In an interview on the "Mornings with Zerlina" radio show on SiriusXM Tuesday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged people to come to terms with President Biden's age.

Clinton instead urged Americans to concentrate on defeating Donald Trump, whom she views as an authoritarian threat in the 2024 presidential election.

BREAKING: Hillary Clinton says to move on from Biden's age: 'Let's go ahead and accept the reality' that he's old. pic.twitter.com/9CUK7FTKSD

— The General (@GeneralMCNews) March 5, 2024

The comments

"Somebody the other day said to me... 'Well, but, you know, Joe Biden's old.' I said, 'You know what, Joe Biden is old. Let's go ahead and accept the reality. Joe Biden is old,'" Clinton stated.

"So we have a contest between one candidate who's old, but who's done an effective job and doesn't threaten our democracy. And we have another candidate who is old, barely makes sense when he talks, is dangerous, and threatens our democracy," she added.

Clinton avoided directly addressing concerns about Biden's mental acuity, instead suggesting that Trump was the one with memory issues.

Focusing on Trump

"Why would we say, ‘Oh, you know what? Yeah, he's still getting things done and it's going to improve my life and the life of my children and grandchildren, but he's just too old and I don't like seeing somebody old?'" Clinton questioned.

"I mean, I think there's a lot to that, but if you are worried about that, listen to Donald Trump, who is like ranting, making no sense, can't even remember who he is running against," she continued.

Responding to queries about whether apprehensions over Biden's age were a "proxy" for reluctance to accept a female president, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the potential successor, Clinton remarked that Americans might be uneasy about both age and gender in leadership roles.

The numbers

"It's a challenge for a number of Americans to think of a woman as being president, and then, if the woman is also a woman of color and the daughter of immigrants, you know, that might make it even more of a challenge," she noted.

"But I think it's much more about the fact that Americans are kind of skittish about age," she added.

A recent poll conducted by the New York Times and Siena College revealed that 61% of respondents who voted for Biden in 2020 agreed with the statement "Joe Biden is just too old to be an effective president."

Trump, however, has made strong gains in recent polls. Following his Super Tuesday victories, he is all but assured the nomination in the rematch against Biden.

The age issue will continue to be important for many Americans, with the concern helping Trump as he seeks a comeback bid for the White House.