It’s worth noting that while Joe Biden is indeed slightly younger than Donald Trump, the age difference between the two has been a point of discussion in recent years. When Biden was inaugurated as the oldest president in 2021, he surpassed the record previously held by Donald Trump.
Now, with both men likely to be the major party nominees once again. They are poised to make history as the oldest pair of nominees to compete in a presidential election.
Despite the minor age difference between them, recent polls indicate that voters express greater concern about whether the 81-year-old President, Joe Biden, could effectively manage another term in the White House.
This in comparison to his 77-year-old predecessor, Donald Trump. These concerns have come to the forefront following a report detailing several instances of memory lapses exhibited by Biden.
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Discussions with voters, political strategists, and other observers indicate that these concerns go beyond Biden’s older age compared to Trump. Rather, they focus on the noticeable changes in behavior and appearance of both men over recent years. However, with particular attention on Biden.
“Look at everything that’s gone on in the last three years with that dude,” says Travis Aslin, an Iowa independent who says he used to support Democrats but can’t bring himself to vote for Biden. “The word salad, the stumbling, you know, standing on a stage and looking like—honest to God, he looks like my grandfather did. My grandfather had Alzheimer’s.”
As the oldest presidential matchup in American history unfolds, issues of health and competency are bound to resurface repeatedly over the next nine months. Both campaigns will strive to portray their opponent as doddering, senile, and frail. This while presenting their own candidate as the epitome of vitality and vigor.
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The most damaging ammunition in that battle surfaced on Thursday in a report investigating Biden’s management of classified documents. Special Counsel Robert Hur, a Republican and former Trump appointee, announced he wouldn’t press charges against Biden. However, he asserted that the President struggled to recall basic details.
He further characterized him as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” The Trump campaign promptly issued a statement branding Biden as “senile.” In response, the President held an impromptu news conference, vehemently insisting, “My memory is fine,” and expressing indignation at Hur’s allegations.
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The recent attack on Biden’s mental sharpness comes after recent efforts by Biden’s team to counter Trump, who has had his own share of gaffes. A new ad from the Biden camp highlights how Trump recently mistook Nikki Haley, his last remaining opponent for the GOP nomination, for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Both Haley and Biden have leveraged recent Trump mix-ups to criticize the former President’s competence. The Biden ad even includes a clip of Haley stating, “He’s not what he was in 2016. He has declined.” Then, the video shifts to Trump’s other blunders, including his claims that he won all 50 states (he didn’t) and that you need voter ID to buy a loaf of bread (you don’t).
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