Downward angle icon Downward angle icon. Donald Trump (78) is currently the oldest candidate in the presidential race. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump, at 78, is currently the oldest candidate in the presidential race. Joe Biden (81) dropped out of the race on Sunday to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris (59). Harris’ age could give her an advantage over Trump if she becomes the Democratic nominee.
With President Joe Biden withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump, at 78, is now the oldest candidate for the presidential election of a major party.
Biden, 81, was already the oldest president in U.S. history when he was inaugurated at age 78. Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden has endorsed as his successor, is 59. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 70, is also campaigning as an independent, but his chances of winning are slim.
Concerns about the president’s age were raised after Biden’s poor performance in the first presidential debate in June, when he appeared weak and struggled to come up with coherent answers. After weeks of Democratic lawmakers and donors urging him to drop out of the race, Biden announced he would not run for reelection but would endorse a running mate.
Vice President Kamala Harris is nearly 20 years younger than Donald Trump. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Harris still has to win her party’s nomination, but she is 22 years younger than Biden and 19 younger than Trump. Whereas age has been Biden’s biggest weakness, Harris’ relative youth could be an advantage in the race, helping Democrats counter arguments that Biden is too old to lead and giving them an edge against Trump.
Harris’ candidacy marks a major departure from the gerontocracy that has long dominated American politics. Under Biden, Congress is older than it’s ever been: Nearly one in four members of Congress is in their 70s or 80s, and while 50% of Americans are under 40, only about 5% of Congress is under 40, according to Business Insider’s 2022 “Red, White, Gray” survey.
Delegates will formally select the nominee at the Democratic National Convention in August, but Harris has already garnered endorsements from leading figures including former President Bill Clinton, 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
