Even though I have served in government in some capacity for over 30 years, I don’t consider myself the ultimate expert on all things government. But I can lay claim to the fact that I am an expert on aging, having reached my mid-eighties. That stage in life gives me the right to claim that I know a great deal about what happens to your mind and body at that stage.
To start with, my age makes me older than President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Despite the passage of time I still work five days a week, practice law, do government relations and write multiple opinion columns on a variety of subjects. A few times a week I force myself to go to the gym where I do some cardio work and many stretches.
I pay close attention to the subtle changes that are taking place in the lives of former President Trump and our current President Joe Biden. Even though Mr. Trump looks to be more active, he has aged dramatically over the past eight years. He is unquestionably obese and he admits that his diet is mostly fast food and occasional soft drinks.
Joe Biden has changed dramatically over the past four years, primarily due to the fact that he has the toughest job in America. The stresses of being a president are monumental and there is no way to cover up the fact that he has reached age 81.
Even though these two gentlemen are now old men, there are stark differences in how the two live their lives. Mr. Biden is on the job seven days a week and when you wrestle with so many challenges, it keeps your mind sharp which is critical to avoiding mental decay.
Mr. Trump has little in his life to keep him healthy other than the periodic trips around the country. Political rallies may be great for our ego, but they do nothing to make you mentally sharper. Trump has no briefing books to scan nor does he admittedly have any reading habits. Following a teleprompter may be a good exercise, but Trump has a tendency to go off script and that is when he shows that his skills are slowly diminishing.
President Biden tends to walk slowly due to a long standing back problem and his lifetime stuttering habit makes him prone to verbal glitches. Mr. Trump shows daily signs of mental slippages, which he claims are planned mistakes.
The next seven months will determine who has the stamina to get to the finish line, but regardless of who you like, Biden has more mental and physical pluses going for him than his Republican challenger.
