As the nation gears up for the upcoming presidential elections in November, there’s the usual frenzy of excitement about the choice facing the country. But one aspect that is crucial this time around appears to be the age of the candidates.
The two main candidates are both over 75. The Republican challenger Donald Trump currently is being 77, while the incumbent president Joe Biden is 81. Given the two-party system in the U.S. one of these two men will be president for the next fourt years. Will their age affect their performance in office? Can they complete another four-year term?
Here is all you need to know.
Will their health and physical stamina affect their performance?
Since the incidents involving senior politicians Mitch McConnell and Dianne Feinstein, people are questioning Trump and Biden’s ability to lead effectively.
Though Biden is the older candidate, he is only 3 years and few months older than Trump. With Biden being born November 20, 1942 and Trump on June 14, 1946.
However, from the perspective of voters, age and health seems to be a bigger issue for Biden than for Trump.
Currently, Biden at 81 is the oldest president in American history. If Trump gets re-elected, he’ll surpass Biden’s record and become the oldest person ever elected as president in American history.
In a survey by Pew Research center, a greater proportion of American voters believe Trump has the physical and mental competence required to be president than Biden does.
Many of these concerns are due to stories of Biden falling, him occasionally mixing up nations and dates, and making other minor errors. There have also been stories of Trump slurring words, having trouble walking, and unable to raise a water glass throughout his administration. These are also the stories prompting questions about Trump’s age.
While research has shown that age has effects on the energy levels of individuals, it’s almost impossible to say how age affects mental sharpness because aging is a very individual process.
Biden vs Trump: age and experience in US Election 2024
Although some people prefer giving young leaders a chance, many people still believe that older candidates will have had more experience in the political landscape.
They’ll have had more time to sharpen their skills, and deepen their experiences. This experience can help them easily handle political leadership. While Trump and Biden’s ages are discussed, few question their political experience.
What about their life expectancy?
It turns out that the age gap between Biden and Trump makes little difference to their chances of survival. The statistical chances favor both serving a four-year term as president.
We know this because of a demographic tool known as the life table. It is a table of age groups, often ranging from 0 to 100 years, that shows the percentages of the population at each age who survive to a later age. It is calculated using the population’s age-specific death rates.
Life table calculations show that Biden has a 63.3% chance of living until at least 86. Trump has a 73.6% chance of living to at minimum age of 82.
Of course, one or both could die, but their chances of death are significantly smaller than their chances of surviving for another four years. Overall, Trump’s chances are slightly better because he is younger.
