Biden exit turns age question to Trump, now oldest nominee in U.S. history

U.S. President Joe Biden bowed out of the 2024 election on Sunday amid mounting pressure over his age and mental fitness. Now that he has exited the race, former president Donald Trump may see those exact same criticisms slung at him as attention turns to his own cognitive ability and past gaffes.

Trump, 78, is the oldest nominee for president in U.S. history, a title he’s likely to maintain once Democrats eventually choose their own nominee.

Biden has endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to lead the party in the upcoming election but her nomination is not yet guaranteed. The decision is set to be made at the Democratic National Convention, slated for Aug. 19-22.

Harris, 59, is the only Democrat so far vying for the nomination, but other leading Democrats might try to give her a run for her money. In bad news for Trump, all of the politicians who could stand a chance at challenging Harris are younger than him, by a lot. In fact, most are younger than Harris, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (56), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (52) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (51).

If Trump wins the election and assumes office on Jan 20, 2025, he will overtake Biden as the oldest sitting U.S. president in history — albeit by a small margin of five months.

Harris’ relative youth could be a huge bonus for the Democratic party. Instead of being on the defensive on the question of age, Democrats have the chance to turn the tables and leverage the same attacks Trump launched at Biden.

In January, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley made a prophetic statement while campaigning against Trump in the GOP primary.

“Most Americans do not want a rematch between Biden and Trump,” Haley said at the rally. “The first party to retire its