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Biden and Trump are the two oldest major-party presidential nominees ever. Does it matter?

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks after meeting with leaders of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters at their headquarters in Washington, DC.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks after meeting with leaders of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters at their headquarters in Washington, DC.

The State of the Union is past us. And now the general election is election is heating up.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden are the oldest major-party nominees ever. If re-elected, Joe Biden would be 82 on inauguration day in January of next year. Donald Trump would be 78.

That’s older than Ronald Reagan was in his 1984 re-election or Republican Bob Dole in the 1996 election against Bill Clinton.

How does this fact affect the election? What difference does it make? Is there such a thing as too old to serve in office? We talk about it.

Copyright 2024 WAMU 88.5

Michael Falero

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