Welcome back to The Josh Lafazan Show! Tonight, we need to talk about something both shocking and deeply frustrating: America has the oldest politicians in the world.
This week, 88-year-old Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton — the longest-serving representative for Washington, D.C. — announced she’s running for reelection. At 88 years old, she would be in her 90s if reelected. When asked if she’d step aside, her answer was blunt: “I’m not going to step aside.”
Folks, this is insane. And it highlights a broader crisis: the rise of political gerontocracy in America. Let’s break it all down.
Norton has had a historic career, serving since 1991 as a champion for civil rights and for D.C. statehood. But at a certain point, common sense has to kick in. She’s not alone: Mitch McConnell is 82. Donald Trump is 79. Joe Biden is 81. Dianne Feinstein only left the Senate when she died at 90.
This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about whether someone in their late 80s or 90s can realistically keep up with the demands of one of the hardest jobs in the world.
The average age of Congress today is nearly 60. In the Senate, it’s even higher. Compare that to other democracies:
U.K. MPs average in their 40s.
France elected Emmanuel Macron at 39.
Finland elected Sanna Marin at 34.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is led by some of the oldest politicians on Earth.
The Founders already believed in age minimums: 25 for the House, 30 for the Senate, 35 for president. If we believe in minimums, why not maximums?
Other professions require retirement because of performance demands:
✈️ Airline pilots retire at 65.
⚖️ Judges often face mandatory retirement at 70.
🎖️ Military roles have strict age cutoffs.
Running the country should demand the same standard.
We’ve seen the warning signs:
Senators freezing mid-sentence on live TV.
Lawmakers missing months of votes due to hospitalizations.
Presidents whose gaffes spark questions about their fitness.
This isn’t about disrespecting elders. It’s about reality. Age brings wisdom—but it also brings decline. And when the stakes are the future of the nation, we can’t gamble on politicians serving into their 90s.
The solution is clear:
Constitutional amendment: no one over 75 can run for president, senator, or representative.
State-level reforms: states can set caps for governors, judges, and delegations.
Party rules: political parties can enforce internal retirement standards.
Voter power: ultimately, if voters keep electing 80- and 90-year-olds, nothing changes.
This debate isn’t just about Norton, Biden, or McConnell. It’s about democracy itself. Younger generations deserve leaders who understand their world: AI, climate change, student debt, social media—not just the world of rotary phones.
The Founders believed in renewal. They never envisioned a system where the majority of power rested in the hands of people decades older than the average American. Age limits would restore balance and ensure new voices at the table.
So when Eleanor Holmes Norton says at 88, “I’m not going to step aside,” we should ask: shouldn’t the Constitution—and the voters—decide what’s too old?
If pilots, judges, and generals face age limits, why not the people who run the country? America’s gerontocracy is holding us back. It’s time to bring in a new generation of leadership.
I’m Josh Lafazan, this is The Josh Lafazan Show. If you agree it’s time for change, hit that like 👍, subscribe 🔔, and share 📢 this episode. Because if we don’t demand it now, we’ll still be debating this when the next politician runs for reelection at 95.
Thank you for watching! 🙏
👉 Josh, do you want me to also draft a set of SEO-optimized hashtags & keywords for this description (e.g., #AgeLimits #CongressTooOld #PoliticalReform) so it’s ready to post?