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President Biden is using shorter stairs these days, likely in an effort to reduce the risk of a viral moment critics can use against him and his age, an NBC News analysis found.
Since falling during an Air Force Academy graduation, the president has used shorter stairs 84% of the times he’s gotten on and off of his plane, versus the 37% of the times before, the report found. Sometimes, he’ll use a longer staircase one way and a shorter one the other. Biden has also missed a few social dinners during foreign trips and has been using note cards, the report noted.
The president’s age has been a topic of debate as he ramps up his re-election campaign, just as it was when he ran in 2020.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, also caused concern on Wednesday, when during a press conference he froze mid-sentence for almost 20 seconds. Colleagues, including Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso, who serves as the Republican Conference Committee Chairman and is a doctor, checked on him, asking if he was OK. McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was hospitalized earlier this year after a fall, was escorted out of the room, but returned moments later and said he was fine.
They’re not the only ones aging while on the job, though. Workers 55 and older will make up a quarter of the U.S. workforce by 2031, according to a Bain & Co. analysis. Similar shifts can be seen in other countries as well, including Italy and Japan. Globally, about 150 million jobs will go to this demographic.
Older workers bring decades of experience to the job, but they still face discrimination — while working, or during the hiring process. Almost two-thirds of adults 50 and older said they believe age discrimination happens in the workplace, according to an AARP survey. Many have seen it in the form of negative comments about their age, or when passed over for a promotion, the survey found.
Ageism is keeping away some retirees looking to re-enter the labor force, an American Staffing Association survey found. More than four in 10 retirees said their age would be a problem for them when looking to get hired.
During a news conference at the White House, Biden, who is already the oldest president the U.S. has ever had, said he respects voters “taking a hard look” at his age during his re-election campaign. “I’d take a hard look at it as well,” Biden added. “I took a hard look at it before I decided to run. And I feel good. I feel excited about the prospects.”
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