The primaries are still underway, but barring some shocking contingencies the election for the next president of the United States will be. will be a repeat of the 2020 election race: Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump. Voters will therefore be asked to choose between a 78-year-old (Trump) and an 81-year-old (Biden) – meaning that whoever wins the election on January 20, 2025 will also become the oldest person to be sworn in as US president. .A.

The average age of American presidents when they take office is 55 years old according to the Pew Research Center. The next president will either be entering or already in his eighth decade of life – to rule over a people with an average age of 38.9 years.

The age of the candidates is thus a central issue in the electoral contest – which is not particularly surprising. “There is an objective concern about age. And that’s perfectly legitimate,” Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Political Science Center, told DW. “I don’t think people should be judged solely on their age. But at the same time it is obvious that the older one is, the more likely one is to develop serious health problems or even die earlier than expected.”

President Biden has repeatedly confused the names of foreign leaders and various celebrities. Recently, when asked about the war in the Middle East, he referred to Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as the president of Mexico, while Sisi is the president of Egypt – and of course while Mexico does not border Gaza. Additionally, in his public appearances, Biden appears somewhat weaker than he did during his 2020 campaign.

“What worries people is not their age itself,” explains liberal columnist and author Ezra Klein. “But Biden’s impression of old age: his slowness and frailty.”

“Biden’s age is a problem”

Biden’s age in particular worries young voters. “I’m not 100% sure that either candidate can do the job perfectly, but Trump seems to have a better chance because he seems more ‘present,'” Zach, 26, from the Midwestern states, tells DW. “When I see Biden, sometimes I get the impression that he doesn’t understand anything that’s going on around him.”

The same is believed by young citizens who oppose Trump’s positions and would prefer Biden for president.

“I disagree with most of Trump’s positions, so Biden’s age is a problem, as he seems weaker compared to Trump,” said James G., 29, a New York resident.

“Unfortunately, I think Trump could do a better job than Biden,” said Emma Lengel, 23, of Washington. “But neither of them is an ideal candidate, and besides, Trump doing his job well will not bring positive results for the country.”

Younger candidates were unsuccessful

There were younger candidates in both the Republican and Democratic parties, but none of them managed to overcome the big names.

In the Republican camp, both the 45-year-old governor of Florida, Ron DeSandis, and the 52-year-old former governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, were considered promising. But Donald Trump managed to maintain his dominance of the party.

As for the Democrats, it would be particularly unusual for someone other than Biden, who is the sitting president, to run. The 2020 primaries featured several younger candidates, such as current Vice President Kamala Harris (age 59) and current Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (age 42). When Harris was announced as Biden’s running mate, many assumed that Biden would not seek re-election — and that Harris would succeed him. But the latter has not managed to strengthen her profile during the last four years, nor has she caused such enthusiasm in the ranks of the Democrats that the party would choose her in the elections over Biden.

Tired of indifferent politicians

Old age does not automatically mean that the candidate in question will not be able to attract young voters. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is a case in point: although he is 82 years old, he resonates with students.

Emma Lengel doesn’t think old age is necessarily a problem — but the lack of action on issues affecting young Americans is. “They must really care about our concerns,” he says. “I am very tired of all these elderly politicians who are out of touch with reality and want the credit, while at the legislative level they do virtually nothing.”

“They could be my grandparents”

In the past, however, there have been presidents who, although older, were able to connect with young voters.

“Ronald Reagan was almost 78 years old when he left the presidency,” recalls Larry Sabato. “But the young citizens supported him to a great extent. He reminded them of their grandfather as a figure.”

In Reagan’s case this was a positive thing. But today things are different. “I think I agree with some of their positions, but they’re so old they could be my grandparents,” says Zach. “And how many have the same views as their grandfathers?”

James’s point of view is similar: “Every time I see them talking, I feel like I’m watching my grandparents deal with something,” he explains. “I just nod and say ‘of course’ because I have a feeling that whatever resistance I put up, they won’t understand.”

Reporting by Janelle Dumalaon

Edited by: Giorgos Passas