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Biden Responds to Howard Dean's Comments on Older Dems: 'I Can Take Him Physically'

Former VP says he hasn't decided whether to run for president in 2020

January 4, 2018

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday had a response to Howard Dean's recent comments about older Democrats getting "the hell out of the way" for the 2020 presidential race.

Biden sat down with "PBS Newshour" host Judy Woodruff for an interview where they discussed several topics, including speculation that he would run for president in 2020.

"I'm not saying I won't run, but I don't have any concrete plan to run," Biden said.

Woodruff asked Biden if age was a factor in running for president, noting that he would be 78.

"Sure, it's a totally legitimate factor," Biden said.

She then referenced Dean, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, saying last week that older members of the party need to "get the hell out of the way."

"Tell Howard I can take him physically, okay?" Biden joked. "This is about, you're going to be running against a man who's 75 years old, 76 years old at the time. Whatever his age is."

"Look, it would be a totally legitimate thing for people to say, 'Let's look at Biden, he would be the oldest guy to ever be president. See what kind of shape he's in,'" he added. "And it may be, that I've developed some problem and I'm not capable of doing that."

Biden, who served two terms as vice president during the Obama administration, has been fueling speculation for a potential 2020 run for months, as he has told multiple media outlets that he has not ruled out running for president again.

Biden told the co-hosts on ABC's "The View" last month that he "may very well" run for president in 2020 if other Democrats haven't stepped up.

"If I were offered the nomination by the Lord Almighty right now, today, I would say no because we're not ready, the family's not ready to do this," he added on "The View" in December. "If in a year from now, if we're ready and no one has moved in that I think can do it, then I may very well do it."