For Biden, Trump, is age just a number?

By Andrea Lahrssen Comenges

Gulliver Preparatory School/Montage

Uneasiness pervades the 2024 electorate as the campaign advances, highlighting the candidates’ advancing ages.

The presidential contenders, including all except one of the third-party candidates, are all 70 and older. The youngest, Chase Oliver, the Libertarian nominee, turns 39 in August.

Questions arise about Joe Biden’s and Donald Trump’s candidates’ ability to do one of the hardest jobs in the world, and whether they should retire and stick to comparing their golf swings. Biden, at 81, is already the oldest president in U.S. history. If Trump, 78, wins a second term, he would be the second oldest president.

One of the main concerns of having older candidates is the natural decline of cognitive ability as the hu- man mind ages, and whether this can hinder decision making, memory, and the overall sharpness one needs to run the United States of America.

“From a psychological point of view, elders can be perfectly mentally able, and ageism could be an issue if an age limit is placed,” said Thomas Timko, a psychology instructor at Gulliver Preparatory in Pinecrest. He recommends that cognitive tests could be used to filter eligibility.

In a July 5 interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Biden ruled out taking a cognitive test or submitting to an independent medical examination to determine if he has any neurological conditions. Biden continues to come under scrutiny following his poor June 27 debate performance.

Trump also has faced questions about his age, health and cognitive skills, including his assertion that he performed well on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a test he said he took when he was president.

The Washington Post politics reporter Sabrina Rodriguez said she is aware of young voters’ concerns about this year’s candidates.

“Younger voters definitely bring up the issue of the candidates’ ages a lot and tend to say that they feel disconnected from politics,” Rodriguez said in a telephone interview with Montage.

“Younger voters definitely bring up the issue of the candidates’ ages a lot and tend to say that they feel disconnected from politics.”

Sabrina Rodriguez, Politics Reporter, The Washington Post

Camila Vallecillo, a senior at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, said the prime age for a president should be between 30 and 60, a time when a person has more physical energy.

“Trump and Biden right now are in like retirement age,” Vallecillo said. “In any other workforce they would probably already be retired.”

Ariella Zecchini, an intern in U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s office, said while a candidate’s age and performance can impact voter opinion, she advises candidates, old or young, to address topics young people care about.

“Although I am passionate about politics and pursuing this industry professionally, it’s rare to see the top- ics that I am most concerned about be thoroughly addressed in higher offices,” Zecchini said.