You’ve undoubtedly heard the rumblings about President Biden and former President Trump’s age. Are they too old to assume the presidency?
Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #100 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.
So the question, are Joe Biden, born November 20, 1942, now 80, and Donald Trump, born June 14, 1946, now 77, too old to be President of the United States?
Well, to speak constitutionally, Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 states:
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.
So, are Biden and Trump too old? According to the U.S. Constitution, no, they are not tool old.
As to the natural born citizen stipulation, this is why, for example, Arnold Schwarzenegger, now 75 but born in Austria, can never run for president. Even 100-year-old former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is not too old to be president, but he’d be excluded for the place of his birth, Bavaria, Weimar Republic.
So, regarding eligibility for the presidency, the Founding Fathers were more concerned about maturity—on the young end—and citizenship, than they were about age or aging per se. The Founders left to the voters any considerations about appropriate top end age.
“The median age at inauguration of incoming U.S. presidents is 55 years.”
“The youngest person to become U.S. president was Theodore Roosevelt, who, at age 42, succeeded to the office after the assassination of William McKinley. The youngest at the time of his election to the office was John F. Kennedy, at age 43.
The oldest person elected president was Joe Biden, the nation's current president, at age 77. Biden celebrated a birthday between Election Day and Inauguration Day making him 78 when sworn into office.”
“The oldest president at the end of his tenure was Ronald Reagan at 77; this distinction will eventually fall upon Joe Biden, who is currently 80.”
“Jimmy Carter's retirement, now 42 years, is the longest in American presidential history. At age 98, Carter is also the oldest living president and the nation's longest-lived president.”
As a side note, I might also add that Mr. Carter is the most-published former president, taking this honor from Teddy Roosevelt.
“Should Biden run for re-election in 2024 and win, he would be 86 years old at the end of his second term. Former President Trump, who already announced his 2024 bid for office, would be 82 years old at the end of his second term if he were to become president again.”
“Trump was 70 years old when he took office in 2017. During his last stint at the White House, Trump faced questions about his age and health following a bout with COVID-19, which was revealed to be more severe than the former president let on at the time. If Trump were to win a second term, he’d be the second oldest president in U.S. history after Biden.”
“Both men hoping for another four years in the White House are already older than the average male life expectancy in the United States of 74.5 years of age. Each is also more than a decade past the average retirement age, 65, for American men.”
“A vast majority of Americans don’t wish to see a rematch between former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden next year, and their respective age is cited as one of the primary factors that would-be voters see as a concern. According to a recent Yahoo/YouGov survey, 67 percent of Americans, including 48 percent of Democrats, said that Biden is too old for another term; while 42 percent also said former President Donald Trump was too old to run again. In addition, a recent NBC survey found that 70 percent of the respondents said that Biden should not run again, and about half of them said that Biden’s age was a ‘major factor.’” “There are valid reasons for such concern among voters.”
Some arguments against voting for a person as President who is considered "too old" may include:
- Health Concerns: Age can be associated with an increased risk of health issues, and the demands of the presidency can be physically and mentally taxing. Concerns about a candidate's ability to handle the stress and rigorous schedule may arise.
Sometimes people note the advanced ages of many Supreme Court of the United States Justices as a comparison. But this is apples and oranges. Justices are driven between their home and office in limousines and spend their day in palatial offices with a fleet of clerks to bring them research, food, you name it, while they think and write deep thoughts on matters of the law.
Presidents also occupy an impressive office and have a fleet of staff at their beck and call, but Presidents are responsible for the security of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic, they get scary briefings every day, they regularly have to make high-pressure, high-risk decisions that put Americans in harm’s way,
they travel extensively, they meet international dignitaries, and on and on. The stress of the presidency is at quantum levels higher than anything confronted by Supreme Court Justices, so the President’s mental and physical health are of paramount concern.
- Cognitive Decline: There could be worries about cognitive decline or diminishing mental sharpness in older candidates, potentially affecting their decision-making abilities and judgment.
- Technological Disconnect: Older candidates might be less familiar with rapidly advancing technology and modern communication methods, which could hinder their ability to govern effectively in a digital age.
- Generational Disconnect: Concerns may arise about their understanding of a and connection with the concerns and needs of younger generations, leading to potential policy gaps.
- Lack of Long-Term Vision: Some may argue that older candidates might not prioritize long-term issues as much as younger candidates who have more years ahead of them.
Frankly, I don’t like it when partisans make age jokes, making fun of Biden or Trump or Nancy Pelosi or Mitch McConnell or anyone else. Aging comes to us all.
Of far greater importance, offering plenty of fodder for discussion if not also humor, are values and religious convictions, policy positions, competence, experience, and leadership qualities.
“Perhaps the most important age-related question for voters is whether there is any established relationship between age and effective leadership. The answer might seem less than satisfying but, broadly speaking, research has found mixed results.
For example, as leader age increases, research has found productivity and peer evaluations of effectiveness both increase while supervisor ratings of effectiveness slightly decrease.”
“In other words, there is no research declaring a certain number “too old,” as aging is an individual process.”
This all said, “Not since Woodrow Wilson's incapacity rendered him bedridden and all but incommunicado for the last 17 months of his presidency, has a president appeared so enfeebled. The 80-year-old Biden has fallen repeatedly. He often slurs his words to the point of inaudibility. His halting gait radiates frailty. Often aides must remind Biden where he is. Biden appears frustrated and angry at his increasing cognitive decline--forgetting the names of foreign leaders and close associates.To be blunt, Biden is one more serious fall from physical incapacity -- and a Vice President Kamala Harris' stewardship of his presidency. Apparently Democratic insiders hope Biden does not run for reelection—but by all accounts, must finish his term to prevent a Harris presidency in either 2023-4 or thereafter.”
I agree. There is the idea of a “young 80” and an “old 80.” President Biden is clearly an “old 80.” He is experiencing cognitive and physical decline before our eyes. In fact, one of the things that scares me is that he will not be able to fulfill his presidency, and, God forbid, Vice President Kamala Harris would be sworn in as President. She is younger, but she is woefully incompetent, inexperienced, an ideological leftist, and would be a danger to the security of the country.
While I can support many of Mr. Trump’s policy perspectives and in some ways, he may be a “young late-70s,” I also think former President Trump is showing signs of aging, not like Mr. Biden, but in Mr. Trump’s increasingly caustic, agitated, frenetic, unorganized, and narcissistic speech and actions.
We are blessed to live in a country that has inherited a gift of liberty, opportunity, and abundance, not perfect, because we are human, still with needs to change or improve, but nevertheless, the freest country in the world. This is why immigrants come by the thousands to our borders.
We should not squander this inheritance based on ideology, misplaced loyalty to political leaders, false premises that somehow President Biden or former President Trump are the best we can do. As citizens we need to act responsibly.
May God give us wisdom, and may God bless America.
Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com.
And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.
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