"Would limiting the age of the President to 65 be something you'd support? Why or why not?"
That question, posted in the r/AskReddit community, quickly struck a nerve. It didn't take long before the comments lit up with people debating age, competency, and what it really means to be fit for public office.
Some took a strong stance right out of the gate.
"There's a minimum, so a maximum makes sense," one user replied. "35 to 70 seems reasonable. A 70-year-old running for election would finish their term at 74 or 75. Just for discussion's sake."
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Another commenter kept it short but clear: "Seventy-five by Election Day—I'd support that 100%. Probably seventy, too." The idea here wasn't personal—it was practical.
And then came the humor, which—as usual—was layered with truth.
"Why are we letting folks that can die from a strong breeze knocking them over-run the country?" one person asked, getting a strong reaction from readers. Someone else chimed in with mock math: "McConnell is 159. Pelosi is 140."
But not everyone agreed with setting a hard age limit. Some pointed out the difference between age and mental sharpness. "I've met people in their 50s who couldn't handle the job," one user wrote, "and people in their 90s who absolutely could. As long as they're mentally fit, it's fine."
That sentiment was echoed by others who felt the real issue is competency—not candles on a birthday cake. "Without some kind of test for mental fitness, it doesn't matter where you set the age," one person said. Another noted that while the U.S. Constitution technically allows for a mentally unfit president to be removed, the provision has never been used and is seen as nearly impossible to trigger in practice.
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Others turned the conversation toward corruption and priorities. "Let's talk about Citizens United. Let's talk about politicians voting on policies that affect their investments. After we fix that, then we can worry about how old they are," one user commented.
Some simply asked why American politicians tend to be so much older than their counterparts around the world. "Most countries don't have age limits either," one commenter observed, "but they don't seem to have as many people in their 80s running the show. Why is that?"
The thread wasn't just jokes and sarcasm—it reflected something deeper: a public grappling with whether age, experience, or mental clarity matters most in leadership. The answers weren't all the same, but the question definitely got people talking.
Of course, it's well-known that the U.S. doesn't have a maximum age for presidents—just a minimum of 35. That's how Joe Biden took office at 78, setting a record at the time. But Donald Trump broke that this year, becoming the oldest president ever sworn in at 78 years and 7 months.
Meanwhile, countries like Singapore and Tunisia quietly cap presidential candidates in their 70s—but in the U.S., the question isn't about what is, it's about what should be.
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