Biden spends his 81st birthday pardoning turkeys and mixing up celebs

20 November 2023 , 18:15

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President Joe Biden pardons the National Thanksgiving turkeys Liberty and Bell during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House (Image: Getty Images)

President Joe Biden has celebrated his 81st birthday today by forgiving turkeys as he sets a new record for sitting US presidents.

President Biden forgave the two turkeys, Liberty and Bell, on the South Lawn of the White House in a long-held Thanksgiving tradition. Following this, First Lady Jill Biden will then accept the official White House Christmas tree as the festive season gets into full swing.

There are only two official scheduled events for the President's birthday as he gets set to spend the day celebrating with a low-key family celebration. However, as he marks another year around the sun, President Biden's insiders are reportedly ramping up an operation dubbed "Bubble Wrap" to protect the now oldest-ever president from his numerous stumbles.

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Two turkeys, named Liberty and Bell, who attended the annual presidential pardon at the White House ahead of Thanksgiving (AP)

Turning 81, President Biden has set the record for the oldest-ever sitting President in the US with Operation Bubble Wrap aiming to allow the President to rest more, with fewer draining international trips. The cheeky name is a nod to a desire to encase the President in bubble wrap for the next 12 months to make sure he doesn't trip and fall.

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"He doesn't look and speak the part," said John B Judis, a longtime political strategist and author. "He's not a commanding or charming presence on a presidential or presidential election stage."

Mr Judis said that while he believed President Biden had demonstrated "astonishing success" in passing major legislation building infrastructure, lowering the cost of medicine and combating climate change, there was something missing from his presidency. He noted that presidents were expected to be both head of a government and head of state, with the public performance part having eluded President Biden.

President Biden hasn't always had the smoothest of public appearances, which many attribute to his age, something his doctors deny (Getty Images)

He added; "I think a lot of voters and young people in particular who are not at all put off by his political positions or accomplishments are put off by his utter failure as a regal persona. And I don't know how that can be fixed. Not by bicycling. Biden's best hope in that regard is the voters' perception of Trump as a bad or even evil after who wants to wreck the family."

On his birthday thought, Biden appeared in good spirits as he spoke to the crowd gathered for the turkey pardoning. He made several jokes about his age and attempted to make a reference to Beyonce and Taylor Swift - but confused Swift for Brittney Spears.

Biden was ranting on about how being the national Thanksgiving turkey is “harder than getting a ticket to the Renaissance tour or Britney’s tour she's on - it’s kind of warm in Brazil right now.” It's Taylor Swift who's currently on the South America leg of her Eras tour, not Britney.

A proud American tradition - sparing just two turkeys from the fate of nearly 49 million others who will be the centre of a Thanksgiving table this year (AP)

It's possible Biden was referring to last week's incident where a Taylor Swift fan died in the heat - in the style of someone who's assistants filled them in that morning.

Some current and former administration officials have said President Biden's staff should stop treating him like a frail old man they do not trust and allow him to interact with the public and reporters more. Some said he also needed to get out on the campaign trail more to show his vigor and use more humor to defuse the matter, or even boast about his age rather than ignoring it.

There's no easy answer for his team, but the one thing they cannot do is make him any younger. A recent poll of the battleground states from the New York Times and Siena College found that 71 per cent of voters said President Biden was 'too old' to be president - which included 54 per cent of his own supporters.

The 2023 National Thanksgiving Turkeys were pardoned by Biden after taking a limo to the White House (Getty Images)

Just four years his junior, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, 77, was seen as too old by just 39 per cent of those asked. If Trump does win the next election, he will take over the status as the country's oldest-ever president.

While President Biden shuffles as he walks, talks in a low tone that can be hard to hear, and sometimes confuses names and details in public, White House officials are quick to point out he maintains a crushingly busy schedule that would tire a younger president. They are also keen to brush off doubts that his age hinders him.

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"He's been successful because of his age, not in spite of it," said Simon Rosenberg, a veteran Democrat strategist. "We're all going to have to make that case because it's true. We can't run away from the age issue. It's going to be a major part of the conversation, but we would be making a political mistake if we don't contest it more aggressively."

Lower steps are reportedly used to help Biden board Air Force One easier (AP)

President Biden's doctors have claimed certain traits, including his shuffling gait or the re-emergence of his stutter, are nothing to do with his mental acuity. They added some of his verbal trips appear to stem from his decision to not wear glasses in public.

Even so, aides have reportedly been making small adjustments to help the president avoid public stumbles and blunders. A lower set of stairs is used to board Air Force One with Secret Service and staff members also using flashlights and verbal warnings to attempt to guide the President in backstage settings.

But there are still those inside the Democratic Party who have their concerns over President Biden's age. At a private power conference in September, Democratic angst was on display as one attendee worried aloud about the president being in serious jeopardy of losing the election and whether the Democrats had a backup plan.

Biden's former chief of staff and staunch ally Ron Klain fired back quickly, making it evident there was no Plan B and that the sitting president was a formidable nominee.

Fiona Leishman