Janice R. Andrews
A new study shows what Utahns think about former President Donald Trump’s age and fitness to be the country’s leader as he starts his campaign for another term. The Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll shows a complex view: most Utah voters aren’t too worried about Trump’s age, but there is strong support for putting age limits on elected officials, which shows broader worries about how well older politicians can run the country.
Concerns About Age: A Mixed Bag
Donald Trump is the oldest Republican candidate for president ever. He is 78 years old. If he wins in November, he will end his term just before his 83rd birthday, which is older than President Joe Biden. Even so, the study found that 60% of Utah voters don’t care about Trump’s age or only care a littleabout it. Three eighteen percent of those who answered were worried about whether he is too old to be president, but only two percent were not sure.
The study, which was done by HarrisX from August 2–9, 2024, asked 800 registered Utah voters about their opinions. It has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. The results show that Trump’s age is on people’s thoughts, but it’s not a big deal for most of them. But there is a big gap between the parties when it comes to this problem.
Party lines make the gap bigger
As expected, the study showed a big gap between the parties. 83% of people who say they are Democrats are worried about Trump’s age, but only 79% of people who say they are Republicans don’t think these worries are important. This split shows how powerful party loyalty is, as voters’ opinions about a candidate’s qualifications are highly affected by which party they belong to.
It’s interesting that 62% of Utahns think there should be a maximum age limit for elected officials, even though many Republicans play down worries about Trump’s age. This is something that people of all parties agree on. However, Republicans are more likely to want to raise the age limit, and some are even ready to go as high as 80.
Limits on Age: A Common Idea
The poll shows that a big chunk of Utah voters agree with the concept of a maximum age for running for office. It was most popular among people of all ages, genders, and political views to say they were 70 years old. A lot of younger people, especially those under 50, wanted an even lower age limit of 65. These results show a difference between generations. Younger voters want a younger group of leaders, while older voters, especially those over 65, may value the knowledge that comes with being older.
54% of people who plan to vote for Trump in November back the idea of a cap on how old an elected official can be. This shows that a lot of people, even Trump supporters, are worried about how well older leaders do their jobs. On the other hand, people who planned to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris or who backed Biden in 2020 were even more in favor of age limits (76% for Harris and 72% for Biden).
Mental Health: Trump vs. Biden
Age and worries about mental sharpness go hand in hand, especially when it comes to the stressful job of president. The Utah study found that 35% of people don’t think Trump is mentally fit to be president, while 65% think he is. As expected, these views are very similar to those of the parties involved: 87% of Republicans believe Trump is mentally fit, while 91% of Democrats doubt it.
There has been more talk about Trump’s mental health, especially since Biden dropped out of the run. Trump, who used to say bad things about Biden’s intelligence, is now being questioned in the same way. Democrats who are against Trump have not been shy about using this to their advantage. Vice President Kamala Harris and other party leaders have made fun of Trump’s energy and vigor.
A More In-Depth Look at the Generational Divide
The poll also shows that people of different generations have different ideas about age limits and whether older candidates are fit to run. 79% of younger voters, especially those between the ages of 18 and 34, back putting a maximum age cap on who can be elected. This group seems to value new ideas and fresh views, which is in line with a larger trend among younger people who want a change in leadership.
Older people, especially those over 65, are less likely to support age limits, though. Only 46% of them agree with the idea. They might not want to hire younger people because they think older people have more useful knowledge or because they feel like they can relate to older candidates. This difference between generations shows how age, experience, and party loyalty all affect voters’ choices in complicated ways.
Health Information Open to the Public
The poll also brought up the important question of how openly elected officials should talk about their health. The poll asked who should be in charge of telling the public about the health of the president or other important people in the government. 53% of those who answered think that this is the job of the chosen official’s staff, while 41% say that party leaders should be responsible. A further 28% say it should be the official’s family’s job to keep the public updated, and 26% say it should be the media’s job to do the same. A big 10% think it’s not the public’s business.
This part of the study shows that voters are becoming more worried about the mental and physical health of people in power. They also want more openness to make sure that elected officials are fully able to do their jobs.
The End: Age, Fitness, and the Future
The talk about Donald Trump’s age and fitness for office is likely to get worse as the 2024 presidential race gets closer. Most Utahns don’t think his age makes him ineligible, but there is a clear desire for age limits in politics. This is because people are worried about the ability of older leaders to run the country well. The difference between generations on this problem makes things even more complicated in politics, which suggests that age and experience will still be very important in the next election.
