Wednesday when she predicted that Biden wouldn‘t live to see the end of a second term if he wins.
“If you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President [Kamala] Harris,” Haley said in an interview on Fox News‘ “America Reports.” She went on to say that it was unlikely Biden would make it to his 86th birthday if reelected.
This is sad for @JoeBiden. It's embarrassing for the media. And it's scary for the country because @KamalaHarris is waiting in the wings. pic.twitter.com/aWLMNzdlJ6
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) April 27, 2023
This concern has been echoed by other Republican presidential candidates who have argued that Biden‘s candidacy is tantamount to elder abuse. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has accused the Democratic National Committee of using Biden as a “front“ for their own agenda.
“It’s a myth that Joe Biden is actually running for president. He’s not,” Ramaswamy said Monday on Fox News. “It’s just the managerial class using Joe Biden as a front to advance its own agenda. To them Biden’s cognitive impairment isn’t a bug. It’s a feature.”
The implications of such a scenario are far–reaching. If Biden does not live to see the end of his second term, Vice President Kamala Harris would have the opportunity to serve up to 10 years in office. However, if he serves at least half of his term, she could run at the top of the ticket twice.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean–Pierre tried to clarify this matter on Tuesday, saying that if reelected, Biden would “serve all 8 years,” but the doubts remain. While it is yet unclear how this will play out, it does appear that the Biden administration is not taking the criticism lightly.
As you know, we take following the law seriously. So I wanted to be sure that I didn't go into 2024 more than is appropriate under the law. But I can confirm that if re-elected, @POTUS would serve all 8 years. https://t.co/n9OfMV4D1Y
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) April 25, 2023