Joe Biden celebrates his 80th birthday

(Trends Wide) — President Joe Biden turns 80 this Sunday, becoming the first octogenarian to hold the highest office in the United States.

Biden’s unique birthday milestone comes as the president faces speculation about whether he will stage a re-election run and raises questions about whether he is too old to serve another term.

The president celebrates his birthday in Washington with a brunch hosted by first lady Jill Biden, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Members of the Biden family who are already in town after her granddaughter’s wedding celebration at the White House this Saturday are expected to attend.

The timing of the wedding, two people familiar with the planning told Trends Wide, was not a coincidence, noting that the “age issue” is never something Biden wants to highlight.

The president has the political momentum on his side ahead of a possible re-election bid, as he was able to maintain a Democratic majority in the Senate and thwart the historic political tides of a resounding Republican wave in Congress.

Yet Biden has been unable to shake voters’ apprehensions about his age, with rhetorical errors and literal missteps sometimes reinforcing concerns about his health and mental acuity.

Biden would be an unprecedented 86 years old at the end of his second term if he ran and won his re-election. By comparison, Biden is a few years older than some of the oldest living presidents: Trump left office at the age of 74 and Ronald Reagan left office after his two terms at 77.

The president, for his part, argues that voters concerned about his age should look at his record of achievements since he took office.

“Well, they are worried about whether I can do something or not. Look what I’ve done,” Biden told Trends Wide’s Jake Tapper in October. “Name me a president in recent history who has done as much as I have in his first two years.”

Biden said last month that while he has not made a formal decision about running for re-election in 2024, he “intends” to do so. But he has long said it is a decision he and his family will make together. And this Saturday’s wedding marks something of a kickoff for the close-knit Bidens to begin serious discussions about whether their patriarch should seek a second term.

And the president is not the only power in Washington facing pressure to retire. At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Nancy Pelosi, 82, recently announced her plans to step down as Speaker of the House of Representatives, celebrating the Democrats paving the way for a new generation of leadership. And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 80, faced his first contender to lead the Republican conference in 15 years, though that challenge was unsuccessful.

Trends Wide’s Kate Bennett contributed to this report.

(Trends Wide) — President Joe Biden turns 80 this Sunday, becoming the first octogenarian to hold the highest office in the United States.

Biden’s unique birthday milestone comes as the president faces speculation about whether he will stage a re-election run and raises questions about whether he is too old to serve another term.

The president celebrates his birthday in Washington with a brunch hosted by first lady Jill Biden, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Members of the Biden family who are already in town after her granddaughter’s wedding celebration at the White House this Saturday are expected to attend.

The timing of the wedding, two people familiar with the planning told Trends Wide, was not a coincidence, noting that the “age issue” is never something Biden wants to highlight.

The president has the political momentum on his side ahead of a possible re-election bid, as he was able to maintain a Democratic majority in the Senate and thwart the historic political tides of a resounding Republican wave in Congress.

Yet Biden has been unable to shake voters’ apprehensions about his age, with rhetorical errors and literal missteps sometimes reinforcing concerns about his health and mental acuity.

Biden would be an unprecedented 86 years old at the end of his second term if he ran and won his re-election. By comparison, Biden is a few years older than some of the oldest living presidents: Trump left office at the age of 74 and Ronald Reagan left office after his two terms at 77.

The president, for his part, argues that voters concerned about his age should look at his record of achievements since he took office.

“Well, they are worried about whether I can do something or not. Look what I’ve done,” Biden told Trends Wide’s Jake Tapper in October. “Name me a president in recent history who has done as much as I have in his first two years.”

Biden said last month that while he has not made a formal decision about running for re-election in 2024, he “intends” to do so. But he has long said it is a decision he and his family will make together. And this Saturday’s wedding marks something of a kickoff for the close-knit Bidens to begin serious discussions about whether their patriarch should seek a second term.

And the president is not the only power in Washington facing pressure to retire. At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Nancy Pelosi, 82, recently announced her plans to step down as Speaker of the House of Representatives, celebrating the Democrats paving the way for a new generation of leadership. And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 80, faced his first contender to lead the Republican conference in 15 years, though that challenge was unsuccessful.

Trends Wide’s Kate Bennett contributed to this report.