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."
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