Democrats are prejudiced against the elderly – a strange stance in an era when advances in medicine have people living longer and healthier lives than ever before.Show Caption
President Donald Trump turns 80 on June 14. If I could grant him one wish on his birthday, it would be this: that he could have a good laugh at just how much the news media has obsessed over his age. He is a healthy, robust leader of the free world, and the fixation is weird, discriminatory and much ado about nothing.The media has spent years obsessing over Trump's age – every bruise, verbal stumble and reported "nap." The Washington Post reported June 10 that Trump now sees "22 medical specialists," but that the White House hasn't explained why. A May 27 Daily Beast headline blared: "Trump, 79, Desperately Tries to Cover Bruised Hand After Hospital Trip."The implication is that Trump must be unwell – though even the healthiest 80-year-olds show natural signs of aging, like bruising, and see a bevy of doctors.On June 9, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel mocked Trump for allegedly dozing off during Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs: "He became the first sitting president to shut down a major United States city so he could take a nap in front of a sold-out crowd at the NBA Finals."I have no idea if Trump napped during the game or not, but I do know this: If I were almost 80 and tasked with the 24/7 grind of being commander in chief, I'd probably sneak in a cat nap at a basketball game, too – even if only to give comedians something to work with.Democrats are prejudiced against the elderly. Newsflash: People age.The ongoing obsession with Trump's age sends a clear message: Democrats are prejudiced against the elderly – a strange stance in an era when advances in medicine have people living longer and healthier lives than ever before. Ageism, as liberals call it, has been a Democratic tool against Republicans before.Trump and Ronald Reagan share at least one thing: Reagan was nearly 78 when he left the Oval Office in 1989. Like Trump, Reagan faced questions about his health and cognitive abilities early on – scrutiny that only intensified as he headed into his second term.Five years after leaving the White House, Reagan publicly disclosed his Alzheimer's diagnosis in a 1994 letter to the American people – prompting historians and medical researchers to comb his speeches for early signs of cognitive decline.Even after a presidency widely regarded as a success, natural aging and a common illness made him a target. He lived another decade. History still ranks him among the best presidents ever.At 80, President Trump is doing just fineTrump is older now than Reagan ever was in office, and yet by most measures he is more dominant, more active and more in command of the political moment than Reagan was in his final years.He logged almost 500 press-related interviews or Q&As in 2025 alone, with a schedule averaging roughly 21 meetings, calls or public events per day. Whatever you think of his politics, the pace he maintains at 80 is remarkable. I should hope to have that kind of energy.Age is relevant, and I understand the appeal of a youthful, vibrant president. Barack Obama and George W. Bush come to mind – both projected an energy that felt reassuring, even as both visibly aged under the pressures of the office. But on Election Day 2024, neither party had a candidate under 60.On Trump's 80th birthday, coverage of his age seems less about assessing his fitness for office than about confirming a conclusion already reached: that he is simply too old for the job. This is partisan bias, not objective journalism. If Trump shows genuine signs of declining health, the public deserves to know. But in the absence of that, the media pile-on is discrimination dressed up as concern.In a 1984 presidential debate against Democratic nominee Walter Mondale, Reagan neutralized the age question with characteristic wit. When asked if he could handle the pressures of the presidency, he replied: "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."It remains one of the most memorable lines in debate history.Happy Birthday, Mr. President. May you laugh at the obsession as easily as Reagan did – and enjoy the occasion.Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
