Does Age Matter? How Trump and Biden’s Ages May Impact the 2024 Presidential Election
Photo via Associated Press
ELISABETH MELLEN: How old is too old? As November approaches, this question circulates across America. President Biden’s age remains a central threat to his reelection, while Donald Trump, only about four years younger, does not face the same challenge.
The upcoming 2024 presidential election will feature the two oldest candidates in history. Only one candidate, however, consistently encounters criticism about their age. Joe Biden celebrated his 81st birthday last November and Donald Trump turns 78 this June. Despite their narrow age gap, voters seem far more concerned about the sitting President’s mental acuity than that of his predecessor.
A recent poll by the NYT found that 73% of registered voters felt Biden was “too old to be effective.” Similarly, a NBC Poll conducted last January found that about 75% of participants expressed concerns about President Bident’s mental or physical fitness. Comparatively, only about 50% expressed the same concerns about Trump and very few Republicans voice such reservations.
Indeed, President Biden slipped up on several occasions: he mixed up the Mexican and Egyptian presidents, referred to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the late Helmut Kohl and made reference to meeting with a French president who died over 30 years ago. Biden publicly tripped on several occasions, fell off a bicycle, and now uses the “short stairs” to get onto Air Force One. Several of Biden’s political opponents used these instances to characterize the president as weak or senile, drawing the country’s attention to his age.
In early February, Robert K. Hur released a special counsel report that referred to President Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Hur cited his interviews with President Biden, claiming he could not remember key dates of his vice presidency or the exact date of his son Beau’s death. Amid intensified attacks, the White House vehemently disputed these findings and President Biden insisted “[his] memory is fine.”
Although Trump’s age has not drawn nearly as much backlash, it appears the two candidates are evenly matched in terms of their ‘elderly’ behavior. The former president recently confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, referred to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as the leader of Turkey, and suggested that he defeated Obama in 2016. Trump claims he aced cognitive tests and denies any accusations of mental issues.
What ultimately distinguishes the two candidates, and Biden’s vulnerability, is their images. Many voters feel they can see the signs of Biden’s age. His gray hair and slimmer figure certainly contrasts Trump’s dyed blonde hair and artificial tan. While Trump’s campaign rallies typically last for an hour and feature his booming voice, Biden makes fewer and shorter public appearances. As of January, he had 86 interviews, which is significantly less than the last six presidents.
But perhaps it isn’t just Biden's image. Trump’s age may seem less important because of the other issues his campaign encounters. Trump has been indicted in four separate criminal cases, an unprecedented fate for a former president and current candidate. He denies the results of the 2020 election and endorsed the effort to oust former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in October.
Elisabeth Mellen is a Sophomore in the College studying Government. She is a Research Assistant and Congressional intern interested in the upcoming election.