Joe Biden turns 82 years old, a first for a sitting US president

(Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden turned 82 years old on Wednesday, an age milestone never before reached by a sitting commander in chief.

The president had no public events on his Wednesday calendar, having returned from a South America trip late Tuesday night.

Family, friends and colleagues, including first lady Jill Biden and former President Barack Obama, paid tribute to the Democrat on social media.

“Happy birthday to my dear friend and our incredible president, Joe Biden,” Vice President Kamala Harris posted on X.

Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race in July in part because of voters’ belief that he was too old for the job and questions about his mental fitness following his faltering debate performance against Republican Donald Trump in June.

Trump, 78, defeated the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, 60, in the Nov. 5 election. Trump is slated to surpass Biden’s age record in his next term; he will be 82 years and seven months at the time of the next presidential transition in 2029.

Ronald Reagan previously held the record of oldest sitting president, having completed his second four-year term at age 77.

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter; editing by Jonathan Oatis)