Trump turns 80
On June 14, Donald Trump turns 80. He’ll be the second U.S. president to turn 80 in office. The first was Joe Biden.
Before the infamous June 24, 2024 debate, voters could see that Joe Biden’s White House team had swathed the then president in bubble wrap and limited unscripted exchanges. Biden, after all, won the White House after campaigning for the presidency largely from his home.
In office, Biden could not hide and voters could not unsee the shuffling figure they often saw. Notably, in 2024, Special Counsel Robert Hur announced that he would not prosecute Biden for mishandling intelligence documents because of the challenges of prosecuting a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
And who could argue?
Yes, there is irony here. On June 14, Donald Trump will become the second octogenarian POTUS — and he got there because he retook the Oval Office after slamming “Sleepy Joe” Biden, now 83, for his age-related decline.
Of course, the age issue is not just about a number — it’s about energy, focus, judgment and fluency on domestic and international matters.
Voters understood that Trump had the energy Biden lacked — which is why, when faced with a binary choice, supporters gave Trump a pass on the age question. While Biden was supposed to be the candidate with foreign policy chops, he seemed lost on the world stage. Not Trump.
The comparison with the less vital Biden lasted long enough to shield Trump when a 59-year-old Kamala Harris took the ticket.
The problem for Trump now is that after a certain age, decline can accelerate.
Eagle-eyed White House press photographers have documented swelling in his legs and bruising in his hands — and there’s video that sure looks like Trump nodding off. Here’s Jonathan Lemire talking about it on MSNOW.
Expect the presidential prospects in 2028 to favor candidates South of 65 — or at least South of 70 — as voters seek fresher figures to represent them. Look at the likely names for possible Democratic nominees. Harris. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 58, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, 48, former White House Chief of Staff and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, 66, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 66 of Minnesota.
The two biggest names in the GOP field are Vice President J.D. Vance, 41 and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 55.
In the meantime, the U.S. Senate has its share of solons who are 80-somethings, or higher.
The oldest Senator is Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, at a spry 92.
The terms for feisty Bernie Sanders, D-VT, 84, and Maine Independent Angus King, 82, do not end until 2030.
Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, 84, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., 81, are not running for re-election.
Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, 80, won re-election in 2022.
Jim Risch, R-ID, won the primary for his re-election. At age 83, Risch nonetheless is Idaho’s junior senator.
At age 79, Ed Markey (D-MA), faces a Democratic primary challenger, Rep. Seth Moulton, 47, who offers “generational change.” The Massachusetts primary falls on Sept. 1.
If he wins, Markey will be 80 when sworn into office for his third term.
This is the race to watch to see what effect, if any, that old age has on congressional candidates.
Is it an Old Man’s World? Probably not in 2028, but yes in the Senate today.
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You are right, Anne. I didn't want to make this another long list in one piece, but Kelly definitely should be on a more comprehensive list.
Reagan was a consequential presidential who left office at 77 just as his mental decline was becoming apparent. After living through both the Biden Administration and start of Trump's second term, I can't understand why anyone would ever vote for a presidential candidate again who was over the age of 72, regardless of their party label. I am reading Jill Biden's new book "View from the East Wing" to see if my harsh assessment of her role in encouraging Joe to run again is fair and fact-based. I suspect Trump would not have won a second term if Biden had honored his early pledge to be a transitional president and announced he would not seek re-election during 2023.