GREAT MOMENTS IN GASLIGHTING:

Shot: Biden is reluctant to accept his “old age,” aides say.

Current and former aides say Biden is extraordinarily energetic for his age. But his repeated insistence that he feels so young can draw eye rolls: Some current and former aides believe Biden doesn’t realize how old he can come across.

• In conversations with aides and friends, Biden frequently says some version of: “I feel so much younger than my age.”
• Managing Biden’s schedule and energy has become crucial to his re-election campaign, given widespread voter concerns about his ability to do the job until January 2029, when he’ll be 86.

Zoom in: Current and former Biden aides say he often pushes to do more travel and events than they think he should.

• Biden pushing up against his limits sometimes creates a cycle in which he wears himself out, then appears fatigued during public events — which can increase concerns about his age, even when he’s taking on a rigorous schedule.
• “He is his own worst enemy when it comes to his schedule,” a former Biden aide said.

Jill Biden and her team are deeply involved in the president’s day-to-day schedule.

• She often works to get him as much rest as possible, and to improve his diet.

—Axios, December 19th.

Chaser: Biden spent 37% of 2023 at a getaway spot — in Delaware, at posh vacation sites or Camp David.

Biden — who historically rode Amtrak to get out of DC when he was a senator — outpaces all recent presidents in terms of days away from Washington. George H.W. Bush was his closest competitor, spending 36% of his presidency at a getaway spot, according to calculations.

Former President Donald Trump, who liked to spend time at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, was out of town 26% of his time in the White House.

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Biden then went to St. Croix again to finish off 2023, staying for free with his “friends,” the Nevilles. The first family stayed at the resort for six days free of charge.

Their free stay is valued at over $6,000, according to the rental listing on VRBO.

The multiple free vacations during Biden’s presidency have raised questions from ethicists after he failed to disclose the trips on his annual financial forms. The gifts have been compared to the trips taken by conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with real estate billionaire Harlan Crow, sojourns which drew ire from Democrats.

—The New York Post, yesterday.