Democrats are downplaying Biden's history-making 80th birthday, and insist that voters only care about what he 'is going to do to make their lives better'

• Joe Biden will make history on his November 20 birthday as the first 80-year-old US president.
• But the White House doesn't want to draw attention to the day, POLITICO reports.

The White House doesn't want to draw attention to Joe Biden's upcoming birthday, even though he will make history by being the first 80-year-old in the Oval Office.

Biden is already the oldest president ever elected in the US, and his senior aides "have called around to Biden world allies to seek advice on how to best handle the date," POLITICO reports.

They plan for now to downplay the November 20 birthday and focus on his work, according to POLITICO, citing sources familiar with discussions.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates told POLITICO: "Like President Biden has said, anyone with questions about his age should just watch him: he has delivered record job creation, made NATO the strongest it has ever been, and amassed the most significant legislative record since LBJ in less than half of one term."

Biden's birthday comes amid intense scrutiny of his age, especially as he weighs whether to run for re-election in 2024. In its "Red, White, and Gray" series, Insider explored the costs, benefits, and dangers of life in a democracy helmed by those of advanced age, where issues of profound importance to the nation's youth and future are largely in the hands of those whose primes have passed.

Insider has reached out to Biden's team on whether he plans to have a prominent birthday celebration or keep it small and private, and will update this story with a response.

Aides suggested to POLITICO that a campaign kickoff for Biden would come in the first few months of next year. If he were to win, he would be 82 on Inauguration Day, breaking the record he set in 2021 as the oldest president sworn into office, and 86 upon leaving office.

But some Democrats have called for a new generation of leaders while Republicans have questioned Biden's mental acuity.

Biden sparked more criticism recently when he sought out the late Rep. Jackie Walorski during a news conference, asking "Where's Jackie." Republicans all around the country used the awkward moment to attack Biden's competency.

Jim Messina, President Barack Obama's campaign manager in 2012, told POLITICO, the average voter doesn't care about Biden's age, but instead "wants to know what Joe Biden is going to do to make their lives better."

A Red, White, and Gray-related poll showed that a majority of respondents consider Biden and presumptive 2024 Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, who is 76, to be too old to serve again.