It is universally agreed upon that leaders should be strong, fearless, and ready to fight for their beliefs. United States President Joe Biden exhibits the traits of a successful leader with one exception: his age. President Biden is 78 years old. He is the oldest person to assume the presidency, taking the oath two months after his 78^th birthday. Age can affect a president’s ability to lead the country. The risk of disease and death is much higher in elderly people compared to younger people. It can also be said that President Biden’s age has led him to be “out of touch” with younger generations. There should be an age limit for presidential candidates when running for office.

Recently, President Biden reminded the United States of his age and weariness. A viral video of President Biden falling on the Air Force One stairs has brought the issue of his age to the forefront. Presidents are supposed to represent strength, and they should present themselves as invincible in representing the nation. Senior Tess Rechtweg said, “The last couple of years, we’ve seen older and older presidents who do not understand the current socioeconomic climate as much as the younger generation. Our last president and current president both broke the record for the oldest president at their time of inauguration. I think that a majority of Americans have been concerned about their age.”

United States citizens want to perceive their country’s president as a capable leader, not an elderly man who struggles to climb stairs. This incident has led to a mockery of President Biden. Saturday Night Live, a popular comedy program, created a skit that highlighted the weakness of an ailing leader.

The potential for President Biden to fall ill because of his age is high. Although he has proven himself to be healthy relative to his age through health checks, the prospective of illness later in his presidency is entirely possible. According to the Frontiers in Public Health journal (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), visual impairment is increased in individuals over the age of 75. There are also risks of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, etc., over this age. Although President Biden has proven himself to be healthy relative to his age, this is subject to change as his presidency progresses.

Younger generations worry about President Biden’s ability to recognize the younger demographic and prepare for changes that will affect them. Senior Ryan Marrione commented, “I believe there should be [an age limit on the United States presidency]. Though this is not a matter of age and medical degeneration, it is a matter of generational age. The older a politician is, it is likely that they may be less and less absorbent of the times and appropriate behaviors. The same goes for career politicians in Congress.” Junior Deirdre McCartney agreed with Marrione, stating, “Yes, I do believe there should be an age limit on the presidency. To be frank, older people struggle with ‘keeping up’ with changing generations. They do not adapt well.”

There should be an age limit on the United State’s presidency. The risks of disease later in President Biden’s term is daunting. Young people worry about his ability to recognize issues in younger generations. Presidents should be young, spry, and adaptable.