Joe Biden Addresses Age Concerns in New Ad: "I'm Very Young, Energetic, and Handsome"

With a 30-million-dollar TV and digital ad campaign, President Joe Biden's campaign launched in crucial swing states with a commercial that directly tackles age-related issues, with a touch of candor and humor.

The 60-second commercial will air for six weeks on stations owned by Black and Hispanic people. In it, Biden does not sugarcoat his age issue that many voters believe is becoming more and more pressing. The commercial, titled- For You, starts with Biden seeming playful, per The Guardian.

“Look, I’m not a young guy. That’s no secret,” the 81-year-old president quips. “But I understand how to get things done for the American people.”

The commercial, according to the Biden campaign, will air on networks like Comedy Central, FX, ESPN, and TNT taking advantage of March Madness, the national NCAA college basketball championship. “I led the country through the Covid crisis,” Biden says in the ad. “Today, we have the strongest economy in the world. I passed a law that lowers prescription drug prices, and caps insulin at $35 a month for seniors.”

Then, adopting a different tact, Biden addressed the man he merely referred to as “my predecessor” during his State of the Union speech, openly slamming Donald Trump. “For four years, Donald Trump tried to pass an infrastructure law and he failed. I got it done. Now we’re rebuilding America. I’ve passed the biggest law in history to combat climate change because our future depends on it,” he says in the ad.

Reiterating his commitment from his State of the Union address, Biden asserts that Trump “took away the freedom of women to choose” and vows to restore Roe v. Wade as “the law of the land again.”

Criticizing Trump again and underscoring vital policy differences, Biden said, “Donald Trump believes the job of the president is to take care of Donald Trump,” Biden says. “I believe the job of the president is to fight for you, the American people, and that’s what I’m doing.”

At the end of the commercial, Biden makes another joke as an off-camera producer requests one more take. “Look, I’m very young, energetic and handsome. What the hell am I doing this for,” Biden asks, jokingly, as the screen cuts to black.

While Trump is only four years younger than Biden at 77, Biden is the oldest president to run for reelection at 81. Even among his supporters, Biden's advanced age is an important issue among voters; with 26% of his 2020 supporters strongly thinking that he could be ineffectual as president if given a second term. 

It would seem like Biden's State of the Union speech gave some Democrat voters reassurance, per NBC News. In the 24 hours that followed his State of the Union speech on March 7, Biden's reelection machine raised $10 million. The campaign is now hoping to capitalize on the speech to generate momentum for the general election.