Henry Kissinger, 99, unsure about elderly presidents.

Henry Kissinger Raises Concerns About Older Presidents

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has shared his doubts about older individuals running and serving as president of the United States. The 99-year-old foreign policy veteran recently told CBS News that the job of a president “takes a certain capacity, physically.”

Kissinger acknowledges that there are some advantages to maturity, but he also warns that “there are dangers in exhaustion, and a limited capacity to work” with increased age. His perspective on the presidency comes after serving as a national security adviser and then as a secretary of state for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1969 and 1977. He has also met with and advised other U.S. presidents and world leaders in the decades since. Kissinger’s perspective is also informed by his own decline over time. Kissinger is blind in one eye, has difficulty hearing, and has endured multiple heart surgeries.

Age and the Presidency

Kissinger’s assessment of how age factors into the equation comes after President Joe Biden, the oldest man ever elected to the executive office, recently announced his bid for reelection. Biden was 77 years old when elected in November of 2020 and turned 78 before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021. If re-elected in 2024, Biden will begin a second term shortly after his 82nd birthday and would be 86 years old by the end of that term in January of 2029.

Before Biden was elected, Trump was the oldest person ever elected to the office of the president. Trump was 70 years old when he was elected in 2016. Trump is also seeking a return to the Oval Office in 2024 and, if elected, would be 78 at the start of a term and 82 by its end.

Biden’s Response to Age Concerns

Trump referred to Biden as “Sleepy Joe” throughout their 2020 match-up, implying that his Democratic rival was experiencing diminished energy and cognitive decline in his advanced age. After Biden announced his reelection bid on April 25, Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley suggested Biden would be unlikely to finish his second term even if he did win reelection.

Conclusion

While age is a valid concern for presidential candidates, it is important to remember that each individual is unique and should be evaluated based on their own abilities and qualifications. As Kissinger notes, there are advantages and disadvantages to age, and it is up to voters to decide which candidate they believe is best suited for the job.

• Advantages of Age: Maturity, experience, wisdom
• Disadvantages of Age: Exhaustion, limited capacity to work, health issues