Former Senator Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, has waded into the intensifying national debate over geriatric leadership, declaring that octogenarians have no business running the country. In an interview published Wednesday with the Deseret News, the 77-year-old former presidential candidate explicitly endorsed the growing voter sentiment that the nation's highest offices should be held by a younger generation.
“I basically think people who are 80 and above really should not be running the world or running the country,” Romney told the Deseret News, pointing to research on cognitive decline. He cited journalist Bill Bryson’s book “The Body,” which notes that the human brain shrinks by about 20 percent by age 80.
Romney’s remarks come as both President Donald Trump, who turned 80 last month, and former President Joe Biden, 82, have faced persistent questions about their fitness for office. Voter anxiety over age was a defining theme of the 2024 campaign. Biden ultimately withdrew from his reelection bid after a disastrous debate performance, clearing the way for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, then 60, to take the Democratic nomination.
Trump, now the oldest sitting president in American history, celebrated his 80th birthday at a UFC event at the White House. He has faced scrutiny over his health amid visible swelling and multiple visits to Walter Reed Medical Center. The president insisted after his most recent medical exam in May that “everything checked out PERFECTLY!” He underwent a physical and cognitive test in October and annual tests in April.
The former Utah governor made the comment after being jokingly asked by McKay Coppins, an Atlantic writer and host of the “Deseret Views” podcast, whether he would mount another presidential bid. Romney, who ran for the White House in 2008 and 2012, laughed and replied, “The reality is, sure, I’d love to do it again, and this time I might get it right, you know? Third time’s the charm.”
Romney’s remarks implicitly critique the advanced ages of both Trump and Biden, as well as other aging figures in Washington. The issue has also drawn attention to Senator Mitch McConnell, whose extended hospital stay earlier this year sparked bipartisan calls for greater transparency about lawmakers’ health. Romney’s comments align with a broader push among voters for term limits and age caps, though no formal legislation has advanced.
The interview underscores a generational tension within both parties. While Trump and Biden have dominated the political landscape for years, a new wave of younger candidates is emerging. Romney, who turns 78 next year, did not rule out a 2028 run but made clear that he believes the country needs leaders who are not in their ninth decade.
