The Biden campaign wished former President Trump a happy 78th birthday Friday with a mocking list of 78 “accomplishments” highlighting his legal troubles and some controversial moments from his time in office.
The list included Trump’s multiple felony convictions in New York late last month, some of his difficulties as a business owner, his handling of the Charlottesville, Va., white nationalist rally in 2017, his call for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, a video he posted on social media that referenced a “unified Reich,” his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, his efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act, and his statements taking credit for ending Roe v. Wade.
“Happy birthday, Donald. You’re a crook, a failure, a fraud, and a threat to our democracy, economy, rights, and future,” Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer said in a statement. “On behalf of America, our early gift for your 79th: Making sure you are never President again.”
Trump will celebrate his birthday with an appearance in Florida at a Club 47 USA event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. The group describes itself as the largest club of Trump supporters in the country.
Age has become a major issue in November’s election, with President Biden, who is 81, and Trump representing the two oldest major party candidates to run against each other. Despite their similar ages, polling has shown age is a bigger concern for Biden among voters.
A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted this month found 50 percent of voters said Trump has the mental and cognitive health to serve as president, compared to 35 percent who said the same about Biden.
Either candidate would be the oldest president to ever serve by the end of a prospective second term. Trump would be 82 and seven months old, while Biden would be 86 and two months old.
Trump has largely refrained from attacking Biden over his age, insisting mental sharpness is not dependent on age. Instead, he has repeatedly criticized Biden as “incompetent” and the worst president in history. Trump’s campaign frequently highlights moments when Biden appears lost or stumbles over his words.
When a Trump supporter at a Las Vegas rally Sunday wished the former president a happy birthday, he joked that he’d rather not be reminded.
“Don’t tell me that. … I don’t want to hear that; I don’t want to hear it,” Trump said.
After the audience sang him “Happy Birthday,” Trump quipped, “There’s a certain point at which you don’t want to hear ‘Happy Birthday.’ You just wanna pretend the day doesn’t exist.”