National Council on Aging president calls out ageism in election discourse
National Council on Aging President Ramsey Alwin spoke with the Washington Blade on Tuesday, a few days after the group issued a statement calling out “pervasive ageist remarks [that] we have been hearing in the 2024 election.” Discussion of President Joe Biden’s age reached a fever pitch last week after a prosecutor who was investigating his handling of classified documents called Biden a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” who had “diminished faculties in advancing age” — remarks that the administration roundly denounced as untrue and out-of-bounds. “We’re always monitoring the public discourse as advocates for older adults,” Alwin said, “and we speak up and we speak out to reject ageism in all its forms when we feel necessary,” including in this instance.
Whether for partisan purposes or in the context of political punditry, talk about the president’s age has often come with speculation about the state of his mental faculties. “We believe any questions related to person’s health are best discussed with their medical provider,” Alwin said. “Hard stop.” In cases where Biden might mix up names or seem to forget details when delivering speeches, for instance, Alwin stressed “it’s crucial that we recognize age alone is not dictating speech abilities by any means.” “The president has always acknowledged that he had a stutter since childhood,” she said. “And people can successfully overcome challenges such as that with therapy and practice regardless of their age.” Asked whether, hypothetically, such speculation may be appropriate in cases where there is reason to suspect elected leaders may not be capable of executing their duties as a result of age-related conditions like memory loss, Alwin said “There are systems in place to assess the health and to explore these issues when necessary,” adding, “We believe in the current approach and the existing systems.” Meanwhile, the presumptive Republican nominee challenging Biden for the White House, former
