On June 27, 2024, President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump had what was meant to be their first debate of the 2024 election cycle on CNN. President Biden immediately appeared stiff, distant, and lost. His voice was hoarse, he often lost his train of thought in the middle of sentences, and he tended to stand with his mouth hanging open when not talking. To viewers, he appeared old and frail. The debate marked the metaphorical end of his re-election bid. The rapid backlash to his dismal performance caused the actual end of his bid on July 21, less than a month later.
President Biden is not the only politician to suffer a public relations nightmare due to an age-related incident. Senator Mitch McConnell froze in the middle of two press conferences in 2023 and fell twice in February 2025, resulting in him being placed in a wheelchair. Similarly, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi fell while on an official trip in Europe in December 2024, resulting in her needing hip surgery. The stories of elderly members of Congress falling and injuring themselves have seemed to be printed and published constantly over the past few years. However, the most startling story about an elderly member of Congress in recent months is that of Texas Rep. Kay Granger. In July of 2024, the congressmember vanished from the House floor. In fact, outside of a showing in November to “take part in her portrait unveiling in honor of her time on the Appropriations Committee,” Granger had not been seen at all. It was not until December that reporters from The Dallas Express located her at a memory care facility in Fort Worth. Her son soon confirmed to reporters that she had been there for months due to “dementia issues.”
Career politicians who have long aged out of the ability to properly fulfill their duties to their constituents are a plague upon American politics. Even after the ousting of President Biden, Washington, D.C., seems resistant to ushering in younger voices into prominent positions.
By the end of his term, President Trump will be the oldest person to ever serve as president. Polling shows Americans are increasingly worried about his age and possible mental decline as a result of that. As president pro tempore of the United States Senate, 91-year-old Chuck Grassley is currently fourth in line to the presidency.
An NBC News poll revealed that 65 percent of registered Democrats want the Democratic Party to do more to oppose President Trump’s agenda. This opposition has proven difficult following Rep. Gerry Connolly’s appointment as a ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. Connolly, a 75-year-old with cancer, was chosen over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the position after Pelosi reportedly backed the senior congressmember. As the most powerful Democrat on the committee, Connolly is tasked with upholding its mission: “ensuring the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the federal government and all its agencies.” As the Trump administration blatantly defies federal and international laws, Connolly is nowhere to be found. His age and illness are no doubt part of the reason he is struggling to maintain a meaningful presence on the committee.
Additionally, the number of aging members of Congress dying while in office is concerning. In March of 2025, Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-T.X.), 70, and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-A.Z.), 77, passed away just nine days apart, only two months into the session. Given the slim margins in the 119th Congress, every congressmember’s presence and votes are vital.
The limitations, both physical and mental, of aging are impeding elected officials’ ability to get meaningful work accomplished and, as a result, drag down their entire coalition. Even when some change appears to be occurring, such as when Mitch McConnell stepped down from his long-held position of Republican Senate leader and when Nancy Pelosi resigned her position of Speaker of the House, the pace of this change has been far too slow. Given the current political climate of moving fast and breaking things, there is simply no time to wait around for a politician to wake up one morning and decide they are ready to retire.
Americans are overwhelmingly exhausted by elderly politicians slowing down the political machine. Nearly 80 percent of voters support term limits for members of Congress. Selfishness and a lust for power and influence have prevented aging politicians from accepting that their usefulness has run out and that the American people not only need but also deserve new, better, and more youthful leadership.
The Zeitgeist aims to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board.
