Donald Trump, at 78, has become the oldest presidential nominee in U.S. history.
Following Joe Biden's recent withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, former Trump faces renewed scrutiny concerning his cognitive capabilities and memory consistency, with one commentator weighing in with concern, as Newsweek reports.
Joe Biden's retreat from the upcoming election has left Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee, simultaneously spotlighting Trump as the Republicans' choice.
If victorious, Trump would set a record as the oldest president in U.S. history during his potential second term. Despite his historical nomination, concerns about his cognitive health have begun to surface, driven by recent statements that have been flagged by some.
These concerns were exacerbated when Trump, in a Bloomberg News interview this July, mentioned possibly appointing Jamie Dimon as Treasury secretary, only to later deny such statements. He attributed these conflicting comments to misinformation from what he referred to as the "Radical Left."
"I don't know who said it, or where it came from, perhaps the Radical Left, but I never discussed, or thought of, Jamie Dimon or Larry Fine for secretary of the Treasury," Trump declared.
Historian Heather Cox Richardson from Boston College points out the shift in the media's attention toward Trump's cognitive state, following Biden's campaign exit.
She suggests that the scrutiny Trump directed at Biden regarding fitness for office due to age might now be directed back at him.
"His lack of visibility highlights that the Republicans are now on the receiving end of the same age and coherence concerns they had used against Biden, and there might be more attention paid to Trump's lapses now that Biden has stepped aside," Richardson noted.
Despite Trump’s accusations, he has continually questioned Biden's mental and physical capability to govern, even suggesting that Biden has been delegating his presidential authority to Washington bureaucrats rather than governing directly.
Trump also took to Truth Social to voice his skepticism about Biden's capability to remain in the White House for the rest of his term, focusing his ire on Vice President Kamala Harris. "Does Lyin' Kamala Harris think Joe Biden is fit to serve for the next six months? She must respond," he posted.
As the November elections approach, the focus on Trump's fitness for the presidency is increasingly under the microscope. Newsweek reached out to Trump's team for clarification on his remarks concerning Dimon but has yet to receive a response.
The campaign trail ahead is poised to bring Trump's cognitive abilities into ongoing public and media discourse. With Biden out of the race and Harris stepping up for the Democrats, the 2024 election is shaping up to be as much about assessments of capability as it is of policy.
