Romney on running in 2028: 80-year-olds ‘shouldn’t be running the world’

Campaign Romney on running in 2028: 80-year-olds ‘shouldn’t be running the world’ Comments: by Sarah Davis - 07/09/26 6:24 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 07/09/26 6:24 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Former Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) supported growing calls from voters across the country for a younger generation of political leaders in a new interview released Wednesday.

“I basically think people who are 80 and above really should not be running the world or running the country,” he told the Deseret News.

He cited research about decreased brain capacity with age, invoking journalist Bill Bryson’s book “The Body.”

“He points out that the human brain shrinks by 20 percent by the time you’re 80 years of age,” Romney said, referring to Bryson’s book.

The former Utah governor made the comment after he was jokingly asked by McKay Coppins, who writes for The Atlantic and hosts the “Deseret Views” podcast, about whether he would run for president again. Romney previously ran for the country’s highest office in 2008 and 2012.

“The reality is, sure, I’d love to do it again, and this time I might get it right, you know? Third time’s the charm,” he said, laughing.

Both President Trump and former President Biden faced concerns on the campaign trail in 2024 that their older age would hamper their ability to perform the duties required in the West Wing.

The calls for younger leadership were so strong on the Democratic side that Biden rescinded his reelection bid after a disastrous debate performance and backed former Vice President Kamala Harris, then 60, to run in his place.

Trump became the oldest sitting president during his second term in office, celebrating his 80th birthday with a UFC fight at the White House last month. He has continued to face questions about his health amid signs of visible swelling and multiple visits to Walter Reed Medical Center.

The president insisted after his last medical exam in May that “everything checked out PERFECTLY!” Trump visited the hospital in October for a physical exam and cognitive test and last April for annual tests.

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