Biden, Trump, Whitmire, Jackson Lee and many other elderly politicians won’t retire
When former President Bill Clinton showed up at the White House in early 2023, he was there to join President Joe Biden to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act. It was hard to avoid the fact that it had been three decades since Clinton was in office — yet at 77, he’s somehow three years younger than Biden.
Biden, now 80 years old, is the first octogenarian to occupy the Oval Office — and his main rival, former President Donald Trump, is 77. A Monmouth University poll taken in October showed that roughly three-quarters of voters think Biden is too old for office, and nearly half of voters think Trump is too old to serve.
My former boss, President George H.W. Bush, happily chose not to challenge Clinton again in the 1996 election. If he had run and won, he would have been 72 at the 1997 inauguration. Instead, he enjoyed a great second act filled with humanitarian causes, skydiving and grandchildren. Bush’s post-presidential life, and American ideals of retirement in general, raises the question of why these two men, Biden and Trump — who are more than a decade and a half beyond the average American retirement age — are stepping forward again for one of the hardest jobs in the world.
No wonder the word “gerontocracy” keeps popping up.
Teen Vogue recently defined the term in a story for younger voters, explaining it as “government by the elderly.” Gerontocracies are more common among religious leadership such as the Vatican or the ayatollahs in Iran. They were also common in communist ruling committees such as the Soviet Politburo during the Cold War. Usually, they’re less common in democracies.
But these days, Biden and Trump aren’t the only aging leaders in the U.S. It’s a bipartisan trend: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, is 72, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, is 81.
Every one of the 20 oldest members of Congress is at least 80, and this is the thirdoldest House and Senate since 1789.In the Houston mayoral runoff, John Whitmire is 74, and Sheila Jackson Lee is 73.
What’s going on here?
Most baby boomers who delay retirement do so because they can’t afford to stop working, due to inflation or lack of savings. But all of these political leaders would enjoy government pensions and health care benefits in addition to Medicare. So for them, it’s not likely financial.
One theory is that it’s denial. No one likes to be reminded of their own mortality. I know people who equate retirement with death, often because of others they know who have passed away just after stepping down. That may help explain why both Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stayed so long on the job, dying while still in office at age 90 and 87, respectively.
For others, it’s identity driven. Many of the senior leaders I’ve seen have worked so hard for so long that their entire identity is tied to their jobs. Plus, years of hard work means they don’t have hobbies to enjoy in their remaining years.
Another theory is ego.
Some lawmakers think they’re indispensable — that they’re the only ones who can possibly do the job. They’re not exactly humble.
In the political world, their interest is often about power as well. These are the types who think: Why wouldn’t I want to keep casting deciding votes in Congress, or flying around on Air Force One and telling myself I’m saving democracy? It’s easy to see why so few of them want to walk away.
There have been calls to impose age limits for federal elected office. After all, federal law enforcement officers have mandatory retirement at 57. So do national park rangers. Yet the most stressful job in the world has no upper age limit.
For those who think mandatory retirement is ageist and arbitrary, there are other options, like compulsory mental competency tests for elected leaders who are 75 and older. A September poll shows huge majorities of Americans support competency testing. That way, the public would know who was sharp and who was not. Sounds like a fine idea to me.
So does having the generosity to step aside and think of others. And having the wisdom to realize that life is short and about more than just going to work.
My colleague, professor Larry Sabato at the University of Virginia, puts it well: “I’m 70, so I have great sympathy for these people: 80 is looking a lot younger than it used to, as far as I’m concerned. But no, it’s ridiculous. We’ve got to get back to electing people in their 50s and early 60s.” And the polling shows that most Americans would say, “Amen, brother.”
Mary Kate Cary is an adjunct professor of politics and director of Think Again at the University of Virginia. She served as White House speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to early 1992. A version of this piece first appeared in The Conversation.