Nearly 3 in 4 Americans Support Age Limits for Politicians — but What Should the Maximum Age Be?

Mar. 15, 2025

State of the Union 2022.Photo: Shawn Thew - Pool/Getty

When respondents were asked what the maximum age should be and given a list of options to choose from, 70 years old was the most popular response, receiving 40% of the votes.

CNN reported last year thatthe average ageof a U.S. senator is roughly 64, while the average age of a House member is approximately 58. CBS News notes that a third of sitting U.S. senators are 70 years of age or older.

Various earlier polls have alsodemonstratedthat age was a concern among many voters in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.Donald Trumpand his allies often used his opponent’s age as a weapon, claiming thatJoe Bidenwas too enfeebled to take office. Some even suggested that Biden suffered from dementia (which there is no evidence of).

Biden was 78 at his inaugural ceremony, making him the oldest person to be sworn in as commander-in-chief in U.S. history. Trump was previously the oldest-ever president to take office, and was 70 at his 2017 inauguration.

“I hope there’s an age limit,“Carter, who was 52 when he took office, saidin September 2019. “If I were just 80 years old, if I was 15 years younger, I don’t believe I could undertake the duties I experienced when I was president.”

The question of Biden’s age — he’ll be 81 at the time of the 2024 election — has led to speculation regarding whether he’ll run for a second term.

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“I think he’s done an incredible job and is giving us a record to run on in the 2022 election, let’s get to the 2022 election before we get to ‘24,” Maloney said whenspeaking about her earlier remarks.

She continued: “Mr. President, I apologize. I want you to run. I happen to think you won’t be running, but when you run or if you run, I will be there 100%.”

source: people.com