Donald Trump has said “only stupid people put old people” in positions on the Supreme Court – ironically letting slip that he himself is a 78-year-old running for the highest office in the US government.
It has not always been Joe Biden at the receiving end of age-related backlash, but also Trump, who will be 82 years old by the time he completes his term, if elected.
He is also, currently, the oldest nominee for president in United States history and has time and again been the target for the Democrats who have thrown doubts down his way regarding his ability to serve office.
“It’s amazing, because I got three in four years,” Trump said about his appointments to the US Supreme Court during an interview to Bloomberg. “Most people get none. Because, you know, you put them in, they’re young. You tend to put them in young.” He continued on to say, “Only stupid people put old. You know, you don’t put old in, because they’re there for two years or three years, right?”
Trump’s Supreme Court appointments, including Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, skewed younger than typical, with an average age of 50, compared to the historical average of 60.
The three Supreme Court appointees of President Trump have significantly contributed to the conservative majority in the court, leading to notable changes in federal precedents. One of the most significant outcomes of this shift is the overturning of Roe vs Wade, a landmark ruling that previously protected the right to abortion care.
When the interviewer called attention to his age being 78, Trump brushed off the question and continued to talk about his Supreme Court appointees, “So, I got three,” he responded. “A lot of presidents get none, I got three. And, uh, I think they’ve been three great choices too, by the way.”
There have been questions raised about Trump’s mental fitness for the office since he has gone on long frequent rambles at rallies, ignored or missed questions and recently, spent time swaying at a town hall instead of answering questions.
Dr. Ben Michaelis, a clinical psychologist, told The Independent that Trump is “really not in a strong cognitive place.”
“There’s a term when you’re talking about people with dementia called sundowning, it’s a lot harder for them as the day goes on,” he said, “It’s very difficult for them to maintain focus on a topic. The idea of being able to maintain that level of focus for that amount of time, that late in the day…you wouldn’t think twice about it if that was your grandfather. It’s just he happens to be running for president.”