Fox News has been criticised for speculating on the likelihood of President Joe Biden dying during a second term in office.
At the age of 80, Mr Biden is the oldest serving president and would beat his own record for the oldest person to be elected president if he is successful in the 2024 election.
Fox News medical analyst Marc Siegel said Mr Biden’s age by the end of a second term (86) would put him at risk of falls, while other health issues suggested there was a 50 per cent chance he “wouldn’t survive”.
“He has an irregular heartbeat and that irregular heartbeat—he’s on blood thinners—so that if he falls, and again, I don’t want to be indelicate here, but if he falls and hits his head next time, you know MSNBC says, ‘Where’s the Secret Service?’ Well, Secret Service could be right on top of him and he can bang his head and have a bleed, God forbid,” he said.
Adding that an irregular heartbeat can shorten lifespan, he added: “So yes, there is probably a 50 per cent chance, God forbid, that he wouldn’t survive another term just on the basis of his underlying health issues and that he’s on blood thinners for this irregular rhythm.”
His comments prompted a wdespread blowback, with one Twitter user commenting that Mr Siegel had never examined the president. “I do not care for the opinion of a doctor who never met him,” he said.
Another added: “So basically a slightly elevated chance of dying during that period than boomer Marc Siegel.”
Biden’s age had previously prompted discussion over whether he would indeed seek a second term - indeed, it was hinted at during his 2020 campaign that he would be a one-term president.
“If Biden is elected, he’s going to be 82 years old in four years and he won’t be running for reelection,” a campaign adviser told Politico in 2019.
However, Mr Biden himself refuted this was the case and has made it clear he never said he would only serve a single term.
