Thirty-five is the minimum age for the presidency, but there is no upward limit. The last two presidential elections brought President Biden, now 81, and former President Donald Trump, now 78according to the White House, are evidence of this political reality.
The Founding Fathers removed an upper age limit from the Constitution, allowing those in their golden years to run for the highest office in the land.
According to Pew Research, 19 inaugurations involved presidents in their 60s and only four involved presidents in their 70s. The average age for American presidents on their first day in office is 55. Vice President Kamala Harris turned 60 in October.
The 2024 election cycle once again sparked debate how old is too old for office, which accelerated after Mr. Biden went on air debate falters in June. The political firestorm led to his his decision Unpleasant step aside as Democratic candidate a few weeks later. Critics have done that too concerns expressed about Trump’s age and competence.
Here’s a look at the history of the oldest presidents – in the Oval Office and beyond:
Who were the oldest American presidents at election and in office?
The two oldest presidents ever sworn in are Mr. Biden, who was 78 when he took office in 2021, and Trump, who was 70 on his inauguration day in 2017.
Now that Mr. Biden has officially exited the 2024 race, Mr. Trump is the oldest candidate. If elected, he would eclipse Mr. Biden by a few months as the oldest president ever sworn in when he is inaugurated in January, six months before his 79th birthday.
The third oldest president at his inauguration was Ronald Reagan, who was 69 when he was sworn in in 1981. “I am not going to exploit my opponent’s youth and inexperience for political purposes,” Reagan said in 1984 as he ran for re-election. against Walter Mondale.
In fourth place is the country’s ninth president, William Henry Harrison. Harrison was elected in 1841 at the age of 68, but his term as president was short-lived. He died 32 days into his first term, making his presidency the shortest in American history.
Who are the oldest living American presidents?
Jimmy Carter, who celebrated its 100th birthday on October 1 is the oldest living former US president in history. Carter, a Democrat from Georgia, served one term, from 1977 to 1981. He In 2019, the longevity milestone was brokenat age 94, George surpassed HW Bush to become the longest-lived president. More than 1,000 people recently paid tribute to the former president benefit concert just before his 100th birthday.
After leaving office more than 40 years ago, Carter stayed busy building more than 4,000 homes for Habitat for Humanity, traveling the world to promote human rights and winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
The second oldest after Carter is Mr Biden, who will turn 82 on November 20, just weeks after the election. Three former presidents, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, all 78 years old, rank roughly third.
Complete list of US presidents, from oldest to youngest at the end of the presidency
The list ranges from the current president, who will turn 82 in the weeks after this year’s election, to John F. Kennedy, who was only 46 when he was assassinated.
- Joe Biden will turn 82 on November 20, 2024
- Ronald Reagan, 77
- Donald Trump, 74
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 70
- Andreas Jackson, 69
- James Buchanan, 69
- William Henry Harrison, 68
- Harry S. Truman, 68
- George H. W. Bush, 68
- James Monroe, 66
- George Washington, 65
- John Adams, 65
- Thomas Jefferson, 65
- James Madison, 65
- Zachary Taylor, 65
- Woodrow Wilson, 64
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 63
- Gerard Ford, 63
- George W. Bush, 62
- John Quincy Adams, 61
- Richard Nixon, 61
- Andreas Johnson, 60
- Lyndon B Johnson, 60
- Benjamin Harrison, 59
- Grover Cleveland, 59
- Martin Van Buren, 58
- Rutherford Birchard Hayes, 58
- William McKinley, 58
- Herbert Hoover, 58
- Warren G. Harding, 57
- Abraham Lincoln, 56
- Calvin Coolidge, 56
- Jimmy Carter, 56
- Chester A. Arthur, 55
- William Howard Taft, 55
- Barack Obama, 55
- John Tyler, 54
- Ulysses S. Grant, 54
- Bill Clinton, 54
- James Knox Polk, 53
- Millard Fillmore, 53
- Franklin Pierce, 52
- Grover Cleveland, 51
- Theodore Roosevelt, 50
- James A. Garfield, 49
- John F Kennedy, 46
