Current president Joe Biden has recently announced that he will be running for reelection in the 2024 presidential election. This has striked much controversy throughout both the Democratic and Republican parties. While many have concerns about his agenda, there are also concerns about the fact that, if elected, Biden will be 81 years old on inauguration day — the oldest president ever to hold office. Another candidate in the 2024 presidential election is former president Donald Trump, who will be 77 on inauguration day. 

In these past two presidential elections, we have had the oldest presidential candidates ever elected to office. According to Census.gov the average age of all American citizens is 38.8 years old, so why is the person they vote for so much older than the average citizen? Why has it become so accepted in American politics to vote for a person who is not even near the same age as the average voter?

Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are running in the 2024 election. While both candidates have many different qualifications that can help them within the job, they do not understand the everyday lives of the general public. It is time for a president who is up to 40 years older than the average citizen to come to an end. 

According to Independent, in a book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward, Woodward references a conversation between Trump and an unnamed friend in which Trump gave this friend some advice about women: “You’ve got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women. If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you’re dead…You’ve got to be strong. You’ve got to be aggressive. You’ve got to push back hard. You’ve got to deny anything that’s said about you. Never admit.” 

This demonstrates one of the many instances where Trump is just out of touch with some of the things that are not acceptable in today’s society. With the #MeToo movement, as well as many other women’s rights activists having a platform in society, it is unacceptable for a president to say such things. 

Former president John F. Kennedy was 43 when he was elected to office, the youngest ever, and to this day he is known for many of his successes and continuous popularity. A person must be at least 35 years old to run for president and must have been a United States resident for at least 14 years. While there have also been many successes from presidents who are on the older side, this does not work for modern society. Society is changing so fast, and changes brought about by the increased influence technology has had on society is not to be taken lightly.

Towards the end of  Ronald Reagan’s presidency, many suspected him of displaying some early signs of Alzheimers, and while these claims have not been substantiated by doctors, it is still a concern that must be addressed when electing older presidents to office. According to the National Institute on Aging, for those who have late onset Alzheimer’s, their symptoms begin to show as early as mid to late 60s. Alzheimer’s is a cognitive disease, meaning it affects the way people can think and retain information. The president is the highest ranking official in America, and we can not have the person who is in charge of making the most important decisions for America impaired.

Both President Biden and former President Trump are too old to truly understand and sympathize with the experiences that many average Americans are facing. While there is a minimum age that a person must be to run for president, I suggest that there should also be a maximum age. I do not think a person above 63 should have the ability to run for president, as this is the average age of retirement according to Forbes. 

“I think the ideal president should be probably around 40 years old because they have enough life experience to be president, but are still young enough where they can relate to a majority of the population and what they are going through,” junior Charlotte McGregor said.  

According to Pew Research Center the average age of current national leaders is 62, and in a majority of countries the leader is significantly older than the average age. It is time for America to take a leap forward and have a president that can truly embody the wants and needs of many average citizens. A president is supposed to have an understanding of what is happening in the world, and the proper experiences to back it up, so it is time to lower the age of presidents in order to move America forward.