McConnell, Biden lapses highlight advanced age of US leaders
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[July 28, 2023]
By Steve Holland and Heather Timmons
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's
unexplained freezeup while speaking in Congress this week is the latest
reminder that America's most powerful political leaders are much older
than many in other democracies.
Joe Biden, 80, is the oldest U.S. president to ever serve in the White
House, and nearly two decades older than the median age of the world's
national leaders, 62, Pew Research found.
While Biden is younger than 89-year-old President Paul Biya of Cameroon,
the world's oldest head of state, he could be a grandfather to Chilean
President Gabriel Boric or Sanna Marin, who stepped down as Finland's
prime minister last month. Both are 37.
Yet Biden is years younger than some members of the U.S. Congress.
McConnell, 81, stopped talking mid-sentence at a news conference on
Capitol Hill on Wednesday and stood mutely for 23 seconds until he was
led away from reporters, only to return later to report, "I'm fine."
The moment sparked worries about his mental fitness, especially after he
was hospitalized and treated for a concussion after a fall in March.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, 89, Democratic Senator Dianne
Feinstein of California, 89, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 81, are
older than McConnell.
Many congressional lawmakers are in their 70s, and the median age of the
Senate is 65.3, FiveThirtyEight calculated, the oldest ever, versus a
median age of 38.8 years in the United States as a whole.
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U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands
with U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during an
event to tout the new Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River
between Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio near the bridge in
Covington, Kentucky, U.S., January 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File
Photo
At 64, the U.S. Senate has the seventh-highest average age of any
parlimentary body, the Interparlimentary Union calculates, topping
countries with much older populations including Japan, Italy and
Greece.
Biden's advanced age has raised questions about whether he should
stand for a second term. The president recently tripped over a
sandbag on stage, walks with a careful gait and is prone to verbal
slip-ups.
He may face Donald Trump, 77, as the Republican nominee in the 2024
election. Reuters polling shows many Americans think neither should
run because of their age.
Asked about Biden's age, the White House points to accomplishments,
including the 2020 presidential election, helping Democrats stave
off loses in the 2022 elections and getting a host of legislation
through Congress as president.
Biden doesn't make the top 10 of the world's oldest currently
serving leaders, according to Pew, which in addition to Biya is led
by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, at age 87.
(Reporting By Steve Holland and Heather Timmons; Editing by Cynthia
Osterman and)
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