To run for president, candidates must be at least 35 years old. But there is no upper age limit for the U.S. presidency. This year’s election features two of the oldest candidates in history, leading some to question what age is the right age to be leader of the world’s richest and most powerful country.
Questions have been raised, in particular, about President Joe Biden’s age and fitness for duty, as he is 81 and, if elected, would complete his second term at age 86. The special counsel’s report, released in February, described Biden as an “elderly man with a frail memory” who suffers from attention deficit disorder.
Biden’s debate performance, in which he spoke in a quiet, raspy voice early on and appeared to struggle to produce clear, coherent answers, only served to intensify these doubts.
However, former President Donald Trump, 78, is just three years younger than Biden.
According to Census Bureau data, the average retirement age in the United States is 65 for men and 63 for women. Most jobs have no mandatory retirement age, and federal law protects workers from age discrimination.
Age restricted jobs
Occupations with a mandatory retirement age are generally government professions such as the military or police, or professions that are considered physically or mentally demanding. For example, airline pilots are required to retire at 65 and air traffic controllers at 56, although there are some exceptions and people can retire as young as 61.
Federal law enforcement officers, national park rangers and firefighters must retire at age 57, but can do so at an earlier age if they have fewer than 20 years of service.
Police and firefighters’ retirement plans require members to retire at age 65. Many states have set mandatory retirement ages for judges; in New Jersey, state supreme court justices must retire at age 70.
Other elected officials have served well beyond the ages of Biden and Trump, including Rep. Bill Pascrill Jr. of New Jersey, who is 87 and won his 15th House seat in the Democratic primary for the 9th Congressional District.Number Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky won reelection by 86 points and Rep. Maxine Waters of California won reelection by 85 points, both by 54 points earlier this month.
In the Senate, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa is the oldest serving senator at age 90. Until her death in September 2023 at age 90, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California will be the oldest serving senator, and she faced repeated questions about her age and reports of declining capacity in her final years in office.
Age limit for US president supported by US public
A Pew Research Center survey last year found that 79% of Americans support age limits for elected office in Washington, D.C. It also found that 74% of respondents support age limits for Supreme Court justices.
But some see calls for compulsory retirement because of age as discriminatory and somewhat arbitrary. Everyone has different capabilities when they reach 80. Older politicians often bring their years of experience to bear on decision-making.
While setting a maximum age limit for elected office in Washington would likely require a constitutional amendment, presidential terms are already limited to four years.
But as the November election approaches, the debate over politicians’ age is likely to intensify.
