A Democratic former congressman who is vying for the seat of former Republican Rep. George Santos of New York distanced himself from President Joe Biden during a TV interview on Monday.
Former Rep. Tom Suozzi is seeking to retake the seat he previously held for three terms before Santos was elected in 2022.
He faces Republican Mazi Pilip in a race for New York’s third congressional district, which has been without representation since late last year when Santos was ousted from the House.
A win by Pilip could bolster the Republican Party’s narrow House majority.
During an interview on “Good Day New York” on WNYW on the eve of the election, Suozzi did not appear in a hurry to be attached to Biden, who he called “old.”
After he attacked Pilip as being too far-right for the district, Suozzi was asked by the show’s hosts about Biden’s age and whether he believed it should be disqualifying for a presidential candidate.
“I mean, the bottom line is he’s old!” Suozzi said of Biden, whose age and mental competency have been the subject of a nationwide conversation in recent weeks.
“I mean, he’s 81 years old,” Suozzi added. “We all know people — I know 81-year-old people that are in good shape, and I know 81-year-olds that are not in great shape. He’s old, and there’s no question about it.”
Will Biden be the Democratic nominee for president?
Suozzi portrayed himself as more of a centrist than a far-left Democrat and would also not commit to supporting Biden’s re-election bid.
In fact, he questioned whether Biden would be on the ballot at all in November.
“If he ends up being the Democratic candidate, I’m likely to support him, yes. We’ve got to see what happens,” Suozzi told WNYW.
“There’s all kinds of debate as to whether or not he’s going to stick it out or not,” he added. “I don’t have any inside scoop or anything like that, but, you know, let’s see what happens between now and the Democratic convention.”
Suozzi might be keeping Biden at a distance for good reason as New Yorkers struggle with an influx of illegal immigrants who have trickled into the area due to the White House’s open borders policies.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Pilip reminded those living in Queens and Long Island that Suozzi has supported protecting illegals from immigration officials.
“Get out and vote today in the special election for Congress,” she told her followers. “Only you can stop the Suozzi/Biden open borders and their sanctuary cities.”
Pilip also included a photo of her opponent posing with Biden.
