Hollywood movie mogul counseling Biden to ‘own’ his age: report

Jeffrey Katzenberg, a Hollywood movie mogul, is reportedly counseling President Biden to “own” his age during his reelection campaign and treat it as an asset rather than a drawback.

The Wall Street Journal report reported that Katzenberg is suggesting Biden lean into his age, in the same way Harrison Ford can star in an Indiana Jones movie at 80 years old and Mick Jagger can deliver a high-energy concert to a full stadium, at almost the same age as Biden.  The report suggests Katzenberg’s stance is that Biden ought to “lean into his longevity as a sign of wisdom and experience while offering a sense of humor about it.”

Biden’s age has frequently come up as one of voters’ top concerns when considering whether to vote for Biden in 2024. A recent poll just showed two in three respondents said they have concerns about his mental and physical health. 

Biden is the oldest president in history to be elected to the White House. He’s acknowledged in interviews that questions about his age are “totally legitimate” but said he’s fully capable of running for reelection. His doctor has given him a clean bill of health, according to the White House.

Katzenberg, a co-founder of DreamWorks SKG, was recently tapped as the only non-elected official to serve as one of Biden’s seven national co-chairs of his reelection campaign. 

Actor George Clooney addressed the value he thinks Katzenberg can provide to Biden’s 2024 election campaign in an interview with the WSJ. Clooney stressed the weight Katzenberg holds in Hollywood.

“He is determined, and the thing about Jeffrey is there’s just no version that he takes no for an answer,” Clooney told the WSJ. “Jeffrey will call, and I will help.”

Biden’s campaign is likely to rely on Katzenberg for messaging help, which Clooney described to the WSJ as essential for Democrats, who he said often struggle to sell their agenda. Clooney told the WSJ that Hollywood, perhaps more than cash, can offer guidance when it comes to crafting a narrative that resonates with an audience. 

“I always just say, look, everybody keeps coming into Hollywood for cash, and they don’t come to us for the one thing we do better than anybody, which is tell stories,” Clooney said to the WSJ. “And so I think it’s probably a very good idea that they’re going to Jeffrey not just for raising money, but for narratives. And I think that’s a very good thing. Jeffrey, he’s a dog with a bone and he doesn’t let go.”