US presidents could get age limit of 75 under new plan
Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has called for an age limit of 75 to be brought in for the president, members of Congress and federal judges.
The former Chicago mayor said on Wednesday: “You’re 75 years old: done. And that would be in the legislative branch, it’d be in the executive branch—including the Cabinet—and it’d be also in the Supreme Court, and all the federal courts.” He was speaking at a Center for American Progress event, per a Politico report.
According to various reports, Emanuel has given off signals that he may be considering to run for president in 2028 himself, and, aged 66, this rule would hypothetically prevent him from running for a second term, if enacted in and if he was sworn in as president.
Why It Matters
The call to establish an age limit for the president, members of Congress and judges reignites the debate around the health and capability of those in these positions of power, and comes after the U.S. has sworn two of its oldest presidents in American history.
There was repeated scrutiny of former president Joe Biden’s fitness to serve as president for a second term at the age of 81, in the lead up to the November 2024 election, and there have been reports of President Donald Trump, who is 79, falling asleep in Oval Office meetings. The President has publicly denied these claims.
Given his age, the proposal, if it were hypothetically implemented today, would mean the president could no longer continue serving out his second term.
The median age in Congress for senators is also 64, according to Pew Research Center, meaning that a 75 age limit could affect a number of legislators if implemented.
What To Know
According to The New York Times, Emanuel’s call for the 75 age limit came in response to a question from Neera Tanden, the chief executive of the Center for American Progress, about what the Democratic agenda should be for this year’s midterm elections.
Per the outlet, he said: “Whether you have Supreme Court justices taking gifts or members of Congress stock trading or what’s going on in the executive branch, not only with the members but their families—clean it up, because it’s the first step.”
He added: “Whether that’s at the Supreme Court, lower court, the legislative branch, secretaries of state, other members of the cabinet. Clean it up, all of Washington.”
If Emanuel did run for president, and was successful, he would be sworn in at age 69, meaning he would be 73 at the start of a second term, so, based on this rule, would be unable to complete it.
This hypothetical outcome was something he acknowledged to Politico, saying: “I know where I am in my age. Of course it would apply to me. You can’t say ‘here’s what I want to do to change Washington, one of the things I want to do—but I get an exemption because I bought it beforehand.’
Proposals regarding limits on how long politicians can hold their positions have been brought up in the past, and 37 states already have term limits for governors, while 16 others have term limits for legislators.
American presidents can also only run for two terms, although Trump has voiced his hope to be able to for run for a third time.
Emanuel’s proposal to bring an age limit could be quite popular with the American public, based on previous polls. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 79 percent of Americans favored age limits for elected officials, while 74 percent favored them for Supreme Court justices.
The age limits were particularly popular among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, as 82 percent of them said they supported limits, compared to 76 percent of Democrats.
What Happens Next
It is not yet clear if Emanuel will run for president in 2028, and if he does, there is still much that would need to happen (including his election) before he would be able to try and bring in legislation on an age limit for the president, members of Congress and federal judges.
