Jill Biden talks to Philadelphia donors about Joe Biden’s age

First lady Jill Biden told a room of Philadelphia donors that she knows what they’re thinking.

“I know what’s on your mind, so let’s talk about age in the election,” Biden told about 100 guests at a private fundraiser Monday evening in Chestnut Hill. “This election is not about age. Joe and the other guy are about the same age. What matters in this election is character, wisdom and ability.”

As he prepares to debate former President Donald Trump on Thursday in Atlanta, 81-year-old President Joe Biden is under constant scrutiny over his age and fitness to serve another term. The high-stakes meeting between the two presidents will be the first time in four years that both presidents will meet in the same room. For Biden, who was held at Camp David during the preparations, it is an opportunity to allay concerns about his suitability for the job. While Republicans and conservative media outlets amplified the videos to raise doubts about his acumen, Biden’s surrogates scattered across the country before Thursday.

The first lady visited Pennsylvania several times last week. She spoke about abortion during her speeches Lancaster and Pittsburgh this weekend.

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The fundraiser, which also featured singer-songwriter Carole King, raised $450,000 for Biden’s re-election campaign, according to Mike Gerber, a former state representative and co-chair of the event.

The meeting was attended by U.S. Democratic Party representatives Madeleine Dean and Brendan Boyle, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and former Governor Ed Rendell.

The first lady, who grew up in Montgomery County, referred to her upbringing in her brief remarks. “I love coming to Philadelphia for events because only you guys understand my accent,” she said. As the daughter of a Navy veteran and stepmother of the delayed Beau Biden, a former Army officer, she said Trump’s disparaging remarks about service members “really lift my spirits.”

She told the crowd of supporters to remember the feeling they felt the morning after Trump won in 2016.

“Remember waking up and saying to yourself, ‘Oh my God, what just happened?’ We cannot allow this to happen again.”