Trump vs Biden: When seniors vie for young US voters

The party primaries are still going on, but barring a major upset, the 2024 US presidential race will be a repeat of 2020: Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump. That means that on election day, November 5, 2024, voters will likely choose between a 78-year-old in Trump and an 81-year-old in Biden. Should that be the case, the man inaugurated on January 20, 2025, would be the oldest person ever sworn in as president of the United States. The median age of previous US presidents at inauguration was 55, according to the Pew Research Center. Whether Biden or Trump wins, the president won’t be in his 50s this time around — he’ll be in or enter his 80s while in office. Meanwhile, the median age of the US population is 38.9 years, according to the US Census Bureau.

Unsurprisingly, age has become a significant factor ahead of this year’s election. “There is an objective concern about age. That’s perfectly legitimate,” Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told DW. “I don’t think people should be judged purely on their age. At the same time, it’s obvious that the older you are, the greater chance you have of having serious health problems or meeting your maker a little bit before you planned.”

President Biden has repeatedly confused the names of world leaders and celebrities. Recently, when asked about the Middle East conflict during a news conference, he erroneously referred to Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as the president of Mexico — el-Sissi is the president of Egypt, and Mexico is in North America, not the Middle East. Biden also seems less physically dynamic during public appearances than when campaigning for the presidency the last time around. “It’s not the age itself [people] are worried about,” liberal columnist and author Ezra Klein said on his podcast “The Ezra Klein Show.” “It’s the impression Biden is giving of age. Of slowness. Of frailty.” Trump is struggling with health issues, too, including being overweight. And he has had the same kind of slip-ups Biden has made. For example, he confused China and North Korea when he claimed in a speech in November that “Kim Jong Un leads 1.4 billion people.” He also mixed up his former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, and Nancy Pelosi, who was the House speaker during the second half of his lone presidential term. However, young voters who spoke with DW said they were concerned about Biden’s age in particular.

“I’m not 100% confident either [candidate] can fully do the job, but I think Trump has a better chance due to him seeming more ‘all there,’” said Zack, 26, from the Midwest, who preferred not to share his last name for privacy reasons. “Sometimes when I watch Biden, I feel like he doesn’t know what’s going on at all.”

The same worry persists among young people who oppose Trump’s policies and, given the choice between Trump and Biden, would prefer the incumbent to remain president. “I disagree with most of Trump’s politics, and, therefore, Biden’s age is a problem because, in comparison to Trump, he looks a little frailer,” said James W., 29, who lives in New York City and also opted not to share his last name.

“I think Trump could probably do his job better than Biden could,” said Emma Lengel, a 23-year-old resident of Washington DC. “But neither is ideal, and Trump doing his job well does not bode well for the US.” Both Republicans and Democrats had younger candidates in the running at one point, but none could supplant their party heavyweights. On the Republican side, both Haley, 52, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 45, were considered promising prospects as recently as 2023. But while Haley remains in the race, no Republican has been able to challenge Trump’s hold on the party.