How Old Is Too Old? Age And The 2024 Election

Diane Rehm: On My Mind

How old is too old to be president? It’s a question many Americans are asking as Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off for the office.

President Biden is 81. Over the last four years, his hair has thinned, his gait has stiffened. And the media, not to mention his opponent, have pounced on his verbal gaffes, like when he mixed up the presidents of Egypt and Mexico, or when he seemed to momentarily forget the name of “Hamas.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is 77 and has experienced his own memory lapses, including when in a recent speech he said “Nikki Haley” was in charge of security on January 6th, when he clearly meant Nancy Pelosi.

“I wish we could separate our conversation about age and competency,” says Tracey Gendron, an expert on aging and author of the book “Ageism Unmasked.” She says that these issues with recall do not necessarily signify any underlying cognitive issues, but could happen to anyone, though admittedly increase as we age.

Tracey Gendron joins Diane on this episode of On My Mind to talk about memory, mental competency, and why she feels our conversation about age this election season is missing the mark.