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Biden turns 78, officially making him oldest president-elect

Joe Biden is celebrating his 78th birthday on Friday, making him the oldest president-elect in U.S. history.

Biden is poised to become the oldest president to enter office when he is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021. Former President Reagan, who finished his two terms at age 77, previously held the record.

The president-elect is set to have a busy birthday. He started the day marking the Transgender Day of Remembrance and vowed to support the trans community during his presidency.

Biden’s presidential transition team also announced a new round of White House senior staff appointments on Friday. In the afternoon, the former vice president is set to meet with congressional Democratic leaders in Delaware, where coronavirus stimulus talks will likely be a topic of discussion.

Biden and his transition team have worked to prepare for his entrance to the White House despite a lack of support from President Trump, who has not conceded the election and whose campaign is challenging the results.

The president-elect has pushed for the General Services Administration to recognize his electoral victory, a move that would open up critical resources for his transition team heading toward Inauguration Day.

Biden leads Trump by tens of thousands of votes in key battleground states, and a manual recount in Georgia this week reaffirmed the Democrat’s win in the traditionally red state.

Still, Trump’s legal team signaled Thursday he will push ahead with challenging the election results.

Biden slammed Trump’s behavior during the transition in remarks on Thursday, asserting that the president “will go down in history as being one of the most irresponsible presidents.” 

“It’s hard to fathom how this man thinks. It’s hard to fathom,” Biden said. “It’s just outrageous, what he’s doing.”