What Happened To Joe Biden's Voice? Decades-Old Video Proves Just How Much It Has Changed

From the discourse Joe Biden and Donald Trump had about golf to their tragic hairdos, there was no shortage of memorable moments from the first 2024 presidential debate. While there were a lot of instances that stood out to viewers, there was one thing when it came to President Biden that people couldn't stop talking about — his voice.

The president took the stage and grabbed the mic ready to take on Trump, but what came out was an unexpected surprise. Biden's voice was raspy and would frequently drop in and out as he tried his best to handle the questions presented by the moderators. Biden's voice change didn't go unnoticed by those watching. One tweet that garnered nearly a million views, said, "Joe Biden's voice ran out after the first sentence #Debates2024." People were absolutely shocked by the change, suggesting it could be for a specific reason, with one person writing, "Is Joe Biden sick? Yikes. His voice is awful already." Biden's voice got so much attention that his team decided to address it.

The X user, formerly known as Twitter, may have been right about Biden being sick because a campaign source revealed to The Wall Street Journal that the president was suffering from a cold. Being sick can definitely change one's voice, but people aren't convinced that the change was only due to his illness. People are now looking back on Biden's voice over the years and a decades-old video proves how much it has changed.

Joe Biden's raspy voice was not so raspy when he was younger. A video from an ABC interview of Biden in 1972 showed how drastic the difference between his voice today and back then was.

Biden's age has been an issue his entire career. However, in the 1972 ABC interview, they were harping on the fact that he was coming in as a young 30-year-old senator, not that he was a man in his 80's vying for the presidency. Unlike today, where Biden's voice can come off a bit unclear and shaky, the younger version of him oozed with confidence, particularly when he is talking about making changes to the seniority in the Senate. He shared in the interview, "I think that seniority system has many more drawback than it has merit." Young but stern, Biden was speaking like many Americans have never heard him speak before.

In another interview from 1976, just four years later, Biden's voice continued to be bold, but you could still tell he was young. Speaking on the then-upcoming 1976 presidential debates, Biden told CBS 8 San Diego, "Well, I think he [President Gerald Ford] can benefit more because he's going in as an underdog and no one really expects the voting public — I don't think, expects him to be very sharp or quick." Throughout the interview, his voice had a youthful and eager sound that is rare nowadays.

Joe Biden went from having a confident voice to a raspy one, but is this normal? Obviously, the way you speak doesn't stay the same over the years. However, with how much Biden's voice has changed it seemed like such a shock to many. But, it is possible for your voice to go through major changes as you age. Dr. Claudio Milstein revealed to Cleveland Clinic that a change in tone later in life can be due to two major reasons. First, he says, "The most common cause of a voice change later in life is aging of the voice box and the respiratory system that powers the voice." In this case, loss of flexibility in your vocal cords can cause a shift in one's voice.

The second reason a person's tone can change is their health. Dr. Milstein shared with Cleveland Clinic, "Sometimes, a voice change can herald a developing medical problem." Many have suggested Biden is unfit for the presidency due to his declining well-being. After the 2024 debate, one person wrote on X, "If this is what Joe Biden sounds like after a FULL WEEK prepping at Camp David, just imagine how bad a normal day is. His mental state and health is far worse than we ever imagined." However, whether it's his health or simply his age that's the cause for his voice to differ, one thing's certain – Biden and his tone have changed significantly over the years.