The Obama administration considered asking Joe Biden to mentor MBS, but nixed the idea because the VP was thought to be 'too old'
- When Mohammad bin Salman started rising in the ranks of the Saudi royal family, the Obama administration considered sending an official to mentor him, according to a new book.
- In Ben Hubbard's "MBS," the New York Times reporter details how John Kerry and Ash Carter, the former secretaries of state and defense, were considered to help Saudi Arabia's crown prince.
- Joe Biden was in the running as well, "but deemed too old."
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Former Vice President Joe Biden, 77, has faced questions about his age as he runs for president this year.
While Biden's doctor maintains that he's "healthy" and "vigorous," a new book shows that Biden's age became a problem even during President Barack Obama's second term.
In New York Times reporter Ben Hubbard's new book, "MBS," about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Hubbard details how Biden was once considered for the role of the rising prince's mentor, but the administration ultimately determined him to be "too old" for the job.
When MBS started rising up the ranks of the Saudi leadership in the 2010s, the Obama administration toyed with the idea of sending an American official to the kingdom to form a relationship with the young prince, who was then defense minister.
"There was talk inside the administration of finding an 'MBS whisperer' who could mentor the young prince," Hubbard writes.
"John Kerry was suggested but was too busy. Ash Carter, the secretary of defense, was MBS's natural counterpart, but he wasn't interested. Vice President Joe Biden was discussed, but deemed too old."
Hubbard goes on to say that the idea was ultimately dropped, but that it appears the Trump administration has taken up the effort again - this time with the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The Biden campaign didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
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