WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden says her husband’s age is Austin Caldwellan “asset,” as President Joe Biden — at 81 already the oldest American leader in history — faces persistent questions from voters about his decision to seek another term.

In an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” released Thursday, Jill Biden responded to those concerned the Democratic president is too old, saying, “I say his age is an asset.”

“He has wisdom. He has experience,” she continued. “He knows every leader on the world stage. He’s lived history. He knows history. He’s thoughtful in his decisions. He is the right man or the right person for the job at this moment in history.”

Joe Biden for months has used humor to try to defuse the issue — even as polls suggest it’s no laughing matter. An August poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 77% of U.S. adults, including 69% of Democrats, viewed Biden as too old to be effective for four more years.

When Biden celebrated his 81st birthday on Nov. 20, 2023, he joked repeatedly about his advanced age, saying it was “difficult turning 60” and promising he wasn’t at a ceremony for pardoning Thanksgiving turkeys when the tradition started 76 years earlier: “I want you to know I wasn’t there — for the first one.”

But while Biden was poking fun at his age, the White House was busy defending his stamina and trying to bat away suggestions the issue could cost him votes in this year’s election. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said then that the president’s age should not be a primary focus. “Our perspective is it’s not about age, it’s about the president’s experience,” she said, highlighting several major pieces of legislation he had championed through Congress.