'Not a job for somebody that is pushing 80': Ron DeSantis says Biden and Trump too old for 2024 presidency
WATERLOO, IOWA: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in an exclusive one-on-one with CNN, argued that former president Donald Trump and incumbent Joe Biden are too old to run for another term of the presidency.
The 45-year-old Republican candidate told Jake Tapper during the 'State of the Union' talk show that the presidency is "not a job for somebody that is pushing 80."
DeSantis believes Trump, who is 77, and Biden, who turned 81 on November 20, are far too old compared to him.
"I just think that that's something that has been shown with Joe Biden. Father Time is undefeated. Donald Trump is not exempt from any of that," said the White House hopeful.
He also discussed various topics, including Trump, Biden, the Israel-Hamas war, and Elon Musk.
Less than two months before the 2024 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses, which will take place on January 15, 2024, the Florida governor continues to trail behind Trump.
Ron DeSantis believes Donald Trump and Joe Biden are unfit for a second term
DeSantis noted, "Trump would actually be older on January 20th, 2025, than Biden was on January 20th, 2021."
The governor then took a dig at the former president, saying he is not the same person anymore as he was in 2015 or 2016 when he "would show up on the debate stage" and "he'd barnstorm."
He noted that now Trump is "wedded to the teleprompter, he is not willing to debate, he is running on many of the same things he promised to do in 2016 and doesn't deliver." DeSantis also indirectly challenged Trump to show up for debate and defend his records and decisions.
For him, the confidence over his age makes him the ideal presidential candidate from the Republican Party. DeSantis stated that he is in the "prime of his life." "I'll go in day one. I'll serve two terms, deliver big results, and get the country moving again."
Netizens react to Ron DeSantis's 'too old' statement
Age has become the central theme of the 2024 presidential campaign. Though DeSantis points it out as a significant issue of the nation, social media has a divided opinion on the issue. While one half is concerned about Trump's and Biden's age, the other half is looking into their performance as presidents.
One user commented on CNN's YouTube video stating, "Ron says voters wanna young person like him as president,not someone old But oldmen Trump and Biden are away ahead of him in popularity."
Another user noted, "I know President Biden isn't too old for the job he's been a better President than any president since FDR. What the media should be asking is why is he so effective at his age and how come younger Presidents never got the job done."
"Both Trump and Biden are too old to run. We all know that's the truth, but few will admit it," stated a user.
A fourth user said, "He may not be too old but not wise enough for his age."
Another user said, "I like DeSantis and Trump really, and to me age is an issue, whether or not it applies to Trump in this case or not in terms of neural degeneration. A gerontocracy will certainly gum up the works though."