At the end of this month, America will have a new president. Since winning the election, Donald Trump has moved with lightning speed selecting his cabinet and reaching out to world leaders. Also since being elected, the stock market has responded favorably and there is a general feeling of optimism across much of the country. And, while the nation seems to be in a positive mode, it is no surprise the legacy media has been nitpicking several of Trump’s cabinet choices. And one thing they have zeroed-in on is the age of some of Trump’s cabinet choices.
For example, before Matt Gaetz stepped down as Trump’s choice for Attorney General, beside his questionable reputation, the press also hammered away at Gaetz being 42 years old. Then, the media has not only questioned some of Pete Hegseth’s past life, who is up for Defense Secretary, they have also focused on the fact he is only 44 years old. Tulsi Gabbard, who is up for the Director of National Intelligence is 43 years old and believe it or not, the media has made a big deal out of her age. Additionally, the media has questioned Karoline Leavitt’s age of 27 who has been tapped to be the White House Press Secretary. It goes on from there with Vivek Ramaswamy who is 39 years old and along with Elon Musk, will oversee a new government entity that will be in charge of identifying waste across government and cut it out. By the way, Vivek became a billionaire in his early 30s. Elon was 41 when he reached billionaire status.
So what about age?
Does age really matter in regard to who Trump chooses for his cabinet? What about smarts, energy, determination? Certainly these talents are vitally important for any leadership role whether that is in the White House or running one of America’s main corporations or going to war and leading troops. Could it be that “experience” is what the media is really questioning with Trump’s picks? Wondering out loud here, does the media feel experience can only come with age?
Most are of the opinion that generally speaking, age correlates with the opportunity to accumulate more life experiences. However, experience itself does not automatically come with age. That depends on one’s life events, choices, and engagements in different situations. A young person could certainly have more relevant experience in a specific field than someone older depending on their exposure and active participation.
When it comes to age and running the country, I think about John F. Kennedy who was elected President at 43 years old and even his brother Bobby Kennedy who became Attorney General of the United States when he was 35. These two young men were smart, talented, and handled some incredibly significant issues during their watch such as the Cuban Missile Crises, Civil Rights, organized crime, you name it.
Then, what about the authors of our Constitution?
Thomas Jefferson was 33 years old; James Madison was 36 and is considered to be the main author of the Constitution and referred to as the “Father of the Constitution” due to his significant contributions to the drafting process. Alexander Hamilton was 30 years old and Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey was the youngest at 26.
And, there are other Americans along the way who achieved remarkable things in their youth such as Neil Armstrong who was 38 years old and the first person to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969. Buzz Aldrin, was also on that Apollo 11 mission and he was the second person to walk on the moon at 39 years old.
So, as members of the legacy media question the age (and other things) of several of Trump’s perspective cabinet members, they should keep in mind the ages of some of our most prominent Americans when they delivered greatness to this country.
Trump’s cabinet picks also demonstrate he is ready for a new generation to lead the country. For far too long Washington has been overseen by an almost elderly generation. It’s a new day, and it is time to blaze a new path with young, smart, and aggressive men and women who have boundless energy and can take the reins and move America in a positive direction.
Does age matter? Age can matter in some contexts. However, it is not always a defining factor. In this case? Age is on the side of Trump’s picks.
In closing, on behalf of the staff of the Delta Business Journal we wish you a Happy and Prosperous 2025.