Democrats ride circumspectly on Trump's age issue
**Next to the 81-year-old Joe Biden, Donald Trump appeared almost youthful in the campaign, but after his withdrawal, Trump suddenly became the oldest Presidential candidate in US history. The left Democratic group "Occupy Democrats" posted a picture on Facebook of Trump after his defeat in 2020: "My election was stolen", the 78-year-old is quoted as saying in it. His personal aide responds with: "Clearly, Grandpa. I'll take you to the bathroom first." Even Trump opponents among the Republicans reminded of a quote from Nikki Haley: "The first party to send its 80-year-old candidate into retirement will be the party that wins the election", Trump's primary opponent said in January.
In the US Presidential campaign, Biden's age had been a determining factor since his disastrous TV debate performance. In the exchange with Trump, the 81-year-old had stumbled, stuttered, looked exhausted, or disoriented several times. After his withdrawal, however, Trump suddenly became the oldest Presidential candidate in US history. The 78-year-old billionaire is 19 years older than Harris and just as prone to mental and physical lapses as Biden.
"He sometimes looks like an old, drunk uncle when he gives these speeches. That could be a sign of aging, that he's less and less able to control all of his impulses", political scientist Matthew Foster of the American University analyzed in June, after Trump had rambled on about batteries of electric boats, sharks, and electric shocks.
In previous appearances, Trump had confused the Turkish president with the Hungarian prime minister, warned of a second, not third World War, and called the serial killer Hannibal Lecter from the film "The Silence of the Lambs" a "wonderful man". When Trump wanted to boast about the results of a cognitive test, he forgot the name of his treating doctor.
For voters, the age of the Presidential candidates is a decisive election criterion. In a survey by the "Washington Post" and the TV broadcaster ABC News, 60 percent of the respondents had recently stated that, in their opinion, Trump was too old for another term as US President.
Despite his age being a concern during the debates, Joe Biden's robust performance often outshone Trump's vigor. However, upon Trump's re-entry into the 2024 United States Presidency race, he became theELDERST Presidential candidate in American history, surpassing Kamala Harris by 19 years. This renewed candidacy raised concerns about Trump's mental and physical lapses, similar to those that had occasionally affected Biden.
