From CNN audio, this is the assignment. I'm Audie Cornish.

Among Democrats, it's more or less verboten to say Joe Biden should not run for re-election,

to say that the polling around how voters feel about his age is littered with red flags,

that even this late in the game, maybe Democrats should reconsider the leader of the ticket.

But this week, a new high-profile poll threw that out of the window.

The poll was from the New York Times and Sienna College, their latest poll of 2024 presidential

battlegrounds. It focused on about six battleground states. And then David Axelrod, yes, our David Axelrod, my CNN audio colleague and former

advisor to President Obama released a statement online after this polling came out, which reads in part,

quote, the stakes of miscalculation here are too dramatic to ignore. If he continues to run, he will be

the nominee of the Democratic Party. But he needs to decide

is whether that is wise, whether it's in his best interest or the countries. So as it happens,

David and I are here in New York for CNN's special election coverage. We snuck up to the studio

so I could ask him a few more questions.

David, welcome to the assignment.

Good to be with you, Audie always.

How much trouble are you in right now?

None.

I mean, you know, look, I'm at a stage in life where I don't worry about what kind of trouble I'm in.

And honestly, what was surprising to me was not.

I got, you know, a couple of notes from people.

I just got one from my 77-year-old cousin saying, I didn't know you were an agist.

But, well then.

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