Why many older Americans are losing ground even with an 80-year-old president

Federal policy changes are likely to make life harder for many Americans of modest means as they age.

By: Nina A. Kohn, Syracuse University and Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 22, 2026

Words: 1,142

Last Updated: 1 month ago

By Nina A. Kohn, Syracuse University and Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia

American political leadership skews decidedly older than the population as a whole. President Donald Trump turned 80 years old on June 14, 2026. The median age for senators is nearly 65, and the median age for House of Representatives members is almost 58.

But are those older people in office a sign that the U.S. government is turning into …

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