Summary and Key Points: At 81, President Joe Biden is the oldest person to serve as President of the United States. His advanced age has become a central issue in his campaign for a second term. Concerns about his physical and mental sharpness have intensified as he appears to exhibit signs of aging, such as moving clumsily and sometimes trailing off during speeches.

-Comparisons to his younger self highlight a noticeable decline, raising questions about his ability to serve another four years.

-With the average life expectancy for an American male at 77, Biden's potential second term has prompted discussions about his fitness and longevity.

At 81, Is President Joe Biden Too Old for a Second Term?

President Joseph R. Biden is campaigning for the presidency for the fourth time in his life. The first time was back in 1988, nearly forty years ago; you’d have a tough time finding someone who had presidential campaigns that spanned a four-decade period.

Of course, Biden’s distinction – having a four-decade span of presidential campaigns – is a result of his advanced age. At 81 years old, Biden is decades older than your average presidential candidate and older than your average president.

In fact, Biden is already the oldest person ever to serve as President of the United States, and he has been since the day he took office in January 2021 at the age of 78.

Citizens were raising questions about Biden’s age in 2020, albeit as more of a side conversation. However, with Biden positioning himself to win a second term extending through his 86^th birthday, the age-related side conversation has become a focal point of the campaign.

Is Biden too old to be president?

In my view, yes.

Joe Biden and the Age Debate 

Age is often used as a proxy for more important personal factors, like health, vitality, or experience.

It is a simple but somewhat lazy way to categorize a person as young/old, healthy/unhealthy, energetic/lethargic in one broad sweep, which can lead to miscategorizations.

Said another way, to an extent, age is just a number. Some 70-year-olds are sharp, mobile, and spry. Some 20-year-olds are slow and sickly.

But Joe Biden looks, feels, sounds, and acts like a full 81-years-old. He moves clumsily and uncertainly, occasionally falling and requiring assistance to get back up. He often trails off when he is speaking, like he has forgotten what was saying. Sometimes, he misspeaks entirely.

Joe Biden is clearly and obviously old – what you’d expect to find at the local nursing home, not at the White House.

Further exacerbating Biden’s current age and condition is the fact that he has been in the public eye for fifty years. So, we have reference points for what Biden was like at a younger age – and the difference is obvious; Biden used to be articulate and clear-thinking, notably more so than he is today – this is a problem because it suggests decline. Even fifteen years ago, on the campaign trail in 2008, Biden was notably younger and sharper; he has changed significantly (albeit predictably) in the last decade.

Looking ahead for Biden 

While Biden’s age may not have been an overriding factor in his first term, a second term may be another story. As mentioned above, Biden appears to be in decline – which suggests things will continue to get worse. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine that Biden will be entirely functional in another four years.

And frankly, the life expectancy for an American male is just 77 years old – an age Joe Biden exceeded four years ago. The obvious question is crude and uncouth but should be asked nonetheless: will Biden live through a second term?

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

All images are Creative Commons.