Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke defended US President Joe Biden against attacks on his age.
During the first presidential debate of the 2024 election on Thursday, June 27, 81-year-old Biden was once again asked to address voter concerns about how old he is.
“First of all, I spent half my career being criticized for being the youngest person in politics,” Biden said. “I was the second youngest person ever elected to the United States Senate. And now I’m the oldest. This guy’s three years younger and a lot less competent.”
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, before Thursday night’s debate, 98-year-old Van Dyke argued that the criticism of Biden was ageist.
“I’m old enough to be his father,” the Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Poppins star said. “I’ve got all my marbles. So I’m not worried about it.”
Van Dyke, who supported Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 and 2020 White House bids, confirmed he’s backing Biden in the November election.
“I met Joe Biden. And I said, ‘You know, I used to be as tall as you are.’ And he said, ‘I used to have hair like you.’ I liked him right away,” Van Dyke said with a laugh.
The actor also recalled meeting Trump at a party in Malibu, California, before the real estate mogul began his career in politics.
“He was in a Hawaiian shirt, open, big belly all nice and tan, a couple of gold chains hanging around his neck and a blonde on his arm – I’ll be charitable and say she was 20.”
“And he looked down at me like, ‘Who are you?’” Van Dyke told podcast host Scott Feinberg.
“He’s just disturbed,” Van Dyke said of Trump.
Asked about the state of world affairs in general, Van Dyke added: “I’m very, very worried. No kidding, in every respect.”
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“What’s happening with our weather? No one knows — one hurricane, tornado after another. There seems to be something wrong with people. People, instead of going to the ballot box, are rioting for no reason, and it doesn’t make any difference.
“Russia is poised along the Ukraine border with nuclear weapons. China has already announced it’s going to take Taiwan back,” he continued.
“I think we are on the verge of maybe the end,” Van Dyke said. “I’m that worried about it.”
Democrats appeared in “deep panic” from early on in the debate as Biden appeared frail and quiet. In post-debate analysis, CNN pundits even spoke of the possibility that he should step down as the party’s candidate.
Vice President Kamala Harris told the network: “It was a slow start, that’s obvious to everyone. I’m talking about the choice in November.”
She said the choice is between “the destruction of democracy” or to “continue on a course that’s about strengthening America’s economy.”
Occasionally, Biden was able to make a few hits on Trump as the twice-impeached former president repeatedly lied. At one point, Biden attacked Trump for reportedly calling veterans “losers” and “suckers.”
“My son was not a loser, was not a sucker,” he said in reference to his son Beau Biden, who served in the US military and who died of glioblastoma. “You’re the sucker, you’re the loser.”
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