Older Voters Back Mental Tests for Aging Politicians

A majority of voters across all generations believe that aging politicians should be tested for mental fitness, with support for the measure being slightly stronger among Americans aged between 57 and 75—the so-called Baby Boomers—according to a Newsweek poll.

The exclusive poll was conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on behalf of Newsweek between August 5 and 6 among a sample population of 1,500 eligible voters in the country. It found that 75 percent of all Americans agree that politicians of a certain age should be required to take competency tests to prove their mental fitness for office, with support rising with age.

The polling suggests there is widespread concern about the competency of some older politicians. President Joe Biden, who is 80, has faced numerous questions about whether his age has affected his performance in the role. Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate minority leader, is 81 and has faced a series of health-related issues recently.

A total of 63 percent among the younger age cohort, Generation Z (aged between 9 and 24), backed the introduction of competency tests, while support rose to 74 percent among millennials (aged between 25 and 40), and to 77 percent among Generation X (aged between 41 and 56).

Support for the measure was highest among the older age cohort, the Baby Boomers, at 79 percent. Only 6 percent of all respondents thought that such tests would not be necessary.

The issue of older politicians' mental sharpness and fitness for office has been put under the spotlight most recently by the series of incidents involving McConnell.

The senator, who suffered a head injury after a reported fall earlier this year, froze at two public events this summer during which he remained unable to speak for several minutes. His looks appeared to have altered in the past year, raising concerns over his health and calls for him to resign even from his own party members.

Republican candidate Nikki Haley has been one of the most vocal GOP members calling for McConnell to resign, going as far as describing the Senate as a "privileged nursing home." During the past year, she has repeatedly called for competency tests for aging politicians.

Concerns about Biden's age have also been raised throughout his administration, and those concerns are growing before his likely run for re-election in 2024.

Based on the Newsweek/Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll, 61 percent of Americans are "very" (44 percent) or "fairly" (17 percent) concerned about Biden's ability to lead the nation given his age, while a total of 62 percent agree that he's too old to seek re-election.

An even higher number of voters are concerned about McConnell's age, with 65 percent being "very" (42 percent) or "fairly" (23 percent) worried about his ability to do his job in the Senate and 64 percent agreeing he should resign as minority leader.

Nor has Biden's main rival, Donald Trump, who's currently the frontrunner in the Republican primary, been spared from such questions.

At the age of 77, Trump is three years younger than Biden. According to a recent poll in The Wall Street Journal, 47 percent of Americans said that Trump was "too old" to run for the presidency, compared to 73 percent who said the same of Biden.

Some 49 percent of respondents said that Trump was not "mentally up for the job of president," while 60 percent said the same about Biden—a notable gap.

Update 09/11/23, 8 a.m. ET: This article and its headline were updated for clarity.