‘The Presidency is Not a Job for Someone That’s 80!’ DeSantis Calls Biden AND Trump’s Age a ‘Legitimate Concern’
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) believes the ages of 80-year old President Joe Biden and 77-year-old former President Donald Trump are a “legitimate concern” — as it relates to the 2024 campaign.
In an interview for the CBS Evening News — which began airing Tuesday and will continue Wednesday — anchor Norah O’Donnell confronted DeSantis on the subject of age.
“Should voters worry about the ages of President Biden, and former President Trump?” O’Donnell asked.
“Absolutely legitimate concern,” DeSantis declared. “The presidency’s not a job for someone that’s 80 years old!
The Florida governor argued the Founding Fathers, if given a mulligan, would prohibit older candidates from running for office.
“You’re talking about a job where you need to give it 100 percent,” he said. “We need an energetic president. And I think that if the founders could kind of look at this again, I do think they probably would have put an age limit on some of these offices.”
FIRST LOOK: @GovRonDeSantis tells @NorahODonnell, “The presidency isn’t a job for someone that’s 80 years old…I think there’s going to be a lot of Americans that are going to want to see a generational passing of the torch.”
See the interview tonight on @CBSEveningNews at 6:30… pic.twitter.com/UibXUcXVch
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) September 12, 2023
Former President Trump, who currently holds a big lead on the governor nationally, has bristled at criticism of his age. In posts to Truth Social on Monday, Trump lashed out at the Wall Street Journal for polling voters about the subject.
“In a phony and probably rigged Wall Street Journal poll, coming out of nowhere to softened the mental incompetence blow that is so obvious with Crooked Joe Biden, they ask about my age and mentality. Where did that come from? A few years ago I was the only one to agree to a mental acuity test, & ACED IT. … I hereby challenge Rupert Murdoch & Sons, Biden, WSJ heads, to acuity tests! I will name the place and the test, and it will be a tough one. Nobody will come even close to me! We can also throw some physical activity into it. I just won the Senior Club Championship at a big golf club, with many very good players. To do so you need strength, accuracy, touch and, above all, mental toughness.”
DeSantis, for his part, preferred to focus on a potential general election match-up.
“If Biden’s the Democrat nominee, I’m the Republican nominee, I think there’s going to be a lot of Americans who are going to want to see a generational passing of the torch,” DeSantis said.
Watch above, via CBS.
