If it were up to Rahm Emanuel, neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump would be eligible for the presidency.
In a speech Wednesday, Emanuel said he wants to institute a mandatory retirement age of 75 for the president and the entire executive branch, the legislative branch, the Supreme Court, and federal courts.
"You're 75 years old; done," said Emanuel, who previously served as mayor of Chicago and U.S. ambassador to Japan.
Emanuel's proposal could be counterintuitive. If he runs for president in 2028, he would be 69 when sworn in and under his law, would be unable to complete a second term.
"I know where I am in my age. Of course it would apply to me," Emanuel said.
"You can't say, Here's what I want to do to change Washington, one of the things I want to do — but I get an exemption because I bought it beforehand," he added.
Aside from Trump, 79, and Biden, who was 78 when inaugurated in 2021, the law would apply to 17 senators and 45 members of the House.
"You can't serve in the armed forces, you can't serve in private sector jobs at 75," Emanuel said. "Go work on your golf swing. It's not that good to begin with."
The 2024 presidential election led to questions about Biden's ability to serve a second term, where he would've been 86 by the time he left office.
Biden eventually ended his reelection bid after a disastrous debate performance against Trump, who became the oldest person to assume the presidency when he took office last year.
Emanuel said he would push for legislation to implement the age limit rather than try for a constitutional amendment.
The median age for the Senate is 64.
Emanuel also proposed legislation restricting lawmakers and judges from accepting gifts and trading stocks, as well as raising the minimum wage.
"You have a president of the United States, in my view, that has expanded, deepened the swamp," Emanuel said. Our job is to drain the swamp as Democrats."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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