"It's a huge mistake. They're not doctors. They don't know whether Biden is physically capable of carrying out a second term or not," Lichtman said during an interview with CNN of calls to replace Biden.
"This is all foolhardy nonsense."
Lichtman has correctly predicted the outcome of almost every election over the last half century, except for the race in 2000, using a series of 13 historical factors or "keys."
The system includes four factors based on politics, seven on performance, and two on candidate personality. Lichtman said the incumbent party would need to lose six of those actors, or "keys," to lose the White House.
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Debate performance, however, is not one of the factors that determines the outcome of an election, he argued. Lichtman pointed to historical examples, including the 1984 election in which former President Ronald Reagan swept 49 states despite poor debate performances and concerns over his age.
When pressed about whether the questions surrounding Biden's age and mental acuity are "fundamentally different" than his metrics as president, Lichtman doubled down.
"Debate performances can be overcome," he said.
"At the first sign of adversity the spineless Democrats want to throw under the bus, their own incumbent president. My goodness."
Lichtman has not made his final prediction for who will win the 2024 presidential election."
